Rina ran through the pain, gripping the young girl firmly over her shoulders. It was the strangest thing that had happened, though she didn't have time to conjure up any explanations or wonder too deeply. For whatever reason, they were both alive. Her injuries didn't feel as fatal. The pain was lessened. She could move. So she ran.

All she knew was that after reaching the dying girl, she had gotten a renewed sense of vigor. Though she still bled and there was tremendous pain, she was able to move. And she took the opportunity, grabbing hold of the girl with one arm, pulling herself over the wall and past the tarp ceiling. She was able to dig her fingers between the uneven stone and haul the both of them up and over with a single arm. Rina was strong, she knew that about herself. But this was something different. An intense surge of adrenaline and life. Something she had never felt before.

Rina raced through fields and into the trees, her pain dwindling, her exhaustion never fully overtaking her, running faster than she ever had before. She ran until they reached the tree-line, miles away, bursting through heavy brush. Her legs carried her through the forest, away from that dark fortress for miles and miles, expecting Task's men to reach her at any moment. No time to focus or listen. Flight had taken over.

She must have run a good twenty miles by the end of it. The forests that cut through the Scarred Lands and the Flowered Fields were vast, stretching across the middle of the country from coast to coast. Eventually, she found an area to rest as exhaustion rose up in her chest. The forests were dark now, moonlight poking through the canopy in long strands. Rina ducked down into a pocket of grass, surrounded by trees and set the girl down, leaning her body against the small hill that led up out of the pocket. She was mumbling and shifting, still not entirely awake, but not entirely unconscious either.

Rina removed her cloak. It was spotted with blood but it was the only source of warmth available. She moved to cover the girl but checked her wound first. Rina gasped as she raised the girl's shirt to look - the stab-wound was covered with dried blood, and was smaller, as if she had been pricked with the tip of a dagger. She wasn't bleeding anymore.

At that moment, Rina remembered her significant lack of fatigue and quickly checked herself to discover much of the same, sitting down against a large tree trunk across from the girl. Her own stab wound still bled, but it was barely a thin line on her flesh. Rina looked around, adjusting to the deepened darkness night had brought. Her hand was kept at her side, ready to draw a blade if needed. Her sword had been abandoned, but she still had her tools, a dagger and some rations in her pouch. She would need all of them until they found a town they could lay low in.

It was in moments like these that she wished she believed in the divine for protection, or at least the illusion of it.

After Rina fell into the silence of the forest and could hear the girl's breathing well, she noticed how it all fell away into calmer breaths, her body into smoother fidgets. Rina watched her drift away into a deeper place of rest beneath her cloak. Then finally, sleep.

At that moment, Rina was nearly knocked to the ground from an intense stab of pain. She yelped, gripping the wound in her stomach, feeling it flare up and throb. She grimaced, clenched her teeth, did all she could not to cry out from the sudden sting. Her palm hovered over the wound shakily, touching it briefly just to feel the warmth of blood.

Her strength was sapped within moments. She knew full well that the girl was gifted, rumored to hold healing properties. But for them to be this strong, to completely heal wounds and grant such a reservoir of energy was baffling. So Rina was left with the remaining agony of her healing organs and flesh. Rina's breath was loud and hot, the air grinding through her body. Her eyes struggled to remain open from the impact of exhaustion that hit her. The only thing that kept her conscious was the pain. Blood leaked through the wound again and she rushed to tear off a piece of her shirt and tighten it around her torso, stifling a groan in the process.

Moonlight had vanished completely from their clearing. Without access to sight, she resorted to her own gift. She rested in pain for a while, breathing through it, finding her focus again. Her resistance. She found the sounds around her.

The rustling of trees twenty feet away slowly entered her awareness. Small animals crawled and sniffed bringing her another ten feet. Wind, insects, creaking tree trunks, everything far away from them blocked out the sounds closest to her. A four-legged creature fifty feet away moved about, then walked farther than she could follow.

To focus further, to reach her duality-point required a price. A price she couldn't pay right now, unless she wanted to die.

The soft breaths of the child before her returned as Rina returned to their space of safety. For as long as she could manage, she noticed that they were fine. Rina held on for as long as she could, making sure they weren't being followed. Though, with the distance they'd traveled, it would take some time for any of Task's men to catch up. How long, she wasn't certain. But maybe they had some time to rest. As much as she didn't want to, sleep took her, dreamlessly.

In the morning Rina awoke slowly and peacefully. The earth beneath her smelled sweet and everything was comfortable. Rays of sunshine hung between the treetops. She looked off to the side to see the girl, watching her. The girl noticed Rina noticing her, and slowly backed away.

