by K R Leikvoll
Kirin didn't give them the chance to move in on his stuff. He jumped full force off the branch and on top of the black beast. Better than a bat, in my opinion. The beast was startled and confused at first. It thrashed for a moment trying to buck him off before it realized he was in grabbing distance. The beast nabbed Kirin by the leg and swung him directly into the ground. The smash was powerful enough to send a wave of dirt into the air.
I could see the bats' forms in the sky. They were circling and preparing to dive. I wanted to call out to him, but I was worried about them switching their attention to me. Kirin was peeling himself off of the ground when the first bat came smashing down. It crashed into him face first, clamping its massive fangs on his shoulder.
"Bastard!" Kirin grimaced. He grabbed the bat with one hand and ripped it off, including his own flesh which it refused to release. Kirin stomped on its body pinning it firmly to the ground. He brought down Famine in a singular sweep. The shadows severed the head moments later in an explosion of blood.
"Watch out!" I finally yelled as the horned beast charged at him full force. He had been too distracted by the bat to notice it running right at him. He looked up too late. The beast rammed its massive right horn into his gut and slammed him into a tree. It somehow didn't give out from the force. Kirin grabbed at the horn urgently trying to push its face away. He coughed up a bit of blood all over its fur. I could see the second bat preparing for a dive.
I ran out from behind the tree. I desperately stuck my hand out, pleading the ring to do something. It buzzed for a moment, teasing me as it sealed a singular scratch on my thumb with a hiss.
"Stupid thing!" I yelled frantically. "Barrier! Fucking barrier!"
The bat dove straight at Kirin. Instead of biting at him with its fangs, it struck with its massive talons. It swooped into him, cutting him from his chest to the top of his face. The bat continued upward into the air out of sight. Kirin grimaced from pain, nearly losing his grasp on the monster. He swiped with Famine as furiously as he could under the weight pinning him. The silver blade passed through the base of the beast's horn and its right arm, blowing it off seconds later. Kirin used the window of time to slide under the beast's body. He tried to drag the blade across the creature's stomach, but the demon pulled him out with its other arm. The monster launched Kirin back into the dirt. It stomped in pain and readied itself for another charge.
What the hell was I supposed to do?! I looked back and forth wringing my hands; I shakily reached for the bow on my back.
"You don't even know how to use that thing," a voice whispered to me.
The being from eternity materialized beside me. His form was smoky and translucent as if he wasn't truly there. His paralyzing eyes looked at me with a demented desire as his mouth curved into a slight smile. Nice of him to show up to antagonize me every time people were dying!
"I have to do something!" I yelled at him furiously. His form was evaporating into shadows.
"Maybe you should try a less useless approach," his voice taunted as his form vanished.
The bat was circling around, readying for another dive. The demon was starting to charge. Think! Think! Stupid Val, think of something! Kirin was slowly making his way to his feet. He wasn't going to be able to dodge the attacks while he was injured. I reached out with the ring for a millisecond before it dawned on me. I wasn't in danger; maybe if I was in danger it would be self-preservant? Without thinking twice, I ran in front of Kirin's slumped form.
The bat came down first. I cowered in fear as I reached my hand out toward its crashing form. Right as I expected the crimson fiend to chomp into my wrist or have a barrier block the attack, shadows encircled my arm. They flowed through my fingers and discharged into midnight flames. I watched the fire consume the bat as if it were in slow motion. Its flesh melted after only a moment; blood and guts poured to the earth. The bones crumbled into dust and disappeared with a gust of wind.
Again, we were distracted by the stupid bat. The horned demon crashed into us as hard as it could. Luckily, my theory proved correct. The ring buzzed furiously and expelled an orb of light. A moment before the beast hit me, a shimmering barrier took the blow. It dissipated instantly from the impact. I could feel the effects of using it right away. My knees finally gave out underneath me.
