Gift- Book 1

Chapter 34

"I know," Hania murmurs, her voice cracking. She laughs unexpectedly, "You're just too good of a storyteller when you have to be. So that emerald may as well be the culprit?"

"Not the emerald itself," she stops before adding on, mulling over her words. "The birds and the man are to blame. But the emerald is certainly something to be wary of. I'm not entirely sure why I put that thing on displaying that tree, but it might be because I still have a small attachment to it. It was a gift after all,"

Hania sits up straight, rubbing her blotchy face. "Oh also, Heron's dropping out of the team," she mutters.

Leiea nods. "Ryn is too. I think it's just left with Sheyric, Vaeic, you and me now," she laughs softly. "You better be nice to me on those ventures. Ryn usually was there to help, and it's time for you to." Hania gazes at her and flashes a sweet smile.

"I won't let any more harm come to you." She says, and puts her hand on Leiea's arm with a gentle touch. "It's not right. That attack on the village was enough for a lifetime."

"Thank you."

She feels Hania's hand travel to her shoulder and neck. As it reaches her face, they lean into each other.

The kiss lasts longer than Leiea would've thought, but it's too good and foreign to let go of. Imagining how Sheyric would react gives her almost as much pleasure.

A loud and growling bird call starts outside, followed by what sounds like heavy winds. Hania pulls away and Immediately stands up, walking out the tent. She gasps and Leiea takes it as a queue to follow. The scene makes her want to cry and scream, and Hania stays paralyzed in fear.

The bright white sky is obscured by figures of the fire birds, little red and orange dots all over. Among them are pillars of smoke rising from the other side of the encampment.

Leiea only has time to dive into a pile of branches with Hania in tow as one of the birds dives for them, flames shooting from its maw. The freezing wood snaps painfully on her arms and face. Hania crashes in beside her.

More of the wind noises- which is definitely just fire whipping around- engulf the two, putting painful burns onto their backs and legs.

Leiea suppresses the scream and she hears Hania climb from the pile. Looking out, she finds her unsheathing a knife from her belts and charging at the bird, which is sitting on a stack of wood. The knife is sent flying with a battle cry and becomes lodged into the creature's throat. Leiea it's instantly relieved that Hania has the same accuracy with a knife as an arrow.

The initial surge of adrenaline gradually passes, and screams from all around the camp reach Leiea's ears. She fully climbs out of the branches and leaves over a pile of tools. Running down the path is agony with the burns.

She's almost to the opposite side of the village when she turns a corner to Ryn's tent. The smoke is much heavier in this area so she pulls her collar over her nose and mouth. A woman runs by her, appearing to be escaping a burning tent. Leiea flips open Ryn's tent, ignoring the bird perched on it.

He's sitting on the cold ground, curled up in a ball and breathing heavily. Seeing Leah brings immediate relief to his eyes, and he stands up and rushes to her.

They run back out without a word to find Hania right outside. "We're not safe with all this flammable material around us," she practically has to yell over the commotion. Without needing to elaborate, the three of them run into the empty fields surrounding the camp. Out of the corner of her eye, Leiea spots their horses, Odenne and Craith, still tethered and prancing wildly. She feels a pang of guilt from having forgotten them.

She turns around and gets to them without mentioning it to the other two. The smoke and activity burns her lungs and she reaches the horses in pain. Odenne comes up to her first, already comforted and sniffing her hair while she untethered them. She pats her neck and and approaches Craith, who snorts but slowly recognizes her. She swings a leg up onto the beast to ride him, leading Odenne behind on a rope.

Ryn catches up to Leiea first, without Hania. "She left to get her bow. I tried to stop her..." he says, sounding defeated. She waves it off. Certainly she could be trusted with going in there to get her best weapon.

As they wait, more people Appear walking out of the camp, staying in all different areas of the fields. Yet, as more people leave more, birds appear. It's hard to say with the low clouds and haze of smoke, but they seem to be coming from the forest. Each group looks to have more numbers.

More and more tents go up in flames, burning to the ground with everything else in it. Leiea is the most disturbed by how many people are dying. If there were only 30 or 40 people to begin with, what is it at now? The most likely estimate is 20. She wonders if patients like Therin and Ailpein were rescued.

Hania appears walking out of the haze, wielding her bow and a body hoisted over her shoulder. Leiea pushes Craith forward to investigate. She throws the bow and quiver arrows on the ground and sets the body next to it. Leiea immediately gapes who it is.

Sheyric writhes on the grass, coughing violently and clutching his ribs. In his other hand is his trusty rifle. All his exposed skin and clothes are coated in neon red blood she knows is from the birds. Even newer cuts streak his arms, burns landing everywhere else. He finally quieted down and sits up, taking in the surroundings and who's around him.

Still looking at Sheyric, Leiea addresses Hania, jumping off of Craith. "How were you able to carry him for nearly a mile?"

She grins and laces her fingers together, proud of the feat. Suddenly, Odenne appears by her and Craith. The horse smells Sheyric and nudges him with her giant snout. He laughs and hugs her.

Leiea remembers Ryn and turns to talk to him about what happened. He's no longer beside her, A few yards away and staring into the distance. She approaches him slowly and taps shoulder.

His dark eyes are open wide. Pointing to the same, distant area, he mutters, "Is that something to worry about?"

Leiea follows where he's pointing. In the middle of the beige grass fields is a man, appearing is nothing but a silhouette so far away. Something easily seen, though, is that he is seated in a chair, legs crossed and wearing a top hat. Her stomach drops and her heart begins pounding.

She spins around and runs to Sheyric, pulling him into a standing position. He clutches his rifle and looks around expectantly.

"It's-" She isn't able to finish her thought.

Sheyric's expression goes slack as booming laughter starts behind them. "Me," the same voice says, it's Florithe accent thick, "It's... me."