I looked at the dark clouds. There was a rumbling sound far away from us. It looked like the dark clouds surrounded us. I felt raindrops on my arm again but this time it felt more like a shower of raindrops than the small drizzle of raindrops that Dax was whining about.
''Nemesis? What is happening?'' The air slowly grew chilly and cold and it felt like all the happiness in the world was disappearing. I felt my veins go icy as I saw black dots start to appear out of the clouds.
''I do not have a good feeling about this. Why were we here again?'' Dax turned to Nemesis.
''Guys! Look! Something is coming!''
Nemesis and Dax turned their head in the same direction I was looking. ''This should be good.'' Dax reacted sarcastically.
''Not funny!'' I reacted to Dax. Both of the guys started to annoy me at this point.
Nemesis hadn't said anything. He just started at the clouds.
''So, What are we doing?'' I asked.
''That is the only way to Pavrax.''
''We'll wait, let's find some cover. We fly when the storm has passed'' Nemesis said. Nemesis flew to the ground spotting a cave.
I felt like hours had passed but the storm kept getting worse. ''So, how long do you think we need to stay here?'' I asked. My head rested on my knees which were pulled up against my chest. Dax was laying next to me while Nemesis was standing at the entrance of the cave. He was awfully quiet. ''I don't know.''
That was an answer I heard a lot these days. I couldn't even worry about my shit. There was no time or space. All my previous plans went to waste when we were called on this mission. next to that I haven't even visited my mother. The last time I saw her was over a year ago. I planned to say goodbye but somehow we ended up in some kind of war.
''I wonder how the lions are doing. Do you think they signed the contract?'' Dax asked.
''I think they will. If they told the truth about the fire at least, and if they want peace with the knights. Otherwise, the knights are allowed to find out who killed Jayden.'' I answered. Revenge was taught as something bad, something you shouldn't even think about. It is impossible to ask something like that so there are still rules. Knights may handle it and most of the time if the person in the wrong runs, they are allowed to kill. Not that Enora would kill. She was so sweet. She was probably heartbroken hearing the news about her brother. Nemesis pulled me out of my thoughts.
''It stopped raining. So, the wait is over. Most of the storm has passed. Let's fly to Pavrax''
Up in the sky, the air still felt cold. Almost icy. It was probably past midnight because we couldn't see the details of the clouds anymore. There were still sounds of thunder and small strays of lightning appeared now and then. The storm didn't seem the cause any trouble until it started raining again. The heavy breeze became a storm and the thunder and lighting increased until I could not see any more details except Nemesis and Dax who were flying in front of me.
As if the world went slow and stopped moving around us I saw black figures lit up by the lighting. My breath caught in my throat. Was I seeing this correctly? The figures were flying. Neither Dax nor Nemesis paid attention to it as if I was the only one who was seeing this.
Out of the blue something caught on to Nemesis. Both of them crashed down in a spiral at a high speed. ''Nemesis!'' I screamed. ''Fuck!'' Dax yelled.
More dark figures started to appear from the clouds. The figures came toward us at full speed. When it was only a few meters out of range, I saw the wings of the figure. At that very moment, I questioned everything the lynx told us about. Caligo.
I had no longer the chance to think as one of the figures slammed right into me. He grasped my throat with his dark hands, covered in some kind of mud. We dropped down at full speed. His entire skin was grey, his wings dark and broken. But what caught my attention were his eyes. No pupils just some white and red skin. Scars all over his face. I gasped trying to catch my breath as we dropped down. The speed made it impossible for me to open my wings.
''Nova!'' I heard Dax somewhere above me. My vision started to blur. Shit. No way in hell that this thing is going to kill me. I thought. My arm started to light up, pumping magic through my veins. I broke free from the dangerous thing and slammed my fist against his head. I opened my wings and pushed the figure away from me with my legs as I hit the ground. This made me roll backward. I got up to my legs too fast and made me dizzy. That thing just tried to kill me. Next to me landed Dax. His eyes are wide from the shock. ''You okay?'' I nodded. The sound of rustling leaves underneath someone's feet made me look straight ahead.
I made myself ready to strike again both our markings lit up.
The dark figure strolled out of the bushes. His gaze fixed on both of us. For the first time, we got a good look at the stranger. He had many features of a knight but everything was dark, his markings faded like a spot of ink on paper. His wings were broken. I started to question how he could even fly. It was as if smoke was coming from him. I glared at the thing. The thing even reacted to it. It made a soft sound as it kept looking at us.
"What's that?" I asked Dax softly. The figure just looked at us. As if he was thinking about whether to attack or not. The figure looked up and then it looked straight at me. If that was even possible without his pupils. It felt like he was piercing through my soul.
''Darkness...comes'' he spoke in a rasped voice. ''Light...will....fall....''
''What is he talking about? What light?'' Dax asked bewildered.
