10. Xeros

10

XEROS

M y eyes open slowly, taking in the morning light. I suck in a deep breath, trying to make sense of the intense feeling brewing within the deep confines of my soul.

"What is this?" I whisper, holding a clawed hand over my chest. My heart pounds. My jaw clenches, but there's nothing around me. "What am I feeling this way?"

I haven't felt like this in a very long time. The last time this emotion took hold of my senses, was when the dark elves overwhelmed my kind and annihilated us mercilessly. When I was forced to watch all of my loved ones die, one by one, until I was the last Astreldi remaining.

Rage. Pure rage.

As I look around, confusion starts to settle in. I have no reason to feel this way, but the emotion is as intense as the sun's beams on my dark skin. It burns through my body, touching every inch of my soul with white hot flames.

Evangeline… where are you?

She's not safe. She's in danger somehow, in some way, and it pains me to stand here helplessly while she fights for her life. This isn't fair. I must get to her.

In the past, the Astreldi never used to take to the skies during the day. It was far too risky. We would be seen quickly, making our incoming assault futile. But I don't care if I'm seen or not. I don't care if the dark elves figure out that they did not kill the last of my kind.

All that matters is Evangeline. I must get to her. Now.

Flapping my wings a few times, I conjure up the necessary strength to take to the skies. My wings start to ache from the sheer amount of force I'm using to whip through the raging wings, but I fight through the aching sensation.

"Evangeline," I say, staring out towards the mountain peaks, covered in snow and ice. "Where are you?"

This helpless vulnerability makes my stomach turn in disgust. What kind of pathetic creature am I? While Evangeline is in trouble, I am here, flailing through the air with nowhere to go.

Of course, this would be much easier if I knew where she was and if I understood the connection between us, but excuses are excuses and I cannot tolerate any. Not when Evangeline's life is on the line.

A sharp pang rages through my chest, crippling me for a moment. The intensity is strong enough to make my wings stop flapping, causing me to stumble through the air and nearly driving my body into the body of a massive tree.

Deep growls emerge within my chest. What was that?

No matter. My search for Evangeline continues. I fly through the mountain range, cutting across the deathly winds and the bone-chilling temperatures. As I traverse further into the snowy wasteland, I am reminded why the Astreldi never liked to hunt in the mountains.

The peaks are jagged and there are many trees that obscure the ground view. I find it difficult to maintain my position when I must make sure I am not flying into trees. Still, these are the only obstacles that stand in the way of Evangeline and me.

And I will not rest until she is by my side.

But as I continue to fly my way through the mountains, the chilling sense of urgency never leaves me. It seems like, if I waste any more time, I'm going to lose her. I'm going to lose Evangeline. The thought brings me a deep sense of mourning, one that I find difficult to fathom.

Why am I being allowed to live while Evangeline risks the chance of dying before I'm able to set my eyes on her? I must be allowed to see her once. Just once. Only then may I begin to understand how a creature like her was able to awaken me.

"Evangeline!" I call out into the mountain range, hearing as my voice bounces along the terrain until it disappears into the distance. "Evangeline, where are you? I am coming to save you!"

I hope she can understand me. Does she speak my tongue?

Sharp tree leaves cut into my wings as I continue to soar over their canopies. That's when it suddenly dawns upon me that I'm searching for Evangeline in an inefficient manner. If I want to see the ground, I cannot remain above the canopies. I must go below.

The thought makes me grimace, simply because it is difficult to fly well underneath the hanging leaves and branches that the trees possess. They block my wings from fully stretching. I will run into trees more often, holding me back from reaching my goal.

Then, I'm struck with a pause. A searing pain shoots down my arm as a branch cuts along my skin, but that's not what I'm focused on. My ears perk up and I try to locate the source of that noise. It's not nearby, but it's within the mountain range. I know because I detected the echo.

There it is again. The echo. A shout. It's not the noise I expected. Dread starts to fill up my body as quickly as rage does. Was it Evangeline who made that sound? Or was it something else entirely?

"Am I too late to see her?" I ask aloud, flapping my wings and shifting directions toward the source of that noise. "It can't be. I must see her!"

More cuts scrape along my skin as the tree branches continue to deter me. There will be a point where I'll be unable to move forward due to the amount of pain this brings me, but the desire to find Evangeline surpasses that easily.

I can't think straight. There's so much around me that seems familiar, but it isn't. The animals that inhabit this mountain range are not the same as I remember. Some of them look similar, with a few differences here and there. Some of these animals are ones I cannot recognize at all.

How long was I asleep in that cavern? For how long did this world continue while I was stuck beneath the surface?

Another scream echoes through the mountain range, but this one sounds louder. That's a good sign since it means I'm closer than before. While the thought should soothe me, I'm a bit troubled by what I'm hearing.

Because if it's Evangeline who is screaming, then she is in trouble. And I might be too late to save her.

What is this? You're an Astreldi. The Astreldi never thought in such pathetic ways. We used to soar into battles, not caring whether we lived or died if it meant protecting the ones we loved. This is no different.

My eyes narrow, focusing on the ground. Snow covers most of the dirt below, covering the land with a white canvas. Anything dark in color sticks out quickly, like the small animals that I see roaming through the foliage or the horned creature that jumps through the snow with its young.

"I'm close, Evangeline," I say. I know this to be true. I can feel it in my chest. "I'm close, but where are you? You have to be near. I feel you. I… I hear you."

Should I be cautious in this strange place? What if a dark elf hits me with a searing bolt of magic, ending me right here and now? Are there dark elf strongholds in this mountain range? Do they have allies nearby who can alert them of my presence?

I don't fear for myself. But if Evangeline needs a good chance to survive, she needs me in full force. I cannot be wounded or killed during a mission like this if it means putting Evangeline in danger.

You worry so much about a creature you don't even know yet.

Just as I'm about to internally chastise myself about being so callous with that remark, a scream and a sight before me consume me with a chill I have never known. I have never seen anything like this. I have never heard things like this before.

Moreover, I have never felt such an indescribable rage. One that makes me want to soar down onto the ground and take that creature apart, limb by limb, and drain its body of blood.

These creatures before me, I've never seen them before. But one of them is Evangeline. The one with the long dark hair and the strange coverings around her body.

The other one, though…

The creature is much shorter than I am with mangled hair on his head. He pins Evangeline to the ground, grabbing at her clothes. I imagine these creatures protect themselves against the cold using those clothes, so why would he want to take hers off?

He's hurting her. He's trying to…

I growl. My wings slow down, allowing me to hover above while watching the scene unfold below. Evangeline is doing her best to fight the creature attacking her, but he's stronger than she is. And more desperate.

"You'll pay for doing this to her," I say, loud enough only for myself to hear.

That creature will never know what's about to happen. When hunting prey, it's important to disguise yourself in the surroundings until the right moment. Otherwise, the prey will flee. In this case, I don't want my prey to leave. I want to savor the moment his blood on my tongue.

For hurting Evangeline, I'm going to enjoy every second of ripping his organs out of his body.