The monster stood up on its stubby back legs and prepared to crush us. I held my arms in front of my face to brace myself. Right as it brought itself down, the blade of Famine slashed the demon from the gut to the throat in an upward strike. I turned away as the shadows followed the blade's movements. Warm blood sprayed my back, neck and arms. It was followed by a heavy thud as it fell to the ground, defeated. Kirin slumped forward, unable to stay on his feet.
The remnants of the three monsters started to ooze black muck. The separate piles slowly conjoined into a single puddle of disgusting fluid. It slithered on the ground right toward me. I panicked and held my hand out, waiting for another attack. It pooled around my knees before slowly creeping into the air in the form of a black bubble. I flinched as it hit me in the chest. It burst into shadowy smoke that penetrated my clothing. It was cold, as if I had a glacier in my rib cage. At least it didn't hurt.
I looked to Kirin who was starting to bleed to death.
"Kirin?" I said, my voice cracking. I gently rolled him over, exposing his wounds. He was missing a lot of his right shoulder. It made my wound from Morgan look like a joke. The slash from his chest to his face was deep—like stitches deep. Blood was beginning to creep out from his stomach where one of the demon's horns had impaled him in the gut. Kirin reached to the horn and yanked it out with a pained yell. He dropped it limply to the side.
"I didn't think I would actually die over my cloak," he grimaced, trying to sit up. I held him down. My brain was fighting internally. I was in hysterics. He was bleeding to death! Losing him and Alex meant death for me, one hundred percent. I didn't know how to heal someone else with the ring. I couldn't risk passing out from healing myself accidentally. I hovered my hand over his shoulder, concentrating on his wound. Nothing. The stupid crystal ring just sat there, mocking me. The red scar lines that traveled from under the ring into my recently carved arm caught my attention. I followed them to the massive bite mark on my inner wrist. That was the answer, wasn't it?
I reached for the dagger on his thigh. He tried to take it away from me with his uninjured arm.
"What are you doing?" he asked, reaching to grab it away. I was stronger than him. I tugged it out of his protesting hand.
"I have an idea." I pulled back the giant sleeve of my dress exposing my arm. I really hoped I was too weak to heal myself instantly from a self-induced wound. That would definitely defeat the purpose.
"Val," Kirin said concerned. I pressed the cold steel to my wrist. "Val, what are you doing?" he asked with mild panic in his voice.
"I'm not afraid," I stated, staring directly into his pained eyes. He started to struggle to pull the knife away again.
"Don't," he said with a cough. More blood. "Just leave me."
"'Stupid girl, you won't last five seconds without me!' That's what you said!" I replied frantically. I quickly swiped the blade's tip across my wrist. I was relieved to see that it didn't heal, but it ended up being too shallow because of my mental hesitation.
"Valentine! I'm telling you no!" Kirin growled, still trying to get it away from me. I forced him down again. I shakily put the blade back to the wound. One more time. I dragged it across with more force. My blood, which looked slightly darker than normal, began to flow down my arm.
"You die, I die," I whispered, hesitantly putting my arm in front of him. "You still have to take me home."
"This is sacrilege. I won't do it," he said in defiance. His blood was beginning to pool at our feet now, and he was still trying to argue. Men!
"Kirin, this is my choice. Stop being a fucking white knight and do it already!" I responded angrily as I brought my jittery wrist to his mouth. The drops dripped down his li
ps as he stared up at me with a mixture of curiosity and fear. "Do it!" I yelled, pressing my skin directly against his clenched teeth.
Kirin took a deep breath through his nose and closed his eyes. My heart dropped with nervousness. I needed to do it. I had to get home. He finally opened his mouth, letting his fangs glide around my wrist. I half expected him to chomp down at any second, but he refrained. With reluctance he began to swallow.
It was only with reluctance for a moment. Once my blood hit his tongue, he clamped down hard holding my arm in place. His left arm curled around mine, desperately grabbing for more of my wrist. The wound stung as he forced it to open more. I held my complaints inside as I watched his shoulder begin to heal rapidly. It was happening far faster than my self-healing, or the healing Lydris had done. Even his stomach wound was beginning to seal itself.
