Lightning cries

When the world comes a knockin'

My nose twitches at the slightest touch and the smell of liquor singes my nostril hair. Opening my blurry eyes, a small figure swings from side to side and suddenly falls face planting my forehead, he groans and rolls over until he is lying next to me on the pillow. "You overdid it again, didn't you?" I ask nudging Oren with the tip of my finger, he hiccups and pushes himself into a sitting position. "Yes, my lady. Hm... what am I here for?" he thinks out loud looking from side to side. He stands up unsteadily and places his hands on his hips. "Ah yes...in one week there will be a sign-up," he says and flutters his wings getting ready to take flight. Looking out of the window I notice the sun will begin to rise, I get up kicking the sheet off of my legs, the cold floor greeting me. "What nonsense are you spouting now?" I ask searching through my drawers for my training clothes. I begin to pull a vest over my head, "The blood moon trails," my hands freeze for a second with the vest covering my eyes. Oh, I didn't realise it was that time again. Once a century they hold these trials to weed out the weak, the winner gets an artefact that has magical properties, as you can imagine I have never joined the trials due to my heritage and my hiding will be for nought if they discover what I am. "It's a total blood bath, why are you telling me this?" I spin around to be greeted with Oren's sleeping form, his soft little snores break the silence. Typically doesn't matter what size they come in they are all the same. Sighing I cover up the sleeping fairy and then finish getting dressed and make my way down to the basement, switching on the lights I breathe deeply through my nose, the scent of leather soothing my inner warrior, weapons line the walls from my centuries of collecting, I sigh in contentment. this is where I spend most of my time, after all, I have nothing else to do. 

Sweat drips into my eyes as I pound my fists against the punching bag in rhythm with the music, Oren had bought me a portable speaker last year, he told me to keep up to date with the latest pop culture as I was decades behind. I never really saw the point, to be honest, I'm a loner that's how I like it. I swing to the side with my knife in hand from my waistband and halt with the tip under Oren's chin, "Regin, I erm... we need to talk," he says gulping loudly. I couldn't say how many times Oren has interrupted my training sessions, he should have learnt by now, I've nearly severed his wing a few times and nearly castrated his lucky charm as he calls it. I pull away and turn off the music. "What's up?" I ask casually, unfortunately, I know what he is going to say but I don't want to hear it, we will fight and stop talking for days on end. "We need to discuss the blood moon trials," he says tentatively. I sigh and walk out of my training room with Oren following me, "I don't want to rehash this Oren, I am not joining. We talk about this every time it happens and my answer will not change," I snap. Walking up the creaky stairs the fairy keeps up with his fluttering wings, "But this time it is different," he replies. I start to undress for the shower awaiting me and turn to see Oren looking at me with something indescribable in his eyes, "How is this time any different? All the creatures there will find out what I am and then they will kill me, is that what you want? Because there is no way I have tried to keep myself alive this long for some stupid trial to kill me off. My family is dead, all of them gone! why? Because we were at the top of the food chain and they didn't like it, and guess what... they still don't like it!" I reply harshly slamming the door in his face. It might seem I am being harsh, but I don't want to take the unnecessary risk, my sister didn't lose her life to save mine for nothing. Right now a hot shower is calling my name, I step under the stream and sigh heavily. What if he had a major reason for bringing it up this time and I just pushed him aside. I bang my head against the tiled wall in frustration. 

I enter the kitchen silently in my big comfy jumper and leggings and watch Oren float around using his magic to cook, he seems distracted, his little handsome face screwed up, brows furrowed. "Need any help?" I ask breaking the silence and his concentration.  I don't want us to fall out, he is the only thing I have left and I don't want to lose his friendship. He looks at me and shakes his head, "I've got it thanks, but... if you would like to set the table I would appreciate it," I nod and start to set up for dinner, the tension in the air thick enough to be cut with my sword. "Why is this time any different?" I whisper to his back. I don't know what he could have said that would have changed my mind but what comes out of his mouth has me shocked to the bone. "The winner's prize... it, it's death's necklace," I sit down on the chair behind me, this could change everything, why didn't I think about getting the necklace years ago, well apart from it being a myth and locked in a place like Fort Knox This artefact can grant time travelling and resurrection. I might be able to bring my family back after all.