Destiny's Calling - The Original

Chapter 3: Nightlings

Chapter 3: Nightlings

After what seemed like forever, we stopped walking.

"Savanah?" Zenan called out into the forest.

"Zenan?" A quiet, feminine voice asked. The air in front of us quivered and a petite woman appeared. She had long red hair braided down her back, stopping around her hips. She was also wearing a forest green dress that stopped above her knees. Her eyes were grey and stormy and her pointed nose fit her. Her small lips were shaped into a smile.

"I see you have a second human to train. I can't recall a girl appearing before.." She paused, thinking. Then she noticed Ganter. "What's that doing here?"

"It likes the human." Zenan said, matter-of-factly as if I wasn't here.

"I think it's a she. Probably has babies somewhere; caught her scent and noticed it was different." Savanah blew it off.

"But its just as smart, if not smarter than the city ones." Zenan pointed out.

"Nightling runaway?" She suggested.

"Nightling?" I was confused. Why was a Nightling? Another type of creature maybe?

"Local rebel group." Zenan explained to me as if reading my confused thoughts. "They train Darklings so they have an upper hand in battle. They hide out in these woods."

"Oh." That made sense.

"But if it is a Nightling Darlkling.." Savanah trailed off sounding scared. She looked around in panic.

Zenan finished her sentence, also looking around, "We should go."

There was a quiet zing as an arrow flew by my ear and stuck in a nearby tree trunk. Zenan and Savanah exchanged worried glances before Zenan pulled out a sword I didn't know he had, while Savanah waved her hands in the air, summoning daggers.

"What's going on?" I asked worried.

"We're under attack. You need to get down." Zenan ordered to help me stay safe, but it was too late. I heard another zing before I felt it impale my side. My eyes widened as I reached for it. The wound tingled and I knew that wasn't a very good sign.

"No!" Zenan yelled, catching me as I collapsed. He propped me up against a rock before getting back up. Everything began to fade black as I drifted into a dreamless sleep.

~*~*~

"She's waking up!" A very familiar voice yelled.

"She is?" Savanah yelled back, sounding far away. "Be there in a minute!"

"What happened?" I asked, my voice scratchy. My throat felt like sandpaper. My head and side were also hurting like crazy as I tried to recall what had happened.

"You were hit by a poison arrow." Zenan told me softly. I was laying on a soft bed in a strange room. I was propped up by a crap load of pillows and Zenan was sitting on a stool next to the bed. Then I realized he was holding my hand. I could feel an almost electric pulse coming from him. I figured it was normal since he was from another world so I just shrugged it off.

Zenan must have also realized he was holding my hand because he jerked it back. Suddenly I felt weak.

"How long was I out?" I stuttered slowly.

"Close to three days." He shushed me, caressing my face.

"Three days?" I was surprised. It hadn't felt like three days. Only a few hours, possibly a day. But three?

"Shh.. Don't talk." He put a finger to my lips.

"How's she doing?" Savanah called still in a different room. I heard a soft clang and figured she is in some sort of kitchen.

"Ten fingers for bad, one for perfect." Zenan asked still not wanting me to talk. I gave him four and a half fingers. He laughed melodically.

"She's okay." He called to Savanah and she appeared in the doorway holding a steaming brown mug.

"This will help your throat and help you get your strength back. It might even help your side." She handed me the coffee-colored mug which appeared to be filled with hot tea. I tried to take a sip, but my arms were shaking badly and I almost spilled the hot liquid on myself. Zenan then took the mug away from my hands and helped me take a sip.