Chapter 12: The Fire Birds

The golden city growing bigger with every step they took. The valley stretched out wide in front of them, and the air turned hot, like the warmest summer days Kena remembered from back home.

She wiped sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand, feeling her green cloak sticking to her back like glue.

"It's way too warm," she said, flapping her hands to cool her face. "What's wrong with this place?"

"Velmoria changes all the time," Hope said simply. "It's hot now, but it'll get cold later."

"Great," Kena muttered under her breath.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out the photo she carried, looking at Justice's face one more time.

His eyes stared back at her from the picture, calm and steady.

"He better not mind sweaty girls," she said, half-joking.

Hope didn't say anything back. He just kept walking, his sword swinging gently at his side with each step.

Kena followed him, her boots kicking up little clouds of dust as she went.

The ground under their feet was dry now, cracked and brown like an old piece of bread left out too long.

There was no more soft grass or pretty flowers to look at—just heat and dirt all around them.

Then, out of nowhere, a loud screech cut through the air. Kena stopped and looked up, squinting her eyes against the bright sky.

She saw little dots moving high above, getting closer and bigger fast.

"What's that up there?" she asked, pointing.

Hope stopped too, his hand resting on the handle of his sword.

"Fire birds," he said, his voice low and serious. "Get ready."

"Fire birds?" Kena repeated, confused. "What does that even mean?"

She didn't have to wait long to find out. The dots in the sky turned into birds—big ones, with wings that looked like they were made of fire.

Their feathers glowed bright red and orange, flickering like little flames, and their eyes shone like hot coals in a fireplace.

They screeched again, a sharp, awful sound, and then they dove straight down toward Kena and Hope.

"Run!" Hope yelled, shoving Kena forward with his hand.

She stumbled a little, her feet tripping over themselves, but then she took off running as fast as she could.

Her heart pounded hard in her chest, thumping like a drum. The birds swooped down low, so close she could feel the heat blasting against her face.

One of them snapped its sharp beak near her arm, and even through her cloak, she felt a quick, stinging burn.

"Ow!" she shouted, swatting at the bird with her hand. "They're actually on fire!"

"Yes," Hope said, his voice steady even as he swung his sword.

The blade sliced through one of the birds, and it burst into a shower of sparks, falling to the ground in a heap.

But more birds came right after, circling around them like a wild storm in the sky.

Kena ducked fast as one flew straight at her head, its fiery wings buzzing loud.

"How do we stop these things?" she yelled, her voice shaking.

"Stay close to me!" Hope said.

He grabbed her arm with his free hand and pulled her behind him, keeping her safe. He swung his sword again, cutting through another bird.

It exploded in a puff of flames, and Kena threw her arm up to shield her face from the heat.

"They're everywhere!" she said, coughing a little.

The air was so hot it felt thick, and her lungs ached from breathing it in. One of the birds landed right in front of her, its sharp claws digging into the dry dirt.

It screeched loud, and a wave of fire shot out from its beak. Kena jumped back quick, but her foot caught on a rock, and she fell hard to the ground.

Hope stepped in front of her right away, holding up his cloak to block the flames.

The edge of the fabric caught fire, burning bright, and he yanked it off fast, throwing it down into the dirt.

"Move!" he shouted at her.

Kena scrambled back to her feet, her eyes stinging from the smoke that filled the air. She ran again, blinking hard to see through the haze.

The birds kept coming, their wings making a loud, angry buzzing sound all around. One of them grabbed Hope's arm with its beak, sinking in deep.

He grunted in pain, and Kena saw blood start to drip down his skin. She stopped running and turned back.

"Hope!" she yelled, worried.

"I'm fine!" he said, shaking his arm hard to get the bird off.

He stabbed it with his sword, and it burst into a pile of ash, crumbling away.

But he wasn't fine—his arm was bleeding a lot now, and his breathing sounded rough and uneven.

Kena looked around, her mind racing. She needed to do something. Then she spotted a ditch nearby, half-hidden by piles of dirt.

