Chapter 2

A Tilting World

Back at our tent, Grey slumps down on his bed. I sit down on mine, across from him on the other side of the tent.

The moon casts a soft glow through the thin opening between the flaps of our tent.

Grey hunches over, staring at the malachite medallion in his hands. "What even is this?"

I stand in the middle of the room and let the pewter pendant dangle from my hand, leather cord wrapped around my fingertips. It swings gently.

"I don't know," I reply. "But it seems important."

"Should we return them?" Grey asks.

The malachite medallion flares a harsh silver, a firm no. The pewter pendant echoes a similar sentiment.

Grey flinches. "Maybe not," he murmurs.

"I feel like we're supposed to have these," I say, "but I don't know what we're supposed to do with them."

"Well, it doesn't seem like we can really return them."

I snort. "No, I don't think so."

"Let me get some water," Grey says.

He stands up but stumbles, foot catching on the corner of his bed. He falls hard, and the corner of the chest at the foot of his bed slices a shallow gash on his forearm. He bites out a cry.

"You good?" I drop to the ground as he sits up, cradling his arm and cupping his hand to catch the blood.

"Yea-." Grey cuts himself off as his forearm starts to glow.

Silver light dances on the cut, and the blood dripping down his skin slows, until it stops entirely.

"What's that?" I slide off the bed to kneel beside my brother.

"I cut myself, but there's no wound," Grey mumbles. He twists his arm this way and that, marveling at the smooth skin that has no hint that the flesh had ever been broken.

"Well, duh," I shoot back. "How?"

We both hesitate before Grey lifts up the malachite medallion. It sways gently in his hold, innocent but glittering silver.

"Do you think-," we both say at the same time, looking at the pewter pendant.

"Let's find out," I reply with a shrug.

"No-. Alex-. Don't-don't do that," Grey pleads as I root around in my backpack until I find a small dagger buried at the bottom.

It's dull from lack of any real use. I mostly use it to show kids how to properly carry the weapons they use in class. It hasn't been sharpened in I can't remember how long, but it's got a blade and it'll serve its purpose.

"Don't worry, Grey. It's just a test. That medallion thingy seems to have given you healing powers, so now we'll see if the pendant did the same thing for me." I bring the necklace up to eye level. "You'd better give me some cool power, ok? You made me come find you. Healing powers will do."

I grip the dagger in one hand after wrapping the pewter pendant around my fingers to get it out of the way.

"Don't do that," Grey repeats. "You don't need to hurt yourself."

"It's a test, Grey. How else are we gonna find out? When the Guard or Soldiers get annoyed at us? Let's figure this out now. It's obvious neither of us are sleeping tonight."

I tick my head to the side and take a sharp breath as I hold the dagger over the back of my hand.

Like a bandage. Now or never.

Before I can think too hard about it, I slice the dagger through my skin, creating a shallow cut.

Blood bubbles up from the wound and down my hand. I stare at the broken skin, but no orange light glows. Neither does silver light.

"That sucks," I sink back and settle down to the ground, wiping off the blade of the dagger and sticking it back in my backpack. I hold an old rag in my palm to collect the blood dripping down my skin.

"Maybe I can heal you?" Grey offers. "I don't want it to get infected."

"Maybe."

I hold out my hand and Grey takes it. He places his palm over the wound, but nothing happens.

I sulk. "Dang it," I say. "It seems you can't heal others. Maybe the pendant is faulty?"

Grey shrugs, leaning back against his bed. "I don't know. I doubt it if it wanted you to find it at the Erebus Tree. What are we even supposed to do with them?"

"Did the medallion tell you anything before we left?"

Grey shakes his head. "No."

I hum. "Just before we left the pendant said a line to me. The Wolf and the Dove shall rise with the help of the Phoenix whom the King will despise. I don't know what it means."

Grey thinks for a few moments, then opens his mouth to reply, but before he can, rustling footsteps come to a halt just outside our tent. In unison, we each freeze and shove our necklaces beneath our thin mattresses. I wipe the blood off my hand and throw the rag beneath my bed.

"Grey! Alex! It's me!"

I jerk my head up when I hear Camden's hissed voice.

Grey pushes himself up to sit on his bed, and I stand up, letting Camden in. He casts a quick glance either way outside before ducking into our tent.

"What?" Grey asks.

"Katelin got back from the King's castle a few minutes ago. She said she had to work late and that the King's angry. He's got Guard and Soldiers out searching the Sea. I thought I should tell you guys," Camden says. "You know how the King gets when he's upset."

I force myself to keep a straight face but frown in confusion.

"Yeah," I murmur. "Thanks for telling us. Is Katelin alright?"

She works at the King's castle and acts as a secretary for the King and the Judge and Justice, two gargoyles whose power and influence falls just below the King.

Camden shrugs, running a hand through his dark hair. "She seemed to think it was pretty bad, but she'll be alright. Just felt I should tell you in case there's any new rules for school tomorrow."

Grey sighs. "Thanks, Camden."

"Do you know what he's looking for?"

