Xoris

Chapter Nine

"I don't know Luke, it seems a bit high," I mentioned, staring up at the tree in the Warden's yard.

"Nonsense!" Luke slapped a hand on my back, "You can do it, then Alaina won't be able to find you so easily when it's your turn to hide."

I pouted, adjusting the collar of my meringue-coloured tunic that Luke had knocked to the side. "I told you, I'm much better as a seeker anyways." The tree loomed before me, intimidating in its size, so much taller than my childish body.

"Yeah, and we're all tired of getting found in two drips. Now stop making excuses and just go already." He put his hands on my back again, this time pushing me towards the tree. With the trunk already only the breadth of a finger away from my face, I sighed.

Shakily, I reached up to a branch right above my head, bracing my boots against the bark. It took a lot more effort than I was used to, but as I pushed from my feet and pulled from my arms, I started to make some progress, until I was sitting on a limb maybe a single stride above Luke.

"See? I knew you could do it," he cheered. "Now hang from your knees. It's fun; it feels like flying!"

"I- I'm not sure if I want to do that," I answered. The ground was already so far away... and if I fell... I clutched the branch I was on tighter, shaking my head.

"Come on, I do it all the time, and I'm fine. You won't fall, I'll make sure of that."

"All right..." I responded. Flipping my body around, I hooked my knees over the edge of the limb, and, taking a deep breath, let my body fall back until I was hanging in the air, arms and hands drooping down.

"See, what did I tell you? Fun, right?" I nodded in agreement, feeling a bit strange with my head upside-down. A sense of pride filled me, almost covering up the small amount of fear. I could climb trees!

"You better be watching him, Luke." I heard Alaina call out from the side. "You're older so if he falls it's your fault." She tossed her dark braid over her shoulder with a huff.

"I am watching him!" Luke argued, whipping his head around to face her. "If he falls I'm right here." It was at that moment that my knees began to shake. They suddenly felt so much more tired. I was slipping, I was going to fall, but the scream caught in my throat as my legs were wrenched from the tree.

"Xoris! Are you all right?" Luke's shout yanked my head out from somewhere that had been dark and dizzying. Now I could feel the back of my head hurting, and the sight of a rock coated in emerald blood caught the corner of my eye.

"Luke you ashclaeve I said watch him now his head is bleeding!" Alaina was yelling, oddly more panicked than I felt. I just wanted to sleep, and as the Warden was called over, the last sounds I remembered were the 'tsk' that came as he examined the injury, and him telling Luina that it was going to leave a mark as I passed out in his built arms.

𓂀

"Are you quite satisfied with yourself, Stained?"

"I-I'm sorry!" Xoris held up his hands, breaking eye contact with the Fae woman if only to regain himself. "I didn't mean to break anything. I only wanted to speak with your rulers-"

"I am one of the rulers, and I have nothing to say to you. Goodbye." She lifted a hand, but Xoris reached forward, taking hold of her pointing finger.

"But this is important, so please hold your majik for a moment?" It came out as a question. Why had he done that? He really shouldn't make contact with someone who could quite possibly shoot a hole through his hand.