The Last Sídhe

10 - Heroics

Human towns weren't any better when set ablaze. The bloody light of this one's flames painted the surrounding forest in a haze of flickering orange and red. Smoke wound through the air, mingling with the rain to form a thick, oppressive cloud. The very air felt singed.

Wrinkling my nose, I poked my head around the trunk of a tree and sank into a crouch. A few nearby buildings clustered together to form a cramped sort of street. Fire spilled across their roofs, crawling down the walls with a life of its own.

Maeve's home, quietly tucked away in the hills beside the sea, flashed across my mind. I blinked the image away with a grimace. It had been just as cramped as any other human house. There was nothing special about it, and there was no reason to feel a pang at its memory.

A scream rang through the air; an older woman darted from one of the houses, fleeing into the woods to my right. She was closely followed by a smaller shape, lithe and black. I glimpsed its eyes, red as blood, before it vanished into the darkness. Not long after, I heard another cry. It was full of death's agony, and quickly fell away into a choked silence.

I winced and drew back, tapping my fingers against the trunk of the tree as I thought. The Tremluí had been raiding villages near the Críoch for weeks: in truth, it was a miracle that this one had lasted this long. Perhaps the monsters had taken their time, savouring each attack as it came. I wouldn't put it past them.

A sigh bubbled up in my chest. Unfortunately, there wasn't much I could do for the poor fools in this village. As fun as playing hero was, the Tremluí were already chasing me. Not to mention that they always attacked human settlements in groups. If I drew their attention, I'd end up outnumbered, and then I'd end up dead.

I'd say sorry, but there's no point. I pushed off of the tree, turning away from the burning town. Guilt stung my heart; I shoved it down, locking it away with the memory of Maeve's eyes. I can't afford to die just yet.

A growl that didn't belong to me tore through the end of the thought. I spun around, ignoring the pain that shredded through my side and arm at the motion, and ducked. The Tremluí's fur brushed my cheek as it missed, crashing against the trunk of the tree. It staggered, dazed, and let out an earsplitting shriek.

Damn it. Damn it! I leapt up, breaking into a sprint as I fled from the village. The creature must have recognized me—that vile sound was a call to summon its comrades. If I didn't manage to get ahead of them, I'd be cornered.

The ground curved into a steep hill; rocks sliced at the soles of my feet. A howl echoed from somewhere behind me, and I hissed a curse. It had been stupid to linger at the edge of that town. Why had I waited so long? I'd risked myself and all of Rienne in doing so.

This was exactly why I wanted to avoid heroics.

Another growl, far too close for comfort. Fur shifted across the corner of my vision, too quickly for me to dodge. A scream tumbled past my lips as a Tremluí in the form of a fox tackled me, tearing at my middle. I fell onto my back, one arm pinned awkwardly beneath me.

The pain sweeping through my body registered as little more than a distant tug as adrenaline blazed through me, giving me just enough strength to wriggle free. After that, it was easy enough to slip into the form of a wolf and slice at the Tremluí's eyes. My claws tore through one; it shrank away with a harsh squeal, a clear, thick fluid starting to leak down its snout.

I didn't shift again. I didn't even think. My instincts screamed at me to run, so I did. It didn't matter how my limbs shook; if the Tremluí came together and caught me, that would be it. I wasn't stupid enough to face more than five at the same time.

I leapt over a fallen log, staggering as my injured leg almost gave way. Faster, I thought, forcing myself to adjust. I dug my paws into the ground and shoved myself further up the hill. Faster, faster, faster. I ran in tandem with the simple mantra until the trees blurred around me.

Faster.

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Eventually, the howls and shrieks of the Tremluí faded. After that, there was nothing but the pain that gradually spread through my body and the grating sound of my breathing. The sky lightened, brushing the forest in pale browns and watery greens, but the rain never stopped. And neither did I.

Then my body finally gave way. I didn't realise how bad it was until I tripped over a root and fell, banging my snout into the rocky ground. When I tried to get back up again, my muscles refused to move.

That wasn't good.

I blinked, breathing in the scent of the forest. A light drizzle fell from the thunderclouds above, soaking my fur. Mountains rose above me on all sides, their jagged peaks scraping the sky. Something about them seemed familiar, but I couldn't focus enough to figure out what it was. Exhaustion and pain dragged at every vein; my mind was a continual battle between piercing agony and the soothing lull of sleep.

Panting, I gathered what energy I had left to lower my gaze. The underbrush was still. With any luck, I'd outrun the Tremluí.

Of course I did, I told myself. I'm far quicker.

Before I could relax, the metallic tang of blood reached my nose. Confusion swirled through my mind. I looked down, dragging my cheek across the ground. My fur was matted with dirt and leaves, but the gaping gash torn across my stomach was still visible. Blood seeped from it; already, a spreading pool of red stained the dirt beneath me.

That damn Tremluí. It had left its mark. A thrill of alarm ran down my spine as I raked my eyes across myself, registering just how much blood I had lost. No wonder my body was giving out.

A wave of weariness swept across me, brushing aside my own fear. At least I'd lost them. That had earned me a small rest, at the very least. Right? I let my head fall back to the dirt, releasing a breath as sleep came to erase my pain. Then there was only darkness.