Dark Travelers Ch. 02

Author's Note: I submitted the beginning of this story in the hopes that at least one person would read it. It received four favorites the same day it was approved. It even got a couple of comments. Gracious me, that's the first time anything like that has happened and I thank you so much. I wondered if anyone would enjoy it and I guess my question is answered. I shall gladly continue for you. And, as always, comments and critiques are entirely welcome.

Again, thank you.

Ginnnnnnna!

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She didn't reply, only tried to cringe back into the cushions even more. He crouched in front of her, eye to eye, and shoved an ancient-looking parchment in front of her face. She jerked her head, startled by the sudden movement, then squinted at it, confused. It looked like the alphabet that she had learned growing up - the characters were the same - but other than that, it appeared to be nothing but a jumble of nonsense words.

"Translate this, human," he said, amicably.

His countenance suggested he was at ease. As if he knew he'd be able to get her to tell him whatever he wished, yet his posture was taut and direct. This information was plainly of utmost importance to him.

"I c-can't read th-th-" she began, stuttering in her terror.

Instantly, a dark watchful expression replaced the casual patience. "Don't toy with me, girl. This is written in your barbaric language. You will translate it for me." He shoved the paper even closer and a low, ominous rumbling issued from deep within his chest.

Anya became even more afraid, if that was at all possible. He wanted something she could not give him. The most she could attempt to do was read aloud the impossible sentences. She figured that was hardly what he meant. He wanted to know what they said, not how they sounded. How would he react when she denied him again?

"Please, listen. I-I don't know what it says! Those a-are our letters but th-they aren't like any words I've ever seen. It's just gibberish!" Her tone was pleading, begging him to believe her.

Irritably, he snatched the paper away and glared at her intently. His eyes seemed to brighten momentarily before returning to their original hue. For several long minutes they gazed at one another, neither moving. He seemed to be mulling something over as he searched her face. Finally, he sat back on his haunches and gave her a cagey grin. The sight of it sent shivers down her spine and a cold, hollow feeling began to grow in her belly.

"That worthless, screaming old fool told me the exact same thing the other evening. Perhaps he was telling me the truth after all. Shame. I could have saved myself much needless effort. And such a mess. It wasn't a total loss, though. I did get an intimate understanding of your anatomy and basic inner workings. Very educational, and such vibrant colors," he spoke in an off-hand way but his sharp scrutiny of her face never wavered.

His words were terrible and her horror was apparent as her features paled further. "Y-you? You killed farmer Schmit? W-why-" She uttered a frightened yelp as he leaned in suddenly, with horrifying, fluid speed.

"Did I not just tell you? Speak only when asked," he hissed, the tip of his nose almost touching hers.

He slowly drew a knife from one of the many he wore. It was a long, curving serrated blade that ended in a barbed hook. Anya's terror-filled eyes flickered to it instantly. It looked like an instrument made for dealing as much pain as possible.

"This is one of my favorites," he began, glancing at the blade fondly.

Leaning back, he ran his thumb across the sharp edge and opened up a thin cut without wincing. She watched with detached amazement as an emerald green liquid welled up along the surface of the gash. She dimly recalled his earlier statement about having some fascination with red human blood. At least it explained one thing in this chaotic turn of events.

"Observe," he went on. "You see that talon on the end there? It's designed to ensure that when the blade is retrieved more comes out than what went in."

He paused, giving her a moment to visualize his statement. The woman's eyes had not left the weapon. Good. That was exactly where he wanted them. He slowly, deliberately inched the point of it closer to her stomach until she could feel a painful pressure.

"It'd be a pity, we've only just met face to face and all, but please believe me when I tell you that I can make your insides become your outsides very quickly. My time here has grown short and I am out of patience. Now that we understand each other I'll ask you once more, what does this scroll say?"

Tears began to stream down her cheeks at this point, certain that he intended on torturing her to death for something she honestly couldn't tell him. She said nothing, only shrugged and turned her head away, unwilling to witness her own disemboweling. Issuing one hopeless sob, she began to weep silently into the couch cushions. This stopped him briefly, and he tilted his head once again to study her.

