From Embers

38 - When the Past Meets the Present Part 2

A blurred shape ran past the street entrance. Feet skidded on the ground and Alanis emerged from the darkness, a hoard of humans close behind. "Jai-Jai," she called out. Busy blasting mud-humans with water Alanis couldn't look over to her friend. Her breath was ragged and her chest heaved with every breath. "We need to leave. Now. The others have taken off towards where we stashed the bags. I scouted it earlier today, there's a backroad that will lead us into the mountains and away from this mess."

"Coming," Jai-Jai hollered back before focusing on Esme again. "Leave and pretend you never saw me." Turning on her foot she left her sister behind in the shadows, praying to the dead gods that Esme would not follow. Of course, as deceased beings go, they aren't able to answer prayers. Esme grabbed onto the back of Jai-Jai's cloak and kept close behind her as they plunged into the human wall.

With each breath, smoke burned her throat. The air tasted wet, and as Jai-Jai ran through the crowds, pushing people out of her way, they spit up pale liquids on her. Alanis was less than apologetic as she led the way, choking people with whatever fluids she could when they charged her. Esme still hadn't let go. She'd managed to push her way forward and ran beside Jai-Jai. The look of fear smeared on Esme's face. To someone who didn't know the half-dragon, the emotions beautifully painted on her face must have looked genuine. Tear's glistened in her eyes and she made no attempt to wipe them away as they fell down her face.

Turning the corner, hands grabbed Jai-Jai from behind and she had little time to think before the glint of silver was seen in her peripheral view. "Stop, aren't you human too?" It was Colour-Coat from earlier on in the night. The pitifully small knife he was waving in her face made him look more like a terrified man-child who'd gotten in over his head. "Why are you helping these creatures?"

Jai-Jai tugged her arm and pulled him in closer. She stared him down with every part of hatred she felt for having her sister reintroduced into her life.

"How dare you?" With every word, Jai-Jai pressed her face closer to his. At this close proximity and with the back alley nearly empty now, she could focus on his features. The few hairs he had grown on his upper lip quivered and were coated in sweat. His entire body shook. On a deeper level, Jai-Jai could see he didn't think of her as a human. Something in him recognized the inhumanness in her and he realized his mistake too late.

"Pl...ple...please," his voice quivered. "Ple...please let me go. I only do this because I have a family to feed. Wouldn't you do anything for your family? Even if it meant go...go...going against your values and morals?"

Jai-Jai's grip on him loosened. A clawed hand gripped the back of her neck, digging into her skin hard almost hard enough to draw blood.

"Don't let him manipulate you like that," whispered Esme. Her lips brushed against Jai-Jai's ears, sending involuntary shivers down her spine. "I see these few years we've been apart have made you weak. I'll have to burn some of our dear aunt's lessons back into you." The pads of her fingers burned against Jai-Jai's skin.

It was just the three of them now standing in the dark. The rest of the group had scattered, humans heading back to the city to save themselves from the heathens attacking in their warm beds, while those magical creatures made for the hills or to the ship where they could hopefully find safe passage away from this monstrous town. Colour-Coat feebly attempted to lung at Jai-Jai with the knife, but she twisted his arm and knocked the weapon to the floor.

The tone in Esme's voice was sharp, "If you let him get away, who knows what he'll spread. You know our loving aunt, the Supra-Omnai, has ears everywhere. She'll hear of a half-dragon child being saved by a fire-wielding girl."

"But it wasn't me who did any of that," blurted Jai-Jai.

Colour-Coat looked in fear, seemingly unable to utter another word with Esme staring him down. "I pro...pr...promise to never saw a word to no one."