Rina sat up easily, pushing herself back to the tree. There was an ache in her torso but she quickly realized it was hunger. She lifted her shirt, removed the cloth wrap and found the wound was gone, replaced by a thick scar. Rina stared at it for a while. Then looked up to the worried face of the girl, scars splattered across her face. Rina covered hers back up.

"Scars aren't so bad," the girl said. Her voice had a distance to it.

Rina nodded. "You saved me. Thank you."

The girl fidgeted and looked everywhere but Rina's eyes.

"What's your name?" Rina asked.

"Svana."

"Looks like your wounds are healed as well," Rina said. "Your gift is very powerful." Rina stood up and brushed her pants off.

"...I don't know how to control it," Svana blurted out. "I took your gift away from you back with the soldier men... I'm sorry."

Rina tilted her head. "What do you mean...?"

She remembered her battle with Task then. The moments she couldn't sense his movements. The times silence deafened her and he was able to catch her off guard.

Rina's eyes went wide. She turned away and clenched her eyes shut. She could barely hear a thing. At least, in comparison to how she'd been able to hear for her entire life. Rina opened her eyes and stared at the girl. Suddenly, she knew exactly what she meant. Rina moved and grabbed the girl by her shoulders.

"You mean -- you can --"

The girl looked away in fear. Rina took her hands off her and felt like she couldn't breathe. Her gift was gone. Panic ensued. For the first time in her life she felt deafened, lesser than. For the first time she felt lost, out of control, truly deaf to the world.

"You need to give it back," Rina demanded. "Now."

"I'm sorry," the girl breathed, "I don't know how."

"How? How could that be?" She wasn't thinking rationally.

"I don't know. I don't know." The girl rubbed her fingers together and backed away.

"Oh Gods," Rina sighed, leaning against the tree. Years of training and composure vanished in seconds. More fear was stacked upon the existing worry regarding this girl's true power, the true intention behind the church's craving for her. It made sense why she was wanted. With this girl in their clutches, they would have abilities that could dispense of all opposition against them. All they had to do was train her well to do what they wished. Svana could not only heal injuries -- she could take away gifts. It would be equally a terrifying power in the hands of the church, and an unfortunate loss to those who fought against them.

Rina crossed her legs and took a moment to breathe.

"We need to keep moving," Rina said. In the blackest moments, there had to be a light from somewhere. There was never pure darkness. She looked to her own fighting abilities, the strength of her body, her skill with tracking and hiding. She looked to the positive features of Svana's gift. They would be fine.

And the moment Rina had these thoughts she felt her gift resurface in full. Sounds blared and her focus was spread out, and she had to reign the control back in. For a few moments, she was a young girl again, being overwhelmed by the sounds that would bombard her on a daily basis.

"It's... It's back," Rina said, looking to Svana.

"I'm trying my best to turn it off," she said. Rina could see the vein emerging from the young girl's head. "I'm trying to stop it."

Rina knelt down and smiled at her.

"It's okay," she said. "Don't strain yourself." She remembered how long it took her to learn how to use her gift. Let alone how to use it like she used her hands or blinked her eyes. Having it become a natural part of your bodily functions could take years.

"But -- but it'll just come and go if I don't try. I'll throw you off guard just like I did before."

Rina shook her head. "I know what it's like to not know what to do with it. Trust me. I'll be okay. And you'll be okay." She held out her hand.

Svana visibly relaxed a little. Her small hand took Rina's.

Heavy footsteps from afar sounded through Rina's body. A large group of bodies sending reverberations through the forest floor. Rina and Svan continued to jog but picked up their pace. That was undoubtedly Task's soldiers gaining on them.

Rina grabbed the girl's wrist and pulled her along. Quickly, she realized Svana's short legs couldn't keep up so she scooped her up and the girl clung to her back.

"Why are we running?" Svana asked, her voice bouncing about.

Rina didn't answer. She focused on what she would do next. Even though she had access to her gift she ignored it as best she could as to not rely too much upon it.

"Hold onto me as tight as you can," Rina commanded. Luckily for her, as she felt her gift go away again, she felt her strength increase quite a bit, her feet picking up the pace, the weight of Svana significantly diminished. But still, at Rina's command Svana choked her by wrapping her arms around her neck, burying her face into her back. Rina's eyes bulged. Nevertheless, she reached into her pouch and pulled free the grappling hook, working through the breathlessness, twirling it, and the heavy hook soared up into the branches and caught on after a few strong tugs.

Rina slowed to a halt, struggled to tell the girl to continue squeezing onto her, and she climbed with all of her enhanced might. Pull by pull, she climbed easier than she ever had until they were both seated upon a branch, wide and supportive, the tree massive and tall. Rina let the girl down and held her firm as she pulled up the rope with the other. She crouched across from the girl and put her finger to her lips. The girl instantly became silent, if not for some heavy breaths.

