Heliophilia

the beginning

June 8, 2001

"Will, come on!" Delilah ushered her baby brother as she dragged him behind her, running as fast as she could behind Daxton, their guide.

"It's gaining on us! We have to move faster!" The Satyr yelled back, slowing to grip the young girl's arm and pulling her along.

"Delilah!" Will cried, stumbling on a root and falling to his knees.

Delilah ripped her arm from Daxton and tried to yank her brother off the ground, her blonde hair falling in her face. "You gotta get up. Will, get up!"

She managed to get him on his feet and pulled him towards the camp, not knowing how to get him to move faster. He was just 5, he couldn't keep up with the older two children.

She had just taken a step to follow when a force knocked her to the side, sending her small body flying into the roots of a large oak tree.

"Delilah!" Daxton shouted before he was crashing into a tree stump, his body going limp on the ground.

By the time the young girl could collect herself, the large figure that had been following them since West Virginia towered over her baby brother. She could hear him cry out for their mother, watching him scoot away from the giant.

All the fear she had was gone, disappearing entirely as she stood up to face the monster. There was no way she would let anything harm her brother, and somehow she knew what she had to do.

"Get away from my brother, big head!" The girl screamed, picking up a stick and throwing it at the creature with all her might.

The giant turned towards the eldest Solace and roared, giving Will enough time to pick himself up and run behind a tree to hide. The giant's breath reeked of rotting flesh and smoke, the smell almost sending Delilah crumpling to the ground from dizziness.

Her head pounded from the stench and the force that escaped from his lungs. Even though she was vulnerable, he turned his attention back towards Will, knocking his fist into the tree the young boy crouched behind. Wood shattered and tree limbs flew in all directions, Delilah just barely avoiding one as it came in her direction.

The giant stood over the blond boy, Daxton laying beside him trying to regain his bearings. A burning seized the girl's body, something inside her forcing her to get up and fight. With everything in her, she shoved herself off the ground and sprinted for the giant, ducking under his legs and standing in front of her brother to protect him.

Heat filled her chest as she stood solid, hoping someone would come to rescue them from the monster. But she knew no one would. They were too far away from the camp for anyone to hear. Her body tingled as she glared at the giant, him not knowing what to think of the small child acting tough. He roared once again but this time, instead of sending her to her knees, she stood taller, looking more powerful than ever before.

Something came over her and she screamed, her entire body flooding with heat as she let her lungs do the work. Will clamped his hands over his ears and looked away from his sister, her body radiating some type of light energy that burned his eyes.

The giant stumbled back at her outburst, crying out in pain as her scream grew louder. The shout should have ripped her vocal cords apart but she stood unfazed. The sound pierced the creature's skull and his hand flew to his pounding head.

She stepped towards the giant, him faltering and stumbling to his knees. She squeezed her eyes shut and forced more air out of her lungs, clenching her fists together to help concentrate. The giant's body shook as he looked at his hands, them quickly melting away and turning to dust.Daxton finally came to, watching the scene unfold as he crawled over to the little boy. He pulled him away from his sister and covered Will's eyes, shielding his own as Delilah grew brighter. The giant fell to his back, exploding into gold dust as soon as he hit the ground.