Soulbound

Jacob ruffled the top of my head, like I was some kid, then turned away to help the people of Brar evacuate. Ignoring the sting on my pride from his gesture, I set off for home; there were so many people running around, trying to find loved ones and prepare to move. Luckily, we lived at the edge of town, so the crowd thinned out quickly and I started running on the open road.

Dad was outside, waiting for me, eyes alert. Even as far as we were from the town center, the bell could be heard from here. "What's going on? I saw the dragons."

"Jacob's home--but not for visiting." His smile faded. "There's a bad storm on its way. We have to go to the caves."

Just like that, he started herding the chickens into their bunker before packing the horses with provisions. I looked around as I helped Mom roll up food in blankets, noticing a certain tiny blonde wasn't helping us pack. "Where's Erika?"

She paused a moment, eyes wide. "She's by the pond with her friends. I have to-"

"I'll go get her. We'll meet you guys by the cave." The pond was too far away for Mom to get there in decent time.

I couldn't take Hiron--Dad needed him to carry provisions--so I ran. I ran as fast as my legs would let me. The pond was within the protected boundaries of the village, but it was on the outskirts. It took me half an hour to get there--and just in those thirty minutes the sky had gotten significantly darker and the wind had picked up. The wind pushed the usually calm water of the pond vigorously against the edge. The cattails whipped back and forth, jostling the ducks hiding within the plants. I could barely hear their protests over the rustling trees.

I caught sight of Erika's friends a little further down the pond. After taking a quick moment to catch my breath so I didn't look like a panicked lunatic when I reached them, I jogged the rest of the way and took inventory of the children. My heart sank. Erika wasn't with them. "Where's my sister?"

The oldest boy, Owen, pointed to the forest edge. "She's picking wildflowers. Are you okay, Eva?"

"I'm all right, but it's time to go home. There's a massive storm coming; we're leaving for the caves." I gripped his shoulders. He was the oldest by two years, only he knew exactly how to get to the cave. "Make sure everyone gets home, Owen. If the village is empty when you get there, take them to the caves. Their lives are on you." It was a lot of responsibility for a ten year old, but I knew his parents, and if he was anything like them, he'd see through it to the best of his ability.

The hard look he gave me confirmed what I had thought. He took the others' hands and started for home. Relieved to see the young leader take care of the other kids, I ran for Erika. She wasn't at the forest edge like Owen had alluded to, but I found a trail of picked flowers and followed it, calling her name over the wind.

My stomach knotted tighter with every step I took without finding my sister. The wind was too loud to hear anything and it was getting too dark to see anything. By the time I reached the end of the trail, a light rain had begun, slithering between the treetops and soaking through my clothes.

At last, I caught sight of a small balled up figure against a tree. Erika. She hadn't seen me yet, weeping into her knees. The once beautiful flowers she'd collected were withered at her feet, covered in mud.

"Erika!" I scooped her up into my arms. She was shivering. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"I-I-I got lost!" she whimpered. I barely heard her over the fierce wind. "Then it started getting stormy and scary."

I rubbed her back and took a moment to calm down. She's fine. She's safe.

The rain came down harder, pelting my back. Lightning flashed through the canopy. Thunder soon followed. It was close. There was no more time.

My legs were already burning from my run here, but I pushed them further anyway. I hoisted Erika onto my back and told her to hang on. She took it to heart and held on to me as if her life depended on it. Which, I guess, it did.

My heart pounded so much it was almost all I could hear, save the creaking of the trees as they protested against the relentless wind. The muscles in my legs began to spasm, even when I pushed all thoughts of discomfort aside to step over fallen trees and steer away from flailing branches. The only thing on my mind was to keep moving forward. I had to keep going. No matter what got in my way. No matter how much the rain stung as it slapped my face. No matter how close the lightning got. I had to protect my sister-

I slipped in the mud. We went rolling down a ravine. Erika was thrown off my back, but I kept rolling. I came to an abrupt stop against a trunk slamming into my ribs. I cried out, but Erika's shrieks were louder further down the ravine. Ignoring the stabbing pain in my side, I quickly scampered down the rest of the muddy hill to her and held her as she cried. Aside from obviously being terrified and covered in mud and leaves, she appeared unscathed, which was all I could ask for at this point. My own injuries could wait.

We have to keep going. The storm wasn't going to let up any time soon. We'd already been dangerously close to being the lightning's target twice, and I didn't want to risk a third chance.

I forced myself to my feet, legs fighting me the whole way. After stealing a few breaths, I stepped for the hill--only to slide right down. Whatever I grabbed, it ripped out of the ground. Whatever ground I tried to steady myself on, it gave way, only covering us in more mud.

The ravine was too slippery to climb back up. And I was honestly too sore to continue.

Is that the best you can do? Is this what you've come to?

I'd let Erika down. Let my family down. Jacob down. I might have been able to provide for them, but I couldn't protect them when it really counted.