Within seconds the figure threw itself forward to reach for my throat once again with its hand. Shreds of memories flowed through my mind. People around me were screaming. Memories I didn't recognize.
''Faniks! You don't know if you'll survive!'' I heard Dax but he seemed far.
"We'll find a different way!"
"This is the way Nova, this is why I was born." The flashbacks were hazy. I saw a shadow that fell over us. I couldn't take another breath.
''Find the sleeping lion, only then you can rise from the ashes of the phoenix.'' I tried to stay alive in the unknown memories. I saw different types of shapeshifters, lions, wolves, and hyenas like memories from a past life, they danced around me like a white glow.
"Nova, when the time comes. You will rise from the ashes of the phoenix. The light will return. But if you fail, eternal darkness will fall upon the kingdoms.'' The voice didn't scare me like the nightmares that I had. I felt new energy flow through me. I called to my magic. The fire started to appear from my arm wrapping and covering it.
''Time to burn this motherfucker. Ignis.'' With a burst of fire, the figure disappeared into ashes. ''Holy goddess.'' Dax puffed. ''You kicked some ass.'' Our victory was for a short time when I heard Nemesis call out to us.
''Where is he?'' I heard Dax Yel. ''I can't see him.'' In between the threes, I spotted Nemesis fighting against whatever these things are.
I opened my wings to fly to help Nemesis.
''Dax, Nova. Regroup!'' I flew to Nemesis fast with Dax right behind me. The figures surrounded us. It made it impossible to fly through. It looked like a hurricane but black from the creatures and the storm made it not much better.
''Are you okay?'' I flew next to Nemesis. Nemesis had a big cut right above his eye. He looked unraveled from the attack. ''I have felt better.'' Nemesis gave me a small smile but it looked pained underneath his mask. ''Listen to me, these things hate fire. Use it.'' Nemesis did not have to tell us twice. When more black knights came we started to burn them down one by one.
'' If they touch you they take your magic. So stay away from them.'' Dax shouted knocking one of them down followed by a giant bowl of fire.
I nodded. ''Let's go!'' We flew apart creating space so that we wouldn't hurt each other in the process.
''Nova, I have a plan. We will create a ring of fire. If it explodes right in the storm we will burn them all together.''
''Copy that!'' I nodded
''Ignis'' A ball of fire started to form. I kept my hand up right to the middle where the ball started to grow. Nemesis joined in powering up the ball of fire with his stream of fire.
''If this goes wrong we will burn a hell of a lot more than those creatures,'' I yelled referring to the giant forest under us.
''Then make sure it goes right!'' Nemesis shouted back. ''We can do this! Concentrate on your energy. Let it flow. Make it feel natural. Use your instincts''
I did as Nemesis told me. Our markings lighting up more than ever. Even our wings started to glow at the immense power that we were using. I tried to stay in my position but the creatures made it impossible. Grasping us and trying to get closer. ''Dax hold them off!'' Nemesis yelled. Dax flew above us. ''On it!''
The thunder and lighting caught onto the fireball. Shit. I felt it. The power of darkness, imbalance. Starting to corrupt the fireball. It was only then that I noticed a light just underneath us.
Red wavey hair that glowed in the dark. Surrounded by fire in the form of a phoenix. ''Need some help?'' She screamed.
''No! Stay out of this. This is a mission for the knights only.'' Nemesis shouted back at her. Nemesis's eyes shined a new emotion I hadn't seen in a while.
''I'm sorry. But I can't. Your fire won't do anything.'' the redheaded spoke.
''No, whatever you are planning don't it will cause imbalance to everything!'' Nemesis screamed at her.
''What are you planning?'' She just looked at me. Her eyes glowed bright red.
''Something that you will hate me for.''
She took over the ball. We lost all control of the magic we used. I felt it slip through my hands. She started to fill it with her magic. How could she have the powers of the phoenix and still be a shapeshifter?
''Nova get out of there now!'' I looked into the eyes of Nemesis. Fear and worry showed. What was he so afraid of? Before I could do anything everything burned up. I saw everything go in slow motion. The impact of the ball that exploded formed a ring of fire. The creatures scorched to ashes. The outburst pushed me far away from everyone. It blew me away. Only to hear the sound far after.
It knocked me out. I came back to my senses when I felt myself still falling. I tried to make sense of what I was seeing. I couldn't. There was no sign of Dax or Nemesis. I was blown away for kilometers.
Everything went past me. I couldn't control the fall or use my wings. I felt blood pump through my skull causing a headache.
I looked over my shoulders. Crap. Broken wing. I was going so fast that when I turned around I hit the ground. My skin burnt away as I landed on the grass. My head pounded and everything was blurry. I opened my eyes once again trying to clear my vision. The storm was still above my head. I needed to find Nemesis. Dax. Where are they? My vision started to go black leaving me in the forest alone and unprotected. This was bad, very bad.
✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧ ✧