Page 111 of The Silent Mountain
The Scent of Death
*ALANA*
IpullElioawayfromthe window instantly. Something inside me clenches. It’s not just fear, it’s an impending doom, a feeling of anxiety that’s looming over me. As if something cold grips my heart. It’s terrifying.
Erin thinks I might be particularly sensitive to paranormal occurrences and have some sort of sixth sense for mythical beings. Maybe she is right. I don’t know that for sure, but I know that the person down there with the coat made out of bloody feathers is not someone we should take it up with.
I tug Elio with me until we have left that creepy room behind and climbed further up. “Alana,” Elio whispers. “What was that down there?”
“I don’t know, but it’s nothing good. Elio, we need to get out of here and somehow try to return to the mainland.”
“How are we going to do that?”
“Maybe we can find a boat? There are people here. I am sure they are not flying here, or we would have detected them long ago. And there is certainly no underground tunnel either.”
“That’s true,” Elio says, hope in his eyes. “You are right, let’s get away from here.”
I reach out to grab my weapon, realizing I am not carrying one. “Right, I am unarmed,” I mutter. “I certainly can’t swing my ax anymore.”
“How about a spear?” Elio asks and hands me his. “I still have my dagger, but I think you could handle a spear. Or do you prefer the dagger?”
“I’ll take the spear because I am not sure if I can shift,” I admit. “Or rather: I am not sure how Ros will cope with a part of her leg missing.”
“Does it affect her too?” Elio asks, shocked.
“Yes,” I say quietly. “Plus, a spear gives me more distance from my attackers.”
Elio hands me his spear, and I weigh it in my hand. It’s going to be difficult to wield, but it’s not too heavy. I will manage somehow. Let’s just hope I won’t need it. The person in the feather cloaks is still lingering in my mind, pushing me forward against my exhaustion and my pain. Ros has healed me partly, but it’s still a major injury I carry. It needs to be cleaned and treated properly.
And Elio is exhausted too. He shouldn’t have shifted so often. We both need to get out of here.
“Are we sure this is the path outside?” Elio asks.
“No, but it would make sense that it leads somewhere to the upper surface,” I mutter. “This weird guy and his minions certainly didn’t walk for long.”
Elio and I follow the path further ahead, both of us surprised when we finally are met with a staircase which we climb up. I try not to overthink my movements and fully rely on my right arm, but it’s hard. The stairs lead us to another room. This time, however, it is obvious that we are not underground anymore.
“An actual window,” Elio mutters. “We made it!”
“Yes, and now let’s make sure to get out of this building. But slowly, no rash movements,” I whisper. “We can’t know for sure that everyone is down there.”
Clutching my arm to my chest, I try to regain a bit of my strength. Climbing up the stairs was more difficult than I anticipated, and I am starting to feel the exhaustion again. “Let me go ahead,” Elio whispers.
I am in too much pain and too tired to argue with him, so I just let him proceed. The building we are in is made out of rustic stones, a simple structure, but it doesn’t look like anyone lives in it. They must all reside in the underground area. It only strikes me now, how lucky Elio and I were not to stumble into a group of people! Goddess, even the thought of it makes my blood freeze.
Alana,Ros links me.I am catching a weird presence here.
Probably the gathering we saw downstairs,I point out.
Maybe,she mutters, looking around anxiously.Be careful. Everything here feels off.
She is right, it’s eerie and creepy. The deserted, silent building is one thing, but one peek outside shows me that there is not a living plant outside either. Of course, we are in the middle of the ocean in a cold climate, but certain plants usually persevere, but here, even the usually sturdy bushes and trees are completely dried up. Their stumps are black, and they carry no leaves, nothing to indicate there is still life in them.
Everything here seems dead.
My thoughts wander to the person I saw down there in this coat covered in feathers and blood, and it makes a shiver go down my spine. That’s when it strikes me. He reminds me of death. Ros and I almost died once, already. Seeing that creature felt like dying again.
And right now, I am feeling the exact same sensation again!