I must have started crying, because Erika touched my muddied face, catching my attention. "Come on, Eva, we can do it." She hopped out of my lap and pulled me down stream, slipping and fumbling uselessly. Even though she clearly wasn't strong enough to heave me to my feet and was tiny compared to the forest swallowing us, she was still fighting.

Come on, Eva, try it again. Find a different path. I knew this forest better than anyone in Brar. If anyone could find another way to the caves, it'd be me.

Steeling myself, I got up and lifted her onto my back.

But then I heard a feral growl. Erika jumped off my back immediately and hid behind me, clinging to my leg. I drew my dagger, dreading what came next.

A large pair of orange eyes slowly came into view as it circled us. I saw more and more of the creature between lightning flashes. It was a mountain lion. A big-ass lion that must have been bitten by something magical to get that big.

Man, if Jacob could see you now, he'd say, "I told you so." Idiot. We were far away from any trails--and this was exactly what happened when people strayed too far.

I gulped. I'd never had to fight an animal. I only collected their corpses from the traps I'd laid or shot them from a distance. And now I had Erika to worry about as well as the fucking lion with no bow to help me.

I am so gonna die tonight.

But Erika wasn't. Not if I could help it.

The lion pounced. I shoved her out of the way. The lion pinned me to the ground and tried to bite my throat. I dodged it. Barely. Its paw held my dagger hand to the ground. Grunting, I clawed and kicked at it. Somehow, I managed to shove its face away. With a final kick, I threw it off balance. I ripped my hand from its grasp and stabbed at it. It roared, rearing back. I rolled out from underneath it and stood at its side, catching my breath.

Erika moved to me.

"No! Stay back!"

She listened, but it was too late. She'd caught the lion's attention. Purely on impulse, I ran for her--just as the lion had lunged for her. Its claws caught my abdomen and tore me away from my sister. I was only vaguely aware of her screams as the lion towered over me, clearly now the easier prey. It barred its massive teeth, saliva dropping down on my face with its awful stench. Its maws opened wider and dipped down for my stomach. Running on pure instinct to survive, I thrust the dagger into its mouth, through its skull. It fell on top of me instantly, lifeless.

I cried out. It was too heavy and the pain in my stomach flared into something wild and merciless.

"Eva!" Erika screamed. She tried to push the lion off me, but she was far too small. "Eva, you have to get up. We'll die if you don't!" She was bawling her eyes out while doing everything she could to get the bulky beast off me. But it was no use. My strength was rapidly leaving my arms, my mind growing hazy. I was completely soaked in my own blood. I'd seen a hunter die of similar wounds. It had been horrific. He'd begged for someone to kill him. And I was next.

Or so I thought.

Erika slapped me with more force than I gave her credit for. "GET UP! You're not going to die. I'm not going to die. Get up!"

I didn't think she knew how dire things were, but I gave it my all anyway. With all the remaining strength I had left, I pushed enough of the lion off for me to crawl out from under it. Then, despite my body's great protest, I got to my feet and led Erika along the river at the bottom of the ravine; I kept one hand pressed on my stomach, ignoring all the blood and the fact I could feel the heat of my insides. My movements were sluggish; I could barely lift me feet over fallen branches.

I hoped we'd find a cave soon, somewhere for her to stay the night. She would be safe until morning, then Jacob would find her. I knew he would. Dragons could see anything that projected heat through walls--even cave walls.

To my luck, there was a waterfall at the end of the creek, and there was a cave behind it. Grunting, I lifted Erika up onto the ledge and climbed into the cave with her, deep enough to hide from the elements.

The wind was intense, howling through the cave. It scared Erika, and she curled up to me. I held her hand with one and put my other hand on my wounds. There were three large gashes over my abdomen. Gods, there was so much blood. It hurt more looking at it.

Staying conscious was difficult. I could feel myself fading away. I wasn't as cold as I was earlier, a calm wave overcoming me. It was as if I wasn't living the worst night of my life, that this was a dream and it'd be over soon.

Lightning flashed again, casting a massive shadow against the waterfall. Erika screamed. I turned my head to see that it wasn't a shadow. A dragon had come through the waterfall. Of all the creatures to find during the night, a mountain lion was one of them, but not a dragon. They lived in tight colonies in Dragon Canyon, meaning this one was an exile. . .

Of course I picked his fucking cave. Of all the places to hide out.

Its menacing blue eyes held mine, fierce and angry. Static filled the air. It was so strong, I could feel it buzzing in my bones. It growled, a deep unfriendly sound.

"No!" I threw myself in front of Erika, coughing up blood as I did it. "Pl-please. Please don't kill my sister. I didn't know this was your home. We-"

A sharp pain ripped through my inners. I cried out, collapsing on my front and gasping.

This was it.

The end.

Erika wailed, shaking me, but I couldn't move. I was in too much pain to even utter my agony.

This is how I'm gonna die? In agony, hiding in a cave from a storm? It didn't seem fair.

I blinked the tears from my eyes then faded into the darkness.