I can't hear my heart beat.

Kyriadra raised her head to the trees, to the sky, and to the sheets of arrows that bore down upon her and her new companions like relentless rain.

I can't feel my heart beat.

In the distance, she saw, rather than heard, Elira's battle cry as she charged deftly into the swarm of enemy. She also saw the enemy's cry of frustration as they realized that none of the arrows were penetrating Damia's force field.

Everything is fading...

The sky was gone, the trees had disappeared; there was nothing in Kyriadra's world now but the rush of battle and the thick, nauseating pulse in the air that was the desperation to stay alive.

Stay...

Suddenly an arrow whooshed by Kyriadra's shoulder, hitting the tree trunk behind her. Kyriadra's head followed the arrow, and the only thing she could do for a few moments was to stare at the arrow, and stare at how close she came to getting hit.

...alive...

Her gaze did finally pass the arrow, however, when she heard an anguished cry a little farther beyond. In the middle of the small glade where they were fighting, the small winged figure of their party had fallen to the ground. Kyriadra's eyes widened. "Damia!" she cried as her eyes began to tear.

Please.

As Kyriadra started to reach for her fallen friend, however, a huge Myr'l charged in from the other side of the forest, and charged at her deftly, expertly, with death in his eyes. Kyriadra screamed, bidding her poorly-trained reflexes to raise the sword that she had borrowed from Elira to meet the slash of the oncoming enemy. The swords met, and rang, and shook Kyriadra's arms right to her shoulders and body. Kyriadra cried out in pain as the Myr'l bore down on her, "Someone help...please!" She screamed again.

I can't see.

Her scream reached Devon, perhaps fifty feet to her right, who was herself fighting off two vicious creatures. Devon swung her head back, wincing as a slash grazed her right shoulder. "Ria," she panted, "hang on...keep...keep going...I'll..." Slowly, Devon fought towards the failing girl.

Meanwhile, Elira and Doku were the farthest off, facing the main force of the R'lau tribe.

And Damia lay unconscious as the arrows rained down.

I need to see.

Seconds seemed to stretch as Kyriadra defended herself against the Myr'l. She didn't know how, but her body kept going, and their swords were still locked. Kyriadra's entire being shook with furious desperation. I can't die here, she thought, when she could think. But...this is useless. Kyriadra stiffened her shoulders and lifted her head to the Myr'l. Her eyes met her enemy's for a brief flicker of moment, and then they focused on her sword.

Devon reached them and aimed her dagger.

See!

The air seemed to pulsate, and suddenly, Kyriadra let go of her sword. Devon's cry of anguish turned into one of shock as Kyriadra's sword pushed the Myr'l back on its own. The Myr'l yelled and let go of his sword, staggering back in surprise and fear. Kyriadra narrowed her eyes, and with her heart and her mind and something else entirely, rammed her floating sword into to Myr'l's forehead.

See...I can.

Kyriadra sighed and fell to her knees. At another wordless cry from Devon, she turned to look at the healer girl. "Oh..."

Devon turned to Kyriadra, and drew back alarmed. "What happened to your eyes? What was with that sword?!" she cried, her voice breaking as it rose up two octaves.

Kyriadra blinked and looked down, hiding the eyes which were the centre of her power. There. They should be normal, now. Shaking her head a little, she breathed and looked back up at Devon. "You...it must be shock." she ventured.

Devon stared back at her, but then shook her head. "I...right," she muttered. "Look—" Before she could continue, however, both of them heard an anguished yell behind them. Devon looked around and cursed. "We have to help Damia...come on." Clutching her shoulder, Devon turned around without giving Kyriadra another glance and ran towards the fallen fairy.

Kyriadra struggled up, biting back a desperate cry, and followed.

It seemed that Damia's magic had finally taken its toll; the small fairy was lying prone on the ground. The two girls rushed to the still body, and with a grunt, Devon hoisted her up. Kyriadra held Damia's small face in her hands. "Damia...Damia! Wake up, please!" The fairy's eyes, however, stayed closed.

Devon, peering over Kyriadra's head, cursed loudly. Confused, Kyriadra looked behind her and quailed. At least five Myr'l were charging towards them. Hurriedly, she searched the throng beyond for familiar faces. "Elira! Doku! Elira!" she yelled.

Ilithya take my voice and let them hear.

There were so many Myr'l now, that she couldn't see her, but Kyriadra heard Elira's voice call back. "Go! Run!" Elira cried.

Kyriadra shook her head. "We can't leave you!" I won't run like a little child!

"Too bad! We'll find you! Go, now! And just keep moving."

Devon lifted Damia up and flung her around her shoulders. "Come on, Ria," she huffed. "You heard the mercenary. We've got to escape."

