Maliha
Chapter 46: Night Terrors

Maliha’s fingers sunk into the earth as The Great Tree sang its broken song into her heart. Her fingers trembled as the feeling of belonging washed over her.

This was her home

The Ishanu accepted her but she could not stay. Not when she had finally found what she had been looking for. She had a family, an origin and she owed it to the little girl who had cried out for the love of a mother she had never known. She owed it to the weak and vulnerable version of herself who had wilted without the protection of a father she had never met.

She owed it to that Maliha to replace the answers she had always asked.

Maliha had to leave but a part of herself felt as if it were dying with the decision.

Her body trembled as she slowly pulled herself from the earth and left the luscious green of the Ishanu. There was a sharp contrast of feelings the moment she stepped outside of the holy place. She felt alone and weak, but she had made the choice and she had to stick with it.

Every footstep Maliha took, tore her heart apart, splintered her soul open. The leaves crumpled beneath her feet like the broken vestiges of her heart.

It was so hard to take that first step but once she had made it her journey became easier as the numbness set in.

Her mind remained blank as she rushed through the forest, trying her hardest to block the voice of doubt and reason that was screaming at her to turn back.

To be smart. To listen to her heart but Maliha had down that before and that was how she had ended up here. Maliha shut those voices away as her feet carried her on a journey only her soul knew the destination of.

By the time nightfall came, Maliha wasn’t sure where she was or who she was anymore, nor did she believe she could ever recover from this pain.

Everything and everyone she had ever loved was left behind and she didn’t know if she would ever see them again.

Her future seemed so dismal. Though Maliha knew at the end of this journey, she would finally replace a piece of her soul that had been missing, it felt as if she were exchanging one part of her being for another uncertain part.

Tears glided down her face in a continuous stream as she stumbled through the trees that expanded out form the heart of the Ishanu. She had no idea where she was going or if she was heading in the right direction, but her feet kept moving.

One foot moving in front of the other.

She was still in denial.

Maliha couldn’t believe that this had happened. That she had lost her heart and her child in the same day.

Her heart wept for Enzo. Her soul wilting under the choice she had made.

She had abandoned him. Told him she loved him but when the time had come she hadn’t proven that love.

Not to him.

For Maliha there had been no other option but to leave Enzo behind. The path she walked was dangerous and she had no compass to guide her. She couldn’t take a child from a loving home and place him in the centre of danger and grief.

What mother would ever be so careless as to do that?

But what mother would leave her child behind?

Flashes of his distraught face had her heart cracking.

Her feet stumbled over a fallen tree branch and she tumbled to the floor. Mud splattered across her face and coated her skin in grime.

It was too much

She quivered with the crippling sobs that wracked her body. The way he had looked at her. Nothing could describe that look but betrayal. She had betrayed her baby.

Her fingers sunk further into the earth as she wailed into the twinkling night sky.

How had her life come to this? How had she lost it all?

There was no other answer Maliha could give herself, except that it hadn’t meant to be. The life she had been living wasn’t hers to have and it had fallen down around her. Crumpled into nothing but ash into the wind.

Her nails scored into the earth as she screamed her anger at the world.

Why could she never have anything? Why could she never be loved?

Her chest heaved with her broken wails. Her hands slashing into the ground as thunder roared around her. Lightning struck above her head, white fissures of light illuminating the waking forest. Bolts shot into the earth as if it were an extension of her soul’s pain. The earth thundering beneath each violent strike of her fist and the goddesses lightening.

The sky opened up and rain began to downpour on Maliha’s broken form. Each drop slashing into her body like the sharp prick of a knife until she felt nothing.

She was numb. Her body weak as she lay on the earths floor soaked by the heavens rains.

The dark forest was illuminated by the pale white streak of lightning.

Sickly yellow gleamed back at her.

Putrid canines snarling open. Bringing an abrupt end to Maliha’s self-pitying feelings. Adrenaline shot through her body as she sprang to her feet, narrowly missing the sharp jaws of a wolf.

She staggered to a stand, stumbling back a few steps as the massive grey wolf prowled out of the trees. Blood dripped from it muzzle as it’s claws scraped along the mud in preparation to pounce.

Maliha gripped her small bag that hung along her back as she slowly retreated. The wolf’s rumbling growl rivalled the clashing of the thunder. The chilling sound pricking the fine hairs on her skin.

Maliha pivoted and sprinted into the forest just as the wolf’s legs bent to pounce. Rain pelted down on Maliha’s skin as she ran blindly through the forest. Branches thwacked against her face and snagged at her skin as the hunter chased her through the night.

