“You know why the Allfather decreed that Aramaz and I should be bound together,” I said tonelessly.
Bitter memories of untamed power raging through me in an unstoppable wave flashed before my eyes—lithe forms writhing in unbearable pain as they were consumed by the Flame.
“Baradaz, it wasn’t your fault.” Tanez clasped my hands, her voice warm and reassuring.
Still, I could not bring myself to meet her gaze, the familiar weight of failure pressing down on me, stealing my voice. I could not be trusted to control my powers alone. That much was clear. And obviously even our Maker did not trust me completely.
When I didn’t answer, Tanez sighed. “Do you love Aramaz?” she asked gently, her hand pressing mine. “Do you want to be his queen?”
My gaze snapped to her at the unexpected question.Of course,I wanted to say.He is good and kind, and supports me whenever I falter.Yet somehow, the words wouldn’t come.
Before I could respond, a familiar presence brushed against my mind.
“Baradaz. I need you. One of the Elvish villages is under attack. We need to aid them immediately.”
The king’s mental voice was filled with worry, like a shadow darkening the bright light of the sun. I froze in alarm, my discussion with Tanez forgotten.
“An attack by whom?” I said out loud. Tanez stared at me, curiosity and concern warring in her eyes.
“We do not know yet. Only that this foe descended upon them without warning, killing anyone in its path.”Deep unease pulsed through our mental bond.“The creatures attacking them sound like nothing we created.”
That should have been impossible; we had created all creatures dwelling on Aron-Lyr’s soil. Ignoring my rising apprehension, I signaled Tanez.
“Tanez is with me,”I sent back to Aramaz.“We will come to you as quickly as possible.”
After a brief explanation, the Aurea of Earth and I prepared to shift into spirit form. Just as I was about to call on my powers, Tanez grasped my arm, her forest-green gaze fierce. “Please promise me you’ll be careful.”
I knew she meant something else entirely than the unknown danger threatening the Elvish village. It was astonishingly easy to let a reassuring smile appear on my face and answer, “Of course.”
It was also a lie. I had never been careful around Belekoroz. No, I was always at my most reckless, stepping into the flames without looking back.
The monster twitched in its death throes, its long spider-like legs gouging the ground, leaving deep furrows in the flattened grass. Sharp fangs shimmered with acidic venom as it emitted a piercingshriek. Its eyes, once glowing with malevolent intent, dulled as the life drained from its grotesque form.
“Burn!” Sha’am’s booming voice accompanied a sharp hand gesture, unleashing ferocious flames that burned brilliant white, reducing everything to ashes whisked away by the wind.
The creature was part of the final wave that had assaulted the Elvish village. M’tar and Tanez worked together to bury the remaining assailants, causing the ground to quake as they closed the deep chasm they had created to deal with the threat. The earth groaned and shifted, swallowing the monstrous remains and sealing them beneath layers of soil and rock.
My gaze swept across the destruction surrounding me, my heart heavy. The modest wooden houses, with their thatched straw roofs, had suffered greatly from the attack. Over half of them were destroyed. Between them lay the wounded and the dead, and the moans and cries from within the buildings suggested many more were still trapped inside, needing help.
Giving Aramaz a curt nod, I joined Khiraz and Namtaz in their efforts to heal the injured Elves. Many injuries were severe. The sharp fangs and blade-like legs of the fearsome creatures had caused deep, bleeding wounds and severed limbs.
It took many hours to treat those who needed help and clear away the debris, even with the aid of magic. Power sizzled in the air as we worked, feathers and scales flashing as our Anima effortlessly transitioned between mortal and animal forms as needed. My fellow Aurea and I did not allow ourselves any rest, fighting to save every life we could.
As twilight approached, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink, we assembled at the village’s edge. Although the signs of the attack had disappeared, the heavy scents of ashes and blood lingered, a grim reminder of the battle that had taken place.
We were not all present today; Enlial and Ashur had been too far out in their domains of Air and Water to answer the call. Belekoroz had not bothered to assist us either, which came as no surprise to anyone.
The dying sunlight illuminated the feathers of a majestic golden eagle and a sleek raven as they gracefully landed before us. They assumed mortal form, their appearances as distinct as their animal counterparts: Dhustan, a broad-shouldered giant of a man with a dark golden beard covering his firm jaw, and Tayshren, a slender male with fine features and enormous amber eyes, his long dark hair tied in a simple knot at the back of his head.
They bowed swiftly to us, and bear-like Dhustan launched into a report immediately. “There is no sign of any more creatures,” he concluded. “They have all been destroyed.”
“Good,” Sha’am said with gleeful vindictiveness. “After this, they will think twice before attacking us again.”
“I doubt they possess enough sense for that. They seem solely motivated by hunger,” M’tar answered, a dark look in his golden eyes.
“Hunger for blood and hunger for magic,” Khiraz added with a shudder.
“I am more curious about their origin. Do we have no clue where they came from and what has lured them here?” Aramaz’s intense blue eyes shifted back to the two Anima before us.
