The bith screamed once the blade touched his skin. Its branding touch melted his skin with the super-heated metal. The pungent smell of burning flesh invaded his mind, searing it into his memory.
His body thrashed on instinct against the immovable force holding him down. Jax’s screams died within his raw throat, barely making a sound after its harsh treatment. It had maybe been a few days since his escape, he wondered. Time had begun to blur together the longer he was out. He wished he could hide within his mind like any other time the pain became too much for him to bear.
This pain wasn’t like anything he’d experienced before. So, there was nothing he could do but feel it. Until it was the only thing he felt.
No part of him questioned why he was being held down or why after his scream a piece of cloth was shoved into his mouth, wedged between his teeth. Then a hand pushed gently on his jaw.
“Bite,” the pressure resting on the top of his chest said. Jax did as he was told obediently. Then the flame returned.
Jax cried out, his jaw clenched in agony. Ravin shushed the boy beneath him as he pressed the disinfected blade to the wound on his arm. His knee jolted upwards, applying a tad more pressure downwards.
It wasn’t the most orthodox method, he supposed, but it had to be done before an infection set it. The wound needed to be sealed. It didn’t matter how at this point. The wound needed stitched he didn’t have nor clean bandages. Even a bit of medical herbs he didn’t care to carry on him would be more useful.
Cauterization is a painful process.
Not that it made it any easier. Ravin removed the cooling blade to toss it back into the small fire by their side. There was a small piece of the wound left to do, but he decided to wait. The kid needed a break.
Short trembling gasps shook the boy to his core. The air trying to force its way through the spit-soaked cloth.
“Have you tried breathing through your nose yet? It would work a lot better,” Ravin said, sarcastically. The boy glanced up at him in confusion.
“Take a deep breath in and out, you’ll see.” Jax followed along shaken and listening, focusing on the whining of his stuffy nose. Ravin shook his head above him, snorting.
“Boy, you sound like a morning dove gone mad,” Ravin said, a hand reaching behind his back. The boy stared at him bewildered, his eyes lighter hearing his savior’s amusement. He had never made anyone laugh before, at least not for a good reason.
The scavenger glanced down, his grin fading a bit as he did so. Jax’s eyes followed of their own accord, widening in amazement once he realized what he saw. Ravin sat back on his heels, releasing the boy to bandage the injury. It was then Jax figured out he had been tricked. But he couldn’t find it in himself to be mad.
“There, all done. That wasn’t so bad,” Ravin said absentmindedly, removing the bite guard from the poor boy’s mouth. “It will still need to be wrapped until we can get back to the surface and get some proper salve. In the meantime, do you have a name kid?”
Ravin glanced up after a few minutes of silence. Dull iris’ gazing off into the distance met his. Not registering the words spoken to him.
He flicked the thick cloth covering the boy’s injury. Hard enough to be felt through the bandage and not cause any harsh pain. A pinch in comparison.
The kid flinched. Drooping eyes looked everywhere but at him. A warm hand rested upon his clammy skin taking in its cool temperature. Raven frowned, trailing his hand to the back of the boy’s neck to adjust his cloak better to support him. A make-shift pillow in the works soaked to the brim with sweat.
Ravin turned, nudging the fire with his boot until the flame grew. The heat threatened to burn his skin until nothing remained. A pain opposite to that of the one lying on the ground. The shivering form in front of him calmed gently by the warmth. The kid slouched against the stone as he slowly fell back into his slumber. Easing into the thing he craved was becoming a habit, one he would gladly succumb to that night.
“Go on to sleep, Bith. We can talk more in the morning.” Ravin said, watching the boy fight a losing battle. He stayed there listening to the steady rise and fall of the boy’s chest. The tightness in his own didn’t ease even when the boy’s color began to return.
The fire had died sometime during the night, not that Ravin showed any notice. The cave’s cool interior warming to the rising sun graced him with the time of day. Nevertheless, like clockwork, Ravin rose with it paying no mind to the tiredness that plagued him.
