RED
There was only pressure. So much pressure that my eyes felt like they were going to pop out of my skull, that my ribs were straining and my organs were seconds from popping. I tried to scream, to push out and shout for help, but the scrambling mass spared no thought for those trapped beneath them. Rya's flames guttered beneath my fear, and there was only my pitifully weak body to call upon in my time of desperate need. And it was failing me, again —
Two leathery winged snapped out, knocking men over in droves. I shot up, bloodied arms trembling like fall leaves as I clutched my throat, gulping down the musty air.
"You're alright," the golden giant said, slapping my back. I coughed up something stringy and laced with blood, wincing as the spasms highlighted every new bruise in my body. "I've got you."
True to his word, Sol curled his wings around me like a protective shield, grabbing the hood of my cloak and hauling me upright. He proved a useful anchor as we forged through the crowd, leveraging the powerful muscle in his frame to steer away anyone who slipped through his wings and trampled too close to my feet.
By the time we rounded the corner, men and beasts alike were crawling up a rocky hill, clawing up the golden waterfall of light. There was something distinctly unnerving about the way they swarmed, kicking each other in the face and grabbing ankles for support, digging their claws and fingernails into each other's skin for purchase. Blood muddied the water at their feet, and I was quietly relieved when Sol led me to a nearby wall to wait out the commotion. Holbrom's voice cried out in a furious bid for order, but the men were beyond reason, grunting and wailing and sobbing as they were reborn into a new world, so bright and loud and hot it seared their senses and incapacitated their minds.
The quiet and responsible were left behind. Holbrom shouted orders for them to grab the wounded, and only when the last man was dragged into the light did he shoot me an apologetic look, dashing after them himself.
I understood. Even Sol, who'd gone above and beyond to protect me, was itching to be free of this dank prison. He rolled his shoulders and retracted his wings, the ire in his eyes cooling as it landed on the bodies strewn across the floor.
"Shall we?" he asked, fingers tightening on my waist.
I pulled out of his grasp, rushing to the fallen. Some of them were still moving, breath still gurgling in their throats. I dropped to my knees beside the closest man, pushing sweaty hair back from his crushed-in face. Blood was pooling in the whites of his eyes, and his leg was absolutely shredded, but still he tried to move.
So I tried, too. I tried to will my power into his body, to right what had been wronged. It shied away from the task, as if recognising the futility of the attempt.
"It's not fair," he whispered, shuddering violently. "I did everything she asked. I waited so long to see it."
"See what?" I asked, looking over my shoulder. I hadn't even realised I was asking a question until Sol shook his head. There's nothing you can do for him.
"The sun," the wounded man rasped. Tears welled in his eyes, spilling over his lashes and running tracks in the dirt on his cheeks. "It's been cold and dark for so long."
"Then behold it," I whispered, tears wetting my own cheeks as I cupped my hands in the air. Light concentrated in the middle of my palms, fuelled by the realisation that this wasn't fair. He'd been snatched from his life when it was only just beginning, and now he was choking on his own blood as freedom finally dangled before his eyes. That quiet, simmering anger made the buttery light turn gold, and the man's mouth fell open as he craned his neck back in wonder, basking in the first warmth he'd felt in decades, perhaps even centuries.
When mine was the only light reflected in his eyes, I let it fade, one last sunset for all those I was too weak to save. It was difficult to acknowledge that there was nothing I could do for them. I had been the person writhing on the floor, before, gasping for breath like a fish on land. I had railed against the unfairness of the world and cursed my body for trapping me in a world I could not participate in.
A low scrape slithered through the tunnels. I pivoted on my toes and saw ten men with hate in their eyes fanning out behind us, daring us to flee for the safety of the light. Two of them shifted into wolves, while the others hefted large rocks, clearly designed to crack open my skull.
"Just go," I said to Sol, letting my weary resignation show. "They're not interested in you."
Surprise flickered to life on his face, but it was swiftly tamped down by a warrior's focus. "But I'm so handsome and muscular," he said dryly, digging in his heels.
"Alas, they prefer me," I said, the ghost of a smile toying with my lips.
"Well I called dibs, so they can bugger off."
The wolves lunged first. There was no banter, no attempts at negotiation. Just pure violence, sloppy and swift. Sol's skin rippled as he ran out to meet them, scales flicking into place like a deck of cards, armouring him from their needle-sharp fangs. He grabbed the grey wolf's jaw with both hands, wrenching them apart with disturbing ease, snapping the bottom jaw clean off. It landed in the water with a splash that almost swallowed the creature's howl of agony as it dropped, writhing on the ground and pawing at its face in blind agony.
The black wolf learned to play the slow game from his friend's example, darting and slashing, always jumping back to maintain a healthy distance. Sol's eyes darted to the side as the men charged, opening his mouth to unleash a torrent of fire that scorched the rock at their feet. The harsh stench of minerals and sulphur flooded the cave and I brought my arm up to my face, coughing as I tried to cover my nose and mouth.
How was I supposed to find that perfect focus Gretchen was always rambling on about? I was certainly in the middle of a storm, but where was the eye of calm that would allow me to look upon the world with crystal focus and clear rationality? All I felt was dumb and terrified as the horde advanced, utterly useless as others took on the danger that was rightfully mine.
And then anger took hold, swift and bright. It wasn't fair that Sol — a man who barely knew me — was risking his life while I fumbled through mine! And then there was Sebastian and Rana, Gretchen and Eddy... They all deserved better, and frankly, so did I.
Fire burned in my heart. I let it shine, throwing my arms out as golden light poured from my skin. Thankfully Sol's back was turned, and it was only our assailants that cried out with pain. Their rocks clattered on the ground as they clawed at their smoking eye sockets, the smell of burning flesh mingling with the stench of brimstone.
Sol took advantage of the black wolf's distraction and launched him into the nearest wall, sending fissures through the rock. The wolf slumped to the ground and he grabbed its tail, flinging it into the rock again and again, until its spine cracked and its body went limp.
"That's enough!" I cried, grabbing his arm.
Sol shrugged me off, like I was nothing more than a pestering fly. An even uglier crack resounded as the fissures widened and spread through rock, splintering through the heart of the mountain.
"We have to go!" I exclaimed, beating on Sol's chest.
He backed away from the wall, shaking off the bloodlust like a sleepwalker coming to their senses. Sol's red-splattered face turned towards mine, bushy brows knitting as he marked the distance between us and the exit. Without warning, he swept me off my feet and slung me over his shoulder, wings sprouting to shield our heads from the tumbling rocks as he raced for the exit.
I welcomed every jostle and bump, for it meant we were getting closer to the exit, to safety. We made it through the opening just as the roof started caving in, stone clapping on stone, kicking up thick, billowing clouds of dust. I could have sworn that some of them froze midair for a second, glowing green as sunlight through pea-pods. A piercing sound rang through the din, eerily like my own name, but Sol breached the surface before I could figure out where it came from. The mountain shuddered and sealed itself for good, and I could only pray that those who hadn't made it out were crushed before they had the chance to become acquainted with their tomb.
I hadn't realized how much I missed the sun until I was lying flat on my back and felt its prickling heat on my skin.