(Book 2) Hayden Mackay and The Tears of the Maiden

16. Death So Close

"Hayden, are you okay?" Tyrell shouted sending a shrill down my spine.

I heard him calling me but I was too involved in studying the creature. It was tough for me to decipher what this creature was- whether it was an eagle or a dragon. It was two headed reminding me of an eagle. Its wings were humongous. Its two legs, long and thin but my eyes didn't forget to seek for its sharp paws. As if the size of the creature wasn't enough, the most frightful thing about it was its whole body blazing with fire, as if its skin itself was fire, increasing the intensity of the heat by a zillion times in the atmosphere. It shrieked so loudly as if it was liberated after countless eons of captivity. It glided hither and thither and watching it breathing its own fire, I realized my powers were unworthy against it.

"Hayden!" It was Celina, her voice full of fear.

"I can hear you," I finally talked still watching the creature, "But I don't think I am okay,"

"Hayden, what is going on?" Tyrell asked, "What was that ugly scream?"

I didn't even have time to answer him. As soon as the creature seemed to hear our voices, it glided over, closer and launching deadly fire at me. It just missed my hair as I jumped out of the way. Acrid smell filled my nose. Few of my hair was singed. I rushed to its other side promptly.

"Fire Shield Formation!"

The girl emerged in my mind asking me to help her but I couldn't concentrate on her as always.

I commanded my stone that created a huge ball of fire surrounding me.  It might  help me guard from the fire that was being released by the creature. Too much heat was filled in the air and I was sweating tremendously. I longed beyond the ball I created. The creature turned upside down and simply poked the ball I created with its razor sharp paws. To my utter surprise the ball disappeared with a pop.

This made me wonder if I can even use any of the commands I was aware against it. My fire was worthless, it was too strong for me to deal with. For once I thought to let free my friends before I deal with it, but the creature wasn't even letting me go near them.

It started throwing balls of fire at me. Trying to escape each one of it, I began running around the fence dodging its fire with lava temperature. I thought of asking Celina's helps but then it struck to me- Celina was useless as her airy powers could only increase the intensity not to mention Tyrell at all. The only person who could help me, who was apt in this situation, wasn't even with me right now. I cursed my damn fate.

Only thing I could do was to run away from it as far as I can. But the creature only had to fly a little distance to reach me. It was now standing right in front of me. My heart almost stopped when I watched it taking step upfront.

I am dead. I am so darn dead.

I glanced aside as the lava popped a bubble. Watching the creature glaring at me murderously, I came to a notion that I have no other option but to jump off the fence. Constricting my heart, I took a step beside the fence. The creature must have sensed what I was trying to do. Its right head's beaked mouth opened and started throwing a blazing strings of fire at me.

I made up my mind. I know what I was doing was next to stupidity but I loathed the idea of Shashi tasting success again. It was better to kill off myself rather than getting killed in his hands. Atleast Shashi wouldn't be able to complete his stupid ritual he was talking about.

I held the fence with both my hands, my heart drumming beneath my chest, tears rolling in my eyes. For the last time I thought of my parents and all my friends I newly made. I closed my eyes to picture each one of them. But instead, I pictured her,  trying to reach out to me, running towards me having her hand up.

She was beautiful, regardless of any situation she was in and I wanted to feel her more than ever.

I left the rest to the universe. I pulled myself up. My eyes still closed, picturing her, I dived in. Anytime now I was about to melt.