New Beginnings

My breath whooshed out of me with the echo of pain that came from the man across the yard. Silence suddenly filled the space around me.

Everything has stopped... Only the sound of my panicked breaths fill my ears. My eyes lock with Nyx's, the reason for the echoed scream. She slowly removes her serrated jaws from the smaller mans neck while looking at me.

"Okay, dragons aren't affected by time stopping." That was quite interesting, I wonder what else dragons were capable of...

The mans face was frozen, contorted in agony. The taller more terrifying man had already loosed a wicked looking blade in my direction. It was now supsended in air not five feet from me. When had he done that?

Looking over at Nero, I see that he is frozen as well. I take a moment to openly study his perfection. Body is tensed and prepared for the fight, bow and arrow equipped. His eyes are calculating and observing, already thinking of his next move I'm sure. Turning, I glare at the chaos suspended in time around me, anger swells inside of me at an alarming rate.

My home is now destroyed, taken over by giant plants. And my would be killers are staring me down. These men don't even know me! They were going to kill me for what? A few six pence? For a dragon? For a story to tell around the campfire? Would Nero even make it out alive? He didn't deserve to die, not because of me!

Although Nero was a good fighter, even I knew he wouldn't be coming out of this fight in one piece. I think Nero knows it too. How sweet this man is to risk his life for a stranger and her magical pet. Sadness creeped in, but my anger evaporated it immediately.

My blood was boiling in my veins at this point. How much time had passed I had no clue, but everything stayed frozen in place while I silently raged inside.

Taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm my temper, I took in the scene around me as I considered my circumstances.

Time had stopped. This gave me an opportunity to live, to fight for another day. To save Nero's life and repay my debt to him. To understand who and what I am. I'd already lived life on the run, and removed myself from civilization in hopes of being forgotten. This would never end; people hunting me, hurting me.

"I'm done hiding." I growled under my breath. As I stepped forward the air around me seemed to thicken, pulling me off balance. By the third step I managed to find a rythym. Now, more gliding than walking, I snatched the wickedly curved blade out of the air and continued forward toward my enemies. Nyx still stared at me from the shoulder of the smaller man. Head now cocked to the side.

I came to a sudden stop a few inches from the tallest man. This close up he was even more terrifying, and filthy. I had to crain my neck to get a good look at him. His teeth were black and rotted as he sneered in my direction. His dark skin was smudged with a thick layer of dirt, and the smell. Ugh! The smell was eye watering, but his eyes... They held no remorse for the lives he was about to end, they were happy to do it!

This was my deciding factor, the lack of morality on both of these mens part was disgusting. My sight burned red with fury.

"You won't have the satisfaction of watching me fall." I snarl at the foul man in front of me and Without pause, I shove the blade into the mans neck and twist it for good measure. In the same moment, time snaps back into place. A gurgled gasp escapes the mans lips and causes the blade to jolt, slicing deeper into his neck. Blood spews from his mouth and I flinch as the drops spatter across my face.

My teeth grate against each other as I try to stop the bile that threatens to rise. Releasing the blade, I stumble back.

Suddenly the man is on his knees, eyes wide in shock. Shakily he lifts an arm to the weapon plunged into his throat, yanking the blade out, a crimson river flowing from the now gaping wound. Realization dawns in his eyes just a second before he crumbles to the ground at my feet.

Suddenly all the anger that filled me disappeared leaving an empty void in its place.

Nyx writhes over the smaller man now sprawled out and unmoving on the ground next to my kill. The crunch of bone and squelching of wet flesh turns my stomach anew.

Twisting away from the unsavory sight I almost bump into Nero.

"Oh!" Startled I step back and begin to trip over the dead body behind me. His hand is around my arm and righting me before I can fall. I hadn't heard him move, his face was stoic as he helped me to remain steady. The turmoil in his slate gray eyes the only indication that he understood the terrible deed I had committed.

"They were going to kill us...I-I had to–", I hurried to explain, but before I could finish my reasoning for the blood spilt by my own hands, I was wrapped tightly in Nero's embrace. My knees wobbled with exhaustion and I couldn't do more than hang onto him as I sobbed into his chest.

***

"I've got you. Were okay, it's over now." I try to console her, my voice gruff. My heart breaks at the sound of her pain. Looking down over her shaking shoulder, her pet–if you could call it that–was busy gnawing on the arm of one of the corpses.

The lifeless bodies of the two men that Sage had killed... It shouldn't have been possible. I saw the blade flying through the air, she should be dead right now. Yet here we both were in each others arms, my grip tightens on her at the thought.

"Sage..my men are on their way. They could be here any moment." I mention gently.

She lifts her face from my chest and swipes at her cheeks and nose, her normally alabaster skin flushed. Without looking down she talked to what I would assume is the 'pet'.

"Right. Nyx, thats enough for now, we need to hide you again." Pulling the sachel over her shoulder around to the front of her, she patted the bag and opened it wide.

What amazed me was the creature actually listening. Without missing a beat, the little beast severed a finger off of a half chewed hand. As the meaty morsel hung from its teeth, wings sprouted from it's back and it dove straight into the sachel at Sage's hip.

"That's disgusting Nyx." A defeated sigh escaped her as she let the flap fall closed and looked up at me with concerned eyes.

"Can we not mention the details of what happened here to them? I can't deal with that right now." She whispers as she lifts a shaking hand and runs it through her straight ebony hair.

A nod was all I gave in response. I offered my hand as support, and also as a question. A question of trust, and maybe something more.

A small but startled gasp escapes from her– remembering too late about the burn from my dream. Pulling my hand back I stare at the puckered skin.

The dream, the burn, it all made sense now. I was meant to be with Sage. I grumbled with the satisfaction of being stuck with the little pixie. The question was, what was I meant to do? I know what I wanted to do, but for now that would have to wait.

Grunting in displeasure, I offer my hand again. Her eyes study me as I contemplate, she slides her hand into mine without hesitation this time. Her smooth touch instantly calming my itchy, burning palm, but the soft caress of her fingers quicken my heart.

"I think it's time we had a conversation." She says quietly while looking down at our joined hands. I squeezed hers in return, as a silent agreement.