Genesis : Knights of Salvation Series
Chapter 23: Devil's Fork Valley pt. 2

My body jolts forward running into the tunnel as the boulder plummets down for Foxglove. I hear Enyo and the others call for me to stop. Without a thought, my hands grab Foxglove just as the smaller boulder smashes into the large boulder hanging over us. I can’t pull her through the rest of the way without both of us being crushed by a boulder including her horse. So I push her as hard as I can farther into the tunnel, the horse notices the impending doom bolting out of the tunnel to the others as a mirage of rocks comes crashing down around us.

“Why can’t I go home uncle?” My small timid voice echoes out into the glass room.

“Your sick, you need to rest little one.” His voice struggles out fear filling his voice.

“Like the monster?” I ask out scared as I curl myself into a tiny ball.

“N-no your just a little sick they just don’t want you to get the other kids sick too.” My uncle tries to stay calm as he struggles to hold back his tears.

“Okey uncle, I’ll get as much rest and get better so you won’t be sad!!” I say climbing under the covers. If I get better he won’t be sad.

My eyes burst open as a low groan escapes my mouth. boulders are wedged further into the tunnel. My first attempt to get up sent pain from my body. The impact of the ground will definitely leave me with bruises everywhere tomorrow. I take in a deep breath, slowly sitting up to get a better view of what’s happened. Dozens of rocks are piled up at the mouth of the tunnel separating me from the rest of the group, I look around me. A few larger rocks sit around me, the rocks narrowly missed me when they fell. I hear a hiss and a groan farther behind me in the tunnel. I turn behind me to Foxglove sprawled out on her back. Boulder’s missed her mostly, one even sitting barely an inch from where her head sits. I take in her frame, she was okay, all except a medium-sized one broken over the shine on her right leg.

I crawl to Foxglove leaning into her field of vision as she lay on her back.

“Foxglove, it’s okay. Don’t move just yet!” I order her as her eyes slowly open. She lifts her head hissing in pain laying it mack down on the ground.

“I said don’t move.” I reiterate, undoing my outer uniform jacket and rolling it up tucking it under her head. She just hums in agreement with my order.

“I’m going to look at your leg, stay still,” I order out moving to her right leg. Her uniform is not torn on the right leg sleeve and I let out a small breath, that’s a good sign. I gently undo her boot and lift her pant leg up to her knee getting a full view of her leg. Most of her shine is already welting, beginning to turn blue and green.

“How is it?” She croaked out as she tried to wet her dry throat.

“There’s no blood, so that’s something,” I tell her looking down at her leg. The welt cover’s her whole shin while a few scratches sit on her legs. I gently place my hand on her leg feeling to make sure she didn’t break anything. She hisses out immediately.

“Can you move it?” I ask looking over at her. Her eyes are set on me in determination. She slightly moves her toes, and ankle then hisses as she slightly moves below her knee. She stops moving in and I think back to the training I’ve been receiving for the past week and intermittently throughout my whole life.

" I’m no doctor, but it looks like you definitely bruised most of your lower leg, you’re joints seem fine but your knee looks like it took some hits,” I say moving to crouch next to her ignoring the screaming in most of my body.

“What does that mean?” She speaks up harshly. I don’t take it personally, I don’t doubt she’s in a lot of pain.

“It means you won’t be able to walk for a day or two maybe three,” I tell her moving to pull down her leg sleeve and tie her boot.

“Aspen, are you hurt?” She speaks up, her eyes falling on me by her leg. I finish tieing her boot and look over myself more thoroughly. My uniform isn’t torn and I don’t feel too much pain in any area except my forehead just in my hairline, I ignore it. I was probably knocked on the head a couple times by pebbles.

“I’m fine, I’ll just be sporting a full body of bruises this time.” I joke as best I can. I scoot to her head.

“That was really stupid, you know?” Foxglove says giving me a disapproving scowl. It falls quickly as she replaces it somberly. Her eyes are full of thankful pleads.

“Thank you.” She says looking away

“You’re welcome,” I reply trying to stretch slightly only for more pain to hit with my movements.

“It was still stupid, though!” She begins lecturing me. I smile shaking my head at her.

“You okay to sit up?” I say to her. She nod and I help her slowly sit up, pulling her to lean against the valley wall. I wouldn’t do this if most of the rocks above us had not already fallen. I sit next to her against the wall on her right. I look over at the blocked doorway to the rest of the team.

“It doesn’t look like we will have too much tunneling to do to get out of here,” I say trying to think of something positive.

“That’s true, Do you think they know we are alive?” She asks a small tinge of worry settles but I shake it off.

