Chapter 11: Darling
Darkness was approaching.
And she treasured the gracefulness of the two spinning ballerinas in front of her.
She esteemed their extended necks, their fully stretched legs, their pointed toes, and their elongated bodies.
Leah cherished their beauty and grace, their elegance and serenity.
They were such beautiful, youthful girls with their charming personalities, their positive essences, their constant determination to radiate happiness and raise the spirits of others.
Leah beamed, delighted by their performance.
"You two are simply lovely," Leah commented before embracing them.
"Adara teaches us—but our mommy and our other friends help, too," Demetria divulged.
"Where's your mommy?" Leah asked.
"Helping daddy. They're really busy," Cyrena answered with her voice wavering and faltering.
"Why are—"
"It's not safe anymore," Cyrena responded with her voice cracking but regaining strength. "Mommy and daddy told us to come here. It's safer here. Nico brought us with Delia."
"Everyone's fighting back home, and those that aren't are like us: children, or sick, or hurt or pregnant—so, they can't fight," Demetria added. "Nico was supposed to stay, but—well, we needed him."
"And I'm happy," Cyrena mentioned with her eyes downcast. "He makes sure we're safe. Everyone does. And he walks with me when I sleep walk. Everyone does. I love him, and I love everyone, too. But he's my brother. And I want him to be safe."
"I understand," Leah uttered while stooping down to their level. "I have a younger brother. His name is Seth. And he reminds me of you two. I always want him to be safe. Always. And I'm so glad he is."
Demetria grinned, while Cyrena smiled softly.
"We really love you, Leah, and we don't want you to get hurt," Demetria started.
"Please, please, be careful," Cyrena remarked.
"I will be," Leah responded before hugging them.
"And everyone will try their best to keep you safe because you're a part of our family. It's a bit chaotic and loud, but it's family, and we all love each other," Demetria added while nestling her head into the crook of her neck.
"Girls, it's bedtime," Nicodemus announced after emerging from the entrance and gathering his sisters.
"Goodnight, Leah," Nicodemus called, grinning.
"Goodnight," she recited before stretching.
She saw younger versions of her friends waltzing around her, encouraging her to participate, and eventually prompting her to frolic beside them and demonstrate a wobbly relevé. Leah practice twice more before performing it with tranquility. With her muscles aching slightly, she demonstrated a weak arabesque, which nearly toppled her over, but she gained experience with every mistake. When she finally performed a strong arabesque, her chest ascended and descended erratically.
When she turned, Adara praised her. Started, Leah backtracked but ultimately smiled at her childhood teacher.
"You've grown up beautifully," Adara proclaimed.
"I've grown up but not beautifully," Leah retaliated without any hardness, without any edge, but only with exhaustion.
"I disagree. Everything that you've gone through in the last few years have shaped you into the person you are now. And the person who I see now is a beautiful person—someone who, despite her trials, has risen from the ashes and has never let anything destroy her; you are someone who loves your family deeply, who loves very easily and loves even those who perhaps don't even deserve your love; you are someone who protects others, who tried to make them happy and see the light even though you don't see it; you are someone who fights for what she believes in, who is determined to receive what you know you deserve, and you are someone who is not afraid," Adara declared, warming her.
"But I am afraid," Leah whispered.
"Afraid?" Adara asked while smoothing her hair.
"I am—"
Abruptly, shrill shrieks sounded, followed by the rapid footsteps of their soldiers.
"I want to help!" Leah shouted over the uproar.
"Alright but know your limits. Don't push yourself! If you can't fight, leave," Adara commanded.
Leah confirmed.
It was chaotic.
Corpses layered the ground.
A cascade of blood flowed downward.
And the devilish monsters proceeded onward, advancing and separating individuals from their forces.
She nearly joined until she saw an unfamiliar leader. Discreetly, he commanded four of his specialized soldiers to disengage themselves from the central battle and journey to the heart of the Dark Forest.
They were going to harm the Tree of Life.
Silently, she followed.
Stealthily, she hastened toward the group, eluded their eyesight by ducking and slinking into the shadows. When they stopped in the center and encompassed the Tree of Life, she sprinted forward and ambushed the first immortal she saw. Using her advantage to the fullest, she ensnared him in a rear chokehold, squeezing and squeezing until he plummeted to the ground, completely unconscious.
Adrenaline pumped through her body, empowering her, strengthening her, enlivening her. Speedily, when two out of the remaining three soldiers catapulted themselves, she evaded their holds and rapidly roundhouse kicked one from behind, knocking him to the ground.
