There are legends that the Silverend Coven passes down to young witchlings in order to instill fear. Many of them involve the tales of Shai'rune and they're handler, the half breed with no soul. The attacks would come at the moon's peak when no one was awake, the bloodshed massive and the loss brutal.
The Coven calls them legends purely because no one lived to share the story.
Only Shai'rune and Meika, who was banished many months before the Coven developed into the large empire it'd grow to become.
The unwitting heir to the Coven was cast out long enough for her niece to take power and rule over a legion.
Shai'rune was imprisoned to the best of her knowledge or so she'd explained to me while the others slept. On the road for several days, we'd been pushing through the heat and working our way into the heart of Africa.
Careful to skirt around the edges of tiny tribes trying to rebuild from the ashes.
Somewhere between Twilight and Dawn, I hear stirring. Through the dark of night, I see nothing, but I can tell that whoever took watch fell asleep. The shuffling grows closer, hushed whispers sounding over the flat land.
My fingers stretch out, spreading a ring of charcoal around camp. It is only for potential protection. Pushing my weight off of the ground, the footsteps stop and the rustling and crunches cease. Eyes focusing in on two silhouettes in the dim light, a flame comes to life in my hand. Hidden behind my back, I toss a portion onto the ground in the pit where our burnt out fire used to be.
Just enough light to make out male faces with weapons.
"You should leave," I say in a hushed tone, creeping forward with lethal calm. "We don't mean you any harm and we'll be gone by sunrise."
"And if we mean you harm?" A thick accent asks in return. A wicked grin is brazenly displayed on his lips, an almost joyful tone dripping into his words.
A small sniff tells me what I need to know. Strong, healthy males, free of illness. They stand in front of a young, seemingly harmless woman who doesn't appear to have a way to defend herself. The sickening hormones pollute the air.
I let the flames consume my hands from the wrists down, burning brighter than the sun and flickering different colors. A hesitant step back makes me smile. "We are five against two, do you like those odds?"
The more muscular man spits something about witchcraft in another language.
In reply, the slender one who spoke before turns his back and throws a dismissive snarl at me. "You best hope you are not bluffing"
"Oh?"
"Worse things come for liars."
I let the fire dance up my arms and consume my body in a thin veil of flame. "Surely you would know."
"You'll regret such words if you're not gone in by sunrise."
"Oh?" I step forward, plants and grass catching alight with my movement. Another flinch. "Such big words, threatening me. Would you like to settle this now?"
Instead, he is shoved away from me and towards where they came.
I suppose it's better in a way that I found them instead of the others. Handling this quietly with magic is faster and more intimidating. Not to mention the frustration that comes with the Destroyers who want to fight. Theron isn't well enough and Remi doesn't take watch, so either Daniel risks exposing himself or Meika destroys the entire field.
I burn a wall of clear acidic energy before me and force it to melt into the night, following them back to their village. So long as they don't turn around, they will live.
Small sparks skitter to life along the outlining wall of ash on the ground, flames flickering up in a response to my inner turmoil. I suppress the urge to lash out with them, to burn those men into food.
When I return I see waking faces in the light of the fire and freeze uneasily when the attention is drawn to me.
"What was it?" Theron asks in a gravelly voice, barely managing to open one eye.
My heart sinks. "A patrol of sorts. I'm sure some from a camp nearby. We'll need to be careful when leaving in the morning but I took care of the problem for now."
"Are they dead?" Remi asks, pushing off the ground on her elbow and scrubbing her eyes from sleep.
I shake my head, keeping my lips glued shut.
Daniel tosses me a glance and rolls around a bit to attempt to find a more suitable position. A huff of a groan later and he collapses, muttering something to himself and sitting up completely.
Meika barely deigns me a look when promptly dosing back off and Theron rolls over to avoid the light.
"I'm hungry," Dan says, pulling out a container of jerky from his bag and munching on it.
I look down at my hands and consider what life and death could be if only they were similar to some of the other gods. With a reputation for power and invincibility, I was never surprised when people were jealous or power hungry. Gods succumb to the same urges, the only difference is there are no consequences.
Not normally.
Separating Lin and me from the world long enough for it to fall into the wrong hands and crumble to pieces... Someone wanted this to happen and only a handful had the power to do anything about it.
Dismantle balance just long enough to claim a small portion of the world...
Getting a clue in India would be helpful and likely inevitable, but I can't help but wonder if it's to be expected. If coming alone, without Lindon, is a trap in the making. Carefully thought through caveats. That is what setting us in temples on opposite continents does.
Alone, I'm just another human to my siblings.
This contract is important now. I must be able to protect them if something goes wrong, I must find Lindon, and perhaps even save Theron's life in doing so.
I let out a tense sigh and push my fingers through my hair, roughly sweeping away mangled dead ends that were barely cleaned with every rinse before.
"You have plenty of time," Daniel reassures me, looking me over as if reading my every thought and prayer. "We'll make it to India and then you'll go find him with Meika."
Nodding again, I let the words seep in and realize the likelihood that they will be safer in India, at least until the world is restored.
But when I walk away I won't be able to monitor them anymore.
"We'll be okay," he says again. Something sparks in his eyes, a hint of tether power or restrained emotion. "We survived a long while without you, Iridian. No offense of course."
"Of course," I whisper, playing with my hands. "I know that, but with the state of things as they are, I can't help but wonder what's waiting for me, for any of us, in India."
He seems to fear the same, not responding and going back to his evening snack.