"I won't run away!"

Devon grasped her arm. "This isn't running away. This is saving ourselves. There's a difference...oh hell." And with that, Devon dragged Kyriadra and Damia off deep into the forest.

--

Devon slumped against a tree, panting. "That's it," she breathed. "I think we've finally lost them."

Kyriadra nodded silently, and fell to the ground. Nodding was all that she could do; her whole body convulsed in pain from running, climbing, crawling, and being forced to cram into wet, uncomfortable places for what seemed like eternity. She had also taken turns with Devon to help carry Damia, who had awoken, but could barely walk from sheer exhaustion. Devon's shoulder had also gotten worse, the wound swelling from what looked like infection. But we had to keep moving...

The forest was silent now, the leaves making shadows on the trees and ground as they rustled softly upon their branches and the wind blowing their sweat away. After what seemed like hours of darting in between trees and hiding under fallen logs, the small party had finally lost their pursuers. Devon had led them, and Kyriadra had done nothing by follow quietly, half-blinded by her shock and her fear. I am not a leader, she thought to herself, now. Leaders don't just happen. I'm so so--

"I'm so sorry." Damia whispered, wincing from the pain that came even though she was only speaking.

Devon glanced up to look at the fairy.

"I'm so sorry," Damia repeated. "I should have been stronger."

"Not your fault. We were outnumbered. Damn." Devon shifted against her tree and squinted up at the sky. "Wonder where the others are."

Doku and Elira! Kyriadra struggled up, bracing herself. "We have to find them."

"No need." Devon replied, sighing. "If they're still alive, they'll find us. This is Myr'l Island, remember? We just need to keep evading the enemy."

Kyriadra glared down at the other girl. "But what if they're injured? We can't just keep running away."

Devon grimaced. "Even then they'd be in a better position than we are right now." The look she then gave Kyriadra was one filled with unconcealed scorn. "At least they're both trained fighters."

"Well...well at least I'm not the one leading us around in blind circles!" cried Kyriadra, embarrassed and hurt to be reminded again of her own incompetence.

"I've gotten us away from the enemy, haven't I?" Devon yelled harshly.

"Yes, but now we're dirty, injured, and separated from Doku and Elira!"

"Why don't you lead us then?" Devon tossed off sourly. "You are the leader, aren't you? So stop being such a spoilt child, and see if you do any better!"

Oh. Kyriadra stared at Devon, eyes wide, hands clenching. Devon glared back at her. The silence stretched between them, wide, and engulfing.

Damia looked at both girls in turn, first at Kyriadra, then at Devon. She then pursed her lips and waited.

With a grunt and a sigh, Devon cast her eyes aside, face red from the exertion of yelling. "It doesn't matter," she murmured. "I can't lead with this busted shoulder anyway. It's muzzling up my head." Her eyes slowly slid back to look into Kyriadra's eyes. "Sorry."

Kyriadra let herself relax. I will lead. You'll see. And go on, even when you falter. She breathed and nodded, accepting Devon's apology. "Look, it's getting really dark. We have to keep going."

Devon cast a glance around them and nodded agreement. The last of the red glow from the setting sun had retreated, and the forest was now a cooler shade of blue. "Right." She said.

"I'll go help Damia," said Kyriadra softly.

Devon nodded again and started to pick herself off the ground.

Massaging her own arms for comfort, Kyriadra knelt down beside Damia. "Here, put your arm about my shoulder."

Damia smiled gratefully in reply, but then frowned as her gaze looked past Kyriadra to Devon. Kyriadra followed her gaze and winced in sympathy as she saw the other girl trying to walk. Devon's face was pale and sweaty just from getting up, and she was definitely limping now.

Damia shook her head derisively and spoke with short breaths. "Always hides her pain, that one. Even I didn't notice the leg wound." she croaked out wryly, but then added more seriously, "I don't think she can manage on her own."

"I don't think so either..." whispered Kyriadra, beginning to grow a little frantic. We've got to keep moving, but I can't...I can't help them both. She looked over to Damia, who was frowning in thought. "What can we do?"

Damia's eyes flickered with decision, and she looked up at Kyriadra. "Help me up," she whispered, quietly but firmly.

"Oh..." said Kyriadra, automatically reaching out for the fairy. "Yes, yes of course, but what about Devon?"

Damia, however, blocked Kyriadra's outstretched hands, and lowered her voice even further so that Devon could not hear. "No, no." She gazed piercingly into Kyriadra's eyes. "Help me up. Up into the trees. I know you can."

Meaning...oh Ilithya. "You...what?!" Kyriadra was dumbstruck. "How can you? I don't understand..."

