"Is that really your idea of a lantern?"
Behind Leiea, Firyah scowls. Almost an hour ago, he'd picked up a branch from the ground and had Soteseg set fire to it. The darkness in the forest is too impenetrable for a stick burnt down to ash and embers. She'd already run into two trees.
She doesn't even know where the emerald could be. Wherever she exited the forest last time is where it be, set into a knot in the tree. She clenches her fist and dodges a large bush.
"I don't know where it is," Leiea finally says. Firyah raises an eyebrow, appearing more panicked than before.
"You said you did."
"I know it's in here, and I know where it last was, but I have no way of knowing what part of the forest it is in."
The king pauses for a moment. "It would've been much more ideal if you just told me that an hour ago. Describe the area."
"I put it in the knot of a large tree near the outskirts of the forest. That's all I know."
He nods sharply once and Soteseg caws. The bird then jumps off his shoulder and glides through the trees on their right. In the pitch black, his feathers appear to be glowing.
"Now we wait." Firyah says. He leans back on a tree and stares at Leiea. She's been refused to acknowledge it, but the wounds on her head have been making her vision worse. The overall pain coupled with the constant adrenaline rush all day left her skin tingling and her heart rate dangerously high. Her attempt to stand still to wait is met with trembling in her legs.
Not long later, the rumbling call of Soteseg echoes through the trees, and Firyah grins. "Let's see if he got it the first time."
The king waves his hand and the air waves again, before plunging into darkness. Leiea grunts and falls down again, the breath knocked out of her. Over her stands Firyah with Soteseg on his shoulder.
He shakes his head. "I've done that twice today and you still can't stand up after," He straightens his back and walks around her, flipping his flowing cape into her face. She doesn't bother standing up completely, but props up on her elbows.
Firyah stands in front of a knotted tree and puts his hands on his hips. "So ceremonial," he says, "to put something you hate so much on display. I'm not complaining, though, it's just easier for me."
He reaches forward and dislodges the emerald from the tree, producing a sharp cracking sound. He curses and snorts, looking down at the jewel in his hand.
"So much for perfect," The king turns around and throws it at Leiea, and it lands on her stomach. She picks it up. The edges of the emerald are now full of hairline cracks, and she suddenly feels proud that she secured the thing so well.
"You deserve it." She scowls, and throws the emerald back to him. He catches it with both hands and shrugs.
"It's something, and that's all that matters. Alright, come on. I bet you'll enjoy watching the process." He flashes a nasty smile and waves his hand again. This time, Leiea is expecting it, closes her eyes firmly and plants her feet in the ground.
A few seconds pass before Firyah talks. "Good, you got the hang of it." Soteseg on his arm makes a rough crow-like noise.
She opens her eyes to find them standing in the same spot before they went into the forest. The sky is now cloud-free and lighter than before, with the bright moon and nearing dawn. Looking all around, she sees a large figure moving on the horizon where the encampment ruins would be. Without sparring Firyah a glance, she sets off running.
Leiea was never the strongest runner or athlete compared to the other kids in the village. But she was always known for being faster than everyone when panicked, scared, or even injured, like she is now. Through the bitter wind, she hears Firyah yell for her to come back, like an irritated father.
Already close, she clearly sees the figure as Craith, alone in the fields and far from the ruins. She stops in her tracks, confused and surprised. She doesn't move fast enough to avoid Soteseg.
The huge bird descends on her, talons first. She screams as they streak across her nose and cheek. Blood pools and drips into her mouth and she spits it in the bird's direction. Soteseg suddenly shrieks and crumples to the ground.
Leiea snaps her head to the side to find Hania, on top of Odenne. Her bow is still raised, Ailpein's sword strapped to her side. Leiea runs forward, overcome with relief, and Hania helps her jump onto the horse. They start moving at a galloping speed, the same way Leiea came.
"Thank you."
Hania smiles and detaches the sword, handing it to her. Leiea checks the pommel, finding the spot in the metal empty. With the counterweight gone, even such a light blade is off balance in her hands. She glances up to see Firyah approaching them. Hania loads her bow and aims it at him.
He narrows his eyes at Leiea. "I'm glad Soteseg got one last attack in," he says. "Wipe your face, girl. And please tell me," he struts forward and looks at the emerald still in his hand. He stands right next to them and Odenne, but Hania doesn't move the bow.
