Orion's face grew increasingly grim as they rushed through the forest. It seemed the avians had discovered that they were missing and directed the rest of the beasts to form a blockade around the section of the forest where Artemis had been held. It was an impressively advanced tactic, a multi-layer wheel designed to contain anybody. To make things worse, if they tried to fight their way through it would almost certainly alert Dargonth, and Orion had no illusions about handling that beast. If they had only left as soon as they had freed Artemis, perhaps they could have made it, but Artemis had needed that time. Now, the only advantage they had was the dark.
Artemis stalked beside him, occasionally reaching out to touch him as if to reassure herself he was still there. Without the moon, she was weaker than him, but still a force to be reckoned with.
He drew the wind around them, shielding their conversation.
“We need to break through.”
“Which direction?”
He pointed west. “That’s the only direction that gets us out of beast territory. The problem is there's a cliff there just past the blockade. I can carry us over, but it will require my full concentration. You will need to defend us.”
She nodded.
The next few minutes were tense and painful. If they were discovered before they arrived at the blockade they were done for.
Finally, they arrived at the blockade. It was a ring clear of forest, filled with a mass of anxiously milling beasts. Avain beast rules the skies, scanning for intruders. A few beasts even used some form of high-pitched sound to try and detect them, though Orion utilized the wind to block those attempts.
He turned to Artemis.
“Ready”
She nodded.
“Just break through and run to the cliff as fast as you can. Then we’ll get out of here.”
On Orion’s count, they launched themselves forward, staying low to maximize the time they remained unseen, which was, unfortunately, far too short. One of the avians immediately spotted them, and squawking loudly directed the rest of the beasts to stop them.
The winds flitted through the gaps, showing Orion and Artemis a path forward. Orion let it impart its nature to him, feeling himself grow lighter and more flexible. Unfortunately, Artemis could do no such thing and calling upon her light would only make her easier to find. Orion picked up the slack, wrapping her in hidden currents and commanding them to guide her.
Then they were upon the beasts. It was a chaotic mess, with beasts swiping and biting and roaring, doing more damage to themselves than to Orion and Artemis. Auras flared and were extinguished. The avian beast swopped down to no avail as Orion and Artemis weaved and dodged in accordance to the wind. Artemis had her blades out, using them to devastating effect when she failed to follow the wind’s urgings. Blood filled the air, its strange aura hinting at the truth contained within it. As Orion danced through him, dim understanding forced its way into his mind. This must be the source of their power, their blood. Just as he was going to try and take a deeper look, the wind brought Orion tiding of a stirring dragon, and hints of its dawning realization.
Dargonth was waking up.
Still, they were going to make it.
But of course, nothing’s ever that easy.
Artemis, missing a step, stumbled. An avian beast, seeing its opportunity, pounced. Time slowed down as Artemis raised her sword, but he could see it would be too late. He was too far to intervene, not on his own.
He remembered the dream. The agony. But he would not lose her again.
Without hesitation, he threw his fear to the sky, letting merge into the greater tangle of the wind. A strange black beast with six legs and a tail that curved over its head lunged, scraping Orion with a burning tail that pulsed with death and decay, but in return, power poured into him, making him a part of the endless sky, taking his pain away. What was mortal pain in the face of the endless sky? It was intoxicating, but unlike last time, Orion was prepared. He quickly reasserted himself, making sure to limit the power he drew.
A single step curved him through the ever-present wind, putting him in front. The force of his passage disrupted the diving avian’s flight, sending it careening to the ground. Without hesitation, Orion grabbed his bow and drew the string. An arrow of swirling winds appeared, and in the next moment, was released. It flew forward silently before bursting into a maelstrom that threw aside the beast in front of them. Orion grimaced as the backlash hit him, but pushed through the pain. The winds whispered of the dragon rising from its resting place, and a second later a faint roar alerted him of a new threat. They only had a few minutes.
“Let's go” he yelled, grabbing Artemis and using the last of his winds to propel them forward. Thanks to his arrow, the path was clear, but they could hear the charging beast behind them. Orion ran with all he had, feeling the pounding of his heart spread the burn. Something had been very wrong with the beast that had grazed him.
But he could not stop.
So he ran faster, feeling the burn eat him from the inside out.
When they finally arrived at the cliff face a minute later, Orion was drenched in sweat and struggling to concentrate through the fire in his veins. Artemis looked at him with worry, but he shrugged her off. The dragon was drawing nearer.
“Come on. We need to get to the top.”
She took his outstretched hand and he pulled her on his back. He then crouched, mustering the last dregs of his will to call to the wind. Then, with a mighty leap, he hurled himself in the air, shattering the ground under them. The wind cradled them, pushing them ever higher. They landed unsteadily two-hundred feet up, Orion’s shaky hands almost slipped.
