Beyond

No one there, but it is not just this broken disembodied whisper, it's a feeling pulsing through every vein all the way to the tip-off my wings, a dark writhing sensation kicking my heart into a torrent as my unsteady breath grows heavy, my legs ready to pounce at a moments notice. This pounding pressure is so deep under my skin, where is Harry? What is going on? Those growls why are they so loud? Vibrating through my head leaving my thoughts a mess. Harry, is Harry in danger? It sounds like many and he's still hurt from last time, the outside might be dangerous, but it is all the same if he's gone, this shattered voice, this empty room filled with hostile snarls, there is only one way out beyond that dark wooden door.

My heart's pounding so hard it hurts, knocking against the wall in my chest as my hand lay on the door's handle, it has been so long... this room has been my home for endless hours and uncountable days, years... will this be the last I see of it? How much can I help if I run straight into the danger? But if I hesitate this danger will undoubtedly arrive at this very doorstep... come on Khatryn, push the handle and be brave. The forced push resounds a hollow thud from within as the door slides open.

This is strange there are two splitting hallways built by cracked wooden boards and thick fir beams lined with weak torches emanating a faint yellow light, and the air permeating with the scent of wet wood, it is crawling up my nose and there's something else mixed in, something pungent with decay tainting the air from the left with its putrid trail making my throat gag, my stomach it's churning and from somewhere deep within a cold arrives slowly crawling down my partially exposed back. It's so vile, but it is something about it that whisks the urgency away, retracting those horrific howls into somewhere unheard, my legs... they are moving on their own.

No, this can't be, impossible, this hollowed-out carcass at the end of this spotted hallway, strung up with hooks and wire, a collection of hide and bones, a long molded skull which fur left now only a dirty light brown spotted with clogs of blue, and one hazy amber eye under a maimed crown of bones, the empty husk of a king. What does this mean? Why is the crowned one here? But that means... *OURG!* A sour bile hitting my nose with the faint scent of herbs and acorns, that meat was, it was... *OURGH!* My head, it's spinning, my throat and stomach burning, the faint shock of small splinters digging under my nails, my chest clenching crushingly around my heart, when did my knees buckle? Why? Why would Harry lie? I saw... I saw it with my own eyes, it was by the lake, not a field. Harry, why would you?

The growls, they are growing in strength, run, I need to run, escape from this tunnel, find a way out to Harry... but, argh I don't know, don't think just flee as far away as my legs and wings can carry me, I need to backtrack, yes that other hallway by the door should be it, quick, I need to be quick. There's the door, need to keep running down that other hallway, is it me or is the light growing dimmer as I... *Argh!* I slipped on something, my surroundings are swallowed by intruding darkness, behind me I can faintly make out the lights from the hallways last lantern. My left knee is throbbing with pain as my hands feel... wet? When did the wooden floors end to be replaced by this cold wet earth with a smooth rocky undergrowth? I need to get up, I need to keep going *aggh* Something's pressing my back down against the wet flow as something else moves in the darkness by my feet, and right by my left ear warm vibrating breaths ending in vicious growls. My whole body grows tense... no, No, NO! I must do something, the muscles through my entire body are so tense their screaming, here goes nothing, my wings toss off the assailant on my back as I pounce forward my hands clawing against the firm wet darkness, I'm moving forward I can feel a breath of faint air in front followed by small shining specs, it must be the exit *Ai!!!* This sensation, a vice bridled with sharp teeth digging into the flesh of my left arm and leg trying to pull me back, NO! I kick and flail tearing my own flesh, but I hit something soft and moist, accompanied by whimpers of pain, the hold that is pulling me back is coming loose!

Crawl, I got to keep going my wings beating helping me pull my body forwards slightly quicker. The lights are growing, the ground gets taken over by soft moss and I'm... I've been here before, no way, between heather of purple bells and endless trees a wall of stone and moss, and behind me, a split, tearing downwards into a pit of darkness, and ahead to the right there are loud bangs and... screams? Wails of people? My left leg won't let me stand properly, it feels tattered and limp, looking down I'm leaving red stains from my almost shredded limbs, the trees if I can just limp forward and grab them, tree by tree I should be able to make it thru to the clearing, but to the side, those violent yells, I need to know.

My breaths are caught somewhere in the middle of my throat as I struggle to keep my breath even, in front of me, past the trees, and by the water unfolds a scene that I never could have imagined. The grounds by the lake rusted with red from several human corpses and there in the middle under the moonlight gun and sword in hand, Harry cutting another person down spraying their innards over this canvas of deceit and violence. Why? This cant be... who is this person wearing Harry's face, staining his hands within gruesome acts? "Run" That broken voice again whispering at my side, I should listen, run, run away from this nightmare.

I limp my way forward, through the heather, through the trees, back to that place where I got introduced to such divine beauty, the moss beneath my bare feet, filled with roots of unity and life opening a bare circle under the shining moon above, was it supposed to be nighttime? I can't tell anymore, but this is the place I should be able to find the way out from here, all that I need now is to trust in my tiered wings.

The air flows against my face, vibrant almost violent, almost waking me from this haze, here floating through the air a sea of trees between winds and stars strewn over a clear sky and somewhere ahead there's a path dividing this green ocean, that's the path I saw last night! It must be, am I truly awake or am I dreaming? A bang splitting the sound, my right-wing stopping as the ground by the path closes in gruelingly fast. My body, am I still alive? My left side is on fire, my right-wing twitching weakly at my side, my vision is so hazy, No, I need to go on, escape... escape. My right hand is grasping against something some dirt more compact than normal, in front of me something bright is arriving, the ground vibrating then stopping, three shadows are gathering in front of the blinding light... who...

"What is that." The light is twisting... fading, my body growing faint.

"She's hurt" ... Drowning in a breathless abyss, the voices growing incomprehensible.

Cold...