Sunkissed Feathers & Severed Ties

by Kellie Doherty

  “I’m not sure I can do that.” Dylori unhooked the damaged armor and set it aside. “And I’m not sure I want to fight any longer anyway.”

  “You don’t want to fight? Why not?” Misti touched the armor, the metal slick with dark orange blood. Queasy from the blood, she shoved it away from them, and it skidded through the ashes, scattering a few into the air.

  Dylori shook her head. “It’s not important. What’s important is that we find a place to rest up and…hey…where’s the sword?”

  The Shey sword. Misti hadn’t seen it since Dylori had been attacked. Frantic, Dylori patted the ground beside her and shoved Dis to his feet, looking under him as well. She stood, rushing into the ashes and scattering them aside. Cursing, Dylori paced this way and that, looking under the gray leaves, trying and failing to unstick the tar and ice, but she couldn’t find it.

  Dis and Zora joined in, and so did Misti. They searched but only found Dylori’s Moon Knight sword. The Shey sword had disappeared. Vanished, it seemed, into the Ravenlock Woods. Misti’s dagger had disappeared, as well. They only had Dylori’s original sword now and nothing else.

  Misti’s heart sank. How will I tell Arias we lost her family’s sword? And how will we face the banished Divus now, with only one weapon? It seemed the Ravenlock Woods was trying its hardest to claim four more victims.

  Chapter Seventeen

  THEY SPENT THE REST of the day resting in a clearing. They had walked a good distance from the ashes, since the suncreature had made enough noise to wake nearly everything in the woods. Yet the deafening sound of the creature’s death seemed to keep the other suncreatures away. The spindly trees didn’t provide much in the way of cover, but that also meant Misti could see quite a long distance and could make out the fallen tree if she squinted. The sun had long since crested overhead, and the once-bright blue had begun to fade to the pinks and purples of early evening.

  Dylori kept quiet as they traveled, said nothing during their simple meal of nuts and vegetables, and was silent even now, resting against Dis’ side and staring out into the forest, her sword resting on her knees. Nothing stirred around them, but still Dylori kept watch. The color hadn’t fully returned to her skin, and the gray lines by her eyes were paler than Misti liked, but only rest would recover that.

  Her silence unnerved Misti, but she kept to herself, rubbing a gentle hand down Zora’s back and trying to think of how to capture a Divus. They’d have to find one of their meetings first. She brought out the map Roorik had given her and saw they were nearing the small x in the corner he had pointed out. But what if the banished ones had moved on? Maybe she could send Zora ahead of them to scout—she’d cover ground more quickly than any of them. Then they’d have to capture one, quietly and alive. Maybe a net of some sort, or a quick thwack to the head? They could drag the unconscious body somewhere. But where would we go? It wasn’t like this forest provided much cover, and the air was so silent, one yell would bring the rest of the group down on them. Then what would we do? Kill as many as possible, probably. That’s what Dylori would do, but it wouldn’t help Misti in the long run. They’d have to find a shelter of some sort, or make a threat frightening enough to keep the banished one helpful. A threat worse than death.

  “I don’t want to be an Aramet’zil anymore,” Dylori whispered. She seemed to hold herself tighter, the muscles in her shoulders and arms tensing as if she was readying for a fight.

  She’d been facing away from Misti, and for a moment, Misti thought she’d misheard. For as long as Misti had known her, becoming an Aramet’zil was Dylori’s dream. Her ultimate goal. She had always pictured Dylori in that set of gleaming Aramet’zil armor, leading a battalion of her own Moon Knights against a wave of suncreatures.

  “Why not? You’d be a great one.”

  “No, I wouldn’t.” Dylori shook her head. “I’ve discovered something about myself that wouldn’t lend itself to being a good leader.”

  “Oh?” Misti shifted a little closer. “What’s that?”

  “I’m reckless.” Dylori‘s dark gaze captured Misti. “But you already knew that, didn’t you?”

  Misti chuckled and gave Dylori a small shove. “Yeah, you’ve been reckless ever since I met you. But that’s also why you’re good at what you do. Being a fighter, I mean. Your recklessness gives you bravery.”

