She had been hoping for someone smaller, like Caif or Rokh, so she could easily push past them and make a break for freedom.

But of course, it had to be Xinn. She slammed into him with a grunt. Surprise was on her side, because he hadn't been prepared for her attack and took a few steps backward, allowing her to stumble into the hallway with her wings spread wide. The sound of something falling and breaking hit her ears, but as soon as her blue eyes landed on the end of the hallway, her legs scrambling into a run towards it.

"Who... Savioress!" the sariun guarding the door shouted.

"Hey!" Xinn snapped. His hand latched onto her arm before she got even two steps away from him.

"Let go!" Aley twisted, but his grip was secure.

He pulled her a little closer so his arm wasn't so extended. "What are you doing?"

She frowned at his irritated tone, snapping her head up to look into his eyes as her wings flared angrily. He was conveniently not much taller than her, although everything about him was broader. "You weren't going to let me out, so I let myself out. I am sick of being locked in that room and I'm not going to wait around for you to hem and haw around trying to rescue Rocki."

He raised an eyebrow, shoving the tray he was holding with his other hand into the guard's chest. "If you would have waited for my report, you would have known that a convoy has been there and back."

Her heart jumped. "Do they have Rocki?"

His face lowered into a more grim expression. "No. They only got to the roof of their base before engaging in a battle they had to retreat from. The compound is well-protected by their soldiers and machines. No one managed to find the savioress."

Aley's heart continued its fast pace, now more afraid than excited. They can't do anything. Her wings began to slowly lower as resignation swept through her, but she shook it off. "Maybe I can—"

"You can't," Xinn said bluntly.

She glared at him. "Maybe I can talk to them and get them to let me see Rocki."

His eyebrows twitched together in a slight scowl. "They'll only capture you as well and then they'll be the victors once and for all. They'll wipe out the sariun and then who knows what they'll do to you."

Her eyes fell to the floor. Wooden shards and some kind of paste or porridge were scattered around their feet. A bowl must have fallen from the tray when she rammed Xinn. It almost resembled the poi her mom had served at supper a few nights ago.

Was it really only a few days ago that I was hanging out with Mom, Dad, and Rocki for supper? It feels like a lifetime since then. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes. The urge to sit down right there and sob her lungs out tugged at her strongly, but there was no way she was breaking down in front of Xinn. Again.

"Come back into your room. I'll get you another meal," Xinn said, his voice more gentle now. He let go of her arm but put a hand on her back, well below her wings, to guide her back through the door.

Aley balked. "No, I can't be stuck in that room again." Her voice broke. "Please, can't we go anywhere else?"

He stared at her for a few long moments with his unnerving eyes.

"Please," she begged, "I think I'll go insane if I'm left in there alone again."

After another scrutinizing moment, Xinn sighed. "Would a walk be to your liking?"

Her eyebrows raised hopefully as she nodded. "Yes. Absolutely."

"Then on a walk we shall go." He glanced at the guard behind him, who was still awkwardly holding the tray, and said something in Sariun. The soldier bowed his head crisply. Xinn, hand still on Aley's back, began leading her towards the end of the hall.

They were silent as they walked. Aley contemplated apologizing for body slamming him but despised the thought. It was his fault she had to try and escape in the first place. If he would have given her more freedom, he would have less bruises. Did he have bruises? He was built like a tank; she couldn't imagine her smaller body did much damage.

It took a couple of turns, but they finally stepped through a set of doors that lead them straight into the outdoors. Aley's hopeful heart had been beginning to see the sun again, but she was greeted with coldly gray clouds and a light douse of rain.

Xinn stopped in the doorway, just a breath away from where the rain was coming down, and frowned at the sky. "I wondered if it might rain today. The trees needed it."

Aley disagreed. They could have waited one more day. At the least, it could have rained yesterday when she was locked up. Oh well, it was fresh air. She took in a long breath of the humidity and relaxed a little. It was like the rain at home. For a moment, she had been worried it would be like the weather in Oregon, where the rain came down cold and sharp. It had been a while since she visited her family in Oregon... would she ever see them again now?

"Do you still care for that walk?" Xinn asked, slightly raising an eyebrow as he glanced at her.

Aley stuck a hand out into the rain, wings tightening as the cold drops made contact with her palm and fingers. It was warm rain, but still rain nonetheless; chilled bits of moisture that elongated into strings when they fell from the cool sky, slightly heated with humidity, and sharpened with gravity. But who was she to complain? The air wasn't staled by wooden walls. It refreshed her just to stand in the doorway.