He leans forward, his chin nearly brushing Leiea's leg. "Did you or did you not kill my bird?"
She doesn't move or shift her gaze, and she feels more blood drip down her face. She thinks of Sheyric bursting into the caravan covered in burns, scratches and blood, shocking her beyond belief. But now he's gone, and she's the one being disfigured by the king's monsters.
"I didn't. You know you have enough of those things to populate all of Kiira. Take another one as you-"
Leiea tenses and Hania shoots the bow, her hand barely moving. She digs her heel into Odenne's side and the horse picks up speed before they can look at the damage.
She manages to turn around, finding Firyah clawing at the base of his neck, where the arrow sticks out. On the ground in front of him is the emerald.
"Turn around!" Leiea yells in Hania's ear. She flinches and nods, but the expression she casts over her shoulder is unsure. They gallop back to the king, whose hands and clean clothes are covered in blood. With his opposite arm, he clenches his fist in the air.
Odenne whinnies and keels over, and Hania falls off with a shriek. Leiea, being behind her, manages to jump off safely and rushes to her.
Hania grunts and picks herself up before Leiea can help. Without the bow in her hands, she grabs an arrow from her rattling quiver and stabs it towards Fiyahs gut. Leiea turns away and looks at Odenne.
The giant horse is completely still, not her tail, eyes, or ear twitching. Leiea pats the creature's warm side and notices the empty hilt of the sword under her, and she pulls it out. A few feet away lays the bow, but it's too far to get too and probably broken from being launched from such a distance. Leiea notices the lack of the king's ranting and turns back around.
Hania and Firyah are standing in the same spot. Hania has both hands clutching the arrow, putting enough force forward to easily kill. Firyah has his hand only an inch from the arrowhead, using his power to stop it. His other hand is holding the other arrow still sticking out of his shoulder.
Leiea runs forward, barely managing to hold onto the sword. She grabs onto the arrow in his shoulder and pulls it free, creating a horrible ripping sound that makes her gag. He screams as blood flows from it heavily, but weakly throws his hand up. The motion is nothing compared to his usual forceful movements, but she feels the breath stolen from her lungs for a brief second before coming back.
At the same time, his opposite hand falters in concentration. Hania's constant exertion of force comes forward at once, and the arrow plunges into his stomach. He screams again but appears unable to move his arms enough to affect them. He crumples to the ground with a pained groan.
Leiea glances at Hania, and she nods as if reading her mind. She stands above the king and sets the tip of the sword on his sternum. He flinches and scowls, his breathing impossibly fast. The blood pouring from his shoulder pools on the cape strewn around him.
She didn't believe him about being any like any other human. But now she sees it, sees his human pain and human defeat and human weakness. She rubs the cold hilt of the sword and looks out over the surrounding, troubled. Craith's still prancing around, further back than before.
The deep blue of dawn over the forest draws her attention. She thinks of how this day went from kissing Hania, to a bombing over the encampment and last shelters, then a war with monsters, then kissing Sheyric, then watching him disappear before accepting that Firyah will win the fight. Now he's in her grasp and dying slowly. Her throat tightens and tears start flowing down her face.
Leiea's snapped out of it when Firyah reach with both hands up to her. His trembling hands grab the cross-guard. She tries to talk but makes a small choking noise.
He snorts. "Save your tears," he says. He looks at the sword boring into her clothes and he positions it further right, in between his ribs and above his heart. Leiea covers her face and reaches for Hania. She takes her cold hand and hugs her from behind,
She doesn't watch it happen, but she forces the ringing in her ears to go away, and the noise of it is enough to make her sob. Hania finally pats her back and pulls away. She looks up to watch Hania but shields her eyes from Firyah- what remains of him, at least.
Hania picks up the sword from the ground and walks back, handing it to her. "We keep this," she says, "and by Dorin, we don't clean it."
Leiea lets out a choked laugh and looks at the blade. It's covered in Firyah's blood, nearly dripping in it.
They walk back to the encampment's ruins holding hands, leaving his corpse in the field under the rising sun. On the way, Hania gets Craith back to them and she lets Leiea ride him. She lays back on the horse and gazes at the sky, picking at the cuts on her face and under her hair.
She holds the sword up, inspecting it further. I'm a human. She thinks of what Firyah said so sullenly to her only an hour ago. It gets to your head.