Chapter Eight: Why?
By: nike13

   As the glistening golden sun reached its peak across the medieval setting, another light filtered upward from the mortal forest below. A pure white hue that even the angels would envy blossomed forth from the ever thickening and darkening elm forest. At the center of this angelic saturation of light knelt two young men next to an elder man in royal garbs. The older man’s once blood drenched jacket was cleansed and his wound healed before his very eyes. His savior before him, hands still raised to his chest, sweat glistening off his son’s forehead from the exertion.

   "David?" the man whispered to his wondrous son, but the boy could not hear him.

   "...a little...harder than...a computer," was all he muttered as he collapsed onto his father’s chest.

   "Don't worry," said the other boy, lifting David off the king and leaning him against a nearby tree. "He just needs to rest now."

   "What? How?"

   "This might be a bit much for you to handle, sire," Waren warned as he helped the man sit upright.

   "I don't care. What are you? Angels?"

   "No, I’ll explain but first I should tell Teresa you’re alright."

   "Where is she? David said something-"

   "I'll explain it all in a moment."

   Teresa, Waren once again called out into the forest.

   I've got 'em! her panicked mind screamed back, I’ve got ‘em! Now what?

   Slow Down! Waren commanded, placing a finder to his temple, Got who? The attacker? Lorid?

   Both! Now hurry! There’s so much…pain… Teresa’s mind finished, the sound emanating from her brain decreasing into a small murmur of unknown nonsense.

   "Your highness, Teresa’s in trouble so you’ll just have to trust us for now," he waited until the king nodded and then asked, "Do you think you could walk?"

   "I would move the world if possible for you three at the moment."

   "Good, then help me with David before Lorid gets away."

   "Lorid?" the king asked, grabbing one of David’s arms and throwing the boy over his shoulder.

   "I’ll explain on the way, just hurry," Waren shouted back on the now clearing shrubbery as it created an arch just large enough for him.

   "I assume that Waren is coming?" the robed figure asked with a bored interest. Teresa jerked her attention back to her prisoners, trying desperately not to panic or lose control while pain throbbed throughout her body.

   "I suppose he is," she said, attempting to keep the fear from her voice. "Why do you care? I would be worried about what was to happen to me if I were you."

   "Would you now?" he said, "Well, I believe that if I were in your position I would be more concerned about the blood that seems to be seeping from your side rather than trying to stop the future savior of humanity."

   "What?" she whispered, looking down to find her beige shirt stained bright red, "but how?"

   "Its quite simple, child," Lorid began, his face still hidden from view.

   "Be quiet!" Teresa yelled, emerald light blazing from her eyes as anger seared inside of her. "How can you call yourself humanity’s savior when your trying to kill us?!"

   "My, my, aren’t children these days so impolite. Your time has a phrase for an occasion such as this, ‘the end justifies the means’ I believe it was. I plan to stop the persecution, the suffering, the grief that humanity puts itself through; the hunger, the disease, it will all end when I have completed my task."

   "There is no justification for mass murder, that has also been proven in my time because of men like Adolf Hitler."

   "Please, you could hardly classify myself with that monster?" he said, laughing lightly as Teresa stared at him through narrowed, emerald eyes; only slightly noticing that the vines binding him had tighten.

   "But I do because you are a monster. You’ve already judged the human race without giving it a chance to defend itself."

   "Judge, jury, and executioner, those are my duties to ensure the survival of this planet. You accuse me of being a monster, but you too have judged me before hearing my own defense."

   "What defense? You’re crazy."

   "Only time will tell on that account, but should you not listen to my reasons?"

   "Fine," she spat, watching him carefully as blood continued to drip down her side, staining her pants. "Why destroy humanity if you just want to stop a war?"

   "I don’t want to stop just one war, I wish to stop them all. You know how destructive mankind is and it’ll never learn. Even after the third world war we fall into the same pattern that lead to the deaths of billions. You, at least, should understand, your time has just recovered from another war and yet you learn that there will be another. Is there really any hope for us?"

   "Of course there is," Teresa barked back, finding herself sympathizing with the man, "Humanity learns, as long as we do that there will always be a chance."

   "The only thing people learn is a better way to hurt each other."

