Heed My Warnings and Survive (Second Draft)
Chapter Thirty Seven

Chapter Thirty-Seven

We left the inn soon after, and collected supplies around town, and once we had finished we bid Imelda goodbye, and left, who knew if we’d be back, who knew if we’d survive. No I would not think that way, I spent too long thinking that way. We will survive, and I will live to honor the memory of my fallen friends, I would not let them be forgotten.

We were traveling on a stretch of road that seemed to go on forever. It was getting tedious to look at the same things for hours on end, but it’s not like I had much choice in the matter. Again that was yet another lie.

We walked in silence for some time, until Kiara cleared her throat.

“So, what’s this great plan of yours?” She asked skeptically. I smiled sheepishly.

“Nonexistent,” I replied. Kiara rolled her eyes.

“Honestly. I can’t believe you told a bold face lie to Imelda.” She sounded disappointed.

“It doesn’t matter much. I’m determined for us to survive. If we die she never knows, and she assumes the plan failed. If we survive, then it doesn’t matter whether, or not we had a plan,” I argued. Kiara sighed.

“Draven, every lie matters, and sooner or later they’ll catch up to you,”

“At the moment my love, that is the last thing on my mind.”

Another hour passed, and we weren’t any closer to Devin, and his men. I groaned loudly.

“Hey, don’t worry, we’ll replace them, I promise,” Kiara said. Grabbing my hand with one of hers hers, and my arm with the other. I took a deep breath.

“We shall get our justice,” I respond.

We continue on a few more days before replaceing -well more like hearing- Devin’s camp. The men were loud, and obnoxious, I could tell from where Kiara, and I were lurking, watching they’re camp, looking for an opening, wanting to get this over with as soon as we possibly could. We sat there silently, waiting for a chance, waiting for something to distract Devin’s men, hoping we didn’t need to come up with something ourselves. And as luck would have it a distraction came, there was a monstrous roar in the distance that I recognized. Flateps, they were far enough for us not to spot them, but close enough for us to worry, or at least Devin’s men, who were running around, trying to prepare to fight off the mutts. I got a glimpse of Devin. He was slinking into a tent, only looking back to make sure every one of his men were going to defend him. If those men prized their lives over whatever Devin was offering they would not be back, even if they did survive the Flateps, and I prayed they did.

Once we were sure the men were far away we snuck to the tent we saw Devin enter. We didn’t go to the entrance for fear that it would be too obvious, there was a small slit in the wall of the tent, where two of the flaps tied together, we peeked into it. Inside the tent Devin sat on a small bed, no one else was there. I wondered where the witch was, until I felt a wisp of breath tickle my ear, and I heard a whisper.

“What are you looking for?” The voice asked. I whipped around, but there wasn’t anyone there.

?What did you see?” Kiara asked. I blinked quickly several times.

“I didn’t see anything. I heard the witch.” I heard a deep evil chuckle in my ear, and I turned again, drawing my sword.

“I don’t hear anything.” Kiara said. I glanced over at her confused face.

“Focus on Devin. I’ll distract her,” I said. Kiara gave me a hesitant nod, and started to circle around the tent, making her way towards the entrance. I closed my eyes once she was out of sight. Listening for the laughter, or the voice.

“You won’t replace me,” She said, in a sing-song manner. I turned my head, trying to use my hearing to my advantage, she no longer sounded as though she was right behind me. She now sounded distant, and erie. I took a deep breath, walking in the direction I thought her voice was coming from. She kept talking, taunting me, luring me away. My eyes snapped open as I realized what she was doing. I looked around, I hadn’t been walking long, but I was in a part of the forest I didn’t recognize, in fact I don’t think I was even in Tarni anymore, there were no swamp lands in that kingdom. The witch had succeeded. She had separated us.