The Rise of Nix

People crowded before her as she snaked around them, her eyes frantically searching every face for the one belonging to her, but it came up empty. Laughter from children drew her head to the left, spotting smaller bodies playing by the edge of the forest. Making her way over, Nadine hoped to find his smiling face beaming up at her, but it did not happen. As the children moved out of her way, she shot around to face the camp, the familiar head of hair nowhere to be seen. Rafael left this morning to go play with his friend, promising her he would be back before the sun reached its highest peak, but now it was close to setting, and he was nowhere. She had gone to his friend’s hut, but they had not seen him today. The breaking news that he did not even reach them made her really fear for him. Their village is usually a safe place, so she always let him go on his own, but now she regretted it. What if something happened to him? What if he went for a swim and got lost in the water? As horrible scenarios flashed in her mind, she became agitated, her fingers mindlessly tapping against her leg. She needed to inform the elders of her missing boy, and making her way over to the leader’s hut, a name popped up: Nix. Maybe he had gone to visit them instead? She had to make sure because if he was there and she alerted the elders, they would not be happy with the false alarm.

So Nadine walked fast to their little hideout just past the village. Eyeing the area as she went for any sign of Rafael, she made it. Passing through the thick bush, she entered the open space, their hut before her, a man outside busy chopping wood,

“Deimos,” Nadine called out.

Looking up, Deimos was shocked to see Nadine standing before him, a look of worry on her face. He instantly became alert. Dropping the axe, he glanced around, finding nothing unusual but just making sure. Walking over to her, he wiped his dirty hands on his pants before reaching out to her. “What is wrong? You seem scared.”

“Is Rafael here?” asked Nadine.

“No,” replied Deimos. “Is he missing?”

Nadine nodded, “I think so. He said he was going to play with his friends, but they have not seen him, and he has not been back. I fear for him,” she pleadingly looked up at Deimos, hoping he could help.

“Where was he seen last,” Deimos jumped into action. Pulling on his shoes and fixing his shirt, he grabbed his spear perched against the hut.

“In the village this morning. He was talking to a stranger, and now he is gone.” Nadine began fidgeting as she became anxious, the cloth of her shirt rubbing between her fingers, fighting back the urge to yell out for her baby.

“I will help you find him. Let me tell Nix,” Deimos said before entering their hut.

“Ask her if she has seen him?” Nadine yelled behind him.

Nix looked peaceful as she slept, and he hated to wake her, but he knew she would be angry if he did not inform her about Rafael. Touching her shoulder, he gently shook her until her eyes opened.

Groggily wiping at her face, Nix looked up at Deimos, “Is it dinner time already? I was having such a nice dream.”

“No, my darling.” he began, “I don’t want you to stress, but Nadine is here, and she says Rafael is missing. I am going to look for him with her.”

“I am coming with,” Nix jumped up, sleep long gone.

“No, you need the rest. And besides, what if Rafael comes here? Someone needs to stay here.”

“But I want to help.”

“I know you do. That is why I love you,” said Deimos, lovingly sweeping fallen hair from her forehead. Bending down, he placed a kiss where his fingers just brushed. “But I do not need to worry about you out there. The sun is setting, and it will be dark soon. Besides, I have something that can find him fast.”

“You are going to use your magic?”

Deimos confirmed with a nod.

“Then please find him fast.”

“I will,”

Stepping from the hut, Deimos found Nadine pacing up and down. “I am ready,” he announced, and her head shot at him.

“Thank you,”

Leading the way, Deimos left the safety of their oasis, knowing anybody could be watching them, but he had to help. If not for this, what else should the magic be used for? Retracing her steps, they returned to the village as people began gathering for the nightly festivities. Stopping in the middle, Deimos turned to Nadine, stress still in her expression. “Where did they say he was last seen?”

Nadine turned and pointed to one of the empty logs near the fire. Making their way over, Deimos bend down, examining the wood and its surroundings closer. The ground next to it was a mess as if someone had walked over it multiple times. He would have ignored the sign if it was not for a small dark pool hiding beneath the log. Dipping his finger in the sticky liquid, Deimos brought it to his face, smelling it as he rubbed it between his fingers. It was blood. Who’s, he did not know, but it was a start.

“What did you find?” Nadine asked from behind.

Looking over his shoulder, Deimos considered telling her it was blood but stopped himself. If it were from someone’s kill, he would only scare her further for no reason, but if it was the boy’s, he could use it to find him. “It is nothing. But I have a plan,” he said, straightening up and turning to her. “Go back to your hut to see if he might be there. If not, come back here and ask around again. I will go to the beach and look there.”

“But what if he is not anywhere? I need to find him. I can’t lose him,” Tears began to flow as reality sunk in. Losing him so close to her husband might break her further.

“Shhh, it is going to be alright,” Deimos hugged her, and she allowed him. Sobbing against his chest, Nadine let go of her fear, wetting the front of his shirt. As she calmed down, Deimos knew what he had to do. “Go now. We will meet back here as the moon rises if he is not found. We will gather all the hunters and go into the woods. I promise we will find him.”

