Follow The Raven

"How are you enjoying your tour of the underworld?" Damian asked mockingly, lounging at the foot of a tree. In the past few days, we've been getting into nothing but arguments, I've been doing nothing but tripping on various objects that aren't even in my path (they jump in front of me, I swear!), and we got attacked by some sort of canine pack and basically lost the majority of our food. My legs are killing me, I'm hungry, and its cold.

"Oh I love it, the fresh air, the friendly animals, the lovely company, the nice little paths, the scent of pine, its to die for," I replied sarcastically, glaring at him. I'm not really a natural person, if you haven't noticed. I can't go down hills without slipping, trees attack me with their roots, insects like to eat me...

"Glad you're enjoying yourself, sweetheart," he said chuckling. Of course he's enjoying himself, he's not the one covered in scrapes and starving. He can just dodge the killer trees and suck the blood of some random animal.

"Shut up," I grumbled, putting my arm over my eyes as I tried to find a comfortable position on the ground. Between the twigs, the uneven ground, and the roots, I sincerely thank the Romans for their ingenuity in the creation of concrete. Thank you Romans, for your contribution to society.

"I could only find a berry bush, but I don't think its edible," Remy said coming into our little clearing after yet another failed search for food.

"Thanks for trying Remy," I said looking up at him with a smile. He sat down opposite us, completing a triangle formation around the fire.

I tossed and turned the entire night, unable to find a single position that would allow me to sleep without something stabbing into my ribcage. Remy had a bit more luck finding a clean spot, and Damian just snored the entire night through. Why am I the one with the insomnia issues?

---

"Do you even know where we're going?" I asked walking behind Damian.

"We're somewhere in Bretagne," he said simply, continuing to walk. I felt like total crap. My legs are killing me, I'm still starving, and I haven't slept in two days.

"Yes, Bretagne, France, Underworld, the Universe," I said sarcastically. That does not tell me that you know where we are going, thus giving me the impression that you yourself do not know where we are going. So why am I following you if that's the case?!?! *Cough* Sorry, I'm a bit cranky.

"Look, your dwindling life is currently in my hands. Do you think it wise toying with me in the middle of an open space where no one will hear you perish?" He asked menacingly turning around with lightning speed and grabbing hold of my throat.

"I doubt it's wise, no, but no one said that I was wise, did they?" I tempted. I don't know why, but I almost find it satisfying to push Damian's buttons. I want to know why he agreed to do this. He won't answer the question. Hell, he won't answer ANY question I ask him, but this one question was almost eating me up inside.

"Please, step away from her, and both of you stay quiet," Remy called out, trying to separate us. Poor kid, he's being forced to play peacekeeper. Damian glared at me before letting go and starting to walk again. I glared at his back, before starting to walk as well.

"It's weird that you haven't shown any signs yet, other than getting sick," Remy commented a bit of time later.

"Naturally you don't notice it, but she is showing signs," Damian called from the front.

"Like what?" Remy asked curiously. I'm rubbing off on the kid.

"Her pulse is slowing, and her aura's changing," Damian grumbled, answering the question. That's not fair! Why are Remy's questions answered and mine aren't? Grrr, he's testing me.

"What is she changing into?" I asked in the second person, since I'm apparently not present.

"Don't know, can't tell yet, something annoying probably," he replied looking at me with a smirk. Git.

"You're mean," I said simply.

"Well sweetheart, as your babysitter, I think that's my right," he said chuckling as we came up to a stream.

"Don't call me sweetheart," I grumbled, standing at the bank of the stream. I sat down on a nearby boulder, taking the opportunity to take a little rest. The forest, to give you an image, is as dark and morbid as the rest of this world. Everything has a grayish tone to it, and because there is no sun in this world, the forest is particularly dark.

"You don't like being called sweetheart?" Damian said from next to me startling me.

"Obviously, if I'm telling you not to call me that, doesn't it insinuate that I don't want to be called that?" I asked, looking at him.

"Wow, 'insinuate,' that's a big word," he said mockingly, standing up and going over to the stream to check the water.

"What, just because I'm young I'm automatically an idiot?" I asked, getting even more irritated.

"Did I say that? When did I say that? I just assume that you're not the brightest since you ask so many damn questions," he stated. That's right, go back to that argument. Good idea.

"What do you have against questions?" I inquired, as he rolled his eyes at me.

"This curiosity of yours is annoying, its like you just came out from under a rock," he sighed, getting annoyed himself.

"Haven't we been over that, I basically did, and what's wrong with wanting to learn?" I asked, making sure that everything I said to him was in the format of a question.

"Whatever, the water's safe," he said, dismissing the argument and taking a drink.

---

"We haven't seen any form of civilization since we left, how do you know where we're going? Where are we going anyway?" I asked after walking for another couple hours.

"That's the point, because you're still alive we need to avoid civilization, avoid problems for a little longer. And as to where we're going, we'll see when we get there won't we," Damian replied (shock) chuckling.

"You don't know where we're going?!" I exclaimed, kind of shocked that he would even admit it.

"We're going into the wild, that's all you need to know," Damian said starting to climb a rather steep hill. 'Into the wild,' oooh, that's so helpful. Not. After slipping three different times, I managed to get over the stupid hill covered in trees in the middle of the forest. Remy, being forced to be the luggage carrier basically by Damian, actually had a better time doing it than I did. That really tells you something about me...

"Are you sure I can't carry anything?" I asked Remy as we paused for a breather.

"Considering the trouble you had getting up that hill with nothing in your arms, its safer for everyone if you just stay like that," Damian called from further up ahead.

"At least I offer to help," I called back.

"It's alright, it's not heavy," Remy said with a small smile.

"What's the first thing you're going to do when we reach civilization?" Remy asked as I skidded back down the hill, him just walking down it like it was flat ground. It must be a dead thing, or something. That, or I am just ridiculously clumsy.

"What am I not going to do?" I asked laughing thinking of all the things I want to do getting to the first town.

"I'm going to eat those weird cakes you guys have in this world, that's my top priority. Then, I'm going to shower, and then I'm going to sleep in a nice comfy bed," I said, already tasting the muffin-brownie-cake hybrids. I absolutely love those things, I still don't know what they're called, but they are to die for. Literally.

"Are you that hungry the only thing you want to do is eat cake?" Remy asked laughing, as I shook my head yes.

"And you? What are you going to do?" I asked, after a little bit.

"The same thing as you basically, but I think I'll have a fuller meal before the cakes," he replied. I nodded in understanding.

"Heads up!" Damian called ahead as some round object just flew at us, me, basically.

"Aak!" I sqwaked trying to dodge it, then trying to catch the second one that came at us, but failing miserably. And I was the best in gym, imagine the rest of my town.

"Woooow," Damian said, a bemused look on his face.

"Try to feed you, you practically kill yourself," he said mockingly.

"You caught me off guard," I said straightening up trying to defend myself. I picked up the fruit I had dodged off the ground and started wiping it with the sleeve of my shirt.

"I even gave you a warning," Damian said incredulously.

"Well," I started trying to find a comeback.

"Shut up," I said succumbing, and started examining the fruit (at least, I think its a fruit) in my hand after handing one to Remy.

"You said you were starving, so I found you a tree. If you don't trust me, I'll have it," Damian said, grabbing my wrist and going to take a bite out of it.

"Mine," I said, pulling back and away from him. I'm not about to let a morsel of food get away from me, even if I don't know what it is. Food is still food. And I, still need sugar in my blood.

"You're so childish," Damian said shaking his head.

"I'm seventeen," I said proudly. Why proudly I don't really know, but being seventeen counts for something; it turned my life around.