Wings of Arian

by Walls, Devri

  She laughed. “You can tell them I was already impressed with them, they needn’t fly through anyone’s nose’s on my account.”

  He smirked, his eyes glittering with a joy she had not seen there before, “I will do that my lady.”

  The music changed to a slower, more melodic piece and Emane was at her shoulder.

  “Drustan, do you mind if I dance with the lady?”

  “Not at all, my Prince.” He bowed and moved off the dance floor.

  Emane turned her around once before slipping his arm around her waist and pulling Kiora closer.

  “I really, really do not know how to dance,” she insisted.

  “I do. Follow my lead.”

  She took his hand trying to relax. Before too long, she realized that they were all alone on the dance floor.

  “They are all watching us,” she whispered.

  “No,” he murmured, “they are watching you Kiora. I told you, you are breathtaking.”

  She blushed.

  “Have I told you how adorable you are when you blush?”

  “No you haven’t.” She felt her face flush even more. Before she could say anything else the dark began pulling her within herself. She squeezed Emane’s hand. “A vision!” She wobbled as she tried to keep herself from blacking out.

  “Quick, step on my feet,” Emane pulled her up and squeezed her tightly around her waist. “I will dance for the both of us. Just see what you need to see.”

  She pushed the vision out, projecting it into the room. Kiora then watched the beginning of the end.

  Chapter Nineteen

  THE BEGINNING OF THE END

  SHE SAW TWO SQUIRRELS scampering around in the trees. A multitude of feelings and thoughts rushed through her. The squirrels were Shifters and they were lookouts.

  It was a knowledge that she couldn’t explain. She also couldn’t explain how she knew that something was watching them, but she did. The Shifters were blissfully unaware of the spy’s presence.

  The one squirrel was giggling, a high pitched joyous sound. “We are supposed to be watching, Orrin.”

  The other squirrel pounced on her, laughing. “Relax, they are not going to find us. This is a waste of time. We have been out here since she got here, and there hasn’t been a hint of movement.”

  “Don’t underestimate Dralazar, Orrin. Remember last time,” she said, taking on a sudden air of seriousness, “He will be very angry when he finds we have aligned with the Solus.”

  “He can’t expect that we would align with him again. Not after what he did.”

  Kiora jolted. The Shifters were on Dralazar’s side last time?

  “Whether he expects it or not, he will be angry.”

  Kiora could feel that whatever was coming, it was very close. She looked frantically around wanting to scream at the Shifters to run, that something was there, watching them. But it would do no good. They could not hear her.

  The squirrel called Orrin pounced on the other again, “I hope he is angry! When I see him I am going to...”

  “Going to what?” a female voice asked. Kiora watched in horror as two dozen Fallen Ones suddenly dropped their bubbles, revealing not only themselves but also the growling, salivating Hounds.

  “Vitraya,” Orrin hissed. The other squirrel cowered behind him.

  “Hello Orrin, nice to see you again as well. Who is your friend here?”

  “She is not you concern,” he said, placing his body firmly in front of his friend.

  “Well, if I don’t need her,” Vitraya waved her hand and the second squirrel went flying into the air.

  “NO!” yelled Orrin.

  Vitraya left the squirrel dangling in mid air. She eyed Orrin. “I can feel you have chosen your side, Orrin.”

  “Let her go!”

  “Very well.” She dropped the squirrel. Orrin and Kiora watched as the Shifter fell from the tree and were snapped up by a Hound.

  Kiora whimpered and Emane pulled her tighter. “You are doing great Kiora,” he whispered in her ear. It sounded like he was underwater.

  Orrin turned around to face Vitraya. “What do you want?” He choked on the words.

  “Oh Orrin, you know what we want.” She oozed evil. “We want to speak with Drustan.” She flew down and stood right next to him.

  “I could eat you right now,” Orrin threatened looking down over the top of her.

  “You could try, but my friends here will feed you to the Hounds before you get your little squirrel mouth open all the way,” she mocked. “And really, Orrin, threatening me in that form. You could have at least picked something a little more fearsome.”