  “My recklessness got you hurt,” Dylori replied, biting her lip. “Twice.”

  “True.” Misti’s anger surfaced again, and it took her a moment to realize it wasn’t the pendant’s anger. This quiet fire was her own. “And I am angry that you put both my life and yours in danger, without consulting me first at least.”

  Dylori stared at her, eyes wide. “Consulting you?”

  “Yes, consulting me,” Misti’s vexation pushing her to say things she usually wouldn’t be brave enough to say, even to Dylori. “At the very least you could’ve let me say something before rushing headlong into danger like you did. We’re a team, you and me. And I deserve to be included in the battle plans. Ponuriah’s tits, I figured out how to kill that suncreature back there, didn’t I?”

  “You did,” Dylori replied quietly. “Strength wasn’t the best plan.”

  “No, and quite frankly, for me, it never is. Never has been. That’s why I didn’t do well under Zarious’ command. His brute strength way of fighting never meshed well with me, and it’s certainly not the only way to fight,” Misti huffed.

  “It’s just the only way we were taught.” Laughing a little, Dylori cupped Misti’s cheek in her hand, and Misti stilled. “Yours is better for you. Thank you for saving me.”

  “I always will.” At Dylori’s light touch and quiet words, her confession and appreciation, Misti’s temper calmed. So that’s why she’s been acting strange after the fights. She’s been having a battle inside herself. “But Zarious’ way does work for you. You have that strength and you use it to your advantage. With a little more training to quell that reckless side of you, I think you’d be a great Aramet’zil.”

  Dylori lowered her hand. “But what if I don’t want to be that anymore? What if my dreams changed? Would you be disappointed?”

  Disappointed? Her anger completely scattered at the idea, disappearing into the farthest reaches of her mind. She tilted her head. “Of course not. I’m just surprised you want something else, that’s all. You’ve been working so hard toward it for as long as I’ve known you.”

  Dylori’s smile slipped. “Yes, but I’ve since realized that despite my best efforts, I can’t stop the reckless side of me. I promised I’d do better after the fight with the basilisk Vagari and I couldn’t keep that promise, even though the suncreature we just fought was something we’ve never encountered before. Never seen before, even in sketches. If I couldn’t keep that promise to you, how could I keep it to the rest of the Moon Knights? Even more people could be injured, or worse.”

  She swallowed and ran her hand through her hair, creases of worry lining her eyes. “I’ve killed so many people, and their deaths weigh on me. Even if they were banished ones and sun goddess worshippers. The kid I killed when we were protecting the musicians outside of Amiin…well, he was just a child. And Roorik found a way out of the banished life, didn’t he? Maybe others can do the same. Maybe even worshippers can become good again.”

  The two men killed by the pendant swam into Misti’s mind. Yes, she understood the weight of death much too well.

  “And now you’ve told me your parents are worshippers,” Dylori muttered.

  Misti held her breath. Everything else seemed to vanish as she waited for Dylori’s next words. Keep calm, Misti told herself, just listen.

  Dylori’s voice came out as a ramble, words tumbling fast over one another. “Well, I realized that you never really spoke about them anyway, and I’ve never met them. You’re obviously not a worshipper, and you don’t want to help them. And…well…I don’t want that to stop me from falling for you.” She finished in a whisper.

  Falling for m
e? Misti couldn’t stop the grin curling on her face. Excitement sparked through her. She kept her voice as even as she could. “I’ll back you up no matter what you choose to do. We’re a team, remember? And…maybe more than that, if you’d like.”

  Dylori beamed brighter than Misti had ever seen and finally relaxed, her shoulders slumping from their tense position, the worried creases by her eyes now smooth. It seemed this confession had been a long time coming and speaking it out loud lifted some weight off Dylori’s shoulders.

  “As long as I consult you first.”

  “Right,” Misti replied.

  Dylori wrapped one of Misti’s hands in hers. “It might surprise you, but I’ve been…crushing hard on you. For a few seasons.”

  So Arias was right about that, too. Misti laughed. “I know. Or rather a friend might’ve told me as much.”

  “Arias?” Dylori asked, and at Misti’s nod she huffed. “That woman notices everything. What are the chances that she’d forget about her sword?”

