lirvothethird

  Moving forward on the road, the bloody stench got stronger and stronger. Scrunching my nose, I sneaked closer.

  Peeking past a rge boulder, a horrific scene of carnage was dispyed. Two rge red stubby birds the size of a carriage pecked at the stomach of human carcasses. There were already bodies with a gaping hole in the stomach. Those however, had smaller birds pecking at the eyes, pulling at the cheek.

  As one slurped up the intestine, I couldn't take it anymore. Bile rose to my throat as I heaved.

  Csping both hands over my mouth, the scene still reflected in my eyes. Vomit spewed out of my nose, so I let go of my mouth and spewed out everything left in my stomach.

  Craaawww?

  An inquisitive screech sounded out as they alertly craned their heads in my direction all at once. The harsh acidic smell mixed with the metallic bloody scent sent me into shock.

  'Small' ones that reached up to my chest hurtled towards me as I bnked out. Only after a blood whiff did I snap out of it. Instinctively going down, the rest of my body got coated in my vomit.

  Confused noises as they pawed the ground on top. After a few seconds of circling around, they returned back to feasting.

  I id there for an indeterminate amount of time. Eventually, I climbed out.

  Half-eaten corpses were strewn over bloodied earth. As I moved towards the carriage, flocks of birds flew off while small critters backed off warily.

  Swatting away the insects that got close, I started rummaging through the shabby carriage. Boxes on crates greeted me. They were all untouched, which means those big birds were there to eat people.

  Goosebumps rose on my forearm at that thought. Shivering slightly, I opened the first box. An herbal scent wafted out. Inside the box were long slender leaves that had purple on one side and silver on the other.

  Setting it aside, a few more boxes of herbs was found. As I flipped open the crate, it felt strange. The sides of the crate were neatly packed with cloth, while there was a messy and disturbed area trailing inside. Following the trail by moving the cloth, a hidden area showed up in middle of the crate.

  "A child?"

  A girl that fell asleep with tear lines streaking down the cheeks was curled up inside, presumably hidden by their parents. I'm going to pretend I didn't see that.

  Covering her with cloth again, I proceed to take cloth to wrap around the boxes of 'medicine'. As I grabbed some of the food left out in the open, a faint rustling noise caught my attention.

  A hand stuck out from the crate, digging its way up. Guilt welled as I sped up.

  "Help meee..."

  Moving away from the carriage, I ignored the faint pleas as they faded into the distance.

  The picturesque scenery of a gravelly river and a backdrop of mountains instantly got tainted.

  "Huuuuu. Finally alive now."

  A refreshing chill washed away the grime and dirt. At long st, the smell of vomit and guts faded away as I scrubbed my skin fiercely.

  Floating slightly with the flow of the river, I rexed listening to the birdcalls in the distance.

  A foreign rustle caught my attention. Languidly, I turned my eyes towards where I pced my stuff.

  "What the fuck! This bastard..."

  Curses escaped my mouth as a kid rustled through my knapsack. Spshing hurriedly back to shore the kid looked up and shouted back.

  "You're the bastard! You robbed me! I'm merely taking my things back!"

  "Robbery? I didn't do that."

  The most recent thing I've done is pick up some goods from a destroyed carriage. Now that she reminded me she does look familiar...

  "Oh. The kid from that carriage."

  "That kid is the owner of everything you have here!"

  "Ok now, go away."

  Picking up the girl by the scruff, I dropped her away to the side. Rearranging the things, I picked my shirt and pants to wash them.

  "If, if you're going to take my stuff... take, take responsibility!"

  Huffing with a scrunched face, she revealed her original motive. I nonchantly replied while washing my clothes.

  "No, why should I?"

  "But, but you took my stuff..."

  "Your parents stuff. They're dead."

  Sniffle

  "What? You're crying now?"

  I quickly turned around in dismay.

  "Don't cry, don't cry."

  Panic rose up quickly. All I've done is speak the truth. The st time I saw tears was when I was 8.

  What do I do what do I do what do I do...

  "Waaaaahh!"

  "I bring you to the city, so please, please stop crying!"

  "What, sniffle, what about my parents belongings?"

  "You can have them, in fact, I didn't even need them in the first pce!"

  "You promise?"

  "Yes, yes!"

  For a moment I thought I saw a different type of glint in her eyes. Must've been the sun.

  "My mother said, hic."

  Tears threatened to drop again as she brought up her mother. I patted her shoulder in an attempt to assure her.

  "What did she say?"

  "She said, she said the only person you show your naked body to is your husband."

  Question marks popped up on my head. Gncing at the girl in front, she is wearing clothes. I returned to thinking, unconsciously rubbing my chin.

  "How long are going to show your body?"

  Now that reminded me. I quickly grab the cloth used as a sack to wrap around my waist before bringing my dirty clothes into the water, pcing a rock on top to keep it there.

  The water of the stream will slowly clean it, in the meantime, it is time to build a fire.

  With the fire starting kit I bartered for in one of the vilges I passed, all I need is some wood to burn. 'Dry wood has less smoke and lights easier' as my mother taught me. The thing is. I have absolutely no clue where to get dry wood, as we had a stockpile back home for the kiln.

  "You weren't embarrassed at all?"

  I offhandedly reply as my train of thought was disrupted.

  "You should be the one embarrassed cause you were the one looking. Oh yeah, do you know how to make dry wood?"

  She went silent for a moment. Turning to look at her, she was flush red and had tears still sparkling, looking really wronged. Mumbling.

  "You don't make dry wood, you find it."

  lirvothethird