  “I will never show you the way, Vitraya.”

  “Oh Orrin,” she turned her head to the side, “I thought we were friends.”

  “We were never friends.”

  “But we made such good allies, Orrin.” She made a pouty face and Kiora wished she could reach into the vision and smack the sarcasm right out of her.

  “We were allies until we figured out what you really were!”

  “Oh well,” she sighed, “That’s in the past. And now we are here, at a rather interesting crossroads. You can either lead us to Drustan or…” she motioned to the forest floor where the Hounds circled the tree, “we will feed you to the Hounds.”

  “You know I won’t show you our home, Vitraya. We wouldn’t a thousand years ago when we were allies, why would we do it now?”

  “Hmm, that’s what I was afraid of.” As she turned around to give the order, Orrin took advantage of the moment, exploding into a bird before he was gone, disappearing within a bubble.

  “No! No! NOOOO!” Vitraya screamed. “Find him! Find him, you fools! Dralazar will have our heads. Go, all of you, fan out. You know he can’t hold a bubble for long. ORRIINNN!” she screamed into the wind. “When I find you, I will kill you myself! And it will not be as quick as the Hounds would have done it.” She yelled back to the others, “Find something, anything!” She took to the skies scanning for the reappearance of a small brown sparrow.

  The vision faded and left. Kiora looked to Emane with wide eyes. “They are coming…” she gasped, “here. The Fallen Ones.” She stepped off his feet and turned frantically to find Drustan. She had taken only a few steps before the doors to the hall were thrown open and an exhausted looking boy stumbled in.

  “DRUSTAN!!!” he yelled. His voice strangely magnified, it carried over them all, pushing the hall into silence.

  Drustan stood, his hands on the table in front of him. “Orrin, what is it?”

  Kiora’s eyes widened, “Orrin,” she whispered to herself.

  “They are coming. We haven’t got long before they are in range of the threads.”

  “Who?”

  “The Fallen Ones. They found us, they...” his eyes rose to Drustan.

  “Where is…”

  Orrin shook his head before Drustan could finish. “She’s gone.”

  Drustan stood straighter and raised his voice “All of you, you know the plan. Out as fast you can, use all of the exits. Once you are out, bubble as long as you can. Spread out. Leave the Fallen Ones as weak of a trail as possible. Make your way to the Garian Sea. The Merfolk have offered a refuge if needed. GO, NOW!”

  The colony exploded into a mass of feathers, and hundreds of birds swooped out the main door, heading out in different directions.

  Drustan morphed into the largest wolf Kiora had ever seen. He stood at least two heads taller than she. “Get on, now!”

  Emane grabbed Kiora, threw her onto Drustan’s back, and climbed up behind her.

  “Hold on,” the wolf said. “We will be moving fast.” He sprinted towards the door and Kiora tipped backwards into Emane. He pushed her forward and wrapped one arm around her waist, clinging to the back of the wolf with the other.

  “Wrap your hands through his fur!” Emane demanded.

  She reached forward and grabbed two handfuls. Drustan ran at full speed through the colony, bounding up from l
evel to level. Kiora thought she was going to fall to her death.

  “How many exits are there?” Kiora yelled.

  “Thousands, although only two for something as large as you.”

  He ran with such speed that the corners made Kiora’s stomach flip in protest. After running for a few minutes, they exploded out of the back exit.

  “Bubble, now,” Drustan demanded.

  Kiora threw up a bubble large enough to cover all three of them and Drustan tore down the rock covered hill towards the forest they could see in the distance. The forest was visible, but by no means close.

  “How long can you hold this?” Drustan asked.

  “With all three of us, under fifteen minutes.”

  Drustan growled underneath his breath. “Hold on tight, I am going to have to adjust or we will never make it.”

  Kiora gasped. She could feel the bones underneath his skin popping and moving. He was shifting beneath them, growing larger, longer, and bulkier. The new much larger wolf took off again covering the land at unfathomable speed. Emane had to lean over the top of her to prevent the wind from jerking her off Drustan’s back. As the minutes ticked on, Kiora could feel her magic depleting.

