Alpha Ocean ✔

20.5 Run

Naya's P.O.V.
Red Mount 1990

The​ ​temperature​ ​around​ ​us​ ​dropped.​ ​A​ ​chill​ ​in​ ​the​ ​air​ ​aroused​ ​the​ ​hairs​ ​on​ ​my​ ​arms.​ ​I​ ​shivered, surprised​ ​by​ ​the​ ​coldness​ ​that​ ​touched​ ​me.

"I've​ ​heard​​about​ ​the​ ​Darkling​ ​coming​ ​after​​you​ ​guys​​too.​​My​​ancestors​ ​have​ ​used​ ​the​ ​cloaking​ ​spell since​ ​centuries.​ ​It's​ ​a​ ​simple​ ​blood​ ​ritual."​ ​There​ ​was​ ​a​ ​small​ ​pile​ ​of​ ​dry​ ​twigs​ ​and​ ​branches,​ ​set​ ​up neatly​ ​near​ ​the​ ​middle​ ​of​ ​the​ ​clearing.

She​ ​snapped​ ​her​ ​fingers​ ​at​ ​the​ ​pile.

Fire​ ​ignited​ ​from​ ​thin​ ​air​ ​with​ ​a​ ​growl.

"WOAH!"​ ​Ocean​ ​shielded​ ​me​ ​with​ ​his​ ​body.

"It's​ ​a​ ​blood​ ​ritual​ ​so​ ​I​ ​will​ ​need​ ​you​ ​to​ ​that​ ​yourself."​ ​She​ ​handed​ ​Elina​ ​a​ ​knife.

Ocean​ ​protested​ ​relentlessly​ ​but​ ​at​ ​the​ ​end​ ​our​ ​protection​ ​won​ ​over.​ ​We​ ​could​ ​figure​ ​out​ ​everything later​ ​once​ ​we​ ​were​ ​cloaked.​ ​She​ ​dove​ ​right​ ​into​ ​her​ ​chant.​ ​She​ ​said​ ​needed​ ​the​ ​moon​ ​at​ ​its​ ​highest to​ ​channel​ ​the​ ​Spirits.

We​ ​scored​ ​our​ ​palms​ ​and​ ​dropped​ ​couple​ ​of​ ​drops​ ​of​ ​blood​ ​on​ ​the​ ​burning​ ​fire​ ​as​ ​instructed.​ ​We healed​ ​quickly​ ​and​ ​waited​ ​for​ ​her​ ​to​ ​finish.​ ​The​ ​fire​ ​burned​ ​blue​ ​when​ ​our​ ​beads​ ​of​ ​blood​ ​douched the​ ​flames.​ ​She​ ​chanted​ ​in​ ​a​ ​foreign​ ​language,​ ​words​ ​from​ ​ancient​ ​civilization.

The​ ​air​ ​around​ ​us​ ​thickened,​ ​fog​ ​emerged​ ​from​ ​the​ ​roots​ ​of​ ​the​ ​trees.​ ​Moonlight​ ​highlighted​ ​the grey​ ​waves.​ ​There​ ​was​ ​something​ ​lurking​ ​behind​ ​the​ ​shadows​ ​that​ ​had​ ​no​ ​scent.​ ​My​ ​eyes​ ​picked​ ​up a​ ​figure​ ​but​ ​for​ ​some​ ​reason,​ ​I​ ​couldn't​ ​get​ ​a​ ​scent​ ​of​ ​it.

The​ ​figure​ ​started​ ​to​ ​move.

I​ ​stepped​ ​back​ ​startling​ ​Shaya.

"Who's​ ​that?"

Shaya​ ​didn't​ ​stop​ ​chanting.​ ​She​ ​looked​ ​flustered​ ​and​ ​I​ ​was​ ​having​ ​hard​ ​time​ ​breathing.​ ​Gulping​ ​I started​ ​to​ ​back​ ​away.​ ​Ocean​ ​on​ ​the​ ​other​ ​hand​ ​knocked​ ​out​ ​the​ ​bowl​ ​out​ ​of​ ​her​ ​hand​ ​and​ ​the​ ​blue flames​ ​returned​ ​to​ ​red.

"WHAT​ ​DID​ ​YOU​ ​DO?​ ​It's​ ​not​ ​going​ ​to​ ​work​ ​now."​ ​She​ ​shrieked.

"What's​ ​wrong?"​ ​Elina​ ​didn't​ ​have​ ​heightened​ ​senses​ ​like​ ​we​ ​did,​ ​so​ ​she​ ​couldn't​ ​see​ ​the​ ​figure.​ ​My breathing​ ​turned​ ​back​ ​to​ ​normal.​ ​Ocean​ ​was​ ​outraged.​ ​He​ ​thought​ ​Elina​ ​betrayed​ ​us.