Genesis : Knights of Salvation Series
Chapter 46: Severed Mountains

We travel up the mountain, the wind slightly picking up as we bend around the mountainside. Enyo leads us up a steep incline up a steep hill. The trees grow even more packed and dense as we ride higher up the mountain. We get up the steep incline to reveal the mountainside reaching out before us, the trees growing larger and denser all the way up the mountain. The sun now set as the canopy of trees blocks the light from getting into the forest finally forcing Enyo to slow down and finally stop in a small clearing.

“We will camp here tonight. Start setting up the camp.” He order’s out. Immediately the team gets to work climbing from their horses and building the camp.

I climb down from my horse allowing my hand to brush down my mare’s neck. When I lift my hand away I suddenly lose control of my hand. It begins shaking uncontrollably, I quickly scrunch it into a fist flexing my muscles. After a few seconds, I release my grip and the shaking has vanished. I can feel my body getting worse, and maybe the medicine could help me but I just don’t trust anyone enough right now to take whatever I’m told. Either way, I won’t have enough control of my own body for it to matter much, let alone my wits still coherent enough to put together a sentence.

I guide my horse to a tree near the other’s horses and tie her up pulling off the saddle to give her some rest. I grab my bedroll and place it under a larger oak tree spanning up high over us. I’m a little farther away from the rest of the team. If anything I’m probably too close, seeing as they could just throw me to the wolves right now. I sit down next to the tree and lean against the solid bark letting my sore body relax just a little.

My eyes wander to Harrison who uses flint to create a spark, quickly starting a small fire in the middle of the camp. A shadow cast over me blocking the little light flooding in and I look over to see Orion standing over me. Orion’s squinting down at me with his head slightly tilted to the side, his hands in his front pockets. Orion doesn’t say anything for a moment as he looks me up and down, evaluating me. Suddenly he moves to sit in front of me, he drapes an arm on one knee as he sits on his other foot.

“Yeah?” I ask a little confused and a bit taken back as I furrow my brow toward him.

“Why you?” He speaks up tilting his head his eyes evaluating me.

“I’m not sure what you mean?” I asked tilting my head a bit confused.

“Why is it that you were bitten and didn’t turn into a ravaging mutant?” He asks. One would say it was a calloused and rude question as if I wasn’t worthy to be special but that’s not how Orion meant it. In fact, the way he says it is more fascinated and honestly curious. I furrow my brow looking to the green ground for a moment. With the time I’ve spent with the team, I’ve realized that Orion doesn’t dance around a subject, but rather is blunter and to the point. What he says is truly what he seems to mean.

Why me? I honestly don’t have an answer. I wasn’t a special kid, I never had some odd genetic component that allowed this to happen. I swallow and look back up to him, I shrug a bit and give him a truthful answer.

“All honesty, I don’t know why. I grew up like a normal child. I never really got sick but all around there’s nothing special about my genetics or immune system. I was a normal everyday child.” I say slightly shaking my head. That’s a question I was poked and prodded for years to figure out but it’s hard to figure out what made me different before I was bitten.

“Although, it’s harder to figure out what was different about me before I was attacked because now almost half of my body is genetically different from normal humans.” I fill in with a second thought. Orion squints and slightly nod’s in understanding.

“So, if you’re not Forsaken or human, what are you?” Foxglove speaks up from the fire as she throws another stick in to fuel it. Although her words are a bit rough, I really don’t think it was meant as a jab, but an honest thought of hers.

I could tell them that Archer and the others call themselves Genesis, or even that it was coined by the very government that sent us here, but I won’t. Besides, I would be genesis if I had the other virus, right now there isn’t really a name. It’s best none of them know of the other’s, the way Archer described the incident that led to them hiding in the forest scares me. I can’t help but feel protective over them, as if they were a sibling I needed to keep safe. I push my lips flat together and bit my lip giving her a small shrug.

“I’m not sure, I don’t think there is a name just yet.” I lie, but only those who know the truth would know that. Foxglove comes to stand to the side of the tree, her head tilting to the side as her eyes lift up and she thinks for a moment.

“You could call it Presta? For what you are now.” She shrugs, her arms folding on her chest.

“Presta?” I squint confused.

“Presta, a wandering ghost... Kind of fitting. Seeing as she’s not fully safe until she has the other virus.” Orion shrugs.

“A wandering ghost between the earth and the beyond.” Foxglove speaks up leaning against the tree. Presta? Why does that both creep me out but make so much sense for the state I’m in now. I mean I’m technically not a genesis yet because I don’t have the second virus.

“It’s creepy, but makes sense.” I shrug going with it.

“I don’t get one thing.” Foxglove says pushing off the tree and swinging her arms a little. I look up at her, Her brown hair falling over her shoulder while the left side of her hair is braided tightly. The tips of her braids are still a little wet from the storm.

“What?” I ask with a small smile because at least they’re starting to talk to me again, and they don’t seem as mad anymore.

“You were raised in the Inner wall, your dad is the president... so why did you choose to do all this? I mean they could have just sent some scientists to get the virus for you?” She shrugs and it’s a good question. I never really thought about it, I’m sure there are other ways to have done this but the way they spoke about it seemed like they needed me to go there and get infected. I squint a little and look at her.