"No." Camden shakes his head. "Katelin said he never told her. Only the Generals know exactly what he's after."

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

I hum. "Hopefully this doesn't cause too much trouble."

Grey and Camden both huff a chuckle, though Grey's sounds far more pained.

"I don't want to keep you up too long since I know you'll both have an early morning, but I thought I'd let you know. Yeah?" Camden raises his eyebrows.

"Yeah," I reply with a brief smile.

"Rain check on dinner?"

"Go to sleep, Camden." I roll my eyes.

"Fair enough, Alex." Camden ducks out of the tent, and the flaps swish against each other after he leaves.

Grey watches the entrance for a few minutes, then leaps off the bed, pulling out his medallion from beneath the mattress. I fish out my pendant.

"We'd better run," Grey says, grabbing a backpack and shoving basic supplies in it— clothes, a knife, a canteen.

"Run where? We don't have anywhere to go. There's the Sea, the Barracks, and the King's castle, and two of those are right where the King is. There's nowhere else."

"Did you hear what Camden said? It can't be a coincidence that the King starts a massive search for who knows what the same night we find the necklaces. I'm damn near certain these-" Grey holds up his medallion and gestures to my pendant. "-are what he wants. We need to run, Alex. I don't know where either, but anywhere's gotta be better than here."

I know he's right, but a pang of fear still bolts through me.

"I'm scared too, Alex," Grey murmurs. "We have to run. We'll stick with each other. Together, ok?"

He slips the medallion over his head. I follow suit and feel a faint trickle of fiery power spread through me.

I nod, grabbing my own backpack and sticking snacks in it along with clothes and my dagger.

"Let's run."

xxxx

We dash off into the night, sticking close to the shadows and taking as many shortcuts as we can through the Sea.

I can hear the pounding footsteps of Guard and Soldiers going tent by tent.

"They're already here," I whisper under my breath.

Grey hisses between his teeth. "We have to be real careful now."

"No way," I shoot back. "Really?"

It's not that far from the Sea to the King's castle, but I'd hoped it would've taken them a little bit longer.

"Come on," Grey says, grabbing my hand. "This way. There's Guard and Soldiers up ahead."

We change directions, heading out toward the far side of the Sea, away from the Barracks.

My heart is in my throat as we creep through the Sea, changing direction every few minutes as we come across more Guard and Soldiers. They crawl through the walkways in packs.

A group of three —two Soldiers and a Guard— turns the corner. I lock eyes with one of the Soldiers for a moment, the shorter of the two who has russet hair, then shove Grey behind a tent.

The pewter pendant hangs heavy around my neck as I squeeze my eyes shut and hold my breath, hoping that they'll just walk by.

Each footstep sounds painfully loud, and time ticks by agonizingly slow. Grey grabs my hand and squeezes it. I grip his tight enough that my knuckles pale.

The three walk by, never stopping. The russet-haired Soldier trails a half step behind the others. He glances back, something unreadable in his expression, but he never says a word or makes a move toward us.

"What the hell?" Grey hisses when they're out of sight and a few moments have passed.

"I don't know," I reply, pulse racing. "We need to keep moving."

We continue making our way through the network of tents, ducking around corners, changing directions in an instant, weaving through tents, taking every shortcut we know, and soon we're exiting the Sea.

A forest stands before us, sparse trees sprouting from the ground.

"Come on," I say. "Let's go. You and me. We'll figure the rest out later."

Grey nods, and we take off at a jog.

xxxx

We run through the night, and the moon slowly creeps across the sky.

The forest is filled with the sounds of insects chirping and the occasional little critter scuttling around, but there's no Guard or Soldiers.

Until there are.

We hear them long before we see them. Their heavy footsteps snap branches and kick up leaves.

"Oh, no." Grey shudders.

"Let's just keep going. Maybe we can outrun them. We don't have the heavy armor of the Soldiers." My backpack thumps against my back with every step.

"What about the Guard? They have arrows."

"Stop!" someone shouts.

I whirl around and see a group of at least a dozen Guard and Soldiers. In the front I recognize the three Guard and Soldiers I saw earlier. The russet-haired Soldier holds his sword in one hand and stares at us with a distant, distasteful expression. The rest hold darker expressions.

Grey breaks off into a sprint, and I follow suit.

"Stop!" one of the Guard screeches. "Stop for My Sovereign, His Excellency, His Honor, His Highest of all Highnesses, King Garonda XIV!"

Yeah, I'll pass on that, thank you very much.

I stumble when an arrow whizzes past my ear, piercing through my hair, but I manage to catch myself.

"Are you trying to kill her? My Sovereign, His Excellency, His Honor, His Highest of all Highnesses, King Garonda XIV requested they be brought back alive, you damn idiot! Must I get a General to give you orders?" a Soldier snaps.

"No, no, we understand!" comes the quick reply.

Grey pants beside me, breath heavy and labored. My muscles burn and ache.

Heat builds in my veins as I push myself faster. Something claws within my gut, pushing to the surface but held down.

I sidestep a tree and duck beneath low-hanging branches.

