I can’t move; I’m transfixed by the majesty of the beast in front of me. The creature in front of me is pure white. A stag with a massive rack of antlers that stretches out like a crown around his head.
Stags are one of the few creatures that have remained relatively unchanged from the depictions throughout history. I was never sure why, though, but maybe it's to remind us of our connection to the past and to remember that, as foul as this world is, there is still beauty in it; there’s still something worth saving. At least, that’s what I’d like to believe.
The stag watches us, chewing softly, and then it springs away, disappearing over a half-fallen wall.
Cadel puts a hand on my lower back, urging me forward.
We move quickly, darting from shadow to shadow. The tension of moving so quickly through unfamiliar streets is raising all of our stress levels, but we need to put space between those sniffers and us. They have been on our trail for two days, and we haven’t been able to shake them.
Jarek pauses, rocking back on his heels, staring at something that I can’t see. A tremor runs up his back. Seconds tick past, but he shakes his head.
“Must have been my imagination,” he murmurs.
I wait, my jaw working as I scan our surroundings. It’s dark, and the city is even quieter than it normally is.
“This way,” he says and takes off at a jog.
I let out a grunt of frustration but follow him into a courtyard. The pavers are still shiny in places. Like the weather hasn’t touched it yet. Jarek slides to a stop, looking up. He turns back to me, smiling.
“You see that?”
He points to the spire.
“Yeah?”
“My mum said that the way out is within walking distance of the building that pierces the sky.”
I go still, thinking rapidly. Could that be the answer? “Let’s go find it, then!”
Mordecai and Cadel spread out, keeping an eye on our surroundings as we make our way towards it.
“I don’t remember seeing this on the maps,” I whisper.
“It wasn’t. This is a section of the city that we hadn’t gotten to yet,” Mordecai whispers back. “It’s particularly dangerous, and lots of streets turn into dead ends.”
The buildings are packed almost on top of each other. The roads are wide, and massive poles with the skeletal remains of traffic lights hang precariously.
I turn up the street and can see the spire in front of us, just a few blocks away.
It’s a massive building that’s circular and smooth. The top has a pole that leads to a point. The glass on the top floor is gone. I would hate to be up there, but seeing it feels like hope.
The stag bursts out of nowhere, landing on a car, slips, and falls to the ground, letting out a bleating call that has my scalp crawling. I think I’ve spent so long being hunted that I recognise the cry of another creature.
I stagger to the side, whirling to watch its mad panic. It’s bleeding from a massive wound on its leg. There’s no way it can survive.
I reach out, but there’s nothing I can do.
A crawling wrongness in the world alerts me to the unwelcome intruder. I turn my head and find him slinking out of the shadows, his head lowered, drool hanging from his deformed mouth. Those serrated teeth drip ruby droplets to the ground.
The stag lets out another terrified call and drags itself another couple of feet, screaming.
The Ravage Wolf hasn’t seen us yet.
I look between them, and I just can’t. I explode into the street.
“Kaida!” Mordecai shouts.
I don’t move, staring at the Ravage Wolf, refusing to look away.