  Kiora! Eleana’s voice slammed into her consciousness, breaking Kiora’s concentration. The voice was so loud she reached up gripping her head. The bubble began to thin alarmingly.

  “Kiora, focus!” Emane shouted in her ear.

  “I am trying! Eleana’s calling me, it’s too much,” she whimpered.

  Eleana continued as loudly as she had started, Kiora, there are two horses waiting for you within the forest. Ride as hard as you can due south.

  Kiora sent back all she could muster, Alright.

  They were nearing the forest and Kiora’s body was starting to shake.

  “Almost there, you two,” Drustan yelled.

  Once they entered the trees Kiora dropped her bubble with relief. Drustan waited for them to jump off before collapsing himself. He lay on the ground, sides heaving. Kiora sat next to him, trying to keep herself from blacking out.

  “Eleana said, there would be two horses for us,” she managed to get out between breaths.

  Emane scanned the surrounding area and saw the two horses grazing not far from them.

  “We need to go, now,” she wheezed.

  Emane ran to retrieve the horses. Drustan, still in wolf form struggled to get up but his legs wobbled underneath him.

  “No, you need to regain your strength,” Kiora told Drustan. “Can you pick a form that is small and light so that we can run the horses with as little weight as possible?”

  Drustan took a deep breath before he began to shudder and shrink. When he was finished there was a small brown mouse lying before her, sides heaving.

  Emane came thundering up on one of the horses, holding the reigns of the other. “Where’s Drustan?”

  “Here.” Kiora picked up the little mouse and placed him into the saddlebag. She swung herself up, fighting with the ridiculous gown she still had on.

  “Eleana said to ride due south.”

  “No bubble?”

  “No.” Kiora was grateful, she didn’t have much left and she needed all the time she could to recover.

  They spurred their horses forward and rode, hard.

  The terrain was not conducive to speed. The forest floor was a mess, covered with fallen trees and foliage. Kiora had to close her eyes a few times, praying that the horse would clear the fallen trees that blocked their way. She urged her horse forward as the first thread touched her heart. Then there was another and another. They were coming, and fast.

  “They are gaining on us!” she shouted. “The Fallen Ones.” A new set of threads hit and her heart sunk further, “and the Hounds,” she added.

  “Just great!” Emane yelled. “I hate those things.”

  Kiora, Eleana’s voice came again. Kiora grabbed her head in pain. Why did it hurt so badly when she did that? Are they on your trail?

  Yes, the Fallen Ones and the Hounds. She waited for a response, but none came. Eleana?

  Kiora, I cannot help you. I have to prevent them from finding the source of the magic we gave Emane. You three will have to handle this on your own. Remember what you have learned, and remember the elements. I suggest you turn east, there is a lake there you may find useful.

  Kiora’s heart sunk, they were to go this alone. It was time to fight and she didn’t feel ready.

  “Emane, due east,” she shouted pulling her horse alongside his as they ran.

  “How many are coming?”

  Kiora tried to separate the threads one from another. “Ten Hounds, maybe more. Around twelve Fallen Ones.” The trees flew by on every side, blurring as they passed.

  He shook his head. “It’s too many.”

  “Eleana suggested a lake, it should be ahead of us.”

  “A lake? What would she like us to do, drown them?” he shouted over the pounding of hooves.

  “I don’t know, she said remember the elements.”

  “Kiora,” Emane said, looking hopeful, “do you think you can control the water?”

  She shuddered, not ready to have a victory dependent on her abilities. “I think so.”

  “I don’t need you to think so, Kiora, I need you to know,” he yelled, “we only get out of this alive if we all work together.” She glanced at him and could see the wheels turning in his head as they rode. “I need to talk to Drustan.”

  Kiora wrapped the reigns around one hand, reaching into the saddle back with the other. Pulling the mouse out she almost lost her balance as the horse thundered on.

