Free Nightfall (Book 1) by L. R. Flint

brightly as her eyes.
    “What is it for?” I asked.
    “You have proven yourself. Go now.” I pocketed the crystal, wondering what she meant. After hesitating for a split second I began running; Alaia followed just behind me.
    “What happened before I came?” I asked, unsure of what else to say as it became apparent that she was leaving for good.
    “I was careless,” she said coldly. “Farewell.” Her cloak flashed from existence and she jumped easily into the air and soared toward the sky's far-reaching dome. I continued on my way home, shoving from my mind—for a time—the wish that I could have gone with her.
     
    ~ ~ ~
     
    “What happened?” Arrats asked as I walked down the cellar stairs with a blank look on my face.
    I had been contemplating recent events and it took me a moment to reply. “I saved a D.I.D.”
    My friends grinned. “Who was it?” Ekaitz asked.
    “Alaia.” The two looked at me with a mixture of curiosity, shock, and disbelief. “Some Guards found that she was a dragonlady.”
    “How were you able to defeat them if she was not?” Arrats asked skeptically. “Not to be rude, but she is better with a sword than you are; stronger too.”
    “She made a promise that she would not use magic to harm anyone while she was here,” was my reply, based off the dream I had had of her many days before. Arrats breathed an exaggerated ‘oh’.
    “Well then—what happened?” Once I had given a satisfactory account they wanted to inspect the crystal, so I handed it to Arrats. “Can I?” I shrugged and he slipped the leather cord over his head. Lifting the crystal from his chest, he asked, “Any idea how it glows?”
    “Nope.”
    He slipped the crystal back over his head and handed it to me, I placed it around my neck and a strange tingling sensation began behind my eyes, followed by a sudden enhancement of my vision. The dark room suddenly became as clear as it would have been outside in the light of a bright, noonday sun. “Whoa. What the—” Both Arrats and Ekaitz quickly stepped back.
    “What just happened to you?” Ekaitz asked guardedly.
    “What?” Only having noticed the change in my vision, which they would not have seen, I wondered what could have caused their suspicion.
    “Your eyes—they are like Alaia’s,” was Arrats’ reply. I was not sure whether to believe him or not, after all, they both were as fond as I of playing jokes. “Are my eyes green?” he asked, almost sounding panicked. The other two of us replied to the negative.
    “My eyes are green?” I asked over Ekaitz’ continued speculations.
    “Yes,” Arrats replied.
    “Can I see the crystal?” Ekaitz asked. I agreed and handed it to him, as I did so, I realized that its light had dimmed. My friend hesitated before slipping it over his head. Nothing happened. “Anything?” he asked. Again the answer was negative. “Oh.” I was unsure whether he sounded relieved or disappointed.
    "My eyes truly are green like Alaia's?" They both nodded solemnly until Ekaitz burst out laughing, pointing at me as if I were the greatest joke ever told.
    "Just kidding," he finally breathed. I glared at my younger friend, but before I could give a sharp retort, Arrats cut me off.
    "They really are green Izotz." I glanced skeptically between the two of them, unsure which was playing the joke. "I promise you." We both stared at Ekaitz until he gave up.
    "Alright, alright. They really are green."
    After a moment of thought I said, “I need you both to promise me that you will do something.” They nodded noncommittally, so I added, “Or in this case, to not do something.” Arrats smiled crookedly and the two of them agreed. I knew they would give anything—possibly even their lives for me, as I would have for them—but that was not quite what I wanted. “When the people notice—which I know they will—I do not want either of you to stick up for me. I do not want this,” I indicated my eyes, “to affect you.” The