The Fifth World

Bo: The sky is slightly gray but I can still see the sun trying to creep over the clouds. I'm not cold. I'm a little bit scared, pretty nervous... I have no idea how I'm going to get out of this one. What's going to happen today?

I remain in the tight leather clothing I was given last night. It was so uncomfortable to sleep in. The shackles sit around my wrists, rust has rubbed onto my skin, it stings. I sigh as I see the first sight of civilisation... a small town... just a few buildings, they are ancient, hundreds of years old definitely... and here I am, staring at them during their last moments. I can picture it now, I can hear the screams of women, children, men... everyone... I can see everyone, facing off with one another, swords clanging together... wounds being created... and those who will not cooperate? Oh, I cannot even imagine. I have to do something. I can't let myself go through with this.

"Quicken your pace, hybrid," I hear a voice, it belongs to Colt, he is right behind me, "or I will have to carry you."

I do as I am told but before I know it several of the Thornes separate from the main group. There are at least ten of them, nobody seems startled or surprised at all. They move, quickly in blurs towards the town ahead. I almost feel my stomach flip when I hear screams. My mouth opens slightly as I am pulled along by my shackles. They have been chained to a horse that a Thorne is sitting on.

"What are they doing?" I demand from Colt, "I am not even up there yet."

He laughs once, "they are simply preparing them for you. It would be inconvenient for us to have to bring you up there, kill everyone and then let you do your work. We would rather ensure your protection first."

My feet pick up pace. There are more screams, they are getting louder and louder as we approach but it isn't long until my body is pulled sharply. I am hoisted over Colt's shoulder, very roughly too, and soon everyone, including him and I, are running towards the town. We are there within seconds. He places me, again very roughly, on my feet. I am dizzy but manage to gain my balance. Somehow. I look around and see the mess we have created merely within the last few minutes. Firewood is scattered across the ground from who I expect was probably a lumberjack. I am guessing he fought back, considering the amount of blood smeared on the road. Towards a building there are at least ten people, the majority women and children, lined up against the wall as if they were part of the military. Their hands remain on their heads. I can't help but feel sick to my stomach. There are four children, all younger than ten years old... there are three women, one I am guessing is about my age, and three men... one of them is barely a man either. My stomach churns. I cannot do this. This is cruel. This is inhumane.

I stare at a child, her long red hair is done in neat plaits that sit on her shoulders. Her cheeks are red and rosy, her hands and feet so tiny and small. She stares at me as if she is waiting for an answer to something... a question... a question that is probably, what happens now? I notice a tear roll down her cheek as her mother resists from holding her daughter. I immediately think of Adam and my own mother. I close my eyes and take in a deep breath.

Colt stands by my side and he pulls my wrists out towards him. He places a key inside of the shackles, twists it and they click open. He removes them from me. I look back at the people in front of me, all of them staring at me as if I am some kind of villain. I am free. Right here, right now I can do anything. I am able to leave this place, I can go back to Cynric, go back to Manchester or even go to Australia! I can do that, right now.
But if I do that, if I leave here, all of these people would be good for nothing. The Thornes will kill them and that would be my fault. I can save them. I can. All I have to do is... manipulate them, even if it is just for now... until I think of a new plan.

"Repeat after me," Colt says in my ear, "You will obey everything that we, the Thornes, say..." he continues and I repeat each and every word, no matter how ludicrous it may be. I command them to feel complete hatred towards Hargon. I command them to want to tear to pieces each and every government official. I command them to kill anyone who crosses their path. It almost kills me.

After setting alight the town we leave with the newly manipulated people behind us. They are just the beginning of this army these creatures want to create. Colt walks beside me, he has returned the shackles to my wrists.

"What about the children?" I ask him. "Do you expect them to fight too?"

He smiles, it is a sly and sick smile, "they will do whatever we tell them to do."

I feel my head drop... what the hell have I done?

The day drags on and town after town after town seems to get even harder. I keep seeing gore everywhere but never any bodies... I don't know what they do to the bodies. I don't even want to imagine. They kill the ones that fight back, they do it so quickly, so easily, that they even have time to take away the bodies. I may not know these people, they could be the worst people in the world... well, definitely not in comparison with the Thornes, but they could be horrible people or the greatest person anyone could meet... I am responsible for them, whether I like it or not. If I leave they will die. Escaping is not a choice. I'm stuck here.

"This is our last stop before Hargon, make it quick," Colt says when I approach the last of my victims... a mother and her newborn baby, a girl probably around fourteen years old and her older brother who is probably a year or so younger than me. I stare at the baby, so small, so young... this child won't even know what's going on. I don't even think it is possible for me to manipulate a baby. How would they understand me?