   "Oh really?" Teresa asked, angry with herself for not only listening to him but for understanding his position and wondering if she would do the same in his place. Lorid allowed himself to grin as he watched the young girl argue with herself, feeling the vines loosen around him, he decided to continue his conversation.

   "Your emotions are showing, Miss Teresa. Perhaps that is what is destined to bring our downfall, emotions. Anger specifically, vengeance, or would you call it justice?" Teresa jerked her head upward, eyes glaring again, and his smile grew. "Oh, you don’t see a problem your sense of justice? On second thought, of course you wouldn’t, it’s always someone else who is wrong. Your time is notorious for its lack of responsibility, everyone’s a victim, it is rather pathetic how you people go on and on as if you’re impervious to flaw, to wrong doing."

   "And I’m assuming you’ve never made a mistake in your life? I admit, I’ve made mistakes but the way you go on, it’s as if you’re not apart of the human race."

   "It pains me to say that I am human, capable of mistakes-"

   "So this could be a mistake, logically," Teresa interrupted.

   "Unfortunately, no. I have made no mistake in my plan other than to underestimate your abilities to adapt to situations, and each other. I assumed you three would’ve had more difficulty in working together, you and young David particularly, but Waren is very good at adapting to a situation; keeping you two together but not halting those stupid arguments you always seem to have."

   "How do you know we always argue?" Teresa whispered, her eyes returning to hazel hue.

   "Do you honestly think that I would not have assistance inside your little protective dome?" Lorid mocked, the vines slipping quietly to the floor as Teresa looked onto his dark form, her shirt now entirely bloodied from her wound.

   "How much further could she have gone?" King Charles V shouted up to Waren as he readjusted David on his shoulders and continued to run through the oddly shaped path.

   "I don’t know, I don’t think much further though," Waren called back over his shoulder. Waren increased his pace through the thicket, his face etched with worry. He had been trying to call to her ever since he had first lost contact but all he could hear was pain and confused thoughts. The last coherent thing he heard was that she was hurt, but how he didn’t know and with David still unconscious they were down to just him.

   "Are you sure David will be alright?"

   "Trust me, your highness, David is the least of our problems. He’ll be fine but if we don’t reach Teresa soon…" Waren let his sentence drop, trying hard not the think would happen if they lost Teresa, saying it out loud might jinx it somehow, it couldn’t be their fate to just die here, could it? Waren shook his head, trying to clear his frantic thoughts and try, once again, to reach Teresa.

   "Do you really think Lady Teresa is injured?"

   "I’m not sure, but I’m afraid that she is in danger. If only she didn’t travel alone she could’ve had help and be safe."

   "I doubt that girl is the type to accept any type of help."

   "You’re probably right about that," Waren said grimly, turning a rough corner in the green trail as it leads them deeper and deeper into the dark forest. After a few more moments of tense silence the trail appeared molded into an abstract sort of archway. Waren entered the small, enclosed area, feeling a strong sense of dread enter his heart. His feet refused to move as he was forced to look onto the courtyard from the entrance Teresa’s power had carved. Near his left stood a young man, unconscious and very pale, bound to the ground by brown, wilted rose vines. Closer to the center of the area laid a pile of more dead rose vines and what appeared to be an a young woman on the ground, surrounded by a small gathering of blood. Waren stared at the scene for what felt like hours until a loud noise came from behind him.

   "What has happened here?!" demanded King Charles V, shoving past Waren and sliding David to the ground next to the shocked young man. Waren ran over to the girl, leaving David alone to sleep against the dying vines that now surrounded them. The girl was badly injured, her short hair all over her head and her breathing extremely erratic.

   "Teresa!" Waren shouted, reaching out his hand to feel her wrist for a pulse. Although the teenager didn’t move, he could feel a faint but sturdy rhythm pounding against his sweating hands.

   "Is she alive?" the king asked quietly, not sure what to do and fearing Waren’s answer.

   "Barely," Waren whispered, closing his eyes and thanking any supreme power he could think of for the miracle. "Check David and see if he’s any closer to waking, we really could use him right now."

   "What if he won’t wake?"

   "Please just check," Waren murmured, resting his hand softly on Teresa’s and suddenly feeling very exhausted.

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