ARCTURUS

We are in the trees, branch running toward the screams and the smell of blood. Aradon is just ahead now, I can already see dead bodies. Unfortunately.

Bianca suddenly whistles long and low. We all rush to her side and look down into the valley of Aradon. I scan the people, searching for Misty Blue.

"There!" Lilly cries. "Misty Blue's over there with- with-" She loudly utters a word she shouldn't know. I squint into the people and see a girl with long grey hair and a bandage wrapped around her face. Misty Blue. Beside her is Lilly. I rub my eyes.

"She's dead! This isn't happening" Lilly cries. Suddenly Lilly #2 falls down as an arrow hits her back. Misty Blue starts edging around, blocking the fallen girl with herself. I grit my teeth.

"Okay let's move out!" I tell my company. "Bianca, Lilly, You guys go attack that guy with Misty Blue. Felix and Deben, flank them from the sides. Lola, Annysa and Hope, take the- the other Lilly to that hollow under that tree." I point to a small tunnel in the ground. "Christy and Syble come with me."

Everyone moves out to where I tell them. I sit for a moment and watch as Bianca starts hitting the man with a stick. Lilly is standing next to Misty Blue, a dagger in each hand. Behind them, Lola is dragging the fallen girl to the edge of the valley.

"Come on." I whisper to Christy and Syble. "We should check out the hollow." I pause suddenly, thinking. Syble is watching his friends longingly and Christy is stabbing the tree with a dagger. "You two go fight. I'll catch up."

Syble flicks his gold hair out of his eyes and grins at me. He grabs Christy's hand and the two of them leap out of the trees and run into the war. I smile in spite of myself.

It's hard jumping down from a tree in the middle of a war; you don't know who or what you might land on. For instance, I jump off and land on a Dermorian soldiers shoulders. He yells and starts swiping the air above him, trying to grab me. I lean back and grab a stick from the tree. He manages to punch me in the face.

"Now that's not very nice is it?" I ask, rubbing my nose. He stops grabbing and starts trying to throw me off so I club him on the top of the head with my stick. Repeatedly. He howls and drops to the ground, temporarily stunned. I leap off him and run like crazy.

The guy pulls himself up and looks around angrily. I duck into the hollow of the tree so he won't see me, but touch something soft and covered in dirt. It shifts around and I see a glint of metal on its side.

"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!" I wail, beating the thing with the stick. It starts screaming and flailing its arms, trying to grab me. I dodge and keep smashing it until warm blood flows.

"No! No! Leave me alone! Please!" I drop the stick in disbelief and quickly light a match. The hollow fills with dim light and the other person scrunches up in the corner. His eyes are squeezed shut and he is covered in dirt and blood. He whimpers.

"Dusty?" I gasp. I drop the stick and crawl over to sit beside him. He backs away from me, eyes still shut. He opens them, but there is something wrong. His eyes... They are dripping blood and tears. I look down at my stick. It is wet with blood. I did this.

"Dusty, it's me. Arcturus." I whisper. He sniffles and swings head around trying to find me.

"My face hurts," he whimpers. "Can you light a torch so I can see?" a lump fills me throat as he starts feeling for the entrance to the hollow. He stops suddenly and bites his lip. "I can feel the air on my face. It was morning when I came in here but everything is dark." he looks over at me. "I'm blind aren't I?"

I nod and mutter an answer and an explanation. Dusty is quiet for a moment, then says he forgives me. I don't think I'll forgive myself for this. Dusty points to one corner.

"There is a clean pool of water." He says, still pointing. I gently direct his arm to the other side of the hollow to the water in a stone bowl. He nods gratefully.

Suddenly we hear a dragging sound outside. I grab Dusty and he scrambles behind me. I take my knife and point it forward. The noises suddenly stop. Dirt falls from the roof as Annysa sticks her head over the rim, black hair hanging.

"Arcturus, you told us to bring her here, remember?" she says. I lower the knife. So I did, didn't I? Annysa tilts her head when she sees Dusty, but doesn't comment. She goes back up and comes back again dragging Lilly #2. Hope is limping behind her.

"Where's Lola?" I ask. The two girls look away and I lean against the wall in frustration. I send them away again to fight while Dusty and I treat Lilly #2.

"Dusty would you get some water?" I ask, handing him a battered plastic cup I had in my bag. He takes it and scoops up a cup of dirt next to the water. I bring my hand to my face and groan.

Eventually Lilly #2 has the hole in her back patched up and is sitting next to us sipping from the cup. Her name is Blossom and she has just learned about her sister.

"Have you seen her? She was captured and some guy, Artas or something, went after her and Misty Blue says they haven't come back yet and she says Artas is her boyfriend."

Dusty looks up at me, waiting for me to do something. My heart is racing. Misty Blue says I'm her boyfriend? I reach into my bag and put on a jacket. Blossom watches me, eyes wide.

"Where are you going?" She asks as I grab my bow, a dagger and a sheath of arrows. I peek outside. Thunder is crashing and rain is pelting down so heavy and fast it's hard to see anything. Lightning flashes and just for a second, the battling people are visible. Then they are gone again.

"Take care of each other." I yell and run outside into the rain. Thunder rumbles overhead and my boots fill with water but I keep running into the valley. People are everywhere. A Dermorian warrior looms up behind me and I whip around and shoot him.

"Misty Blue!" I scream over the yelling and thunder. "Misty Blue!" Suddenly I see her, lit up in a lightning flash. She is fencing with a man from Dermor while holding bandages to her face. Rain whips my arms as I run toward her. Then I see it.

In a tree nearby is an archer. His bow is drawn and he is facing Misty Blue. He lets the arrow fly. Time seems to slow down. I leap at Misty Blue and knock her to the ground. Her mouth opens in a circle of shock. Thunder rumbles again.

Misty Blue hits the ground and rolls as the warrior jumps over her. "Arcturus! What-"

I land and pain explodes in my side. I fall to the ground beside Misty Blue. She screams and remember nothing more.