The Dawn of the Aurous Blade

Prologue

The streets of Denver, Colorado, were busy, but the sidewalks were surprisingly barren. Melody, a local biology student, selected a song off her playlist with her other hand slunk deep into her pocket to fight the cold. Her earbuds were snug beneath her hijab, but the cord did tend to get caught on bike racks and door handles. She was on her way to the library, where she was meeting with her friends to study for their chem class.

Melody hated chemistry with a passion but still needed to pass the class. She was hoping to also see her new teacher aid Reese in the study group. He was the cutest guy with sparkling blue eyes, golden tan skin, and dark hair that curled about his neck and forehead just slightly like the lightest of beach waves. He had never been at their university before but he is one of the best in his field, researching art history and archeology. She met him by a small chance when they ran headfirst into each other, and she has been enamored ever since.
He was a little distant, but Melody was sure she could get him to open up during this study session. Because of him, she was even remotely excited to study chem.

A distant sound of screeching tires on asphalt didn't make Melody stop or even look up from her phone. People are always morons on the road, especially in Colorado. But then it happened again. Then again.
People flooded the streets, screaming and clamoring. They turned around the corner Melody was at, not even giving her a chance to understand what was happening.  They slammed into Melody, taking her with them. They ripped her earbuds out of her ears by the stupid cord, throwing her against one of the buildings. She sheltered her head with her arms, crying as she shimmied against the concrete pillar of the parking structure. She couldn't feel her leg, her ankle stinging something awful.
She screamed, trying to get someone to help her. The people were beginning to die down, but something worse than waves of people approached.

Is that growling?
Black puddles leaked out from the structures around her, then above her. It dripped down the awning protecting the atm and the rooftop terraces.
Melody felt shock wash over her body from her ankle. She wasn't able to move fast enough as the black goo dripped onto her forehead and cheeks, sizzling as it ran down her face.

She was wailing for help, or maybe her mouth was just open but no sound was coming out of it. She couldn't tell if it was her voice screaming or someone else's.
The growling was louder. Melody muttered her prayers to Allah, thinking death was around the corner.
A voice echoed near her, "Don't move, come here!" A woman she didn't recognize. The woman hiked Melody up, holding her against her body.

"Don't make any noise, alright?" The woman's voice was deep and unfamiliar. Melody couldn't quite place where it was from.
"Breathe, amica, breathe." Amica? What word was that? It wasn't English. This woman was foreign, had to be.
Melody shook against the woman's hand clamped atop her mouth, forcing them both to be quiet.
A wolf, or maybe a bear, possibly both, crossed the street. Its claws screeched across the asphalt, its nose pointed in the air. It was made of rotting flesh, broken bones, and black ooze and smoke. Melody then realized the woman who was protecting her wore black blood and ooze on her hands. Was she one of the monsters? Melody imagined the woman with blood red eyes and broken bones, just like the monster in front of them.

"Don't make a fucking noise." The woman hissed behind her.

Melody was holding her breath as the creature crossed in front of them. They were right in front of it. Melody then saw the creature's face. It's skull was messy and bloody with two massive holes in the center of the face where its eyes would be.
The monster snorted and prowled past.
Melody watched it go down the street, but she didn't stop holding her breath. Her vision got hazy. The woman let her go, kneeling in front of her.

The woman was no monster, but rather carried herself like a beam of sunlight, and she looked like one too. The woman tucked a strand of hair back into Melody's hijab and tried to get her attention.
"Stay awake, it's alright. Where is the nearest hospital?"
The woman's hair looked like the streaks of sunlight that filtered through Melody's dorm windows. Her eyes were as golden brown as the homegrown honey Melody's mother used to buy.

"My ankle," Sleep washed over Melody before she could tell her savior about her sprained ankle. Suddenly, she was in the woman's arms. She carried Melody like she was nothing.

"I can't believe they got out of the Vatarian borders," The woman whimpered to herself. Melody was fighting the intoxicating urge to close her eyes fully.

Melody ground out, "Am I gonna die?"

The woman stopped and gave her a tight-lipped smile, "No. I promise you won't die."

"Good, I have a chem test next Friday."

The woman gave her a gentle squeeze, "Then we better get you somewhere safe so you can study."

Melody's eyes fluttered closed, "Yes please."

And so it begins... The start of the final AAD book!
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_Sibylline_