Rina felt stronger but knew it might leave her again, and the toll she had put on her body during her adrenaline spike would come back to bite her once Svana unconsciously decided it was time to stop using her gift. She laughed to herself. The child was certainly a double-edged sword.

Rina didn't try to feel her gift. The moment it returned to her would be a jolt of inconvenient sensations, but she couldn't rely on it any longer. Soon enough she didn't have to worry about listening too carefully, as the approach of the soldiers was clear. Rina peeked over the edge to see an army of men, armed and armored, walking quickly through the trees. They had no intentions of hiding their arrival. Dozens upon dozens of walking white steel spreading far across the forest floor. As far as the men below knew, the two of them were injured, and the girl couldn't control her gift. To them, they probably thought they were dying in a ditch somewhere. Rina moved back into the full cover of their perch and waited for them to continue on.

A familiar voice made her heart race.

"Where are you sinners?!"

Task's voice hurtled through the forest. Rina stared at Svana. The girl was breathing heavily. Shaking. Rina gently placed a finger upon her mouth.

"Just a little longer," she whispered. "They'll continue on. We're safe up here."

The girl nodded, but her eyes were wide with fear.

"Svana! Give yourself up! You don't belong in this world, Svana! You're both a stain -- a plague. And we're the cure!"

Rina's heart was thumping. She hugged Svana tightly, who was stifling sobs into Rina's shoulder. These were the moments where she knew the gifts to be curses. They would bring death and misery to those who had them. She would be hunted for the rest of her life as long as the church existed. And if they ever discovered the true extent of her abilities they would do all they could to own her and make her a weapon. And there was Rina, in the middle of it all, trying her best to do the right thing. To make up for her past mistakes through a girl she barely knew.

"He's wrong," Rina whispered, trying to calm the girl. "His words are lies. I will keep you safe from them. I promise."

As they sat together, Task and his men slowly fell quieter, traveling farther away. There was only the soft sobbing of the small girl in her arms and the songs of birds. Rina didn't have access to her gift but she could still hear it all - the frustration, the years of agony within this short lived body before her. She could hear their hearts racing and their breath staggering -- all that was needed to keep running. And fighting if it was needed.

The girl wiped her eyes as Rina released her.

"Why is this happening?" Svana asked. "Who are you? Who are they?"

Rina breathed. "I'm part of a group that helps people like you. The Gifted. As for them... they're bad men who want to hurt you. Because they don't like what you can do. They want to take that away from you."

"Well they can have it," Svana said. "I don't know what this is but I don't want it anymore."

Rina swallowed. "Svana. What you can do is beyond what anyone imagined. We had no idea. As far as we knew you could just heal injuries. But now... hell, you might just be capable of changing the world."

"You shouldn't curse," Svana said, wiping her nose.

Rina smiled. "I'm sorry. You're right." She hesitated, but held the girl's hand. "Don't hate yourself for what you can do. Even though it doesn't seem like it right now, there are people out there who will love you for your abilities. There are people out there who want to help you. You just haven't met them yet."

Svana looked away. "Well... I guess I met you. Whoever you are."

"My name is Rina. And I'm the hungriest woman in the world."

Svana smiled. "Me too."

Rina helped her up.

"I miss my dog," Svana said. "Can we go get him?"

Rina sighed. Of course, she didn't expect a child to comprehend the weight of everything she said. Rina knew she had to take her back to her village. To at least explain to her family what danger their daughter was in.

"And mama can make us some food," Svana smiled.

Rina nodded and waited to make absolutely sure she saw none of Task's men in the distance. Without access to her gift it was a whole new world out there. Eventually, they grappled down and Rina carried Svana onto her back as they hurried off in the direction they came.

---

The journey to Gnosh wasn't a long one. Svana knew the way pretty well. They made their way around the Scarred Lands from the trees. Rain picked up, drizzling for a long time until it was a steady shower.

Svana got off Rina's back when they climbed the hill overlooking the village.

There were bodies in the road.

Rina's heart sank and she turned around, grabbing Svana's arm before she could see.

"What are you doing? Ow!"

"I'm sorry, Svana, we have to leave."

"No!" Svana struggled and the water soaking their bodies allowed her to slip away.

"Svana!" Rina lunged but Svana slid out of her reach and down the other side of the hill. Now, all Rina could do was follow. It was moments like these that Rina denied the divine. To pummel a child with such a life, then steal her home from her was not Godly. And if it was, Rina wanted nothing to do with them.