“I’m not sure, they have a plan, and I’m just doing as I’m ordered.” I shrug excusing her question. It’s just another mystery I’m unsure of. Foxglove just shrugs as Harrison call’s for her. For an hour or two, the team just goes about their job as Harrison makes dinner over the fire.

After dinner, the night is fully upon us so I unroll my bedding. Suddenly hearing Orion call my name.

“Aspen, could you go collect a few more sticks for the fire?” He asks because I’m closest to the area most of the wood was found. I nod and stand up grabbing the torch in his hand. I hold the wooden torch higher up to allow me to see. I pass by the tree’s the horses stand tied to, all of them quietly grazing on the grass.

The forest is quiet, with only a few chirps from crickets and the almost silent whoosh of the gusts of wind through the trees. I head farther away from the camp as the moonlight pierces through a small opening of the canopy. The small clearing has no trees and just taller grass leading up to the rocky mountainside. I stand at the bottom of a small cliff above me. I get to work grab stick after stick, not really paying attention to size when I hear the slight rustle of grass.

My heart begins beating fast as I look to the corner of my eye, acting as if I wasn’t aware of whoever it is. I wait for them to grow closer and just as there a few feet away, I drop the pile of sticks in my hand and whirl around using my torch to whip at the person behind me. They duck under the swinging torch and back up, his finger pressing to his lips to say quietly.

“Archer? What the hell?” I whisper out harshly. He scared the crap at me, and the fact that I’m feeling on edge with not knowing who to trust has made me a little jumpier. Archer pats his hands in the air telling me to stay quiet. He looks behind him towards the direction the team’s camp sits. When he’s sure no one is around he stands up straighter looking back at me. Archer wears dark pants that slightly look like leather, and his shirt has a dark tint as well. His sleeves rolled up past his elbows and dark gloves covered his hands. A sword sit’s strapped to his waist and another one is tucked into his left boot.

“I’m just checking on how it’s going? The reunion seemed a bit hostile.” He says lifting his brow and making an exaggerated frown that quickly turns into a smirk I tilt my head a little annoyed but I can’t help but smile at his absurd act.

“It’s fine, they just found out that I was bitten. They are now aware of what I am and the full mission.” I fill him in quietly. I glance behind him a bit paranoid.

“That’s it? okay good, We thought they were questioning you’re whereabouts after the storm.” He shrugs, his hand falling absentmindedly on the hilt of his sword. I just shake my head. S~ᴇaʀᴄh the FɪndNovᴇl.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

“What?” He asks noticing my lack of enthusiasm.

“I don’t know who to trust and being around them is getting me paranoid,” I say. Archer furrows his brow and looks to the forest ground.

“I know you’re putting a lot of trust in us aspen, So I’ll tell you that there are ways to find out who the spy is. You just have to ask the right questions.” Archer says as if it solved all my problems. With a nod and a solid moment of him staring at my face archer runs back into the dark cover of the forest leaving me dumbfounded.

I go back to grabbing wood for the fire. My mind wandered out about the team, who can I really truly trust and not trust? If archer and his father are right there could be more than one spy for the director and yet I can’t think of any of them betraying their team.

“Need a hand?” Talon’s voice surprises me slightly startling me from my entranced state. I look up, stacking another smaller stick into my arms. Talon bends down grabbing a stick with a warm smile.

“Thanks.” I smile back as he helps grab the wood.

“So, how are you feeling about tomorrow?” He speaks up. I bite my bottom lip looking over his kind face. If I could trust someone on the team it would be Talon. He kept my secret before, and he could again.

“I’m a bit conflicted, to be honest,” I speak up spilling my truthful thoughts.

He looks up at me squinting surprised. “Why?” He asks no longer looking for wood.

I swallow and look away at my feet.

“I just... I’ve spent the better part of a year living like a ghost readying myself to die. yet the closer we get to ground zero the more conflicted I feel about it. I know I have to take the medicine but, what if I don’t want to return to the walls.” I mutter out. Something seems to pass through Talon’s eyes as he furrows his brow at me a little more stern.

“They sent you here to bring back the cure, aspen,” he speaks up a little sternly. I let out a heavy breath.

“But, if I do go back..... I would spend the rest of my life poked and prodded, with no control over what they do with the cure.” I argue out. The moonlight shades talons face making it harder to make out his thoughts and feelings.

“The government will dispense the cure, you will save lives.” He shrugs his voice a mashup of warmth and sternness.

“Yes, but what’s to stop them from giving the cure to only the people they want to have it.” I voice the same thoughts archer conveyed to me. The more I think about it the more I find myself hesitant to return to the walls and even more to allow myself to suffer for those who will only use it for their own greedy ways.

“What are you talking about aspen? Who made you think this?” he asks confused. I shake my head providing a small smile to Talon.

“No one it’s just been in my head for a little bit.” I excuse my words. Talon doesn’t say anything so I speak up again.

“Don’t worry Talon, I’ll play my part. I always do, I’m just settling myself before the big day.” I smile with a small laugh. Talon doesn’t say much after that but I trust he won’t say anything, I know he understands that I may be just a little nervous. So we head back to camp settling down to rest before the big day.

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