Flames of Ashes

Chapter Twenty. Lyra

"The risks we take for the ones we love is admirable but is it not we think we can save them all that we take them?"~Cadvere

I had worn my cross pouch bag when Alex entered our room, with a solemn face, her hair unkempt, smelly, thinner than ever, and looking lost.

"Xarian, I need to talk to you." she bit her lip so hard that I thought it might start to bleed and her eyes were unfocused.
"Can it not wait until tomorrow?" I demanded rather impatiently. It was a prerequisite I leave because Tamsin's life was on the line.

"Xarian, it is important, please I just want to"
"Alex," I pursed my lips. "I am certain that it can wait, Alexis." Her face fell and I quickly withdrew my words, "What I mean is, I have something really important to do and if I do not do it tonight, I might not have another opportunity, and even if I do it might be too late."

"Where are you going? Surely you can spare me a few minutes?" The plea in her voice clenched my heart, and I hesitated. The worry and helplessness weighed me down and for a moment and I almost chose to stay. To stay with her, but Tamsin's brown eyes that had accepted death mixed with Alexis' face and I knew what I needed to do, no matter how maddening it was.
"I can and I will, tomorrow." I nodded, resolving both to her and myself "Whatever you have to say, is relevant to me and I want to hear all about it, tomorrow, alright?" I did not even wait for her reply and left. Tomorrow I would be there for her. I wondered what she had to say, but I shrugged the thoughts of Alexis's pale and sickly face out of mind as I approached the Night Forest.

The crescent moon hung low in the sky, casting a dim, silvery light over the dense canopy of the Night Forest. The trees, ancient and gnarled, seemed to whisper secrets to one another as their branches swayed in the faint breeze. I took a deep breath, gripping my crutches tightly. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and rotting leaves. Every step I took was careful and deliberate. Sneaking out of the knighthood was already a gamble, but braving the eerie darkness of the Night Forest alone was another risk entirely.

It was not an easy task to leave the knighthood but I had to practically beg Koralai to help me, which she refused to do vehemently, saying, "It is too dangerous, Xarian! What if someone finds out or you get hurt? The Night Forest is not a place for you to lurk and search for what in the gods' name, you did not lose! You could do this when you were a kid but now... now you don't have that ability."

I understood what she meant and I would not push my luck with the gods by risking my life so they could have it, but Tamsin needed me. I had to save him, so even if it was stupid and impractical, I had to do it. At least, I told Koralai about my whereabouts and I could always reach Zarir if I encountered any sort of problem. I would have told the others but I wanted to be sure that there was even a cure for the seizures before getting their hopes up.

My heart pounded in my chest as I navigated the familiar yet uneven forest floor. Shadows danced at the edges of my vision, and the sounds of nocturnal creatures rustling through the underbrush kept me on edge. The hairs on my body rose, sensing that someone's eyes traveled with us. The forest was alive with the unseen, and every creak of a branch or snap of a twig sent a shiver down my spine because in the night everything was silent and the tiniest of noise could be picked up well, a little too well for my taste.

Just as I began to feel as if I might be moving in circles, my foot caught on something. I stumbled, barely managing to stay upright by leaning heavily on my crutch. But as I looked down to see what had tripped me, I froze.

Lying across the forest floor, illuminated faintly by the moonlight filtering through the trees, was the body of a luminari—a pure-blooded creature of light and majesty. Its silver fur, usually radiant and glowing, was now matted with blood, its body torn open in a grisly display.