His eyes opened and stared at me intensely. The bright silver of his irises had been replaced with a darker wine red. I could physically see the desire growing in his pupils as they dilated. Kirin continued to drink as he slowly sat up. I tried to take my wrist away gently. In response, he pulled me into his arms. He held me still as he continued, trying to drink deeper and deeper each time.
"Kirin," I said, weakly trying to get my wrist away. "That's enough."
Only he didn't stop. He couldn't stop. I could see it in his eyes. Everything was growing far away.
"Kirin, please," I whispered. Intense darkness filled the edges of my vision. There was nothing I could do to fight him. My fear faded away. It was the most pleasant death I could have, I suppose.
Chapter Sixteen
I didn't dream. Until my consciousness was stirred from the fire, it was as if I didn't exist at all. With the lack of spark in my brain, had I simply been dead in the dirt? The sensation of needing sacrifice began as flames starting at my feet. I was walking on cinders through a void of nothingness, unable to escape. My consciousness finally woke from the greedy licks of the blaze starting to consume my body.
I tried to writhe in pain. The void of nothingness pressed against me refusing me the pleasure of moving. I couldn't open my eyes. I couldn't open my mouth to scream. All I could do was accept the flames into my body. No, not my body. My very being. My essence. My soul.
Not this torture again.
It continued for an indescribable amount of time. It could have happened in a singular instant or the whole of eternity. Nothing lasts forever though, not even my death. Drops of black extinguished the flames with slow taps. I begged for the rain to never end; to kill it forever. But much like the fire, the drops stopped as well. They missed a cinder. I couldn't open my mouth to ask for more. The void wanted me back to itself.
The cinders ignited the flames again. It was unavoidable. As if I swallowed a match, my insides kindled. Their desire to engulf me brought me out of stasis. I needed to escape their grasp while I was free from the sea of nothingness. My brain pleaded with my eyes to open. Scream for help. Scream for the flood.
Val, wake up please. Wake up! Save yourself.
I struggled against the hellish void. It still pinned my body in the darkness; I tried to pull away in protest. No more pain. No more flames. Val, I'm begging you to wake up.
My eyes finally obeyed my mind. My voice screamed and pleaded for help. My hands clawed viciously at whatever was holding me in place. A cold palm covered my mouth. I blinked a few times, still trying to adjust to reality.
I was in Kirin's arms. He was carrying me tightly to keep me from thrashing around. I begged for help into his hand.
"Please," I said through tears. Kirin dropped to his knees gradually.
"Relax," I heard his voice whisper through the flames. I dug my fingernails into his skin and tried to pry myself away. "Shh, shh," he said forcing me to look at him. His irises were two pieces of the moon staring down at me.
"I need—" I started to say. Kirin stuck his thumb in my open mouth before I could make more noise. He urged me silently. I didn't need to be urged. Not even in the slightest. I let the drops quell the flames. It wasn't like last time either. His blood tasted the same, but I didn't mind it as much as before. It tasted like sweet, sweet pain relief. It flowed faster, and I needed more than the few drops it took previously. I also gave no second thought to it being him. It could be anyone in the world, and I would drink their blood to stop the flames. A scary thought when I realized that was probably what Lazarus was thinking most of the time as well.
I had the willpower to pull myself away this time only because I took more than needed. It was addicting—extinguishing flames. Kirin wiped a small drop of blood off my face, staring deeply at me for some unknown reason. Fucking awkward. I forced myself out of his arms and climbed to my feet.
We were in a valley with long pale grass. My brain registered my surroundings. It was the same valley I had arrived in. It felt like eons ago. How long had it been? We were traveling the opposite direction this time. My fingertips brushed grass.
I was alive. I was breathing.
It was surreal.
"We need to talk," I said evenly as I watched the orange planet in the sky.
"Indeed," Kirin replied coolly. He didn't make any move to get up. Instead, he took his bag from his back and began to rummage around. I couldn't sit. The effects of the blood had me buzzing too much to rest. I put my arms behind my head and paced back and forth.
"How long was I out?"
