Wings in the Darkness

Rainfall

Mila was scared.  Jenin hugged her protectively.  Hawla smiled at the siblings as she kept her bow out.  The black rain started falling hard outside the cave.  The old widow put her bow away, as did the rest of the women.  No goblins would be coming.  She doubted even they would survive the poison falling outside.

And the chances of Kareen and Lailen surviving were slim too.

Hawla looked at Jenin and Mila.  Could it be they were about to lose their aunt and more importantly their mother?  She looked at the person who had been hit with one drop of the poison form the sky.  She didn't look good.  Hawla looked back out at the swiftly falling rain.

For Jenin and Mila's sake, she hoped there was a chance of at least their mother Kareen surviving.

...

TWANG!  Kareen's bow shot left and right through the trees, taking down goblins on all sides!  Lailen struck any that flew close as she and Kareen dodged goblins and rain!  Of course, no matter how good they were at flying, no eagle men or women could avoid rain forever.  Raindrops kept hitting them, and they were weakening. 

As a few clangs sounded with Lailen dueling one goblin though the air, Kareen turned over and shot an arrow backwards, only to see the rain falling behind them.  It was picking up speed!

Have you ever seen rain fall in one area, but not in another?  It was happening now, only this time the area that was raining heavily was moving closure and closure to the pair of them.  A few goblins were already being drenched in it, falling from the air and rolling to the ground convulsing!

Kareen turned over and shouted, "Lailen!  We need to find shelter now!"

Lailen, though weakened, dispatched the goblin she was fighting and sped on.  Kareen kept shooting her bow at goblins, but she felt a few drops, along with herself weakening.  Lailen didn't look much better.

The faster rainfall was approaching!

Kareen knew she couldn't outrun rain.  Goblins flying behind her were already dying in it!  Many goblins that were left gave up the pursuit of the two of them, flying off, but not before a few patches of sunlight broke out.  The cloud was clearing, but not fast enough!  The rainfall was still getting closer.

As Lailen and Kareen flew through the trees, desperately searching for something to protect them from the approaching wall of rain, goblins flew into the patches of sunlight and burst into brilliant white flames!  So that's why goblins fear sunlight!  Kareen thought, but that was no help to them now.  Even as the rest of the goblins fled, the two of them still had to outrun the rain.

A few more drops hit them, and they slowed, getting weaker by the minute.  The wall of rain was getting closure!

"There's a cave!" cried Lailen.

Kareen looked and sure enough there was a cave!  They flew towards it weakly, tired from the poison.  The wall of poison rain was almost within reach!  Closure and closure they got to it, the majority of the rain was at their heels when...

They made it in!

They crash landed inside, the rain pouring outside.  Kareen, weak from the few drops of poison that had hit her, rolled over on her back, wings spread out.  She closed her eyes and remembered no more.