Chapter 248: A Dark Beginning Part 2

Chapter 248: A Dark Beginning Part 2

The rainforest was bathed in a blanket of ash as the flames of Mount Movs eruption billowed across the mountainside. Ash rained down from the darkened sky and drifted down into the rushing river.

Six canoes filled with children floated down the river. They had been down the river before, but never without the adults. The elders and soothsayers had told them to go on ahead, that they would catch up eventually. But as the flames began to overtake the trees near the shore, Aqila worried that the adults might have gotten caught in the fire.

Aqila tried her best to paddle the canoe down the river while trying to appear like she knew what she was doing. She had never steered a canoe before, there had never been a need. But she was fifteen and the eldest among the children, which meant the soothsayers had placed her in charge of watching over the other children.

Aqila glanced back at the other five canoes behind her and the haggard children huddled together, most of them crying. How could she ever hope to watch over this? In just a single morning they had lost their villages, many of them their families. Aqila was one of the lucky few who still had both her parents, but they were still back up the river, coming soon, hopefully.

Please come soon, Aqila whispered a silent prayer.

She couldnt lead these kids, she was just a kid herself. She just wanted to go home but there was no home, not anymore. She closed her eyes tight and tried her best not to cry, she needed to be strong right now, if not for herself then for the other three children in her canoe.

Duncan sat with his knees up and his arm around his little sister, Emma. Duncan was thirteen, his silver horns had barely begun to grow in. Emma was nine or eight, Aqila couldnt recall. The little girl had always been running around their village giggling with her friends. Emmas smile was gone now, her eyes filled with tears. Their parents hadnt been seen at the rendezvous point upriver. No one has seen them since this morning. Still, Duncan and Emma held hope, albeit wrapped around a bundle of fear and worry.

Duncan I need your help paddling, Aqila said.

Huh? Oh, yeah he nodded and grabbed the other paddle.

Aqila, where is everyone else? Emma asked with a small voice.

Like I told you, they're coming, Aqila tried to smile.

Mom and dad too, right? Emma bit her lip.

Aqila swallowed and nodded weakly, Yeah, definitely.

I knew it, Emma smiled in relief. I knew they would come. I bet your parents are coming too, she glanced at the last child in their canoe.

He was a small boy, about as old as Emma. He was from one of the neighboring villages. They had seen him once or twice in the occasional festivals, but they didnt even know his name. The other canoes were full, so he had simply been put in with the three of them.

The small boy hadnt said a single word. The moment he had stepped into the canoe, he had gone into the other end of the boat and huddled there by himself. There were no tears in his green eyes, but they were dull, almost lifeless. He held something close to his chest, but he kept it hidden underneath his ragged cloak.

Aqila was the granddaughter of one of the village soothsayers. She had helped her grandmother with funeral rites before, she had seen death before Aqila knew what pain and loss looked like, the feeling of rejection and disbelief one felt at the death of a loved one. But the look in the boys eyes was neither anger nor disbelief, it was grim acceptance.

Um, Im Emma. This is my big brother, Duncan. Whats your name? Emma asked restlessly.

The small boy ignored Emmas words and simply stared out into the rushing waters.

Hey, my sister is talking to you, the least you can do is tell us your name, Duncan glared at him.

The small boy slowly looked up at Duncan, as if registering his voice for the first time.

Leave him alone, Dunc. If he doesnt want to talk, he doesnt have to, Aqila said.

Duncan frowned, But-

No buts, keep paddling, Aqila snapped. Her expression grew soft, I dont want to fight, not today.

Duncan nodded silently and kept paddling.

Emma stared at the small boy with the unending curiosity of a child. Hi, she waved her tiny hand.

...Hi? the boy said hesitantly.

What is that? Emma craned her neck and tried to peer past his ragged cloak.

The boy raised his arms as if to protect himself and curled up at the edge of the canoe.

Aqila clicked her tongue, Emma, I said leave him be-

A shivering roar echoed across the river. The dark god burst from the edge of the river behind them. Its ape-like legs waded through the water as it beat its chest with crystalline-scaled arms. The gods violet eyes settled on the six canoes in the distance and its feline mouth pulled back in a vicious smile.

The children cried out in terror and panic at the sight of the thirty-foot monstrosity. A few of the children jumped out of their canoes and tried swimming to shore, but were washed away by the river.This chapter is updated by nov(e)(l)biin.com

Emma screamed, a painful ear-throbbing screech. The small boy whimpered quietly and curled into a fetal position.

Keep paddling! Dunc! Aqila yelled at the top of her lungs.

The paddle slipped out of Duncans trembling hands. He turned to Aqila, desperate for some sort of hope.

The dark god leaped into the sky and crashed down into the canoes. The river exploded in a wave of destruction, the water rippling out in giant waves, sweeping out a hundred paces. The childrens screams died, their voices silenced beneath the waters. Shards of wood the size of an arm drifted across the river in a mixture of blood and sand.

