Ander - Part 6: Subchapter 47
47
"Line them up. Just like that, yeah."
"Are we really going to...?"
"What?"
"Nothing."
Dorin's face felt hot on the inside, but freezing cold on the outside. He was wet and shivering. He didn't understand what was going on. Why was everything black? Was he asleep? No? Why... why was he moving?
Something was holding him up by the arms, and for some reason that sent a wave of panic through the pit of his stomach. He didn't want anyone touching him there, but he couldn't remember why.
Because they'll find it! They'll feel it!
Find what? Feel what?
He couldn't remember.
There was something cold and abrasive rubbing against his toes. Was that... snow? Was he being dragged? By who?
Dorin mustered his strength and just barely managed to open his eyes, but all he could see was a river of blood and shreds of meat flowing beneath his face. It didn't even surprise him anymore.
This was home, after all.
*
"Hey! Wake up!"
Something nudged him.
"I said wake up!"
The 'something' nudged him again, harder.
"Wake up, damn you!"
It kicked him in the face, awakening all the punishment he had taken in a single torturous moment.
Dorin opened his eyes, expecting to see more blood everywhere, more gore, maybe some entrails falling from the sky, who knew? But everything seemed normal. Well, as 'normal' as it could get in this place, anyway. The snow was white, if a bit blurry. Right up against his face, too, but it actually felt kind of nice against his bruised jaw.
"Get him up."
Someone grabbed him by the hair and pulled him up into a kneeling position. Dorin considered fighting back, but he was not Ander, this was not a fair trial, and they hadn't really been 'Thrown to the Wolves'. If they had, it would have taken place at night, they would have been given a fair chance to last until dawn, and no weapons would have been allowed.
All the more reason to fight back. If Ander could do it, you can, too.
This is different. They were just having fun with Ander. They wanted to stretch it out, make it last as long as possible, and that's why they lost. Fifty thousand different kinds of luck all came together on that night, and it still wasn't enough. Ander died anyway, so what's the point?
It's better to go out fighting. Even Nilia would agree to that.
This isn't the same. They just want to kill us and get it over with so they can start their real game. We're nothing more than an appetizer.
Fine then. Let them kill you. If you don't even try to fight back, if you just give up, it will be the same thing as killing yourself.
I did try, but they wouldn't listen to me! It's no use!
That's what you've wanted for a long time, isn't it? To just let everything go away? To let it all end? Just like Mother...
Shut up!
It would have been fine if you were alone. But take a look around. Take a good, long look.
The real world started to come back in dribs and drabs. His vision cleared. The snow was dirty, potmarked by the footprints of hundreds of angry Wolves, but there was no blood, thank the Cora. He looked to his right. Ivio and Denko were kneeling beside him, and they weren't looking any better than he felt. Ivio had a large cut across the side of his face, starting from his left ear and ending just below the line of his jaw. Denko's face seemed all right, except for the look of pure agony across his features. The focus of his beating had been his leg, and it was in pretty bad shape. The leaves had been stripped away, revealing the hole in his knee, widened by the teeth and claws of his peers. Seeing his shredded bandages once again made Dorin feel sick to his stomach, but not because of the wounds. It felt like he had forgotten something vitally important...
A small whimper, a muffled cry, the sound of tears choked back and swallowed. Dorin looked to his left.
Aisa was kneeling beside him, her face battered and bruised. There were scratches everywhere; on her brow, her muzzle, her cheeks, her lips, even her ears. Both her eyes were swollen almost completely shut, and twin streams of tears were silently running down her face, same as the blood flowing from her open wounds.
By the Cora... Dorin thought. She looks just like Renna...
Dorin swallowed. It hurt his throat. "Aisa?"
She whimpered, but didn't say anything.
"Aisa, it's going to be okay."
She shook her head, her lips trembling. She wasn't even looking at him. Her gaze was fixed straight ahead, unwavering.
For the first time since opening his eyes, Dorin looked ahead. He didn't have much hope to begin with, but every last shred of it evaporated into nothingness as he realized where they were, what was about to happen, and how it all would finally end.
Maybe Aisa and I should have killed ourselves together, he thought. It would have been better than this.
They were made to kneel in the Cora statue's monstrous shadow, and before them, gaping wide like a throat to Hell... was The Pit.
Hey, guys. Sorry for the short upload. There was going to be more, but the next chunk of the story is kinda long, and it's not quite done yet. I should have it ready by Monday, though.
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