This couldn't be happening.
Neighbouring tribes knew we were vulnerable without my father and his men, it was a cruel act to put us under siege at this time, especially at night when it was hard enough to see.
I didn't pay attention to Bow as I all but ran down the stairs and into the kitchen, heading straight for the back door.
"Keylin wait! You can't go out there-"
"I can't leave Baja out there." I turn around in frustration. Already hearing her wails of fear as she could sense the danger coming.
"She will be fine." Bow's gaze softens.
"She is safe in the-"
Ana's scream reverberates through the house making both Bow and I turn our heads in the direction of the living room silently. Bow's breathing becoming escalated as he grabs a knife from the kitchen worktop. Beginning to walk out of the kitchen and towards his mother's scream.
With a ruffle of frustration through my hair in contemplation, I turn and bolt out the kitchen door and into the garden. Not stopping in the midst of the attack filling the air as I reach the stable and unbolt the door. Quickly throwing it open and almost falling over when Baja makes contact with me. Her frantic voice filling my mind.
'So much anger and blood being spilled, all on Trainers hands. Hands are covered. Can't wash clean-'
"Baja.." I stop her rambling as I catch my breath. "We are under attack, there is people in our house-"
'Must leave now.'
I ignore her and make my way back into the house, much to her displeasure and whining, she follows me. Her jet black fur rising on her back as she growls into the threatening night at her surroundings.
"Bow!" I call out, quickly hearing footsteps coming towards me and Baja quickly comes beside me, taking a stance being ready to pounce on the intruder.
She relaxes when she spots Bow but growls at the bloody knife in his hand. My eyes widen at this and I'm about to step back when Bow quickly grabs my hand, bringing me into the sitting room.
My eyes fall on a crying Ana, clutching a bloody side of her cheek where she had been attacked. Her attacker laying on its front face down with multiple knife wounds inflicted onto his skin.
My stomach twists as I feel like vomiting at the sight. My mind somehow playing tricks on me as I stumble back in panic.
Bow takes the silver designed bow and arrows from the man and holds it out to me with an unreadable expression. Somehow knowing that somewhere down the line he would meet this fate.
"They're here for you Keylin-"
I shake my head at him repeatedly as my vision starts to blur. Bow seems to lose his patience and grabs my arm, pulling me closer to him despite my protests as he shoves the bow and their arrows into my hands.
"You need to protect yourself ok? Listen to me! They're here for you. They're going to take you away from us, away from your family, friends-"
"I can't fight them!" I protest, voice wavering as a tear rolls down my cheek.
"You have to." Bow replies as he quickly scrambles for his sword in the wooden cabinet. After quickly retrieving it, he grabs my hand and leads me out of the front door, Baja following suit on guard. Leaving Ana behind in her crying mess but something tells me she would be alright and Bow would be coming back for her.
This can't be happening.
"W-Where are we going?"
"I'm going to get you as far away from here as possible. They can't take you again. You're a Dry Lander Keylin. You belong with us-"
"I'm an elf too." I state quietly and I can feel Bow tense at this but he didn't say anything and kept running forward behind tents and trying to avoid the battle in the centre as much as possible.
We were yet to meet the first live elf. I wondered would I recognise him? Would he recognise me? What would he do?
It was forbidden to cross sectors. Why would they cross for me? They hated me...
My grandfather.
Corrin?
A yell startled me from my thoughts and I immediately stop in my tracks at the familiar scream. Bow turns to me wide eyed as he pulls me forward.
"We have to go-"
"Malakei's in trouble."
"Keylin no!"
I clutch the bow and arrows tight around my arm as I run through tents, following the scream of my best friend who could be being tortured right now because of me.
The attack reminded me so much of when the Dry Landers were raiding the elves that dark night in the High Peaks. It was dreary and filled with screams and fire, much like it was tonight. This made me realise that the Dry Landers, known for their brutality and murders, were not as bad as everyone made out to be. The elves were doing the same thing, killing, terrorising...all because of me. The two nations were much the same.
I finally stopped at the scene in front of me. My eyes widening as my hands shook at the sight. Bringing my bow and arrow up to my eye level, I aimed but didn't fire at the elven soldier dressed in plaid gold, his silver hair shining in the darkness. His gold riding boots on Malakei's neck squeezing him and pushing him deeper into the dirt.
I grip my bow, palms sweaty as I draw attention from the elf.
"Get off of him."
The elf turns and is shocked for a moment, thinking I was a Dry Lander in my dark brown clothing if it weren't for my blazing hair colour and sharp tipped ears.
"My prince.."
The elf began, ignoring his mistake of loosening his grip around Malakei under him, Malakei quickly reached up and pulled his leg down, bending it in an awkward and painful angle that caused a shrill cry to erupt from the solider.
"Deorum-"
That was all that the elf could cry out before Malakei is twisting his head at an awkward angle, snapping his head in the process.
My bow and arrow fall to the ground as my mouth forms an 'o' shape, my hand immediately flying up to cover it as I try not to scream in horror at the sight of an immortal dying before me. Being killed before me. The sight was ungodly.
Baja puffs from beside me when Malakei is shoving the body of the elf away from him so that he could get up. Once in a sitting position however he looks up and notices my expression and something washes over his face resembling a mixture of emotions.
Regret? Surprise? Worry?
"Keylin.." He immediately scrambles over to me and I can't train my eyes from the dead elf.
I gasp as Malakei takes my trembling hands away from my face, revealing tear stricken cheeks and glassy eyes.
"Breathe Keylin."
"Meus frather, paenitet me-"
"Look at me."Malakei demands softly bringing his hands up either side of my cheeks and I let out a sob as I make eye contact with him.