She retracted her hand, rubbing the moisture into her other palm. "I think so. It's nice to be out of the dungeon." She expected him to reject the title, claiming it was something like a 'secure room fit for the savioress', but he said nothing, only stepped into the shower and began walking. Or rather, marching. Aley had to hurry to catch up to his quick pace.

She glanced around as they hurried through the rows and rows of trees. There were some spots cleared for wooden buildings, but there were no roads besides beaten trails weaving through the forest. A number of treehouses loomed above them, ominous in the rain's shadowy mist. Bridges between the houses swung slowly in the light wind, assisting in dribbling more water onto the ground below. Everything appeared to be made from the same dark brown wood as the trees around them.

All it would take for this place to go up in smoke was a literal fire. She was surprised the valicara weren't using that as their main attack. Or perhaps they were. She really didn't know much about the war.

She couldn't find anything to say to Xinn, and he didn't seem to be in any sort of conversationalist mood as he splashed through puddles, so they tramped along in silence. No one else was around about except for one or two sariun who were wrapped in coats and hurrying between buildings. Nobody noticed the pair walking through the rain with no destination in mind. At least, Aley didn't have anywhere she figured they were going. Xinn's decided steps seemed to indicate otherwise, but she had only asked for a walk, not an escort to anywhere in particular. Maybe they were taking a lap and circling back to the first building, and he wanted to be through with it quickly.

After a bit, the trees thinned out and the soft dirt underfoot turned to sand. The rain slowed a little, although the few trees that were left still managed to dump fat raindrops on Aley's head.

At least I'm outside, she sighed to herself. Besides, it's kind of refreshing. I haven't been able to shower since yesterday. Or was it the day before? When was the last time I had a shower?

The trees abruptly ended, a vast expanse of sand continuing to stretch far, far away, until it met a tall mountain range. Aley wiped a raindrop out of her eye, trying to see anything besides sand and mountains.

Xinn nodded towards the desert, seemingly unbothered by the drizzle that had soaked him. "The valicara live on that mountain. Their compound is made of the same rocks that make the mountain unmovable." He was quiet for a moment, then added, "this is the closest I could get you to your sister."

Aley's heart ached as she stared longingly towards the purple mountains. Rocki was there. Somewhere across the desert and on top of a mountain. Within sight, but still so far away. Her throat closed, withholding her tears.

"There's really nothing you can do?" she asked softly, trying to keep her eyes from overflowing as she glanced at him.

He met her eyes, sighing a little. "I'm afraid not."

She turned back to the mountains, wishing for all the world that the rainstorm would carry her over to it. Wait. Her wings opened slightly as she remembered they existed. She had adjusted to the feel of them quickly. I haven't flown before, but how hard can it be? I'll just fly across the desert, find the valicara, and get Rocki. We can explain that this whole this is stupid and that we want to go home. They wouldn't deprive us of our wishes if they thought we were oh so important.

Her heartrate began to pick up as she carefully stole another glance at Xinn. He had also turned to look at the mountains. His hands were behind his back, eyebrows puckered as if deep in thought. He wasn't worried about her running away again. This was the perfect time.

Aley slowly took in a long breath, trying to avoid drawing attention to herself as she opened her wings a little more. You can do this. You can do this. You can do this.

"Scouts!" someone shouted in the distance. Aley's head snapped to the left, where the call had come from. She couldn't see anything through the misty forest, but more cries came from farther in the trees.

"Valicara," Xinn growled. Aley glanced over to see his fists curled, unsettling eyes narrowed. "Come." He took off, back the way they came.

She followed him before even realizing what she was doing. She could hear the ringing metal and sharp thuds get louder as they ran deeper into the forest. Is that what a battle sounds like?!

Just as the noise was becoming unbearably loud, she could see a glimpse of movement to their right. Metal flashing. Someone jumping. Wings flaring. The battle was nearer than she thought.

A sariun was about to run past them, coming up from the main part of the village and apparently circling around the battle to approach from behind, but Xinn grabbed her, jerking her to a stop. He barked a few sentences at her in Sariun, then shoved her towards Aley and ran towards the fight.

Aley and the female sariun stared at each other for a moment. She had lighter skin than Xinn, more of a silver than light gray. Her eyes were a bit brighter than his too, and wider. The girl, who seemed a few years younger than Aley, said something in Sariun, her tone almost a whisper.

Shrugging helplessly, Aley shook her head. "I don't know what you're saying. I don't have a translator."

The girl's eyebrows twitched, and she said something else, but more monotone, and like she was giving a command. After a moment she spoke again, in English finally. "Savioress, I—"

Someone shouted angrily, drawing both girls' attention. Several valicara were ganging up on Xinn, though they kept their distance from the long blades in his hand.