In the span of a breath the canoes had all been destroyed, save for the one at the front. The crashing wave had propelled the canoe forward. Miraculously the canoe hadnt capsized under the ensuing onslaught of raging waves. It had taken every ounce of strength Aqila had to hold Emma and Duncan from falling overboard.

The small boy cried out in surprise as the waters slammed into him and swept him away. His ragged cloak caught on the canoes bow. The boy clung to the boats hull desperately.

Hold on! Aqila yelled.

Emma nodded weakly, but tears still streamed down her golden-yellow cheeks.

There you are! The small boy spotted something tiny below a nearby bush and stumbled his way to it.

A loud roar reverberated above them. The dark god crashed down from the canopy and smashed into the ground, sending chunks of dirt and stone flying. The children screamed and floundered their way to Yara.

Yara wrapped her arms around the children and took a deep breath. She wasnt sure she could manage another flicker spell, but she had to try. Hold on tight, she said in a bleak whisper.

Wait! Aqila cried out and pointed to a nearby bush.

Oh shit, Yaras face paled. She hadnt noticed, one child was missing.

The small boy was a dozen paces away, crouched under a bush, his hands rummaging underneath. The dark gods attention had been on Yara and the others, but at Aqilas panicked voice, it shifted its violet eyes towards the ignorant boy.

Yara didnt hesitate. She jumped past the other children and flickered herself to the small boy. She appeared above him in a burst of orange sparks. With one swift motion Yara wrapped her arms around the boy and flickered. But the spell failed. She cried out in pain as her muscles clenched and spasmed from the backlash.

Work, dammit work! Yara thought furiously.

The dark god raised his arms and slammed them down with a loud bash of violet light.

Yara opened her eyes hesitantly. She wasnt dead. The flicker spell had worked? But where was she? All she could see was a red membrane-like dome around her. She turned around and frowned in confusion. The bush was still right next to her.

The flicker spell hadnt worked?

What the? Yara muttered and looked down at the small boy in her arms.

He cradled something tiny in his arms that Yara couldnt quite make out.

The small boys green eyes were still dull but there was a faint smile on his face. I found you, he whispered into his arms.

What is that? Yara stepped back uncertainly. And what the fuck is on your back!?

Hm? the small boy looked up and tilted his head back. Oh?

A red wing protruded from between his shoulders and stretched around them like a domed shield. As soon as the boy noticed, the wing unfurled and shriveled away.

The dark god stood above them, a look of surprise across its feline features. It growled angrily and slammed its arm down on them.

Kid, move! Yara screamed.

The small boy stared curiously at the giant scaled-arm falling above him. He placed one foot behind him, pulled his arm back, and swung. A boom of sound echoed as his fist collided into the giant arm. The purple scales shattered in an explosion of blood and bone. The dark god went flying back, its body crashing into dozens of trees.

Yaras jaw went slack at the impossible sight.

The small boys face was expressionless, his green eyes almost lifeless, but he moved with determination. His legs shifted and transformed, the golden-yellow skin around his legs turned dark blue as his ankles shifted up and his knees jutted backward like a cats. Before Yara could speak, the small boy had disappeared in a blinding flash of speed that made her agility magic seem like a mere parlor trick.

The small boy appeared in front of the dark god and simply stared at it. Why are you trying to kill us?

The god bared its fangs and spoke in a deep unfamiliar language.

Because youre angry? The boy tilted his head to the side, Thats not a very good answer. I mean, I dont really mind, I guess? But you killed someone you werent supposed to, I think.

The dark god cradled its shattered arm and roared in defiance.

Two grey tails slipped out of the boys back, each with a sharp blade-like black tip. The dark god jumped back to escape, but the boys tails snapped forward and the wind cracked with a boom. The dark gods body fell apart in a dozen slabs of flesh and bone, black blood raining down all around.

The small boys tails shriveled away and his legs returned to normal. He turned away from the enormous corpse and casually walked back to the other children. He scratched his cheek and nodded, Um, Im ready to go now.

What the fuck are you!? Aqila stumbled backward.

Duncan quickly picked up Emma in his arms and hid behind Aqila.

The small boy looked around nervously, Uh Im

That was amazing! Yara gushed. Youre amazing! I mean, how did you do that!? Ive seen shapeshifters before, but never one with such dexterity and range! And the power, the POWER! How did you do that!?

...Um, I dont know? the small boy smiled uncertainly.

You gotta tell me everything! Yara said excitedly.

How are you okay with any of this? Aqila whispered.

How are you not!? Yara shook her head incredulously.

Shouldnt we get out of here? Duncan asked.

Yeah, probably. This place will be covered in flames and lava soon enough, Yara said off-handedly. Oh! Wait just a sec. She turned around and ran all the way back to the corpse of the dark god. She picked up a chunk of the gods scaled arm, wrapped it carefully in a piece of cloth, and placed it in her backpack.

Yara smiled and glanced back at the boy in the distance, Now, what might your story be?