Kiri sprinted through the night, lit only by stars and the distant glow of Tamulan. It had been years since she last visited the Erythrai settlement when Zafira had only just radicalized the minds of the young. The memory of watching the light vanish from their eyes remained infused in the back of her mind. Kiri pitied their loss, but the fear left a deep running scar that flared alive with each encounter she had with the Erythrai.

After twenty minutes her legs ached, and she slowed to a jog. Kiri was weakest during the night hours. She couldn’t replenish the energy consumed fast enough without direct sunlight overhead.

Kiri followed the main path the humans had taken across the hilly terrain. Patrols roamed the area between Tamulan and the nest but she couldn’t risk losing the trail. Not when so many had already perished. The plan was simple. Barge in, snatch the humans and toss them through the portal before it sealed within the next two hours. If she failed, she’d live with another guilt she couldn’t shake off.

Blades of grass shifted and returned to the soil, transforming the green hills within moments. A natural self preservation instinct accumulated to protect themselves against hard footfalls.

Kiri dropped to the ground and crawled into cover as she listened to the soil. A steady beat echoed signaling three pairs of feet. She peered up over the crest of the hill and spotted the patrol.

The Erythrai completely disregarded their heritage and stomped on the ground as they marched. The women carried bows and daggers made from sharpened ribs. Their toned bodies glistened in the evening light. The result of weeklong rigorous training initiated by Zafira.

Kiri heard they were pitted in close combat on a daily basis. Training for their new purpose in life as enforcers that would protect the worlds.

“I can’t believe she took that filthy human into our home.”

“Not for long now,” another said. “We already had our fun with them. What’s one of them going to do?”

“Silence.” The woman in the lead held her hand up in a fist and listened.

Kiri ducked and held her breath. The shared abilities between Erythrai and Alseid meant that they could pick her out as easily as she had them. Her legs itched to spring up and dart across the hills.

Moments passed. Time she no longer had to return the humans.

“No more talking. Let’s not take any chances. If we can reach their world, they might be able to come to ours.”

The marching continued but Kiri laid in wait for a few more heartbeats. She didn’t fully understand their worry. Offworlders never arrived on their own but required the skills of a nymph to travel between worlds. Her eyes snapped to the sidelong curve of a foot.

“An Alseid spy,” Tibane chided and dashed forward. She leapt up, pulling her leg back as she spun in mid air. Kiri raised her hands to block the attack. Her kick came faster than Kiri anticipated —and a lot stronger— knocking her back into the air several yards until she slammed against the trunk of a tree and crumbled to the ground. Tibane approached her at a leisurely pace. “I’ve dealt with lizard-men before but never our kind.”

“Look around, this is my lot you’re treading through.”

“Oh, I didn’t notice.” She turned her head, taking in the plot of land and the whispers between the shrouded grass. “In that case, I’ll bring you to Zafira. I’m sure she’ll know what to do with you.”

Kiri placed both hands down beside her and dumped caches of energy into the soil. Grass growth accelerated with heads popping up around her feet. Stems shot out of the soil, quickly winding around the woman’s leg and binding her in place.

Tibane flung her hand down in an attempt to override Kiri’s instructions and have the grass return to its original state. The plants were unwilling to betray their caretaker and snapped tighter. She narrowed her eyes and slapped Kiri across the face with the back of her hand.

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Kiri saw black for moment accompanied by the bitter taste of blood on her tongue. She rolled away and scrambled to her feet.

Tibane reached for the knife at her waist. If she couldn’t control the plants, she’d cut right through them. Another stem of plants shot out of the ground and ensnared her wrists. The muscles in Tibane’s arms bulged as she fought back. With a groan she dropped to her knees and shouted for help.

Kiri massaged her hurt arm and approached the woman. Thick layers of green rapidly grew over and concealed her lower body from view. A sense of dread overcame her as she watched her own creation spread. She’d only meant to free herself not kill the woman. Kiri pulled back a portion of the energy she had given. She removed the knife out of the holster and tossed it away. “I told you this was my lot.”

