Fraeia and I walk for hours. It feels like days. My body aches, I'm tired and hungry, and I can't tell which is more unbearable, the distant sounds of war or the silence that fills the space between them.
The hills and grassy plains soon meet a dense forest as we near the mountains. We disappear into the trees, the ground beneath us shaking from the artillery.
I duck under a branch, then another. It's hard to keep my eyes forward and read the information on my tablet at the same time. "The man's name is Daniel Haddock, a human mercenary." I look up and watch as Fraeia pushes forward through the leaves and the brush.
We decided to go the long way around, keeping clear of the fighting. Dhitol would need a day or two to set up a foothold and send a team to the thought grave. It made sense to get a head start.
"Not in a talkative mood?" I ask.
Fraeia stops and turns on their heels. While their voice is calm, the words almost sting, "Are you nervous?"
"What? I-"
"I am not trying to be rude or make you uncomfortable." I see their smile through the visor as they whisper, "I just wonder what makes one want to talk when trekking through an active warzone."
My eyes dart from one side to the other and I suddenly realize how little I can see through the trees. "Active?" I ask. "why don't I hear anything nearby?"
They nod and widen their eyes. "They have to know we're aware of their intentions. They're too smart to think otherwise. To set up an ambush, you need silence." They turn away and continue walking, their steps silent and chosen with care.
My steps are clumsy, with twigs and dried leaves snapping and crunching underfoot. When I hear it, I freeze in place and lower my head. "Sorry," I mutter.
They stop and turn to me again. When they notice my body trembling, they shake their head and take a step toward me. "I'm only teasing. I apologize. That wasn't kind." I look up with a narrowed brow as they continue, "I'm usually surrounded by those who are as accustomed to war as I am."
"It's fine," I lie, trying my best to calm down.
Fraeia starts walking and says, "This man, do you know anything else about him?"
I'm reluctant to speak but manage to get the words out as I dodge another branch, "A freed slave captured during the siliue purge. He killed his captors and I guess the rest is history. Maybe he enjoyed it?"
"Maybe," they reply. "We should stop soon. It's been a few hours. The breach is setting and the Dhitol are nocturnal. They'll be patrolling the area." Fraeia points to the east. "There's a cave near the first waypoint we set up. We'll stop there."
Dreams
The dreams come for me in my sleep. One moment I close my eyes and the next I'm standing in a hall of steel sarcophagi. The thought grave has yet to activate. I still have time.
I run as fast as I can, dodging fallen pillars and rubble. I come to the opening and I see a man standing before me. This isn't right. This isn't what I was shown before.
"Stop," I shout, my rifle raised.
The man turns around and stares at me with narrowed eyes. "You? Of all those they could send, they sent you?"
"I don't understand," I reply.
The man laughs and rubs his temples. "I'm sorry. You didn't have to follow me. You could have escaped."
Before I can react, the man raises a pistol and fires. I feel myself being pushed back. I feel pain... real pain. I see the blood burst out, painting the walls, the floors, and even my visor. I stumble. The pain fades as my heart races. I look down and a massive chunk of my stomach is gone. All color fades, my vision blurs, and soon after I find myself in a serene, black void.
I scream, shooting up from the ground in a cold sweat. My breathing is heavy and for whatever reason, I can't stop crying.
Fraeia stares back at me. They don't speak, but there's a look of horror in their eyes.
My bottom lip quivers. "That was different. Did something change?"
"Change?"
"In the future. I've had that dream before but it didn't pan out the same way."
They smile at me, the way one would smile at a dog doing a trick. "The future?"
"If I know the future, then I can alter it, right?"
"If you alter it, then what you saw was not the future in the first place, rather an event that helps shape what the future will be." They stand up and reach their hand out to help me to my feet, which I politely refuse. "Are you ready?" they ask.
I nod, "As ready as I'll ever be."
To me? Not repetitive at all. There is small bits of worldbuilding here and it's great! Also, the character dynamic is in full focus. I'm enjoying it.