As Above, So Below

Falling

Down and down and down. Wind roared in my ears, my breath was stolen from my lungs. All I could do was scream. 

I woke up in bed, drenched in sweat, my hair felt matted. I looked left and right, starlight was filling the sky still. I checked the clock beside my bed and in its glowing letters '12:54'. I groan as I fall back. I wouldn't be able to fall asleep after that. I pull the matches out from my besides table and strike one. A dancing flame blooms to life, and I use it to lite my lantern before dousing the match. The dancing light brings new shadows alight in my room. I drink in my small room. My small bed was pushed against a wall, my desk next to the foot of it, on the wall next to it is my window. My closet is there on the next wall over with the wood engravings, and a door is next to it that would lead me to the rest of the apartment I shared with my family. I slide out of bed causing my great beast of a dog to growl, his fur puffing up. 

"Shhh, its okay Beau." He settles himself down as I walk into my closet lantern in hand. I pull the creaking door open and I pull out socks, a thick white button down, a navy trench coat, brown pants and my boots. I slip on my clothing before taking out the large bow and my quiver. I pull my hair back into a bun and I shiver as the sharp chill bites into my skin from my open window. I settle my feet onto the window sill before grabbing hold of the top of the window frame. I hoist myself up with a grunt feeling the splintered wood bite into my calloused hands. I'm onto of it now, barley balancing. I pull my aripi from the thin nook I found. Plain, simple, and common I stared at them. The thick material was there, joined at the top. It had its plain gradient of purple, light to dark. I strapped them on and dug into my pockets before pulling out my goggles. I slipped them over my neck before pulling them over my eyes and I jumped down. The aripi spread out and with a loud woosh, the wings had fully spread and I was flying, I wasn't falling like before. Down and down I spiraled, past the city, around the buildings before getting to the forest and I landed in a tall tree. I slipped off my aripi and goggles. I pulled the bow out and notched an arrow, then I waited. The stars were shifting, moving downward as I saw it. It was a massive beast. A bhàis. Its body was like that of an elk, but so mach rarer, so much more magic coursed through its veins. Three eyes, two sets of horns one set slanting downward against its neck, another set spiraling above it. It was gray and white molted in color. Their hornes had a silvery sheen to them and I pulled my bow farther back. There was a small whistle as it flew out and a deep thud and the arrow landed in the side of the bhàis. It let out a pitiful wail and the bhàis collapsed. I picked up the aripi before I begun dragging the  on. Its third eye, a bright gold stared onward looking endlessly into the sky above. Pinks, yellows, and purples were painting the sky above as I reached the cottage. My muscles burned and I was panting. I knocked twice before the door was thrown open and I was met with amber eyes. 

"Macaria! There you are, come in come in!" I sighed 

"Can I get a bit of help first Rhys?" He shook his bronze hair before dragging the beast in fully. He let out a low whistle.

"A bhàis Macaria, " He turned to look at me franticly waving his arms "Do you know how much these go for!"

"Yes Rhys, yes I do." 

"Four hundred thousand gheata!" I rolled my eyes a small smile playing on my lips. I felt the butterflies fill my stomach seeing him like this. 

"Yes I know. But I need it" He turned to look at me

"What. . ."

"I need the bhàis' third eye." I nod towards it. I tried to keep rational, so I spoke slowly like I was talking to a child. 

"B-but with it we could get out of Dals! We could go somewhere else, all of us. We could get Cercia, Birdy, even Maes!" He looked at me "Why are you being so selfish!" I felt the butterflies die where they flew. 

"I want to get us above." I spoke sharply heat flushing my face and anger bubbling over. 

"What?" Disbelief laced his voice

"In the library! I found this book, we needed the third eye of an Bhàis, Skeen skin, Roan feather. . .drake flame.. ." I racked my brain for the rest "The book said there was an arch, we get all of this and we burn them we can get through!"

"Macaria, you and I both know the above isn't real. Why would a perfect place exist?" I felt tears welling up and I clasped my hands in a pleading gesture to Rhys as he towered above me

"Please Rhys. Please, if we do this, if the Above is real, Maes could get healed! We could save him!" Rhys growled and picked me up before throwing me out, and I felt the hot tears rush down my face as his warm amber eyes began to glow with fury, the small rocks around me began to float. 

"No. That is nothing much more than a fairytale Macaria. And you are talking about gambling Maes' life away! You would let him die because of you chasing a fanstasy?!" He was screaming now as he glared at me. I took a deep breath and I said one thing. 

"Fine. I will not fight, and I will go alone. Take the bhàis." I stood up and I grabbed him by his shirt collar and pressed a kiss to his mouth. I turned on my heel and walked away. More tears ran down.