Thanks to wings for reviewing last chapter! *hugs*
just a warning: i almost cried when i wrote this. its kind of depressing. im sorry if i make anyone cry.
Chapter Six: Flying Without My Left Wing
As I left the clearing, I turned around in the way they had gone, only to be met by a pair of black eyes staring at me through the trees at the other side of the clearing. I could barely make out Vdzr's faint wolf form in the darkness. He grinned, displaying the fangs that grew from his gums and disappeared into the forest once more.
I let myself scream as I punched the closest tree with as much force as I could muster. The memory of my father's death flashed before my eyes as I looked up into the branches of the tree. My blood, the blood of my father, was now smeared on the same tree I had watched him die from. Oh the well placed heartbreaking irony.
As I walked into the forest towards Arez, I wished for the first time that I was like Vdzr. I wished I could lose myself as a wolf and run from all my problems. I could only wish for a lot of things right now.
I couldn't bring myself to fly back, even though I knew it would be faster. As I walked home, memories of Kaltezira and me flying through the trees above my head danced in front of my eyes. By now, I could not tell the difference between the rain on my face and the tears that leaked from beneath my eyelids. With my hands hanging at my sides, blood dripping from my knuckles, and the rain drilling holes in my head, I emerged from the forest at Arez's wall.
The doors creaked open as I walked through them. No one had had a good reason to open these doors in my lifetime. I didn't want to fly over the wall now. Spreading my wings and letting them take to the sky would never be the same. Flying without Kaltezira there next to me would be like flying without my left wing.
Surprise filled my mind as I managed to fully open the doors with my bleeding hands still at my sides, but not enough to take my mind off what had just happened. I felt thousands of eyes on me as I walked through the city to the castle. I shoved my hands into my pockets as I approached the castle. I wasn't in the mood to explain my bleeding knuckles to Ziaghra.
The doors of the castle seemed to open themselves again, silently this time. Well, the doors' hinges made no noise, but the wood hitting the stone wall as it swung with the momentum of my own anger, despair, and pain echoed through the hall.
"Zhayrald?" Ziaghra called to me as I walked through the hall of the prophecy paintings. Where she was, I did not know, considering voices echo throughout the castle. I heard her footsteps grow louder and I pulled one of my bleeding hands out of my pocket when I stopped in front of my destiny. Watching the blood pulse from my knuckles, I glared at Vdzr's outline in the painting.
"Are you happy now?" I whispered, still glaring at Vdzr's silhouette. "First you kill my father, and now you take Kaltezira. Do you enjoy causing me pain?" I traced the wolf in the blood that dripped to my fingers and immediately stuck my hand back into my pocket when I was done. My blood complimented the picture nicely as if it was meant to be there.
"Zhayrald," my mother called from the head of the hall. "Where is Kaltezira?" I buried my head in my still bleeding hands, ignoring my mother's gasp, and tried to hold back the tears. My blood streaked my face when I pulled my hands away to look at Kaltezira. I wanted to let my fingers trace her face, but the blood would ruin the painting and the familiar warmth of her skin under my fingers would not be there.
"Kaltezira," I whispered, leaning my head against the painting and letting the tears fall freely. "I'm so sorry. It's all my fault."
"Zhayrald," Ziaghra said, her voice coming from directly behind me now. "What happened?"
"Itrantia happened," I sobbed into my bloody hands. "She ambushed us in the mountains with Vdzr and her force. We were outnumbered thirty to two. They knocked us both out and tied us down. Why they didn't just take her then I don't know. It was either Kaltezira went with them, or they killed me. And I couldn't say anything because Vdzr had a sword at my throat…and she agreed to go with them. I couldn't go after them because they had hundreds of arrows aimed at me. It's all my fault."
"Zhay, Kalte wouldn't blame you for this," Ziaghra whispered.
"She would blame me for not trying to come after her," I snapped, shoving my hands into my pockets again and walking up to my room. I heard my mother's footsteps behind me the entire time. My door shut itself behind me only to be opened by Ziaghra a moment later.
"How'd you do that?"
"Do what?" I asked my voice thick.
"Shut the door without using your hands," Ziaghra explained. I shrugged. "Speaking of your hands let me see them." I was perfectly happy with my hands where they were. At least with my hands in my pockets, I didn't have to see the blood; the deep red killed my heart to look at. My mother sighed and pulled my hands out of my pockets. The bleeding had stopped but the drying blood covered my hands. Only did now did I notice the splinters embedded into my skin.
"What did you do, punch a tree?" she asked, examining my hands.
"As a matter of fact, yes, I did," I said. "Ironically, it was the same tree I watched Worzreng die from." Ziaghra froze and looked up at me. The tears returned to cloud my vision. Who knew I could cry this much?
"Zhayrald," she whispered. She wrapped her arms around me and let me cry into her shoulder. I cried for my father, for all of the years I spent alone, for Kaltezira, for myself. I don't think I've ever cried so hard in my life.
"Zhayrald, everything's going to be okay, but you gotta stay strong," my mother murmured in my ear, "if for anyone, stay strong for Kalte." I nodded into her shoulder, feeling like I was eight again. Lifting my head from Ziaghra's shoulder, I smiled halfheartedly at her.
"Thank you, Mother," I said. "And I'm sorry about your shirt," I added noticing the dark spot on her shirt where my tears had soaked the fabric.
"The shirt's not a problem, Zhayrald. I'm more worried about you and Kaltezira than I am anyone else right now."
"So, Itrantia could come and destroy the city and you wouldn't really care?" I asked, smiling halfheartedly again. Ziaghra laughed and patted me on the back.
"Yes," she agreed. "Now come on, I want to bandage your hands before they get infected." She led me out of the room and I shut the door without using my hands again. I watched as Ziaghra watched me shut the door. I think we both knew there was something unusual about that. But as we walked down the hall, I was already thinking of a plan to get Kaltezira back.
thelinesbeingstupidagain....................
so how was it? did anyone cry? well review and you guys can get the next chapter!
oh and some information about the prequel:
i am currently working on this story's sequel, Pure Black Sun. A majority is written on paper and i just have to make some changes and type it. my parents have forbidden me from buying books until easter (well now i know what i am getting for easter..:) ) so i won't be able to read MAX until then and start the prequel after i read it. i've heard the book is about water pollution....i guess my begging that it would be better than Final Warning was useless..unless there was FAX, which i've heard there is. :)
so please review. PLEASE! they make me feel all happy inside. :)