Hounds Rising

The shadows wrapped around Helena and then faded. Lyla looked around angrily, trying to see where she disappeared. She couldn’t find her anywhere, and the rest of the party relaxed for a moment. Lyla wasn’t done worrying yet, though. She screamed out to her sister.

“MYLA!”

Ahead of her, to the North, Ana emerged from behind a bush, slightly covered in twigs and leaves.

“Is everyone okay? What happened? She asked.

“Where’s Myla, Ana?”

“I teleported her out. She’s safe nearby.”

Ana pointed behind her, then waved her staff over Lyla. Her wounds healed immediately, and her body felt better immediately. Lyla gestured to the rest of the party, some of whom had been hurt more. Ana moved to them, her staff still glowing, ready to help them.

She was stopped, though, as thunder rumbled through the center of the open field. Myla stood in front of another person, her hands on top of his. She looked scared but not hurt.

My?You okay?

Yes?

The man was taller than Myla, older, with white hair and a beard that was braided with various silver and gold links. He was muscular, matching Kiki’s size but had a fair complexion versus Kiki’s green. He was scarred in multiple places, but Lyla focused more on the eyepatch over his right eye.

His chainmail was very clean as if recently bought and polished, but Myla’s daggers were stuck into the chest of it. Lyla ran over, just close enough to be ready for another fight. The man spoke quietly, his voice low and rumbling with the sound of the storm already disappearing above.

“Where did she go?” He questioned Myla.

“Um…” Myla started.

Did you kill her? She asked Lyla.

I tried, but she just disappeared. I don’t know where or how.

The man turned towards Lyla, his blue eye looking through her. Lyla pointed over to where Helena had been last. The man pulled the daggers from his chainmail and handed them to Myla. He turned and walked over to the grass she had just been on. Lyla walked over to Myla, checking for cuts or wounds, but she looked fine. After a moment, with everyone watching silently, he looked over his shoulder at Myla.

“Congratulations on surviving.”

“Thanks…?” Myla replied.

The man looked ahead and started walking further into the woods. Lyla watched until he had passed through enough trees to disappear. She could hear Leaf drop to the ground, sighing in relief.

“What the fuck just happened?” Lyla asked him.

“You angered the witch. That’s what happened!” Leaf answered, pointing at Myla.

“What did you do?” She asked her sister.

“I… I… I…” Myla tried to answer.

Her hands rose to her head, similar to when her migraines were at their worst. Lyla put her forehead against her sister’s. She whispered softly.

“You don’t have to speak. Show me, sis.”

Lyla closed her eyes, and the flood of emotions and memories pushed in. First, Helena’s memories, then what had happened during the fight. Something seemed off.

There’s something missing here.

There’s… there’s gaps? Gaps…

“You’re safe, you’re here. Everything else can wait. Breathe, Myla.”

Though the images had come to Lyla, there was a man in them, but she couldn’t see him properly. It was as if someone had put smoke and fog around the man, making it impossible to see him. However, something was pushing through it in one of Helena’s memories. A name…

Odin.