The alcove they had spent the last few hours in was connected to a larger set of tunnels. Ravin had to retrace their steps after hiding the kid to look for firewood. He found just enough near the cave-in to start a fire. Not before heading in the wrong direction and almost getting lost on the first try. Though that seemed to be his luck as of late. While solving one problem, another bigger problem showed its face.
A rope, new from the looks of it, hung from the edge of the opening where they had fallen in. Tied securely to an exposed root allowing someone to enter the maze of caves. Someone who may have found the same crevasse in the stonework as he did. Against his better judgment, he continued with his original plan, not before checking out the local area. Nothing seemed to be out of place. ‘Seemed’ is the key word.
They didn’t need to stay here any longer than they already had, but the boy needed rest. Among other things. As if on cue, the youngling’s stomach growled in hunger. The sound was painfully weak in volume yet urgent. It’s difficult to explain to unknowing ears. The only way Ravin could think to describe it would be a flower deprived of the rain and sunshine, begging for a small morsel of either. Still denied time again.
The boy’s frail physique was obvious to a blind man. So much that the night could not conceal the tight skin covering his bones. The marred, discolored flesh refused to give, shredding like paper at the slightest touch.
He had his work cut out for him with this one. However, it also gave him a starting point.
The likelihood of finding food down here was close to none. The limited rations to stifle the hunger had to last till they got out of here. Though if they were desperate, they could try to swallow the bark scraps from the fire. Ravin doubted it would get to that point, then again, the heavens have a habit of proving him wrong.
Like his wake-up call coming earlier than anticipated. A clear sign of the change in the seasons with the dawn rising in the east. Destined to set in the west an hour before its time.
The summer equinox leered upon them once winter changed their course. There wasn’t much time before the trees shed their autumn leaves.
It is both a blessing and a curse for the world to be blanketed in white. For a time, the world is quiet, resting from the heat, prey only to those who squander it.
They had two months, give or take, before the first snowfall. It would take that and them some time for him to reach the market.
The journey would be much easier now. Two people were a lot simpler to hide than two hundred.
Ravin scoffed in disbelief. It’s sad it has come down to that, he thought glancing at the kid. His gaze hardened a bit as something occurred to him. Yes, a real enigma his day had been. Well, there is a few ways for him to test that theory. Ravin needed to wake up the boy anyway, he had wasted enough daylight as it is.
Ravin grasped the boy’s shoulder ready to shake him awake. The kid shot up from his prone position, wide frightened eyes darting around the cove. Ravin leaned backwards out of reflex and to avoid being headbutted by the still injured boy. Those eyes settled upon his figure once he registered the hand on his shoulder. They never met his gaze, casting themselves to the floor.
Ravin chose to ignore the silent tremble beneath his palm in favor of getting his attention. He didn’t know he already had it. The boy watched the stranger who saved him settle into a spot in front of him.
The boy felt the stranger look him over possibly waiting for him to drop again. He had done that a lot lately. He knew he’s spent more time unconscious than conscious in the short time they’d been together. Whatever test he’d been given, he unknowingly passed as Ravin relaxed a smidgen.
“How’s the head?”
Jax tensed, not expecting the question. Ravin frowned at the lack of an answer. He had to be careful with his wording. It didn’t take much to frighten the boy, it seemed.
“Is there any nausea? Dizziness? Are you lightheaded at all?” Ravin asked, hoping for a reaction. He’d take anything at this point. All he received in return was confusion. It was better than nothing, he supposed. It would’ve helped if he were a psychic, to read the kid’s thoughts to know the boy didn’t understand half of the words he used. Not that it would’ve been an issue to begin with. More of an inconvenience that could be remedied. So, he went with a much simpler approach.
“Can you speak?” Now that was a question Jax was familiar with. His memory paired the phrase with a scripted response he learned painfully.
“Yes, sir.” Jax’s accent caught on the last word. Ravin’s face turned sour.
