Chapter 58

Jonas Just keep running, just keep running, just keep running. We were so close to making it out. Thorin became perfectly reasonable once I got his earplugs in, thank goddess. Keres, on the other hand, well, she was on a kill mission. I did succeed in getting her earplugs in, but then she shifted and they fell out as I had expected. As it would seem, the Banshees didn’t seem to bother Keres, probably because she was mental to begin with. Thorin and I had been linking each other and decided the best course of action was to go back for his bag at our camp, which had a fancy cattle prod in it, and then run to the edge of the forest, subdue Keres, and drag her the rest of the way out.

The sun was quickly setting and I felt like I could almost hear Keres in her wolf form laughing at me. What she failed to realize was that Thorin had been missing for at least ten minutes now. She was so caught up in trying to kill me that she forgot to keep an eye on him. He tore away from us and shifted once he saw that we were in the area where there were witches. We weren’t too far from the edge of the forest, which meant we had to work fast before Keres got out into town and caused even more trouble.

“Ready?” Thorin linked me.

“Just do it!” I linked back.

Taking me by surprise, Thorin jumped down from the tree in front of us, cattle prod in hand. I ducked and he narrowly missed me, but succeeded in getting a clear shot of Keres. She roared in pain, but fell limp soon after. Thorin shocked her once more, and Keres shifted back to Kelly. Thorin took his shirt off and placed it on Kelly, giving her some modesty, before picking her up and continuing towards the way out.

“She is going to be pissed when she wakes up.” I sighed.

“She is alive, that’s all that matters.”

“What about Emmett?”

“We will start search for him tomorrow.” Thorin sighed heavily. “Tonight we pray he is unharmed.”

“What if we can’t find him?”

“You and I both know Kelly won’t leave until she finds him, so we shall find him.”

“And the herbs?”

“Kelly is stubborn, determined woman. I don’t see her leaving without them.”

“So we are stuck here another month then?” I frowned.

“Unless plant doctor pulls through, more than likely.” He frowned.

Tonight was a full moon. Hopefully, Emmett will be able to find the herbs so we can leave this goddess’ forsaken forest. I had no interest in continuing on, it was too dangerous. We were lucky to make it out once. I didn’t want to test those odds again. I don’t think Thorin did either, it was obvious that he had been through his own personal hell because of the Banshees.

“What was it like?” I asked, curiosity getting the better of me. “When you started hearing the Banshees?”

“They possessed my daughter’s voice. It was like having heart ripped out and stomped on.”

“Oh, I didn’t know you had a daughter.”

“She died as baby. I don’t know how creatures mimicked her voice, but I never want to hear again.”

“I’m sorry for your loss…” I said, feeling at a loss for words.

I wonder what Kelly heard…

– – – – – – – –

Emmett I have been watching all day and all night. Nothing had changed with the herbs yet, but we were still a few minutes away from the moon being at its peak. What in goddess’s name could have caused flesh to be ripped from bone and the burnt grass? That was the question I had been asking myself all night. The question that might just save my life.

Finally, the moon was at its highest. I carefully approached the herbs, but it was clear that they had not bloomed yet. Above me, the sky flashed, and rain began to fall. I moved back under some trees while I continued to watch. This was all very strange. The weather began to pickup, the wind pushing hard against me, the rain getting heavier and heavier by the second. I kept my eyes fixed on the herbs, praying that they would bloom soon, before the storm destroyed them. That was until I heard the first crack of lightning. Lightening…perhaps that’s what killed all those people.

It was an odd theory, but I moved back even further, taking shelter behind a tree. I waited half an hour, hearing the powerful thunder even through my earplugs. I could feel the boom in my chest everytime it hit. But this had to be it, it had to be. Eventually, I heard one last lightning strike, louder than any other before it. I turned back and set my gaze upon the herbs, which were now in full bloom.

That was it. It wasn’t just the full moon, it was a full moon and charged by lightning apparently. I had only heard of the theory once in my studies, and had I not known what herbs look like in full bloom, perhaps I would have picked the herbs and died in the process. I quickly and carefully collected the herbs, wrapping them in some fabric I tore off from my shirt. Now I just had to escape this hell hole.

I ran most of the night, stopping only once for a short break. I had a squirrel to eat and napped for an hour or two before continuing on. My body ached, I was starving and exhausted, but I felt like I was on cloud nine from having gotten the herbs. I prayed that Jonas got Kelly and Thorin out alright. I didn’t see any sign of any of them, which I hoped was a good thing.

It was late afternoon when I finally started recognizing some of the terrain from where we had come in from. However, it looked like there had been a fight, evident from the disheaved-looking forest floor and claw marks on some of the trees. I didn’t even want to know what happened. An hour later is when I finally heard them.

“Emmett!!” Kelly yelled.

“You can’t go back in there!” Jonas yelled.

“Give him more time!” Thorin argued.

“It’s been three days since either of you have seen him!”

“I’m here!” I yelled, picking up my pace.

“Emmett?!” Kelly exclaimed. I could see her running towards me in the distance. I thought she was going to slow down, but instead hurled herself at me, giving me a giant hug. “Thank goddess you are alright!” She sighed.

“I’m perfect, now let’s get out of this forest before we’re not.” I half laughed, carrying her back outside the forest.

I was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief once I was out of there, especially knowing Kelly and the others made it out okay too. I carefully set her down and gave a half-crazed laugh.

“I’m so sorry we left you, the Banshees-“

“Nothing to be sorry about.” I shook my head. “That was an awful forest, thankfully, we never have to go back there again.” I said, presenting her the Lunaris herbs.

“Oh my goddess!! You did it!! You found it!!” She exclaimed, throwing her arms back around me.

“Thank goddess.” Jonas laughed, a bit crazed sounding himself.

“Nice work,” Thorin complimented.

“This is such amazing news! Now we can go back home and make the Elixir and my mom will finally be healed!” Kelly lit up joyfully.

“Well then, let’s not waste anymore time.” I smiled.

We headed back to the plane, not wanting to waste another minute. Thorin said he felt well rested enough to fly and that was good enough for me. I could sleep on the plane. We didn’t have much of any luggage to pack, having lost most of it along the way. Kelly unfortunately lost what she had left of her pills, as did I. We would need to make sure Kelly stayed as chill as possible to avoid a Keres situation at thirty thousand feet. Last time she shifted, it took several days before Keres even made a peep. Hopefully, that will be the case this time and we can make it back home without any problems.

“Emmett, did the Banshees ever get to you?” Kelly asked as we began climbing onto the plane.

“No, I got lucky. I saw Thorin go nuts and covered my ears before they had the chance.” I said, taking a seat in the back. “What was it they were saying to you?” I asked Thorin.

“They were taunting me with my deceased daughter’s voice.” He grunted.

“Jeez…”

“It really was a nightmare.” Kelly agreed. “They kept telling me my mother was dead and my father was next. Over and over and over again I could hear my mother’s voice, saying awful things, hollering in pain. It was maddening.”

“Really?” Jonas frowned, taking a seat up front.

“Yeah, it felt so real,” Kelly said. “I’m so glad we don’t have to go back.” She sighed, taking a seat next to me.

“I think we can all agree about that.” I snorted, pulling Kelly in for a side hug.

“Hey guys?” Jonas said nervously over link.

“Da?”

“Whats up?”

“Don’t tell Kelly this…but there is something I never mentioned about Banshees.” He admitted.

“Which is what exactly?”

“They are known for taunting people, using their loved ones’ voices and all…but because they are so highly connected to the otherworld, they act as messengers, usually signaling an impending death.”