It was a shrill scream that Layrion had not heard in some time that woke the slumbering Icchorian. She jumped with a start, the fire nearly out and the faint light of the setting sun greeting her gaze beyond the cave entrance. The covering had been removed, and Layrion realized now why she had slept so hard- the sun had shone in. Not directly on her, but enough to paralyze her.
Her gaze swept to the back of the cave, seeing it empty. Alina was not here. Another scream ripped through the fading light, and Layrion shot out of the cave. It was Alina’s voice, filled with terror. She moved swiftly, her insides frozen as another cry rent the air. Alina was pleading, begging for the life of her child.
Bursting from the tree line onto the path, Layrion found her. She was being held up by her hair by a large Human in armor. The man’s face was grim, scars peppered along his tanned skin and a sparse patch of black hair on his chin. Alina had both of her hands shielding her belly desperately, tears staining her cheeks. Her gaze landed on Layrion desperately, a sob shaking her form.
“I’m sorry Layrion, I’m so sorry. I’m sorry.” She breathed between sobs, her body shaking as she cried out in pain. Layrion’s gaze shot to the men around her.
“Let her go.” Her tone was icy, and made a few of the other armored men shift.
“You see. The woman is in league with the monster. Weak frail creature didn’t know any better. You’ve done well woman, to slow them down so that we could find you.” The scarred man grunted out, shaking Alina a bit by her hair. “Stop your wailing.”
Alina bit down on her lip, eyes clenched closed as she seemed to shake with her suppressed cries. Her nails dug into her stomach, whimpering at the pain both there and from his grasp.
Layrion growled. “Release her Human!”
“Or what? You come towards us..” He pulled out a wicked looking blade that had several notches along the base of its shining metal. “I will kill her. Starting with her child.” He moved the blade down along where her quivering hands clutched desperately.
Layrion clenched her hands in anger, quickly assessing each Human of their weapons. They were all fully armed- were she alone it would mean nothing. But Alina was in no condition to defend herself.
“What do you want?” She allowed herself to fall back on the pride she had been raised on, her battle instincts overriding her normal complacency. “Surely you know who I am. That I can crush you before you are able to breath your next breath.” She allowed her anger to swell out, filling the dense forest air heavily. The men shifted again, their gazes darting back to their leader.
“It’s simple. We want your life. We want vengeance for the good men you killed back at Meissen.”
“The same good men who murdered the innocent Humans in that village? Who took the life of her husband for no reason? Who burned it to the ground?” Her anger that had remained hidden for the pointless loss burst out then, making several of the closest men step back. “Those good men?” She repeated, snapping her teeth.
“The men who followed orders and took out a village of traitors, only to be ripped apart by you.”
“Let her go and we will have our words Human. She has nothing to do with this.”
He laughed. “I’m not stupid. She is our protection. Now discard those claws of yours and take your death quietly so we can return home.”
Layrion dropped her gaze to Alina, who peered at her through her tears. She minutely shook her head at the Icchorian. She would not let her friend die on her account. Not like this.
“Leave me Layrion…these men are cowards, they will not follow.” She was silenced when the broad side of the sword smacked her face harshly.
“Silence traitor!” The man barked, raising the sword once more and bringing it quickly down on Alina’s stomach. Layrion growled but before she could race forward, two figures entered the clearing quickly, knocking the men closest to Alina down. The one in green roared out, a golden clawed hand grasping the captor’s face, piercing his skin and skull as he was pushed down to the ground, another clawed hand raised up and quickly brought down in a quick slashing movement, blood filling the air. Alina dropped to the ground with a sharp cry, rolling over to her side and clutching her stomach.
The other figure in purple spun about, her whip biting into flesh as she hissed her anger. Ammy did not fight as ferociously as her sister, but when angered her restraint was lost and her bite was vicious. She quickly dispatched the few soldiers remaining, growling lowly as the sound of distant movement caught her ear.
“There are more. Rune! Come with me!” She stood, sparing a glance at her sister who knelt by Alina’s side. She did not need to be a healer to know that her life was weak. Her gaze softened. “Layrion…I..”
“Go.” The quiet command carried to her, and Ammy nodded, following Rune who was nearly gleeful at the bloodshed to come.
Layrion gently maneuvered Alina onto her back, watching as the human convulsed in pain that seemed to radiate from the life growing inside her. “L-layrion...you must save my child. I’m close to time for him…he is strong. He will live.” Her weakened hands, now covered in blood, reached into a pouch on her hip, pulling out her husband’s knife. She brought it slowly to Layrion’s clawed ones, closing the Icchorian’s grasp on the hilt of the weapon. “Save him Layrion.”
“I failed you Alina. I was suppose to protect you….” She clenched her teeth. “I should’ve been more alert!”
Alina only smiled. “They were smart Layrion…they had…some Icchorian...dead. It’s blood covered their scent…” She coughed. “Please. I’m not going to be around much longer. I want…I want to see him.”
Layrion opened her mouth again, but quickly closed it. When Alina dies, the child would have no one. No family to go to, no human who would want one cursed as he would surely be. Where would he go?
As if sensing her turmoil, Alina reached up again, gently placing her palm on Layrion’s cheek to direct her gaze back to her. “You. I want you to raise him. You didn’t fail me Layrion, you’ve done nothing but take care of me all this time. Now do it.”
Layrion let Alina guide her hand over her stomach. “Save my child. My last request.”
The Icchorian let instinct take over, focusing everything onto the knife in her hands. She made her cut quick, unhearing of Alina’s pained cry in her focus. She had ripped apart many a Human to understand their strange anatomy, and it was easy to tell where the child resided. Ignoring the blood and pained gasps of the mother, Layrion found the child and gently lifted him up. He was squirming, covered in his mother’s life blood, held in the hands of one considered a monster. A fitting beginning to one who would be the most unique Human to have ever existed to this point. Alina quieted at the sight of her son being held by Layrion. She reached up, her sight fading. “Beautiful…my beautiful baby boy…..Sayifle….”
Layrion stared down in shock at her as her hand fell. It was not lost on her that the Human had used Icchorian tradition to name him, when passing him to adopted parents. She herself had refused her name change when Akil took her in, wanting to keep her parents legacy alive. But for Alina to do this, it wasn’t just for the boy, it was for her. Layrion felt something inside her break as she held the tiny child against her breastplate, leaning down to kiss Alina’s still form on her forehead.
“Goodbye my friend.He will live...knowing the both of you.” She pressed their foreheads together, breathing in the scent of her dear friend mixed with blood. It was this way that Rune and Ammy returned to the path, both of them quiet as they observed. Neither much cared for the Human, but if pressed would admit she was the least despised Human they have ever known. In time, Ammy was sure they could have been friends. What they saw as Layrion pulled away, however, left them shocked.
Layrion sat up and reached down and severing the umbilical cord, using his mother’s cloak to swath him gently. He didn’t cry, and soon stopped squirming. If Layrion had the time, she may have been concerned at his lack of activity, but she had to get moving. She stood, head held high as she held the baby in the crook of her arm. She eyed them defiantly.
“His name is Sayifle Elecores, and he is my son.”
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