I Can Feel The Sun

“A monster!”

“It killed that child!”

“Wait... isn’t that...?”

The humans, still huddling in fear, gasp. They whisper amongst themselves. Their voices grow louder and angrier. They’ve recognized the body in our arms.

My body.

We dump my body onto the ground and advance. One human, a thickly-built woman with her hair in a bun, steps out of the crowd holding a rifle. “Don’t take another step, you—you monster! I don’t know how you got past the barrier but you’re about to regret coming here!”

Her boldness inspires the others. How charming. Soon the crowd is a seething mob, raising pitchforks and rocks.

They swarm us.

I can’t contain my glee. Our goal is finally in sight. I begin to channel magical energy toward our hands—it takes me a moment to figure out how. Using magic is new to me.

But suddenly, the flow stops. Just as a rock hits us in the head.

What the—

“Stop, don’t do it!”

What are you doing?

“Don’t you see? They’re attacking because they think we—because they think I killed you. They’re grieving!”

Our face twists into a half-snarl, reflecting my emotions, and a half-frown, reflecting yours. You idiot, this is what we came here for!

“I know! But now I don’t think I can—”

Moron!

I shove away a human rushing at us with a rake, only for us to be hit upside the head from behind by a bat. There are more of them than there are of us, but if we only used your magic this would all be over.

“Let’s just go back!”

You try to twist our body back toward Mount Ebott. I plant our feet firmly on the ground. Your panic, your terror—they nearly move me.

But we have come too far. I can feel the sun beating down and the fresh air ruffling your fur. I won’t let this be in vain!

You scream. You struggle to lift up your feet, one after the other, and move away from the mob. But I won’t let you, I’m keeping us here until you give up and let me kill them. They’re screaming and beating you—one’s shot you.

You’ll give up soon. I’m more determined than you.

I fire a blast of fire magic at an approaching human, but you jerk our arm and I miss by a mile.

I can feel you getting weaker as your body is battered. Soon I’ll take control and—

“Sorry. I know that was the plan, but... I don’t want to hurt them anymore.” Somehow, suddenly, I can’t do anything. Can’t use magic. Can’t even flail. Can’t move your body.

You put one foot after the other, expending a burst of magic that only pushes the humans back, doesn’t hurt them, and you run toward Mount Ebott.

Soon we’ll both be dead.

And you’ll deserve it.

Now, with your dying breaths, I know that you see. When it comes to human beings, it’s kill or be killed.