Owl Wings

"Is that so?" Shad asked. "The Mirror is said to reflect the truth of a person's life. Once you see the truth, it changes you forever."

Ballow shivered.

"It's late," Shad said. "We should all get some rest." He lay down and closed his eyes. "Good night, you two."

Torn:

He had lost the sight of Shad before sundown. But he still had the scent, his muntants could smell them out.

It became night when he finnaly got sight of them again, they were far awy, on a mountain. Torn grunted happily and started limping towards them, with his mutant bunnies.

Shad tossed and turned, unable to sleep. His instincts told him something was approaching.

Finally he gave up. Moving quietly, he roused Sky. "What is it?" the elf asked irritably.

"I don't think we lost him yet."

Sky came awake. "You mean the giant? How far away is he?"

"I don't know. Leave Ballow for now; I'm going to scout the land." With that he turned to face the dark forest.

"I'm coming with you," Sky insisted. Shad just nodded.

Sky

"I hope nothing happens to Ballow when we're gone..." Sky said, frowning.

"He'll be fine." Shad said.

"What if something happens to us?"

"Nothing will happen to us."

"How do you know?"

"I don't know, but I'm taking a guess."

Sky started to breath uneven and her hands started to shake. "Oh. My. God! We are going to die! Oh! My! God!" Sky said. Sky started to chatter off in clans elf language. Her hands started to shake more and her breathing was getting worse.

Torn:

He was close, he could see the hill. The ground was starting to frost under his feet. He was getting ready. His bunnies stopped. "What is it?" He asked The bunnies pointed at the hill. There was only one person there.

"Well it is easier... and We can use him as a bait." He limbed to Ballow, the ground under Ballow started to frost, covering Ballow. Ballow woke up, "What?!" He tried to struckle.
But the ice kept. "First earth.. now ice... What are you?"

"Keeper of change."

Ballow saw the mutants. He grimaced "What are those?"

"Bunnies."

"Now that you captured me, what are you going to do? Take me back?"

"Use you as a bait."

"Ha! Like how?"

Torn took a sharp needle out of his armor... it looked painful "I have my ways."

"Shad, what is it?" Sky asked.

"He's got Ballow," Shad said thickly.

Sky gasped. "What should we do? We have to help him!" She started to run towards the camp, but Shad stopped her. "What are you doing! Let me go!"

"Think!" he hissed. "This is exactly what the giant wants. If we go back there without a plan he'll kill us both." He saw the madness leave her eyes and released her. "Now, here's what I think we should do. We split up, take the camp from two sides. When you hear me roar, that'll be the signal."

She nodded. "That sounds like a good idea."

They slipped into the clearing, quiet as shadows. Shad changed form, then gave a loud bellow.

Sky

Sky lifted her hands up and the ground around Torn shot up and flew him into the air. Sky saw Shad hit Torn to the ground with his tail. Torn hit the ground hard, making a loud noise go throughout the forest.

Sky took her left hand and moved her fingers. Rocks from the ground started to hit the "bubble" Ballow was in. Sky put her right hand in a ball and the ground lifted up and into a ball around Torn. She heard a loud scream from inside. She held her fist tighter and the ball got smaller, until it tlooked like it was crushing him.

She looked over to see if Ballow was free, he wasn't.

"Shad try to get Ballow out!" She yelled at him. Sky held her right hand even tighter. She knew that inside the ball the ground was soacking all of Torn's energy.

She looked over again and Ballow had finally been let out. Sky grabbed Ballows hand and jumped onto Shad's back. They flew into the air and Sky let the grib of her right hand go, seeing Torn laying on the ground.

"I'm tired..." Sky said, closing her eyes.

Shad lunged. He grasped Ballow firmly by the collar and lifted him above the melee. "Sky, kill the giant! What are you waiting for!" he yelled in her mind.

"I can't. I'm exhausted!" Sky yelled.

Putting Ballow down gently, Shad flew at Torn. There was a resounding boom, then he felt no more.

Sky

Sky started to close her eyes. She felt something hard hit her and yelped in pain. Sky lifted her hands and saw something cover her. She heard Ballow scream, but she didn't hear anything from Shad. Where is he?! She thought, but before she could do anything, darkness engulfed her.

Shad groaned. His head ached. Stretching slowly, he found he'd somehow returned to human form. He looked around. Ballow seemed all right, but where was Sky?

Sky? Are you there?

He felt a faint, answering pulse. There she was, leaning against an old oak. "Are you all right?" he asked aloud.

"I think so." She winced. "I think I overused my magic. Is Ballow safe?"

"Yes. It could have been much worse." Impulsively, he leaned in and hugged her.

Sky

Sky blushed, but hugged him back. They stayed like that until Ballow cleared his throat. Shad and Sky let go of each other at the same time.

"We should leave. That guy, or whatever he is, can wake up any minute." Ballow warned.

"He's right...I'll do the work this time." Sky said, getting up.

"You can use your powers again. You couldn't blackout again." Shad said in a worried voice.

"I'll be fine." Sky said, making an underground tunnel. "Let's go." Sky said, walking into the tunnel, Shad and Ballow following. Sky didn't want to admit it, but she started to feel a little lightheaded once she did that.

Shad's emotions were all a jumble. He felt admiration for Sky, anger at himself for what he'd done, and embarrassment that Ballow should see them hug.

He kicked at a pebble on the path. It skipped down into the forest, then disappeared.

"Shad, what's wrong?"

Startled, he looked up. "It's n-nothing I'm j-just feeling the wound, is all." Where'd that stutter come from?

Sky

Sky turned her head.

"You sure?" She asked with worry in her voice.

"Y-yeah." Shad answered.

"I can always heal you. If you want though." Sky said. She didn't want Shad to get hurt. He can't get hurt... Sky said in her head.

They had been walking for more than an hour and Sky started to feel even more light headed. She started to have blurred vision and and trip over her feet a few times.

"You okay?" Ballow and Shad asked at the same time.

Like a dragon, Shad felt a strong urge to protect Sky. He offered his hand to her.

"Thanks, I just got dizzy. I'll be fine."

Ballow snorted. "I should have gone with you. Then none of this would have happened."

Shad grimaced. "Dragons have a saying: 'The present moment is what counts. Everything else is old scales.'"

"Then dragons must be very wise," Sky said.

"They ought to be; they're immortal." Shad smiled.

Sky

"The elfs seem to be immortal, but they're not. They can die like humans, but also can heal fast. Elfs also live for a long amount of years, but never forever..." Sky said, getting sad by the fact. Sky gribbed Shad's hand tighter.