Screams echoed around him. His vision was a blur of red and orange, a hellscape of fire. Somewhere in the distance, a woman was crying, her voice calling his name. It was a mournful, desperate wail. As the sound grew closer, he tried to speak. "Who are you?" he asked, but the voice only screamed his name again.
Suddenly, a young woman appeared. She looked like his big sister, but her eyes were gone, replaced by twin streams of blood. Her face was a mask of terror as she screamed: "AVON!"
Avon woke with a jolt, his eyes wide and wild. He was covered in a cold sweat, his breath coming in short, panicked gasps. He was still in the shelter, the same dark hole where they had hidden.
Sara, awakened by his sudden movement, saw the fear on his face. She reached for him, wrapping her arms around him from behind. "Are you okay?" she asked softly.
He turned and hugged her tight. "Yes… yes, I'm fine. Are you okay?"
Sara nodded. "Nightmare?"
"Yes. A bad one," he said. "You?"
"No," she said, her voice quiet. "It was you."
"I'm sorry, sis, I didn't mean to wake you." He pulled back, remembering their situation. "Since you're awake, do you remember what happened?"
Sara looked confused. "Something with that woman, and then… then we…" she trailed off, her brow furrowed. She couldn't remember.
"You don't remember, do you?" Avon asked. She shook her head. "Me neither," he said, the realization settling in.
A woman's voice, melodic and distant, drifted toward them. "I see you're awake now, dears. Don't worry, food will be ready soon."
They looked around. They were in a cave, not the dark, cramped hole from before. A fire crackled in a hearth, and the cave felt warm and welcoming.
"Where… where are we?" Sara whispered.
"A cave, it seems," Avon replied. He pointed to a shadowy corner. "Wait… are those other people?"
Sara's eyes lit up. "People! Like us!" she said, a glimmer of excitement in her voice.
Avon stood and walked toward the two figures. One was a girl with red hair, about his age. He saw that she and the other child had many injuries, but they were neatly bandaged. He noticed rolls of bandages and jars of natural medicine on a nearby stone table. The mysterious woman had clearly been taking care of them.
She walked in just then, a wide smile on her face. She was carrying a platter of food, and as she moved, her eyes flickered toward Avon without a sound.
"Ah, I see you're awake," she said, her voice warm and gentle. "You too?" she added, noticing Sara. "No matter, come. I've brought food for you."
With a flick of her fingers, she used a subtle magic, and rocks on the ground rearranged themselves into a table and chairs. She arranged the food, humming a beautiful tune, and then created plates from the stone itself.
"Avon, Sara, come. Don't be shy," she said. "The others will join us when they wake up."
Avon hesitated. Sara tugged on his shirt. "I think we'll be okay, brother."
"Why do you think so?" he whispered. "How does she know our names?"
"That's not important right now. She seems different. I think we can trust her."
Sara got up and walked to the table, sitting on a warm, comfortable stone chair. She motioned for Avon to follow. He was still unsure, but the woman, now kneeling beside the other children, started waking them up with a soft, caring voice.
"Come on, wake up. The food's getting cold. I've made some delicious tea."
Avon was shocked, watching his sister happily eating the food. He walked over, his stomach rumbling. The food looked delicious. Sara handed him a piece of fruit, her face glowing with a joy he hadn't seen in days. He took a bite, and the flavor was unlike anything he had ever tasted. It was a taste of newness, of something different from the world he knew.
The other children, a boy and the red-haired girl, slowly made their way to the table. The woman helped them stand, steadying them on their still-weak legs. They were shy at first, but soon began eating, their faces relaxing into smiles.
Sara, eating too fast in her excitement, choked. Avon worriedly patted her back, but the food remained stuck. The woman quickly handed her a cup filled with a beautiful, glowing water. "Drink this," she said smoothly. "It will make it easier."
Sara drank it all in one gulp, her eyes wide with surprise. "Delicious, isn't it?" the woman said with a knowing smile.
"Are you okay, sis?" Avon asked.
Sara nodded, still looking at the empty cup in wonder. The woman took it back and gently patted her head. Avon watched her closely, his heart telling him that this woman was different. He looked at the other children, seeing their smiles, and felt a quiet happiness. He looked at his sister, who was finally at peace, and a sense of calm settled over him.
He was still for a moment, lost in thought.
