Wings and flames

Chapter 25

"How far is this...Aeck?" Sam asked.

They were now infront of the shrine. The shapeshifter kept a steady pace. The only reason Sam hadn't changed was because he didn't have an extra pair of clothes.

"Are you tired dragon?" The shapeshifter seemed judgy.

"Did you just... I cannot believe this. Aren't you supposed to be protective and kind? I don't remember shapeshifters being judgy"

"I can't apologize for a loophole in prejudices of your kind, can I. But if you must know, I am protective, just not of you."

Sam convinced himself that Viri would have defended him had this shapeshifter not seem this...smug.

"Is that a threat?"

"Is it working? Does it always talk so much?"

Viri nodded.

"Wow. I'm just outright offended. Also, Viri would fight you to ground if you lay a hand on me you know."

"That's unlikely dragon." The shapeshifter was very confident.

"I will shapeshifter. And his name is Sam." Viri's comment left the moisture dry out from the air. The panther's legs lost their grip, it slowly turned around and, bowed in silent apology. Sam was feeling smug now.

And then they saw it.

They'd walked further away from the old shrine. It wasn't even visible anymore. The forest was doing perfectly fine around the ruins. They were standing on a huge stone pavement that had statues and pillars. Infront of them, there was an inclination. A bit of a climb. But beneath that, lay something else. Sam could hear the soft whispers of a small pond.

"If you wait here, I can tell Aeck to step out. You may speak with him then."

Him?

"No." Sam spoke to Viri. "I don't trust the shapeshifter enough and definitely not the Aeck. If he goes in, we don't know what to expect. I'm not taking any chances."

Viri nodded. "We'll follow you. Take us to Aeck. We'll not draw our blades without reason."

The shapeshifter considered. And then only responded with, "I'd draw blades if I were you."

They started walking upstairs. The stairway was broken down the middle and beyond that they had to climb a steep hill. It was solid rock. They kept advancing and then Viri felt a presence. It was loud for one. She then heard a heart beat that quickly rose to a state of panic. At the same second, there was a sound from the trees around them.

Sam took a second to realise what was happening. One moment there were on the hill and the second, a bunch of wild owls, the kind that hunt deers started flying right at them. Viri had dodged a few and killed two that planned to rip Sam's face off with her throw knifes. Her knifes left her belt at light speed and landed perfectly at the chest of the birds. No pain. Easy death.

The panther's eyes were fixed on Viri. It seemed to be waiting for something. Sam quickly understood what. Viri's face was away from him but he knew she was doing her thing. The air went cold. And the murderous owls seemed to calm down. The shapeshifter however was in awe. Sam knew, their faces looked the same.

Viri helped Sam, who had slipped a little trying to a dodge a bird. The panther took a few steps ahead and then simply looked back at them and said, "we're here."

It disappeared.

Sam and Viri exchanged a mutual "Well, we're fucked" look. They steadied themselves and went to where the panther had been standing a second ago. The rock, open up to what looked like a full blown ecosystem. Sam could feel the water that waited for them right beneath the hollow of the rock. But inside, it was too silent. The unnatural silence made the hair on Sam's hand stand.

"Well, I guess I can say I literally fell for you Viri." Sam was pleased to see Viri smile a little at that. They held hands and jumped right in.

Neither touched the water ofcourse. Sam had summoned his wings halfway down and was now holding Viri and himself gently above the surface of the water trying to find land. The shapeshifter's voice broke the inhuman silence.

"She's real."

Once Sam's feet touched the water, he understood the floor map quickly. He landed Viri gently on the piece of land that was on the edge of the water. The shapeshifter had his back towards them. He was looking towards...nothing. Waiting.

Sam was scared for his life. He knew whatever it was, it was slowly building up a plan to destroy them. He knew he couldn't fight better than Viri. But saving someone didn't mean you had to win the fight. It just meant giving them a better chance at survival. And he knew he was ready to throw himself at whatever this Aeck dude was.

Sam had his wings carefully wrapped around Viri. One move and he'd take them both into the water. And if Aeck could threaten him in water then atleast he'd give him a good fight.

There was an eerie silence. That's what made it worse. Sam couldn't hear what was approaching them. He felt Viri relax. She didn't do her thing. The air went warm and toasty.

Sam could feel Viri close to him. He could see the shape shifter, still as ever. But he couldn't see anything ahead. After what seemed like ages, he saw his nightmare. Slowly coming into focus.

In the dark of the night, everything around him seemed to blend into a deep dark black. The kind they warned you about. The kind a newborn knows to fear. A warning in all its glory. And then the two eyes found them. They were focused on Viri. Her own head was kept down - whatever it was, Viri wanted it to know they weren't a threat. Sam didn't share the same clarity. He was looking right at it. Steven had tried to draw this onto paper. You couldn't capture something like this on paper but the youngling felt paralysed by it for a reason.

The eyes were perfectly carved onto the head of the creature. It's body was big, Sam didn't couldn't it but the eyes were large enough to prove the notion. You wouldn't even know something alive and breathing was looking at you. In place of the white of the eyes, this one had black. It's pupil was solid black too. It's Iris was molten amber trying to hold the Blacks separate. This was no balance of nature. This was a creature that belonged to a nightmare. The eyes were focused on Viri and the gaze almost felt light. Cautious even. They regarded the shapeshifter. And then, as if Sam's loud heart had echoed off the space, they landed on Sam.

Sam's wings started to wrap around Viri, a little more tighter when it hit. That gut wrenching pain rushed through his wings and crashed him onto the land. He fell on his knees, screaming in pain. He couldn't even more to the water. His body wouldn't respond. As his wings drooped around Viri and his head hit the ground, he felt his body slip into shock - shock that would save him from death.

Just as his consciousness began to slip. He heard Viri. Loud and clear. She screamed. Yelled. Commanded almost. Plain old but a classic - "No!!!!!!"

And then she changed.