He was dirty: suit tattered, hair mussed, and he was obviously exhausted. His words registering enough that I finally actually looked at him. I took a deep breath, trying to calm both myself and my power. “And you can’t kill me, but that probably wouldn’t have been fun. I need your help,” Thanatos said without preamble. “Thano! Fucking fornicating fiends and Chaos’ mighty balls! I nearly killed you!” I snarled at my brother. Ky’Elli mantled her wings, coming to a stop at my side, battle rage emanating from her. She and I nearly collided as I stumbled back, opening my hands to drop the sword, the weapon disappearing as it fell. Ky’Elli charged through the brush, her eyes blue fire, every line on her body glowing brightly. The blade rimmed in glowing black and steaming with my aggressive anger, stopped a breath from Thanatos’ neck.
My mind finally caught up to my instincts and I nearly jerked my own arms from their sockets, attempting to abort the attack. I brought the weapon forward in a deadly arc. My booted feet braced wide as I swung around, my wings compensating to aid my balance. Ky’Elli screeched on both the mental and physical plane, my startled defensiveness thrumming through the open bond. I reached back, my hand closing over what seemed clear air and drew my sword, my power cloaked me and my wings snapped into existence. I spun before I had even registered the nature of the threat. I am your Kirir and I will protect you and defend you, even if it is from Joren and Madec.” There was a long moment of silence before she responded, her mental voice filled with resignation, protectiveness, and a thread of strength that gave a hint of what she would one day become, “Do not worry, Kiri. The bond vibrated with Ky’Elli’s shock, obviously not having considered this possibility at all. Best that we find him first and get this cleared up, rather than him catching me by surprise.” “I’m sure he is, mikros, but I suspect that Joren may feel I’m all of those things. He protects us.”Ī small smile played around my lips. He will not hurt anyone…well, unless they are bad. “ Kiri, I do not see them, but I am sure that they are close. She had doubled in size these last weeks, her legs were long, her feet getting big, and she was gaining bulk along her chest, shoulders, and back. She was growing rapidly and consuming alarming amounts of food. I reached out to Ky’Elli, checking on the small beast, although she wasn’t as small anymore. I heaved another exasperated sigh, frustration filling me.
Not smoke, but that subtle scent of fire, of heat, of air burning. Him.Īnd why hadn’t he found me? Why hadn’t he done what he came here to do? There had been nothing but these single footprints throughout the trees and the random scent of fire on the air. I was sure it was due to the fact that I. He had filled my dreams at night and occupied my thoughts during the day. I had become nearly obsessed with this quest, unable to get the warrior’s eyes from my mind. But it had been two weeks! TWO! I had been hunting them for two weeks and couldn’t find them. Ky’Elli confirmed that this was the pair that she called Madec and Joren, the warrior and the beast from the vision. There were just the two, as if they were taunting me, or as if the forest was sheltering them. Both were deep, one large, heavy human and one, the paw print of a massive creature. I scanned the ground again, I could see the footprints. Their threads still shone brightly, woven through the fabric of this reality. Locked away or not, their energy still permeated the planet and the universe. Was it the Titans? Were they enough of a disruption to mask what I sought? That didn’t make any sense, though. Never, in all my eons, had it taken me this long to run my prey to ground. I tapped deep into my powers, a furrow creasing my brow, listening intently, sensing the air and the ripples of energy that flow around the planet. I gathered the thick mass back into order, my movements automatic. I rose from my crouch, scanning my surroundings, and reached up to pull the tie from my hair.