"Is something on your mind, dear?" the woman asked.
Avon finally looked at her. Her face was beautiful, with striking red crystal eyes, dark hair, and a genuine smile. It wasn't a fake smile of false kindness—it came from a place of deep love and happiness.
"No," he said, giving her a small smile in return. "Everything is fine."
When they finished eating, the red-haired girl moved toward the fire, shivering slightly. The woman followed her, gesturing with her hand. The fire, though it hadn't changed, somehow grew warmer, its heat more comforting.
"If you're still cold, I can get you something else to warm you up," she said. The girl nodded, and the woman left, petting her head gently.
Sara leaned toward Avon. "I want to clean the table," she whispered.
"Why?" he asked.
"She gave us a warm place, healed us, and fed us. I think we should do something nice for her."
Avon smiled. "You really want to do this, don't you?"
"Yes!" she said excitedly.
"Fine," he said, patting her head. "If you want to do it, I'll help you."
She grabbed his hand and they began clearing the table, gathering the rock plates. As Avon worked, a cool breeze brushed his cheek, a sensation so refreshing it took his breath away. The warmth of the cave disappeared for a moment, replaced by a beautiful, cold wind.
He looked to his right and saw a bluish light. "Sara… would you like to go outside? For some fresh air?" he whispered.
Sara hesitated, looking at the light. She also felt the wonderful breeze. "It's dangerous, brother. What if there are monsters?"
Avon glanced at the other children. The boy was looking at them, shaking his head. Don't do it, he seemed to be saying, before turning back to the fire.
"We're just going for fresh air," Avon reassured her. "We won't go anywhere. Don't worry."
They finished clearing the table and quietly crept toward the dark tunnel that led outside. As they moved, the breeze grew stronger, the sound of the wind louder. They ran toward the light, emerging into a heavy rain and a sky filled with flashes of thunder. The wind whipped around them, a beautiful and powerful force.
From a high mountain, they saw a spectacular view: vast fields, distant castles, and flying creatures in the sky—half-human, half-beast.
A voice from the cave cut through the wind. "Can you see them? Those things will tear you to pieces if you're not careful."
The woman walked out, appearing from her toes up to her head. Her face was serious, not with anger or disappointment, but with genuine worry.
"These creatures are dangerous," she said. "In fact, everything out there is dangerous. Take a closer look."
They saw the flying creatures attacking each other, a brutal, chaotic battle in the sky. One creature tore another's wings; a third decapitated its foe with a sharp claw. The beautiful mountain landscape was marred by the violence above.
They stepped back, moving toward the woman, until they bumped against her legs. She placed her hands on their shoulders, a comforting weight.
"As long as I am here, nothing bad will happen," she said calmly. "But I also want to give you a choice. Do you want to go out there, to explore the world, or stay here, where there is warmth and friends? You are free to do whatever you feel like."
Avon and Sara turned around and hugged her.
"I see you've made your choice," she said, her voice softening. "But you must understand, my dears, I won't be here forever. I have something important to do. When the time comes, you must be strong. It will be your job to hunt these disgraceful things. As long as I'm here, I will take care of you. I will train you to be stronger so that when I leave, you can take care of yourselves."
"Please don't leave," Sara said, her voice thick with tears.
"We have no one else," Avon cried. "Please… stay."
The woman's serious expression broke into a cheerful smile. "Don't worry, dears, I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. Not until I see you all become beautiful adults. We have plenty of time, my sweet little sugars." She poked their noses, and they smiled, feeling a sense of trust and comfort in her words.
She hugged them, and for a moment, a look of pure hatred flashed in her eyes as she stared at the flying monsters. Her hands and eyes glowed with a predatory purple light. But she quickly calmed herself, remembering the children in her arms, and led them back inside.
"Oh, you probably don't know my name, do you?" she said with a laugh. "No matter. You can call me… Helen."
As they walked back into the cave, they heard the ground-shaking roar of a battle on the other side of the mountain. Massive boulders were being hurled through the air by Titan Rock people, creatures of living stone, who were locked in a desperate fight against the flying monsters. The sky, a canvas of thunder and heavy rain, was ablaze with explosive arrows and bolts of fire. The cave entrance, however, was positioned to face the beautiful, calm landscape, shielding them from the bloody reality of the war being waged just beyond their sight.