But he refused to give in. Not while they were so close.
Another jump got them nearly a tenth up.
Then another breached a ninth.
His vision swam and his muscles trembled. He teetered on the edge of collapse, only able to move through pure will. He would be lucky to make one more jump. It was becoming increasingly clear that if he didn't stop and rest, he would not make it. But the roaring of the fast-approaching beasts didn't let him stop. Orion rapidly arrived at a conclusion: if he only had one more jump, then he would make it all he needed. So fire in his veins, Orion reached for more of the wind than ever before, letting it fill him till he was the wind himself.
The creature, Artemis he reminded his slipping awareness, yelled something, but he was too far gone to hear. All he knew was the wind, and the need to get to the top of the cliff.
So he flexed his muscles.
And jumped.
They shot forward like an arrow, Orion expelling every bit of power he had at once. Awareness returned at once, euphoria quickly replaced by sudden knowledge of imminent death. His limbs were broken and his heart filled with venom.
But he still smiled, because Artemis, at least, had made it.
As they reached the apex of their jump, thousands of feet up, the mouth of the cliff came into view. Ignoring the protest of his dying body, Orion slung Artemis around, and flung her to safety. From there, she was unobstructed. All she had to do was run to their siblings and she would be safe.
Their eyes met as she hurled to salvation.
Her eyes were wide and terrified as she took it the entirety of his wounds.
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He just smiled.
Go he mouthed.
Then gravity claimed him and hurled him to the beasts below
—------------------------------------------
Artemis watched Orion’s broken body falling to the hordes below in shock.
How had his injuries developed to such an extent without her noticing?!
Her night vision wasn't the best, but as he hurled her to safety, she, suspecting something was wrong, had drawn upon the moon to see. And it was horrible. Black veins ran through him, a grotesque contrast to the crimson blood pouring from his broken limbs.
How had this happened?
She now had a choice: save herself or save him.
Her choice was made in an instant. She exploded with moonlight.
No moon?
Fine.
She would become the moon.
She cried out as she hurled towards him, a primal sound of rage and loss.
Time froze, as a silver-clad goddess flew towards a bloodied hunter, a horde of beasts eagerly clamoring below, avians diving from above. Then time resumed and he was in her arms. She hit the ground with a roar, silver light pouring out of her in a wave.
The closest beasts were frozen solid and the rest were thrown back as argent death rippled through their ranks. Artemis pressed a glowing hand over Orion’s heart, trying to sense what was wrong. Immediately it became apparent.
Powerful venom ravaged him.
But the moon was purity, and the venom was nothing in the face of it.
Or would be nothing if she had the chance to purify it. Instead, she found herself caught in a desperate melee, desperately trying to protect both herself and Orion. Her light filled the area, making beasts hesitate, but without the moon to empower her, it wasn't enough, and they eventually mustered the courage to charge in. Her twin silver swords wave a tapestry of death, building a wall of corpses.
But more and more came. And the dragon was close now.
The moon was death, but Artemis was too distraught to muster its power. So she danced, a beacon in the darkness, desperately trying to hold back the black hordes.
And failing.
Silver slashes lit the night up only to be swallowed by the endless horde. Beasts froze only to be trampled by the bests behind them. Arrow fell from the sky, only to be silently endured.
Artemis did everything she could, but in the end, it wasn't enough. Finally, she kneeled over Orion’s struggling body, head and blades held high even as her legs failed her. Weak light guttered around her, trying to form her silver arrows.
She would fight to the bitter end.
Then, just as the dark beasts rushed in to finish the job, they hesitated. Light poured between the gaps in their forms, illuminating the horrific damage Artemis had done to them.
Light?
“Scram!” a powerful voice commanded, and all went white. Her vision was gone, but she could hear the beasts fleeing, panicking over the brilliant light. She curled up around Orion and hoped no beast would come their way.
When her vision repaired itself, all the beasts were gone, and a man stood before them.
He was tanned and muscular with long gold hair and gilded eyes. And he was softly glowing, illuminating the world around them.
“Sol?”
“Artemis? What happened?” he sounded concerned.
“Sol! It's Orion! Help him!”
Sol crouched beside Artemis and looked over Orion’s broken body. He let out a hiss as he saw Orion’s broken body.
“This is bad” he sounded panicked.
Artemis put her hands over Orion's heart and pumped pure moonlight into his body, guiding it to eliminate the venom. Sol followed Artemis’ lead, cauterizing wounds with burning fingers.
