He stumbled through the brush, the brambles leaving long, jagged cuts behind that quickly disappeared. He had only one thought running through his mind: to find her, the legacy. Their savior.

So long as faith remains

So shall we

Unnatural topaz-green eyes stared down at her from the piercing blackness.

Protecting those

Loyal to the heavens.

No sound could be heard, not the breeze or crickets. Nothing.

Surviving every battle

To save the next life

And yet, she was not afraid.

Someday, free

To live

Her pulse did not race, she felt no urge to fight, or to flee.

But until then

She knew.

Fighting to the

She was safe.

Very end.

She gasped, sitting up in bed. Her skin glistening in the moonlight from the sheen of cold sweat. She sat there, looking around her quiet room, gasping for breath. Nothing moved, no hint as to what awoke her in the middle of the night.

Quietly she slipped out of her bed, shivering involuntarily as her bare feet touched the hard wood floor. She walked to the kitchen silently, looking around every corner and in every crevice, the remnants of her terrified awakening lingering.

She leaned against the counter, gazing out the window above the sink, lost in thought. A moving shadow and a brief flash of gold caught her eye, drawing her curious gaze, but there was nothing there. No sign of life at all. Nothing gold.

She shook her head and turned to go back to bed when the flash of gold caught her eye again. She turned back towards the window, her fascination caught. But again, there was nothing there.

She made the decision on impulse, turning and running out the door before she realized the stupidity of her actions. She was acting just like the idiotic women in the horror movies, and she knew it. But she went on anyway.

She silently made her way towards the trees, being careful to watch for any for any signs of danger. She stopped just before she stepped into the shadows of the trees, knowing that something was in there, sensing it was going to change her life. She felt it deep in her skin, her subconscious telling her to go, and a tug on her heart telling her to follow the quickly disappearing shadow. Whatever you want to call it, but the point is she did it.

She followed her gut, and stepped into the shadows.