She glanced behind her and spotted the mangled face of the lone wolf. Blood coated its lips and hunger gleaned in its eyes.

Sharp growls and the snapping of twigs followed her sprint. The ominous entity chasing on her heels as if she had been the only meal it had spotted in years.

Maliha’s heart thudded with fear and pure exhaustion but she didn’t stop running.

A fire was lit inside her soul.

A bolt of lightning struck the ground in front of her. Casting the forest in a new light.

Maliha felt the wolf close on her heels just as an idea shot into her mind. She charged at the nearest tree and grappled at one of the low hanging branches. She gripped onto the branch for dear life as she used her upper body strength to propel off the ground.

A sharp scream of pain tumbled from her lips as the wolf’s teeth sunk into the heel of her foot. Blood rushed to her head as the pain tore through her body. The wolf clung to her foot, teeth sinking into the tender flesh and ripping into her skin. Her grip began to slip under the weight of the tugging wolf, but she fought to hold on.

She couldn’t die like this, not like this.

Better things awaited her.

The thought of death was enough to give her the final push she needed. With her free foot she began swiping at the wolf’s face. She kept kicking its face, her arms killing her the longer she clung onto the branch.

Maliha could feel her hands slipping further and knew that if she didn’t dislodge the wolf soon, she would likely be dead by the time she hit the floor.

She gripped the branch tighter and began forcefully kicking the wolf.

The wolf let out a whimpering howl as she finally did damage. She heard something crunch beneath the heel of her free foot and prayed it wasn’t anything within her body. With one final kick to the wolf’s damaged face, Maliha was able to dislodge her foot from its teeth.

As soon as her mangled foot was free, she pulled herself onto the thick branch and clambered the rest of the way up the tree.

Maliha didn’t dare look down until she knew there was no way he could reach her.

Her body trembled with the drain of adrenaline and at the angry growls of the wolf that circled around the base of the tree.

She was safe now.

Her leg was throbbing now that the adrenaline had worn off, but she refused to look at it. Maliha knew the moment she did, the sight of her mauled leg would only heighten her pain.

Her back rested against the tree as she closed her eyes in relief of being alive.

Her heart pounded an erratic sound as the lightning and thunder rattled and streaked across the sky. The earth began to tremble. Thunder in her ears as the wolves high whining turned into loud howls before it retreated into the trees.

Maliha wasn’t sure what had scared it away, but she had no desire to replace out what it was. She remained in her perch in the tree, anxiously waiting for whatever had scared the wolf, to appear.

She didn’t have to wait long. In the sharp flashes of light Maliha saw the viscous faces of warriors galloping though the forest on the backs of horses.

Their voices calling out into the air, but she couldn’t discern their words above the roaring heavens nor could she recognise heir faces.

Her head plopped back against the tree as she patiently waited for the warriors to finish their search and move on. She had no idea who they were but with the very real threat of the Svolik lingering on her mind, she did not climb down from her tree until hours after she was sure they were gone from the area.

Maliha slowly hobbled her way to the ground sometime after the rain had stopped. The night was brutally cold, and her clothes were damp from the downpour. The only positive was that the torrents of rain had washed the blood away from her wounded foot, making it easier for her to patch up.

The wolf had gotten her good, but she could still walk and that was all she needed. Maliha placed her bag onto the floor and quickly called flames to her hand. She wrapped some material around a fallen branch and then set fire to a small twig that had not been dampened too much by the downpour.

She imbedded the torch into the earth and then rummaged through her bag for the small amount of resources she had brought with her. Maliha pulled out some herbs, mashed then down into a paste in the only bowl she had brought with her and applied it to her wounded leg. Once she had the whole area covered, Maliha ripped a piece of her dress off and wrapped it around her heel and ankle. She then used the same bowl to brew a small amount of tea that would help fight away infection and promote healing.

Maliha called the fire from the earth and tried not to think about the Der Surjaz tribe who had taught her all she knew, as she gulped back her tea. It tasted like dirt but that was how Maliha knew it would work because nothing that worked well for your body, ever seemed to taste nice.

Flexing her leg to make sure it was okay, she hobbled to her feet and continued her journey through the forest.

It was still night out and Maliha knew that soon she would have to replace somewhere to rest and eat but she first wanted to put a bit more distance between her and the Der Surjaz. She didn’t believe anyone would come after her, but she didn’t want to take the chance.

