by T. A. White
He shook his head even as he cut through the air, his legs moving as if he was galloping across the sky.
For a moment, she could see why the Trateri likened his kind to gods. She could imagine how they might look to those below as they raced the clouds above.
As if in response, lightning arced through those same clouds. Electricity powered through the sky and the hair on Eva's arms lifted.
She smothered a scream as thunder cracked and another bolt rent the night sky. The world let loose with a deluge of water, soaking her to the bone in seconds.
Her teeth chattered as her hands clutched at Sebastian's mane. Her knees were tucked in tight along his sides and she huddled on his back, praying she didn't slip off.
Desperation and fear whitened her knuckles as she held on for dear life.
Out of the fire and into a lightning storm, she thought. Once again, her life was spiraling out of control.
With a dissatisfied nicker, Sebastian tossed his head before folding his wings.
Eva let out a yelp, leaning forward and throwing her arms around his neck as they plunged toward the ground. His wings snapped out at the last minute, catching the air and halting their momentum just enough for them to touch down. Sebastian barely paused, racing across the land at a breakneck speed, Eva clutching his neck for dear life. His mane whipped out, obscuring her view of the ground rushing by.
After an eternity, he finally slowed to a trot before stopping. Eva wasted no time, sliding to the ground before he could take off again. Her wobbly legs nearly collapsed under her as she tottered to a boulder and sank down on it.
When they told stories of the Battle Queen's flight into the Badlands and her return, they left a lot of things out. Like how utterly terrifying it was to be that high in the sky. No harness, no saddle, nothing between you and air except a mythological's whim.
The Battle Queen was so much braver than anyone gave her credit for.
Eva would never again take for granted the unwavering stability of dirt and rock beneath her.
Sebastian’s expression was irritated as he took in her huddled figure. His feelings nudged at her mind. They curled around her, pushing and shoving. There was no understanding there. He didn't know why she was upset, why she could barely catch her breath, or why terror made her hands shake.
He wanted to be up there, tearing across the sky with little concern for lightning or death.
"Not all of us are meant for flight," she snapped at him. "Some of us like our feet right here on the ground where they belong."
Derision curled his lip. It was the kick in the pants she needed to settle herself.
Fear was fine—as long as she didn't allow it to control her. She'd never be like her parents or the others. She was the master of her fear, not the other way around.
She'd left the Trateri behind. Granted, she'd had little choice and it was probably the best decision, but now it was time to return.
She stood. "We need to go back."
Sebastian shook his head.
"Yes, we do. We can help them. You can help them."
She reached for his side. A shrill sound escaped him as he shied away.
"Sebastian?"
He shook his head again, backing away one step at a time.
"What's wrong?"
It was the only question she got off as he whirled, galloping away and taking to the air.
"Sebastian! Wait! Come back," she screamed after him.
He was gone.
"Don't leave me alone here," she said in a nearly inaudible voice.
The dark that hadn't seemed quite so frightening with the Kyren at her side now pressed in close all around her. Claustrophobic and terrifying, all the more for what she couldn’t see in its depths.
She wrapped her arms around herself as she held herself together. She was alone in the Highlands, a place known for being the second most dangerous of all the lands, where dangerous beasts were a constant threat. And she had no supplies.
No one was coming to save her, and her last hope had just flown off.
"Priceless, Eva, you dolt." Her voice was raw with emotion. "You just had to get on the damn winged horse and let him carry you off from the others. Couldn't have figured out a way out of that mess that didn't involve flying your way halfway across the country. It figures you were abandoned by the same harebrained creature that got you into this mess in the first place."
The next time she got one of her strange urges, experienced a feeling that wasn't hers, she was going to ignore it.
She allowed herself several brief moments to panic. Then she was done.
She'd survived two weeks with no human companionship when she left her village. Granted, the Lowlands were a little less wild, and she'd been familiar with that land, but it didn't change the fact that she'd done it. She could survive—even with no tools except for her dagger.
It'd be hard. Uncomfortable. Definitely uncomfortable. But she could do it.
She looked around. There wasn’t much light to see by, but she caught hulking forms crouched in the darkness, mountains or rock formations. She doubted they were trees.
When she closed her eyes and listened, she could hear the rustling of the breeze against the long grass that covered much of the moors up here.
Seeing what she assumed was the indent of a hill or boulder, Eva made her way carefully over to it. She curled into its side, pulling her jacket around her and placing the dagger in her lap.
It was her only weapon, though fat lot of good it would do against a red back or a revenant.
No, she couldn't think that way. She had to believe Sebastian wouldn't drop her into a beast's nest and leave her behind. She had to. Otherwise, her sanity might not make it through the night.
For now, she would stay put, hope he came back or at the very least, wait until dawn to get her bearings.
Eva brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She rested her chin on them as she stared into the darkness. Sleep felt very far away, but she needed the rest if she was going to find her way back to the others tomorrow.
If there was anyone left alive to find.
*
Eva walked beneath a violet sky, small fluttering butterflies descending as they danced on the breeze.
