A waning moon rose over Aether, the town silent as it began its ascent into the sky. The stars shone dimly around it, blanketed here and there, now and then with thin clouds. The chill of night had fully set in and one could almost feel the morning frost beginning to develop.
Damian breathed softly as she slept in her bedroom upstairs of the common room in her father's house. Dreams had not come to her yet, and she lay oblivious to the world until she heard a muffled clatter downstairs.
Her eyes shot open, but she didn't move, wondering if the noise was the edge of a dream or if she actually heard something. No sounds followed.
Finally, she pulled back the covers and stood, her curiosity overwhelming her. She reached for a sundress lying nearby, now wide awake.
She had just begun pulling the dress over her shoulders when she heard thumps downstairs, accompanied by a grunt in her father's voice. She gasped, yanking the dress down and jumping into her boots quickly. In a moment, she had her bedroom door open.
Down the stairs and throughout the common room below, creatures that fairly glowed with paleness, but pocked with shadows, rampaged through the house. Her eyes enlarged, terrified, as she watched the repulsive creatures creep about the common room like spiders. Through a crowd near the kitchen, she picked out her father, trying to fight back the monsters with a butcher knife. The sound of the door opening caught several of the creatures' attention and black-topped heads twirled to face her. Immediately, the ones nearest the stairs began clambering up to her.
"Damian, run!" Clyde yelled.
"Father!" Damian replied and screamed as she leapt back into her room, the pale monsters rapidly closing the distance between them and her. She slammed the door shut and bolted it. Almost as soon as she had, the door shook with heavy, rhythmic poundings. Her heart racing, Damian backed away towards her bed. A pained shriek from her father rang up from below.
"Dad!" Damian cried through the pounding door.
"Run!" his strained voice came back to her. The hinges of her bedroom door began to rattle. Damian twirled around and threw open the window. Leaning out, she reached for the thatched roof inches above. With a crash, the door shattered and the creatures broke through.
Standing on the ledge of the window, Damian leapt and climbed onto the roof. She grasped the thatch tightly while she struggled to pull herself up and away from the edge. Goosebumps rose on her bare arms against the cold night.
When she was halfway up the roof, she found her balance and stood. A horrified look crossed her face as her eyes traveled over the town. As far as she could see, houses were ablaze, people ran in the streets, and the monsters chased them or glided through the sky. The smoke from all the fires hung heavy in the air, stinging Damian's eyes and nose. In every direction came screams, shouts, and hideous snarls.
A thump sounded behind Damian. Turning, she found herself face to face with one of the monsters attacking the town. Her breath caught in her throat. The creature looked humanlike, but with abnormally long, thin limbs and huge feet that they stood on the toes, like an animal. It had very pale skin with a faint blue tint to it like the moon and its body was marked in various places with different-colored tattoos of strange symbols. It wore nothing but a black leather loincloth marked with the same types of symbols. The loincloth hung from a belt of dark lacquered nuts and was tipped with dozens of clay beads, shells, feathers, pebbles, and string, of which many more hung from various places.
It took Damian a moment in the darkness of the night to see the pitch black, leathery wings sprouting from the creature's back, as well as its long, thin tail that ended in a spaded tip. On the top of its head was hair as black as the wings tied together in messy locks and tipped with more beads and feathers. Pointed ears framed the face and staring intensely at her were eyes of amber. When it curled its upper lip in a snarl, long fangs peeked out between its other straight teeth.
Damian froze, terrified, as she gazed at the creature, her blood running colder than the chill of night and her chest aching with every breath. It crouched down and began to approach her and she was too frightened to move.
The sound of strong snaps like a banner whipping about in the wind startled her out of her reverie. More of the creatures flew down around her, in every direction. As soon as she had heard the sounds, she found herself surrounded, the monsters' wings encircling her and preventing any escape. Her breath raced and she trembled as much from fear as from cold.
With a rumbling growl, the creature at the top lunged for her. Damian screamed and threw herself down. The monster sailed over her and tackled another two below her, the three of them rolling off the roof. Damian scrambled to get up and away from the rest of the creatures just as the first cleared her, not pausing to watch what followed. The other creatures became a disorganized tangle of limbs and not enough of them reached her that she couldn't kick them away.
She reached the peak of the roof and threw herself up and into a run along its spine. The monsters, with their clawed fingers and toes, kept close on her heels. Just when they were about to catch her, she turned and ran down the far side, her pace speeding with the decline of the roof. When she reached the corner, she turned and jumped, barely clearing the gap between her house and the neighbor's. Her feet slipped at the edge and fell off. Screaming, she struggled to grab hold of the roof. She managed to stop her fall with large handfuls of thatch, but her body below the waist hung down from the roof and the creatures were rapidly approaching. The roof was hot to the touch and wisps of smoke crept up through the thatch to sting her eyes and lungs.
Coughing, Damian looked down. The sight of the street two stories below her was stomach-churning, but she pushed it aside as she looked for something to soften her landing. There was nothing in sight that could help her.
