The Beast Within

CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE

Noelani was quick with her packing just like the others, it was because they were ambushed and forcibly taken from their hometown, not exactly the perfect time to gather up one's belongings so there was not a lot to carry.

Adrik helped with her bundle while she carried a drowsy Laith in her arms.

It still baffled him how his mother was able to just get a child to follow her and even be so comfortable in her arms when they had never even met before.

They made the journey quietly, it was still bright out but no one paid them any mind.

There was no reason for any Mage to do anything criminal, it would just lead them straight into the waiting arms of the non-Mage soldiers who were always eager to execute some punishment or the other on Mages.

Ceraun, Auris and Haneul should be back from the gates because his mother had spent quite some time before she came back.

Soon, the neighborhood got quieter and quieter and he could see the new hut in the distance.

“Oh I see why you all would choose this place, it is so secluded, however did you find it?” Noelani commented as soon as her son pointed out the new hut to her.

Adrik shrugged like it was no big deal which it wasn’t as Haneul had done most of the work.

“It was all of Haneul's doing."

"How, resourceful." His mother muttered.

Back at the hut, they were already back and were seated in the kitchens.

The chairs were still rickety but at least there were more now and no-one would have to use the cold ground, there was even extra to spare.

"Did we really not take that much time?" Ceraun piped up to fill in the silence. "They should be here by now."

"It does seem like the sun is setting soon, I wonder what could be taking them so long."

"Here they come!" Auris exclaimed happily from where she had been looking out through the window. "I see Adrik and Noelani… an...and someone else?" She hurried down from the stool which she had gotten up on because Adrik and his mother were already walking up to the hut.

"Someone else?" Haneul repeated, a frown on his face. "What do you mean by someone else?"

"I am home!" Noelani called out happily just as she did with her son, after Tes and Elec died, hope became a rare commodity but she did not realize how much the children would make her not want to give up on life.

Did she have hope that their situation would entirely change? Not quite, but she had the will to wake up each and and go to the sewing pit so that she could provide for the children that were reliant on her and that was more than enough.

"Noe!" Haneul and Auris hurried out happily, swinging open the door only to stop short when they got close enough to her.

Adrik just squeezed past them, sharing a glance with Ceraun before making his way to the room left for his mother.

"Welcome, Noelani." Ceraun greeted quietly, watching with curious eyes as she smiled at him in response and reached up behind her to get the bundle? Person? Child? Clutching desperately to her back.

"Come on now, Laith." She cooed to the child to get her to let go of her deathly grip on her braids so that she could bring her down. "They won't hurt you I promise..."

Eventually with much cooing and convincing, the shy child finally let herself be pulled down and carried by Noelani.

"Oh! A little girl!" Auris clapped in excitement. "Where did you find her, Noe?"

"On my way back from the sewing pit." She replied stepping in and securely closing the door, she needed to clean up Laith but first she wanted to introduce her to the rest.

Laith had covered her face up so that all they could see was a strip of her face and after she placed her on a stool she tried to convince her to take it off but Laith held on tight.

"It's alright." Auris stepped forward, raising her hands up. "Look." She urged the little girl, taking off her bulky cloak and throwing it to the side.

Laith's dark blue eyes went wide at the sight revealed before her, her small hands unconsciously dropping to her sides to let Noelani's tug down the part of the tunic covering her hair and face up.

Noelani had also been stunned, being the only one yet to see Auris without her cloak.

Laith was enthralled, her eyes wide as she stared back at Auris’s unnatural eyes.

The sun wasn't bright so it wasn't at its brightest and most colorful but it seemed to produce light as much as reflect it.

Tentatively, Laith reached out a small, painfully thin hand to touch Auris’s hair which she let her, bending forward slightly so that the child could grab a fistful of her voluminous white hair.

Laith giggled out loud the moment her hand grasped Auris’s soft hair, startling everyone.

Even Noelani had never heard her laugh before, it was such a cleansing sound, bright and clear like jingling bells.

In no time Auris had begun crawling into her arms to gather more of her hair in her arms, there was enough of it so Laith got very busy.

Without realising it, Ceraun had drifted closer, just like Adrik and Haneul, watching Laith practically dive in Auris’s hair and crawl all over her lap.

"Her name is Laith?" Haneul asked for confirmation.

"Yes, at least that was what she told me." Noelani shrugged.

"You have no knowledge of her at all?" Ceraun asked.

"I do know she's an orphan, nothing more."

Haneul looked thoughtful. "Unless she recently became an orphan or I would know her, what is her type of Magic?" He asked.

Noelani shook her hand. "No idea."

"We could try to find out." Adrik suggested, hanging back.

"Let me try then." Auris offered.

"Try to not blind us all." Ceraun muttered, earning surprised looks from the others.

Auris smiled. "I will give it my all."

"Laith?" She turned to the child, speaking in a soft voice. "Can you do something like this?” She asked, making a soft ball of light in her hand that Laith was immediately drawn to but did not make a move to touch it.

Laith looked her square in the eyes and nodded resolutely, putting out her hands.

“Maybe you should not sit so close to her, Auris, what if her magic is something dangerous.” Haneul said but he had barely gotten all of his words out when it happened.

Striking blue fire like the blue of Laith’s eyes shot up out of her palms, powerful and scorching.