She raised her hand to let one alight on her finger, its wings glowing a pale blue. Its companions became caught in Eva's unbound hair as her feet whispered across the grass.
Mountains reached for the sky all around her, but where she stood was a plain, vast and long, its grass reaching to her waist as a lake nearby gleamed serenely up at the sky.
The edges of the dream were indistinct and hazy. If she thought too hard about them, they would shred like gossamer strands.
Eva found she wasn't ready to leave this place that called to her soul, filling it with peace. She felt more at home here than she had ever felt in her life.
As she stared around her in wonder, the sound of wings from above drew her attention.
Kyren circled lazily as the butterflies parted to allow their descent. Small Kyren, large ones, every shape and color imaginable. A winged herd that made Eva ache to be part of.
Her eyes slid closed, imagining what it must be like to fly with them. She could feel the wind beneath wings she didn't have, feel insubstantial hooves pounding over air and land as she raced free from the concerns of her human self.
A Kyren landed in front of her. He was the opposite of Sebastian, his coat as white as snow, gleaming with the captured light of a thousand stars. He was bigger, his build more powerful. Intelligence radiated from eyes the shade of freshly shed blood. Those eyes should have terrified her.
"Don't be afraid of Orion," a soft voice said next to her.
Eva startled, stepping to the side as a pale-haired child looked up at her.
"Mist," Eva said, confused. "What are you doing here?"
The child's eyes were innocent, a blue as deep and vast as the sky. "Your need called me."
&n
bsp; Eva wasn’t sure she understood.
Mist waved at Orion, the Kyren waiting patiently as they conferred. "He's Shea's friend. He won't hurt you."
Eva hadn't thought he would.
"Will you accept his people as your own?" Mist asked curiously, tilting her head back to take in Eva.
"I'm not sure what you mean." Confusion pulled at Eva.
Mist sighed. She seemed different than the girl Eva had met back at the Keep, more self-assured, and definitely more verbal. That girl had been locked in silence, seemingly capable of talking but only using her voice when absolutely necessary.
"You need to accept them," Mist said, stubbornly. "The old ones have woken. New ties must be forged, and old promises kept."
"I don't know what that means," Eva said.
"You don't need to. I do. Just accept."
Eva glanced from the child to the waiting Kyren. She wanted to. More than anything.
"What does it mean if I accept?" she asked.
Mist tilted her head as if she didn't understand the question. "You become theirs and they become yours."
"For how long?" Eva asked.
Forever, a deep voice echoed in her mind.
The dream shredded, dissolving away like tendrils of ephemeral clouds. Eva came back to herself, hard stone pressing against her. The dream had felt so real. She could still taste the crisp mountain air on her tongue, feel the breeze off the plain.
Eva pulled her jacket tighter as she shivered. She shifted against the rock, trying to find a comfortable position and failing.
There were still hours left until morning, but Eva knew without even trying that sleep would not return for her this night.
By the time dawn stretched thick fingers of vivid blues, oranges, and pinks across the morning sky, Eva had given up on getting any more rest. She uncurled from her position on the ground, stretching her back out as she gazed around the area where Sebastian had left her.
In the first light of day, the rock she'd rested against was tinged orange, weeds sprouting from small crevasses in its facade. It wasn’t a boulder as she’d assumed, instead appeared man-made. The head of an ancient statue rested against the ground, its cheek using the dirt as a pillow. The rest of its body was missing.
Upright, the head would stand as tall as two men stacked one on top of the other. An eye stared out at the world, the other covered by grass and dirt.
The base of its neck was weathered smooth, and patches of moss covered the smooth surface. The storm last night had ripped some of the moss away, revealing the treasure below.
Eva glanced around, seeing more of the strange lumps and bumps in the land, making her think this wasn't the only head resting here. However, the others were thoroughly covered by thick carpets of moss and grass.
She moved between the odd monuments, climbing atop the tallest to get a better look at the surrounding land. As best she figured it, Sebastian had flown from the east and it was there she needed to head.
Sitting around waiting for rescue wasn’t an option. The only person she could rely on right now was herself. No one knew where she was. If she wanted to get back, she’d have to find them.
She took in the expanse before her. Rolling hills frolicked at the base of the taller mountains in the distance. Sebastian had dropped her into the high point of a glen, the sides gently sloping up. Flowers brought on by the spring rains carpeted the land before meeting the darker shadows of the mountains.
Eva couldn't argue the splendor of the tumbling hills and the soaring cliffs. Still, she would gladly have traded the stark beauty for easily traversed flat ground. A road would have been nice.
Her leg muscles already throbbed at what she knew she must do.
"Best get to walking," she told herself.
Speaking aloud had become a habit when tending the herd, one she found comfort in even now.
She looked to her right at the ridge with evidence of a small game path leading up its side. She groaned before setting her feet to it. Finding her way up was going to be a pain, but she'd heard something about beasts sticking to the valleys and the plains. At least that was the excuse she gave herself as she followed the small game trail as it dipped and twisted during its climb.
