Chapter 310 - The Woe of a Wastrel (1/2)

Sevis wasn't sure if it was minutes or hours that had gone by when the howling of the wind finally died away. What he was sure of though, as he stood with wide and disbelieving eyes at the place that was his home, was that the wish that had granted his Tribe safety and prosperity so long ago was no more.

If the Red-Eyed Snake Tribe managed to survive this decimation intact, he would count that as miracle enough.

”…S…Sevis!” Sevis turned to see Tigin stumbling towards him, navigating between the rubble that used to be the Beins of their village. So many homes ripped to shreds, and while he had yet to check, he had to conclude that those that had been within had not fared any better.

”Here!” Sevis called, the dust still settling around them and making it more difficult to see.

Tigin came to his side, coughing at the dust and waving his hand before him. He had a cut on his arm.

”You okay?” asked Sevis.

Tigin nodded, ”Fine, I've got to find Rima”.

Sevis caught his arm, ”Aegin would find her faster”.

Tigin frowned then pointed to the devastation before them, ”Knowing Aegin, he would have been in the middle of that, he probably still is!”

Sevis frowned, ”We should go help him”.

Tigin sighed, ”Did you miss the part where their fight levelled your entire village? How exactly do you intend to fight among that?”

Sevis turned, looking around before he spotted a sword among the rubble. He picked it up, then stepped forward, ”Did you miss the part where he barely scr.a.p.ed by with the Sand Devils?”

Tigin sighed, ”We're checking Rima's Bein first”.

Sevis didn't argue as the two began walking forward through the rubble, checking on anyone they found. Most, despite Sevis' false hope, were dead. There were a few that were still alive, though barely conscious given the circ.u.mstances. It took them longer than they'd hoped to get to Rima's Bein.

Not that one would call it a Bein anymore.

The only part of it left were the stumps of the wooden frame and a few sandstone bricks The rest was gone, no Rima in sight. Sevis clapped a hand on Tigin's tense shoulder.

”We'll find her,” said Sevis.

Tigin closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as he nodded, ”If we get to Aegin it'll be faster”.

So, they followed the trail of destruction through the village, then beyond the little valley that the Tribe called home and out into the desert beyond. It wasn't hard to see where the fight had gone, trails of debris on either side of a smoothed ground led several kilometres out. Finally, the debris seemed to lessen, then stop all together.

Sevis eyed the horizon, but he saw no signs of life out there.

”Aegin?” asked Tigin in surprise.

Sevis's head snapped to Tigin, then followed his gaze. There, among the debris, lay a n.a.k.e.d man with brown hair. He was curled up, his back facing them, dark, black lines of his upper back and shoulders contrasting greatly with his pale skin. Sevis had never seen those lines of Aegin, but as he thought about it, he realised he'd never actually seen Aegin without a shirt on either.

”Aegin!” called Tigin, sure as he moved forward.

”No!” the warning came out as a growl, and Tigin and Sevis both paused, ”Don't come any closer…I…I don't want to hurt you”.

Tigin looked back at Sevis, and Sevis frowned with him, ”Aegin, what's wrong?”

There was no reply for a long moment, then Aegin seemed to choke on his words, ”Hungry…I…I'm so hungry”.

Sevis's eyes widened, ”He's too weak. He needs blood”.

Tigin sighed, ”Can you hold back or not?”

”If he can barely move, he's on the verge of starving, he'll likely need to drain whatever he feeds on,” said Sevis, ”I'll head back to the village and see what I can find”.

Sevis turned and ran back down the trail of destruction. Tigin approached slowly, sitting down on a larger piece of rubble a few metres from Aegin, ”Come on, Aegin, you gotta pull through this. Rima��s still missing, we've got to find her”.

Aegin didn't reply again for a long moment before his shoulders shook, and Tigin tensed, ready to move away should Aegin lose control, ”I…I'm sorry, Tigin. I couldn't stop him…I'm too weak”.

”Aegin…we don't blame you. It's not like you can fight against sand and wind, I-”

”He took Rima”.