Maya's POV
"WHAT DID YOU DO!?"
The beast split into two men, both running straight for me, screaming. I could see the hatred, the evil, and their accusation pierced my skin. But I couldn't react to them, could acknowledge their presence. All I saw was her, her white wolf, lying lifeless on the cold and dirty ground. Fur drenched in blood burned patches from my sword up her front leg where it had hit the bracelet.
Shouting and cussing, words meant to hurt bounced off the walls all around me. Tew and Arcane stopped them, literally curled them to the ground, no mercy, no gentle touch. But I could feel even their eyes on me. The doubt, the shock, and the accusation they so desperately tried to hide. My sword fell to the ground, and the clang of metal against stones echoed down the darkness, over and over until the sound died out.
"I didn't kill her, I didn't kill her.... I DIDN'T KILL HER!"
A whisper I had no control over, a chant meant to convince myself. It didn't work, and I didn't hear myself, didn't believe myself, not even when shouting. I didn't kill her! I was not supposed to kill her; I can't kill her! What have I done...? The moment my doubt grew strong enough for words, it shot me like poisonous arrows straight through the heart. Punishment for doubting myself, for doubting my sword, for doubting the god's plans. Now, all I saw was a lifeless wolf, a bloodied and beaten creature fallen. And it was my fault, all my fault. I no longer saw the plan, no longer saw the solution; all I saw was a dead wolf.
"I didn't kill her! I didn't. She's not dead, Eir? I didn't kill you.. please.. I didn't kill you!"
My fingers brushed through her thick fur, soft and warm, but dried blood made hairs cling together, and warm sticky liquid still colored her beautiful fur. Without thinking, I nudged the massive body in front of me, but no reaction. So, I did it again and again and started shouting. Refusing to acknowledge the truth, refusing to accept what I have done.
"No, no, no..."
The bracelet around her front paw had fallen off. Only leaving a bruised and red ring around it, while the fur had burned down to the skin in think patterns from the ring up to her neck and heart. The silver collar was still firmly placed around her neck. No.. They were supposed to fall off. Both of them!
"BOTH! Both of them! This is not supposed to be here!"
My fingers curled up behind the collar, cold metal in the inside of my palms while warm fur and blood coated the outside of my hand. I pulled and pulled. Yanked and tore. It didn't move, and tears started spilling down my cheeks. With anger, I wiped them away, cussing. I don't need to cry. She is alive! I didn't kill her! Strong hands lifted me away and ripped me from her wolf's limp body; only then did I realize how I was shouting. I didn't think any of it, and I've been shaking the wolf with everything I had in me while shouting. I felt so incredibly little and dirty. Outed, lay bare for all, cruel and unforgivable.
"What... What was that? There, look at me and breathe. Tell me, what just happened?"
Arcane's hands were warm against my cheeks, and eventually, I found his eyes. Landed. Heart, my heartbeat as we drew deep breaths together, the whole world slowing down around me.
" Maya? Good, deep breaths, just like this. Now, tell me, what happened?"
Slowly, with each breath we synchronized, I came back. Her power warmed inside of me, and she lit up brighter behind me. I spoke, but she picked out the words, slowing down my voice, dragging words out. An old, vocal dialect she coated my voice, my tone. She was me, I was her. My true sword sister.
"Not strong enough. The pure light from a fallen star should be able to break the cursed silver. I am the fallen star; my power used to be enough! This time, I have failed you. Only one broke, but the collar is still locked. She is cursed. We have to break it before she returns to her flesh. If the beast is locked and cursed as the moon rises, the moon child will not be able to connect with her. But my starlight is now coating the silver, and I cannot break it now."
"Where is she?"
"Who? The moon child? Guided through the darkness, led by the hand of death."
That's when it clicked in my mind, and I saw something in Arcane's eyes.
"Hand of death, Hel? Or..."
He paused, looked around, and ended up looking at Tew. His eyes glazed over, and I waited; she waited too, her aura swirling inside of me, warm and strong.
"Hades? She's with Hades? Are you sure?"
"I am not playing games, bear. We don't have long. Starlight, blackened ice from the underworld, blazing heat from the sun, or forgotten magic from an ancient creature. Starlight will not work since its already working as a protective shield around the collar. Time is running out..."
"That doesn't make sense! There is no way we could find any of these on short notice!"
"That is not my problem to solve. I did my part; now I am useless. But the collar must be off by the time the moon hangs high and before she arrives. Without a body, her soul will be sucked back where it will not belong, in the death realm or section for lost and wandering souls. "
The light started blurring, blinking before it faded away as she retreated and left me there to fend for myself. Arcane's eyes were filled with concern, but before I could speak, I lost my footing, and I fell straight into his strong arms. The entire mountain shook. Small stones fell from the walls and roof, Tew dodged a couple of falling rocks while jumping over to the wolf, protecting her. The earthquake-like feeling wasn't even over before a massive roar penetrated through stones, mountains, bones, and marrow.
