A Battle of Pride and Desire

Chapter Twenty Six

The shouting and yelling from the skies entered through Brigette's ear and hit her all the way down to her toes. The fae were screaming so loudly and in such a high pitch, it took everything in Brigette not to begin crying. Ahead of her she could see males and females alike falling to the ground in quick succesion, the fae's arrows not needing much to kill. What worried Brigette was that she had not wailed once, had her powers vanished? She dared a quick glance beneath her shirt at her necklace but it did not shine, did not warm at Brigette's thoughts. She had not lost her powers, perhaps her powers meant nothing when so many people were dying. What good was her gift anyway if it could not stop people from their fate? Brigette looked above her and the fae flew towards them with speed and aggression. The sheer number of them felt impossible and the sound of their wings in the wind was like a beating drum, sounding the death of hundreds of Magmellans. What were they trying to reach? The castle? Their objective felt like a futile thing to question as she watched them approach her row quickly. Some of the fae weren't bothering to shoot, some came down and dragged their sharp nails down Magmellan warriors' faces. A female further down the line spat on the ground in disgust and cursed under her breath. Brigette heard some Magmellans begin to shout and push forward when the fae began to use their nails. Brigette didn't dare move though, she waited for the fae to come just a little bit closer, then they would be in Brigette's range. Brigette just hoped her range was further than theirs so she could shoot first. Footsteps shuffled around her and she knew without looking that everyone around her was aiming up to the Heavens. With their big wings, Brigette knew she could probably shoot head on so she picked out a target. A fae male with dark blue wings and an all blue outfit was cockily doing twirls and flips mid air. Someone should teach him to always be aware of his surroundings. Brigette drew the bow string back and knew she could hit his wing head on. On an exhale she released and without taking her eyes off the fae, she pulled another arrow from her back. As she nocked it she saw it hit the corner of his wing. He let out a loud scream but another fae held him up. Two fae in one? Brigette liked her odds so shot the other fae's wing. They both fell down together into the empty space that the battalion had left, knowing Brigette would shoot. Brigette pulled another arrow and aimed at the first fae she saw. A clean shot down the centre of their back, down they went. Brigette smiled and was shocked at her own thirst for blood. Regardless, it was needed. She scanned the area surrounding her and the sky above, the fae were still coming from the front she could focus on shooting for now.

"Hey," the female with heightened hearing from earlier.

Brigette quickly looked her up and down before taking aim at another fae, shooting them in the stomach and hoping someone else would finish them off, "What?"

"I'm Liadh, Eithne's sister. You're definitely Brigette."

This caught Brigette's attention but she didn't dare look away from the sky as she watched more and more fae approaching. Arrows where shooting through the skies in great numbers, maybe they stood a chance.

"OK," was all she said as she shot another fae. "Nice to meet you, but do you think we could save this for after?"

Liadh laughed and nocked her own bow, shooting at the fae Brigette was aiming at. A clean shot through the neck, the fae was dead instantly. Brigette stopped to look at Liadh. It was unconventional for her to be wearing a dress to battle but Brigette actually saw the sense in it. Her black dress was loose and fell just above her ankles, allowing her to move freely.

"Nice shot," Brigette said and aimed upwards to a fae that had been shot in the stomach.

Brigette aimed for the neck like Liadh had done and sure enough the fae fell down quickly. Brigette heard the fae hit the ground with a thud, then the whip of a blade. Dead.