'Fucking cowards.' Iris thought.
It wasn't like she chose to be born into a family of maguses. She wondered if life in Asnar would have been better for her and her family. She also believed that maguses like her would have been able to protect the humankind from the supernatural beings of Asnar if the humans hadn't hunted down her kind.
Wouldn't it be better if they supported humans with magical abilities instead of annihilating them? She thought.
The Cursed Ones. This was what everyone called those people who were found with any kind of magical ability.
One of Iris's best friends, Chrysanthe Vale, once told her the horror of those people who were found to possess magic. Iris didn't want to imagine what could happen if people found out about her ability.
"There might be another blizzard coming soon." Amelia Buchanan commented, reminding Iris that they needed to return to Calaren Town before nightfall. Her hold on the hilt of the sword tightened as her blue eyes surveyed the snow covered path in front of them.
Iris turned her head to her left, her eyes narrowing as she sensed the sudden disturbance within the forest. Her face turned pale when she realized that there were two powerful beings heading towards them. Whoever they were, she was sure that they were bad news for her group.
"Something is coming. You all need to leave now." Iris told her friends as she took an arrow from her quiver and tried to scout for the highest tree she could find. However, not a second passed, and she was rooted in place.
A shudder ran down her spine. Two powerful darklings were fighting against each other. She had never sensed this kind of presence from the darklings in her whole life.
Dark. Eerie. Deadly.
It was as if their mere presence was trying to intimidate her. If they stayed here for another moment, they would end up dead soon.
"We aren't going to leave you here." She heard Amelia insist, refusing to listen to her suggestion.
She and Chrysanthe were the only ones who knew about Iris's ability, so Amelia was also aware that Iris could sense the presence of a darkling. Furthermore, she knew that one of the reasons why their group was able to avoid any encounters with the darklings was because of Iris.
Amelia had never seen Iris this scared. Iris was one of the most courageous people she knew in her life, but seeing her friend blanched like this, Amelia realized how dangerous it would be for the three of them to linger here.
Iris hesitated for a moment, but on Amelia's lead, the three of them ran as fast as they could. Luca gritted his teeth as he tried to run faster, but the deer he flung over his shoulder was delaying him.
Breaths coming in white clouds as they rushed through the snow. Iris stayed close to Luca, just in case he needed assistance. As she paused to look behind them, she cursed inwardly as she sensed the presence of the two darklings coming closer towards them.
Suddenly, a strong blast of wind hit the three of them, sending them several feet forward. Iris hit the trunk of a large tree while her friends laid on the thick snow on the ground, grunting in pain. She gasped as she tried to heave a breath, wondering if any of her ribs were broken from the impact.
Iris forced herself to sit up, but she was feeling dizzy. She could sense the darklings drawing closer towards them, and she struggled to help Amelia back on her feet. They needed to leave now or else they might get caught in between the two darklings' fight.
Once she was assured that Amelia was safe, she pushed the carcass of the young deer from Luca's back and pulled him up.
"Are you okay?" She asked, the thick fog of her breath clouding her eyesight. She wound her muffler back around her face as the cold was starting to seep through her clothes.
The snow was starting to fall again, and the wind was becoming harsher.
"What's going on?" Luca frowned and grunted when he felt pain on his shoulder.
"The traveling peddlers might be right." She muttered as they continued to crunch through the thick snow, their heads bowed against the wind.
Iris wondered if the blizzard was being caused by one of the darklings. After all, there were rumors that powerful darklings were able to manipulate the weather to their liking.
'How very convenient.'
If she had that ability, she would have ended this long winter already. It would be easier for them to scavenge for food through the forest and rivers if the springtime comes.
"Let's get going." Amelia helped Luca with their hunt, telling Iris to keep close. While she was afraid of getting killed by the darklings, she was more worried that they might capture Iris. There was no telling what they would do if they found out that Iris was one of the 'Cursed Ones'.
The wind was growing fiercer and harsher. Iris kept her senses on high alert, just in case something or someone was targeting them. Fear nearly petrified her when she sensed the darklings reaching closer. She stayed behind Luca and Amelia to look after them.
Finally, Iris spotted the third mark leading to their hometown, which only meant that they were about to step out of the forest and into the outskirts of Calaren Town. The darklings wouldn't dare to step within the human dwellings, courtesy of the treaty they had between them.
"We're almost there." Amelia panted. Judging by the way she struggled to keep her pace with Luca, Iris knew that her friend was already exhausted.
As the three of them exited the forest, Luca and Amelia fell on the ground, heaving for breath, while Iris sighed in relief when she sensed the darklings had seemed to stop during their escape and were still in the midst of their fighting within the forest.