With a screech, one of the creatures fell down onto the roof above Damian, but as it landed, its feet and body crashed straight through the weakened roof into the burning house below. A thick plume of smoke tunneled out of the hole and the thatch began to tear along it. Damian shrieked as the walls beneath the roof she held on to gave way and the thatch she clung tightly to fell down like a torn piece of cloth towards the ground. The second story of the house collapsed into the first just as she swung past it. The shred of roof she hung on to continued to tear and drop to the ground. When she found herself six feet above the brick sidewalk, she let go, stumbling at her landing. Quickly, she regained her footing and fled, almost feeling the creatures chasing after her.
Two of the pale monsters dropped down onto the street in front of her. She gasped and turned, but before she could flee, more landed to either side of her and had her soon surrounded. The methodical look in their yellow eyes shot straight through to Damian's heart, and she knew these creatures weren't going to make the same mistake as before.
Slowly and carefully, they advanced on her. She spun, desperately looking for any kind of break with which to escape, but the monsters allowed none. Some held stone knives and crude spears brandished in her direction. Screams of townspeople, the roar of the fires, and the frantic whicker of an approaching horse rang through the air.
Damian's breath sped as she knew she was trapped. Without wings, there was no way she could escape. A tingle spread through her heart and through her body into her fingertips. Part of her tried to fight it, but instinct dictated her actions.
Throwing her arm around in a circle, an arc of white-hot energy flew out from her hand, blasting all the monsters away from her. She immediately felt dizzy, and though she knew she had to run while she had the chance, she couldn't steady her feet enough to carry her. The screams of the horse drew nearer. Facing the sounds, she found the same horse she had seen that afternoon, still saddled and bridled, racing panicked down the street in her direction.
With great effort, she staggered over the fallen creatures and stood directly in the horse's path. The monsters behind her began to stir and more of them circled through the air above her. Still faint, Damian only watched the horse's approach.
The horse began to move around Damian when it reached her, but she jumped in its path. It reared on its hind legs just over her, whinnying loudly. Before its front hooves returned to the brick road, she moved around to its left side and reached for the reins. Her foot was in the stirrup before it was even steady on the road, but as soon as it was, it began fleeing again. Hopping on one foot for a few paces, Damian struggled up into the saddle. The horse had passed three houses before she was sitting properly. She clung to the horse for dear life and bounced clumsily with its movement, having never ridden before.
The monsters circled overhead like vultures over a corpse and occasionally glided down to take grabs at Damian, but between her swings and the horse's erratic jumps, they never quite reached her. Damian almost fell off several times and leaned down close against the horse's neck to try and keep her balance. She didn't attempt to guide the animal at all, having neither the skill to hang on if it turned nor the knowledge to know which was the best direction to go. So she simply focused on hanging on and fighting away the monsters and allowed the horse to continue down the road it followed.
After some minutes, the houses, light, and brick of the road faded away and they left the town behind them. The creatures were farther back now, but they never ceased to follow.
Damian thought of nothing. Her fear consumed her, but it began to fade as they joined the dark countryside, shadows of forest lining the grassy hills she rode through. All she felt was the jolt of the horse's gallop beneath her, all she heard was the rhythmic thumping of its hooves against the earth and the occasional leathery flap of wings from a growing distance behind, all she saw was the countryside and distant approaching forest over the horse's bobbing head and neck, and all she knew was this ride. Nothing else existed to her.
The red glow of the fires engulfing Aether faded away and the pounding of the horse's hooves cut into the silence that lay over the dark land. The air rushing by them grew colder as the heat from her exertion and the fires in town dissipated, but she ignored the increasing numbness of her hands and her body's constant shivers. The horse galloped up and down hills, splashed through creeks and maneuvered around protruding rocks, and still Damian rode. She didn't know how long the ride lasted. It felt like days, but the night seemed not to change. She began to feel that she was going to ride this horse through this night, escaping these demonic creatures forever.
Suddenly, at the crest of a hill from which she could barely see the distant light of Aether, the horse reared up and lurched to the side, whinnying at an unseen threat, and Damian was thrown out of the saddle. Quickly, she stretched her hands forward to protect herself. She hit the ground and rolled forward a few times with the momentum, until she came to a stop in the secure grip of a strong pair of arms. Screaming, she beat against the creature's chest, too tired, sore, and frightened to effectively fight it off.
To her surprise, a finger lay against her lips and a voice spoke softly, "Shhhh." She stilled instantly and opened her eyes. A clothed and clearly human form knelt before her and held her steady. Raising her head, she found herself gazing into a calm, clean-shaven face.
"It's alright," the man's smooth voice spoke. "I'm not going to hurt you." Damian sat propped up by his arms, her mind swimming with too much confusion, fear, relief, and weariness to think clearly. The horse stood a few paces away, its heavy breathing seeming to ring across the quiet land. Finally, the safety of her current situation sank in and she hung her head with a sigh. As soon as she admitted safety, however, she remembered that she didn't have it.
