Music recommendation: Solas by Jamie Duffy on Spotify.
'You're slacking, Lyra…'
'That's not fair. You're just bigger than me, grandfather,' Lyra, who was the age of ten, huffed as she sat on the ground, her practiced sword tossed to the side from being disarmed.
Her grandfather, Conrad, chuckled in his granddaughter's pout. He knelt before her as she puffed her cheeks and looked away from his stern gaze.
'Life won't be fair in the coming days. There will come a time when you will be faced with many obstacles. Many enemies will come in many forms and have strengths beyond your own,' his voice was calm but assertive.
'But what if I'm not strong enough? What if I end up making a mistake?' Little Lyra turned to Conrad.
'My little songbird then…' Conrad's voice trailed, and the words failed to surface as Lyra recalled the memory.
She whirled back to reality as she broke from reverie. Being stubborn as she is, known for dredging through grit and strength on her own. She didn't understand why that memory resurfaced in such a predicament. The two men still restrained her, and the blondie snickered in disdain as he leered at her,
"Not so tough now, are you, milady."
He slapped her across the face with the back of his hand and chuckled triumphantly. The searing, familiar burn started to form in the pit of her stomach. She bit back the pain in her cheek as she stared darkly at the ruffians.
The other two men Lyra struck down managed to gather their bearings and crowded her. Her heart raced as the thoughts of fighting them were beginning to dwindle, and fleeing was impossible.
'What do I do? What can I do? Why does this keep happening?!'
One of the men clutched a fistful of her hair, locking her head in place, as the blonde man grabbed her cloak and roughly tore it off from her, revealing the fair skin of the loose clothing of her blouse and trousers.
"Look at this boys!" The blondie cackled and sneered, "The lassie is trying to be a man."
"She sure does hit like one," the ruffian croaked as he rubbed his aching throat and spoke through a coarse breath.
"Let's remind her what it means to be a man," the blondie said in a threatening tone.
"No!" Lyra screamed in protest. She kicked up her legs, trying to break free from their vice grip hold. She managed to land a hit on Blondie but was caught by his strong arms as he ordered the other two to hold her down.
'No, no, no, no!' Lyra screamed internally. She refused to let any man near her. Her heart pounded by the crippling fear crawling up her spine as she tensed.
She shut her eyes tightly as she repulsed the disgusting man's hand trailing up her legs, and a small tear trailed down her cheek. She bit her tongue hard to draw blood and hold back her whimpers.
'Is this retribution?'
'I'm not strong enough…' her thoughts trailed.
'My little songbird, then all you need to do is ask for help,' Conrad's voice echoed from a feeble memory.
Feeling helpless was not her preference since she was always capable. However, under these circumstances, it was growing frustratingly difficult ever since her whole life was reduced to being the sole survivor from the demonic raid, tortured to the brink of death, and now about to be defiled by despicable men who did not quarrel with her, to begin with.
Would Leo even bother to save her? A troublemaker like her? A harbinger of death.
"Leo," Lyra's voice cracked as she called out—a silent prayer. The man who always appeared yet could never be found. She was desperate to cling to the only person who came into her life and never judged her or held any ill will. He was her last hope.
The air grew still, and the men's voices quieted. She felt another presence, one that she grew to familiarize well. Releasing a staggered breath, Lyra opened her eyes to see Leo standing at the end of the alleyway.
Thanks to the illumination of the lampposts scattered around the street, the light reflected off his ivory hair gave off an ethereal glow. However, the light itself cascaded behind him in the form of a silhouette; it revealed no distinct features other than the dark, ominous look from his crimson orbs.
The two men holding Lyra by her arms were petrified. Lyra heard one of them audibly gulp in nervousness. Leo was furious.
Blondie scoffed at his comrades as he was oblivious to the imposing man standing behind the group. Even his injured lackeys turned and were frozen on their spot by the presence Leo exuded.
"No one is gonna save you, lassie, you're—" Blondie didn't have the chance to finish his sentence as his comrade on his left screamed in agony. His arms that held Lyra on her right were both twisted at odd angles. The other man who had Lyra on her left didn't react fast enough as he felt a hand clutch his face, slamming him into the brick wall.
Leo was a blur to them until his fists made contact with their faces, and his enraged features held no mercy. The three remaining men, including Blondie, shuddered in utter horror at the monster that took out two of their comrades in a matter of seconds. The blonde man's legs fell weak as he plopped on the ground while the other injured men whom Lyra hurt tried to flee, only to collide with Leo's broad chest. He kicked one of them, and the man flew through the air and crashed into the opposite wall before slumping to his side. The other unfortunate soul was battered black and blue before Leo dragged his limp form in front of Blondie.
Blondie shook like a leaf in winter as Leo knelt before him, his red crimson orbs boring into Blondie's soul. The blonde man pleaded for his life,
"P-p-please sir, we didn't mean to hurt the lass…she attacked us. Merely defending ourselves."
Leo's eyes flared at the last word the man spoke. He grabbed the blonde man by the throat, close to snapping it like a twig. Leo growled as he unleashed relentless blows on the man's face.
Blinded by fury, he flung the man against the wall like a rag. Leo prowled only to be halted by a small force. However, that didn't quench his thirst for blood as he marched forward toward the unconscious man before him. The seething pain in his corrupted soul festered as if drunk on the violent torrent of carnage. His lips curled in a deadly smile.
"Leo, stop!"
Leo felt cold, delicate hands pressing his cheeks. His glaring orbs, filled with contempt, trailed from his target to the aquamarine eyes that glistened with unshed tears.
"Leo," Lyra called as she searched into his eyes. His skin radiated with heat as though a fire blazed beneath his skin. The mark her hand pressed against burned, but she refused to move away despite the discomfort.
Leo faltered as he stared at her in a daze. He assessed her injuries from his brief look at her disheveled appearance. His anger hadn't simmered but only deepened as he saw the bruising slowly forming on her cheeks. His eyes rolled back to the culprit, only for Lyra to pull his attention away again.
"You are injured because of him," he growled through gritted teeth, "He deserves to be punished."
"I'm sorry," Lyra spoke softly. "I was out here looking everywhere for you…worried to no end."
Lyra placed her head gently on his firm chest. Despite the smell of blood permeating the air, she could still smell the scent of mint from his musky scent, which quieted her anxiousness. She muttered muffled apologies through his tunic. She didn't realize the expression he bore as she cried. Her hands slid from his face as she wrapped them firmly behind his waist.
"Why are you apologizing?" Lyra heard his question but shook her head, refusing to answer. The sound of his raging heartbeat danced to the rhythm of hers as it started to calm down. She shivered as another gust of wind blew through the alley but suddenly felt the air grow still as if protected by a massive wall.
Lyra relinquished her hold on Leo only to widen in awe as two majestic wings surrounded them from the cold wind. She was bewildered beyond belief. Her guess on what he was left her speechless.
A celestial.