Henry rode his horse to death, and switched to a new one, keeping several on a leash as he rode. He passed town after town, completely decimated and lifeless. On several occasions, he had seen groups of Thrak running across the lands, unguarded and unhindered.

“That’s our fourth horse, Henry.” Kyburn tried to reason with him. “Son, maybe it’s time to turn back. You need to understand that the likelihood that Sasha is still alive is slim to none.”

Henry ignored him and urged his horse forward, leaving the fourth dying horse behind. He knew all too well the risk he took by going further south but he had to save her. She was the only person in this whole world that he truly couldn’t live without. If she was dead, so was he.

His only regret now was dragging Kyburn along with him into danger but he had refused to let him go alone. Xerath had begged them both to reconsider but ultimately he knew he couldn’t change either of their minds.

Henry wouldn't leave Sasha to her fate and Kyburn wouldn’t let Henry go alone. Xerath tried ordering them to stay but Henry merely shrugged and pushed past him. It was the first time he defied a king.

After that had failed, Xerath offered them, men, to accompany them but Kyburn was the one to refuse the help, explaining it would be easier if it were just two. Less likely to be seen and far easier to hide from the Thrak.

And so, here they were, miles from Zulin, nearing the city. The surrounding lands had been utterly destroyed and abandoned.

Xerath told them to come straight back to Xerixes where they would stand against the Thrak as the people escaped outside Xer. Nowhere was safe. Not even in Xer. Henry doubted leaving the walls would do anything.

The Thrak were coming from the ground everywhere, millions, and most of them from the mountains. In all reality, Kligira was the best choice to flee, as its lands were dead and flat. He doubted the Thrak would follow them easily there.

“Henry!” Kyburn hissed. “We are here! Get your head out of your ass.”

Pulling up to a skidding halt, Henry saw another group of Thrak patrolling the city. Flipping his leg up, Henry fell to the ground and urged his horse to lay down, as did Kyburn from being seen.

They quickly pulled the rest of the horses to the ground, keeping them out of sight. “Any ideas?” Henry asked.

“Wait for them to move around the corner and out of sight, then approach the gates,” Kyburn whispered. “I don’t see more than that group.”

“Good,” Henry said, holding his sword tightly to his waist. “Let’s go then.”

“Wait.” Kyburn hissed.

Henry ignored him once again as he bent his back in a half crawl half run. Kyburn followed a moment later, keeping his eyes on the Thrak that hadn’t gone around the city yet. Henry had gone early, ignoring the timing of the patrol.

Henry’s back ached from crouching but he slammed his back against the wooden walls and poked his head around and looked inside the town. It was a ghost town and a carriage lay on its side. Hundreds of bloody bodies lay scattered on the ground, their limbs and flesh torn.

Without waiting for Kyburn to join him, Henry sprinted for the upturned carriage, ignoring the dead bodies and stench around him. “Sasha!” he yelled.

“Shush!” Kyburn lunged at him, knocking him to the ground and slamming his hand over his mouth. “Shut up!” he hissed! “Do you want to get us both killed?”

Henry shoved him off, “I have to find her. She could be hurt somewhere.”

“We don’t know if she’s even alive.” Kyburn countered. “Making ourselves known to those... demons won’t help anyone.”

“Fine.” Henry frowned. “We have to-” he paused as rustling from outside the gate reached their ears.

Kyburn scrambled around the carriage and snatched Henry’s arm and swung him out of sight. Peeking past the carriage, Kyburn’s breath caught and he let out a gasp of surprise.

Henry glanced to where he was looking and he let out a deep breath of shock. “Sasha,” he whispered.

He broke from his hiding place and rushed to her, grabbing her by the shoulders and embracing her. She smelt like human waste but he didn’t care, only thanking Demiurge that she was still alive.

“Sasha.” Henry pulled back from the hug and noticed her tangled and matted hair. “You’re alive.”

Kyburn stepped up behind them and gently guided them to a relatively safe spot. All three crouched behind bushes as Henry looked at the woman he loved.

Pulling her red and blackened hair from her face he saw her eyes for the first time. They were dead eyes, empty and void.

“What’s wrong with her?” Henry asked.

“S-she’s seen things no one should have to see.” Kyburn frowned. “I don’t think she is in her right mind, Henry. We have to get her out of here.”

“Can she ride?” he asked.

“She will have to ride with you,” Kyburn responded. “We’ll wait for the patrol to pass again, then we will move.”

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“Sasha. Look at me.” Henry whispered. “I’m here. Don’t worry. I’ll get you out of here.”

She looked at him with her dead eyes then raised her arm, pointing to the carriage.

“What?” Kyburn asked. “What is it? What’s inside?”

“I’ll check,” Henry said.

“No.” Kyburn’s voice went cold, pulling Henry’s shoulder. “I’ll go.”

Henry watched in tense fear as Kyburn pulled himself on the flipped carriage and peered inside. For an instant, he thought he say his face turn to horror but he couldn’t be for sure as he immediately leapt back down and rejoined him.

“What was inside?” Henry asked curiously.

“Nothing.” Kyburn lied.

“Nothing?” Henry repeated.

“Nothing you need to see,” Kyburn said sternly. “Trust me, son. Don’t look inside.”

“O-okay.” Henry stuttered.

If Kyburn was troubled by it, then he knew he was serious and Henry didn’t dare to guess what lay inside. Their situation slowly grew more and more frightening as Henry took in the carnage around him. His stomach clenched and he nearly threw up but held it down.

The blood and bodies were taking a toll on him now that he had found Sasha and he realized this is why she was in such a state. The sight of this must be traumatizing for anyone. He forced himself to ignore it, shoving it deep to the back of his mind. His priority was to get Sasha to safety.