As she drew closer to the top, wind whipped past, bringing with it a hint of chill. Spring might have landed, but winter was not giving up her grip so easily.
Birds nested in the craggy reaches of the ridge. One dive-bombed Eva, sending her scurrying past at a fast clip as she tried to protect her head from its wicked beak.
Blood dotted her hands and her cheek stung when the bird finally peeled away, circling back to the spot Eva had just torn through. It must have had a nest there for it to be so territorial.
Irritation at being assaulted by a damn bird carried her through the next hour.
Her stomach was rumbling angrily by the time she stopped for a break. The sun was high overhead as she looked back over the distance she'd already come. Her progress so far was pitifully small, the ridge hard to navigate with its constant up and downs.
Her shoulders bowed. It was going to take forever for her to find the others at this rate.
A pitiful mewing interrupted Eva’s self-pity. Curious, she glanced around, only to find the sound coming from behind her. Eva peered over the small clump of grass she'd taken as a seat to find where the ridge fell away in a steep drop.
Just below it, the mewing came again.
She peered over the edge to find green eyes peering up at her from an adorably cuddly face. The animal was small, a little bigger than a cat. Its body was long, its fur fluffy and it had a triangular face, reminding her of a fox. Further reinforcing that image was the cream and orange colored fur that covered its body, with darker oranges in rings around its legs. Spots of cream broke up the pattern as it stared up at her with a pitiful expression. Its two tails wagged slightly
"Hello," she told it.
The same wow wow wow wail came again as it struggled weakly.
Roots wrapped around its body, covering its left front paw up to its shoulder. The small creature yapped at her and then looked at its paw.
"How did you do that?" she asked.
There was a disgruntled bark before the fox tried to pull its foot back. The roots tightened, blood running out from between them. It squeaked with pain before stilling, giving her another soulful look. Eva hissed as she realized the roots had burrowed into the skin beneath the fox’s fur.
"I take it you want help."
Of course, he did. That's what all animals who came to her wanted. Because she was who she was, and they sensed she’d give it unquestioningly.
"Very well, little one, I'll see what I can do," Eva said.
She'd have to be quick and precise. She didn't know what kind of roots dove beneath flesh and soaked up blood instead of water, but there was no question they'd try for her.
She reached for her dagger. A fearful whimper escaped him as he cringed away as far as the roots would let him. She made a soothing sound. "Don't worry. I have no intention of hurting you."
The next time she reached for him, he held still, his sides quivering under her touch as she used one hand to poke and prod at what was holding him in place.
He was either very unlucky to fall afoul of the roots—or he'd been up to something. Given his resemblance to a fox, she was willing to guess it was the latter. Either way, the roots refused to give up their victim so easily.
Bright red sap clung to Eva's hands as she wiggled her front half further over the edge. The sap stung, leaving behind a tingling, burning sensation. Worry filled her as the ground beneath started to shift, dirt cascading down. It was soft from the rains and seemed to be held together by only the complex root system of the plants which clung to the side of the ridge with a tenacity she'd come to expect from everything living up here.
Cutting him loose was the only way.
She set the blade against the roots binding his paw and sawed through them, cutting qu
ickly, surprised when the fox didn't sink its sharp little teeth into the hand closest to it.
Almost there. Just a few more slices.
There.
Eva let out a relieved sigh. The strange beast was free.
A howl ripped through the air seconds later. It sounded like a harsh wind rushing over the mountains, picking up speed and fury as it continued.
Eva pushed herself up onto all fours, her braid swinging forward as she looked around her.
The creature bounded up onto her shoulder, its little paws clinging to her clothes as it talked excitedly to itself with high-pitched squeaks. The two tails thrashed as it yipped.
"Is that howling for me or you?" she asked it, finding her feet and brushing the dirt from her hands.
There was an emphatic yip as the ground under Eva began to shift and undulate.
She swayed, trying to keep her balance before staggering forward several feet. Still the ground moved, rising as Eva started to run.
Something was happening. The land raged as the sound of rock grinding against rock reached her.
She staggered onto ground that remained blessedly still. She glanced back, her eyes widening at the sight to greet her. The part of the ridge where she'd taken her rest was no more. A gaping wound of dirt lay before her as a tall being rose from the exposed ground, roots and grass tearing as rocks and dirt cascaded off its body.
Eva's gaze rose, up and up, to the stone giant with a blanket of green on its head. Its mouth opened on a loud moan.
She took a step back, unable to reconcile what her eyes assured her was true. Part of the ridge she'd spent the morning traversing was actually the creature's body. He rose from his bed, pulling free of the roots.
The small fox creature pulled on her hair, yipping a warning as its tails lashed.
Eva decided he had the right idea seconds before the stone giant turned blind, white eyes at her. Red sap, which looked disturbingly like blood, spilled down from the cut roots.
The thunderous crash of stone colliding with rock came from his open mouth. A howl of anger.
She took that as her cue to run, racing away as his fist lifted and then thudded into the ground where she’d been standing.
"You're already more trouble than you're worth," she shouted at the two-tailed beast clinging to her.