We go a long while without speaking but I can tell the silent company is enjoyed on both ends.
The sun blurs on the horizon in the distance, lighting the ground ever so slightly and revealing a few pointed tents about a mile off. With such flat land, the shelters were rather obvious, a darker color than the ground and often charred. Every Destroyer, every human, just trying to survive.
Our own small camp is weak and barely more than a fire pit that we sleep around. Tents were a risk for getting noticed and scarce as it is. Remi sleeps on a bed mat the same as Theron and Daniel when he's not lazy.
"Ira?" Remi murmurs, eyes fixed on the rising star. "Are you two going to kill everyone when we find Lindon?"
A unique kind of pain strikes my heart and I stiffen.
"I'm sorry, I just remember how we found you... The hate in your eyes... I know you've been good to us and I could never take that for granted but-"
"Stop," Meika says, scaring both of us. Her eyes remain closed. "Her emotions have been manipulated enough, I won't have you sending her off the edge."
My mind rolls over the words before dismissing them. "No, she deserves to ask that question, Meika."
The Fae growls slightly, a primal defensiveness taking hold of her. Meika's body rights itself and her eyes flicker open in a deep lavender glow. Raising my hand, she goes slack as if on command.
Daniel looks back and forth in confusion. "What sort of power do you have over her?"
"Fortunately I can kill two birds with one stone in this explanation," I yawn, stretching out. "I don't intend to kill anyone, Remi. I've done enough and the numbers on this planet are sore already. I'll simply reinstate my empire, for lack of a better word."
Meika snorts at the words and laughs. "That band of misfits you put together to rule over the darkness on this planet?"
"Meika was and because of a previous contract, still is my Second in Command. Think of it as a Court of sorts. Lindon and I were the King and Queen, though we each had our own charges, responsible for different things. But it was our way of maintaining balance. Those of paranormal or fantastical decent had us to answer to and that worked. Humans thought of us as dreams or myths, everyone was safer that way. I only plan to instill balance."
"Enough of us have died..." Remi agrees, mostly to herself. "No one else, then?"
"There are always casualties," Meika admits. She flexes her fingers, admiring a good many scars. "But this time around we should manage minimal damage."
A pensive look passes over Daniel's face and I see several questions he can't ask building up beneath those dark irises. His hands mess with the curling ends of the plastic wrapper, grease staining the paper. Circular, simple movements to soothe the spinning thoughts inside.
While it's true, the population of this planet had diminished substantially, people still either resist being led or follow along. A flock of sheep waiting for a shepherd.
Some semblance of sanity probably sounded appealing but I'm not sure where the line would be drawn. My least favorite option is rewinding.
Lindon will surely push for the simplest option, the one causing us the least amount of grief but also rewriting history back to the moment we were separated. He'll see it as a mercy, a way to bring peace and restore life without all the war and pain these humans have had to suffer through and endure.
Writing Theron and Remi out of existence.
"So that's why you two never explained how you knew each other?"
Remi shrugs on a thin sweatshirt over her tank top and draws her knees into her chest. The question is laced with another.
Why did you act so odd when reuniting with one another?
Such complexities vex me every so often. "Because of the isolation, I'd been dragged into an insanity that without help was mostly inescapable. I could learn to care for and protect you, but even then I was unhinged. Deranged. I did not recognize Meika upon running into her because the only person I could think about was Lindon."
"Also why I didn't particularly care about answering to any of your questions," Meika adds. "When I saw the state of Iridian, I knew it was more important for me to focus on healing her."
'Besides, talking to you lot about the paranormal world is rather... tedious."
Theron groans to life, turning over to face us and lifting a hand in vulgar expression. "I couldn't just sleep, you had to go and give an elaborate explanation."
"Someone's cranky," Remi teases, giggling slightly.
"Is the sun even up yet?" He grumbles, looking out at us through slitted eyes to see the beginning of dawn approaching. "Oh great, I had like thirty minutes."
"We'd better leave now anyway."
My mind is set one beating out those tribe members who will likely be back to look for me in the day time.
If they have a death wish, that is.
Daniel helps Remi gather all of the belongings into one location, duffle bags, and backpacks in a pile off to the left. Our supplies weren't at an all-time high so reaching the town by nightfall tonight would be preferable.
Meika helps me pack up any leftover quilts and sleeping bags, stuffing a few coals in her pocket when the others aren't looking. Either in ritual or spell, I wouldn't know, but the superstitions a witch carries go with her to the grave.
Just as we're about to leave, I catch the scent of human life and turn to hear footsteps coming from another direction, just east of the last ones. Multiple, heavy weighted and foretellably strong Destroyers with weapons at their back.
"We have to go." I rush them, pushing packs into everyone's hands without looking. "The people I warned off last night are coming back and this isn't a fight we need today. Let's go."
Ushering them away from the space, my senses reach out again to test our surroundings. About a half a mile off from the sounds of it but closing in quickly.
"Will we make it in time?" Remi asks, swallowing roughly and heading in front of the others. Theron matches pace and stays close but careful not to interact with her physically.
"If we leave," Meika answers for me, noticing something herself. "Now."
Hey everyone! How is your January going?
Sticking to my schedule, as promised. I'm about to pick things up real quick, so make sure to pay attention or you just might miss something *wink*.
I hope all of you are having a good time in the new year, I know a lot of my friends have some fun changes going on. I wish everyone the best year as always! Don't forget to vote and comment if you enjoyed!