Lonely Road

J une 16th, 2100.

I stared down at the small broken body that lay dying in my arms. In her hand, she held the blood-covered heart-shaped locket I had given her on her 12th birthday before our parents had died six years ago. I should have stayed with her in the small broken-down shelter we had found off the main road. It was not much, and slowly was deteriorating, but it kept us safe from most of the elements. But as a warrior, I did not stay, I chose to go and fight in a battle that was not even my own. I arrived home that night to see her attackers defiling her body. She was beaten to the brink of death. I saw red at that moment and slaughtered each one of them without a care in the world. I just sat there in a pool of those monster's blood while I held my dear sister as she took her last breaths. I shouted as loud as I could into the heavens and the sky opened in a wild force pouring down on the scene around me. I vowed that day to never stop destroying the cruelty that had survived the fall of the world.

June 16th, 2102.

I was hiding behind a bush watching 2 men and 1 woman talking. I had been stalking them for a few weeks now. I never knew who to trust so I would scope out people's intentions for a while. If they were generally good and decent people trying to survive, I would escort them to a safe place that was secured from outside threats. If a person's intent was evil and sinister I would slaughter them on the spot and feel nothing while I did it. I never once felt guilty for ridding the world of scum. It was a lonely road I was walking, but it was a burden I would shoulder alone. Some of the good people I met along the way started calling me an angel sent from the heavens. I did not understand this, because I was no angel, I could kill with no remorse. I was a warrior, born and bred to survive this now harsh world, yet not strong enough to save the one person that mattered the most to me.

I tuned my senses back to the scene in front of me, the people standing there seemed like decent folks. But I had to be one hundred percent positive before leading them into the safe zone. I watched as a man came running their way holding a battle axe. I recognized the symbol on the axe as the same one from a group of cruel savages, the same ones that had taken my beloved sister from me. They killed for no reason and liked to make people suffer in the process. I moved swiftly and pierced my sword straight through his heart as he was still headed for the trio standing there. I grabbed his axe and threw it to the side as I withdrew my sword watching him fall before me clutching his chest. I wiped my blade clean before shoving it back into its sheath. I turned to see the faces of the three people behind me that the man had been trying to attack. I was hoping now that I had revealed myself that these really were good people.

I wore a scarf over my face hiding my true identity. Over the past few years, people came to know me either as their saviour or a death sentence. The three in front of me now did not know whether I was there to kill them or not. I could tell by the quiver in the one older male's voice as he begged me to spare their lives in a heavy accent I did not recognize. I finally revealed my face to these people and a collective gasp came from all three at once. They began chanting over and over our angel. I could not help but want to roll my eyes, I was no angel. I would lead this small group of people to a temporary haven where they would be watched over the course of a few days. I simply nodded and they followed me to that location.

Once I got them settled into the new place, I went to take my leave. I discovered that they were travelling away from their home in search of a safe place. The two of them were a couple while the older male with a very accent was the female’s brother. I nodded to them covering my face with my scarf. My face was not the only thing that gave away who I was, but it was the one thing people recognized first. I had many tattoos covering my body, signifying the many battles I have won. But the tattoos on my face were of white tribal wings adorning each of my cheeks. I had received them on my 16th birthday just before the world had turned to the harsh reality it was now. They were a symbol of my coming of age to be worn with pride. A tradition passed down from generation to generation. A month after the power went out my family took their leave from the city. Too much crime had broken out and they wanted their children to survive. We were taken in by a distant family member in the same tribe as we were. From that point on I was conditioned to be a warrior. I was a fast learner and surpassed my training in a matter of no time. My parents came from the warrior line as well and went out to fight a battle, leaving 18-year old me to watch my 13-year-old sister. It was harsh when they did not return from the battle against raiders trying to steal our crops. There were so many casualties on both sides, I left with my sister a week later to make our own way. And we did, until that night I chose wrong. I walked down the main road headed back to my patrols when a voice broke me out of my thoughts.

“Why do you never stay longer than 20 minutes at a time Angelica. You save these people and walk away to fight once more for more people. You never ask for help either and walk this path alone. Why is that?” I closed my eyes at the sound of Thane’s voice behind me. Thane a warrior that had trained with me before I took my leave was probably the one person I could trust, but I still kept my walls high around him. I chose not to turn around as I answered him.

“I chose this path and will continue to walk it alone until the world can once again be a better place.” I sighed as I walked away before quietly adding, “I also do it, so I don’t have to lose those that matter to me ever again.” I do not know if he heard the last part, I was hoping he did not though as I continued to walk away. This was who I was, and who I would always be. I cursed the Gods' names the day my sister died, only to become their weapon to make the world a better place. I continued to walk until I came to the place, I set up for myself to stay.

A small old bear den became my home. It was well off the beaten path and the only place I could be alone with my thoughts. I laid my sword by my makeshift bed before removing my armour and scarf. I rubbed my sisters’ heart-shaped locket around my neck as I settled in for the night trying to give myself some comfort. After eating a small meal of berries and rabbit jerky I allowed my thoughts to drift away for the night. I thought back to what Thane had said, wondering why he even cared, but my thoughts were short-lived at the sound of voices outside. I began to slowly put back on my armour trying not to make much noise. I grabbed my sword, withdrawing it slowly from its sheath. I waited for what seemed like a lifetime, not moving as the voices neared. I was prepared for a fight as I had never heard voices around this area before. I listened to hear what was being said.

“I swear I saw her come this way, but where would she have gone from here?” That voice sounded oddly familiar but from where? Another voice chimed in, “That was a real good act you put on back there to get her to reveal the safe house location to us. Too bad we were outnumbered to attack it ourselves.” I could not believe what I was hearing. I should have never revealed myself to those people. A gut-wrenching feeling turned in my stomach. I thought of all the people I knew at the safe house being massacred because of another mistake I had made. Of course, with my luck, it was on the 2nd year anniversary of my previous mistake. How could I be so stupid and blind? I followed these people for weeks and not once did they falter in their act. I listened as the heavy accented man spoke. “After we kill her, all three of us will report back to headquarters with her head and the location of this safe house.” I let out a small breath at the knowledge that they had not revealed the location to anyone yet. I had to strike them down now before it was too late, I would not let these monsters live. I shuffled making noise on purpose trying to get their attention. It did not take long for them to find the small entrance of the cave after that.

I hid in the darkest corner waiting for one of them to make their appearance known. It was the woman who entered first. She was no longer wearing simple clothing but wearing clothes meant only for battle. She looked around the cave not seeing me hunkered down in the corner. As she went to turn around and leave, I crept behind her and slashed her throat as she was putting her weapon in its sheath. I dropped her to the floor quietly but was not prepared for the arrow that struck my shoulder. I bit my lip drawing blood but did not want to make a sound informing the shooter I was there. I put my back against the wall to inspect where the arrow had hit. It was not that far in my shoulder, but I knew I would not be able to take it out without screaming in pain. I snapped the shaft leaving the arrowhead burrowed into my skin. I had to think of a way to get the other two to come in one at a time. That was the only way I could survive this with an arrow stuck in my left shoulder. I made a shuffling noise and let out a small cry. I could hear the two men making their way cautiously towards me when a different noise caught me off guard.

I recognized the small noise as one a warrior uses to notify another one when they are nearby. The small tapping noise sounded like something from nature, but I recognized the beat to it. Someone was here other than the three that had come to kill me in my vulnerable state. I watched as two bodies slumped to my right pooling blood around their bodies. I swallowed hard at the person standing in my view. Thane. He must have followed the three here. His eyes took in the arrow in my shoulder before speaking softly. “Sometimes we are not always meant to walk the path alone, Angelica.”