The Twenty Seven

Chapter 11

Out of breath, Ty falls back onto the ground as she finally gets the last ghost within the triangle of trees. Just as with the others, it dissipates as soon as it touches the barrier. "Eira," she calls, not sure where her friend had gone off to. It's raining heavily now, the surrounding area darker than before. A frown tugs at her lips as she stands, using a small flame for light. She takes a step forward, and then another. Still, there's nothing. "Eira?"

In the distance she sees a figure, standing shock still. Ty picks up her pace, moving towards what she can only assume to be her friend. "Come on!" She shouts over the rain. "We need to get out of here!" She slows to a stop as the figure comes into clearer focus. "Who are you?"

The figure raises a single finger to it's lips. Ty is certain it's not a ghost -- it didn't have the same ethereal quality as the ones she had been fighting did -- but still, it looked off. She'd only prepared as much as the books had required her to, never reading any of the folk stories she'd told Eira were true. Standing there, facing down the apparition, she knows she's stumbled into something she's not equipped for.

Ty calls for Eira once more. This time, the figure moves the hand from its lips, pointing downwards. Concern spreading through her body, Ty rushes forwards, careful against the muddy ground. "Where is she? What did you do to her?"

Once she reaches the place where the figure is standing, she looks down. There, in an open grave, lies her friend. She's covered in mud, both the wet dirt and heavy rain falling into her mouth as she tries to speak. Jumping down, Ty helps her stand. "Are you alright? Come on," Ty glances upwards and frowns. "I don't think we can get out of here on our own." She looks back at Eira. "Do you still have the pouch?"

With shaking hands, Eira crouches down once more, feeling through the mud for her tools. It doesn't take long before she finds it. She coughs, rubbing a dirty hand against her mouth. "What do you need?" Her voice is wet and Ty can barely hear her over the raging storm.

"Make me fly."

---

Kneeling down next to the injured woman, Es quickly takes off her sweater and covers her. "Are you okay? I'm--" Es shakes her head, closing her mouth. The woman's sobs die down, turning first to hiccups and then fade away altogether. The rain falls harder. "Who are you?"

The woman touches her face, flinching when she feels her skin. She makes a primal sound, an odd mix between a bark and a scream. It's short, high pitched but tapering off at the end. Refusing to make eye contact with Es, repeating the call a few times. Es stands back, moving away with her hands up, trying to look as non threatening as possible.

They spend a few minutes like that, Es not sure if it would be better to stay or leave. Then there's another call, this one sounding much closer to either a woman screaming or a wolf howling. Before she has a chance to react, three more foxes come out of the den, sniffing at the woman. Getting onto her hands and knees, she paws at the animals. As the rain hits them, they meld into people, too.

Es is frozen in place, not sure what to do. She opens her mouth to speak but decides against it. She doesn't want to risk startling these people. Backing away once more, she carefully moves first a few feet, then a few yards, back towards the tree line. At this pace it's going to take the better part of an hour to get back, she realizes. Maybe I should stay. As her left arm spasms once more -- an old nervous tick -- she frowns. It is my fault she's injured. She sends a glance over her shoulder before locking eyes back on the people. Maybe Nes will know what to do.

---

It takes a little while for Nes to realize that it's raining. Though she was pushing all of her energy -- triple the amount she usually had at her disposal -- outwards and upwards, she withdrew into herself. She had completely cleared her mind, focusing only on the movement of the water molecules in the various clouds over head. When lightning strikes a nearby tree, she is startled out of her concentration.