Looking up with a terrified expression, she exclaimed, "Monsters! They're chasing me!" The man's eyes narrowed.
"Are they what attacked the town?" he asked. Damian nodded. He looked back in the direction she'd come and Damian followed his eyes. The pale-bodied dark shapes stood out clear from the sky as the creatures flew toward them. Gently, the man stood, helping Damian to her feet. He faced the monsters and drew from a scabbard on his belt a long, thick, curved sword. Even against the deep night, Damian could see that the blade was black.
Damian shook her head, though his back faced her. "There-there's at least twenty of them!"
"It's alright," his voice came back and he assumed a defensive stance with his blade. "I'll take care of them." Damian's fear rose as the creatures drew closer, wanting but afraid to believe the man could fight back them all. Unconsciously, she moved over to the horse and laid a hand on its neck.
Damian hardly realized the creatures were close when the first one dove at the swordsman. He edged aside and swung with both hands, the blade slicing across the creature's body. It let out a shriek and fell forward, bouncing along the ground near Damian and the horse. She gasped and the horse whickered, stamping its hooves against the earth nervously.
All of a sudden, the three of them were swarmed by the monsters. Damian screamed and kept trying to jump away from the monsters' claws while the horse panicked and kicked at them, occasionally landing a bone-crunching thump against their lanky bodies. The swordsman moved closer to Damian as the creatures focused on her. He fought them back, but despite his amazing skill with the sword, the creatures crept closer to Damian and closer to hitting him. As he slashed his way through the crowd that landed, they kept to the air. Damian stood still and tears began to stream down her face, wanting only for the nightmare to end.
The swordsman tried to attack the creatures as they sailed through the air, but they stayed carefully out of reach. To both of their horror, several of them began to draw bows. Soon, arrows rained down around them and it was all Damian could do to keep from being hit.
A bolt grazed the horse's flanks and it reared up with a terrified whinny before it began running away. Sheathing his sword, the man ran ahead of the horse and jumped on as it galloped by. Grabbing the reins, he swung the horse around back towards the confrontation.
Damian, out of cover and hope, only crouched down in the grass and covered her head with her arms, shivering and hoping to death an arrow wouldn't hit her in the back. The tears streamed quicker down her face as she realized she could hope for nothing but a quick death.
A loud whistle rang across the top of the hill. Damian looked behind her and found the light-colored horse galloping in her direction, the man riding atop it and extending his hand. Throwing herself to her feet, Damian began running in the same direction as the horse and stretched her arm out as far as it would reach. The man grabbed her hand when he rode by, his arm trembling with effort as he swept her off her feet. With a grunt, he swung her up and sideways onto the saddle before him. Damian grasped him as he kicked at the horse and it increased its pace.
Arrows continued flying through the air around them as they approached the forest, the monsters flying close behind. The air that rushed by was still frigid, but with the man's body behind and his arms to either side of her, Damian felt much warmer than she had just a few minutes ago. She knew nothing about this man, but he was risking his life for her, and she was so tired of fighting for her own life that night that she was relieved to let someone else worry about it now.
Something thumped against the man's chest and Damian opened her eyes to look at it. Somehow, in the dark night, she could see it perfectly. A round bloodstone with silver backing and chain hung around his neck. Silver bird wings circled the stone and the veins of red within it vaguely resembled an eye.
Damian glanced over his shoulder, her long hair whipping through the air around her. The creatures seemed to be keeping closer now than they had when she had been riding alone and they showed no signs of tiredness.
"We can't escape them," Damian remarked despairingly.
"We will," the man replied. Damian faced forward as he brought a hand back from the reins and clutched the pendant. The horse entered the forest in a game trail and what sounded like chants in foreign voices hummed all around them. Damian looked around, trying to find the source of the sound, and noticed the night became paler. The shadows of the trees loomed larger and darker than a moment ago, yet she could see what lay beneath them as clearly as if it was midday. She then noticed herself, the man, and the horse fade into darkness and they glided like spirits from one shadow to the next. They were moving effortlessly, quicker than any horse could run and smoother than any wagon could carry over rocks, bracken, and fallen trees, and through no discernible trail. She felt like the wind whispering through the trees, but was nothing more than a shadow. Everything fell to complete silence and Damian felt she was in a dream. Part of her only hoped she was, but she was so enchanted she also hoped it would never end.
Looking back, she caught a glimpse of the monsters between the rapidly moving branches and found them scanning the forest randomly, confused. Soon, they were out of sight and Damian saw nothing but the pale greyness of the forest and their own shadowy forms. She didn't know if she could speak while this enchantment was happening, but she felt no compulsion to try in the utter silence. She couldn't even hear herself breathe. Time seemed to stand still and the forest engulfed them entirely, as if nothing else had ever existed.
After a long time, Damian began to become used to the noiselessness and comforted by it. Finally, she leaned her head against the man's shoulder, submitting to the moment as she watched the blur of the forest pass by her eyes.