16 [4.1 Never looking back] Trust

[7.7.1356]

Akuma follows the gloomy Brann through the corridors of the palace. With a sword at his back, he should walk proudly, yet he can't bring himself to do so. He can't look at Brann because he is afraid he will be the same as Roland or Zack.

He simply wishes for someone to comfort him. [But, what if Brann will be like the others...what if even Haku would...]

Doubt fills his heart. That feeling of loneliness has returned, as if there wasn't enough of it in the past.

As Brann and Akuma walk through the city a few minutes later, Brann breaks the silence. "Hey, Akuma...did you leave something in the guild room?"

Akuma responds, looking up from behind Brann. "N-no." His voice is shy and timid and mostly, afraid.

Lost in thought, Brann doesn't notice this and, for some reason, responds nervously. "It's just... we're leaving." As Akuma walks behind Brann he looks at his back, analyzing him. His heart fills with fear. [Does he want to get rid of me? Why?]

Shaking, Akuma follows Brann. [M-Maybe i'll get a chance to slip away when he isn't looking. Yeah i'll do that.] Akuma decides.

The two walk through the whole city, with Brann having Akuma walk next to him. They arrive at the end of the city, near the stables. Brann sigh. "Shame we couldn't enjoy the city."

Akuma responds with nodding, not even looking up.

While Brann is asking about a destination, Akuma keeps to himself. Before long, Akuma finds himself riding a horse drawn wagon somewhere to the north. And with every passing minute, Akuma's anxiety, fear of even Brann hurting him become more and more intense.

He doesn't want that to happen. He wants to trust Brann. Yet, for some reason, no matter what he does, he can't get rid of that doubt. And that doubt only grows. As if his heart was being toyed with by something.

[11.7.1356]

Four days after Akuma and Brann set out. Brann still didn't tell Akuma a thing about their destination, only further causing Akuma's doubt to grow.

They already got quite far, though when will they stop, is a question that will remain unanswered. A day earlier, when the carriage stopped by a small town, Brann bought Akuma a cloak. Who knows what for.

Akuma wakes up on the fourth day at around midday. After all, there isn't much else to do, is there? A few other travellers did the same.

As soon as Akuma lifted his head, the smell of meat cooking drilled itself right into his nose. His stomach was growling worse than a wolf he met at the bottom of a dungeon. [Now that i think about it, why did i even trust Zack? It felt as if i could trust him, so why?] Akuma wonders in his mind.

He soon joins Brann and the driver around a campfire, where a few other travellers are cooking and eating whatever they brought along. Meat, jerky, what they got at the forest nearby.

As soon as Akuma sits down, Brann offers him a piece of cooked meat on a stick. The juices of the meat are dripping along the other end of the stick, sticking from the other side of the meat. It's an easy method of cooking, but it always works.

But Akuma. He only looks at the meat for a few seconds before hesitantly taking it and eating. His fears are getting the better of him.

After Brann finishes eating, he goes to take a nap in the wagon. The horses still need to rest, so it'll be at least thirty minutes before they'll leave. Soon other travellers follow Brann's example and go sleep as well.

A few minutes later, the only ones that are awake are Akuma and the driver. The two don't exchange a single word. After all, neither has a reason to do so.

As Akuma realizes. Now. Now. Now. NOW! Something inside him screams. GO! NOW! RUN! The irrational fear is unbearable. It's as if Akuma was standing in front of a dragon's lair.

His instincts are telling him to run.

Unable to bear it, Akuma stands up. Slowly and nervously walking towards the forest, trying to appear normal. The driver, who is tending to the horses quicky shouts Akuma's way. "DON'T BE LONG, WE'RE LEAVING IN A WHILE!" And miraculously, he doesn't wake anyone up. The driver's voice nearly makes Akuma jump in fear. "Y-Yes!" he responds nervously.

However, as soon as he is from the sight of the driver, he starts running.

Running as fast as he can. He nearly trips several times over roots protruding from the ground.

Yet Akuma isn't running from something outside. It's something inside himself. Something that knows each and every weakness and attacks it with pinpoint accuracy.

That something he's running from doesn't let him escape. It can't.

He can run, but he can never be safe from it. It will haunt him wherever he goes, wherever he hides, it will always be waiting there for him.

This realization felt somewhat comforting to Akuma. He will never be alone. Yet the same though terrified him even more. No matter what he does, where he goes "that" will always be there, waiting for the right moment to strip Akuma of everything.

As Akuma runs through the forest, the path ends, leaving him to run between the trees.

Only moments later, he runs through a thick patch of bushes.

As soon as he sets foot on the ground there, he freezes. His eyes widen with pure fear.

A monster with dessicated, ash grey skin pulled over the skinny arms, as long as its body, ending in four sharp claws. Its legs muscular with brown fur covering its thighs and thick hoofs at the end of its legs.

The creature had its back turned on Akuma. Initially it didn't noice him, as it was feeding on a brutally ripped carcass of no known creature. However, as Akuma was trying to slowly back away, he stepped on a branch that let out a slight crack, alering the monster.

It slowly turned itself to Akuma. It stood upright, revealing its exposed human like ribcage and the head of what looked like a combination of a bear and a deer with majestic antlers.

The creature was several heads taller than Akuma. Its dead eyes staring into Akuma's, waiting for his move.