2.6 Crimson Mist

Zorion barely made out of the kid's prison. The power they used was the rare one. None of the members that came alive from the cave had such power. To control the air of the atmosphere was a dangerous gift. He still can't believe the North queen is still onto achieving the dragon's cry. These small kids became her experiment too. Anger and hatred rushed into him towards the queen. He can never forget the days of the cave. How his brother and he lived and survived in it. After coming alive from the cave, he believed the queen would keep them for good. Though Leander ran away, he stayed being loyal to the queen, thinking, she considers him as a family. But he was wrong. All they were to her were guinea pigs for the power. She never considered anyone as hers. She even sacrificed her own kids for power. Her disability is something that's keeping her from achieving power. Otherwise, she would have taken it herself.

He opened his eyes and took a deep breath. Apart from the cave, it's the first time he felt out of the breath. The air around him suddenly turned to nothingness. Even though he was breathing, he couldn't intake the air. His lungs were starving. Stopping his breath and focusing his mind and energy, he barely escaped. He didn't know whether it was the girl or the boy who used that power. Whoever it was, both of them were dangerous. Having such power at that age is hazardous.

Straightened his leaned form from the wall of the castle, he took out his pipe. Igniting the pipe, he kept it in his mouth and inhaled. He then lowered his eyes to glance at the pipe. This Obsidian jade, he thought. Remembering how he fought Kraken to achieve his jade. After finding it, he never went back to the North. Since then, he has been away from the queen.

'I can't always run away from her.' he thought. 'Lets face her and safe Lycaon.'

The moment h stepped away from the castle, towards the battlefield, five men came and surrounded him. Eyeing at the men one after another, he twitched his lips into a smile. He then exhaled the smoke and drew out his sword.

~~~~~~~~

Cressida dragged ger form, taking one step after another. Moving slowly, she was saving her energy to save Lycaon. The figure of the silhouette was still blurred. The mist was clouding her vision. No one was around her, except for the person with the silhouette. Her hand turned completely numb. She couldn't feel it anymore. Though her legs were able enough to walk and run. Looking at the mist around her, she was a bit assure about Lycaon's safety. He would have already left because of the mist. Zorion wouldn't kill him among his people. She needs to get out of this mist as soon as possible. 'The mist is dangerous.' that is what she learned today. Wandering her eyes around, she was being cautious about the surrounding. She was expecting any mystical beast that would come along the mist and kill people.

While her eyes were scanning her surrounding, her gaze focused on the silhouette. Blinking a couple of times to clear her vision, she fixed her eyes at the silhouette. The body of the person was on his knees. By the look, it appears to be a boy. Getting closer, she was slowly forming the image of the person. Black pant. White laced shirt. Long hair tied into a half pony. Her eyes widened when the image of a familiar person formed in her eyes.

'Lycoan?'

She shook her head and knitted her brows. At first, she didn't believe her eyes, she thought it was the poison that made her brain hallucinate images. But no, it was actually him, fell on his knees. His one hand on the ground for support and the other on his neck. She couldn't understand what was happening to him.

"Lycaon." She shouts from the distance with all his strength. There was no response from him. She again made another attempt to call him. He neither responded nor was moved by her call. Now she was sure, there was something wrong with him.

Speeding her walk into a run. She hastened towards him. The closer she gets, the harder it was for her to breathe. Taking heavy breaths, she was moving closer to him. A sudden twinkle of light from behind Lycaon made her eyes shrink. Shading her eyes with her hand, she looked behind him. The twinkling was continuous. It was either the point of an arrow or something sharp.

Pulling out her dagger, she speeds up. Something was surely going to hit him. As she came in sight of Lycaon, he raised his eyes and looked at her.

'Why is she running towards me?' He thought. With the dagger in her hand, the first thing that came to his mind was, she was coming to kill him. He was unable to trust him.

Removing his hand from his neck, he coughed. With one hand on the ground, he supported his form and bends forward to lift his sword from the ground. Picking the sword, he aimed it forward. He was out of the strength to lift it into an attack position. Keeping it in defense, he again exhaled a deep breath.

While running, Cressida fixed his eyes on him. She was confused, why was he aiming his sword at her. Ignoring it, she kept running towards him with the dagger held forward. She was holding the dagger to deflect the attack that was aimed at him. In this mist, she couldn't throw the dagger nor she could hit the arrow with his injured arm. All she could do is, to get closer to him and defend the attack at his back with the dagger.

Keeping his sword straight, he raised one knee and placed his hand on it, to keep the sword from swaying.

Now her eyes were gazing behind him, on the twinkling object that could hit him at any moment.

He kept his form straight, preventing him from falling. His sword was horizontal, aim forward towards Cressida.

Running out of breath, Cressida slowed down. She took deep breaths but was unable to satisfy her lungs. Taking one deep breath, she took a big forward step.

Lycaon closed his eyes, blinding what was going to happen.

'I don't want to kill her. But if she gets close....' He halted his thought. He doesn't want to think further. He doesn't want to kill her.

Despite the sword aimed at her, she moved forward. The twinkling think was now clear to her sight. It was an arrow aimed at Lycaon from behind. Getting closer, she forwarded her hand to hit it.

'Why is he holding the sword against me?' She thought.

She doesn't concern about it. All her mind was confused behind him. She couldn't let him die. If he dies now, her life will be doomed too. She could never be the person she desires to be, she could never have her kingdom. She could never be a queen.

'Don't get closer. Don't get closer.' Lycaon was thinking. All he could do is just hope, she wouldn't get closer to hit him.

With his closed eyes, he heard a swash sound. His heartbeat skipped a beat at the sound. Slowly opening his eyes, he looked at Cressida. She was exactly in front. Her eyes widened in surprise. A stream of blood flowing out of her mouth. Her left was on his shoulder, holding the dagger behind him. With her half-opened eyes, she averted her gaze to the side. An arrow was on the ground with its head poked in the ground. Following his gaze, Lycaon turned his head and looked at the ground. Gazing at the arrow, he thought.

'Was she saving me?'

The thought shattered him. He faced Cressida with a perplexed expression on his face. She looked into his eyes, a faint smile formed on her lips.

Lycaon's eyes clouded for the first time. His hand loosens the grip on his sword and fell to the side. She coughed, puking out blood along. With a slow moment, he lowered his eyes to her stomach where his sword was thrust in.

Cressida looked at Lycaon. Seeing him alive is that all she wanted. She was happy to be able to save him. At least she was able to save someone, rather than bringing trouble. Even after being able to be the person she wanted to be, she couldn't. A dead person cannot be anything, she thought.

Though she was dying, she was blissful to be able to save anyone. Not too soon, another arrow came from behind and hit him in the back. Lycaon coughed, dropping forward his neck.

Cressida barely looked at what hit him. Seeing him fall she grope her hand on his back. Her fingers contacted the arrow plunged into his back.

'After all, I am a jinx.' She thought, dropping her hand to the side from his shoulder.

Unable to take anymore, her body fell to the side on the left. While Lycaon too hit the ground to his left.

They both laid there opposite to each other, on the battlefield, in the mist, and in the blood that flows out of them on the same ground.

........

H. LOCKHART.