Last Day in Rift City

"Time to get a move on," Goliath boomed.

I startled back to awareness. I rolled onto my feet, and grumbled to myself quietly. I didn't want to be up. This was less sleep than I usually got, and I didn't usually get enough. I wasn't feeling so good on so little sleep.

"You don't look so good," Savannah came up behind me.

"I'm tired," I rounded on her defensively, "I've gotten barely any sleep the last few days. I'd be surprised if I did look good."

"Are you sure you're alright?" Savannah looked concerned.

"Yeah," I felt a brief weak half smile pass across my face quickly, "I just need a good nights sleep. Then I'll be fine."

Luke was making his way across the campsite slowly. As if he thought I didn't notice him coming closer. I looked right at him with a pointed look. His face scrunched up out of anger. I fell in line behind Goliath.

Savannah stayed in step next to me as the rest of our group got ready. Mr. Montgomery's group was ready before our group, and headed out first with their two escorts. Our group was ready just a bit later. They closed the gates behind us as we left.

"Spread out," Goliath boomed, "It's your last day here. Get in as much live fire experience as you can."

I moved straight out into the front of the group. I could feel the crystals in Savannah's pouch burning a hole in the back of my mind. I wouldn't be able to absorb the crystals once we got back. I debated on whether I wanted to snag them off her or not. Once we get back to the wall I wouldn't be able to get them away from her.

I looked at Savannah quickly. I yawned, and stumbled a bit as I walked. Savannah steadied me, and pulled me further into the woods away from the group.

"Are you sure those crystals didn't do something to you?" Savannah pulled me further in.

"Yeah," I felt a swirl of mana forming like yesterday's rift, "We shouldn't be here."

"It's weaker than the one from yesterday," Savannah frowned at me, "We'll be fine."

"You're sure," I stared at where I felt the rift was forming.

"Yeah," Savannah nodded, "I'm sure."

I leaned up against one of the trees. I was exhausted.

"Those crystals had to have done something to you," Savannah started looking me over.

"I said that I'm fine," I snapped as a rift boomed into existence.

She was right. It wasn't as powerful as the one that the big cat jumped out of. Time slowed for a moment, and I knew there was someone coming after us. I turned just in time to see Luke rushing me. He shoulder slammed me full force.

I reached out grabbing for anything as I fell backwards. My hand connected with human arm, and I grabbed. I was too far down though. I dragged whoever I grabbed down with me, but I didn't hit the ground, and the temperature of the air suddenly changed. I turned my head as far as I could to look behind me, and saw clouds?

I looked at who I'd drug down with me as she began to scream. I was attached to Savannah, and we were falling. I looked directly up towards where we had fallen from, and saw the little rift that Savannah had written off as not a problem wink out of existence. I looked back down as the wind ripped most of Savannah's screams away from me. I didn't know how high the clouds were wherever we'd ended up, but I was pretty sure I could still fall to my death.

If we were high up enough than Savannah would definitely die when we hit the ground. Time wasn't my friend right now so I had to decide something, and I had to decide it now. I pulled Savannah closer to me, and covered her mouth so she would listen to me.

"Hold onto my bag," I yelled over the howl of the wind, "And don't let go."

Savannah held onto the strap like I'd asked her too as I pulled my backpack off, and tied my gun to it.

"What are you doing?" Savannah screamed in alarm as we cleared the clouds.

"Saving your ass," I pulled her up tight to me as I switched forms.

It was difficult to keep her in tight to my body as my arms got longer. My torn clothes shredded, and flitted away in howling winds around us. I snapped my wings to full extension the instant I finished switching forms. It felt like they were ripped out of their sockets as my wings caught the wind. This was a lot more work than the little flapping gliding thing I'd done for breakfast.

I hissed as the burning pain in my muscles set in, but I kept forcing my wings out to full extension. We were still way to far up to survive the fall. I didn't need to stop falling so I didn't worry about doing any flapping. I just needed to slow down enough that we would survive the fall. I fought through the pain as the ground came closer, and closer.

Just a little further I thought to myself. Something cracked in my left wing. I forced my wings to stay open despite the flash of intense pain that flared up into my back over, and over again. Like lightning striking my back over, and over again. We weren't close enough to the ground yet.

Just a little longer. I kept my wings forced open. My wing gave. I roared as we spiraled into the top branches of the trees. It felt like I was hitting every single branch on the way down.

I slammed into the ground back first with Savannah still clutched in my arms. I'd taken most the hits from the tree somehow. I just laid there for a minute as all the pain sank in. My wing was definitely broken, and laying on it wasn't helping. I could feel Savannah breathing as she lay still on me.