Strange Beasts || Novella

XIII

Raina thought she would feel like a whole new person with that revelation, but the end of that momentary connection between the two of them snapped her back into reality. She might be an Empath, but it certainly made no difference to the task that lay before them, which she reminded the two boys of when they wouldn't stop gaping.

Struggling to keep the smile off her face when Akkian called them both around an old map, she raised an eyebrow at her brother, the only indication of how strange their day seemed to be. The sun had dipped below the horizon, casting a night shadow over the grounds. The second night in a row that they had been away from Grammy and in this strange new world. But as they all agreed on the journey moving forward, Raina made a silent vow that before the first light of sun hit, she'd have found and safely retrieved their Grammy.

Of course both children were aware of the dangers that lay ahead of them, yet a sense of excitement couldn't help but glimpse through. Especially as they packed foods and supplies for the evening. Raina took the sensible option and made sure both of them had washed their face and scrubbed their feet before thinking about leaving. She also brushed through Rami's curls with her fingers and dusted down his clothes. The last thing they needed was a reproachful Grammy when they found her.

Clean, awake and ready for the rescue mission, both Raina and Rami approached the Beast. Akkian had already made his intentions clear that he would not be travelling on the Beast, partly due to the practicality of it all. They needed some method of transportation through the City after all. But Raina couldn't help but wonder whether the Knight was slightly afraid of the Beast. It did explain why he kept a reasonable distance between them both.

Before it got too dark they were off in the twilight, Akkian on his horse, which looked a lot like a normal horse except it was much larger and the mane glistened silver in the moonlight. Raina had no trouble getting both herself and Rami on the Beast again as they clutched onto the soft mane, burying their fingers into it. This time the Beast didn't have any wings, but looked like it did when they first met it.

"Are you sure you'll be able to keep up with us?" Rami had asked the Knight, for Akkian had yet to experience the speed that the Beast could travel at. Shaking his head at the child, Akkian scoffed in reply giving a gentle stroke to his horse.

"This here, is the fastest Beast in the land," he puffed up his chest with a wicked grin on his face. But as Raina raised an eyebrow at the knight, neither child seemed convinced at the declaration. A part of Raina felt the underlying challenge with that statement, which her Beast seemed to mirror.

"We'll see," she said wryly.

They shot off together, the part-lion-part-bear powerful creature darted off behind the stallion. At first it seemed Akkian was indeed correct with his statement, however, Raina with a small smile on her lips, delved her hands deeper into the mane focusing on her connection with the Beast.

Inhaling deeply, it wasn't difficult for her to connect with it again as she urged for the speed that they needed to spite the overly confident Knight. Rami sported a toothy grin as he gave a dumbfounded Akkian a wave as they passed him. The beads of concentration on his forehead were but a small indicator to the internal stress that trapped him.

"Changed your mind yet?!" Rami called over the rushing wind, his neatly combed hair now knotted. Akkian simply grunted in reply, his expression stony as he urged his Beast onwards. With a small giggle Raina relaxed her stance allowing the Beast to travel at an easy pace.

"Do you think Grammy is okay?" Rami asked in a small voice. Wrapping one arm around him and keeping the other on the Beast (though she didn't need to for they were perfectly safe), she gave him a tight squeeze.

"It's tough being the Keeper of the Stone, hey?" She said instead, unable to provide a simple answer to the question. Since it became clearer about how the Guardians manipulated their characteristics to best suit the situation, Raina decided to try her best to avoid lying to her brother. He deserved to know the truth, or as much of it as he desired.

"I thought there would be others," Rami admitted, his fingers tracing lines on his sister's palm. "I didn't realise the Kingdom was this broken," he mumbled resting his head back on Raina's chest. She pressed her lips against his hair giving him the comfort that both felt motherly and sisterly, for the child had no recollection of the former to know the difference.

"You know more about this Kingdom than you think. All those times you went looking for the Stone. Remember how you used to take your knights into battle if anyone would threaten them?" She asked, her own ears filling with the sounds of their combined laughter on a hot summer's day.

"That was all preten-" Rami started but a hand on his mouth stopped him from finishing the sentence.

"Whether something is real or not is not a decision made by you," she whispered echoing the words that Grammy had spoken to her. At first it didn't make any sense, but as the crazy adventure progressed it became clearer. Her duty was to act with what was rather than focus on what it should be.

A silent moment passed between them.

"We're going to find her Rami. Beastie here believes it too," Raina said finally, adding the last part with a small laugh. The shudder that came from underneath them was not the only indication that they received on the Beast's thoughts as it was quickly followed by a snort.

"We're approaching City Walls! Keep alert!" Akkian called from the left, his fingers pointing toward the distant light that had gotten brighter by the second. It was easier now to make out the large turrets and castle that lay in the heart of the City. Below that they'd find an entrance to Zendon that Akkian believed could be used for their stealthy entry.

The closer they got, the slower the Beast became. There was a sense of reluctance as each paw hit the ground. Just as Akkian had predicted, about a mile away from the City limits where the wall was close enough for them to see, the Beast came to a halt. Raina didn't want to believe that she would have to complete the rest of the journey alone, but there didn't seem to be another choice. As she slipped off, she turned to the Beast again, taking in the vibrancy of its mane that first attracted her attention.

"Be safe. We'll meet again," she whispered, pressing her forehead against the top of its nose. Maintaining her gaze, she combed through the fear and focused on the gratitude she felt for the Beast that had kept them safe. It was more than she could have asked for, but everything that she needed.

With that, the deep swirling eyes of the Beast fell back into the darkness as it disappeared into the night. Raina stared at the spot, inhaling deeply. She could still feel the connection between them and that for now had to be enough. Accepting Akkian's hand, she let him lift her up onto his Beast taking a seat behind Rami. Akkian covered them both with a cloak, advising them to keep their hoods up at all times and not to mutter a single sound.

The Knight himself took the position next to the Beast and walked with the horse towards the City gates. Raina allowed herself one more look back, knowing that somewhere out there her Beast was awaiting their safe return.