The Guard and Soldiers give chase, pushing us faster as they slowly gain ground.

The pewter pendant bounces against my chest with every step.

I'd just been intending to scratch that little itch in my mind. I thought it would be just like any other night in the Sea on Ragdon.

We run until another group of Guard and Soldiers cuts us off and we're surrounded from the front and back.

I stop and turn around, then try to move to the side, but they circle around us.

Grey and I stand back to back, panting. Fear curls in my gut, twisting within my insides as the Guard and Soldiers draw closer.

Grey's breathing borders on hyperventilating, and I can feel a prickling cool sensation on his skin when he grabs my hand. It chills my palm and fingertips.

"Get back," I say.

The russet-haired Soldier shakes his head, expression still flat. "We cannot do that," he says.

I decide to name him Scorn.

"Get on your knees so we can bring you to My Sovereign, His Excellency, His Honor, His Highest of all Highnesses, King Garonda XIV," spits the Guard who was with Scorn.

"No," Grey murmurs.

His skin cools further, and I glance back at him in concern.

The Guard and Soldiers close in.

Grey's breaths come faster and faster, and he's trembling, whole body shaking. He grips my hand so tight I can feel my knuckles shifting.

His fingers flex, and his eyes glow silver, piercing and bright.

"Get back," he snarls, voice echoing with something deeper, another layer that reverberates in his chest.

Scorn shifts his grip on his sword.

"Come with us, and we'll tell My Sovereign, His Excellency, His Honor, His Highest of all Highnesses, King Garonda XIV that you cooperated," the Guard says.

I decide to name him Screech from the way he kept shrieking at us.

"No," Grey says, voice shaking.

"Come with us," Screech repeats.

"No. Let us go. We didn't do anything," I say.

"The King thinks otherwise, so we are bringing you in," the other Soldier snaps, voice short and harsh.

Grey lets go of my hand and spreads his arms wide, then pulls them back and pushes them forward. Feathers erupt from his fingertips and soon envelop his whole arms, spreading down his body. His legs turn rough and scaly, talons growing from his toenails. The straps of his backpack shred and it falls behind him.

Standing in the place of my brother is a bird. A grey bird with soft features. A dove.

The Wolf and the Dove.

The words flash through my mind.

I stare at him for a few moments, forgetting the Guard and Soldiers all around us.

The bird —Grey— spreads his wings. The two outermost flight feathers are a dark grey, while the third is pure white. He chirps and stands up tall, fluffing out his feathers.

His movements are a bit clumsy, but the intentions are clear.

He wants out. So do I.

But my mind remains stuck on how he just shifted into a bird. A were-dove? I think to myself.

But the Guard and Soldiers standing in a ring around us are a more pressing issue.

Grey lunges at the closest members of the King's army, a group of Soldiers. He flaps his wings, leaping forward and grasps them in his talons. Scorn ducks out of the way. Armor crunches and bends and blood flows, and Soldiers collapse to the ground, hunched over wounds .

Scorn makes a grab for me. His fingertips latch onto my backpack, but I shrug out of it and escape.

I jump up onto Grey's back after he glances back at me with a sad, panicked expression, and he takes flight.

We were able to outrun the Guard and Soldiers for a little while. Maybe there's a way out of this without fighting.

We can't take them. There's too many.

Maybe we can escape like this.

Grey takes to the air, weaving through the trees and gaining ground as the Guard and Soldiers shout at us to stop and give chase.

Guard fire arrows, and they hurtle all around us. One takes out a few of Grey's feathers and one carves a shallow cut on my forearm, but the rest miss us.

We head for the Lava Flats, an expanse of dark volcanic rock from a long-ago eruption of Ragdon Volcano. Hardly little plants sprout here and there from cracks in the surface.

Grey and I had once visited just for fun to see what it looked like, but now we're heading for it as fast as we can to try to escape the King's Guard and Soldiers. It's wide open, and we'll be able to get out of range of the Guard's arrows.

Grey speeds through the trees, and I wrap my arms around his neck to hang on tight. My heart pounds in my chest. I stay low, pressing into my brother's feathers to try to avoid getting hit with the arrows that continue to whiz by us. One cuts through my shoulder, and another nicks Grey's wing.

"Shoot them down!" Screech howls. "Shoot them down, but don't kill them!"

Grey flaps his wings faster, and we break into the Lava Flats. Immediately, he starts to climb, trying to gain elevation to get out of range of the Guard, who stop and stand in a line, nocking arrows into their bows and firing them just as fast.

"Come on," I say, shaking but digging my fingers deeper into Grey's feathers. "Just a little further."

Grey chirps in response, and I can hear the stress in the sound.

Most arrows miss us, then fall back to the ground, where Soldiers collect them. Just a little further, and then we'll be there.

But one arrow whistles through the air and lands with a shunk.

Grey screams, and I see an arrow sticking through the wrist of his wing, which sags as blood soaks through his feathers and drips from the base of the arrow.

All the momentum we had slows, and the world tilts as we begin to fall back toward the ground.