Tibane bared her teeth as she struggled against the constraints. “You won’t get away this. Once Zafira finds out the Alseid have turned against us, she’ll destroy your pathetic home.”

Kiri knelt beside the face of the woman, the only part that remained untouched by the overgrowth. “What’s Zafira’s plans with the humans? Why has she taken them to Tamulan?”

“Them?” Tibane broke out laughing. “You’re not like the others. You put action before words. Are you sure you don’t wish to join us?”

The question caught Kiri off guard. It could only serve as a trick by Tibane to free herself and prevent her from reaching Tamulan. She balled her hands and stepped away. “I apologize for this and promise you will be released by the break of dawn.”

“You can’t just leave me here,” she shouted, but Kiri did just that and ran away.

Kiri spent most of her energy on Tibane, forcing her to take a slower pace than she liked. She questioned her actions once more. Not just with Tibane, but defying Lefaljac to infiltrate the Erythrai settlement.

Alseid taught to respect all life, to aid and nurture those around. Reasoning alone wouldn’t always be enough. But what then? A measure of force could be used for good without harming the other, Kiri concluded.

Tamulan laid along the banks of the Tamu River that flowed east to west. A watch post monitored both crossing points. While there was plenty of shrubs and brushes, the bank was empty of trees she could use to leap across the river.

Kiri came up to the river and dipped her toes into the water. She gasped at the chill that spiked through her body and pulled back. After a minute of pouting her cheeks and rubbing the cold spot on her feet, she tried again. This time she forced herself to walk directly in. The water came up to her chest, tugging at her body.

Alseid could only handle limited amounts of water. They depended on the environment to keep their body temperature stable.

Kiri plowed through the cold, forcing her mouth shut to keep from screaming. That didn’t help ease the pain spreading across her body. The steady stream along the bank became stronger near the center. An underwater current rushed against her feet and threatened to take her with. The river continued to sap energy from her with every breath she remained inside.

At last she reached the bank on other side and toppled onto the grass. Kiri shut her eyes and let her mind drift. While panting, she instinctively extracted minerals and warmth from the soil beneath her wet body. Kiri flirted with sleep, letting herself be drawn in only to pull herself out again. She could rest and give up on the human. They survived the spider nest and might even be safe until dawn.

Tamulan was quiet, save for the few guards that chatted with each other by the gate. Most Erythrai would rest during the dark hours and become active once the sun broke the horizon. She couldn’t be certain about the habits of the other races that dwelled within the settlement.

Kiri groaned but eased herself back up. Her body punished her for that with heavy legs. Each step drew in more of her reserves. She swayed as she followed the dirt road between the homes.

The Erythrai buildings were made of piled stones with thatch cast on top. Zafira, however, dwelled in the palace. A structure carved into the face of a cliff and several stories high. Only her most trusted allies were permitted to reside there.

A chill ran up Kiri’s back when a door opened beside her. Two people engaged in a conversation about the dragon Delphyne emerged. They paused in the doorway and lowered their eyes once they recognized her.

Kiri noted that they weren’t Erythrai but children of the dawn, hybrids born out of nymphs and humans with only the fraction of the lifespan and none of the abilities. She straightened her shoulders and held herself proudly. As long as they didn’t meet her eyes, they wouldn’t see the light of Alseid and might take her to be a Erythrai.

“You’re going out at this time of day?” she said with a certain level of disdain.

The two men deepened their bow.

“Beg your forgiveness, my lady. We were just heading home now.”

Kiri clicked her tongue. “Well, but be quiet about it. Others are trying to rest.”

“Yes, of course,” they said in unison and hastily bowed several times. They waited until she moved on before leaving the house.

Kiri turned a corner and let out the breath she’d been holding to keep up her posture. It was stiff, not free and flowing like Alseid. She knew she was getting close to the palace and would need to use her imitation again if she wanted to scale the side of the cliff.