23 Tormen (1/2)

Time slowed to a crawl, every second seemed to be a minute. My mind raced, thinking of possible situations. ”Am I too late?” Its the one question that took over my mind. I ran faster than I ever had before, finding new reserves of energy that were hidden, waiting to be discovered. The weight of my armor didn't register nor did my weariness, nothing mattered except running.

Familiar trees passed, and eventually, after what seemed to be an eternity of running I reached the small village again. It was the same village, but somehow entirely different. It was a heinously twisted parody of the somewhat amicable town prior. The ground was filled with too many corpses, many more than I had left in my wake.

Unquenchable fires burnt rampantly and the buildings were marred beyond recognition. The only sounds were that of carnage, I didn't need to hear the bemoaning of dying to know the herald of a massacre. Fear encased me, rolling over me like the unrelenting rhythm of a torrent's waves. A thought came to me, a single thought that overwhelmed all the other thoughts that ran rampantly through my mind.

My squad, where are they?

Desperately I searched for any sign of my men, I followed the trail of bodies until I came to the center of the small village. I spotted a splash of red amongst the black that covered every surface in sticky swaths. Then some more, I followed bodies and trickles of blood until I was led back to the barn. The door was slightly open and a bloody trail of red beckoned me to search futilely for my comrades.

I drew my sword with a shaking hand and slowly opened the door with the other, the putrid stench hit me before I saw anything. I couldn't even enter the barn before emptying the contents of my stomach on the nearby grass, shaking with tears and spittle. I wiped my mouth and steeled myself, to enter into the barn.

Before I could even discern the scene that my eyes beheld, I knew my worst nightmare had become a reality. When my eyes adjusted to the light, I doubled over heaving trying to empty my already depleted stomach. I sat there unable to move, too stunned to even cry out, all my emotions left me and all that remained was a hollow feeling in the pit of my stomach, I had finally found my comrades.

Amongst the sickening gore and carnage were the still, almost unrecognizable silhouettes of my friends. The floor of the barn was slick with the still flowing blood of my comrades, I rose very slowly, it was the only pace I was able to manage without falling back down, I couldn't trust my trembling legs.

To my dismay, I surveyed the carnage, trying to determine my comrades from the bloodied corpses.

Dontae.... He had more than 20 knives in him, the ground was scorched and charred corpses laid next to him. He was casting until the very end, they had to do all that just to put him down.

Joseph... He was pinned against the far wall of the barn, a large spear embedded in his stomach with his blood painting the wall with splatters. In his cold dead hand was a demon, his head was shifted at an unnatural angle as his neck was held in Joseph's unyielding grip.

Mathew..... Was positioned in front of Joseph, his legs were pinned down by knives and a spear held him in place, the handle protruded from the base of his neck while the head traveled completely through his body and was fastened firmly in the floorboard below. An agonizing expression was eternally frozen on his face as he was forced to watch his brother dying in front of him as his brother was forced to do the same.

They all died so horribly, I tried to feel some kind of emotion, anger, regret, fear..... something, but I was completely void of all emotion. Rachel.... Where was she? I looked around the barn, then saw a shadow in the corner, it was her.

She was lying down with a dagger pinning her hands above her head. That seemed to be the worst injury on her body, all the others had many different lacerations and types of wounds, but Rachel only had an assortment of bruises and a cut on her throat. Except her clothes were in tatters...wait they didn't.....no...god.....no...no....no... Rachel, I'm so sorry. I cried out in agony, my hollow-core was flooded with anger and rage.

Each of their smiling faces flashed through my mind, little moments we spent together laughing and joking. Our time training, at the tavern, and their faces after successfully taking down the archdemon, their memories were stark in contrast to the expressions they now wore. Expressions that were slowly replacing the warm memories. My heart hurt, I cried until no more tears would come and I could only manage shuttering breaths.

I felt so lonely, I would never again see any of their smiling faces, never reprimand Joseph and Mathew facetiously, never see Rachel's emerald gaze as I play under starlight, I would never enthusiastically discuss magic theory with Dontae again.

They killed and tortured my friends bringing a fate worse than death, killing them in the most excruciating ways that I have ever seen. Their faces were contorted in agony, and it was my fault.

This was all my fault, we could have taken them on if I was here. I could have gotten them to safety if I was here. They all died waiting for me, holding on to a final promise that I couldn't keep. ”Why? Why did I have to leave them?” I said screaming at the floor. I thought that we would have reinforcements, but I still left them when I knew there could be demons nearby.

I failed, I crawled on my hands and knees out of the barn, my friend's blood staining my hands and knees as I go. I collapsed on the grass, my mind not able to have a coherent thought. Everything I've done was for nothing. I worked so hard all my life, but it was for nothing. Look how useless I am, I boasted about my strength, but I failed my friends when they needed me most.