Isadora felt the cold air swirling through her lungs.
None of this was ever meant to happen. She shouldn't even have left the palace in the first place. If she would've stayed, then Louis wouldn't be dead, and the guard members wouldn't be dead, and she wouldn't be sprinting through the forest under the cover of moonlight because she was now a target.
Izzy couldn't stop replaying the images in her head of August slaughtering the guards. The way her eyes had turned a deep oil black when she concentrated. How she could somehow manage to touch them without ever getting within reach. Her mind couldn't comprehend anything that her eyes had seen and yet Izzy continued watching them over and over in her mind as she ran.
August kept a steady pace in front of the princess. She wasn't about to let her lead the way through the forest blind but was in no position to leave her behind. The darkness was still itching at her fingertips. Calling upon too much energy at once was known to kill most Rhyles. But August's father taught her the truth. There is a place between life and death for those like her. Where a Rhyle can call just enough energy to let it consume their soul while still having control. Her father would call it "going dark". August had never specifically known anyone who had gone dark, in fact the only other Rhyle she knew personally was her father, but she had suspected that the dark ones were to blame for the attack on Izzy's carriages.
Which meant that they were afoot in the woods.
And they would be searching for their missing princess. The princess that August had so cunningly managed to sweep under their feet.
The two woman ran in silence, only the occasional broken branch or scuffle of leaves fell under Izzy's feet. But the noises of the forest accompanied them as the dark sky began to show streaks of deep purples and reds as the sun began to make an appearance. August began to recognize the land around her. Small hills and the pattern of the trees.
"We're close," she called back to the princess.
After a few more minutes she brought her pace down to a stop as they came across a small cave hidden in the side of a hill. It was no bigger than August's cabin, but it provided a roof and with her powers it would be safe enough to keep them. But this was temporary. She didn't know what the next step was, but until the tension with the guard backed off August knew they couldn't risk going into a village.
She noticed Izzy examining her surroundings, her gaze narrowly avoiding August's as she kept her mind spiral of questions to herself.
"I used to come here when I was a kid," August began to explain without being asked. "My mom and dad didn't always get along at home, so when things would get bad I would come out here for a bit. Sort of like my own personal hideaway where nothing bad could ever happen." She suddenly felt an overwhelming feeling that she was oversharing so the rest of the words caught in her throat and let the silence overtake them both once more.
August made her way into the small cave, sitting against the back wall and bringing her knees to her chest. She watched the princess pace slowly around the entrance before finally making her way inside as well, sitting adjacent to the woodland girl. They both sat in the silence for what felt like a lifetime for them both. Until
"W-what are you?" The question came out much softer than Izzy anticipated. Her voice was hoarse from breathing a good hours' worth of winter morning air.
August looked up, her eyes locking into the bright blue ones staring across from her. She didn't even have a chance to speak before it came again.
"I said what are you?" The princesses voice sounded firmer the second time around. She felt her hand instinctively reach for her bow, even though her arrows seemed useless against her enemy.
"What do you think that I am?" Her own voice shaking slightly.
"I don't know!" Izzy screamed back. She hadn't meant for her voice to raise but her fear had overtaken her. She wanted nothing more than to be home, in her bed, safe in the palace. And now she was sitting in the middle of seemingly nowhere with a girl whom she just watched commit mass murder.
"I've been trying to figure that out since the moment I realized you were different." She continued in a whisper, trying to be mindful to not set the girl off again, "You can do things that people shouldn't be able to do. You killed people August." Izzy couldn't help the tears beginning to fall.
"I didn't want to kill them, Iz. Please realize that." Her own eyes began to tear up. She could see just how much she had scared Izzy. "But they were going to kill you. Kill both of us. I told you I wouldn't hurt you and that means that I'm not going to let anyone else hurt you either."
The princess shook her head slowly, "But I still don't understand how you can do what you do. I don't understand how. It's impossible. My father told me people like you didn't exist. That you were a thing of children's scary stories."
"And do you always believe what your father tells you?" August snapped. She didn't mean to but the princesses words hit her hard. Ever since she first learned about her powers, August knew she was different than the others. But the idea that the King of Aldham told his subjects that people like her were monsters. Not even worthy of being real. It seemed to hurt her much more than probably intended. "I'm sorry." She quickly followed. "I just mean, whatever your father probably told you, or whatever you learned about us in general probably is no where near the truth."
"So then why don't you tell me the truth?" Izzy urged.
"The truth is that I don't know!" August's voice raised once more before retaliating to a near whisper. "I didn't choose this for myself. It runs in my family, my father before me had it and his grandfather and so on. Surprisingly enough it runs in more bloodlines than people probably would like to admit. And it's not a bad thing. The powers, or whatever you want to call them, are the only reason I'm still alive out here. You think I'd ever be able to make it out here alone this long?"
The princess sat silently, trying her best to take it in. She grew up hearing stories of Rhyles and how they hid in shadows and existed in fairytail lands. But they weren't real. Magic wasn't real. Or at least up until a few hours ago it wasn't real in her world.
"So those things that attacked us in the woods, were those like you?"
August shook her head. "I believe your people like to use the term Rhyle for those sorts of creatures." She couldn't even hide the disdain of the word as it rolled off of her own tongue. She hated the label and that it even pertained to her own bloodline. "But for me, I consider them the dark ones. Rhyles who have pushed their powers too far, have sacrificed their humanity for a much darker cause. So, I might still be considered a Rhyle but I am by no means dark. I would never take my power that far."
Izzy was still struggling to wrap her head around it all. She had just watched August kill nearly a full fleet of guards. If she could do that with barely any repercussions she couldn't help but wonder how much power it would take to turn someone dark.
Before she had a chance to reply, August spoke up again. "Look, I understand that this must be a lot to take in right now. I know that people like me and people like you are on very different ends of the spectrum. But I don't want you to think that you're in any danger staying with me. I'm not going to hurt you. I am however going to seal this place up," she motioned to the cave around her, "and try to rest a bit longer. Because tonight we have a bit of a journey ahead of us."
The princess watched carefully from a distance as August walked to the entrance of the cave and knelt down, letting her hands rest on the earth below. Izzy could see her fingertips slightly begin to glow as the energy began to encircle the entrance. Preventing anyone from the outside from ever realizing what was inside and keeping everything inside that needed to be.
August made sure the seal was strong before making her way back to the middle of the cave. She tossed her fur coat in the Princesses lap, lying down on the cold floor herself. Sweeping her hand up her thigh to make sure her dagger was still present. She heard the soft rustling of Izzy curling within the fur next to her.
Quiet was beginning to fall upon them both before the princess's voice rose above.
"Where are we going tonight?"
August turned to look into her soft eyes. "Tonight we make a trip to the palace. I think it's time to get you home."
