Soul Catcher by E. L. Todd

Author:E. L. Todd
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: CreateSpace
Published: 2013-08-13T23:00:00+00:00

Aequor Forest

20

The pair dashed through the forest with all the speed they could muster. The trees blurred with the darkness as they sprinted past the foundations of Aequor Forest. Accacia relied upon Aleco’s shadowed form for direction. She was surprised by his agility considering he had just been beaten to the brink of death. She ignored the growing knot in her side and followed his trail.

Aequor Forest faded to the background as they ran through the open plains, heading to the east of the Continent, their destination Morkarh. The moon was the only source of illumination over the mounds of hills. She stumbled behind him as her feet caught on the invisible holes in the earth. Accacia massaged the spasm in her waist and breathed through the pain. They hadn’t stopped for hours and exhaustion was creeping through her. The sun was inching over the horizon, announcing the coming of morning. They had been fleeing all night, and she wouldn’t last much longer.

Aleco noticed her slowed pace. “Come on.”

Accacia leaned forward and caught her breath. As far as she could tell, they weren’t being pursued and no one was chomping at their heels.

Aleco marched up to her and grabbed her by the elbow. “Do you need me to carry you?”

She took a deep breath. “No.”

“Then let’s go.” He continued his pace.

Accacia inhaled one more deep breath before she followed him. She forced her legs to carry her to his side, but trailed behind him as they ventured forward. Aleco noticed her exhausted state. They would stop just before sunrise.

The evening was freezing and the dry bite of the cold announced the approach of winter. If Aleco hadn’t been running so fast, the midnight ice would cause him to shiver and Accacia would simply freeze to death. Aleco predicted the coming season would be exceptionally fierce and unforgiving. Plants would be annihilated, farm animals wouldn’t survive the cold, and food rations would be even smaller than usual. He enjoyed the winter season, but knew most didn’t; and for good reason.

Aleco turned into the last line of trees before reaching the expansive desert that surrounded the city he despised so much. He was annoyed to return to the sandy province so soon. Within a week, the desert would be blanketed with snow and converted into uninhabitable tundra. Morkarh was a city built in an unfortunate location for human activity. The summer months prohibited any significant precipitation, which caused the desert to be a dry and arid landscape, unsuited for farming and cultivation. The winter months provided precipitation, but in the form snow and ice, which was inaccessible for crops and animals. The city was damned.

Signs of the end of the fall season were everywhere. Red leaves littered the ground, crunching under their feet as they searched for a hiding place. The dryness of the cold stung his nostrils and dried the skin of his lips, which cracked and peeled at the loss of moisture. Aleco licked his lips instinctively, making them feel even more parched.

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