Chapter 15

*trigger warning*

Violence, gruesome detail, death

Perspectives on all protagonists

Ivan placed a hand in front of Fenya seeing her flinch forward. He heaves a breath his eyes meeting Lillina’s terrified ones. He slowly nodded his head. Looking at Addie behind the man it was unusual to see her mask fall, she was shivering as a tear slipped from her eyes. He looked at Fenya hoping she understood the message in his eyes. Go get help. He could not do much right now and he did not want Addie or Lillina to get hurt. He decided it was best to distract him, the man he knew would not hesitate to tighten his grip if Ivan came at him in human form, but an animal would be a better distraction. But what one.

He decided a bird was a good idea, one with talons and big wings. He had never turned into a bird, but he did not think it would be too difficult. He imagined the birds he would hunt with his father, haws, and eagles. White and brown wings formed from his arms, talons burst from the skin on his feet and feathers grew from his hairs. It was I difficult transformation, by far his most painful. In the few times he had changed he never remembered being covered in his own blood.

Lillina screamed while he changed, and when he finally changed, he quickly lifted himself into the air blood splattering in all directions. He was a large bird and it seemed to be doing the trick. As the man dropped a weak Lillina to the ground. He grabbed at his belt where an unusual weapon hung. Voices would be heard around the corner, but they were far too late as a sharp pain rose above all else and Ivan fell to the ground dead.

“he’s dead, what do we do,” he could hear voices of others again, dammit he was doing such a good job at staying alive recently. He was in and out of a conscious state of mind just waiting for his heart to start again. He threw up when he awoke, it startled the others who were morning around him. “what you were ahi,” so it was Addie who was talking before. He smiled as blood spilled from his mouth, Lillina pushed him backwards as she jumped on him, tears still streaming down her cheeks.

“We need to get out of here right now, don’t worry bout me,” he coughed pulling himself and Lillina from the floor,”

They boarded the boat lucky that they were a free surface, Ivan could barely walk another step, they had spent the last three days walking to the other side of the small country. They looked an odd group, and it was drawing to much attention to them. They walked slowly Lillina perched on Ade’s hip. She had been reluctant, but Addie could not carry her the whole way and Ivan was in no condition to be picking her up. He had managed to tell the others how he was still alive.

Nights went slowly at sea, Addie was almost always cooped up caring for Ivan, Lillina and Edan never left his side either. The others were getting along well so Ade was left alone, he pondered his thoughts at night. He had never seen the ocean before he came here, water was so abundant. So beautiful.

“you good their man,” a guy appeared behind him, he could make out in the shadows the wings curled on his back and the bird features replacing a human face. “I look quite unusual to ya do I,” he laughed Ade only nodded and held out his hand. “you came on the boat with a large number of people with you,” he whistled after he talked, Ade was on edge, he did not know this man. “you guys look like you might need a little info,” Ade gave a careful nod, the man had yet to let go of his hand. “ill tell you anything you want to know and protect you the rest of the ride if you get me some food from the captain.”

“deal,” the bird jumped as Ivan’s hand landed on his shoulder, and Ade sent him a disappointed stare. Ivan smiled “ill get you your food, but you tell us anything we ask for the rest of the ride,” the bird nodded relieved when Ivan’s hand finally fell from his shoulder and he moved to leave the group. The others immediately ran over asking what had just happened.

“here you dam bird the captain’s food, now answer out questions,” the others went to question Ivan until he slumped onto Edan’s lap. The only one that he would not be killed for laying on. “first, we need to find out how to get around the king,” the entire group gasped.