Keeping the Faith

Powerless

Srae ran from Koryn. She frantically swiped at branches as she ran, trying her best not to trip and fall.

"Srae!" He kept calling after her, but her fear drove her on.

Srae pulled her hood over her hair, hiding her red locks. She stopped briefly in the dense of the forest. She pulled her gloves out of her pockets, pulling them on her hands, covering the markings.

A chill ran down her spine and she pulled her cloak closer to her body. Srae's chest rose and fell quickly as she calmed her breathing, her heart thundering from her escape.

Srae made herself walk through the green forest, not sure where she was going. Her dark cloak was damp, and heavy from the air, her eyes soon following suit.

After walking for what seemed like hours, Srae collapsed from exhaustion. She lay on a soft bed of moss, it was warm despite the air and season. Srae's eyes seemed like they couldn't stay open any longer. She started to fall asleep when she heard a twig snap.

Srae sat upright, frantically looking around. She scanned the trees and plants around her.

"What are you doing?" Srae spun around to see a beautiful girl leaning against a tree, her attention on the sword she was polishing.

The girl wore gray clothes and a dark cloak. She had weapons strapped to her belt and leg. There were handles sticking out above her shoulders, and a strap across her chest, holding a quiver to her back. The girl's hair was pure white, except for a portion of hair an inch thick behind her left ear, it was pure black. The hair was tied in a braid down her back.

"I asked you something." The girl repeated, keeping her eyes on her weapon.

"I..." Srae found herself speechless.

"Srae, if you never face your fears how do you know if you are ever truly afraid?" The girl pushed off the tree, sheathing her weapon.

"What are you doing here?" Srae questioned, finding herself in befuddlement.

"That's you're lame excuse for a hi? Really, I thought I had taught you better." The girl stepped closer to Srae and crossed her arms.

"Arkaya, why are you here?" Srae demanded.

"I came here to check on you. By the way you reek of terror. It smells like a mountain goat that shit itself." Arkaya made a disgusted face.

Srae got up from the ground, brushing herself off. "Did you follow me?"

"No, I'm a huntress. I tracked you." Arkaya stepped over the large log between the two. "I felt the chaos. You're holding back." Arkaya grabbed Srae's hand.

Srae pulled back, "of course I'm holding back! You've seen what I can do! What it does! I'm a danger to everyone! No one understands!"

"Now that's where you're wrong. You want to think no one understands so you have another excuse to keep everything bottled up inside. The longer you refrain from using your powers, the more they grow inside you into something dark. You don't want that, do you?" Arkaya put her hands on her hips, looking at Srae with a raised brow. Srae stayed silent. "If you keep telling yourself these things, and you keep running away; chaos will reign, and then we're all screwed."

"I never wanted any of this in the first place." Srae whispered, seeming like a frightened little girl.

Arkaya pulled Srae into a hug, holding her tight. "I know."

Srae pulled back from the hug. "What do I do?" Her voice cracked.

Arkaya smiled sadly at her. "Don't hold back."

"But, if I don't it gets out of control. If I let my self feel the power flow, I get caught up in it and it takes over. It controls me." New tears sprang to Srae's eyes, making her burry her face in her hands. "I fear I've already lost it."

"Don't fear. Don't think you've already lost when the battle hasn't even begun. Don't relish in the power, don't-"

"Don't, don't, don't! All it is, is don't! What do I do?" Srae cried.

Arkaya grabbed her by the shoulders, looking into Srae's eyes with mad determination. "Control it."

"But I don't know how!" Srae yelled into her face. Arkaya made a sound of annoyance, pushing Srae away.

"Sraena Harmony, you're lucky I'm the one that came." Arkaya said bluntly.

"How am I lucky for that?" Srae pulled her cloak closer to her body.

"Because I give it to you strait. No sugar coating." Arkaya leapt onto the log she had stepped over previously.

"I still don't see how that makes me lucky." Srae mumbled.

"Because I'm the only sister that didn't get any power. I see things how they are. I make my way without pretty wings, dragon boys, or power! I have done fine on my own." Arkaya jumped high, grabbing a branch and pulling herself onto it.

"Yes, Arkaya, we all know how much you love being on your own. You've made that perfectly clear time and time again." Srae crossed her arms, looking up at Arkaya.

Arkaya starred for a moment on the limb she was sitting on, her face contorted in thought. "Then I'm sorry for coming back." Arkaya stood up on the limb, jumping to the next tree with ease.

"Arkaya, wait-!" Srae reached her hand out toward Arkaya's shrinking figure. "Thank you." She mumbled.