Chapter 21


I asked him many times, but Hemanias would never tell me why he had chosen to take me in, why he had decided to share so much of his hard earned wisdom with me. Every time I inquired, Hemanias would merely laugh and shake his head. He was the only person in my world that accepted me for what I was, and in return, I gave him my complete trust. I spent many good years learning from Hemanias, taking in everything he had to say. Through him I began to bloom, to finally see a purpose in life. I began to care about what I looked like, the kinds of things I said, if I was doing all of the right things. I was finally starting to become a whole person, but unfortunately, it wasn't meant to last.

One day while I was training alone in the forest, I began to sense an ominous presence. A strange silence clung to the forest, wrapping itself around the dark trees and green ferns. Despite the disturbing quiet, I continued to work, until Hemanias came running to me. He was in a panic, his thin, white hair sprawled in all directions on his head.

Hemanias stopped in front of me, breathing hard. "Leonna, what are you doing here? The village needs you!"

Immediately, memories from my life in the village came back. I remembered how my parents had shunned me like everyone else, how I had been treated like an outcast. I did not want to return, I did not even know if I would be accepted in to the village, but something in Hemanias' voice moved me into action. I had never seen him so afraid, and I knew that cruel or not, he loved the people of the village. Despite the pain in my heart, I knew I had to protect them. Without a word, I ran from Hemanias to enter the village I had fled from fourteen years ago.

I was met with a hideous sight. The wooden houses of the villagers had been carelessly torn apart, as if some giant creature had trampled through them. There were exanguinated corpses of men, women and children, the horror of their deaths still twisted on their faces. In the distance, I could hear people screaming and the blood curdling screeches of a monster. With no hesitation, knowing that lives were at stake, I ran to the source of the noise.

As the screams became louder, I grew more impatient. I forced my wings to come out, using all of the control I had learned from Hemanias. It took no time at all to fly to the screams, and I found myself hovering above a small grove. Beneath me was a large group of the villagers, many of them holding those that had been wounded. Whoever could still stand on two feet was pointing makeshift weapons at the monsters that encircled them--giant spiders.

There were at least thirteen spiders surrounding the villagers, each standing more than ten feet tall. Their fangs glistened with their poison saliva, and their eyes, dozens of blood red orbs, were fixated on their victims. As I watched the villager's distraught faces, the deepest rage I had ever known coursed into my blood. These were innocent people, people who despite their fear of me had tolerated me, and now these creatures were going to kill them, giving no thought to the lives lost.

With a cry of rage, I threw out all of my fury at once, sending out a stream of white hot liquid flame into the nearest spider. It did not just leap into flames, it began to melt. The villagers screamed at the sight, and the other spiders scattered back into the forest. Some nearby trees even caught on fire, their flames reaching like pointed claws up into the sky. To my horror, I saw that my attack had severely burned many of the people I had tried to save, and immediately, I extinguished the flame, willing it to stop.

What followed was an eerie silence. I fell to the ground, exhausted by the huge amount of energy I had consumed. There was no doubt as to who had caused such a flame, but no one came to attack me. Instead, I heard many cry out in pain and agony, torn by the loss of their loved ones or injured by a serious wound. I could only stare at them, wracked with guilt that I had been a cause for that pain. I had allowed my emotion to hurt each and every one of them, even when I was trying to save them! I truly was a monster...

It was not long before Hemanias came running to the scene. Immediately, he began using his magic to heal wounds and calm everyone else. I wished so badly that I could help my village the way he could, but I knew that was impossible. The pain of the past hit me like a wave, echoing in my head, demon eyes, demon eyes, demon eyes! You have the eyes of a demon!

Hemanias soon found me curled up in a ball on the ground. He softly touched my shoulder, already understanding the guilt filling every space inside of me. "Leonna, you saved them. Do not do th—"

I turned away from him, staring at the blackened skin of the survivors. "Saved? Saving others...is...is what good people do! Look at them...just look...those wounds...only a...a monster could do that."

"Leonna, listen to me, do not go back—"

A shout rose out of the large crowd of people, full of blatant hatred. "Hemanias! Why are you coddling that demon!"

Hemanias half turned, still holding my arm. "Fool! Are you so blind that you cannot see your rescuer?"

Another voice rang out, a shrill woman's. "We're lucky we weren't burned to the ground! She probably missed!"

"Now listen, all of you! It was me that asked her to save you! You should have seen how she ran to you, even after all that has happened!"

"She's blinded you, Hemanias!"

"Get her out! Get her out or you'll both go!"

"If you are so closed minded then perhaps it is time I—"

"Do not." I grasped Hemanias' bony hand, getting his full attention. "They need you, Hemanias...I...I was not meant to...to be here..." So many emotions were pulsing through me, only adding to my fatigue.

Hemanias gazed back at me sadly, unwilling to let me say the words he knew I would. "Leonna, everyone loses control at times. Do not blame this on-"

"I do not," I whispered, smiling as best as I could. It was a lie, but I was ready to do anything to protect the old man that had been so kind to me. "They need you...but I...I can take care...of myself...I need to find...find on my own what this life...what this life means...I will go..."

"Leonna..." Hemanias looked at me for a moment, then took his hand from my shoulder. "I cannot stop you, can I?"

I smiled. "No, you cannot."

And so it was that I left Bren in search of my own kind, to see if I could truly find where I belonged.