Old Legends

Chapter 7 - Sela

I hear Than scream as I crouched in the hideout we created specifically for this purpose. The feeling inside me that yearns for Than flares to life. I clench my eyes shut and clamp my hands over my ears. I'm unable to ignore it. Tears fill my eyes and I push the trap door, climb up, and run out the door to the clearing in front of my home.

Than is hunched over when he sees me. His eyes go wide with fear "No! Sela, he will kill you, get back below!" He tries to stand, but his side is bleeding profusely. He looks just like Grant did three years ago right before he died.

I choke out a sob at the sight. Not again. "Than!" I cry, reaching out toward him. As I try to make my way over to him, I stumble over my feet and fall to my knees.

"There you are, Lady Sela," Salem says with a wicked smile, still fighting Dagon. Now that he has found what he was looking for, he smacks Dagon to the side, sending him flying into the wall. Dagon looks back at Salem, wincing from the collision.

I stare in horror at Than bleeding and Dagon crumpled against the wall."Stop this, Salem! They are not part of this war! This is between the Holy Children and their villages. Leave them out of this!"

He straightens and licks the blood off his claws. "Yes, but they did get in my way. Casualties are a necessary factor in war. Now that you have come out, I can call Nico in." Salem smiles, and then he whistles.

A short boy with scruffy black hair and catlike features walks out from behind one of the other huts. His saunter is elegant and quiet, like a true predator. His voice sounds almost like a purr. "Hello, Lady Sela, we finally meet again. I'm not going to lie, I thought you'd be prettier. It seems the stories I heard were mere exaggerations."

I scowl at him. "And I thought you'd be taller. What are you doing, leaving the safety of your village, are you trying to die?" Grant made it clear that the members of the village would be the ones to encroach on the other children and that as the Holy Child it was of utmost importance I stayed in the village; that I stayed safe.

"No, I just wanted to be the one to kill you." He smirks and his muscles tense like a cat ready to pounce on its prey.

"So what, you want to fight one on one?" I ask, baffled by this shift from tradition.

"Yes, that's exactly what I want. Have you trained?" The way Nico spoke is past condescending. He acts like a cat playing with a mouse; however, nothing about his small frame screams "confident killer." I can't help but think he may be overestimating his ability and miscalculating the ease of fighting another descendent of the gods.

I straighten. Grant had begun training me to fight when I was still young and Gabe had kept up on that training since his death. I could hold my own. "Yes, I would say I'm a good fighter."

"Well then let us test it; do you have any open grounds?" He relaxes from his pounce and looked around my wrecked village.

"Yes, it's a grove in the woods... the grove Grant died in." I try to sound confident and steadfast, but my voice cracks at the last part. I miss him so much.

"Touching." The sarcasm wasn't lost on me. "When twilight comes I will see you there, and so will death." With that he flicks his hand and Salem follows him from the village.

I watch them leave and as soon as the forest engulfs them. I stare in confusion at their choices before my musings are interrupted by the groan of Than. I crawl over to him and stare at the wound he was clutching. He has lost a lot of blood, which causes sweat to drip from his forehead. "You stupid, stupid boy." I whisper, "Come on, climb to your feet, I will heal you."

Than attempts to rise to his feet but falls back to the ground. "I...can't...." He whispers, his face growing whiter.

I put my arm under his arms and drape him over my shoulders. I lift him to his feet and slowly drag him to my mother's fountain. I couldn't take the time to meticulously dunk only his wound under, so I just drop him with a splash. After a few seconds of being in the water I struggle to pull him out, drenching myself as I do. I lay him on the ground, ignoring the burning on my skin. My hand strokes his cheek. He squirms in agony on the ground, so I grab and hold his hands to stop him from clawing at his side. Tears streak my face as I watch his wound begin to close. I will never lose another person I care about.

Dagon quickly enters the room and stands there staring at his brother. His eyes flicker around the room taking in his soaking and writhing twin and the glimmering pool. "What did you do to him?" he asks me before dropping to his knees to take his hands from me.

I let go of Than's hands and push Dagon's hands back to his lap, "Don't touch him. He is healing."

Dagon looks at me, anger raging in his eyes. "He is in pain! He is in agony! That is not healing." He tries to pull his hands from my grip.

I rip my gaze from Than's wound and glare at his twin. "Stop being a child, look at his wound."

His gash in his side is slowly mending together as it absorbs the water. As it heals, Than's agony begins to fade and he just lays there panting and sweating. He opens his eyes and looks at me holding Dagon's hands.

His gaze goes from my hold on his brother to Dagon's face to mine. "Sela?" His voice sounds pained, but I'm not sure if that was from the healing water or from the sight before him.

I quickly release Dagon's hands and lean down to hug Than. My arms wrap around his torso and I welcome the shock of energy that surges through me at the touch. Tears stream down my face as I speak into his chest "I thought I was going to lose you. just like I lost Grant! What are you doing to me, you stupid prince?"

He shakes his arms around me and tightens his embrace. "Thank you for saving me."

"I am sorry to interrupt, but in about one hour, you're going to fight that cat kid. As great as it is that my brother is healed, this is no time to rejoice. You're probably going to die, but I can probably give you a few pointers. Uhhh... I guess you should pick out the weapon you're best with... From the looks of your build, I would say you should be alright with a sword." Dagon rambles to our side as I press my face into the nook on Than's neck.

I exhale against his skin, my jaw clenching in annoyance. I reluctantly pull away from the man who has quickly seeped into my heart. I still didn't understand what this feeling is, but I would have time to figure it out later. If Nico wanted to fight one-on-one, I would do so and I would win. As I stand, I say with cool confidence, "I will not use a sword; I will use my staff. It was made by my mother, from her own bone. I need no training. I haven't been sitting in my hut my entire life. I was born to kill other demi-gods, so I've been training all my life. I will defeat Nico. He thinks I am just a sheltered girl, but there is more to me than that." I give Dagon a pointed glare.

"Lady Sela! Lady Sela! My Lady!" I hear Gabriel calling from outside. He enters the healing room and as soon as his eyes find me, he drops to his knees. "I am sorry, My Lady. I failed to protect you. It is no wonder you refuse to take my hand. I am not worthy of you."

I ignore his comment. "Gabriel, I must go to the grove, Grant's Grove, Nico will be there waiting for me at dusk. I guess he wants to fight one-on-one to the death." I pause and look back at Than, but still address Gabe. "I may not return and this village will not gain the power needed to rule all the other lands. I apologize ahead of time."

"Sela," Than sighs and struggles to stand to follow me.

"That is Lady Sela to you, royal scum." Gabriel growls.

"Than is no scum." I say, getting to my feet and crawling down the trapdoor door. I emerge with a black staff with strange symbols engraved on it. I bring it to my lips and whisper "Mother, help me now." At my words, the staff's engravings begin to glow.

"Twilight draws near, we must get you to the grove." Gabriel whispers, grabbing my arm. I look back at the twin boys, who stand, ready to follow me to my fate. It is paramount that I win this fight. There are too many questions that would be left unanswered if I were to die now. I would win for Grant... for Than.