To prevent them from inundating her, she very deliberately stomped on his neck twice, causing him to splutter. In one swift movement, she further weakened him by battering him, by clobbering him, by tramping and punching him viciously.
With his salient teeth bared, with his eyes narrowing, with his muscles constricting, his comrade lunged, permitting her to speed forward and, with agility, slid behind him. In one second, she assaulted him from behind by impinging his reassure points and rendering him incapable of battle. Zooming past them, she swept forward and walloped the final one, who had been expecting her blow and smirked.
In a sly, stealthy manner, Leah disengaged slightly when her animalistic side physically manifested itself in her. As she rotated, her muscles coiled and looped further; she crouched lowly, glowering unwaveringly at the leering varmint. Leah lunged.
Without haste, her opponent slid forward with his pupils dilating, with his irises flaring with bloodlust. When she sought his pressure points, he rapidly retreated. In two swift movements, she punched her adversary, who tottered but remained upright. Quickly, she clamped her hands over his shoulders, dislocated them, and she impinged his weakest points; she perforated his flesh with her serrated teeth, reveling on the convulsions flowing through his deteriorating body, relishing fully on the misery distorting his facial facials, and embedding her mark onto his flesh as a reminder of his failure.
When he propelled himself forward with the intention of maiming her, she lacerated him with animosity; she clawed through his chest, but he startled her when he rose without any problem.
He stormed forward, challenging her with his blazing, blood lusting gaze. Leah accepted. He barraged her with carefully calculated movements, which very narrowly missed her. Smirking, he advanced and uppercutted her twice; he proceeded to strike her, but, after harnessing her own fury, she besieged her opponent with high kicks. Her rival faltered—and she took complete advantage of it.
Instantly, she tackled her contender and clouted the side of his head, which resulted in him deflating; she attacked him until he could no longer rise. Or at least, she thought. When she rose, he gathered all the strength he possessed and, once he concentrated entirely on her strengths and weaknesses, he clobbered Leah. Using his advantage, he punctured her flesh; he masticated and marked her skin with his salient fangs. She wailed with agony. Bordering on delirious, she blared and weathered. Suddenly, the pressure on her body disappeared.
Drakon slew his overconfident opponent from behind, annihilating him with calculated swiftness. When he attempted to regenerate, he ensnared him by the throat, which he promptly snapped.
"Darling, darling, you have to stay awake," he demanded. "Darling, listen to me. Please, darling."
She instantly closed her fluttering eyelids when a blinding radiance manifested itself over the vicinity. Cautiously, she blearily glanced at the effulgence, which moved over the expanse, extinguished the lives of their enemies, and advanced until it collected the lives of the army. Pacified, she reposed.
Once she resurfaced, she cautiously tilted her head to the side, where he stood, with his throat clogged, with his features hard and sharp with self-hatred, self-disappointment, and sorrow. But his features gradually softened. And his cobalt irises—although they continued to be overshadowed by remorse, clouded with apology, and fogged with permanent darkness—softened to the point where his eyes became clearer—brighter.
Very warily, he moved forward.
"I'm so sorry," she apologized sincerely, "for treating you badly, for forgetting you, for being so rude. I'm really sorry."
"It's fine," he amended. "I understand."
"No, you truly don't know the full extent of what happened to me, of why I'm the way I am, but—"
"You're not ready, and I understand," he stated, alleviating her. "I truly understand, Leah. I don't want to pressure you into telling me your personal life. When you're ready, then I'll know. Please, don't feel pressured to tell me anything."
"Thank you," she whispered, feeling contented. "And thank you for helping me—for saving me. I really am sorry that I can't give you what you want, what is expected of me, but I can offer you my friendship, especially after everything that we've been through together."
"Of course," he said, smiling broadly. "All I want is your friendship."
"So friends?" Leah questioned nervously.
"Friends," he declared, grinning.
She chuckled weakly, even though her stomach ached and groaned from overexertion.
"I just have one request, which you can deny if you wish to do so," Drakon started, chucklingnervously. "Can I call you darling again? I completely understand if you don't—"
"It's fine," Leah amended with sincerity. "It's completely fine. We're friends after all, aren't we?"
And honestly darling sounded absolutely lovely anyway.
"We are," he confirmed, growing soft-spoken.
I hope everyone has had a good day so far! Thank you all for reading!
Thank you to my guest reviewer! Your comment made me smile so much!
The next update will be in two days!