  Dylori patted the ground next to her. Misti shifted to sit there, shyly at first then bolder when Dylori grinned. Leaning her head against Dylori’s shoulder, Misti linked both their hands together and enjoyed their closeness, how Dylori smelled of dirt and sweat and smoke, how Misti’s mood calmed when next to her. If only for a little while, even if the Ravenlock Woods claimed them tomorrow, she’d enjoy this feeling right now.

  “I’d say almost zero, but Arias would probably forgive you. Orenda might actually kill you, though, judging from how shocked she looked when Arias handed the sword over. Or punch you at least.”

  A shudder went through Dylori’s body, and she pulled Misti in even tighter. “She would.”

  They stayed like this for a bit, resting, healing when their companion animals allowed, enjoying the silence, but with their gazes always on the empty horizon. Dylori slipped into a restless sleep and only when the color returned completely to her markings did Misti wake her.

  Dis and Zora slept as well, which Misti was glad for. Their companion animals could go for a long time without rest, but if the pendant ever broke past its containment again, Misti needed everyone at full health to combat it. This cage was stronger than any of their prior ones, but it would break eventually. The pendant had already pulsed once.

  She pushed everyone to get going, her hand covering the blue cage as they picked their way through the darkness. They moved quietly through the night, the dead leaves providing a soft ground for their footfalls, and Misti filled Dylori in on her plan. Dylori agreed, and Misti had almost sent Zora off to do an aerial search when it happened.

  The pendant throbbed like a second heartbeat. Once. Twice. Three times. With each pulse the blue cage brightened, sending a searing blue-white light through the trees. Illuminating the area and revealing dozens of faces. Dozens of banished ones surrounding them.

  The flashes lit up familiar figures standing directly in front of Misti: Misti’s parents and her sister and someone else she knew quite well, too well to believe what she saw. What? She had just enough time to gasp before Met’zil Zarious stepped forward and snapped his fingers. With a roar, the others attacked.

  Pain spiked in Misti’s head, her vision turned white, and she slumped to the ground. Before unconsciousness spread its tendrils into Misti’s mind, she heard a shout—Dylori and two separate animal cries. One thought drifted through her mind before she succumbed to the blinding light: Please don’t hurt them.

  ***

  Flat on her back, Misti opened her eyes to a searing brightness. Daygems? No, the light was too pure for that. Sunlight blinded her with yellows and pinks, glinting off the wyvern wings that rested by her head and filtering through the wooden bars a few paces away. Ash and rocks jutted into her cheek, a metallic taste of blood lingered in her mouth, and an overall ache hummed through her body. Pushing herself up, Misti blinked at her surroundings. A wooden cage surrounded her, big enough for her to stand in, and a wide clearing extended beyond that. She could just see the edge of the forest. Even here, the ground was gray and ashy. Dead, just like the rest of the Ravenlock Woods.

  Where’s Zora and Dylori and Dis? Panic sliced through her, causing her to move to the bars and wrap her fingers around them. This wood wasn’t from here—brown and sturdy, heartwood perhaps, or fywood—but she tested it anyway, shaking and pulling. It didn’t budge. She eyed the clearing more carefully and saw three more cages just like hers about a hundred paces away. One her size, another big enough to hold a neades, and another small enough to hold a vulnix. She called up her Animal crafting, needing to see if they were all right. Needing to know if they were alive.

  Through the orange glow, she saw Dylori, face-up just like Misti had been and breathing slowly. She saw Dis shuffling back and forth, slamming on the bars but unable to break them. Fywood for sure. And then she saw Zora in a cage so small it pressed her wings tight against her back, her tails curling outside it. Zora’s eyes were closed. She wasn’t moving, wasn’t breathing. Misti couldn’t even feel her life-energy through their connection. She felt like something had coiled around her heart and squeezed.

  “Zora!” The scream ripped from her throat and echoed through the clearing. Dis huffed loudly in response and slammed harder against his cage. Dylori stirred, and then lifted herself from the ground. Misti saw this, but she didn’t care. My little girl. Tears sprang to her eyes and her hands tightened around the bars until her knuckles turned white as she shook them again and again and again. Her scream seemed to come from deep within her, from some primal area.