"I am a fairy. Magic cannot hide from a fairy." Damia intoned a little sarcastically, a little of her former brightness returning to her laboured voice. Then she smiled. "I've known ever since I met you, really, and I've kept your secret, haven't I?" The seriousness then returned once again. "But now there is no more time for secrets. Now we need to survive, and now I need you to help me up. However it is that you do it."

During this entire time, Kyriadra's mind crashed from shock to incredible fear and finally settled on confusion. "You mean you don't know how I...you know." She waved her hands in explanation. She knew. She knew. She knew all along.

Damia shook her head. "No. Fairies can only detect the magical ambience; I don't know how you do it. I don't even know why you can do it. If you're human as you say, you really shouldn't be able to, but I'm glad you can, now."

"I can't," whispered Kyriadra frenetically. "I'll...I'll hurt you." I'm afraid. What if I can't control...and that happens again... "What if..."

A little off from them, Devon stumbled over a tree root and with a strangled cry fell head first into the grimy undergrowth. She struggled but failed to get up again, and slumped to the ground with a muffled groan.

Kyriadra's face contorted with indecision. There isn't any other way, her mind told her. No...no there must be. I won't...Damia...

Suddenly, Kyriadra heard a cry too her right, far into the forest. But not far enough...oh Ilithya. "What was that?" she cried.

Damia looked fierce. "The enemy." She grabbed Kyriadra's hand. "Lift me up," she whispered fiercely, "and go help Devon. We have to get out of here. Survival is the key here! Not anything else, understand?"

The rustles and yells were getting closer. Kyriadra's head flew desperately, first to Devon, lying in pain, and then to Damia, who could barely move, let alone stand. Kyriadra pleaded. "Please...I don't..."

"I trust you," said Damia, simply. "Now trust yourself. And pull through for us."

Am I a leader? "All right..." whispered Kyriadra, voice quivering. Frowning, she cleared her throat. I am a leader. "All right," she said again, this time, forcing her voice to be calm and commanding. She nodded to Damia. "Brace yourself—and speak out, if anything goes wrong."

Damia nodded back, smiling.

Kyriadra concentrated and watched as the scenery around her melted. The forest shifted, ground and sky fused, and everything swirled and became unfocussed. Focus. Kyriadra watched calmly as little multi-coloured lines started to form, coming out of every object that she could see, converging and diverging all round her. Concentrating on the lines around Damia's feet, she compressed them, and lifted, with her hands and heart and mind.

Damia rose up in the air, slowly, until she was up in the trees, as if she was flying.

Kyriadra looked up. "Are you all right?"

Damia peered down. "Yes. Can you keep this up?"

Kyriadra nodded. "Yes, luckily, this is the easiest thing for me to do."

"Good." Damia breathed deeply. "I'll...I'll let you...take care of things."

Right. Kyriadra ran to where Devon was struggling to lift herself off the ground. Reaching out, Kyriadra grasped Devon's arm and put it about her neck. "Devon, hold on to me," she said, "let me help."

"Ria?" Devon looked up. "Wha-what happened to Damia?"

Darting her eyes to Damia, Kyriadra replied, "She's flying. She...she..." Kyriadra thought fast. "...recovered." she finished lamely.

Fortunately, Devon wasn't in a position to be thinking very hard about the flight mechanisms of the fairy, so she merely grunted and clutched at Kyriadra's shoulders.

Wincing as the other girl dug her fingernails into the bare skin at the base of her neck, Kyriadra put her arm around Devon's waist and hefted her up. She could feel the other girl shaking, and shifted her head around so that she was looking down. Around the force-lines and through her power, she could make out an outline of the other girl. "Can you heal yourself at all?" she asked.

Devon shook her head. "Not if I want to still be conscious afterwards."

And if you go unconscious, I'll be all alone down here... "I understand." Kyriadra tightened her grip around Devon, to support her and for secret support. "Don't worry. Just lean on me." I'll take care of you. I'll take care of us all, as I was always meant to do.

Lifting Devon up with her arm strength and Damia up with her other strength, Kyriadra stumbled as fast as she could through the forest away from the noise behind her. She willed Devon to stay conscious and moving, her magic to keep Damia aloft, and Ilithya to keep them all safe. After running blindly for what seemed like an eternity, Kyriadra realized that the noise of the enemy behind them was fading away. They must have gone another way. Praise Ilithya. Kyriadra breathed a sigh of relief, and forced her feet and her heart to slow down.

Devon tilted her head a little. "Ria...where-"

"It's all right. We're a little safer for now." Kyriadra interrupted. "But we need to keep moving."

"That's fine...keep going...right."

That's fine. Kyriadra swallowed and trudged on, staring into the darkness ahead and praying more than anything, to see a friendly face before her. Soon.