The Night Rider

Chapter 49 - Soulcatcher

The candle flickered alongside the emerging sunlight, the Hanging Sun dimming back into complete darkness as quickly as it arrived. Hack sat with him, neither saying anything about the steady rainfall, his near death experience or how they had hid so much from each other. Everything was numb. 

They watched the Solaris petals wither away, sitting side by side with the Flickerwick candle gradually burrowing itself back into the safety of its hollow core. Neither of them wanted to insist they move on, to urgently find the others or pretend that Creed’s death had done nothing to sober their actions so far. 

The rain made them shiver, the hunger gnawing at their stomach but not even a brush with the Eternal Death could make him question Creed’s last moments of self preservation. A flash of green made him jump, half expecting to be surrounded by more of Cricket's Haze Trait. 

But the green object fell like a raindrop, getting tossed into the muck of sodden grit and gravel. It took Hawkins a moment to recognise the sprawling antenna in the darkness, clinging to something within her spindly legs.

"Thea!"

His voice didn’t sound like his own, mangled with Hack’s unfamiliar calm tone as they rushed over to the small Thyraxian and knelt into the soaked ground. Hawkins immediately scooped up the little Agar, Hack pausing to note the very familiar black grimoire strewn over to one side. Mucky, but unscathed. The Smoke Traited let out a disgruntled noise as the feeling of jealousy and relief washed over him and numbed the chill with its embrace. Shaking his head to try and clear his mind free of its influence, he focused on Thea’s weak form.

“Hang on Thea. Let’s get you back on your feet.”

Hawkins' hazy heat bloomed from his palms, surrounding the small bug in a warm amber glow. He couldn't help but smile as she lazily opened her eyes, unused to the feeling of being healed when she was the one who normally did the healing.

"Thanks, Hawky."

Her voice was small and quiet yet genuine as if no dragon could detect any hint of ill will. Hawkins gently helped Thea to his feet, who gingerly floated in the air but she kept looking around as if she'd misplaced something.

"What's wrong?" 

The brief flash of anxiety washed over him as the thought of his new healing ability malfunctioning filled him with dread. But he followed the young Thyraxian’s gaze and she flitted over to the inquisitive Sand Wraith staring down at the ominous black grimoire. Hawkins' temper rose at the sight of the unusual object, causing all this pain and suffering yet remaining untouched even by rain and mud sliding off it effortlessly. 

The Mediator looked down at his clenched fists, startled by the same fury his mother had. The same fury laced his fingers with Trait strong enough to turn people to the same acrid air he summoned. 

"Odi told me to go find you both before the Overtaken did. She said to bring the black grimoire to you without being seen but my invisibility isn't good in the rain and…I got scared and.."

Hawkins latched on to Thea’s familiar fear, his anger dissipating with his empathy gravitating to comfort the panicking Agar. 

"It's OK, Thea. Breathe."

The Smoke Traited barely noticed how he had crouched next to her, metres away from Memoriam and Hack who barely glanced upwards but Hawkins could tell he was listening every time his scales twitched. The Thyraxian stared at them both, unable to notice the hostility between the two and settled herself to finish her story.

"I saw what happened with Cricket but I couldn't do anything. So when Odi asked for my help…I couldn't say no." Thea admitted bashfully, her tone laced with regret.