Quimera

In the distant north, a creature filled to the guts with wings and feathers awoke. The rumble of its awakening sent shivers down the spine of every living creature, as they ran away into the woods.

Levi

Anne always loved the outside, the real one, the one you can't find in the mountains. She used to say that someday we would marry and live in a normal village. I believed that. The dream of a life outside the mountains, visiting all famous places 'round the globe and eating all different kinds of food, she used to tell me about those things, but now she can't. It all died with her.

Elise's birthday was the perfect day to escape, she would have the spotlight so Anne and I could run away, at least that was the plan.

The day had come, so we should escape.

Elise's party would be in the morning, so we left after midnight. When I got to the place there was she, waiting for me. She was dressed in black, except for the furry white hat and scarf which only improved her beauty. Her neck, bonded with jewelry and the scarf exhaled decision and desire. Her hands felt warm and delicate, with thin fingers and long nails. Her chest, soft and filled, seducing me to sin. Her sharp white teeth formed a constellation in each smile. Her hair and red lips, dragged me up to her glooming blue eyes. Beauty like that can only be a blessing.

She held a big bag filled with survival items and a pocket knife close to her waist, I had only an axe and some fruits and things to sell in a bag.

"Did you hear that?" She said turning her neck around.

"What?" Sorry Anne, I was focused on your legs and haven't heard shit.

"There is someone here." She got down on one knee near a tree and started to search for the noise. "There is no one here" Or at least that was what I was going to say if she didn't have pulled my hand to her.

"Look." She lowered her voice and pointed.

Fuck, It was an army camp, they were downhill close to a lake.

They had guns, standards, and campfires it didn't look like they had good intentions. Why would there be an army in the mountain? The question flooded through my mind, who were they here to murder? Anne's hand held mine tighter. When an arrow hit the tree, an inch from her head.

I threw my axe in the archer's direction and ran with Anne into the camp, her bag was too heavy so I tore it apart.

We continued running to the lake, and as they noticed us a flash burned into our direction, another arrow. It lodged in my shoulder.

We kept on running into the forest evading arrows, till we reached the river's end. The other side was off the mountain.

I Trembled, couldn't say that I didn't have interest in leaving the mountains, but the army was there for us, Vikings. And they would follow us out there... Yes, out there, Anne wanted to leave. Her mother never was a fan of the idea, after all, she chose to live here, in the mountains. Untouched by that, Anne used to plan her life outside here and tell me everything about it, she was like this since the first time we met.

Her mother was her only family, she moved here alone, pregnant. She was dead scared of us, but Anne wasn't, once we got older enough, we finally met, I still remember; she already had that silly smile. You know, even at that time, I knew we were made for each other.

She noticed my hesitation, she seemed somehow relieved, and her presence felt caring and calming. I loved her. And we would marry someday, she knew that, but I never had the chance to say it out loud.

It's too late.

An arrow pierced through her neck, then one on her abdomen, and a flash cracked open her skull.

She is dead, with her brains scattered across the river; arrows engraved in her skin. She couldn't even scream. My partner my childhood friend; my first and only love now is dead.

My eyes searched to lay on her cracked skull now lifeless, as her blood infected the water. My heart crumbled. The memories of her funny faces were ruined like a cracking portrait. Her corpse lying down, getting colder. My stomach felt a knot. The smell of steel and blood was impregnated on me. The hounds' sounds became more and more louder. The more that I looked at her, the more tormented I became, visiting our old memories, wishing it was me, wishing to be dead.

 Melina

I had almost finished the preparations for Elise's birthday, I was thinking about making a new little sister or brother for her as a gift, but I was already in the process of finding one that I lost, so Clan restoration would have to wait.

Levi, my middle child used to play with the pretty blonde girl from the house on the east of the mountain. Ofc Kaiser didn't like it, but I think the boy should get som'girls y'know? There ain't that many girls 'round here anyway. 'Told Kaiser to go get him for the birthday, but he never came back as well.

When the thots came down to me Elise was snifing things 'round. ''What's that?'' She pointed. I looked at her, getting all my attention back to her eyes. ''Baskets, call y'sister.'' Her curiosity face fell down to an upset one once I evilly smiled.

 Alyssa

Elise got stuck in the fucking tree.