Wiping away her tears, Nadine nodded. Without another word, she left, hurrying back to her hut, hoping her son was there. Watching her go, Deimos began to fear for the boy. Being out there alone at night was dangerous, but it could be deadly for a child, so he had to move. Dragging his finger in the blood again, he silently prayed it belonged to the boy, for it could be used to track him. He refused to think about how the blood could have gotten there, hoping it would lead to Rafael. A tracking spell came to mind as he passed villagers and stopped at the edge of the trees, the darkened woods before him. Deimos lifted the blood-covered fingers, whispering unheard words as he waited. Moments passed in agonising silence as he focused on the crimson liquid, the contrast against his pale skin a reminder of what was at stake. Suddenly, the blood began to glow, and he released his pent-up breath. The spell worked, making him realise that the blood did belong to the boy. If it were a dead animal, it would not have glown, meaning Rafael was still alive.

Holding his fingers out, he swirled it left and right, the brightness indicating the way. Trekking through the woods, the crimson glow would dimmer, but as soon as he pointed somewhere else, the light would return. Darkness began to fall the longer he walked; his fingers provided the only light. Deeper into the woods, the trees thickened, and the usual path became overgrown. This part of the woods was still untouched by them, and he wondered how the boy got there. Nadine said he was last seen talking to a stranger, making him wonder if the boy was taken. As his finger glowed brighter, he suddenly realised how quiet nature was. There was no sound of birds chirping or flying or small animals scurrying around the bush. No, it was eerily silent, making goosebumps roll down his back. Trees blocked his view ahead as his finger pointed to it. Not seeing a way around it, he decided to go through it. With his left hand, he called forth his magic. Warmth surged through his body, running down his arm to gather in his palm. The heat moulded into cold steel as his sword appeared. Slashing at branches, Deimos cleared himself a path, and stepping over his work, he froze.

Even in the darkness, he could see the unmoving body of a tiny human, or a boy in this case. Sprinting to Rafael, Deimos dropped to his knees, reaching out to shake the boy, praying he was not dead. The boy’s skin felt cold to the touch. “Rafael,” Deimos shouted as he shook the boy, but it was too dark to see anything. Standing up, he quickly stabbed his sword into the ground and whispered another word. Flames sprung up over the steel, chasing the darkness away. Looking back down at Rafael, his heart froze. The boy’s normal, tanned skin seemed pale, with deep bags under his eyes.

“Wake up, Rafael. You are safe now.” shaking his small body, Deimos cursed. He was unresponsive. The blood on his finger reminded him the boy was hurt, and he rubbed his hands over his body to search for a wound, but he came back empty-handed. Who could do something like this? Wondered Deimos. Humans were known to be cruel, but this was unimaginable.

Suddenly, Rafael’s eyes shot open, scaring Deimos before he cradles his head. “Are you okay? Are you hurt.”

“Mamma.” Rafael barely whispered as his eyes fluttered closed.

Picking up the boy, Deimos rested his head on his chest, his right arm under his legs. Fisting his left hand, Deimos demanded the sword to come to him, and it did. Raising out the ground, the burning flames left the handle just as it flew into his opened palm. The path he came from lit up as he quickly made his way back to the village, stopping every few feet to ensure Rafael was still breathing. It was low, and his body was still cold. Time was running out. He had to get the boy warmed up before something worse happened.

Light barely poked through the trees as he neared, and calling back the magic, Deimos watched as his sword vanished into the night, empty air replacing the steel. Using the fire from the village to guide him, he stepped out of the woods as people gathered around the fire.

“I need help,” yelled Deimos.

A few people heard him as they turned around. The darkness made them squint before they registered who it was.

“Raf,” a female voice rose above the rest.

People moved away as Nadine sprinted to Deimos, almost knocking a few down. “Is he alright?” she asked breathlessly.

“No,” Deimos replied, handing the boy over into Nadine’s open arms. “We need to get him to the fire. He is too cold.”

“Quickly then.”

As they entered the circle by the fire pit, the villagers moved out of the way, almost everyone looking shocked as they mumbled between themselves. Grabbing a nearby blanket, Deimos opened it on the ground, and Nadine gently placed Rafael on it. Wrapping him tight, she rubbed his arms before moving to his face, placing kisses along his forehead. “Please wake up, baby. I am right here.”

The group held their breath as they watched, Deimos included. Nadine’s sobs replaced the chatter as they waited. Seconds later, his eyes blinked open before closing again. He tried a couple of times before they stayed open. “Mamma,” he croaked, his voice rough.

“You are alright. I have you.” Nadine whispered. Hugging her son, she cradled the boy against her body, tears of happiness replacing the ones of sorrow.

A man stepped up to them, tapping Deimos on the shoulder. It was Draco, the leader of this village.

“Thank you for finding the boy. Do we know what happened?” he asked.

Deimos shook his head, “I do not know. Nadine came to me saying the boy was missing, and I found him deep in the woods, passed out and alone.”

“He did this,” Rafael’s soft voice spoke.

“Who, honey?” asked Nadine.

Rafael looked up at his mother before eyeing the crowd, stopping on Deimos. “He said I have to tell you something.”

Deimos bent on one knee as he locked eyes with Rafael. “What is it?”

“He said Nix is his.”

The world froze around Deimos as he instantly put two and two together. The wolf who destroyed their lives, the wolf who wanted him dead. The wolf he should have dealt with before they left. Maverick was here for revenge, and Deimos will give it to him. “I have to go,” Deimos jumped up. Ignoring the questions, he ran to their home and towards Nix as bad feelings clung to him all the way there.