Firestorm

Chapter 7

Lilith stood trembling on the ledge with Flynn, who mirrored the terror she felt deep within her heart. Below, the pack of conriochte snarled and stood open jawed, anticipating the moment when they would get the chance to rip through their flesh and feast. She looked at Flynn, the moonlight shone upon in his sea-green eyes, but she found no reassurance, nor some sign of some unknown saving grace.  She found only doubt, fear and a small glimmer of hope. The meager hope he had, that she would not betray him to the wolves. But even behind this small glimmer she felt her knew her nature. Like a lamb resigned to being slaughtered, she saw no hate or even betrayal in his eyes, only sadness that soon his life would end. 

Flynn smiled at her nervously, his eyes tense and sorrowful as he accepted his faith. She saw him close his eyes, his muscles tense. She could almost feel the deep, shuddering resigned sigh that ran through his body, as he prepared himself to fight the conriochte if she when the selfish choice.

Lilith was indeed torn. The urge to do the right thing still dwelled within her, she was not an evil person. But she had always been a selfish person.  She knew this, she was no hero. She was not the kind of person who would sacrifice herself to save another. It's how she had survived so long on her own. Her own survival had always been her top priority, regardless of how it had been achieved.

But things had changed. Something within her told Lilith, that if she let Flynn die, she would not, simply could not live with herself or what she had done. That something, was unknown to her now. It was something her cold heart couldn't comprehend.  But she felt it was something truly precious, something she had to protect. Or else it would be lost to her forever and she would lose the last decent part of herself and become just like the monster below. Lilith gave Flynn a small reassuring, if not sad smile and gently took his hand in hers giving it a soft squeeze, hoping to calm his justified fear.

Below on the sand Diarmuid began to pace impatiently a low anger growl vibrating within his chest. The rage of his beast side was beginning to slowly take over. He could not fail in his task, he knew this.

"Human!", Diarmuid snarled finally. "Your time to decide is up! Choose now or die along with the Air Wielder."

Lilith stared down into his wolfish like eyes and smirked. "Lovely offer your priestess has "bestowed" upon me. I must thank her for her generosity, as I am cutting out her heart". Flynn beamed from where he stood beside her.

"Thank you, Lilith", Flynn sigh with relief. "I knew you were too obsessed with my dashing looks to let me die."

It's a good thing he didn't know just how close she had come to choosing differently. Diarmuid howled in anger, the rage of his beast half at last taking control. Lilith, although clearly bluffing, laughed down at the snarling conriochte.

"Rage and moan all you want ugly faced mutt. The fact here is, we are up here, and you are down there. You stupid mangy dogs clearly can't climb all that well. Eventually you and your pack of mangy mongrels will get bored sniffing each other's butts or get hungry enough and leave", she said cockily. Flynn looked at her wide eyed.

"Um... Lilith", he said cautiously. "Perhaps taunting the beasts who want to rip our throats out is not the best course of action to take here."

Diarmuid stopped snarling and looked up towards them. She saw in his eyes that he was calculating. Suddenly, he grinned wildly, every single one of his yellowed sharp teeth on clear display. Lilith's blood ran cold and with that Lilith's unfounded fake confidence was spirited away. She knew that something bad was about to happen. Diarmuid turned his back to them, speaking in the language of the wolves to the rest of his pack. He growled deeply, barking out orders like a general to his troops. The pack moved swiftly and in the center of the beach the pack formed a large circle.