“No,” was all she told me before she went below deck. Probably to get more weapons.
I scanned the sky, making sure that nothing was going to instantly appear and attack us.
“What’s going on?” Rayen asked as she looked up at me.
“I don’t know,” I murmured, still scanning the sky. “I really don’t know.”
A small movement in the sky caught my eye. I looked at the sun, right where the movement came from. There, a cloud of black started to form. It was moving -- heading straight for us. Panic started to form in my gut. The wave of darkness just got bigger and bigger, and was moving faster and faster.
Aelin, having returned from below deck, ran straight towards the end of the deck, her face as white as fresh snow. “Ilken,” she murmured. She turned to face me, and my friends. “Ilken,” she murmured again.
“How many?” Lorcan asked. He stood in front of Elide, darkness already enveloping them.
Aedion walked to the edge of the deck, and looked out at the ilken. “More than 300,” he said. He faced us, his face paling.
“Shute,” Rowan hissed.
“What do we do?” I asked my friends.
“Fight,” was Lorcan’s only response. Everybody got into position. Lysandra was looking up at the sky. She growled.
The ilken were getting closer. They blocked out most of the sunlight. All you could see for miles and miles were ilken -- each heading for us. Rayen prepared herself beside me.
“Ready?” I asked, looking down at her.
She nodded once. Then, she looked out at the ilken. Her eyes were the fiercest I had ever seen them.
I whipped towards Aelin. “Aelin. I can fly up there and fight them in the air. So can Rayen.”
“No,” she said as she looked at me. “Not in a million years.”
“Yes,” I hissed. “This ship is small, and there isn’t any land nearby. They can easily destroy you --”
“No,” she repeated.
I forced my body to become invisible. I breathed in through my nose, and out of my mouth. “I am going Aelin, no matter --”
“No, Aiyana,” Rowan growled.
But it was too late. I had already shot into the sky. Turn into the biggest winged animal possible, I told Rayen through the bond.
I already have something in mind, was all she said before she completely blocked me out.
I flew up so I was facing the ilken. They were getting closer. Much closer. I rallied my powers within me.
I summoned water, forming dragons, wyverns, and griffins that were indestructible. They could not be burned. Could not be defeated. Could not be killed. Not by one human being on this earth. Not even Amren.
As the ilken neared and saw the animals I created, their faces started to blanch. I put an invisible shield around myself when the ilken were about ten feet away from me. I ordered my animals to attack. They did as they were told. One after another, ilken screamed as they were drowned. As I froze them, then shattered them to pieces.
I formed invisible hands that had a mind of their own. They choked, crushed, and stabbed the ilken with the knives I had provided them. They tore out the hearts of the ilken, and crushed them. Ilken, like raindrops falling from the sky, fell down into the water, screaming with pain and rage. I burned some as they fell, and others I froze. I summoned two swords, each in both of my hands, and -- still invisible -- I flew straight into the army of ilken. I kept my swords out -- which were also invisible -- and they cut ilken as I flew through. I tore the ilken in half. As their body parts fell to the water, they burned.
I became visible as I swooped down beneath the ilken, and flew straight to the front of the army. I sent an enormous gust of wind at them, sending them flying in different directions. The ilken regained their balance and flew back to the front of the army, sneering. I grinned at them. Ilken continued to fall into the water and burn as my invisible hands, flame, and water animals kept on attacking, having a mind of their own.
Ilken started to advance on me, while others flew straight to the ship. I sent a wave of water to the ones heading for me, which drowned them. As they fell through the air, they froze, and shattered into pieces before they could even scream. More started heading for me.
The ship. Aelin. Rowan. Where was Rayen? Where was --
A roar, so loud it made the sea tremble, sounded. I quickly looked at the ship, and saw an enormous dragon flying over it, shooting flame at the ilken that tried to attack the ship. Some were on the deck, fighting with my friends.
The dragon was marvelous. It was black, and had light blue swirls that crawled up its legs, wings, cheekbones, and tail. It had crystal blue eyes, and a blossom on its forehead. Rayen. I cry of relief escaped me.
I faced the ilken that were charging towards me. I sent flame, water, and ice in their direction. The ilken screamed, and fell down into the water. I sent a wave of wind to the ones that were heading towards me. The wave sent them flying back. Fighting knives instantly replaced the swords in my hands. I threw them. Ilken screamed as the knives pierced their flesh. More and more knives appeared in my hands. I threw them all, one after another. Again. Again. Again. Invisible hands took the knives out of the ilken’s chests, and stabbed them. Again. Again. Again.
The size of the ilken army had decreased in size. But more kept coming. I flew up higher into the sky. Ilken followed me. Just then, a shot of pain seared through my back, and I screamed. At that moment, a dragon roared. Rayen. I looked behind me. An ilken warrior had stabbed her in the back. It was smiling in delight. Rayen tried to get it off, but she couldn’t. In an instant, the ilken froze, and shattered into pieces. I took the knife out of Rayen’s back. She roared again, but this time, in thanks. I faced the ilken that were flying in my direction.
From the ship, I heard a piercing scream, then a cry.
I whipped back, so I was facing the ship. Something in my chest cracked as I beheld what happened: an ilken warrior had stabbed Aelin in the chest. Her eyes were wide, and she was sagging.
“AELIN!” Rowan roared.
My blood turned to ice. I was going to kill each and every one of these ilken slowly. Very slowly.
I faced them now, all of my powers building up within me. I was a beast. I was indestructible. I was not going to let them kill any of my friends.
All of my powers wrapped around me; each mixing with the other. Ilken froze, then slowly crept towards me, sneering and grinning. I exploded.
Invisible hands quickly killed the ilken to my right; fire burned the ilken to my left; and water and wind killed the ilken in front of me. I lifted my head up to the sky, and roared. I was going to burst. I did. Flame, water, wind, invisibility, and light -- light -- shot out in every direction. Ilken screamed as they disintegrated.
No ilken were left as I opened my eyes and looked out at the sea. None. I let my invisible shield drop. From behind me, I heard a cry. “Aiyana!” Aedion yelled at me. I faced him. Pain like I had never known shot through my back. Through my wings. I screamed. I whirled, and found two ilken flying behind me, blood on their hands. My blood. They grinned. I tried to lash my power at them as they neared me again, but I couldn’t. My powers were drained. One of the ilken disappeared. Pain zapped through my wings, just as the ilken in front of me dug its pointed claw into my gut. I screeched in pain. I thrashed, trying to lose the grip of both the ilken.
Rayen roared. I could hear the flapping of mighty wings getting closer. Just as Rayen was about twenty feet away from us, the ilken disappeared. Having lost all of my energy, I fell through the sky, heading straight for the water. My vision started to blur. The water was getting closer. Closer. Closer.
It hit me hard, bruising my already torn wings. I screamed in pain at the impact, and water filled my lungs. I couldn’t breathe. My eyes started to burn, and my vision started to blacken at the edges. I tried to hold on as I let myself sink farther, and farther into the sea. I tried to hold on. There wasn’t enough energy for me to do so.
Someone crashed into the water, and swam for me. The person grabbed my hand, and pulled me close to them. Their dark, black wings wrapped around me as they shot through the water. We were instantly back in the air, flying straight for the ship. I caught a quick glimpse of the person carrying me before everything went black. Before all I could hear was never-ending silence.
The person was a man that wore beautiful, black fighting leathers. He had short, dark hair, and darkness swirled around him. His face was beautiful -- like an angel’s.
Azriel.
By Alexa Gantt
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