Moon Angel

Chapter 35: Assailants in the Dark

Chapter 35: Assailants in the Dark

I wasn't sure what I was meant to do with myself for the two weeks it would take for Cyra to arrive. When I thought about it, I didn't really have any hobbies, but I needed to keep myself busy. I wasn't used to having nothing to do, and my mind would wander to places I didn't want it to go. I had to keep busy and focus on the present.

Even though I now had so many hours in the day to relax, I didn't want to. I didn't want to stop and think about everything that had happened. I didn't want to think of the reasons that I was no longer with my team, or at Omega.

I found I missed them terribly. More than I had thought I would. I hadn't realised what leaving would mean. We had spent so many hours and years together, seeing each other every day. Some nights I would go to sleep and would forget where I was. I would wake up thinking that I was back at Omega, and then everything would come flooding in, dragging me through all the memories. I started to sleep during the days. There were less dreams when I slept then, and after all, it was what we had done on Elvira. I would go out at night and fly somewhere, anywhere. Apart from my flight to New Zealand, I hadn't really flown before that in years. There weren't many missions that actually required me to fly, and since the rest of my team couldn't, I didn't. Every night, it was as if the strength in my wings would grow, like muscles building in legs from running. I found I could fly faster, further, higher.

Some nights I would find somewhere reasonably isolated, and I would train, like I used to at Omega.

I built myself a routine. I didn't have anything else to do. I had spent so many hours training that it felt strange not to.

I would push myself even harder every night, and by the time morning came, I had worn myself out. I would slip back into the hostel just as the sun was rising, and fall into exhausted sleep. Even though the Moon refreshed me, I found that it too had a limit. But the more exhausted I was, the more adrenalin that I pushed through my system, the better I felt. Training and flying became so automatic that I didn't have to think at all. I could just do.

***

I landed beneath the tree line, folding my wings down as my feet touched the ground. I had been training all evening and was ready to call it a night. I didn't know how long I had been out for, but being surrounded by fresh air just felt so good. I couldn't believe I had spent so many years underground in the compound. I walked through the bush, making my way to the edge where I had left my bag tucked under one of the plants. I heard a noise behind me. I stopped, alert. I couldn't hear anything, or see any movement among the trees or shrubs. I kept walking, carefully, so that I would still be able to hear anything behind me.

I heard the noise again and turned suddenly to see a small animal run across the path. I almost laughed. I didn't recognise the animal but I was sure it was harmless. I didn't know why I was so jumpy all of sudden.

I was almost at the bush edge by now, and I breathed out, trying to relax a bit more, and continued walking.

I finally reached the clearing, and found my bag where I had hidden it.

Suddenly something came out of nowhere and grabbed me, covering my face with an unseen hand.

Without even realising what I was doing, I had flipped whoever it was. I heard a quiet groan as their body made contact with the ground. I dropped my backpack, which I had been still holding and flung my wings out, ready to take flight. I didn't need a fight tonight. I jumped off the ground and lifted into the air, when something grabbed my legs and tossed me to the ground. Whoever they were, they were strong. My body hit into the ground, the impact smacking the breath out of my lungs for a second. I was on my feet again as soon as I could, and I prepared to fight, pulling my wings in.

I still couldn't see who my attacker, or attackers were, but there were obviously more than one of them. Figures appeared out of the trees, as if from nowhere, and surrounded me, giving me nowhere to turn to, nowhere to run. They tried to grab me, restrain me like the last person had, but I fought them off, kicking and punching. All my hits landed where I wanted them too, but it seemed to make no difference. They kept coming.

We had moved into a clearing while the fight had been going on, and the Moonlight shone down on the scene, illuminating my assailants. For some reason, I had only been able to see their outlines, even with my night vision.

But now, I could actually see them. They had wings too, I realised, and the tell-tale white hair of an Elviran.

I couldn't understand what they were doing here, let alone why they were attacking me.

What had I done wrong? What was going on? How did they find me?

There had to be at least five of them.

Five humans I could take, but I didn't know the first thing about taking these guys on. They seemed to be unusually strong. They came at me from all sides. One of them got close enough and grabbed me around the waist and lifted me effortlessly off the ground. I flung my body out, using the weight of my attacker against him, and we fell to the ground, wrestling. I managed to get free, but one of the others grabbed hold of my arm and wrenched it behind my back, pushing me to the ground. I screamed, pain rocketing from my shoulder down my arm.

This couldn't be happening right now. This couldn't be happening.

A cold emotion I hadn't felt in a long time spread throughout my body, filling my gut. Fear. A sickening fear.

I couldn't let them take me. I lashed out, ignoring the pain in my shoulder. I wasn't going to be defeated.

I hadn't realised but a storm must have been building above us. Thunder rolled through the sky and rain started to pour down. I managed to throw them off for a few seconds, maintaining my ground. They came back at me, determined. When would they stop? It seemed like I hadn't affected them in any way. No matter how many times I threw them to the ground, they got back up just as quickly. I, on the other hand, was worse for wear. Pain spread through my body, and I was bleeding in a few places, although I couldn't tell exactly what the cuts were from. I was tiring, and the Moon didn't seem to make a difference this time. Not against these people.

It seemed hopeless. They came at me a final time, and I felt like giving in. I couldn't go on for much longer.

I put my hands up to protect myself against them, and an unseen wind came out of nowhere, throwing them across the clearing.