Wings of Deceit

Chapter Four

The forest that surrounded our village was pleasant to walk through at first. Rays of sun streamed through the leaves, creating beguiling patterns on the ground. Birds chirped gleefully and the occasional deer fled as we walked past, giving the forest an enchanted feel. It was almost something like a children's story — the ones that were read to give them good dreams anyway.

Though, the further we walked from the village, the darker and quieter it got. The foliage became thicker above us, blocking out any semblance of light that tried to fight its way through. Any animals we had seen before didn't dare tread this far into the forest, undoubtedly scared by the creatures that lurked here.

Every snap of a branch beneath our feet made me jump, frightened that it might be something waiting in the darkness to pounce at us. Despite my own fears, Haera and Larc seemed to be completely fine.

They walked side by side in front of me. My sister carried two satchels on her back, one was filled with weapons and other necessary items for survival and the second was packed with clothes. She watched the Dragon-born warily at all times, focusing on him more than our surroundings.

Larc had been forced to carry one of our heaviest satchels even with his injuries. He had slung it over his shoulder on the side where his wing had been completely cut off instead of shredded, easing the pain he had to deal with. At his hip sat the sword I had found next to his body when he had fallen. The soldier had insisted he go back for it as the winged blade meant a lot to him.

Haera had been hesitant to let him have it, but after Larc explained he could use it to help protect them as it was what he was used to using, she gave in.

"Are you okay?" My sister asked, placing a hand on my back after she noticed me struggling with my own bag. "You look a little off."

"I'm fine," I replied, searching the trees around us for any signs of glowing eyes. "It's just strange being here, that's all."

Haera gave me a weak smile. "You get used to it. Once you learn what sounds are just the tricks of your mind and what's actually dangerous, you'll be fine."

"Have you seen anything dangerous before? Or do you just stick to the outskirts of the forest when you hunt?" I asked, unsure of whether or not the answer to that question would soothe my nerves.

From a young age, everyone in the village was warned not to stray too far into the forest, especially those wishing to become hunters when they were older. We were cautioned with terrifying stories of creatures with teeth the length of swords, or monsters who mimicked the appearances of the people you cared about, but nobody had ever seen one to confirm if they really existed.

The closest our village had come to affirming their existence was when our father died. Haera had been the one to find him and swore his injuries couldn't have been made by the rare wolf that patrolled the borders.

"If I can't find any animals close to the outskirts, I do head a little deeper, but never this far. As much as I would like to track down the creature that killed father to avenge him, I'm smart enough to know it won't be a one-person job." She returned to the front of the group, not wanting to continue the conversation and watching the Dragon-born like a hawk. "Where exactly is the Lyre? Are we looking for some hidden shrine or temple to the Goddess? Or is it buried underground?"

"To be honest, I'm not too sure. From the research I looked over, it should be fairly obvious to see. The drawing from the script had blue light glowing from it."

"Just like my power," I added. If there was supposed to be light glowing from the Lyre, I could easily tell we were nowhere close by.

Larc nodded. "I think maybe you could be drawn to it and act as a compass of sorts."