Birds in Flight

The horses were waiting for them, standing together beside a few randomly clustered trees near the wall of the city. The open valley stretched out before them seemingly endless against the northern horizon.

Finally.

“Can you ride?” Yuji asked, the putrid scent of the sewer lingered in his nose and throat staining the fresh air of the open valley.

“I’ve never had to before, but I understand the fundamentals. I think I should be able to manage.”

Yuji helped Thaddea mount then jumped onto his own. The sun was nearly gone, twilight was fading. Fearing what would happen he took her reins himself spurring on his own horse, the other followed obediently and as they began to gain speed there was no difficulty staying together. Their goal was the south. They pressed as close to the wall of the city as they dared hoping to avoid detections from above, the valley’s thick grass muffling the sound of their mounts.

The last bits of morning light were ducking beyond the horizon, soon it would be night, and the darkness would aid their escape. He only wished the sky were its usual gloom instead of being so bright and open. The moon was already there, visible in the expanding darkness, its waxing gibbous phase a horrifying reminder that the perfect time had almost come.

Mirk I wish you were here with us.

They would maintain this speed on and off and arrive at the forest well before daybreak. There was hope. There had to be.

A sudden rush. Yuji’s stomach dropped like in an elevator. Her reins slipped through his hand seemingly turning to water in his grasp and the horse began to divert. Redirecting his own Yuji charged after her, the ill feeling of heavy magic coming over him in fluctuating waves.

Thaddea was pulling back on the reins trying with all her strength to stop the horse, it’s obviously excited state beyond her power to break.

I just need to get a little closer. Just a little closer!

Near her horse he extended his hand reaching as far out as he could, a thread of lightning, they barely pulled away in time to avoid it. There was another and another. He was keeping pace but finding it difficult to get any closer.

Her eyes were screaming across the void. Heart racing, Yuji pressed his stallion harder. Inches away he didn’t try to reach her instead leaping from his own to Thaddea’s.

“We’re going to jump!”

He wrapped his arms around her waist throwing them from the horse’s saddle. It was with difficulty that he was able to control their descent blocking her impact with his body. The pain was tremendous, rippling up his spine and into his head.

A burst of wind came from nowhere, whipping against them. Resisting Yuji kept his hold on her even when the great current lifted them. Thaddea’s arms held him without relenting, the torrent attempting to tear them away from each other. Debris collided with him, tearing into his clothes ripping fissures into his skin, blood seeping out into the air.

Don’t let go! Hold on! Please, hold on to me!

When this didn’t work, they were dropped and pulled like ragdolls, up, down, side to side. Thrown around the air as if by a petulant child. The crueler the invisible hand the more they clung.

The method found ineffective the plan appeared to change. Yuji hit the ground with vigor, air forced from his lungs, a horrible deep gasp echoing out in the chaos. It happened again and again. Thaddea always protected while he was used as a bludgeoning instrument against the ground. He could feel the impact against his spine and ribs, bones and muscles giving beneath the immense force.

Yuji’s vision began to blur, his mind wavering, growing messy. His arms starting to feel weak. An image of Mirk entered his mind, his small body running toward him as if in a dream, gaining speed, “hold on,” his voice rang through Yuji’s mind, “hold on a little longer.” A great burst of white light chasing after the mongoose as he tried to come to him. Yuji wanted to reach out, to grab him. He would have willingly given his own life just to die with him. The light covered the tiny form in the distance.

No! I won’t let you take her too!

Yuji cleaved with his life to Thaddea. He withstood the pain, heat building in his chest. His mind refusing to go dark.

The magic was weakening. He didn’t know how long it had been, but its hold was fading.

They were in the air again, flying through the sky coming to land on something cold and open. His body felt hot against the stone surface that greeted him. Thaddea was on top of him, her small hands a rock beneath his back.

“Fine. We will let you be a part of the ceremony Lord Till if you so insist. You have, after all, worked so hard to force our hand. It is only in gratitude that we should allow you to be with her and us in these final moments.” Drazhan goaded from a near distance.

“Thaddea run!” He let go of her.

Shooting up she tried to do as he said, but her feet could take no more than a few small steps before becoming impossible to lift. She tried desperately with a heart wrenching cry of terror, but the golden hand that had taken hold of her refused to let go.

“I’m afraid we cannot spare you my lady, the Centauri Seren, you are absolutely essential. This platform wasn’t meant for your kind my lord, so you will be unable to join her. What a pity considering the power you have locked away, but you will be able to see something very few get to before they die.”

Yuji could hardly move, blood was oozing from wounds all over his body, his broken bones resisting him with biting shifts and movements that threatened to puncture something he couldn’t live without. The chanting began, a cage of light surrounded them.

“Yuji. I can’t move. Yuji…”

He struggled to her, his body resisting him. Fear, it shone at him through her eyes, terror. He stood running at the wall, it rebuffed him sending him backward. He tried again and was sent away.

“Yuji!”

Standing, limping to her. Taking her in his arms, he tried to lift her free of her bond with what strength he had left. He kicked the gilded hands. Pulling free his sword he dared to strike it with what strength he had left, it reflected the blade with no sign of damage.

No!

He tried again, slipping on his own blood. Throwing the sword, he wrapped his arms around her holding on for dear life. Thaddea was shaking, her arms trembling so terribly she could hardly keep them around him.

No, please no!

Her body seemed to grow suddenly thin. The hold the floor had on her was giving way, she was pulling up toward the sky by her feet. Those large shining eyes looked into his desperately.

Not her too. Please!

A smile. As he had remembered seeing it that first time, tears appearing on those lashes.

“Please don’t let go! Please!” Yuji could hardly hear himself over their voices, his eyes on Thaddea’s face which was beginning to fade into thousands of tiny particles.

A tear fell free of her lashes as, eye’s shining blue, she faded it landed on his cheek.

NO!

Yuji looked around at the chanting beings, heart racing, burning. What was left of Thaddea sparkling like a thousand stars in the air above them.

“You can’t have her!”

With all the force he had in his body he struck the center of the quartz terrace. A blast of light, white hot plasma surged from the sky striking the platform expanding out until it had consumed everything. It lasted for almost a minute and when it stopped the only one left was Yuji in a sea of shattered quartz and ash. He lay in its center unmoving. Body still as death.