Reign of Embers

Chapter 30- Lost or found

Azula

I release a scream as Lysandra is hit with full force by the tidal wave of darkness and is sent hurtling through the sky towards the surrounding mountains. Mid fall I see her shift into a leopard. I screech her name again - there's no way she'd make a fall from that height alive, let alone as something that can't fly.

She must be unconscious.

The idea hits me the same moment I realise I'm sprinting to try and see if my friend is ok. The same moment I hear screams around me. The same moment I'm pulled backwards by something, no someone. They're shouting something to me, but I keep trying to get away, without looking to see who they are.

I'm whirled around to face them before I can decide to use violence to escape. It's my mother.

"Are you mad?" She screams.

I keep trying to remove myself from her clutches.

"Azula listen to me.... Azula....Azula STOP!"

The strict command in her voice makes me freeze, I curse under my breath at the stupid family and hierarchy instincts.

"Mum! Lysandra!" I screech back.

"Azula look around you, Lysandra will be fine! we on the other hand will not!"

I finally, begrudgingly, look around at my surroundings.

My people are screaming, running, and fighting everywhere, all our hard planning scattering like ashes in the breeze - just like my hopes of surviving to find Lysandra. The darkness has fully transcended down to the ground now, only my night vision allows me to see what's going on, but even then it's difficult. There are bodies already being scattered over the ground as the shadow demons come to play.

It's strange seeing shadows as a living thing, or at least not just the darkness that follows us around. These shadows aren't like those who reside where the light can't touch, they're solid, but not. Real, but not. They hold their own twisted form of magic. Some wield blue flame, others travel faster than light, some become fully corporeal before impaling their victims on shards of obsidian sand.

I watch as my friends and family are massacred before my eyes, each leopard fighting for their life, claws glowing slightly from our weeks of preparation and Lysandra's knowledge of how to defeat them. I wrench myself from my mothers presence and plunge into the heart of the fight. I hear her scream behind me, willing me to return to her. I don't turn back.

Leopards howl in pain around me, I lash out with claws laced with light crystals and teeth sharp as razors, joining them in their efforts, all the while trying to make it to my closest friend before it's too late. Run, pounce, slice, repeat. Every demon that comes in my path I try and kill, often helped by others. I will my body to become numb, succumb to the fighting style. For once, it obeys.

As I'm running, I spot an overturned weapons cart. Perfect. Changing course, I sprint towards it, I know we have devices designed to bring a lot of light - they'll help. Just as I'm about to reach it I'm knocked sideways.

I'm sent flying through the air. I curl in a ball to soften my landing, then turn to face who or what caused it.

A fire-wielding shadow demon. Great.

I let out a growl then prepare to pounce, crouching down low on all fours. I'm about to run and spring forwards to kill the demon, but I realise how close I am to the weapons. I change my course and land precariously on top of the cart. I search for a light wielder, for anything that might help me. There! I get a brief happiness before my heart sinks; the demon has spotted it too. I pounce towards it, paws flailing in the air at my bad technique, and land a couple of meters from it. I leap the last few feet at the same time the demon releases a stream of blue hellfire.