  “Drustan when we get to where we are going, what is the largest thing you can change into?” Emane asked.

  “Anything you need, Prince.” It was always strange hearing his voice coming out of different creatures. But to hear his voice at full volume coming out of this tiny mouse was bizarre.

  “I think I am going to need a dragon.”

  “I will do whatever you deem necessary, Prince.”

  “I am going to need you to deal with the Hounds. Can you blow fire if you change into a dragon?”

  “Of course.”

  “Perfect. Kiora, I will need my sword and my shield. Please summon my sword first, into my hand.” He said holding one hand out from his horse. She did as he requested. He sheathed his sword. “And now my shield.”

  “Do you need anything else?”

  “No. Kiora, I will do my best to protect you, but you are the one that is going to have to come up with a way to finish this.” He shook his head. “Without your magic, I don’t know that we are getting out of this one.” Emane secured the shield onto his arm, ready for battle.

  Emane and Kiora sped through the forest looking for the lake Eleana spoke of and trying to keep ahead of the Hounds.

  “How much longer before they are on us?”

  “Not much longer, I can’t tell for sure.”

  Emane glanced behind him. “Bring your horse in as close to me as you can,” he ordered.

  Kiora reined her horse over until the two galloped along side of each other.

  “Hand me, Drustan.”

  Kiora reached across dropping the mouse in Emane’s outstretched hand. Emane dropped Drustan into his shirt pocket.

  “Kiora hand me your reigns.”

  “WHAT?””Just do it! I don’t have time to argue with you.” Leaning forward against its neck she delicately pulled the reign over the front of the horse, handing it to Emane.

  Wrapping the reigns together Emane reached out his hand. “Give me your hand, I need you on my horse.”

  Kiora looked down at the ground flying by between the thundering hoofs of the two horses. “Emane, I…”

  “Kiora! I don’t have time to argue and explain every move to you. You trust me and I trust you. That’s the way this works. Now come on! You jump, and I will get you over here.”

  She grabbed his hand, swinging her leg over the horse, leaving herself bala
ncing precariously on the side. She averted her eyes from the clambering hoofs.

  “Good, now put one foot in the stirrup to push off. One, two, three, now!”

  Kiora pushed off, throwing herself onto the other horse. But her dress kept her from swinging her leg all the way over its back and she found herself half flung over the saddle, clinging to the side, her legs dangling as the horse ran.

  “Emane!” she screamed, struggling not to lose hold.

  “Hold on, I got you.” He reached behind him grabbing the back of her dress. He yanked hard, pulling her up so that she could swing her leg up and around.

  “Curse this dress!” Kiora swore.

  Emane untangled the reigns of Kiora’s horse and slapped it, sending it off in another direction.

  Kiora watched the horse disappear through the trees, “I hope we don’t need that later.”

  “I hope we’re alive to need it later,” Emane corrected.

  A few seconds later Kiora felt some of the threads move away from them. “They are following the horse,” she said realizing what Emane had done.

  “How many?”

  “Three Hounds.”

  He swore under his breath. “Not as many as I had hoped, but it’s something. It won’t be long before they figure out your not on it. This lake better be up here soon or we are in a lot of trouble.”

  They burst through the trees into a clearing, the lake glittering in front of them.

  “This is not good,” Emane said, scanning the pre-determined battlefield. “I was hoping for something to help protect our backs.” There was nothing but a flat meadow surrounded by trees.

  “Maybe we could use a dragon for cover.”

  “That will have to do.” Emane pulled his horse to a stop and climbed off as the Hounds broke through the tree line.

  “Drustan, I need you, now!” Emane said, setting Drustan expectantly on the ground. The brown mouse turned and scampered off into the tall grass. “What is he doing?”

  Kiora didn’t have time to answer. The Hounds had slowed their pace and begun to stalk.

  “Why do they have to do the stalking thing?” Emane moaned. “It brings back bad memories.” He pulled his sword, readying himself.

  “I am glad to see you have a sense of humor in the face of death,” said Kiora.