Chapter 29 Nightmare
"What? You can't be serious!" Marina said, breaking the silence.
I shook my head, know for sure I remember seeing it. "No, I saw his nose move a bit before I passed out."
"It could have been your illusional," Shade suggests.
"But it wasn't!" I protest.
"Ash there's no way he could survive through that power shock." Marina said she places her hand on my shoulder." I saw many animals that were shocked by lighting they died instantly." I wanted to believe her, I wanted to so bad so I can forget that monster but I couldn't bear to ignore that memory.
"But..!"
"Come on we need to keep moving, Goth is dead."Shade interrupted but he turns to me and has a reassuring look. He won't ever harm us and Throbb could've died by now so there's no need to worry." I only sighed heavily, failing to fight my protest.
"…Alright but we need to find my bag, it has some medicine I need to heal my wound and food I can eat." I see Marina looking at some berries and I notice there were the same berries that Zephyr used to heal her band. She used one of her claws to pick one up and give it a slight squeeze to make some juice spill on her band.
"Ahh," Marina sighed, looking relaxed. "Zephyr was right, these berries are soothing." Feeling curious, I use my finger to get some juice from her berry and rub it on my hand and I was surprised my hand feels smooth already.
"Hey, these berries can be excellent hand cream."
"Hand cream?" Marina glance at me puzzled. I laughed.
"Here feel my hand," I gesture my hand over her and she touches them softly.
"Wow, they are smooth,"
"Shade these berries are amazing," I said, but he wasn't paying attention instead of studying at the leaves.
"Uh whatever," He picks up one leaf and opens his mouth to eat it.
"Shade!" Marina stops him. She zooms over to him, passing me with her wings flapping." That leaf could knock you out cold." I notice these leaves are the sleeping pills that Zephyr used. I wonder if he comes out here to get some of these medicines?
Shade gives us a smirked. "Nah I don't think it ca…"We saw he was giving us a drowsy look and then he passed out in front of us on a branch and snores.
"Shade!" Marina cried. I gasp but then I notice he was faking it. Due I can see he was trying to hide that smirk of his.
"Wake up please wake up!" The brightwing shook his shoulder worriedly.
"Don't worry I've got an idea that works on humans, first we need to get a huge leaf and put nice ice water so I can dump it on him," I said but was smirking playfully. "And if that doesn't work we can find a sharp stick to poke.."I saw his eyes snapped open and turn to me sharply.
"You wouldn't dare!"
"I would," I give him my sneaky smile. "if you promise not to scare us like that."
"Then remind me not to do this joke on you," Shade and I laughed for a bit but Marina was the one that wasn't, instead of giving us annoy look.
"Guys you can't treat Zephyr's like it was some cheap trick."
"Come on Marina we're just having fun," I said after I calmed my laugh.
"Yeah sorry," Shade added, and he flings the leaf in the thin air, rolling his eyes. " And besides I couldn't care all that plant stuff anyway."
And he also added. "We're on our way to Hibernaculum, not Herbnaculum."
"You have to get us there first," Marina reminded him. "Remember the owls are still after us."
Shade sighed heavily. "And my whole colony." I notice how his head is low that I gently touch his shoulder.
"We'll catch up to them Shade, and soon they will be safe." He looks at me a little and I give him my best comfort smile. Then we hear birds singing and I look to see dawn approaching.
"Come on we should find shelter before the sun comes up." Marina lifts herself up to take my hands and we both went down to the nearest hollow tree.
"Let's spend a day in here." Shade suggested. Marina went in first to land me on the ground and went up to roost on a wall with Shade. I sighed tiredly as I made myself comfy with dead leaves under me before I lay down. Still, worry about Goth I took a couple of breaths and pray to God to keep us safe and have me not to worry about anything that includes Goth and I hope in my heart that I'm wrong he's didn't survived. I tighten my jacket and I manage to fall asleep when I hear more birds singing.
Dream:
I woke up in the middle of the evening and I saw Shade and Marina gone, I blinked in puzzled.
"Um, guys?" I got up and climb up the hollow tree and landed outside. I tighten my jacket to stay warm and I looked around to find them.
"Guys! Where are you?" Then in corner of my eyes, I gasp, to see a river that leads to the waterfall. I run alongside and stop at where the waterfall was. I panted and looked down and saw both friends, Shade, and Marina roosting.
I sighed in relief. "Guys thanks for ditching me." I smiled, I saw Shade look up at me and laughed.
"Come on Ash! Glad you made it, everyone is going to be overjoyed to see us." They both flew inside and being careful with ice I slide myself down to the open cave.
"Wait for me!" I landed and ran into the cave, feeling glad we finally made it safe and now we can save Shade's colony. All of a sudden I stop my track. Everything was dead silence, where they're supposed to be bats flying? Or else.. I looked up, to try finding the silverwings but I don't see any of them roosting. I swallowed, feeling my stomach sicken and my legs felt numb.
"Guys?" I called quietly. "Shade, Marina?" I searched around for them, even trying to spot Ariel and Frieda. "Anybody? Hello? Are you all here?" My voice echoed and I didn't get an answer. Now I feel uneasy like something was not right around here. I walked on to find them until I tripped on something. I yelped and fall on something soft on my stomach. I groaned and put get the hood off my face.
"Dammit, what was tha..?" I looked down and see a dead body, that belongs to a Silverwing! I screamed and saw to my horror Frieda's face revealed. I got up fast, having a bloodstain on my coat and I stepped on another one, who is dead as well. It's like I just walked into a scary movie with many dead bats lying on the ground, having much blood gushing everywhere creating many puddles. My face paled, with my heart frozen with fear and feel I was going to throw up at this awful sight.
