Chapter 12
Astria moved with haste as she
collected her pack from her room back in noah's inn, dane patiently waiting by
the door; even at her mother’s constant protests.
Someone in the town had tipped noah
off to the growing group of deus in the village square, informing him that they
were about to start searching the town for two outsiders that were known
enemies of their way of life.
In other words, they were searching
for astria and tuviel, but they did not want the town’s people to know the
reasons, so like any enemy; they twisted the truth.
“we really need to get going, are you
ladies ready?” Noah asked impatiently, tapping his foot against the wooden
flooring. “i don’t think we have much time.”
“almost.” Astria responded with only
a brief pause, ensuring that she had everything that she came with.
All heads snapped towards the door as
they heard a heavy commotion coming from just downstairs in the bar area,
noah's eyes widening in fear and shock.
“we may already be too late.” He
stuttered. “quickly now, go down the back steps and follow dane out of town, he
knows where he is going.”
“come with us.” Tuviel insisted,
taking her friend by the arm.
“i cannot, i am old, i will only slow
you down. Besides, this is my home.” He smiled warmly, gently patting her hand.
“now take your precious child and go.”
Tears welled up in tuviel’s eyes.
“you will always be dear to me.”
Noah’s expression softened, leading
astria to believe that her mother’s words melted his heart. “and you to me my
dear girl. But you have to go now.”
Tuviel nodded and turned towards her
daughter. “let’s go.”
Astria smiled at noah before
following her mother and dane out into the hallway, the trio moving with silent
speed down the corridor as the heavy clashing of objects from the bar assaulted
their ears.
Astria’s pulse raced, she knew that
if they were caught, they would die; and yet she was completely blameless when
she collapsed to the ground. Desperately clutching her chest as a deep and
gruesome pain slithered its way through her entire body.
Dane stopped and rushed back towards
the trembling girl. “can you stand?”
Astria shook her head, terrified that
she might be dying. The agony only increasing as the world began to spin and
blur around her. Dane sighed and lifted her into a cradle in his arms, carrying
her as he ran down the hall, knowing that the deus were close behind.
Just as they reached the long
stairway that lead to the rear of the inn, astria faded into a black whole of
pain, her eyes rolling back into her head.
“what is going on?” Dane asked the
air, unsure whether he would be able to run with her should they be spotted.
Tuviel watched silently, knowing that
her daughter was about to experience days, perhaps weeks of this agony,
half-breeds were rumoured to be weaker than pure born deus; unable to handle
the transition into their power.
She was unsure whether her daughter
would survive the next few days, and what she who she would be once the
transition was complete.
This was the fear that all deus
parents must endure, would she live? Die? Or would she become something that
tuviel would have to destroy herself.
The power chooses its bearer, and
sometimes, the magic can be evil and corrupted changing the deus into a demon,
something less than human.
Tuviel prayed this would not be the
case for her daughter as they slithered through the backstreets of the small
town, ducking into cover whenever someone neared them. Not only could they be
recognised, but a stranger carrying away a young girl could be seen as
suspicious. Perhaps even sinister.