"The dragon? "
I looked up at Arcane, not sure if I meant it as a question or statement. It took a couple of seconds, but his eyes lit up.
"Dragon, YES! The dragon! That's it! We need draonfire! Come, let us get her out of here! "
For me, everything still felt unreal. So I just stared at Arcane and Tew, struggling a little to get a good grip on the limp wolf. They might be massive, strong shifter males, but still, the white wolf was big, like a fluffy snowstorm wrangled into their strong arms. Arcane shouted for me to follow while shouting messages back and forth between themselves. Like a numb zombie, I followed after them and struggled to understand where we were when they finally lay her down on the green grass. We walked out of a cave entrance, around a horse carriage, and then we found ourselves outside.
Tew ran, but my eyes landed on a little group of people by the carriage. Recognizing the aura of the old man, I felt safe enough to just walk right past him, making me realize I had no idea who he was. Now it didn't matter, I could feel my sword's warm aura swirl inside of me, a faint recognition like a familiar smell brushing by with the wind, leaving too little to be able to pinpoint it. Kneeling down, all I saw was a pale little woman covered in blood and black shadow prints. Touched by evil. The tip of my fingers tingled, wanted to reach for her, and I let my body lead me. Letting the warm starlight flashing through me spread out on her body.
Gasps and whispers rose behind me as people stepped back, and I stared at her, surprised myself. The starlight chased away the shadows and washed away the prints, leaving behind her almost snow-white skin. I knew nobody else here saw the prints or shadows, but we all saw the wound close up. She had gaping cuts on her stomach, chest, and one across the thigh. Dried up, and fresh blood was left there, but gaping flesh wounds closed up, leaving nothing but dirty, untouched skin.
Her eyes flew open, and I yanked back, fell on my back, and an older man came rushing over. He cried while she gasped for air and slowly, a heartbreaking whine, the sound of a dying animal forced up her throat before she started crying. I didn't really know what I did; at the same time, I knew exactly what I did. I didn't hear her; just washed away the evil touch. I turned my back to them. Lifting my shirt, I saw the open wound on my stomach; with my heart racing, I quickly pulled it back down. Just looked up and met Arcane's wide eyes.
"I am fine."
It was just a whisper; I could feel the pain, but I also knew it was not as deep.
The ground shook, and a deep rumble made goosebumps erupt on my arms. I looked up just to see the massive dragon land on the open field a couple of meters ahead.
"I'm fine, Arcane, I am fine! Can he do it?"
Arcane tried to hold me back and started lifting my shirt. But I didn't want to know about it; didn't want him to see what I'd done; I wanted to see the dragon save her!
"Oh no, you don't! He wants us to keep back, so let me look at you!"
I felt dizzy but did my best to pretend I didn't notice. Pretend I didn't feel anything of it. I knew the wounds were draining, but I also knew I would be fine. Then I froze. My baby. I forgot; how the hell could I forget? Panic rose quickly and hammered inside my chest before I found myself falling back. A soft fall. Soft and slow, with Arcane's arm as support before my head landed softly on the green grass. Letting my head fall to the side, I saw a white wolf surrounded by a raging fire, but all I could do was whisper " No..."
Amon's POV
I stopped the second I heard her breath out the words. "No! Weapon.."
The whisper was so low I knew nobody else heard it, maybe her mate, but luckily, my dragon picked up on it. Even with half a sentence, he seemed to pick up what she meant and immediately cut the fire off and started franticly searching the ground around us. His fire would never hurt the wolf, the little human's pet, only everything not meant to be there. But he took Valkyrie's word seriously, sensing the life inside of her; he knew this woman would not jeopardize her babies for nothing.
My nerves were on edge, just like his; frustrated and angry, we watched yet another weapon crumble and turn to ash by his fire. The Valkyrie was still passed out, breathing slow and steady now, but still unable to answer me.
I had no words to describe the sensation that went through me the moment we both saw the sun go down on the horizon. The absolute dread and the fear that rippled through dragon and man.
The decision made itself, and we let the last of our dragon fire dance over the open field, breathing out every last drop of the special fire that took me centuries to gather. My scales cracked, burned, and itched as they were swallowed by the warmth, but it was our last try.
His claw barely managed to press behind the collar, but when it finally did, it didn't take much strength to pull it off. It snapped off like a plastic toy, and for a second, we just stood there, heaving and watching. Her smell crashed into me like a train, threatening to push the entire dragon over. Something had changed; for him, she had changed! The little wolf's smell filled his nostrils, his lungs, and his body like a toxin. He could not get enough of Breathing her down like he would suffocate the second he stopped. My heart swelled, his heart raged like a caged animal, and then the pain crashed into his chest; this time, he fell. Crashed to the ground, crying out in pain and despair. I didn't know what happened, didn't know what this was, but I knew I never felt anything like it. The pain was piercing, overwhelming, and all-consuming, but at the same time, it wasn't mine.
"Eir!!"