"W..were too late." I wimped. No..it can't be! We're got here first!" There's no way.." I hear someone coughing almost made me jump and I spun fast and saw a familiar Silverwing dying on the floor.
"Shade!" I ran to his side and got on my knees. "What happened?!"
"A..Ashlie?" He coughed, I realized he was gripping his chest and his body looks terrible, with scratches all over him. Then he looked at me fearfully.
"You have to get out of here! He'll get you!"
I shook my head. "No, I'm not leaving you..!" Then to my shock, I saw his blood gushing fast out of his chest, which covers his hand completely. Trembling, I helped him lay down and I took his hand out to where he was pressing and I scream in terror, he has a hole in his chest, and his heart was nowhere. Like it was ripped out. I stumble back until my back hit something soft. I quickly turn and saw Goth looming over me with blood on his muzzle.
He gives me a dark smirk. "Señorita, you shouldn't come here to see your friends all dead." I look at him in horror but I clutch my fist and screamed at him.
"You...YOU MONSTER!"
"Me Monster?" Goth laughed harshly. "I'm only doing this to survive my journey señorita."
"Leave here alone!" Shade screamed, gasping for air. I was about to run back to him but then Goth grabbed my arm. I look up and he was smiling down at me with a dark gleam in his eyes.
"Now, we should make our depart for our south shall we señorita, let's leave this wasteland.
"W-what?" I made him let go of me, not understanding what he was talking about. He didn't answer me, instead has a scowling look and his teeth bared
"I said you're going to come with me to the south!" I screamed back further before he grabs me.
"Run Ashlie! Run..!" I saw Shade was trying to breathe but he was in too much pain and then to my terrifying sight, he falls flat on the floor, dead.
"SHADE!" I shrieked, "NO SHADE…!" Goth tries to snatch me and I sprint off, hearing his wings flapping behind me. I kept running through a dark tunnel, unknowing where I was going and feel the giant bat coming close. All of sudden my face slammed something hard, ceasing my run. I looked at what's in front of me and realized it was a wall.
"What?" I breathed heavily, glance my surroundings to see I was in some kind of huge house. I searched for a way to help me defend or get out until my eyes caught glimpse of the bats roosting above the ceiling.
I waved up at them desperately. "Help! Help me!" Each bat looks down at me but not one of them moved.
"Demon," One hissed. My eyes went wide.
"False promise," Other added.
"Traitor," I couldn't believe what I was hearing, and saw all of them looking at me hatefully, and I even realized they were greywings I met days ago. I jumped to reach them and I cried.
"No please I'm on your side! Help me please help! Ple…!" Didn't know Goth was right behind me I feel him grip my arm and jerk me back.
I scream in terror and struggle to get free while reaching my hand out to them." HELP ME! PLEASE, I'M NOT A TRAITOR! HELP ME! HELP…!" Before I can yell more I was engulfed in Goth's wings, force my yelling to die.
"NO!" I shot myself up from my sleep. I breathed heavily, having sweats running inside my coat and my heart was pounding hard against my ribs. I looked up and see we were still inside a hollow tree and the dusk was coming in.
"It was just a dream, I muttered to myself with my tears were flooding down my face. "Just a stupid dream."
"Ash?" I gasp and look up and see Shade awake, my cry has given it away as his eyes lit up.
"Are you okay?"
I swallowed. "I just had..a bad dream that's all." He drops himself from his roost and landed beside me.
"What's your dream about?" He asks. I didn't speak and didn't even look at him. The dream I had was terrible, and the more I think of it, the more tears leak out and I can't bear to bring it out.
"….Was Goth in your dream?" Like Shade just read my mind I nod a little. I hear him sigh heavily. Then I feel his one wing around me and without thinking I plunge to hug him, causing him to gasp softly. More tears dropped down on his mane as I grip them tightly, afraid he'll die at this moment just like in my nightmare. He returns his hug and I held on to him close.
He sighed heavily. "Ash, it's all okay. Goth is dead, he will never harm us. I'm sorry he's scaring you this much."
"B..but I saw him twitched." I wimped. "You have to believe me." Shade was about to protest my refusal but we both hear Marina waking up.
"Guys?" I peek and see her blinked in puzzled. "Is everything okay?"
I nod and got out his wings and quickly wipe my tears so she won't notice them.
"Yeah its all good," I replied. She hums and turns to Shade.
"We should check on your sound map to see how far are we from the Stone hold." With that, Shade close his eyes and hums softly and we both waited for him. Soon he opens his eyes, gasping.
'So?" Marina asks. "How far is it?"
"We're close, I think." He answered.
"How close?"
"We just have to look for the pine tree that looks like an arrow." He added. Marina looked at him like he just said something gibberish.
"Are you kidding me?" She exclaimed. "There must be billion of pine trees around here!"
"Maybe it won't be that bad, not all pine trees have an arrow-shaped look," I said. "You remember what it looks like on your sound map?"
"I'll know when I see it." Shade replied. Then Marina shook her head in disbelief.
"What if the owl sees us first?" She asks and I can tell she was afraid, but she's using her strict tone to hide it.
"Marina, we'll make it. I'm sure we will, we'll make it work."
She sighed softly. "I know Ash but, I'm not going to feel safe until I'm comparing the band with Frieda." She showed us her band a bit and Shade smiles at her.
"Come on let's make that happen." With that Marina flew down from her roost and grab my hands with her two feet and we soared out into the evening and begin looking for that specific pine needle.
Author's Note: Hello everyone hope your liking this chapter! :D If not don't read and review it! Sorry, this took a while again due to life busy but I promise you I'll get this story all done as soon as possible. I dont own any silverwing characters except OC's Enjoy. And again everyone thanks all for your support, you don't know how much this means to me :'D