“Enyo’s not that stupid, They are probably finding a way to move the rocks as we speak.” I try to think positively. I take in a deep breath hissing as I stand up I put some weight on the wall as I try to gain my strength.

“What are you doing?” She asks not happy with my movement. I don’t doubt she’s thinking about the mission and the importance to keep me healthy.

“I can walk, which means I can move some rocks,” I say breathing trying to slow the dizziness in my head. I flinch slightly as I put weight on my left ankle. After a second the pain subsides and I make my way to the boulders. I will my mind and determination into trying to get us out rather than the pounding in my head.

“Aspen, sit your butt back down! If you get hurt Enyo will have my head on a platter!” She calls me. I ignore her focusing on the rocks. Three large boulders sit as the main blockers while a dozen or so smaller boulders sit on top of them. Dirt and rubble sit at the edge of the mess keeping the larger rocks from behind rolled anywhere.

I pick up the smaller ones tossing them farther to my left side against the wall, keeping the flying rocks from the right wall where Foxglove sits. I grab all the rocks I can toss out of the way. After a minute or two, I slump against the rock wall fighting for a little more air. I have never been the strongest of people, in fact, I can barely lift my own weight. In this situation, I wish I had Talon or Harrison with me or maybe just their strength. I continue working back up as quick as I can when some topple down. After removing a good portion of the rocks sitting on the three larger ones, I’m breathing heavily as I back into the wall sliding down next to Foxglove for a moment of rest.

“Are you okay?” She asks worriedly.

“I told you not to do that!” She gets after me but I ignore her.

“I did all I can on this side, it’s up to them now,” I say between breaths.

We sit there quietly for a couple minutes as my breath finally begins to slow. Suddenly a voice shouts out for us.

" Aspen! Foxglove? Are you okay?” Harrison yell’s out causing a couple pebbles to fall. Sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ ꜰindNʘvel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

“Shall I do the honors?“Foxglove smiles, and I nod. I’m not sure I can get enough air in my lungs to shout anyways.

“Were Here!” She shouts back making me flinch away with a loud shriek hitting my left ear. “Oh, sorry.” She apologizes with a small smile.

I just shake my head dismissing it. We sit there for a moment when I feel something warm begin to slide down my forehead. I reahc up swiping whatever it is off my forehead assuming I’m just sweating from the heat and labor. But when I look down at my hand and notice dark black with a slight tint of red blood covering my hands, panic begins to set in. “Crap,” I mutter my heart beginning to race.

“Wha- Holy crap, Aspen your bleeding?” She notices as more blood slides down my forehead from where I had been hit when the rocks fell just below my hairline. I touch my hand to my forehead where the pain is and hiss as I find the medium-sized cut I’m bleeding from. I pull my hand away to see it’s covered in my pitch-black blood. The panic fills my nerves as I move as far away from foxglove as I can. With the blocked tunnel, it’s simply to the tunnel wall opposite her. If I had my backpack I could fix this as quickly as possible, but at this point, it sits on my horse. I would guess Foxgloves kit is too. I look to see my uniform still bunched by her feet.

“Foxglove toss me my uniform!” I order out urgently. She reaches down grabs it and tosses it across to me. At this point, the best I can do is get as much blood off of my head as I can and keep it away from foxglove. I quickly wipe away the blood on my head, drenching my uniform’s coat.

“Are you guys okay?” Enyo’s voice sounds out clearer as they move rocks. We look at one another as I drop my uniform beside me. The bleeding has slowed but I can still feel two small creeks of blood travel down my temple and fall onto my right hand.

“No!” She yells out. “My legs out for the next day or two and Aspen..” She stops looking over at me. I no doubt, look like a bloody mess. Other than the cut, I’m going to be covered in bruises but that’s it luckily.

“Is she hurt?” Clare scream’s out and for a second it feels like she’s worried for me, but I know it’s because of my blood... no time for her to actually care.

I look at Foxglove and shake my head quickly. “Tell her I’m not injured, and Just ask if there getting us out soon... Clare will flip and they won’t focus.” I tell her. She gives me a questioning look but does as I say.

" She’s fine, How long until you can get us out of here?” She yells to them. If Clare knew I was bleeding she would act recklessly. My blood holds the mutated virus and it spreads through bodily fluids. If I get it on Foxglove she could be at risk. As long as they don’t touch me or now my uniform until it’s washed away and cleaned then I may not kill someone today.

“We just have to move the three boulders so stay back!” Enyo yell’s as we hear crashing as something slam’s into the boulder’s.

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