“Help!” The woman yelled in terror as she tried her best not to inhale the smoke which had started to cover the whole area. The fire around her spread like fire and its smoke filled her bedchamber.
Pounding desperately at the door, she cried out loudly, still trying to escape through it. She was locked inside. Someone surely wants her dead.
“Please! Anybody! Help!” She screamed as she tried to go to the window side but flames cut her off, nearly searing her skin with the intensity of the heat. Stepping back, she started pounding at the door. “Help me!”
But to her dismay, no one heard her cries. No came for her.
She shivered with that thought in despair and prayed with all her heart that her family is safe. She looked around and saw that the flames had grown bigger and wilder by the second. She knew any moment from now, the space she’s in will also be totally consumed by the fire.
The fire had become too strong now and the smoke which she tried not to inhale have started to fill her lungs. But the woman didn’t want to give up. Still, she used her remaining strength to pound at the door. But then she started to feel dizzy as each second passed by and she fell to her knees. Further and further down until her body began to beg for air and her vision started to fade.
No.
Please. I don’t want to die yet.
I’m still young.
I can’t die.
I’m not yet ready. She thought desperately.
The woman’s tears started welling in her eyes. The flames had started to melt her bed and she saw how it curled with the heat.
Not like this.
A large beam fell from the ceiling. With all of her voice left, Phoebe screamed, her voice reduced to a muted terror amidst the fire and smoke.
Please.
Anybody.
“Save me.” She whispered earnestly.
By then, a wave of black smoke hurled inside her room producing a strong wind. The flames were immediately gone and all that was left were ashes of everything that burnt beforehand. Trembling, her eyes widened as a man started emerging from the black smoke. Phoebe panted for breath, coughed, still choked from the heat as her vision started to clear.
The woman then turned to the man with in front of her and their eyes met over the short distance.
Hazel Brown Eyes. He thought.
“You’re safe now.” He then spoke after a while, his voice was deep, low and cold.
But she was too stunned to answer.
“What’s your name?” He asked as he slowly walked towards her.
“Phoebe.” She replied softly.
***
“Black, are you listening?” Ava asked loudly which finally caught Black’s attention who was walking beside him.
The sun shone brightly over the fields they are in, giving warmth to the early morning. They are currently on their way to the north where they’ll begin their search for the fountain of life.
“You were saying?” Black asked, totally thinking about other things earlier.
Ava scoffed and pouted deeply upon confirming that he wasn’t really listening to what she was saying. She then took a deep breath and held it. She wasn’t exactly sure if she was mad or annoyed, but definitely she wasn’t pleased. He’s been acting like this lately. Though he started talking a lot more compared as to when only the two of them were travelling together, still, she can’t help but feel that something is bothering him.
“Never mind.” She said and walked faster only to be pulled back by Black’s strong hand.
“I asked what you were saying.” Black demanded and stared at her intensely.
An unfamiliar feeling started swirling inside Ava, her heart pounded rapidly as she met his intense gaze. Pulling away, she sighed and tried to get back to her senses.
“I was saying that Casix has this idea of disguising ourselves first before we enter the borders.” Ava then said.
“And how do we do that?” Black asked.
“There’s a small town just before the borders and we can ask Alvis to go and get us ordinary clothes that we can use.” Ava answered.
“How do you know that there’s a small town before the border?” Black suddenly asked which caught her off guard.
Ava hasn’t told Black yet about the Atlas and so she cleared her throat and breathe out deeply. “I just think that there will be because most of the people who would like to cross borders would definitely need a place to stay in after travelling far, right?”
Black brows raised and Ava knew he wasn’t convinced of her explanation. But until she knows him fully, she cannot just tell him everything.
“I just know it, okay?” She declared.
“You are not telling me something, woman.” Black commented before he continued walking.
“As if you are telling me everything.” Ava snorted and walked after him.
