WHOS AFRAID OF LITTLE OLD ME, fourth wing

chapter two

CHAPTER TWO

The hatred in Xaden's stare is burning the side of her face like an undying flame, the rain dripping down her skin doing nothing to put it out.

Rhiannon grips both sides of the opening in the turret, then looks over her shoulder. "I'll wait for you two on the other side," she shouts over the storm. The fear in her eyes mirrors their own. "We'll see you on the other side." Violet nods with a grimace of a smile.

Seren only watched her step onto the parapet and begin walking. "Name?" The rider at the edge asks as his partner holds a cloak over the scroll in a pointless attempt to keep the paper dry. "Violet Sorrengail," Violet answers.

The thunder cracks from above, Seren looks up, briefly closing her eyes as she inhaled the rain tinged air, relishing in the feeling of rain drops hitting her skin and the wind howling around her.

She let out a breath before opening her eyes once more as Violet walked forward. The raven haired girl stepped toward her, snatching her arm in a firm yet gentle grip, Violet turned to face her.

"You will not die." The words came out as an order, a refusal for anything other than that being the outcome.

Violet was her best friend, her family and if she die Seren didn't think she would be able to keep pushing through life, when she felt her place in it was a curse.

Violet seemed to see the emotion revealed in her  eyes, the fear of death taking another person she held close to her heart.

With a soft smile, Violet nodded once, firmly.
"I will not die." The promise and determination underlying her words was enough for Seren to relax slightly. Her hand moving down Violets arm to connect their hands, connecting their pinkies and squeezing once before letting go.

She watched Violet step onto the parapet with her arms out for balance as the wind nipped and tussled her hair.

"And you think you'll be able to ride?" the asshole candidate behind her mocked. "Some Sorrengail with that kind of balance. I pity whatever wing she ends up with."

She felt the anger rise in her blood,
Like a forest fire as it spread across her body unyieldingly. She moved in a flash and swept her leg out to knock his down.

She watched him fall onto his back, his eyes widened in surprise and the wind knocked from his chest. She carefully walked towards him, bending down to pull him up by the collar of his shirt to meet her halfway, her cold gaze blazing with fiery anger as she spoke steadily. "I told you not to insult my friend. The next time, I'll cut out your tongue"

Seren watched his eyes glint with fear as he seemed to register the threat she could prove to be, even with her small size. "That is if I don't kill you." With that, she released him roughly and straightened, striding back towards the man at the roll-keeping desk-who was already staring at her.

She ignored his staring and everyone else's, her expression the perfect mask of unbothered.

"Name?" the rider at the desk asked, glancing down at the roll as he poised his pen on the line,

"Seren Elysian." She calmly answered.
The rider looked up in surprise "As in—"

She cut him off, her voice void of anything as she spoke. "Yes."without another word she stepped up onto the parapet.