“Quiet.” Kyburn tapped his shoulder again as he pointed.

Henry placed his hand over Sasha’s mouth just in case, and for extra measure, he turned her away from the sight of Thrak passing the northern gates. Twenty or thirty Thrak slowly passed by, their bodies jerking in unnatural ways. Their horrid mouths twitched and stretched out and in, their leechlike jaws dripping saliva. For an instant, as their red eyes passed over the bush they hid, Henry could have sworn they had been spotted, his own body locking up in tension.

A moment later, the last creature disappeared from sight and Kyburn shifted slightly. Both of them let out a sigh of relief and Kyburn nudged him to follow.

Kyburn crept past the carriage and toward the gate, Henry and Sasha close behind him. He held up a fist and all three of them froze. Kyburn glanced back at them then his eyes went wide.

Henry whipped his head around to see a Thrak clambering over the carriage directly behind them. Part of the wood collapsed beneath its weight almost distracting it from their presence. However, it lifted its head to stare straight at them, its eyes glowing brighter as his gaze focused on them.

A terrifying scream escaped its throat, signaling to the surrounding Thrak. Kyburn slipped out a dagger from his belt and flung it at the creature without hesitation. The dagger buried in its throat, cutting the screech short as it stumbled to the dirt, clawing at its throat.

Kyburn looked to the hill in which their horses waited then to the castle behind them. Henry knew they wouldn’t make it to the horses and so did Kyburn. A sickening feeling washed over him.

“This is it.” he thought. “We aren’t getting out of here alive.”

His hand started to tremble as the fact dawned on him.

“Move.” Kyburn hissed as he sprinted for the castle doors.

Distant howls reached their ears, indicating the Thrak were onto them. Henry dragged Sasha by the hand and followed after Kyburn. Slamming against the door, Kyburn strained to pull the large metal doors open. Henry let go of Sasha and helped pull on the door.

A scream from Sasha warned them of Thrak approaching. She simply collapsed to the ground in a heap and cried. Her mind was broken, and she looked like a child reacting to a scary story. Only this was real and the horrors she had seen and fractured her frail mind.

Henry rushed to her, lifting her to her feet, and started dragging her limp body toward the gate. Kyburn continued heaving and jerking the door open. Sasha started thrashing and screaming as the Thrak came into view.

“Sasha please!” Henry groaned.

“Get her inside,” Kyburn said as he drew his sword.

Henry didn’t object as he pulled Sasha inside, the door opened just enough. Looking up, Henry saw Kyburn kill the first Thrak to reach him. Two more rushed him and pushed him to the ground.

“Kyburn!” Henry yelled.

Brandishing his own sword, Henry decapitated the alien, and Kyburn brought his sword up through the ribs of the other. Blood pooled in the dirt and Henry noticed it wasn’t just Thrak blood. Kyburn’s shoulder was shredded from a bite which sunk deep into the flesh.

Thrak poured in from the outer gate now, closing in on them. Henry yanked Kyburn to his feet and they started stumbling to the castle’s gate. They were too slow, Henry’s eyes went wide in shock as Kyburn was shoved forward from a protruding arm. A Thrak had sunk its claws through his chest, impaling him. Henry flew to the ground next to them and kicked at the beast, then shoved his sword through its neck and it collapsed on top of Kyburn.

Kyburn brushed Henry’s cheek lightly, “Live. Save yourself.” he coughed up blood. “I love you, son.”

No time to think, he ran toward the door. Whipping his head around, Henry screamed in horror as Kyburn was pounced on by a dozen more Thrak. He turned his head away before his body was torn to shreds.

Tears streaming down his face, Henry slipped into the castle and began to pull with all his strength. A Thrak slammed its body against the door, nearly closing it, and poked its arm inside, catching his arm.

Henry screamed in pain as his left arm was sliced open, huge gashes spraying his blood to the floor. More bodies slammed against the door, which snapped the arm off of the Thrak slashing at his arm. The severed limb flopped to the floor and howls of rage came from beyond the door.

Clasping his bleeding arm, Henry stumbled over to the bolts, sliding them over the door, sealing them inside.

Sasha’s whimpering echoed through the stone walls and Henry slumped to the ground putting pressure on his wrist now. He quickly realized that his artery had been severed, which meant he would bleed out.

Utter hopelessness washed over him, his desire to save Sasha dimming as his body did. Blood ceaselessly gushed out of his wrist, making another pool of blood at his side.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I don’t know what to do.”

Sasha looked up at him, her eyes puffy and full of tears, and stared at him with blank eyes. Her green eyes, lifeless and without their usual spark. She crept over to him and laid her head on his chest, ignoring the blood soaking her dress.

Henry kissed her forehead, as his vision blurred, unsure what to do. He had failed miserably and Kyburn had paid the price too.

“Kyburn.” he whimpered in pain and fear.

“I don’t want this.” he groaned. “I want to live!” he shouted through the castle.

Sasha hugged him tighter at his outburst and Henry shook his head in defeat. His life was literally draining from his body and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

“Hashem. Please. Help us.” he prayed desperately. “Save us.” he cried.

A window shattered from somewhere inside the castle and he knew Thrak had gotten inside. He waited for them to come, his sword half-raised in his right arm, holding Sasha with his left.

Red eyes peered around the corner and brightened at the sight of them. Screaming in defiance, Henry swung at the beast as dozens more followed.

Dread and sorrow filled him as he knew he couldn’t save her, his heart raced, and he prepared himself for what was to come. It was quick but not painless as Henry was torn apart.