"I have to help the general," the girl gasped. "Do you know how to get back to the Protection Site?"

"M-Maybe," Aley stammered, heartrate accelerating as her eyes remained locked on the fight between Xinn and the valicara.

"Go there. Don't stop for anyone. Get somewhere safe!" The girl sprinted towards the valicara, footsteps splashing loudly in the puddles underfoot.

The rain had increased, dumping what felt like buckets of water on Aley's body. She stood there, unsure of what to do and slightly shocked at the violence not far from her. No one else noticed her, they were too engaged in the battle to pay any attention to a stray girl.

This is my chance. The thought hit her suddenly. I can get out of here without anyone noticing. I can try to find Rocki and get us home. She glanced back towards the now-out-of-sight desert. I can't cross a desert and live. I don't know how fast my wings are, but I'm not completely sure they would be able to get me to the mountains quickly. The forest ran along the edge of the desert and a little towards the mountain. I can follow it as far that way as I can and then maybe I can find a stream or something to follow that leads in that direction.

She looked at Xinn and the sariun girl, who were throwing sharp metal from their wrists at the airborne valicara. They were completely occupied, all thoughts of her gone.

Go, now! Aley bolted away from the battle. Away from the village. Away from the sariun and valicara. Towards Rocki.

The rain didn't make it easy to find the desert again but find it she did. As soon as she located the border, she ran along it on the inside of the forest, using the mist and the trees to cover her from anyone who might have been watching from the desert. No one immediately came after her, so she assumed no one noticed she was even gone. How could they? Hardly anyone knew who she was. It wasn't like Xinn had introduced her to many people.

The ground was slick, dashed with puddles and wet roots that she nearly fell over several times. She kept her balance though, plowing through. The desert border was never out of her sight, her goal never out of her mind.

Find Rocki. Find Rocki. Find Rocki. The words pounded in her head to the rhythm of her swift footfalls. She glanced over her shoulder, checking for any tagalongs, but still no one pursued.

The forest was getting thicker, more brush appeared underfoot. The mist didn't let up, or the rain, making her escape more of a struggle, but she continued to push through. Her wings tightened around her as a shiver racked her body. The rain had felt warm at first, but now as she was dashing through the forest it seemed to get colder.

Aley shook her head, dispelling the water from her face. She almost ran into a tree, stopping just short of it with a gasp.

Something raised its head from the tree.

Aley yelped, hopping back. There was a giant serpent, or something of the sort, wrapped around the tree, luminescent green eyes glowing at her through the mist as it hissed. It had a long neck, body, and tail, but thick legs that kept it attached to the tree.

It's diamond-shaped head reared back in a graceful arch; mouth opened in another long hiss. She stared at it in horrified fascination, eyes locked on its one row of long, sharp teeth lining the top of its mouth.

It lunged at her, but she fell backward so fast its teeth snapped on empty air. Her flared wings cushioned her back as she fell into the wet ground with a shriek. She scrambled to her feet, stumbling backwards and away from the serpent who just watched her with its eyes half-closed. All its hostility was gone as it laid its head back against the tree, eyes lazily locked on hers.

"Okay," Aley whispered. "Just keep my distance from that." She edged around the tree, warily watching the creature, but it made no move to attack again.

The battle sounds had faded, the sariun village far behind her. She continued her trek, but at a steady jog rather than a run, not wanting to almost plow into another unexpected alien animal. The forest felt empty though. She hadn't seen any birds or squirrels, if they had that sort of thing here, or really any animals besides the serpent. She was probably the only one stupid enough to not take cover in a warm hole during the rain.

She shook out her wings as she walked, the sticky mud clinging to them despite the rain. Now would probably be a bad time to learn to fly. The rain doesn't exactly make for ideal conditions.

She wasn't sure how long she tramped through the forest, but it felt like at least two hours. Her legs were tired, her feet were cold, her throat was dry—catching rain in your mouth wasn't as easy as it looked, especially when the rain was slowing down—, all she wanted to do was find somewhere warm and sleep.

"Can't do that," she muttered to herself. Her wings drew tighter around her body. She had taken to using them like a coat to protect her slightly from the cool, light rain. "There's a lot of daylight left. I have to keep going and get to Rocki." The desert border was still within her sight, and if she stepped to the edge of the forest—which she did on occasion—where the mist was thin, she could still see the mountains. The forest had turned towards the mountains, so they were straight ahead, and she could continue to follow the trees towards them.

A new sound greeted her ears. It wasn't her squelching footsteps, or the rain tumbling through the leaves. It was...

Her eyes lit up. "Water!"