"Why do you do that?"

Bewildered, she dared to glance up at him again. Her breath hitched, "d-do wha-what?"

He reached out, raked his free hand across the wetness on her cheeks and showed her. "This. Why do your eyes leak? The old male human's eyes did the same thing when I began my interrogation of him."

Her brow furrowed as she struggled to keep up with this erratic exchange, "because I'm s-scared and upset. All humans c-cry."

"Fear and distress causes water to dribble from your eyes? A naturally built-in function that hinders ones vision? Ridiculous. It's nothing less than remarkable that your species has managed to survive all these centuries."

She only stared at him in amazement. He spoke her language flawlessly, without even a trace of an accent. Yet, he seemed to know very little else about her kind, it made no sense. None. Anya gulped and licked her lips nervously, tasting salty tears.

He seemed interested in this simple gesture as well. Without warning, he withdrew the blade, sheathed it, then leaned in again and dragged a rather pointed tongue across her lips and up her cheek. Astonished, her mouth dropped open and her eyes grew bigger as she unabashedly stared at him. She wished she was able to wipe his saliva from her skin, she could feel the trail it had left. Warm at first, then cooling and drying on her cheek. Even so, she managed to control the shudder of revulsion that threatened to rip through her. Barely.

He sat back once again, expression appraising. "This 'cry' tastes of salt. Salt water is produced from your eyes? So does it sting you as well?"

Still shocked, she nodded silently, swallowing again. "It-it c-can."

He sneered and shook his head, rising. "You are indeed built for failure, aren't you," he spat, tone thick with mockery. "And yet you flourish. Unbelievable."

His hand flashed out and took hold of the front of her night-shirt, jerking her to a standing position. She swayed, dizzy from the sudden change of elevation, then regained her balance. He gave her a shove towards the front door and she stumbled several steps in that direction.

"Please," she began softly, hesitantly. "Where are you taking me? Where is my sister?" She fixed him with a beseeching gaze, mouth turned down unhappily.

The creature considered the smaller female thoughtfully, a small smirk playing across his lips. "Your loud-mouthed, yellow-haired kin is being held as collateral. Just in case I failed to get any useful information from you. Don't you fret now, Pretty. My brother is looking after her well-being until we join them." Not bothering to pause to use the knob, he kicked the front door open, shattering the frame and splintering it down the middle. He gave her a shove to get her moving, only having to catch her by the arms when she stumbled.

"Can't even walk correctly," he muttered to himself. "I cannot wait until I am done with this vermin-infested place."

He gave her another push into the cold, snowy night.

6.

Andi wrapped the dusty horse blanket around herself and shivered violently. She wasn't exactly in appropriate attire for a winter storm. The old barn was not very weather resistant either, seeing as they didn't have any large animals to house. There hadn't been any repairs or patch jobs done in years. She didn't know why she was being held here, nor where Anya was. Or if she was still alive.

Not that she hadn't tried to find out of course, but all of her queries had gone unanswered. The brute that was holding her hostage hadn't uttered another word to her for the duration of her capture. Nope. Not one. He merely glowered at her every time she attempted to speak to him and blocked the exit, seemingly unaware of the freezing temperatures. She was beginning to think he didn't understand her.

She'd fled to her room to hide at the first sign of trouble. Just as Anya had instructed her to do in case something like this ever happened. Once there, she glanced around desperately trying to decide where the best place to conceal herself would be. There weren't many options. It was either the closet or under the bed.

Deciding on the bed, she shoved Taters in the closet with a firm "stay" and slid the door closed. Taters laid down, like a good boy, and indeed stayed. She crawled under with some difficulty - this had been easier when she was smaller - and clasped both hands over her mouth to try and stifle her panicked breaths. She trained huge eyes towards the door, praying that nothing would come through.

Dimly, she heard another scream from her sister and a loud crash. She jumped, whimpering, and forced herself to remain still, listening. A muffled conversation and several shrill cries of pain. Now there was nothing but silence. Andi's eyes welled up and tears threatened to spill. Had Anya been killed? Her wonderful, patient sister, dead?

