The forest that surrounded our village was pleasant to walk through at first. Rays of sun streamed through the leaves, creating beguiling patterns on the ground. Birds chirped gleefully and the occasional deer fled as we walked past, giving the forest an enchanted feel. It was almost something like a children's story — the ones that were read to give them good dreams anyway.

Though, the further we walked from the village, the darker and quieter it got. The foliage became thicker above us, blocking out any semblance of light that tried to fight its way through. Any animals we had seen before didn't dare tread this far into the forest, undoubtedly scared by the creatures that lurked here.

Every snap of a branch beneath our feet made me jump, frightened that it might be something waiting in the darkness to pounce at us. Despite my own fears, Haera and Larc seemed to be completely fine.

They walked side by side in front of me. My sister carried two satchels on her back, one was filled with weapons and other necessary items for survival and the second was packed with clothes. She watched the Dragon-born warily at all times, focusing on him more than our surroundings.

Larc had been forced to carry one of our heaviest satchels even with his injuries. He had slung it over his shoulder on the side where his wing had been completely cut off instead of shredded, easing the pain he had to deal with. At his hip sat the sword I had found next to his body when he had fallen. The soldier had insisted he go back for it as the winged blade meant a lot to him.

Haera had been hesitant to let him have it, but after Larc explained he could use it to help protect them as it was what he was used to using, she gave in.

"Are you okay?" My sister asked, placing a hand on my back after she noticed me struggling with my own bag. "You look a little off."

"I'm fine," I replied, searching the trees around us for any signs of glowing eyes. "It's just strange being here, that's all."

Haera gave me a weak smile. "You get used to it. Once you learn what sounds are just the tricks of your mind and what's actually dangerous, you'll be fine."

"Have you seen anything dangerous before? Or do you just stick to the outskirts of the forest when you hunt?" I asked, unsure of whether or not the answer to that question would soothe my nerves.

From a young age, everyone in the village was warned not to stray too far into the forest, especially those wishing to become hunters when they were older. We were cautioned with terrifying stories of creatures with teeth the length of swords, or monsters who mimicked the appearances of the people you cared about, but nobody had ever seen one to confirm if they really existed.

The closest our village had come to affirming their existence was when our father died. Haera had been the one to find him and swore his injuries couldn't have been made by the rare wolf that patrolled the borders.

"If I can't find any animals close to the outskirts, I do head a little deeper, but never this far. As much as I would like to track down the creature that killed father to avenge him, I'm smart enough to know it won't be a one-person job." She returned to the front of the group, not wanting to continue the conversation and watching the Dragon-born like a hawk. "Where exactly is the Lyre? Are we looking for some hidden shrine or temple to the Goddess? Or is it buried underground?"

"To be honest, I'm not too sure. From the research I looked over, it should be fairly obvious to see. The drawing from the script had blue light glowing from it."

"Just like my power," I added. If there was supposed to be light glowing from the Lyre, I could easily tell we were nowhere close by.

Larc nodded. "I think maybe you could be drawn to it and act as a compass of sorts."

"Then why does this also need a Dragon-born?" My sister's eyes narrowed. "If this is the Goddess's Lyre, someone who was a human, why does a sky-dweller need to be involved at all?"

She did have a point — Larc's explanation didn't add up somewhere. Perhaps he was lying after all and I was wrong to put my trust in him. What if he said that just so he could get his hands on it as soon as we found it and run?

While I was lost in my thoughts, looking at the soldier as we waited for his response, my gaze had left the ground to watch out for anything I could trip on. An unsuspecting tree root caught my ankle and sent me hurtling towards the ground.

Both Haera and Larc's hands reached out to grab me to break my fall, but the Dragon-born managed to get there first. Warm, solid arms wrapped around my torso, holding me upright as I managed to get my bearings. They gripped me tightly, a secure barrier to protect me from danger.

"Are you alright? You're not hurt, are you?" Larc asked, turning his body so he could see my face. His breath danced along my skin, tickling me and causing blood to rush to my cheeks.

I tapped his arms in a signal for him to let me go and, after checking I was firmly on my feet, he did so. Spinning my ankle around in a circle and pressing all of my weight onto it confirmed that it was fine. "I'm good. Even if there is any damage, it's only going to be a sprain. I can live with it." While my foot was fine, my head spun for a moment, black spots swarming my vision but retreating again as quickly as they arrived.

"Are you sure?" Haera crouched down beside me to move my foot herself. "You're not usually this clumsy or unobservant."

I nodded. "I'm fine, just a little tired maybe."

My sister's dark emerald eyes widened in realisation. "Right, you just healed someone that was on the brink of death. Sorry, I completely forgot because of this mission to find the Lyre. We can stop for a break if you want," she offered.

Larc opened his mouth to disagree, but a glare from Haera changed his mind. "We can take a short one if we need to."

If we stopped now, we would be wasting precious time to find the Lyre. Any hour we cast aside and didn't put to use was another hour that the Dragon-born army could use to inch closer to destroying our home and the people we cared about. "It's okay. We can keep going. I don't need to take a break just yet." Haera was about to object, but I got to my feet, continued to walk, and changed the topic. "Perhaps a sky-dweller is needed because they can get to places humans can't?"

"Like the mountains?" My sister asked. At the back of the forest that surrounded our village were a large set of mountains that acted as a barrier between us and the next kingdom. They had been impossible to cross to any soul that tried, which was why sea travel had become so popular for trading.

Larc's mouth twisted into a thin line. "Which I wouldn't be able to get to anymore." Everyone's eyes fell on the remnants of his wings. If the Lyre was anywhere along the mountainside, it would be easy to get to for someone who could fly. The Dragon-born shook his head. "We need to push on no matter what to get the lyre before anyone else."

Dark spots filled my vision again as I stumbled a little, my head growing heavy as if it was being filled with water, but I pushed it away. I couldn't afford to pass out at a time like this. Thankfully, nobody seemed to notice my trip.

"You never answered my question the first time around," Haera pointed out. "Why does it need to be a sky-dweller? Do you even know?"

The Dragon-born frowned. "I do not. All I know is that it's at Silverwood, it can be used to wipe out humanity, and I want to destroy it."

"Why do you care so much about saving humans?" I questioned, his golden eyes finding mine in the darkness. "Don't get me wrong, we appreciate it, but surely it can't be that simple."

Larc's gaze darkened, haunting memories passing through his expression. "Some things are better left unsaid."

"Why?" Haera pushed. "Because they'll get us to not trust you a little bit anymore? If you want to do this, you need to be fully transparent."

His jaw tightened. "It's not that simple. I-"

The black spots returned much stronger this time, consuming me in an unwanted embrace — one that swallowed me whole and refused to let me go from its grasp. A sharp ringing shrilled in my ears as the floor rushed towards me, exhaustion stealing the strength from my arms and legs.

The last thing I saw was Larc's panicked face and Haera's arms reaching out for me before the darkness took me entirely.