Coming Back [A ReyNico FanFic]

Day of Hearts

Reyna
Even in the morning the forest was wrapped in a strange kind of darkness.

The high branches crossed each other, obscuring almost all of the sky's view. Little streams of sunlight penetrated the branches, casting circles of light on the fallen leaves. Cold wind blew, and unseen creatures moved behind the bushes, but Reyna managed to reach past the edge of the woods unharmed. The only thing she followed was the series of falling twigs and leaves Ella left as she bumped on one tree to another, and of course, her incessant cawing.

As Reyna jogged deeper and deeper into the woods, the more twisted her insides got. Her mind reeled in the short prophecy Ella just issued. The more Reyna thought about it, the more she wanted to know.

"The angel of death shall meet the end of his time, betrayed by the warrior fleeing from a crime. . ."

What did that mean? She knew very well that prophecies always had different meanings, but there was no mistaking that the angel of death was Nico. He had been referred to as the angel in another prophecy. He will meet the end of his time. And the warrior fleeing from a crime. . .

Could that possibly be Reyna herself? In the end, would it be her who would sell Nico out to the danger that awaits him?

"No, I'll never do that," she murmured to herself, her vision blurry with tears. "I'll never betray Nico."

She walked a few steps, pushing branches and cutting vines along her way until she reached a small clearing. Ella was in the middle of the circle, perched on a jagged tree stump. The harpy was screeching warily, her eyes wild and unfocused as she cocked her head from one direction to another. She spotted Reyna, who was approaching her cautiously, and she shrieked again.

"The daughter of war!" Ella spread her wings and hopped to take off, but she ended up falling off the stump. One of her wings was bent in an unnatural angle. "'The goddess of war, Enyo -- in Latin Bellona -- walks beside Ares, and with her are Terror and Trembling and Panic.' Mythology by Edith Hamilton, page 34. . . Ella is hurt. Ella can't fly. . ."

Reyna rushed to her side, her heart hammering. She gently pressed a hand against Ella's wing, and Ella moaned in pain. The harpy tried to fly again, but she fell harder than before. Reyna was forced to grab her tail before she could even think about flying again. Ella screeched in protest, but Reyna didn't let her go. "Don't fly, I'm not going to hurt you," Reyna assured, stroking her head. "I'll take you to the infirmary --"

"The daughter of war must not help Ella," the harpy murmured, a shudder ruffling her feathers. "She must go back to her legion."

A chill went down Reyna's spine. "Wh-What do you mean, Ella?" she stuttered, her hand shaking. "Ella? Ella, tell me."

Ella's eyes focused on hers, and she began to tremble. She wrapped her claw on Reyna's wrist, her talons digging into her skin. "Shared blood, the daughter of war shall seek. Fruit of destruction, the bearer's trick. In the third light of the month of the queen, Champion of the city's death, against ghosts will not win. The bond of black and gold shall come to a close. A phantom among the dark, the final choice."

Reyna let go of Ella with shaking hands. The harpy shook her feathers off and flew in the direction where Reyna had come from.

"Ella, wait!" she managed to yell, causing some birds to scatter in the distance.

The leaves on the treetops ruffled and spiraled down as Ella flew through them. Reyna followed, dodging low branches and hopping from one raised root to another to avoid tripping. Her arms were grazed and her face was peppered with tiny wounds from the flying chips of wood. Her feet throbbed in protest as she doubled her pace and jumped from a low cliff, but she didn't dare stop. She needed to know more. She didn't tear her eyes away from the red harpy, even though her vision was starting to blur with tears.