No. Please no.

Heavy footsteps and the sound of the front door being opened. A second, slightly lighter, set of footsteps joined the first. A deep voice began to speak in an unknown melodic language. A second voice replied a bit heatedly and was abruptly cut off by the first. It sounded like an argument.

Wonderful.

The conversation went back and forth for a few moments, each voice sounding rather frustrated, then silence once again.

Slow, deliberate footfalls heading down the hallway now. Andi began to tremble and pray incoherently once more. She heard the doors in the hallway being opened one by one followed by a longish silence. They were searching the rooms.

She froze. From under the bed, she saw the door to her room swing open and two booted feet enter. Her hands were still plastered over her mouth, but her ragged breaths were slightly audible nonetheless. The owner of the feet didn't give any sign that he'd heard, however. They strolled, almost casually to the closet and slid the door open. She almost cried out a warning to the dog but caught herself.

Taters had seemingly fallen asleep on a pile of clothing and appeared as harmless as a slumbering puppy would. The feet were paused in front of the opened closet, most likely considering the next course of action, then headed towards the window. This puzzled Andi. Did he think she'd gone out the window in this weather? Doubtful.

They approached the bed and hesitated again. She closed her eyes, praying that the end would be quick, when the feet began towards her bedroom door and into the hallway once again. She had almost heaved a sigh of relief when they came bounding back in and the bed was heaved across her small room.

Her piercing shriek was cut short as the creature snatched her from the floor by her throat and lifted her into the air before him. He examined her with a bored expression, turning her face this way and that, while she kicked at him and struggled to breathe. His features were inscrutable for a moment, then became amused as one of her kicking feet managed to catch him in the shin.

"Harlin naustjat," he said quietly, before flinging her against the wall.

The impact was bruising and she landed in a heap stunned, clutching the back of her head. Her eyes rolled in their sockets as she struggled to remain conscious. He stared down at her, his top lip curling into a sneer of triumph.

Another being had appeared in the doorway, studying her as well. Andi fluttered her eyes in her stupor and tried to focus more clearly as she compared the two. The green-eyed one that had discovered her was none other than the man she'd seen at the fishing spot earlier today. The other was undoubtedly his invisible partner. Their coloration was very similar - skin and hair shades varying slightly - as were their features. The one who now watched her from the bedroom entrance was obviously the elder or, at the least, higher in rank; he was taller, a bit more filled out and his armour was decorated much more intricately.

The younger one, still with that snide grin, pulled out one of the two swords on his back and prepared to swing when the one watching held up his hand.

"Talhaen zan, melitri triz narleel. Harl lurl harlin naustjat zan, lur tohnt," he said smoothly, chuckling a bit.

The young one, arm still drawn back, froze. Shock colored his features, then faded into resentment. He gestured angrily at her and began to reply; his tone quick, clipped and very displeased.

The elder responded firmly, cutting off any and all objections, glaring at his younger counterpart. The two locked stares for a long moment, in an apparent battle of wills before the younger finally dropped his eyes first and sheathed his weapon. When he returned his gaze to the girl, she flinched back as she saw the smoldering hate within it.

The elder snickered once again and left the two. Andi didn't move, her eyes locked on the hostile male who stood in front of her. His direct green regard and silence was unnerving, and she found herself trying to scoot back away from him, even though there wasn't anywhere left to scoot.

He appeared disgusted, and turned to suddenly hurl her small bookcase through the window in an apparent loss of temper. Taking advantage of the distraction, she regained her senses long enough to bounce to her feet and run into the hallway. He was on her in a second, pulling her back into the room by the back of her robe. Lashing his arm to the side, he slung her towards her toppled bed and she reeled back several steps, falling over it.

He approached with both blades drawn again and had them both pointed at her, inches from her face. He said several sharp words and gestured at the doorway, shaking his head.

"Go away! Leave me alone!" She cried, cowering and waving her hands in front of her.

He inclined his head at her and narrowed his eyes. Twirling the large swords expertly in his hands, he nudged her with the toe of his boot. She batted it away and shook her head, inching as far back from him as was possible. His brow furrowed and he gave her a sharper nudge this time, bordering on an actual kick, and jerked his head upwards.