“Don’t call me that,” Ravin said, watching the kid recoil at his words. Later, he would be impressed with how quickly he was able to reconcile his words. “No one calls me sir. It is not a title I will willingly respond to. My name is Ravin, and I wish to be called by it.”
Jax nodded. “Yes sir- Ravin,” he corrected himself seeing his savior raise an eyebrow. He bowed his head as he did so. It was disrespectful to ignore another’s orders and usually ended in punishment. He waited for Ravin to turn violent, berate him for his mistake, but instead, his fear was met with a small smile.
“Well, since we are introducing ourselves, do you have a name, Little Bith?” Ravin asked inquisitively. The name slipping out accidentally. It threw Jax off kilter for a moment before he realized he had been asked a question.
“Elijah Jaxson Moore. When I was young, I was called Jax by my peers,” he said, his name sounding foreign in his mouth.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you Jax,” Ravin said, touching the tips of his fingers to his forehead then lightly dropping his hand to rest at his side. Jax glanced up in shock at the use of his chosen name. Jax already felt out of place not knowing how to reciprocate the gesture. So, he nodded. Real creative he was though his savior-Ravin didn’t seem to mind.
“Your answer?” Jax glanced up at him through his dirty bangs. Eyebrows threatening to become one. Ravin sighed, raising his left hand towards the younger’s face. “May I?”
Jax nodded hesitantly. His savior gently nudged his head up with his chin till the shadows fell away from his face. The lack of light made it difficult to see any distinct features. Turning his head this way and that, Jax didn’t know how he was able to detect anything with it being so dark.
The ocean eyes searched for the others to distract himself from the feeling of someone touching him. He found them when he spotted two glowing embers in the ink. They reflected the nonexistent light in the alcove, burning like a kindle to a fire. He jumped as those eyes met his, seeing through the walls he had built to protect himself. To hide the pain, misery, and terror that lurked within him.
“Do you think you can stand?” Ravin said, pulling the boy from the spiral. Jax stayed silent for a moment as took stock of his body. He thought he could after some consideration voicing as much.
“I think so,” he said unsure.
Ravin stood, holding his hand out to the kid. The boy tentatively reached to grasp the older males outstretched hand. Jax gasped, the warmth striking against his own icy palm. The sheer strength radiating from the man amazed him. Pulling Jax upright from his place as if it was the easiest thing in the world to do. For Ravin it may be.
Jax tightly latched on to Ravin’s arm as stars dancing invaded his vision. He groaned softly at the heaviness that came with it. This may have been what he meant when he said lightheaded. Which is ironic because he felt anything but light.
Ravin adjusted the arm wrapped around Jax, his hand still gripping the youngers. He steadied the fainting child, leaning Jax against his side. The boy slowly released the death-grip hold of his wincing from the strain it caused his forearm.
“Alright, that’s it. Steady as she does it. You good?” Ravin asked, stabling the boy onto his feet where he had begun to sway, legs shaking from the exertion. The longer he stood, the steadier he became.
“What’s hurtin’ you?”
Jax lightly tapped his head failing to will the pain away. He raised his arm too on second thought. The one that burned. There were more, by he didn’t need to bother the man any more than he already has. A little voice told him to be grateful he was saved.
To be grateful he wasn’t there.
“We’ll have to see if we can’t find you come medicine later. First, we’ve got to get back to the surface,” Ravin said, glancing at the entrance of the alcove then at the ceiling. He bent down to retrieve his cloak, shaking out the dust and rocks, then placed the garment back over his shoulders. He paused, feeling the familiar weight settle upon his back.
The kids’ bare feet shuffled against the stone floor. The skin was tainted by a dark almost black stain across the bottom. Caked in dirt and who knows what else. A soft noise escaped from the boy’s throat catching Ravin’s stare.
Ravin turned, smiling down at the kid. Looks like he’s adding shoes to the list, is what he wanted to say. “Let’s get out of here.” Is what he really said.
Jax eagerly nodded. He was ready to get out of this musty cave.
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