  “Zora!”

  Her parents appeared. Simply appeared. At first there was nothing, the clearing empty save for the cages, and then there was a burst of white light and they stood next to Zora’s cage, staring down at her vulnix. How? They’re in Northtown. Her father bent at the waist and fingered Zora’s paw, while her mother knelt down to touch one of Zora’s tails.

  “You get away from her,” Misti shouted. “Get your filthy hands off her!”

  Zora disappeared from the cage in a similar white light and in the next instant, Char appeared beside Misti. How? She’s supposed to be in Northtown. She was just as Misti remembered her from a few seasons ago, her long blonde hair resting neatly at her shoulders, her eyes—one blue and one yellow—staring at her, an expression of sadness on her face. She wore a yellow tunic, so similar to the dress she’d worn when Misti ran it took her breath away. Her black pants dragged on the ground, the hems lightening with ash. Misti was so shocked by her sister’s appearance that she didn’t even realize what was in her arms until her sister thrust Zora into Misti’s cage.

  Terrified at what she might find, Misti lifted Zora up, wrapping her hands around Zora’s middle to check for signs of life, pressing her fingers to Zora’s sides. She watched in awe as they moved with Zora’s breathing. She’s not dead. In fact, Zora opened her eyes and stared at Misti, recognition brightening her gaze. Their companion connection flashed bright within Misti once again but she didn’t care about how or why it had waned in her moment of panic. I was just afraid…but Zora’s alive and that’s all that matters. The tight coil that had wound itself around Misti’s heart snapped apart, and despite where they were and what was happening, she laughed and pulled Zora close.

  Another flash of white light, and when she looked up once again, her parents and her sister had vanished. But Zora was here and whole and alive and safe with her. Dylori was awake, and Dis was close enough for her to see, though he thrashed against his cage. Worry niggled at Misti’s mind, and she shouted to Dylori, “Make him stop! He’s going to hurt himself!”

  Dylori nodded. Her voice floated over to the field. “Dis, calm down. We’re okay. You need to save your strength for when it matters.” Dis stopped thrashing and huffed, stomping a little to show his concern. Dylori motioned for him to stop that. “I know. We’ll get out of this. Don’t worry.”

  Their attackers seemed muddied in Misti’s mind, but her family and Zarious stood out cle
arly. “Dylori, did you see who attacked us?”

  Dylori frowned. “Yeah, I did. Where’s the traitor now, you think?”

  “He’ll be back later on,” a familiar voice answered: Misti’s mother. Another flash of white light, and her parents appeared before her once again. “Right now, we’d like to catch up with our daughter, if you don’t mind.”

  Misti clutched Zora close and moved to the back of the cage, as far away from them as she could get. She looked toward Dylori and Dis and found them both on the ground. No! Fear skittered under her skin, making it clammy. She whipped her gaze back to her parents.

  “They’ll be fine. We put them both to sleep,” her father said, smiling at her.

  Her parents looked as Misti remembered, yet no trace of sickness marked their bodies or paled on their dark brown skin. They looked fit and healthy. Their yellow and orange eyes stared back at her. Her mother’s right eye was yellow, mirroring her father’s left. Her mother’s blonde hair seemed fuller around her shoulders, the lines around her mouth all but gone.

  Her father’s dark hair was tied back at his shoulders with a band of something. Not twine. Not cloth. Her stomach clenched. Misti didn’t want to think of what creature he’d killed in order to get that pale pink strand holding back his hair. They looked younger than Misti knew they were and wore gray tunics and pants, close-fitting to show their lean bodies. No weapons in sight. Twin pendants hung around their necks, white orbs and silver metal, just like the one around hers.

  Her father opened the cage with ease and gestured for her to leave. For a moment, Misti nearly stepped forward. Char was here. Maybe Danill was here, too, though Misti hoped he wasn’t. But then Misti’s gaze shifted from her father’s gentle face to the cages behind him. To her friends on the ground. She didn’t want to leave them behind, and she certainly didn’t want to walk into the bright light that had transported them here. How did they move like that?