Six Weeks (Dragonfly #4)

I'm Coming Back

Zarathustra
___________

I ran along the cool surface of the earth. My brother was close, I could sense it. Then a thought stopped me, my friends. Arroyo, Xanthos, and little Ocaso were back there. I turned around the the tunnel started to grow smaller, I realized I had no choice. If I went back I would surely be swallowed by earth. If I continued forward, I would escape, and then I could find another entrance in and rescue them. The tunnel shrunk again and I felt a bit drained. Making up my mind, I bolted for the exit. The little dash of light seemed so close now, I could smell it. The wind over my feathers, The grass under my paws. I leaped, and threw my wings out wide. And then I fell.

It was exhilarating, I laughed as the world rushed past me in a blur of colors. The sky! It was so big! It welcomed me with open arms as I ripped out of my free fall. Everything was so bright! And Green, where was I? I stopped and hovered, sniffing the air. It didn't smell like home, I didn't recognize the landscape, or the air.

It all seemed so dry. Something was missing from this land. The sky felt empty, and hollow. I swooped closer to the ground, and landed. A breeze drifted by, and an unfamiliar scent coming with it. The ground shook, My hackles rose and my fur spiked, feathers ruffling and claw unsheathing.

An unearthly howl split through the clam silence. I panicked, and flapped back into the air. Then found a tree branch to observe what beast could make such a sound. Several of them ran below me, wolves. I was curious, I had never seen a wolf before. I had read about them, in scrolls. So I took off and followed them from above. Maybe they could lead me to my brother.

I must have followed them for miles, they kept running and running. My wings grew weary, and I was forced to stop. And the wolf pack ran on. What could I do now? I needed to find Zach, and tell him I forgive him. But where was he? The vastness of the land settled over my shoulders, and I realized just how hopeless my situation was. Until I heard a snap behind me.

I whipped around, and screamed. Sitting on a brach, three trees away away was the horrible demon Tenebris. Now that it was light, I could finally see what she looked like.

With curved eyes that switched from gold to red, and a coat of dirtiest black. The shadows around her almost seemed to be drawn toward the creature of evil. And she was staring right at me. Then she launched herself from the branch, and like a raven made strong determined wingbeats towards me. I scrambled along my branch. Everything slowed, I pushed off, and dropped as fast as I could. Above me I heard Tenebris screech, and sudden surge of power flowed through my veins. I felt cold, I could see my breath.

She screamed behind me, but I didn't look back. Pure adrenaline kept me going. It wasn't until I dropped from the sky, completely drained. As I dropped, my vision swirled. When I hit the ground I barely felt anything. I just wanted to sleep.

I felt calm and drowsy when I woke. Which made me panic, it was same sleepiness of herbs. Someone had drugged me. I was in a den, and a figure was blocking out the light in front of me. A wolf-like figure, her pelt was white, with shocking blue eyes. I hissed, wondering what I had gotten myself into. I could hear crackling, like electricity, and the figure descended upon me.