By Peter B. and Art Intelli
Chapter 10
My breath came in ragged gasps as I half-carried, half-dragged Viktor through the gnarled roots and tangled branches of the dense forest. He was barely conscious, his weight heavy against my shoulder. His once-mighty frame was so frail from starvation and dehydration, his steps sluggish.
“Viktor,” I whispered urgently, shifting my grip to keep him upright. He was too weak to continue standing on his own.
“You have to keep going.”
Viktor groaned, his head lolling to the side.
“I can’t,” he rasped. “I have nothing left.”
My grip tightened. “That’s not true. You always told me to find the strength inside myself. Now it’s your turn.”
With a weak chuckle, Viktor nodded. “Damn, throwing my own words back at me. I taught you too well.” He said nothing more, but I could feel the shift in him — the stubborn spark of willpower that had once made Viktor the strongest man I had ever known.
