Call For Help

"Lefric! Lefric wake up!"

Disoriented, Lefric forced his heavy eyes to open. It's muffled, but he knew it was Maro who pulled him out of his sleep. Wait, was he asleep?

Where is he?

He felt cold, icky. His clothes were damp, and he kept sweating. Maro's arms were on his body. He's carrying him. And he's running?

Maro was panting heavily, running through thick vines and shrubs. Lefric was still half-asleep, eyes half-lidded as he stared up at Maro.

"Ma... ro?" Lefric rasped.

"Finally! c'mon, you gotta run. I'll distract the sisters," Maro dropped Lefric to the ground. The raven groaned in pain, feeling his butt and back ached from the impact. His wings fluttered weakly.

Lefric looked up at Maro. All the drowsiness and disorientation swept away when he heard about the sisters.

"T-The sisters? They're still chasing after us? w-what happened—did I fainted—"

"Stop talking and run, Lefric!" Maro barked, expression contorted between anger, frustration and concern. Lefric widened his eyes. "I'm going to hold the sisters back so you can run. Run as far as you can,"

"W-What about you?! I'm not leaving you behind!"

"Lefric," Maro kneeled down, putting his hands on Lefric's shoulders. "I promise I'll find you again. I won't let them catch me so don't worry. Please, just run, okay?" He whispered, sharp eyes locked with Lefric's red ones.

Lefric frowned, pushing down the tears that were threatening to escape. Maro nodded his head, ruffling Lefric's black hair before standing up and run toward the other direction. Lefric sniffled before getting up. His body and legs ached from running while carrying a pair of heavy wings.

It's still dark.

"I can't give up now," Lefric mumbled, repeating Maro's words.

Lefric began to run. He repeated Maro's words like a mantra. Something that gave him strength to run. A strength that he never knew he had.

*Srrt!*

Lefric gasped when there's a branch scraped his wings. The raven whimpered quietly, but ignored the stinging pain and kept running. He just needed to find a village. A small group—anyone! If he's surrounded by other people, the sisters wouldn't dare lay a finger on him.

When he started to feel the familiar burning sensation on his calves, Lefric slowed down. He panted, desperately gasping for air. His throat was dry from dehydration, head dizzy and pounding.

He can't give up now.

Once again, when he remembered the mantra, all the pain within his body disappeared. Lefric growled under his breath and fastened his pace.

He ran, and ran, and ran.

Until he collapsed to the ground.

Now Lefric couldn't run physically. His ankles were swollen from carrying his weight. He looked around frantically.

It's quiet.

Too quiet to be exact.

He wondered if Maro managed to escape.

"Maro..." Lefric mumbled.

"There you are,"

*Woosh!*

Lefric whipped his head around to found sister Ava came out from the bushes. Her black beady eyes caused all the hairs (and feathers) on Lefric's body to rise. He widened his eyes in horror, his heart hammering inside his chest.

All the blood from his face drained when sister Ava smirked dauntingly. The habit sister Ava was wearing slightly tattered. Dirt adorned her arms and legs, and also her uniform.

"W-Why?" Lefric whispered. "Why do you go such lengths to find me?! You, and everyone! why can't you all just let me go!?"

"We can't do that," Sister Ava said easily. She took a step forward, and Lefric shuffled backward. His wings flapped automatically, but he winced and remembered how the branches scraped his wings.

He couldn't fly, he couldn't escape.

Don't give up now.

"N-No!" Lefric yelped when sister Ava got closer. The raven flapped his battered wings.

"You can't run from us, Raven,"

"Don't come any closer!"

Lefric screamed.

And then suddenly, sister Ava went still.

Terrified, Lefric closed his eyes and curled into a little ball. Trembling and fearing the idea of being locked forever in the church for whatever reason. He's so terrified that he didn't realize about the sudden gust of wind circling him.

There's a strange sensation swirling inside his chest. There's a foreign rush in his veins, and his fear increased by tenfold because of the unfamiliar feeling.

"I-Impossible. You shouldn't be able to do that yet!" Sister Ava shrieked.

Curious of what was happening, Lefric peeked through his eyelashes. A gasp left his mouth and he fully opened his eyes when he saw something moving in his shadow.

There's a dark hand slowly peeked out from Lefric's shadow.

Long fingernails scratching the ground and plucked the leaves, attempting to come out.

Visible dark, thick billowing smoke emerging from the shadow as well. Slowly, a head resurfaced. Followed by broad shoulders, elbows, and waist. Everything was covered in wavering shadow and smoke.

Lefric gaped, briefly forgotten how to breathe.

The 'thing' was tall. Significantly wider than average build. The shadow being was in a form of a human. Not quite, but humanoid regardless. And the smoke that covered its body started to evaporate and showing more colors.

It got a tanned skin, well-toned arms, shoulders and slim waist. It wore a black trousers with a hint of purple around the hem. Lefric saw the smoke started to form a shape on its back.

They formed into bat wings.

"N-No, d-don't come any closer!" Sister Ava's cries snapped Lefric out of the trance.

He watched how sister Ava fell to the ground, looking at the shadow being with fear written all over her face. And in a blink of an eye, she ran away.

When the shadow being turned around, Lefric could see its face.

Glowing purple eyes, with straight dark purple hair.

"Master, are you okay?"

Lefric blinked a couple of times. "What?"