Chapter 42: Frustration

“How long does it take Jon and Donald to get back here?” Skylar said on too of his voice as he was already growing very impatient.

“They said they had something important to do for Meredith in the forests” the man replied.

“And what about Meredith?” Skylar said again this time with a calmer tone.

“I have no idea your majesty, she said she was going to be in here in few hours” the man replied.

“Something is not right, there is another thing at play here” Skylar said furrowing his brows as he stared into blank space.

“I think so too your majesty” the man replied, he needed to be on Skylar’s good side if he was going to replace Jon as Skylar’s right hand man.

“I need you to take our best five men, to the woods where Jon and Donald disappears, find out where they were going and track them down” Skylar said contemplatively.

“Yes your Majesty” the man replied as he bowed and turned to walk away.

“And Orton” Skylar said stopping him.

“Yes, your Majesty” Orton replied.

“If there are dead bodies, bring them back here” he said.

“I will your Majesty” he said finally exiting the tent.

Orton was scared but he knew that this was what he had to do if he was to prove worthy of being Skylar’s right hand man.

Orton and his team entered into the scary and dark woods, they were determined until they got deeper into the forest. They felt an eerie silence hang in the air, the atmosphere intense and with each step they took, their senses heightened. They were careful on the path they chose and they avoided to be lost in this forest that seemed angry.

They began to pick the scent of blood, they were all alert but made no move to raise alarm. They continued moving when they stumbled upon an open space where they found bodies lay dead across the forest floor, a chilling evidence of what transpired there.

Orton carefully examined the lifeless bodies, these were soldiers from their side, they were the human hounds and some of the Red Soldiers that were on Skylar’s side. Something was very strange, no matter how many times he looked, he couldn’t tell what really killed them. It looked like they were killed by completely different persons, no pattern nor signature that could identify the killer.

“Gather the bodies and burn them” Orton said to his team members and they moved as he spoke.

“Yes, sire” they said carrying out the instructions he just gave.

Orton's heart raced faster in his chest, this was more than he thought it would be, the forest seemed to have a mind of it’s own and this was not in their favour. The men burned the bodies and they all stood round the fire staring at their burning bodies paying respect to the dead.

“Beati Bellicosi” Orton said with a mixture of sadness and anger evident on his face.

“Beati Bellicosi” the other team members replied in a low tone and they watched the body burn till there was nothing left of it.

Back at the camp, Skylar's anxiety grew with each passing moment, the absence of Jon, Donald, and Meredith weighed heavily on his mind. Something lurked beneath the surface and the disappearance of these three made his suspicion right, he needed them back because they’re all part of his plan.

Skylar paced around trying to think of what he would do, hours have passed already and they were not yet back, what if something was killing them off in the forest ?

As night fell, the forest became even more difficult to navigate, Orton and his men desperate to find where to lay their head for the night, they stumbled upon a hidden cave that seemed abandoned. They walked into the cave very alert and sinister figure emerged from the shadows, their eyes gleaming with malevolence.

“Who is there?” Oliver said screaming on top of his voice but there was no response, at this point he wished he stayed back and lived in the background like he always have. They decided to get closer, with every step, the tension grew, as if the very forest itself conspired against them. The twisted branches seemed to whisper secrets, and shadows danced ominously amidst the trees.

It was Meredith, but she was not the same person they once knew. A dark power had consumed her, twisting her into a formidable adversary. Terror filled their eyes and their body shook tremendously, they know they were doomed because now they will fight against the dead.