Sword and Shield (GxG)

Chapter Twenty-Four : The Blazing Foray ~ Part Two : Rikhata-Nia

"What the hell happened?!" I growled as I half removed, half tore the muzzle off Akyra. She grumbled a little.

"A few men came from somewhere. I didnt even realize they were there until they dropped these stupid rocks on me, muzzled me, and vanished into thin air. Evangaline is gone... Isnt she? I cant move enough to see behind me with my wings pinned"

"Yes she is gone! I told you to protect her! The one thing I asked of you! How did you not see a raid large enough to drop boulders on you?!"

"If I knew would I say I didnt? Just get them off me!" I walked around to the rocks. They were fully on the membrane of her wings. I looked at the wing. Under the rock, the skin was bleeding badly, but nowhere else around it was there any trace of an object. They couldnt have been rolled on. They were dropped. And they were far too heavy for me to hope to lift.

"I dont know how I'm going to get these off... " I muttered.

"You dont what?!" Akyra seethed. "Get them off me! " Akyra demanded again, her tail lashing, sending up huge clouds of sand. 

"I cant!" I was wasting time trying to do something impossible when Evangaline could be dying right now! Whoever has her already has a head start, how am I supposed to catch up even if Akyra is freed? She cant fly and is too large to travel on the ground here. 

Wait.

The man from the first raid had said that Evangaline had a reason to run away now. Now, when the North was attacking. This could just mean she would not be safe here, but the North knows it would take a decent army to break into the castle. So what does that leave? What would make Evangaline run away? What would change all of it now? What does the North have that would chase Evangaline away? 

They're going to burn her. 

"Oh my god..." And the pieces came into place. The North knows it wont kill the Witch, but now everyone else will she what she is, blame her for setting the town on fire, and I cant help her because if I do they'll think I've taken the enemy side. This will tear apart the castle, the order of life here... "She is going to die"

"What?!" Akyra hissed.

"I have to go... They're going to burn Evangaline and she'll be killed!" my heart was hardly working, no longer giving me life, but pain in every constant beat. "I have to go find her! I have to help her!" 

"Then go. You cant help me anyway. I'd better have both of you back here alive to help me before tonight" she grumbled. I didnt even wait for assurance before I ran off. There were no tracks, no signs of Evangaline or her abductors, but if they were to burn her for everyone to witness, they'd do it in the most obvious place to look. Town square. Where the flames were most developed. 

The trail there was almost two miles, and an easy run on any normal day. But now the air was thick with smoke, ashes, and blazing heat. By the time I reached the square I was heaving for air not full of harsh blackness, I was sweating, trembling from exhaustion, burned, and had to fight hard not to drop to the ground when I saw what was happening. A large wooden pole, more than two feet in diameter, was embedded in the platform that had been the town's stage. The platform itself was now a bonfire. At its center, chained  to the wood was Evangaline, struggling desperately to escape. 

I prayed she wouldnt notice me, I was having a hard time focusing on how to get her out, and I didnt need the distraction of her begging me to move faster. She was in the middle of a flaming vortex, too hot for me to approach, so I couldnt pull the chains off. I didnt want to risk throwing stones at the locks, it was most likely going to get Evangaline hurt before any good came of it. I didnt have my fire-proof lizard to help me... If I could break the chain holding her hands above her head she would probably be able to wriggle out of the one around her waist. I just need a bow and arrow... And a spike of luck. 

I shoved my way through the gathering crowd. I knew a nearby place that had what I needed; war quality bows and arrows. I'd gotten what I needed in little time, using my new bow to jab anyone who refused to get the hell out of my way. I knocked one of the arrows and aimed for the sign on a nearby building, needing to make sure I was good with this set of weapons before I tried anything on Evangaline. Fortunately, these were not too different than what I'd used before.

"Evangaline!" I shouted over and over above the din of flames and the crowd, until her eyes locked on mine. "Dont move" I called, aiming. She stiffened, her eyes widened in horror. She was about to say something and move but I let the arrow loose and it hit its target. Now she could move her arms, though her hands were still tied together. She made her way out of the chain around her waist and stood trapped in the middle of the blaze. I threw down my weapons and got as close as I could to her, about fifteen feet away. 

"Run! Dont think about the fire, just run through them" I told her. She regarded me wholly with pure fear.

"You're insane!" She screamed.

"The flames will not hurt you. Please just trust me! I will explain later" I pleaded. If she kept waiting she would make it clear she didnt feel the searing heat of the fires all around her. She held her breath and took off through the flames.  

She didnt stop running once she'd cleared the blaze, so she knocked both of us to the ground. She didnt even try to move, she just clung to me with everything she could muster, her body shaking as she sobbed. I knew there were hundreds of townsfolk watching us. And I knew a good portion of them would react as Evangaline had to our slightest hint at something more than allies. 

"Evangaline... Not here..."  I whispered into her ear. She shook her head fiercely and did not move. I sighed and somehow managed to pull her into my arms, carrying her as I got to my feet. I carried her effortlessly back to the shore, bringing her closer every time anything made a noise, or she jumped. She seemed too light, like she weighed nothing and therefor didnt tire me.

When we got to the shore I didnt wait to return to Akyra, I set Evangaline's legs down, and had to support her weight as they were trembling badly. She hugged my waist with all the strength she had, and her force was rapidly decreasing. I held her as close as I could without harming her, her delicate body seemed now closer to breaking than ever. 

"You're okay, you're safe now. On my life I will never let anything like that happen to you again" I cursed the braid I'd put her hair in, I wanted to bury my face in it, take in her scent again, remind myself of what I had to lose if I was reckless. 

**I think I can add one more chapter tonight... Or at least start it. It will be from Evangaline... Either brace yourselves... or wonder why you're still believing me when I say something is gonna be awesome and let you down... Either way hope its good XD <3 Kira