He wanted her to stand. She swallowed painfully, dry throat issuing an audible click, and shook her head again. He let out a frustrated snarl and brought his left sword down sharply. It sliced through her mattress and wooden bed frame cleanly, as if they'd been made of butter. She watched in abject horror as her bed fell apart into two perfect halves. He gave her another not-so-gentle nudge with his foot and gestured again that she should rise.

Stand up or be chopped in two. It wasn't a difficult decision. Andi stood shakily and peered up at him mistrustfully. He nodded and waved a weapon towards her bedroom door, indicating she ought to walk there, expression disinterested again.

Andi wasn't very enthusiastic about going anywhere with him, and her face showed it. She glanced at the exit and then back at him and she set her jaw stubbornly, deciding to have some dignity about this. She purposefully held her nose high in the air as she stalked by him towards the door; giving the impression that she was now unperturbed by his presence. She heard his heavy steps just behind her and she was given a strong shove forward, regardless of her cooperation. She turned her head and shot him a sour look which he returned with one of his own. His glare won out and she picked up her pace a bit, facing forward once more.

All show of bravado was quickly forgotten, however, when she saw the elder male crouching over the prone figure of her sister. He was busily tying her hands and arms behind her back. He then picked her up and tossed her on the sofa like a sack of grain when he'd finished. Anya's face, now visible, was pale, bruised and unresponsive. Andi would have thought she was dead if not for the fact that she'd been bound. Why bother to restrain a corpse?

"Anya! Anya! Are you ok?!" Forgetting the threat behind her, she ran to her sister's side and shook her. "Wake up, please. Please wake up, Anya," she sniffled, tears finally getting the better of her.

A hand gripped the collar of her robe roughly and hauled her back out of reach of the unconscious woman. She'd had about enough of being pushed and pulled around for one evening. That, combined with the shock of the invasion and her distress at seeing her injured sister, caused white-hot fury to bubble up to the surface. She wrenched free, whirled around and gave her tormentor a vicious slap across the face.

"I hope you die! I hate you!" She screamed at him, finally breaking down to sob.

The elder watched this show with obvious enjoyment. And, in response, only crossed his arms, glancing over at his brother. His eyebrows were raised as if to ask, "well? Now what will you do?"

Dumbfounded at her audacity, the younger creature touched his cheek as if he couldn't quite believe what she'd just done. He stared down at the weeping girl and then back at his brother.

"Melit harlin tri zelataz! Fral url krotz jhass lirotzut harlo?" His voice sounded as if he was complaining.

He tossed the elder a surprisingly human-like glance, eyebrows raised in eager hope. The sort of look designed to coax the older one into acquiescing to whatever he'd asked.

A shake of the head indicated to Andi that he'd been denied his request. She'd cringed back after her outburst, frightened at what the consequences might be. The younger male fixed her with a dark glower and clenched his jaw, unhappy at the refusal. He spat out something else to which the elder merely nodded in response. She watched, sniffling, as the older creature swept his arm towards the front door and turned his attention back onto the female lying on the sofa.

Before she was half-pulled, half-dragged outside, she watched as the elder took hold of a strand of her sister's dark hair and brought it up to his face to examine it more closely.

The short walk to the barn was extremely cold and her fingers and toes became numb within moments. Andi kept giving her kidnapper suspicious glances as he walked behind her, not quite trusting he wouldn't just impale her on one those horrible blades he carried. It was obvious that he wanted nothing more - despite the elder's apparent orders not to.

Shivering uncontrollably now, Andi walked through the barn's double-doored entrance and immediately spied the horse blanket, snatching it and pulling it around her. It was old and dusty, but also thick and warm. She scrambled up onto a stale hay pile and burrowed back into it as best as she could, wrapping the blanket around her as insulation.

He watched with veiled interest, as if wondering about her activity. She shot him a frown and then refused to look him in the eye, crossing her arms sullenly. "What do you want with us?"

He arched a brow and leaned back against the door frame, unresponsive.