Princess Aniatha pushed her way through the thorn bushes and tree branches. A deathly look was in her eye. She did not concentrate on anything else, not even the multiple cuts and scrapes on her arms and face made by plowing through the thickness of the woods. Instead, she kept her gaze straight as she rushed through the forest.
"Cohen," she said. "Cohen, I'm coming for you. Cohen, I will find you!"
Two pairs of green eyes followed beside Aniatha to her right and left. Their description was vague. Dark yellow, red, and black sulfur began to fume from their mouths and nostrils. Their breathing was like the deep groans of two wild animals. They pushed through the woods with their princess.
"There it is!" shouted Aniatha.
In the distance was the gate hidden deep within the pines of the forest. She ran out of the thicket of woods into an opening where the two trees that created the arch stood. The lanterns on either side of the archway were glowing, and the sheet of light within the gate continued to radiate.
Aniatha slowly approached the gate and stood before the light, looking up at the sign above. Its words were still set ablaze by fire. She closed her eyes tightly and faced downward, gnashing her teeth firmly.
The two sets of green eyes ran out of the woods. There stood Dark Cry, his figure more bulgingly muscular than before, causing the sleeves of his uniform to rip and the buttons to pop off. The other one was growing more in strength, almost matching Dark Cry. They stood back, questioning in their minds what Aniatha was thinking.
Dark Cry kept silent while the other one made his way forward.
"My Princess," he began.
As fast as lightning, Aniatha whirled around and aimed her pistol at him. Then, without saying a word, she pulled the trigger and sent a bullet through his chest.
The tall, powerful henchman fell backward to the ground. The green in his eyes faded away as his body turned pale white. Instantly, his body vanished like dust and fell to the earth. All that remained was a mist of yellow, red, and black sulfur coming to a slow dissolve.
Dark Cry looked down as he saw his comrade vanish before his eyes. He looked back and saw Aniatha pointing the gun directly at his forehead.
"I told you I would kill you if they reached The Gate before us," she said. "Did I not?"
Dark Cry fell to one knee and lowered his head. "Yes, My Princess. Yes, you did."
Aniatha walked over and placed the barrel of the gun on top of the head of the giant Indian. "Has not my mother been gracious to your people? Has she not provided the blessing of her power to your tribe year after year?"
"Yes, My Princess."
"And has she not been faithful to keep her side of the covenant that your tribe has made with her?"
Dark Cry began to tremble. "Yes. Yes, My Princess."
Aniatha pulled the gun away from Dark Cry's head and tossed it into the woods. She knelt on one knee to his level and gracefully stroked her hand across his cheek. "And have I not loved you with all my heart?"
Dark Cry raised his head and met her eyes with his. "Yes, my Love. Yes…"
She drew close and kissed his lips, sharing the taste of a witch and a beast.
"We must not let them get away, my Love," she said. "We must not let them reach the Canyon. If she crosses it, our chances of finding her and the diary will be lost. My powers do not grant me victory beyond those borders; the closer we get to The City of Gaal, the more my powers weaken. We must hurry with all haste!"
Instantly, she stood up. Taking his hands in hers, she pulled him up. She ran to the light in The Gate and led Dark Cry with her.
"This is the worst part for me," said Aniatha.
"Me, too, my Love," said Dark Cry. "Me, too."
Aniatha and Dark Cry charged through the light.
Dark Cry yelled loudly into the night—birds in the treetops scattered into the sky at the quake of his voice.
Aniatha gnashed her teeth tighter, refusing to let out a cry.
"I hate that light," groaned Dark Cry. "Every time. It always burns!"
Aniatha stood tall, showing no sign of pain. "Ignore it. We have other matters to focus on."
Aniatha was no longer fashioned in a black police uniform. She wore a dress of a deep scarlet red. A golden lace belt was strapped around her waist, fastening a long, curved dagger on her side. Her long, black hair fell past her shoulders and trailed down to the middle of her back.
Dark Cry's uniform was also gone. He was dressed as before in his black hooded trench coat. A pair of black buckskin pants and a black loincloth covered him from the waist down. A metal choke collar hung around his neck, and his feet were wrapped in black moccasins. On his side was strapped a curved sword.
The light of daybreak was slowly etching the morning sky. The darker shade of the night was being slowly pushed back as the deep red colors of dawn's rise were bleeding over the horizon. The trees were like shadowy giants around Dark Cry and Aniatha.
Dark Cry drew a deep smell through his nose. "I smell fresh blood. They are not too far away."
"Hunt her down," said Aniatha. "Become the devil that brings fear to this forest and hunt her down."
Dark Cry closed his eyes and drew another deep breath through his nose. A dark shadow began to form around him until he was lost in a thick, black cloud. There was the sound of bones shifting as the deep breathing of a dark beast panted in the silence of the forest. The sulfur dissolved. Standing in the shadows was a four-legged beast. His paws were massive, with nails that were long and curved like the talons of a hawk. His body was solid, powerful, and tense with rage. The arch of his back matched the height of Aniatha's head. His green eyes pierced through the darkness. Yellow sulfur emitted from his nostrils, and saliva trailed down from his massive jaws.
Aniatha caressed her hand upon the black fur of the beast's shoulder. "Hunt her down, my Love. Find her for me."