Fire Child Part 15

“This is going to get us killed,” whispered Zendrius as his back hugged the cold stone.
Nessha nursed her wound. “We do not have any other choice my lord, we have to hide. Even if I still had the hundred thousand souls I paid the Agrarian, we would not have been able to best such a large group.”
Zendrius squinted as he scanned the misty plane for any sign of their pursuers. “Large group? There were only seven of them, you fought against triple that number back on Earth.”
“Those had been antiques, my lord.”
Zendrius knew he was being unreasonable but he had to vent his frustration somehow. He had known from the first moment he saw the soldiers of Juria that they had to run. In the 6.5 million years that passed after Father Warren and his men left Los-Reinar their nation had continued to grow and improve. The SAINTs of their pursuers were no longer bulky machines but smooth refined weapons of death. If anything, they now seemed more like metallic life forms than machines of war.
“Are you sure that they won’t see us?”
“Yes my lord, unless they physically enter the field by chance we should be safe. It is a spell that renders us invisible to any outside of its radius.”
“Good, how’s your wound?”
Nessha only replied with a pained smile.
Zendrius knew that if she had not acted as quickly as she did, she would now be holding his corpse instead of the gash on her shoulder. They had barely arrived in Liquiem when the seven SAINTs seemingly appeared out of thin air. It was as if they had been waiting for their arrival. However between his fire and Nessha’s magic they had barely managed an escape, but Zendrius now fully understood why she had been so worried about coming here.
“Where do you think we might find a durandal?”
“Juria has farms across Liquiem, however they will be heavily guarded, my lord.”
“Then we will just have to make sure we’re not seen. Can you manage that?”
“To manipulate a moving field is much more strenuous than a static one, my lord. I will at best only be able to conceal us for a few minutes.”
“It will have to do, we’ll start searching for one of these farms after you’ve healed.”

Alyza stirred.
“You have been asleep longer than expected, I was beginning to worry that I had birthed you too early,” said a feminine voice.
“Where am I?” asked Alyza groggily.
“Your new home.”
“What do yo-” started the girl before her eyes focused and she saw the being beside her bed.
In her eighteen years of life, she had never seen something so beautiful. Ruby-red locks caressed the picturesque creature’s golden skin, while cerise pink eyes regarded her in a way that made her feel both at ease and insecure.
“How do you feel?”
Alyza habitually looked at her hands and saw her own golden skin. “What is this?!”
The being beside her bed laughed and it was a strangely enticing. “You are no longer human, Alyza.”
“How do you know my name?”
“You told it to me yourself, perhaps this will help,” said the being before switching to telepathy. “Do you understand now?”
“You’re Zed’s mother?!” asked the girl shocked.
“The one and only, and his true name is Zendrius not Zed.”
“What do you mean?”
“Zed is the name humans gave him when they held him on Earth, he was born with and is known by the name Zendrius here in Los-Reinar.”
“What or where is Los-Reinar?”
Zendrius’ mother made a sweeping motion with both hands. “This is Los-Reinar, this plane of existence, humans know it by many different names, the most common being hell.”
“I’m in hell?! So I’m dead?”
“Not precisely, although your human life has ended.”
“I don’t understand, why am I in hell and why do I have golden skin?” Alyza lifted the silky sheet covering her and exclaimed, “And why do I have a tail?!”
Zed’s mother sighed. “I suppose I should have expected this.”
“What is going on?!” asked Alyza half-hysterical.
“I’m called Persephone and you are safe with me,” said the golden being as she placed a reassuring hand on the frantic girl’s shoulder.
Relief radiated from the woman’s touch and Alyza only nodded as she started to compose herself.
“I realise that this must all be very overwhelming and I apologise, but had I not brought you here and metamorphosed your body, you would never have achieved your dream.”
“What do you mean?” asked the girl now composed.
“Didn’t you tell me that all you ever wanted was to be with Zed?”
Alyza nodded.
“My son was bound to return to Los-Reinar, this is his home and had I not interfered you would have never been able to follow him here. Love between one of us and a human could have only ended in tragedy. I changed you so you could be with him or would you have rather I left you on Earth?”
“No, if it is to be with him I’d let you turn me into whatever you want, is he here? Can I see him?” answered the young girl earnestly.
“My son is busy doing what he has to in order to create a future for the two of you. I’m sure you will see him soon.”
“Oh ok,” said Alyza sadly.
“In the meantime, let me tell you of my son, Zendrius.”