"Over there!" she said, pointing at it. "We can hide!"

Hope nodded quick, and they ran together toward the ditch. They dove in, landing hard on the ground with a thud.

The birds screeched above them, circling in the sky like they were hunting.

Kena pressed her back against the cool dirt wall of the ditch, her chest moving up and down fast as she tried to catch her breath.

"Will they leave us alone?" she whispered, keeping her voice low.

"Soon," Hope said, holding his hurt arm tight.

Blood seeped through his fingers, staining them red, and Kena winced just looking at it.

"You're really hurt," she said, frowning.

She reached down and tore a long strip from the bottom of her cloak with a quick rip.

"Hold still," she told him, wrapping the fabric around his arm and tying it tight to stop the bleeding.

Hope let her help, his eyes flicking up to watch the sky. "Thanks," he said, his voice quiet and soft.

"Don't thank me yet," Kena said, shaking her head. "We're still stuck down here."

The birds screeched louder for a bit, their cries echoing over the valley. But they didn't dive down into the ditch.

After what felt like forever, they finally flew off, their fiery wings fading away into little specks in the distance.

Kena peeked her head out of the ditch, looking around carefully.

"Are they gone?" she asked.

"Yes," Hope said.

He climbed out of the ditch, wincing as he moved his arm, and then reached down to help Kena up too.

Kena brushed the dirt off her hands, wiping them on her cloak.

"Those things were totally nuts," she said, still a little shaky. "Are you okay?"

"I'll live," Hope said.

His mask covered his face, so she couldn't see his expression, but his voice sounded tired and worn out.

"Good," Kena said, nodding.

She turned her head to look at the golden city, still shining bright ahead of them in the distance.

"Let's keep going. I'm not dying out here in this crazy place," she said.

Hope nodded back, and they started walking again, moving slower now.

Kena's hands shook a little, but she shoved them into her pockets so Hope wouldn't see.

The fire birds were gone, but she had a bad feeling that Velmoria wasn't done with her yet.

She knew deep down that more trouble was probably waiting for them up ahead.

As they walked, the heat pressed down on them like a heavy blanket.

Kena's throat felt dry, and she licked her lips, wishing she had some water.

The golden city shimmered in the distance, looking close but still so far away.

Every step made her legs feel heavier, but she kept going, one foot in front of the other.

Hope stayed quiet beside her, his sword back at his side.

The blood on his arm had stopped dripping, thanks to the cloth she'd tied around it, but he held it close to his body like it still hurt.

Kena glanced at him, worried, but didn't say anything. She didn't want to bug him when he was already beat up.

The cracked ground stretched out forever in front of them, flat and empty. No trees, no bushes, just dirt and more dirt.

Kena kicked a small rock as she walked, watching it bounce away.

It was something to do, something to keep her mind off the heat and the birds and everything else.

After a while, the air started to feel a tiny bit cooler. Kena looked up, noticing the sun dipping lower in the sky.

"Is it changing again?" she asked Hope.

"Yes," he said, his voice still rough. "Cold comes next."

"Better than burning," Kena said, trying to sound cheerful.

She rubbed her arms, already feeling a little chill creep in. The golden city was closer now—she could see tall towers poking up, glinting in the fading light.

They kept walking, step after step, the valley quiet around them. No more screeches, no more fire.

Just the sound of their boots on the ground and their breathing. Kena's heart slowed down, but her mind wouldn't stop spinning.

What else was out there? What else would try to stop them?

She pulled the photo out again, holding it tight. Justice's face looked back at her, steady and sure.

"We're coming," she whispered to it, too quiet for Hope to hear.

She tucked it back into her pocket and squared her shoulders.

The golden city waited. Kena wasn't sure what they'd find there, but she wasn't turning back now.

Not after the birds, not after the heat, not after anything. She glanced at Hope, limping a little beside her, and took a deep breath.

They'd make it. They had to.