Mom had told me to take the boys and her with me so she could finish things home, she gave each of us a basket to get the Alyss fruits for flavor to Elise's cake. Ironically, this time no one complained, 'guess everyone is worried about Levi. Enji was strapped to my chest in a white cloth, Ymir was seated on a log by my side; Elise was stuck on top of the tree.

"Just fucking jump Elise."

"Fuck!" She looked more scared than angry.

"Just l-", I was disturbed by the blurry image of my brother getting up his seat. It was too fast, even to look.

When I did, he looked huge and menacing. His back to me, feet hard in the stones, he got the scimitar trapped in his belt and got a better view of his surroundings. Then the first four men in armor left the forest before him. Elise froze on top of the tree, They looked full of hate like demons, maybe they were. From our sides came out more and more, and it didn't stop. "Run", It was the last thing that I heard from my brother's mouth. All the strength left my body, I was in shock and panic. Ashamed, I easily turned my back on him. Running. Leaving both of them alone. I felt the impact of a horrified Elise touching the ground and we both ran away. We left him there, our very own blood.

"Run". I kept on running, missing too many steps, Elise was right on my tail, with no time to breathe or to pick up. We crossed the north river, the trails, the bunny's holes, and up on the big tree log, always in and out the path. I felt my legs falling apart, as well as my heart. Elise must have felt the same. The guilt consumed me. I left Ymir there, with them. We kept on running.

The stone path. My heart crossed on cold. I felt the hate and pain inpregnate my guts. My breath got heavier and my sight got blurry. Right in front of us; The house that we once lived in, the many flowers in our garden, the lots of portraits, clothes, and hidden spots they were. All burning.

Despair took over me. The only answer my mind could give to it. Elise kept on running to get me, innocent, impertinent, vulnerable. She hit her head on my back; the cloth made a compressed sound so I gave a look to see her red cheeks and scared eyes. I felt the realization drown her, the broken home before us. My stomach turned around.

''...Mom''. It was the first thing she could say or think about, facing the abyss. I came back to my senses, to have a thought to the same thing. Where was she? She wasn't in the house, she couldn't be. I needed to check, but I was stuck in place.

No. I couldn't go. Not now. Not with Elise and Enji with me, I had to be an older sister, Mom is strong. She would find a way to get back to us. I had to protect a family that she could get back. Then maybe for the first time in my life, I grabbed Elise's hand. And got back in the trails. I continued running, with no destination. We crossed the stone path, down on the big tree log close to the silindro's caves.

...

Everything froze in place. My legs stopped all motion.

I felt my stomach turn, and hot blood dripped down my legs covered by my hand. There was a hole approximately 4-5cm above my waist, something had got me. I uselessly worried about Enji as well, but he had already stopped breathing long ago. Elise's hand felt even warmer.

A pain in the neck reached me. It was an arrow. My legs failed to keep my weight, so I crumbled into Elise. And she held me. Scary.

I heard something in the woods, probably hounds. I felt Elise trembled to her bones. I was watching the fear and despair consume her. Immediately 'knew what I had to do.

'Pushed her away from me, as always. But this time, it was for her.

At last, I saw her getting into the woods, running for her life. I felt calm but cold. Then everything went black.

Elise

I couldn't think about it, it would make me stop and I would die as well. I needed to keep on running, even if I didn't know where to. My house burned, my family went missing, my sister and brother died.

Hounds found me. They are way faster than me. Only if I could be as fast as Levi or Ymir.

I gave it a turn, entering deeper into the forest nest, somewhere I never had gone to, maybe no one had. My way close as thorn branches kept close to my skin. Hound's sounds were getting louder. So I entered.

It felt like a maze made of spikes in sticks, my skin got cut and pierced through, even so, the hounds couldn't get me there, humans could. Once they realized the dry and fragile husk, they would tear it apart with fire.

I kept on running to the other side of the sharp maze and found myself in the middle. There was a giant white tree in there, with a hole filled with branches and vines and blood.

A weird pale figure was lying in there, an old woman. With a disfigured face her parts were covered in dark still blood.

"I-, Alone--" Her words burned in my mind, the terror made my stomach hinch.

"And--, You-" I vomited as soon the elder prayers reached my ears, collapsing in fear and exhaustion, defeated on my knees.

My vision started to fade away, I tried to hold consciousness, only to find her standing before me. She laughed; my heart was petrified in fear. She crossed her hand into my soul, and I felt the evil impregnate inside my soul.