If Time were so generous as to give me a second chance, I promise I'd do things differently. Even if it meant I'd lose Philip and all the friends I'd made. I'd make sure my decisions only ever protected those whom I now care for. But that is no excuse for my sins, I'd accept my punishments to the fullest extent.
The forest at dawn is a chilly and quiet place. When creatures and people alike stir awake. And the first murmurs greet the day.
At the entrance, Philip and I stood peering into the forest under the early morning sky.
"We tell the truth," I said, inhaling a heavy breath.
"No going back now." Philip nodded. He raised the mini bell into the air, sending a jingle through the still air. But a moment and a few minutes passed and no one came out to greet us.
"Maybe they know?" I suggested, feeling the fear creep through me.
Philip's gaze swung from one end of the forest to the other, taking in our surroundings through slits. His jaw locked and his hand lingered on the hilt of his dagger. "Somethings not right."
"What is it?"
His free hand fell on the nearest tree, glowing green at the touch. "Someone's been here, someone unfamiliar."
That was when her cries cut through the silence.
"Brise." I took off running, Philip right by me. The forest is an easy place to lose your mind in if not to the wandering souls of giants then to the indistinguishability of every direction. But we made Brise our beacon and followed her the best we could.
Perhaps the souls were too busy being sacred of Death to bother stealing control of our bodies. Because we made it to the houses unbothered. But we'd been too late.
What was once a refuge for the outcast was now the ravaged shell of a sanctuary. Bridges broken. Walls falling apart. Scorch marks and smoke. But worst of all, the cries that replaced the cheers of children.
We stepped into the elevator. And the few minutes or so of standing idly was crushing. "What if it was...?"
"We don't know yet." Philip hid every bit of emotion behind a straight face.
I held my tongue, because guesswork was no help. The elevator halted, the door slid open and an arrow narrowly missed Philip and I. He was in front of me in an instant.
"Are you with them as well?" Xon demanded, his bowstring taut with another arrow.
Philip raised his hands but stood his ground. "What happened?"
"I know you aren't one of us," Xon sneered. His face had been sprayed red. The administration building was a mess. Crates turned over, holes in the walls, slashes across surfaces and stains of red in every direction.
"We don't want to hurt you," Philip said cautiously. "Let us explain."
"Why should I trust you!" Xon growled.
"Brise," I said stepping out of Philip's shadow. "Is she alright?"
Xon's harsh gaze mellowed, only slightly. "Are you even her sister?"
"I'm her friend." But the truth fell short. "I care about her. Everything about me might be a lie but if there's one thing I can say for certain is truly me are my feelings."
"I know that you're a spy and so is she. How do I know you aren't still spying? Making sure they did a job well done?"
"Because we want to join you," Philip said. Xon aimed for him instead. "We're on your side."
YOU ARE READING
Scales and Swords ✓
Fantasy*completed* Born with scales and the ability to breathe fire, Mo spent all her life being bullied and ridiculed. For in the Kingdom of Kreatier her kind are not welcome: Half-breeds or as they are better known, Vuruks. But when she loses her family...
