Dragon Dance

chapter 16: creatures

Lusty kneeled down to the other bed and peeked through it. This time , it was a man, having the same tan skin ang dark hair as marto, he resembled the King, which Lusty had only seen once. 

"Reema" he called out to her .

Reema stood up and haistely walk towards him, she sank down beside him and looked at the man in front of them. 

"Oh no, luka you too… " she barely whispered as she caressed his cheek. 

"They're not dead, they are still breathing, but at this state, they're not quite alive either. "

Reema pulled out the blankets on the other beds. Her gasp grew more and more loud as she uncovers the beds just to see thirteen of her brothers lying there on the hall.

"Father isn't here,so as three of my brothers ,they might be still well, we need to find them" Reema pulled him out the throne room, and into the golden corridors ,gold sparkles everywhere even in the faintest light, from it's ceilings and into it's stone floor. 

She pulled him out the castle, they were greeted by the weak light of the solaceen. They stared at it, and at the same moment, it's gigantic fire flickered. Dark ring of smoke erupted from it, slowly ascending into the skies. Flares shooted from the thick dark smoke, as weak lightning sewed in and out it's dark surface. 

"It's dying, they are dying" Reema said, fear abundant on her eyes. 

"Reema? " Lusty worriedly asked. 

"That fire is the eternal fire.  The solaceen.  It represent it's people,  if it's people are strong it's fire would be as well. But now its burning so weak " Reema clutched her finger tightly. 

"Father!  Father where are you?! " her voice echoed throught the empty city, her voice bounced back on the tall stone houses that had been carved out the mountain. 

A low evil howl answered her,  Reema's eye widened. Eyeing the direction the howl came from. 

"Reema, I think we should hide" Lusty  pulled Reema's hand quickly, they ran towards the woods. They can hear a thousand wings flapping behind them accompanied by growls and monstrous shrieks. 

"W-what are they? " Reema whispered questioningly, looking above the thick foliage of the woods. 

"I don't know but they don't sound nice " Lusty pushed Reema into a tree, her back touching the hard trunk. Lusty covered her with his arms as shadows of flying creatures pass above them.

They both stared at the silhouettes that flew passed them, hoping none of those would see them. 

They stayed quiet for a moment, thier bodies firmly pressed on each other, their hearts beating on rhythm. 

"Are they gone? " Reema asked when everything finally turned silent. 

Lusty looked around before saying "yeah, I think,  I think they're  gone"

"If we're going to find your father, I am sure he's nowhere in tenipee,  he must be hiding somewhere " Lusty said reaching out a hand to Reema, she gave him hers and he held it inside his palms. 

"Then what should we do? " her voice was so silent as if afraid to repeat what had happened. 

"Let's just get away from here for now, then we'll think of something" Lusty checked around and gently walked forward, pulling Reema tenderly behind him. 

The forest was thick,  sunlight is scarce but is still bright enough for them to see clearly.  The viens on the leaves of most tress immited weak blue lights making the forest floor bathe in blue hue.  There were fungus glowing in pink, purple, blue, and green under tree trunks and fallen branches. 

Reema stayed close behind him, her hands rested on his shoulders. 

A low growl reached Lusty's ear.

"Did you hear that? "  he asked, his green eyes surveying everything around. 

" I - I did" Reema whispered. 

A louder growl echoed on the forest, and from the deep darkness came forward the creatures who are making it. 

"What are they? " Lusty eyed the creatures, his eyes squinting. 

The creatures looked bone-thin canines that stood in two legs. Each of them had pairs of bat like wings with sharp curved claws at the tips. 

"Run Reema run" he shouted and pushed Reema forward. 

She ran as she was told, Lusty kept close tail with her, the creatures followed them growling and howling.  Lusty summoned his wand and pointed it's tip to one of the creatures.  Green light immited from the tip that hit the creature, it fell on the ground shaking. 

But the remaining one flew passed him and snatched his wand. The monster reached Reema and pulled her by her hair. 

"No Reema!" Lusty bursted out and leapt towards her.  

A ball of pure magick swelled from his palms, glowing like around sea of emeralds, he pushed his hand on the monster's chest, the ball ignited on impact, as the ball exploded so as the monster making a loud boom that thundered throughout the land. 

Reema fell down, and the wand was thrown into the forest floor. 

"Are you okay?" He pulled Reema up,  feeling the pain growing in his palm. 

"Your hand!" Reema looked at his palm which is now covered in blood, the impact didn't just destroyed the monster, it harmed him as well. 

"Don't worry, but we must hide" Lusty picked up his wand quickly. 

Ar army of those creatures are surely headed into thier direction, they can hear the distant howling.