Dark Days

Chapter 2

                Malelia and Ritsu went back into the small cabin to sit down and discuss their next plan of action. However, that didn’t go so well and they ended up just sitting down and enjoying each other’s company. Malelia just stared at him, examining is ruffled brown hair and the start of his scruffy beard. He had a bigger build than what was expected in the Ralquid, but he managed to be the best flyer Malelia had ever seen. Malelia had been away for almost three months, training herself, trying to access the powers that all of her kind supposedly had. She felt so far behind since Ritsu had his and he was only six months older than her. Hakan flew over and landed right in front of the two, trying to grab their attention.

                “You two do know that we are in danger every day we stay here and need to move quickly,” Hakan said urgently. Malelia looked at him confused. The last time they were in danger was whenever the village was destroyed and everyone in it died.

                “Yes Hakan, I know… I just wanted to wait to tell Malelia a little later on,” Ritsu hissed at Hakan.

                “What is everyone talking about?” Malelia shouted since she felt like the subject was being dodged. Ritsu looked at her with sadness in her eyes, and Malelia almost instantly understood what it meant. “They know we’re not all dead, don’t they Ritsu…” She said very slowly.

                “Yes and I don’t know how but they do. Hakan and I have been mapping out new areas to stay in for a while, and we think we have found a place to stay at until we can figure something better out. We’ve lived here since our village was destroyed, it won’t be hard for them to find us if they started searching…” Ritsu explained calmly.

                “I need some air,” Malelia said transforming herself into her wolf form and jumping out the window, running off into the forest. She walked softly, with her wings folded close to her back. She felt like both hunter and prey at that moment. Knowing that those beasts were back was very frightening, and made her feel as if she was never going to be safe again.

                She had Makka now though, and she had also developed her power to control the earth. In the village of the Ralquid, there was a legend that said when a great evil came to destroy them, those who survived the initial attack would grow to develop the powers of nature, just like the elementals, and fight alongside them to stop this evil. Malelia could remember that her parents had no power, nor did Ritsu’s parents, hence why Ritsu’s fire powers came to them both as a shock.

                As Malelia continued to walk deeper into the forest, she began to hear rustling in the leaves around her. At first she was sure it was only a breeze blowing the tops of the leaves making the rustling, but as it persisted on, she was sure it was something more. Suddenly Makka shot out of a tree and swooped down to land on Malelia’s back. Makka could feel the tension of Malelia’s muscles in her back and couldn’t help but wonder why.

                “What’s bothering you Malelia? Your muscles are so tense,” Makka questioned.

                “Makka, do you remember when those beasts came and nearly wiped out my whole race?” Malelia questioned softly.

                “Do you mean those creatures that everyone just called shadows since they moved so quickly and mainly stuck to darkness?” Makka asked recalling when they first appeared in this area.

                “Exactly. Well, they’re back, and they know we’re not all dead. Ritsu and Hakan are mapping out new locations for us to stay at until we can figure out something more,” Malelia explained as she continued to walk. A few moments later, a shrill scream broke the silence of the forest and birds took off in the other direction. Makka shot off of Malelia’s back into the part of the woods that they heard the scream come from. Not too far behind, Malelia snapped her wings out and took off after her still in wolf form.