Black Wind

"There's something wrong."

Aurelian's golden eyes cast to the bright blue sky, smelling a cool breeze. Despite everything, something smelled wrong. Just in front of him, he watched his children play in the grass. The eldest two, a pair of twins with flowing strawberry blonde hair took care of their younger siblings. All eight of them. The three youngest toddlers stayed close to their father's side, sleeping curled up together and their mother, his beautiful Despina, cradled their smallest daughter in her arms.

"How could there be anything wrong?" she asked, a small smile on her tanned face. "It's a beautiful day, Aurelian, there isn't a cloud in the sky and the priestesses smiled upon us with their good fortunes for the rest of the harvest year." she said, lightly placing a her hand on his arm. He looked to her blue eyes, trying to find comfort in them. Nodding a little, he stayed quiet, setting his hand over her's. There was something wrong and he couldn't shake the feeling. He watched as his children played, rolling in the dirt and picking up sticks, pretending they were swords. He looked down at the three by his side, lightly petting their soft blond heads. A smile passed over his face. How could he be so worried? There was nothing wrong.

With in seconds after that thought passed through his mind, the earth beneath them began to tremble and shake. He pulled Despina closer to him, wrapping his arm around her waist at the same time that he pulled the three toddlers closer, eyes wide as he looked to the quickly darkening sky. Red started to bleed into the blue, slowly turning to a deathly black.

"Get the Priestesses.... We have to go.... Now...."

Running through the city, Aurelian attempted to make his way through the city shouting to the people to make their way to the castle, trying to get to his family before something happened to them. He knew what was happening and had prepared for this day. He had read about the black skies. They came when creatures of darkness attacked. He skittered to a stop ass he saw waves of darkness roll over the city around him, consuming everything in it's path. He could feel his heart pounding against his chest, frozen in pure fear for a moment before he turned and ran the other way.

"AURELIAN!"

He turned his head to the call, eyes wide as he saw Trek running towards him. He grabbed the man's hand, pulling him away from another wave of shadows. The other let out a yelp as they started to run together.
"What's happen-"
"Don't ask questions." Aurelian cut him off. "Just keep running! Where's Julia?" he looked back at his friend, whose eyes were filled with a fearful sadness.
"I don't know. We got separated."
He looked ahead of him at the crowd, staring up at the castle.

He ran as fast as he could, watching as those around him, family and friends we consumed by the darkness. Screams of pain and terror filled his ears as he ran. He wanted to stop and help them, but a part of him knew that it was a loosing battle. A loud yelp escaped his lips as a wave of darkness fell on either side of him and Trek. He grabbed his friend to push him ahead but the other pushed him out of the way, pushing him as hard as he could yelling "GO! RUN!". Aurelian fell to the ground, turning and looking at his life long friend as he was consumed into the darkness, eyes filled with pain as he let out a blood curtailing scream.

Staring at the darkness for only a second, he got up and forced himself to continue running, weaving in and out of the crowed, going as fast as he could. He couldn't allow himself to be consumed by the pain that ached to be let out in a sorrowful howl. Bursting into the castle, he ran up the stairs, gripping to the wall for a moment as once more everything began to quake. Stones fell to the ground with sickly crunching sounds, crushing the unlucky ones bellow. He closed his eyes and continue to run up the stairs, going to the very top of the castle.

Getting onto the roof finally, he searched wildly for his love. Finding her, he ran to her side, taking her by the shoulders. "Where are the puppies?" he asked, looking for his children. She only hold their smallest daughter. The look in her blue eyes, made his heart almost stop. She shook her head, tears falling down her cheeks. "They didn't.... Aurelian... I could only send three before..."
"We can't stop... We have to go." he said quickly, turning away, his eyes burning with unshed tears. "We have to get out before-"

The ground bellow them gave out. He yelped and scrambled to grab onto anything, gripping to the edge of the broken castle, pure darkness whoring bellow them. Fear welded in his chest, his mind growing blank as he stared for a moment. Gripping to Despina's hand he started to pull them up, groaning in the effort. A piercing scream filled his ears ad he looked down only to see the dark creatures getting closer.
"Damn it... NO!" he shouted as he tried harder to pull them up, but while he would have been able to pull himself up, he couldn't while still holding his wife.
"Aurelian..."
He looked down at her, feeling her wrap her arm around his waist and she struggled to pull herself to him. He held her, never letting go of her hand as he felt his own start to slip. Struggling to keep his grip he stared into her terrified eyes.
"Aurelian... Take her...." she said, looking at the small child between them. "Take her and go."
"But, Despina-"
"There's no time, Aurelian! Just take her and run." she looked him in the eyes, her blue ones filled with a grim acceptance. He swallowed and wrapped the arm around the child at the same time that the red haired woman let go, falling into the dark abyss. He stared at where she had been seconds before, the child in his arms quiet. He couldn't do anything but just stare, his very world crumbling around him. Only when he felt a sharp pain in his legs did he remember where he was. Looking down, he kicked off the creature and pulled himself up. Scrambling to his feet, he ran towards the rabidly closing light at the end of the roof. Tears streaked across his cheeks and he jumped through the portal just as it closed. A scream of pure pain escaped his lips as his legs were caught on the other side of the portal.  

He landed on his back, sliding across the ground, gasping for breath as fiery pain ate it's away up his body. He let out a choked sound, gripping to the child in his arms. He looked down at her with blurred vision, gritting his teeth. "We'll keep going little, Puff." he whispered. "We'll keep going." He felt little hands grab his arms, three little face with matching golden eyes looked at him. "We'll keep going."

Everything around him faded into darkness, his heart pounding in his chest as he fell under the spell of pain that wrapped around his body, the faint call of voices filling the back of his mind.

***

Nugget gasped, eyes wide open as he felt his heart beating hard in his chest. He looked around in the darkness, laying on the ground. He had fallen out of his bed. His breathing shallow, he sat up quickly, looking around, eyes only meeting a reflection of himself. His long hair was messy, hanging down his back in a tangled mess and his eyes were wide with fear. He groaned as he felt a pain in his legs in a part that was no longer there. He hadn't felt these phantom pains in years. He gripped to his leg right above where the prosthetic was, gritting his teeth.
"Damn it." he muttered under his breath, tears rolling down his cheeks. He closed his eyes, gripping hard to his leg. "Stop hurting... stop hurting... stop." he let out a choked sound, the image of her face right before she let go floating in his mind, burned on the back of his eyelids.
"Stop..... Stop... Despina." he whimpered, falling back to the ground, curling in on himself. "Despina...." he covered his eyes as he fell into shutting sobs, burring his face into the ground.

A hand touched his back, causing him to jump. Rolling away, he growled a little, glaring through his tears at who ever had touched him. The glare faded as he was met with sad pink eyes. Cali looked at him, sitting on her knees, her two toned hair falling over her shoulders. She must have heard him. His growl turned to a whimper as he curled back in on himself, shaking again. He felt the hand touch his back again but this time he didn't pull away.
"I'm sorry..." He whispered through his sobs. "I didn't... I didn't mean to wake you."
He felt her wrap her arms around him and with out a word, he just curled into her, clinging to the woman. Burying his face into her stomach, he just cried ad hard as his body would let him whispering the same thing over and over again.
"I'm so sorry."