Slowly but surely, the venom began to retreat, giving way before Sol and Artemis’ overbearing power. He began to breathe easier and it seemed that with only a few more minutes, he would be recovered enough to take flight.
Alas, fate had other plans.
Dargonth arrived with a mighty boom, sending a wave of dust out from where he landed. Starlight glittered off of his red scales, purple in the night.
“What do we have here?” he purred, “Three little mice, trying to scurry to safety”
Its aura rolled over them, pressing down with a palpable force. Sol brightened, turning the night to day, but even he couldn't overcome the dragon's absolute dominion.
Just as he was going to launch himself at the dragon in a desperate attempt at driving it off, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to find Orion slowly sitting up.
“Orion!” Artemis yelled.
“Artemis,” he smiled. It was a sad smile.
Sol suddenly felt a dark premonition come over him. “Orion don-”
Orion raised a hand, silencing him before turning to Artemis. “You need to go, my love”
“What?”
Orion dragged himself to his feet, his bow somehow in hand. “I’m already dead. You need to leave.”
Dargonth watched with silent amusement.
“What do you mean?!”
“Artemis, I can't run. And he” he waved at Dargonth, “will not let me recover to that point. I’m already dead. But you” he brushed a silver lock out of her eyes “are not.”
Tears were starting to gather in her eyes. “If you die, then I will go with you.”
“No,” Orion said gently. “Live for me. Do all the things I cannot. Live for me, and hunt to your heart's content.”
Her tears were watering the ground now. “No…” she whispered “please don't leave me…”
He dragged her into one last gentle kiss, letting his lips linger on hers. “Goodbye my love”
He pushed her sobbing form to Sol. “Make sure she makes it out. And tell Micheal, the beasts get their power from their blood, rather than their souls. It's inherited. Hopefully he can do something with that.”
Sol looked at Orion with a complicated look, before slowly nodding and lifting Artemis into his arms, he shot Orion another look. “Die, well brother.”
Dargonth finally moved, letting out a chuckle. “Truly touching, but aren't you forgetting something?” He spread his wings, showcasing their impressive bulk. His aura redoubled, pressing down on them with renewed force and beast gathered outside the aura, surrounding them.
Orion just laughed. “You think you can stop them? You have bigger things to worry about.”
“What” the dragon snorted, “You?”
“Yes, me.”
Orion drew himself to his fullest extent, feeling his broken bones and wounds more acutely than ever. Beside him Sol shone with blinding light, obscuring their position in the light of the sun.
Of course, Dargonth could still see them, but that was just fine. Orion wanted Dargonth to see this. His aura spread out, weaker than Dargonths, but still mighty. It whispered tales of the winds and the hunt, and while its path had come to an end, it had one last story to tell.
“I am Orion, Lord of the Hunt” Orion declared, his voice echoing, carried on currents of air, “And I hereby declare the final hunt.”
His aura redoubled, and redoubled again as he burned his path, consuming everything had built over the years for a few minutes of transcendent power. His aura immediately created a path through Dargonth’s, and Sol surged out with violent momentum, tracing an arc over the beast like the sun over the shadow-touched land.
Dargonth immediately roared, amusement forgotten as he began to move. But Orion wasn't done yet.
With defiance in his bones and love in his heart, Orion reached for more of the sky than ever before, letting it fill him till he was the wind himself.
Then further.
A portion of him hesitated, remembering the dream and the pain that had followed overdrawing like this. But a bigger portion focused on Artemis' lifeless body. If he didn't do this, that vision would become reality.
So he gave the part to the wind as well, along with any facet of himself he could spare. He gave everything he was to his path, let it become him, and then, going a step further, he burned it, letting the power fill him. The fear of impending death vanished, replaced by growing euphoria.
An arrow of wind appeared on his bow, and when he loosened it at Dargonth, the world screamed. And so did Dargonth when it struck him.
“What is this?” he roared, looking down at the drop of golden ichor the arrow had drawn. A mere drop, but it would have to be enough.
So Orion danced, and hunted, and burned away.
And when he could dance no more, he fell from the sky satisfied.
Artemis lived.
He was dead before Dargonth’s jaws closed around him.
—-----------------------------------------
Artemis clutched the clay urn to her chest, silent tears running down her cheeks. The children of Adam surrounded her, at least those that could be gathered. Many were crying as well. They stood atop the mountain of Adam, the first place they had seen the world.
“Goodbye, my love.” Artemis choked out, “May you forever rest in the winds”
She overturned the urn, watching as the winds caught the ashes of Orion’s belongings and carried them to places unseen.
For a time, there was silence as they watched his ashes drift down to the world below.
Then Micheal stepped forward, azure eyes resolute.
“They will not get away with this.”