"I'm so sorry." He whispers. His voice cracking with emotion as he says this. "Believe me Key. I had no choice. We under attack. They would have took you and killed all of us. I can't let that happen Key, I can't. You are my best friend."
Baja chuffs at this, walking forward slightly to the dead elf. Her tail flicking at Malakei in the process like a small cat would.
I let out a shaky breath as I nod at him in reply but Malakei frowns at me sadly.
"Say something. I don't want you think I am monster-"
"Keylin!"
Raen's voice booms several metres away and my heart stops for a moment, immediately breaking away from Malakei as I stumble forward in the direction I thought I heard Raen's voice. Baja and Malakei following close behind.
"W-Where is he?" I question as I turn in the direction of Raen, that being right in the heart of the death and screaming.
"Front line." Malakei responded quietly after a moment. "He is by barrier." He states, moving forward. I follow behind him and watch as he picks up a large axe from a dead Dry Lander. Twirling it in his hands before a moment later, he is implanting it in an elf a few metres away that threatened to aim his bow at us.
Please be ok Raen.
'Much death Trainer. Baja angry.'
"I know Baja." I agree out loud causing Malakei to glance at me worriedly but I didn't care. The feeling of fire pooling in my stomach was enough to distract me.
--
We ran for a few minutes in the direction of where the battle was most prominent until we saw the spiked barrier that once used to be, now destroyed and pieces littered with fire, not close enough to cause a forest fire thank the Gods. It was a bloody scene filled with weapons clanking and people shouting. The image of silver caped elves on white horses filled my mind and I almost stumbled into an incoming axe if it wasn't for Malakei pulling me to the side. Sending me an unamused look.
"Careful Keylin-"
"We need to find Raen!" I shout through the screaming and metal on metal. Moving forward quickly only to have Malakei's arm snake around my chest and pull me back away from the crowd. Baja flattening her ears and lowering her body to the ground as she dodges an arrow.
"Malakei! Let go-" I protest as I try to prise his hands from my chest but he is too strong as he drags me back until we are backing into a tent. Baja darting inside away from the danger.
Malakei flings me backwards and I stumble slightly before regaining myself. Turning around seethingly.
"You are suicidal!"
He concludes wide eyed before pointing at Baja.
"If she is hurt, the end will come for you sooner than expected-"
"Tell me what to do then!" I scream at him in frustration. My hands coming up to run through my hair.
"Because I don't know what to do. I'm torn between saving my new family and protecting my old one. Those elves are risking their lives for me-their immortality. And I'm supposed to stand by and watch them be slaughtered like pigs!"
"That elf.." I take in a shaky breath. "He called me his prince. I have never been regarded so highly by them in my life. I mean everything to them. We can't just let both Dry Landers and elves pick each other off in a stupid battle when all of this can be resolved-"
Malakei steps forward in frustration.
"They are not doing this for you. They don't care for you. They care for king. They don't care if you live, die. The king-your grandfather wants you and-"
Everything happens so fast in that moment I barley have time to register my surroundings.
Four elves running into the tent, immediately bringing Malakei to the ground as they aim a bow at his head. Two others closing in on Baja, aiming at her. Knowing she would make the first move and I scream at this, my knees giving out, I fall to my knees before hearing the crossbow click.
I see the purple lightning shooting out along the ground before I feel it and it's just as I remembered it would be. I let my head back as I scream in agony. My scream mixing with Baja's wail before it is gone and my head slumps forward.
There is silence above me, no elf making a move as they lower their crossbows in confusion and astonishment. I feel their gazes on me as I slowly lift my head, still on all fours.
They gasp as I look at them. Too focused on my glowing complexion to notice the panther making its way over to my side, glowing purple eyes replacing the once bright green ones.
"Is that the prince?" One of the elf soldiers questions.
"What happened to him?"
"The Dry Landers experimented on him?!" One bellows as he digs the crossbow deeper into Malakei's shoulder making him wince.
I open my mouth but what comes out isn't English. It isn't even words, nothing but a mere growl causing the tent to shake slightly.
"What the hell?"
I stand up shakily. The energy coursing through my veins as I cling to it. Slowly moving forward before I'm able to walk normally. Baja close behind me.
An elf raises his crossbow and being trigger happy, accidentally shoots at me. It was clear on his face that he didn't mean to and Malakei's scream fills the air for a split second.
I caught the arrow.
The arrow that was heading straight for my right shoulder at an incredible speed, no immortal, let alone a human could possess that power or speed to catch it. I hold neither.
I look down in bewilderment at what I just did before snapping the arrow and throwing it to the side.
"He is a God!" One of them shrieks as I move forward, taking the nearest elf to me and throwing him to the side. Although this resulted in him catapulting through the air and into a bookcase. Where this results in him falling to the ground and the bookcase falling on top of him. The other three look on wide eyed before Baja is bawling the skin and eyes from the elf holding the crossbow on Malakei.
Malakei gets to his feet and manages to grab one of the elves and strangle him while the last elf backed away wide eyed. Realising he was the only one left and bolted the same way he came from only down three elves in the process.
"Key-" Malakei noticed the purple fading from my eyes as he quickly rushes forward and catches me just as I'm about to fall forward, knees buckling from under me as the power leaves my body. I gasp.
'Trainor not ready. Trainor still young.'
I hear Baja in my head but I ignore her as Malakei slings one of my arms over his in an attempt of support. I groan at this.
"Raen.." I begin and Malakei sighs.
"If you can get energy to turn eyes purple again, we will find him." Malakei states as he looks down at me and I send a lob sided smile his way as I move off of him. Stumbling forward.
"Let's go then."
'Trainor still too weak. Trainor cannot control purple lightning, purple lightning take Trainor if not careful.'
**