Xian Xi

Ahead of us, a wind storm begins to blare. It moves towards our direction, picking up rocky debris and stone fragments in its wake.

"Not now!" Rames whispers hoarsely, cursing loudly.

We glance behind us, the demons are closing in faster. Those in front of us start slowing down, unsure whether to keep going forward or to…

The wind howls violently, tearing through the loud roar of the beasts.

We have no choice.

Shielding our eyes, we keep going foward - though at an unhurried pace.

Rock shards tear at my skin, drawing blood instantly.

My head is left bare and exposed to the facilities of the wind.

The monsters slow down behind us as well. Some have fallen due to the impact from the sharp rocks. That could be one of us too.

A huge stone is lifted by the powerful wind.

Muffles shouts erupts from those in front but we can't make out their words.

Then, we see it.

It heads directly for our little group. It's too close for me to run away in time - because of my limp.

The stone rotates in the air, guided by the antagonizing wind.

I close my eyes, waiting for the inevitable end.

Instead, I'm shoved brutally to the side. I land on the ground, the side of my head butting against a protruding rock.

The rock smashes into Jakota, pushes him bakwards.

I lift myself from the floor, groaning in pain.

Rames lifts me up hastily.

I look back.

Jakota crashes on the ground a good distance behind us. The rock crushes him with its weight.

Oh no! The monsters are nearing where he is.

"We have to help him!" I yell to anyone who cares to listen.

Kross glances over his shoulder. In the process, he trips over a rock and falls flat on his face.

Hardening my jaw, I start limping toward where he is.

I hear footsteps behind me.

My heart, which had almost ceased beating with hopelessness, starts thumping furiously.

They rush ahead of me, pushing the stone off him.

His eyes are closed, his face bloody and dirty.

"Is he still alive?"

Kross places two fingers at the base of his wrist.

He shakes his head.

I run my hands through my hair.

The beasts are much closer - I can smell them.

Then, he holds a palm up. "Wait! I think I hear something."

Everyone gathered heaves a collective sigh of relief.

Kross scrambles to his feet.

"Get him up." We lean down to pick him up.

Two people grab his arms while two others grab his legs.

"Won't he slow us down?" Arcane asks.

We all turn glares at him.

The movement is slow, as expected, but we make progress.

"Let's head for the water!" Choi calls out above the chaos of the wind.

"You want us to drown?" I yell back at him.

A pebble hits the side of my head, just beside my eyes.

"We'll be a lot safer at the sea side." He raises his hand to shield his eyes. "If we keep running, they'll eventually catch up to us, but if we enter the water, we might have a better fighting chance." He continues.

"The water it is!" I announce to everyone.

"It's as cold as death, if not colder. We'll be signing our death sentences with our own hands if we do that." Valen says, his voice muffled.

"There's not much of a choice now, is there?"

Sharp stones tear through my robes and skin, making it impossible for me to lift Jakota - his leg slips out of my hands more than once.

Not just me, Valen and Kross find it difficult to carry him through the storm as well.

"We're almost there! We can make it." Arcane cheers, his voice devoid of any mirth.

We rush as fast as our load allows us to.

I sigh aloud when sea water watches over my feet.

The salty tang is stronger here, filling my nostrils and mouth.

The wind is not as strong here, which gives us a respite.

"How far into the water are we supposed to go?" Valen asks.

I glance at Choi - it was his plan.

"As deep as we can." He says.

We keep wading through the icy water until we are waist-deep.

At this point, Jakota's body floats at the surface, giving our arms much needed rest.

The monsters are still coming.

I wait, holding my breath to see what happens next.

My hands tighten on Jakota's leg.

Thud. Then, splash.

They enter the water, their red eyes gleaming with hunger for our blood.

I almost had faith that this plan would work.

Choi curses and starts moving Jakota's body forward.

The monsters are wading through the waves much faster than us - we're cooked.

We skirt further into the water, shoulder-deep.

"We've gotta wake Jakota up somehow. We can't keep carrying him. At this pace, we'll all die." Kross says.

I look around us.

Then, the water ripples wildly - not from the movement made by the beast but from the centre.

A huge tide is heading towards our direction, building up to a dangerous climax.

All motion ceases.

The wave crashes on all of us, people and monsters alike. It scatters us like leaves torn in a blizzard.

My grip of Jakota loosens in the maelstrom and I find myself pushes beneath the surface.

Through the blurry haze of the water, I can make out a monster's features.

It's clawing it's way through the water, heading towards me.

Having used up the breath in my puffed up cheeks, I claw to the surface. I drag the salty air into my lungs greedily.

Something pulls at my legs. Pain courses through my limp leg, sharp and unmistakeable.

I shove at the monster with my free leg until it loosens its grip.

The water reeks of blood. I glance around for others, breathing raggedly.

The cold is seeping into my bones. My teeth are chattering without control, arms shivering.

I swim away.

I spot Rames beside Jakota's body further into the sea. A monster is swimming toward them with a speed clearly immune to the cold and resistance of the water.

He holds his nose and ducks under the surface, submerging Jakota's body as well.

The beast dives beneath the surface as well. From my viewpoint, all I can see is the rippling of the water's surface.

My body is pulsing violently with shivers.

Someone pulls me from behind, covering my mouth with his palm.

I tug at the arm, wrestling and flailing my weak arms with all my depleting strength.

"Shhh!" The person whispers.

Something about the voice calms me. The warm breath tickles my freezing skin.

My lips are trembling, my legs are heavy and limp.

"Jakota and Rames are out there!" I scream against the immoveable hand on my mouth.

The hand blocks my nostrils, making it hard to breathe properly.

Then, Rames pokes out of the water, running his hands over his dripping hair. He drags Jakota's body out as well.

Something else pokes out. It moves slowly along the surface, unmoving.

It's the monster, I realize.

How did he manage to kill it.

The nearest shore is crowded with the malignant beasts - only a small portion entered the water.

The person keeps pulling me backward. I stop wriggling and allow myself to be dragged along.

Valen emerges as well.

Then, my flailing hands touch wet sand. Solid and assuring.

My head is slowly laid on the ground.

For a moment, I stare straight into the dark sky, grateful to be alive.

My chest heaves violently, clawing at the salty and stinging air.

My nose hurts.

A feminine face appears in front of me. I look into her bright red eyes.

Dove.

She came back.

I touch her hand instinctively, gripping it tight enough to be sure I'm not dreaming.

"By heavens!" Rames exclaims as he and Choi drag Jakota to the surface.

Choi falls flat on his face, heaving raggedly.

Her wet hair tickles my face as she peers down. She isn't smiling, but I like to imagine that she is.

I rise up slowly. She holds my shoulders, lifting me up.

I do a mental count.

Everyone is complete.

"I leave for a few hours and come back to meet you nearly dead. You couldn't even hold on long enough for me to come back."

The sarcasm on her voice is refreshing.

My heart steadies to its usual rhythm.

Somehow, I feel safe.

The irony is, that it's at the hands of a demon.

Then, she pulls her hand out of my grip gently.

"I'm real."

She still has the ability to guess my thoughts.

The sides of my lips quirk up in the faintest hint of a smile.

"I know."

Rames comes up to her.

"Thank you." He murmurs, unable to meet her gaze.

She nods, unsmiling.

Her natural dislike for my kind hasn't faded one bit - but it hasn't stopped her from being efficient.

"What made you come back?"

She takes my hand in hers. I glance at her face, searching for any trace of emotion. Her jaws are hardened as usual, her eyes fierce.

"I wanted to prove you wrong."

I lift a brow.

So this wasn't about me?

"I can choose my own path as well."

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