Svana ran, confused for a moment why everyone was laying down while it was pouring, but slowly the realization creeped up on her. Sola, who always made warm bread and shared with her neighbors, was face down in the dirt. She must have been hurt. Svana knelt down and moved her over. She gasped.

Rina was gaining on her. Svana ran off to her house, looking with horror at all the other adults she knew, motionless. Some of them bloody.

Her friend Jerra was leaning against his house, his mother slumped over him, holding onto him tightly. Both of them held empty gazes.

"What's... going on?" Svana panicked. She had seen the men hunt. The animals they brought back looked just like her people did now.

"Svana, please! Come back!"

Svana ignored the woman's voice, hurrying into her house, noticing the door had been kicked in.

Inside was mama. Her belly was open. Svana couldn't look.

Yellow was headless in the corner.

Svana slumped down and buried her face in her hands. What was happening? So were they all dead? No... this wasn't real.

Rina's boots destroyed the silence in the house and she shuddered at the bodies in the room. She clenched her fists. Task must have sent his men to Gnosh to look for the girl. Killed them all out of spite. She burned with hatred, with anger for this girl's circumstances.

"Svana..." she managed to say quietly. "Svana, let me take you away from here. Come on. Let's--"

Her words vanished beneath the screaming that emerged from Svana. It wasn't simply a cry of despair. It was filled with pain and was powered by something otherworldly. There was a sound that wasn't her voice. It ripped apart the air and Rina had to hold her palms to her ears, fearing it would completely deafen her.

"Nooooooooooo," Svana wailed, and Rina felt a surge of something pass through her.

Svana collapsed. All was silent. Rina rushed over to check Svana's pulse, unable to comprehend what had just occurred. The child was alive.

And so was her dog. Rina gaped at the standing, headless animal, wandering about. She slowly turned around to see the woman in the corner get to her feet. The face was still just as dead as before, but the eyes moved. The lips mumbled something. The body wandered about.

"Gods..." Rina breathed. She lifted Svana and hurried out of the building.

All who once lied motionless were now moving. Wandering figures existing between life and death.

Rina held Svana tightly. Arms reached out for her, not out of aggression but in confusion. They all were saying incomprehensible things.

Rina spun around as someone touched her. It was the woman from inside. Her eyes were greyed out, her body pale and shaking. Rina backed away defensively. As she did, the woman gently caressed Svana's face, looking down at the girl with intrigue. Rina paused and watched as the corpse formed emotion. Sadness in her eyes. Confusion. The face turned to Rina but the eyes looked elsewhere.

"This..." the woman spoke, scraping words out from her throat, "...something's wrong... what is this...?"

Rina started. Couldn't think. Was surrounded by such an unimaginable sight. Did Svana do this? Did she bring all of these corpses back to life?

Rina, carefully, grabbed hold of the woman's hand and swallowed. "Your daughter loves you very much," she said, stifling tears.

"My daughter..."

Rina watched as the woman's eyes strain and push, bulging, attempting to look at her.

"Everything... hurts..." the woman said.

Rina gasped. The bodies all around her slowly picked up their pace, wandering aimlessly. Their groans increased. She couldn't leave them all here like this. They weren't alive. Not really. And to leave them all wandering about, desperately confused would be a fate worse than death.

Rina brought Svana inside, out of the rain, and lowered her down against a wall, carefully. The dog didn't do much. Took a few steps here and there but that was about it. Rina drew her blade and knelt down before the headless animal, trembling. She hadn't felt this cold in a long time. Her hand ran across its fur for a moment and she could feel how tense its muscles were. As if it were straining every bit of itself to stand.

Swiftly, Rina pierced the dog's heart with her blade, shedding tears as she did so. The animal fell motionless again.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. Then, looked back at the unconscious Svana. "I'm so sorry Svana."

Rina stepped out and Svana's mother was leaning against the wall of her house, fidgeting, struggling to keep herself upright.

Rina placed a hand on her shoulder to steady her.

"I will keep her safe," Rina told her. "I promise."

"Tha... Tha..."

"It's okay," Rina said, "It'll be okay.

The woman stood still for a moment. Then closed her eyes and smiled.

Rina thrust her sword through the woman's heart. As she dropped, she pierced her brain for good measure.

She almost dropped, unable to hold back tears but pushed through. She had thought the things she's encountered had hardened her quite a bit. But clearly the world had more for her to see.

Rina turned to the inhabitants of Gnosh. Citizens of all sizes and ages. And she killed them all.

Rina dropped to her knees and cried into the ground, clenching mud, her mind wracked at all she had seen. In the blackest moments, there had to be a light from somewhere. There was never pure darkness. She had to believe that.

But it wasn't a matter of finding the light for Rina. It was a matter of holding onto it. It always slipped away through bloody hands.