Page 17 of A Love of Wrath and Rapture

7

XEROS

Something is wrong.

A dark, aching feeling settles itself across my body, clutching at my chest in particular. My clawed hands brush along my scaled skin, threatening to itch and rip out this strange sensation that plagues me deeply.

“This is what existing feels like,” I say aloud, my voice echoing deeply across the jagged cavern that encapsulates me. “I’m alive again.”

Blood pulses through my body, strong enough to pound in my ears. I growl briefly, the vibrations moving down my throat and across my chest.

Evangeline.

The name sticks with me for a good reason. Whatever she is, whoever she is, she is the reason why I am awake and breathing this air once more. I am indebted to her and the powers she possesses.

I must find her, but this odd sensation tells me that something is wrong. Is Evangeline in trouble? Is she facing the wrath of the dark elves for summoning me back to life?

“No, that can’t be.” I shake my head, feeling the rough skin that trails along my neck. “I can’t let the dark elves take another one of my own.”

There’s a connection that bonds her and me, something much stronger than what I’ve ever known. Perhaps, it’s something that can rival the dark elf magic that extinguished my kind from existence.

An infuriated snarl escapes me inadvertently. Shaking myself off, dust and grime fall from my body in droves. My wings spread out, the sore muscles finally getting some exercise again. My long, curled claws scratch at the stones beneath me.

My body is desperate to make an escape out of this cavern. This underground prison has protected me for eons, but it’s time to unleash my power on this world again.

There’s a small, hidden exit covered by a long green substance that extends down to the ground. I heave and throw the stones that are in my way, cracking them with the force of my hands.

As it turns out, there are many rocks and boulders that have deposited themselves here over the years. No matter. I destroy them all easily—crushing them, slashing them, returning them to dust.

It takes me a long time before the familiar cold breeze of the ground above starts to reach me. I pause, sucking in a deep breath. Somehow, the air nourishes me. It makes me feel whole again. For too long, I have dragged in the dust, the stones, the dirt of the underground.

This reminds me of how things used to be.

Rejuvenated, I push forward until the weak light of the incoming evening finally reaches my darkened eyes. I grimace, covering my face briefly while I get used to the light intensity again. All that time in the darkness has made me forget what light looks like.

“Is…” I whisper, reaching down and allowing the dirt to pass through my fingers. Unlike my dreams, I can finally interact with the world around me again. “Is this the Protheka I still remember?”

In a way, I am stepping into a world that is no longer my own. One that has grown and evolved while I remained stuck underground. The trees, tall and impressive, remain unchanged. My hands rest along the bark, dragging my rough palms along the uneven surfaces. Small creatures swarm up and down the bark, with one crawling along the side of my hand.

“Hm,” I hum, tilting my head. “I don’t remember such things from my youth.”

Another sharp wind cuts along my skin. I move through the trees, allowing my feet to guide me while my head still tries to make sense of the world around me. Eventually, the trees fizzle away and I’m left staring at the wide expanse of the snowy mountain range far ahead.

Those mountains… I remember them. That’s where some of the Astreldi used to hunt for wild heryins. My friends would soar through the skies, dragging along the limp bodies of their prey until they returned to our homes in the plains.

A long breath falls from my mouth. My head follows the mountain peaks towards the east as an indescribable rage fills my body.

“The dark elves still reign on this continent,” I whisper. “Is there a chance that they aren’t as strong as before?”

Despite my rage and violent desire to find the dark elf strongholds and destroy them completely, I can’t stop gazing at the mountains. Something powerful calls me towards those jagged, desolate peaks, where the snow’s chill can cut down to the very bone.

What if Evangeline is there? And if she is, why would she be in the middle of the mountains to begin with? Has someone or something harmed her?

These thoughts burn through my mind, enraging me the more I think about it. What kind of vile creature would hurt something as beautiful and strong as Evangeline?

I know nothing about her besides her name and our connection, but I yearn for more. I want to drink her in until there’s nothing more to learn. I want to mumble her name endlessly until it’s the only thing that permeates my thoughts.

Unfurling my wings, I flap them against the strength of the wind. It takes a few tries to get accustomed to the sensation again, but once I’m confident in my abilities, I launch myself up into the air and allow my wings to carry me up towards the treetops.

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