Maliha travelled for another hour or two, following the sounds of rippling water for guidance. A few hours into her journey, Maliha had to stop walking because the pain in her leg had become too much to walk any further.

She quickly prepared a small meal of bread and dried meats before propping her leg up on her bag and lay her head against the rough and damp bark. Her eyes stared up into the moonlight sky, the large ball of light blinking at her iridescently.

Her eyes shuttered closed to the still night.

Dreams flowing into her mind in an endless loop.

Opulent light streamed through her eyes.

An old woman with shining silver beckoned to her. her fingers crooking as Maliha slowly climbed to her feet and followed the elderly woman. Maliha was almost in a trance as she followed he elderly women throughout the forest. The sky was a dusky orange and the forest was alive with the twittering sounds of birds. The tall blades of grass tickled along Maliha’s feet as she blindly followed the ageing woman through the forest. The elderly woman with a radiant smile and kind eyes, stretched her hand out to Maliha. Her feet sinking into a rippling body of water that had been hidden by the sweeping branches.

“Come Maliha,” she called.

Her loving smile was enough to put Maliha at ease. Maliha’s fingers outstretched to grab the woman’s, but she kept retreating further and further into the churning water.

Horror struck, Maliha felt her body moving even as she felt the water rising higher and higher. She screamed for her body to stop, but her body had a mind of its own.

The water lapped at her chest as she continued wading into the water. It splashed against Maliha’s lips as the old woman sunk into the water. Her silver hair disappearing under the churning surface. Maliha called for her, her body propelling into the water as she tried to replace the old woman.

Panic struck Maliha as she felt hands forcing her further under the water. Her eyes widened in shock as she tried to thrash away from the grip but the number of hands holding her increased until it felt as if a nation were holding her under.

They submerged Maliha deep into the water. She tried to thrash out of their hold, but their grips were too strong. Her eyes flared wide. The world a blurry haze as bubbles floated around her.

Her chest ached with urge to breathe.

Her heart hammering.

Thumping and thumping like the sounds of a drum until eventually there was nothing left.

Nothing but pure darkness.

Maliha’s eyes flashed open as she shot awake. Her skin was drenched with water as the sky opened and rain cascaded down her body in torrents.

Her body shook from the cold and the fear that had been ignited by her vivid dreams.

Maliha knew that her dreams meant something but with the emotional torment of the previous day and her current physical condition, she had no interest in analysing it. Instead she shut her brain down and filled her bottle with as much rain water she could gather.

As she was breaking up any hints of her having stayed there, a sharp screech pierced into the early morning light.

Maliha’s hand clenched the small knife along her waist as her ears sharpened. She waited another breathless minute, waiting for the nose to come again.

The scream came again.

This time the scream was full of so much terror that Maliha’s skin pricked with anxiousness. She hesitated for a moment but when the sounds of a child wailing filled her ears, her legs were moving without conscious thought.

She knew that sound.

Sweat beaded against her skin as she charged through the forest in search of the screaming child. Her feet thudded through the wet earth, her foot screaming with pain as she pushed her body to move faster.

As she broke through the trees, her eyes narrowed and then her throat dropped at the sight of the same wolf circling a short tree.

“Enzo,” Maliha shrieked.

Her stomach chained with apprehension as the wolf climbed into a nearby rock and tried to lunge for him. Enzo scattered back from the wolf but instead of meeting the bark of the tree, he met nothing.

Maliha saw the moment Enzo realised he was falling. Her ears ringing with the sound of his fearful cry.

She darted into the clearing, her voice raising a she called to the wolf. Hoping that the would temporarily distract the wolf from Enzo and give her enough time to approach closer.

The wolf’s ears twitched in her direction. It’s hackles rising as she sprinted towards Enzo. Her knife in her hand. The wolf lunged for Enzo but before he could take flight, Maliha shot him with a blast of fire. Singing his fur and flinging the wolf into the earth.

Maliha staggered to Enzo and pushed his whimpering form behind her.

She crouched over him in preparation for the wolf’s attack. Her mind working rapidly as she tried to harness as much energy as her fatigued and wounded body could muster.

In her peripheral, Maliha caught a flash of back darting from the trees. She tried to push Enzo away from the second attack, but her efforts were pointless.

The creature didn’t lunge for Enzo, but instead pounced on the wolf. The massive black form barrelled into the wolf and sent it flying into a tree.

The creature stood protectively in front of Maliha and Enzo.

Lightning rippling from the spikes along its back as the creatures pointed tail lashed against the earth in warning.