The outlands

After some hours, Josephine finally awoke to a splitting headache. She was extremely dizzy and could still perceive the stench of the cloth placed over her face. When her senses sharpened, her position became clear to her. She was hanging upside down.

Her wrists and her ankles were tightly bound and she was in the middle of an old, abandoned building.

She looked around, she was surrounded by 5 people who had pieces of clothes, wrapped around their faces, concealing their identities. They were all armed.

"What do you want with me?" She asked, lightly. She had lost her flare due to all the trauma she had gone through.

"Good evening." A voice from behind called her attention, she couldn't turn, but she could tell he was approaching by the spund of his footsteps. He slowly turned her to face him, holding her to prevent the rope sje was hung from dangling.

"Do you know me?" John asked as they both established eye contact. As Josephine still hung upside down, John held her and pulled her closer, looking directly into her eyes. The air of both's breathing was felt on their skins.

"And who might you be?" She asked in a calm manner.

"Do you remember ambushing a small group behind the swamp to snatch the Prince from... After which you and your group killed everyone you laid your hands upon? Remember?"

Josephine remained quiet and looked away, knowing she was in trouble.

"I didn't think you would forget so soon. You killed our men mercilessly, and then you set our base on fire. But don't worry, I have no plans of killing you..."

Josephine, turned in disbelief, but still glad to hear that.

"Only if you join me. After all, your village has been destroyed just how you did ours."

"What do you want from me?"

"I want the war to be over. We need to rescue your sister from Nether."

"How is she involved in all this?"

"Nether is up to no good. They are in need of a transitionist to perform a very sacred and forbidden ritual, and they'll stop at nothing until they get to their goals."

"What are their goals, and how do we save my her?"

"I can't tell you much…until you tell me how to transition."

"Transition?…transitioning is not.."

"Cut the bullshit. We don't have much time. It's trade by barter in these streets, are you in or out?"

At the other end of the underworld, Walter had already escaped many miles away from the camouflage on his manatee. He got to the end of the sea with Adeola, who slowly began regaining consciousness. She had begun making slight movements through the journey.

On getting to land, Walter rushed to the forest and used his sword to cut his way through the bush, scanning to find suitable dry branches for a fire to warm Adeola up.

As he gathered as many dry branches as he could, he carried them and headed back to the seashore. The sturdy barks of the sticks scratched against his skin as he did.

The sky was a lot dimmer than usual, so it was the right time to make the fire. After assembling the sticks in the right order, he struck 2 stones together multiple times before he could get the right ignition to cause the fire that lit up their environment.

Walter carried Adeola in his arms and placed her gently at a close, but safe zone, just enough distance for her to feel the warmth of the flames. After he had ensured her comfort, he went to hunt something for them to eat.

Walter went deeper and deeper into the forest. His thoughts clouded his mind as he went. The effect of all that death and destruction was getting to him.

As the memories kept replaying in his head, he finally saw a gazelle not too far away. He slowly took an arrow and arched it. He closed one eye, and maintained total concentration, aiming at its neck, as it drank from a nearby river.

As Walter steadied his hand, he let the arrow go, cutting through the air, whistling on its way and found its mark perfectly. Walter was still emotionless as he delved deeper into his thoughts. He walked over to the gazelle and lifted it up. He noticed that its stripes and shades were different from the usual but he couldn't care less. He took it and walked back to the fire.

On getting to the fire, he saw Adeola seated, facing the fire. She was bewildered, and still disoriented.

Walter walked to the fire, dropped the gazelle and began cutting into small chunks with his blade

"Where are we?" Adeola asked, still feeling weak.

Walter ignored her as he kept on cutting the chunks.

"Don't eat that." She said, still in a staring competition with the flames, "it's poisonous."

"Gazelles are not poisonous."

"We're not on Earth. Just throw that thing away."

"But you'll still need to eat."

"Yes, but I'm not eating poison."

"Fine then, suit yourself." Walter said, throwing it and lying down, facing up.

"Why are we in the outlands? This place is full of dangerous, poisonous creatures... and cannibals. Why are we here?"

"Adeola, go back to sleep. I am not in the mood for talking. I need to rest, I've been through a lot."

"Fine then, I'm going back home" she said, standing up and walking towards the manatee by the shore.

"I am not going to stop you, but just know there is no more 'home'."

"There is no more what?"

"Goodnight, Adeola."

"Goodnight? We're not done talking here."

"And what am I? Your boyfriend? Stop pestering me and just be gone would you?"

"What the hell is wrong with you? After you knocked me unconscious you've refused to tell me what happened? Who in his right mind would do this to anyone."

"Don't you dare speak to me about what is right or wrong. Just don't do it. I will lose my shit."

"What the hell is wrong with you? We need to go back and fix what is going on. This isn't how friends behave?"

"What did you just call me?" Walter sat up, looking at Adeola with visible disgust, "Please, Adeola, drop the act. Aren't you tired of pretending?"

"What are you tslking about? I don't understand. "

"Just forget it."

"Just look at this! I can't stand this! You're giving me an attitude for no just reason and you've refused to discuss what exactly I've done that has upset you this much. This isn't how relationships work. I'm not from earth but even I know that."

Walter still kept silent.

"Well fine, if you don't want to tell me what I've done that's your business, I don't care. But what happened to my home?"

"Get some rest, you need it." Walter said.

"Ugghhhhh" she said, lying down in frustration at the opposite side of the fire.

As she lay down, Walter turned his back on the fire, facing the shore.

Adeola noticed the scars on his back. She stared intently at them, making her wonder what truly happened back at the camouflage.