00. birth dream
It was hot. Sweat trickled down into his eyes, but he wiped it away and continued on, watching the area around him. He didn’t blend well into the scenery of the desert during the middle of the day, but neither did many of the others and if any of them were still tracking him he might get at least a little warning.
He chanced a glance back, looking for shadows scurrying along the ground- but his eye was drawn to a darkness in the sky. He took a step away from it, and then another, but it moved swiftly, covering the ground he’d taken most of the day to travel in minutes, and he put his hands and arms up to shield himself as it rushed past. When he lowered them, a woman stood in front of him, dressed in pinks and blues. She looked ordinary enough, but something about her smile didn’t feel right, and his hands curled around two objects.
“Do you think you can prevail against me with those?” She spread out one hand, and flames enveloped one of the few trees.
Something that hadn’t been quick enough to get away screamed in the branches, and he darted at her, intending to hurt her. She held up something in her hand- some sort of stone, he thought-, and he stopped short, staring. “But you can’t do that, ----,” she said. “Not if you don’t want your precious friend to live.”
He lowered his hands, and stared at her, and he was right, that smile didn’t look right on a face like that. She raised her hands again, the stone gone, and he turned and ran.
He chanced a glance back, looking for shadows scurrying along the ground- but his eye was drawn to a darkness in the sky. He took a step away from it, and then another, but it moved swiftly, covering the ground he’d taken most of the day to travel in minutes, and he put his hands and arms up to shield himself as it rushed past. When he lowered them, a woman stood in front of him, dressed in pinks and blues. She looked ordinary enough, but something about her smile didn’t feel right, and his hands curled around two objects.
“Do you think you can prevail against me with those?” She spread out one hand, and flames enveloped one of the few trees.
Something that hadn’t been quick enough to get away screamed in the branches, and he darted at her, intending to hurt her. She held up something in her hand- some sort of stone, he thought-, and he stopped short, staring. “But you can’t do that, ----,” she said. “Not if you don’t want your precious friend to live.”
He lowered his hands, and stared at her, and he was right, that smile didn’t look right on a face like that. She raised her hands again, the stone gone, and he turned and ran.