"Hard to say. Maybe a week?" Kirin guessed as he pulled a flask out from his bag.
"A fucking week!" I replied in disbelief. "That's a coma! What if I didn't wake up? What the hell was your plan? You could've killed me!"
Kirin reached out trying to hand me the flask. I snatched it out of his hands, but I didn't bother with it. I was too pissed.
"I need to go to a hospital," I said, running my fingers anxiously through my hair. I probably had actual brain damage after such a long time of unconsciousness.
"Drink," Kirin commanded. I shot him a glare and ripped the lid off.
"I’ve spent the majority of my time in this shithole blacking in and out! I’m done with it! Take me home!" I yelled, jabbing my finger at the sky.
"We have gone over this. I don't have the resources to take you there," he replied softly.
"If you aren't lying, then you'll tell me how you did it the first time!" I said completely livid. No more fire. No more Lazarus. No more demons. No more blacking out.
"Drink first, then I'll tell you," Kirin said calmly as he sat down. "And if I tell you, you have to answer my questions. Deal?"
I wanted to chuck the damn thing at his head. His unusually placid attitude was infuriating. It made me feel childish as if I was throwing a tantrum over something ridiculous. It wasn't ridiculous to want medical treatment. It wasn't ridiculous to want to go home.
"Fine," I replied taking a deep breath. I didn't want to give him the chance to feel high and mighty. I put the flask to my face. Cool water brushed my lips. I expected my body to gulp it down furiously. Instead, my lips remained firmly shut. I forced myself to swallow a few times to appease him.
"Sit down, and I'll tell you," Kirin said, removing all of his things from his back.
"That wasn't part of the deal," I mumbled angrily as I sat down three feet away from him.
"I have this for you," he said, busily searching through his bag again. I was so full of rage. I wanted to punch him square in his face. I settled for capping the flask and chucking it at him instead. Kirin caught it in his free hand as though I had simply tossed it. He set it down and moved closer to me.
"Eat this," Kirin said, thrusting medium pieces of jerky into my hands.
I stared at it ludicrously. Eat? Now? It sounded like he was stalling to me. He raised his eyebrows and looked at me with unusual patience. I bit into it reluctantly. It was tough and salty; just as hard to swallow as the water. I forced a few bites down before Kirin appeared satisfied enough to speak.
"Travel to Earth was only possible because of James. H
e's the one that helped me get there," he said finally. And James was dead. He might've forgotten, but I would never.
"So there's no way for me to get home," I said incredulously. My brain wanted to shut down. My sun. My moon. All gone. Hopes guided by lies.
"Once we gather the Essentia, who knows? I don't have a vast knowledge of space travel," he said, keeping his tone even. I fiercely held back the tears that were ready to pour out at any moment. His answer wasn’t the least bit comforting.
"Now, I need you to try and remember things that happened back at the Capitol," he started gently.
My eyes fluttered. I could see flashes of the stone prison. For a moment, I was overwhelmed again. I had to ground myself by gripping the grass. My lungs had trouble taking in the muggy air. I stared intently at the orange planet in the sky, letting it take me away from the flooding sensations.
"Please try to tell me what happened as you remember it. We can't afford to overlook any details," he said seriously. "Start from the beginning."
My brain had been taken for a spin between the coma, torture and rape. I watched the purple sky, trying to put the pieces together.
"I remember being brought into the city. I remember being put into the chains. Lazarus acted like she knew me or something. She talked to me as if I was another person," I said listing out the first things I could recall. Kirin rested his head on his folded arms.
"Did she refer to you by a different name?"
"No. She would talk to someone else entirely until I spoke. It pissed her off. She would call me the Nephilim and beat me if I interrupted her episodes," I replied.
"Could be a number of things. Maybe she sees James, maybe it was Nakarius. Could be something else entirely. Let's continue," he said thoughtfully.
"Then…" I managed to say before my voice cracked. A singular, sly tear rolled down my cheek. Kirin put a firm hand on mine and urged me to continue. "Lazarus let Lydris... there was nothing I could do."
