King of Darkness and The White Flame

Chapter 7

After gathering all our things, and making sure nobody has been left behind we all set out to try and find our way through the damaged forest. Asher was still unconscious and being carried by a team we had established, with back up members when the team got tired of carrying him. Evan was also a medic (he has many gifts) he patched up Asher’s wounds with a first aid kit and was checking it regularly. Jessie was still mad at me. He was dead set on turning around and going home. My only reprieve was Lilith, who was recovering nicely. She didn’t remember much from being in a trance, only that she was extremely hungry and extremely thirsty. As if she couldn’t seem to quench her thirst no matter how much water she drank. She kept side glancing at me while we walked. “Do you have something to say?” I ask her. “Why’s Jessie mad at you?” she asks. 

“I thought he would have told you.” I respond. She shakes her head and her hair bounces off her shoulders. It glistens in the sunlight. I must be taking too long to speak because she raises one of her eyebrows at me. “He wants to turn back and go home.” I look away from her because it’s hard to keep my focus on what’s important when I’m around her. “So, why not let him?” she asks. “I need his men, now more than ever since half mine ran off and are either injured or dead out there.” 

“I’m sure he’ll still allow his men to stay if you asked.” she says “I doubt it,” I take a deep breath, trying to slow my heart rate “he doesn’t believe in the purpose or the cause anymore. He feels this trip has just been fruitless and reckless and dangerous. I can’t say I disagree, but I have to do this.”

“Why?” She touches my wrist so gently. For a second I just enjoy the closeness of her. I pretend for a minute that she’s mine, that she’d accept me for who I am. Even if she knew my past, she wouldn’t care. For a minute I considered telling her everything. I consider telling her about my parents, about how their recklessness affected me. About the pressure I’m under to be like them when every fiber of my being is fighting to be someone else. I want to tell her about the White Flame, the dream I had, my close escape with the mutated beasts. I feel my wrist tingle when she lets go, her other hand still relying on the walking stick to keep her upright. She was recovering, but she was still weak. Nobody asked any questions about how she came to be sick. Which was very strange. We didn’t offer up any explanations either. I think it’s best not to make everyone panic. 

“You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to, Jo,” she says after a long silence. I appreciate her understanding.

When we reach the entrance to the forest, Jessie suggests we split up. One team would go into the forest, headed straight through. One team would attempt to find a way around and a third team to stay behind, so that when one of the teams has found their way through we can all meet back. It also saves from carrying Asher too far in one direction just to have to turn back and it saves from the older women, who’ve volunteered, to walk too far. 

Jessie takes team two around the forest. The two soldiers agree to stay with Asher (they say it’s to keep him safe but I personally think they’re too scared to have another encounter with the beasts.) Evan stays too, since he has to monitor Asher’s recovery and many of the women who have volunteered to come along to cook food and help with setting up tents etc. have decided to stay as well. Many of these women have husbands in the army, wherever their husbands go, they go. 

Since the great fire burned everything, people have added a lot more value to their lives and loved ones. Women, who once were so keen on working away from home, choose to travel with their husbands. Many decide not to have families, for fear it would just be taken from them. The ones that have families are not allowed to enlist in the army. The Society has changed in many ways since that last century of people who had lived before the great fire. For one thing, I’ve read in history books that people had machines. Communication devices, devices used for entertainment, there was a machine for everything. It seemed that these machines had more value than human life. When our ancestors decided to rebuild, they decided not to rebuild machines. We were told, they’d just be a distraction. Slowly, our Society that had once relied on Omnione for everything, just didn’t have the need to believe in someone that had allowed our ancestors to die the way they did. There was only one faction that still believed, The Chosen. 

Lilith decides to come with me, through the forest. Against the will of her brother. “Lilith, you should stay with Evan, and the other soldiers. You’re still not well enough.” 

“Don’t tell me what to do Jessie, I’m a grown woman capable of making my own decisions.” Jessie huffs, “You’re a child playing dress up. You act tough but you don’t know what you need Lilith. For once, can you stop being stubborn and listen to me?” Jessie seems to be getting under everyone’s skin lately. Lilith’s face goes red and she looks like she’s going to tell him off. Her anger fascinates me. I stand to one side, my arms crossed and just watch them spar, back and forth. Eventually Jessie backs off and I get the feeling that Lilith is not used to losing arguments. For a moment, I feel for Jessie, because all he wants is for his last living relative to be safe. I decide not to tell Lilith that I am on Jessies side this time. I really don’t want her to be mad at me either. Jessie gathers his team, gives me a look of warning that I’m hoping is “Keep my kid sister safe” and not “she dies and I’ll kill you”. I nod briefly and we head through the forest.