Noir

Slumped over Noir's shoulder, I couldn't help but notice the tension in his every step. If a person's walk could be described as a snarl, then Noir's stride was a full-on roar, conveying his seething anger towards me. The weight of my actions had finally sunk in, leaving me speechless and motionless, afraid to even utter a word or twitch a muscle, knowing that I had crossed a line.

Noir, too, remained silent, his fury palpable as his powerful legs and feet devoured the ground with each thunderous step. Then, in one fluid and unexpected motion, he bent at the waist and dropped me to the ground, his intense gaze piercing through me, causing me to shrink beneath the anger radiating from the depths of his eyes. I braced myself for a verbal lashing, but to my surprise, his head snapped up, his ears attuned to the sounds of the surrounding jungle. Without warning, he yanked me back to my feet and hoisted me over his shoulder once more, taking off in a sprint towards the camp.

A few minutes later, I found myself being swiftly carried through the forest, my knees tightly clinging to Noir's waist, as we pushed through the dense foliage, disregarding the limbs, vines, and thorny ropes that clawed at us. Everyone moved as one, driven by a sense of urgency.

In this heightened state, distance became paramount. I closed my eyes, praying that whatever had set off Noir and the others was a mistake. In the best-case scenario, I hoped to wake up safe and sound in my bed in Louisiana, realizing that this was all just a horrifying nightmare. But for now, we pressed on, relentless in our journey, as the night stretched on, eventually giving way to the dim light of the approaching sunrise.

During those seemingly endless and darkest hours, I found myself being shifted around like a pawn in a game of musical piggyback. The sounds of our hurried footsteps and the rustle of foliage filled my ears, accompanied by the occasional distant calls of unknown creatures. The earthy scent of the jungle mingled with the hint of sweat, adding to the palpable tension in the air.

Time blurred as we continued our relentless trek, never slowing down. The ordeal seemed to stretch on forever, testing my endurance.

As my chauffeurs maintained their unwavering pace, I was constantly shifted from Noir's back to Thorin's and then back to Noir again, never too far away, neither offered, nor was asked to share the burden of carrying me. If it were up to me, I would prefer not to be carried at all. However, as I wasn't a vampire, I was incapable of covering the vast distance in such a short amount of time as the others had.

With each passing mile, I could sense Eton's mood growing more and more angry and he would glare at Noir whenever he had the chance, but never uttered a word of explanation. After one such incident, I could feel the tension in the air and Noir's muscles tensed beneath me, his frame becoming taut, and I couldn't hold back any longer.

"What's the problem between you and Eton?" I snapped.

My words fell upon deaf ears, for Noir remained silent. However, the deep growl that rumbled from his throat confirmed that he had heard me. It also made it clear that my words had hit a brick wall, going nowhere. Disgusted, I let out a snort. If it weren't for the fact that I had to hold on tightly to Noir, I would have thrown up my hands in frustration.

Lost in my silent rant, my eyes widened when we suddenly emerged from the dense vegetation into a brightness from the sun that startled me after the green cocoon we had just passed through.

After enduring hours of relentless flight, Noir and Thorin had reluctantly agreed to give me a much-needed rest. As I gingerly dismounted Noir's back, my legs immediately seized up, causing excruciating pain to shoot through my body. Letting out a cry of agony, I crumpled to my knees, but found no relief as the pain continued to consume me.

In an instant, Eton appeared by my side, pulling me close to his chest. His intense gaze fixed on Noir as he bellowed, "I should tear your damn balls off and shove them up your ass..." His voice trailed off with a hiss, "Jesus, we should have stopped hours ago!"

Noir shook his head in response and roared, "If we had, it would have been like waving a flag, inviting them to come and get her! We had to keep going!"

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Despite the agony coursing through my body, I finally understood the urgency of our flight - we were being pursued, once again. With our numbers depleted from the previous attack, I wasn't sure if we could withstand another attack from the New Order.

A few tense seconds passed in silence before Eton released his grip on me and stood up, glaring at Noir. He demanded, "How much farther?"

As I rubbed my throbbing legs, trying to alleviate the crippling cramps, I heard Eton snort in frustration. I glanced up and saw his face contorted with rage, his body trembling with intense fury at Noir's silent response, and through gritted teeth, Eton sneered, "You have no fucking idea, do you?"

It felt like only a few minutes had passed when I once again found myself perched on Noir's back. The position made me uneasy, knowing that the severe cramping in my legs would return once the piggyback ride was over. Despite my discomfort, I remained silent, unwilling to complain. The growing tension between Noir and Eton was more unsettling to me than the physical pain.~

~~

After several more hours, the entire procession came to a sudden halt again. This time, as I was slowly lowered off Noir's back, my eyes widened in astonishment. Figures emerged from the trees, appearing like ethereal ghosts. One after another, they materialized until a dozen men stood before us. I cowered behind Noir, feeling a wave of fear as their eyes locked onto us.

I trembled as I peered around Noir's broad shoulders, catching a glimpse of the tall, imposing redhead who stepped forward. He seemed to be the spokesperson or perhaps the leader of the group, as he snarled, demanding to know our purpose. Without a word, Noir reached behind him and pulled me reluctantly forward.

A smile tugged at the corners of Noir's mouth as the men began to murmur amongst themselves, casting nervous glances in my direction. Finally, with a nod, the redhead spoke, "We are the keepers of the hallowed forest, and we will guide you the rest of the way to the city."

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Half an hour later, I was engulfed in total confusion, my mind swirling with uncertainty. Eton and Jericha seemed to be purposely avoiding me, as if I had undergone a mysterious transformation, becoming someone unrecognizable from just half an hour earlier. There was something about me that they, and everyone else, found uncomfortable and unsettling. This situation unsettled me greatly. The constant avoidance and lack of eye contact from everyone made me feel uneasy, fueling my growing paranoia.

Adding to the unease was the presence of our newly recruited army, a formidable force that exuded strength and power. Despite their intimidating appearance, there was an underlying tension in the air as we continued our journey. The night passed without the usual musical piggyback, and instead, I found myself perched on Noir's back, my legs draped over his hips. His back became my saddle, and his hands acted as my stirrups, providing much-needed support. As the time passed, my exhaustion and weariness became so profound that my mind would occasionally shut down, even while my eyes remained open. I would drift into sleep, unaware of the passing time. After one such incident, I startled awake, struggling to comprehend my surroundings. We stood at the edge of the tree line, and I caught a glimpse of something seemingly impossible - a city of Gold!

Blinking dumbfoundedly, it took a few moments for me to realize that it was merely the rising sun reflecting off the golden-toned rocks that comprised the city. Nonetheless, the sight was breathtaking, a stark contrast to the surrounding jungle.

In an instant, my attention was captured by the resonant voice of the redhead, his gaze fixed upon the sprawling cityscape. With arms outstretched, he turned towards us, proclaiming a warm "Welcome." At that precise moment, a crackling laugh pierced the air, causing me to startle, my eyes rounding as out of the shadows of the trees, emerged the smallest and Idest figure I had ever laid eyes upon.

Cloaked in a flowing brown robe, it shuffled towards us, emanating an air of mystery. As it came to a stop before us, its gender unknowable, I saw the being possessed cloudy brown eyes and its face was deeply etched with wrinkles, as if time had existed for it forever. A shockingly white mane of hair framed the weathered visage, and as I took in these details, I couldn't ignore the palpable sense of wisdom that seemed to radiate from this enigmatic figure. Then, peering in our direction, it breathed, "It's about time. Where the hell have you been?"