***
“Aren’t there any other clothes?” Ava asked loudly as soon as Alvis handed her a floral dress which looked too feminine for her taste.
Then her eyes went to Black who also didn’t look pleased by the clothes he was given to wear.
“Can’t I just get some men’s clothing, just like yours?” Ava asked and looked at Alvis, flashing an innocent smile.
“There is no more pairs of men’s clothes hanging outside. Just these ones.” Alvis replied which made Ava gasped.
“Did you steal these clothes, Alvis?” Ava asked right away, squinting her eyes at the poor human.
“What?” Alvis blurted out. “It’s not as if you gave me money to buy you clothes. Where else would you expect me to go and get free ones.”
Ava sighed and pouted as he had a point. Then her eyes turned to Casix who was the mastermind of this whole idea.
“Why didn’t you give him money?” She asked.
“Ehem…” Casix began and cleared his throat. “We we’re in a hurry last time. So no time to get any.”
Ava sighed in surrender.
“I think that dress suits you best, my lady.” Casix then commented to change the topic and Ava glared at him right away.
“What if we start fighting? Do you really expect me to fight in this dress?” Ava asked.
“You can just put it on top of your clothes. It’s your idea to do this anyway.” Black replied nonchalantly and began walking away.
“Excuse me. It’s not my idea.” She said, loud and clear.
“Still, it’s not as if you do know how to fight.” Black added before fading into a nearby tree.
Alvis and Casix chuckled as soon as Black said that and so Ava just went and gave both of them a pinch to their sides before stomping her feet and walking away.
Tsk. Men.
***
Black looked at his hands. They were rough and calloused. Probably because of working in the fields for many longs years before the second plague. Or was it because of holding a sword for past years? He shook his head before taking off his black cloak, then his inner robe. A huge scar laid on his body from his lower abdomen up to his chest. For many years he tried to remember where he’s gotten it but couldn’t. Though this scar maybe the largest one, it was still just one of the great many more that littered his whole body.
“What am I even doing here?” He whispered before balling his hands into a fist.
Who am I?
Then his thoughts trailed off the memories he recently started remembering.
Phoebe.
Who are you?
What are you to me?
His fisted hand automatically went to chest aching chest once more as he began feeling an indiscernible pain once again as soon as he thinks of that woman.
I need to find that fountain of life.
As soon as he started having those memories, he wanted more. All of it began when he heard about the fountain. That was why he was here. With that in mind, he hurriedly dressed into the new clothes that Alvis had stolen for him.
“Hah! That looks good on you, Black!” Alvis praised and grinned. “Or should I call you Brown from now on?”
Black just rolled his eyes, not really comfortable with the color of his new clothes. Ever since he remembered, he wore black outfits and his black cloak would always be there. That was why he was named ‘Black’ after all. But now, he was fully dressed in a dark brown tunic sashed with a thick black strip around his waist.
A few moments later, someone cleared her throat from behind them and the three were stunned by the beauty they are seeing in front of them.
That woman. He thought as he gazed at her freely. His dark eyes never leaving her and then it met her boldly, holding them for a moment.
All the beauty of the flowers around them paled compared to how she looked right now. It hadn’t been that long since he met her and he’d always thought that she had a pretty face despite the eye patch on her left eye. However, this time, her red eye glowed beautifully like rubies as she awkwardly moved towards them. Her brown hair gleamed, long brown wavy locks rich in color. It was carefully tucked at her side and it made look her even more feminine compared to her usual clothes. He must admit to himself that she looked breathtaking in that floral dress.
Have I gone mad? Black thought.
“Beautiful.” Casix commented and blushed before a smile flushed on his handsome face.
Black pouted almost immediately.
“Really? Doesn’t it look awkward?” She asked.
“It does.” He replied before turning the other way.
“Don’t listen to him. You look gorgeous.” Alvis said instead.
“Let’s keep moving. We don’t need to waste any more time.” Black said before walking ahead.
***