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Over half a year had passed since Tornado had arrived at the Dark Realm. The army practiced despite the snow that covered the ground and the chilling wind.

“Tornado.”

The sky above seemed to get darker by the minute as flurries fell. The trees swayed in the strong wind making clinking sounds as the icy branches hit one another.

“Hey, Tornado!”

The flurries fell harder covering the ground with a new coat of snow. Tornado noticed his shoes were getting buried in the new snow.

“Tornado!” Umbro shook his shoulder. “What’s wrong with you? You’ve been zoning out for a while. Training’s over, it’s time to head home.”

“Home? What about our training?” He asked waking from his sleepy stare.

“It’s too cold for us to stay out here. We’ll only get injured if we try to push ourselves too hard. Besides, you don’t look so good.” Umbro told him leading away. “You might be falling ill.”

The others were waiting by the path.

“Are you feeling alright, Tornado?” Ember asked. “You look really pale.”

“I’m a little out of it but it’s probably just the cold.”

They walked to the town against the freezing wind. They all headed to Tornado’s home. He reached out to the wall with his shaking hand trying to get to the key.”

“I’ve got it.” Durza offered pulling a thin silver rod from her pocket and picking the lock in a few quick clicks. She led the way as casually as if it were her own home while everyone filed after.

“I’ll make something warm to dink, that’s okay, right?” Ember asked.

Tornado nodded breathing on his frozen hands.

“I’ll help.” Pye offered as they headed to the kitchen.

Durza lit the wood in the fireplace to warm her hands. “It has been pretty cold for a while now but it doesn’t feel like that’s what’s been making you so spacey.”

Tornado shrugged still warming his hands. “I’m just feeling down it’s nothing new, really.”

Umbro sat near the fire. “That’s true but that doesn’t explain why you don’t pay attention during training. You usually are very attentive until there’s nothing to distract you.”

“So, I’ve been thinking more. It’s no big deal.” Tornado sighed as he sat. “You shouldn’t worry about it.”

“You’re our leader,” Umbro reminded him. “We should worry about you. If you’re not well then we get hurt. It’s just another part of your responsibility.”

Tornado stared in the fire. “I was just thinking about how long I’ll be here. I just keep getting tossed into new places. Right when I become happy in some place I end up leaving. But I hate it here.” He turned to them. “Don’t take me wrong. I’ve found people like the rebel army who I can trust and consider friends but I need to go back.”

Ember placed a tray of drinks on the table behind them. “Why do you need to go back so badly?”

“I . . . left something there,” he answered looking down.

“Can’t you send for it?” she asked while Pye brought out plates and set the table.

“It can’t come here. That’s why I left it,” he told them. “I came here so it could stay safe.”

Durza fit the pieces together in her head. “Aero.”

“Eventually you’ll be able to go back and visit, won’t you?” Durza offered.

“If I can.” He answered noticing the hint of knowing in her voice as she watched for his reaction.

“Why can’t you go? You can always come back,” Pye told him.

Tornado laughed. “It’s not that easy. I’m not from around here. I’m not sure the Dark Lord would let me just go after all the work he put into getting me here.”

“You might as well just explain your situation.” Umbro stood taking a cup from the table as he went to look out the window. “It’s only getting worse out there.

Hopefully Barren won’t mind having a few guests for the night.”

Tornado explained everything. After many curious questions he ended up starting at the very beginning. The only part he left out was Aero. He could feel the stare from Durza waiting for him to slip and give her another detail that would complete the puzzle. He wasn’t sure why he didn’t tell them about her. There was some part of him in the back of his mind telling him she could never be spoken of. Aero was his secret that no one could know about.

Barren came up the stairs and opened the door. He looked around the room at the children expressionless. “We have visitors,” he spoke.

“Sorry. Is it alright if we stay here?” Umbro asked.

“It’s fine with me.” He dusted the snow from his hair. “It’s a mess out there. Have you all eaten? There’s not much food here . . . not sure what I can make with it.”

“I can make something if you want,” Pye offered standing from the table.

“Ah, the baker’s son. Go right ahead.” Barren led him to the kitchen showing him where everything was kept.

“Barren’s changed a bit.” Umbro whispered. “He seems less serious.”

“How can you tell?” Ember asked. “He never shows any emotions. He seems really serious to me.”

“Maybe I can see it because I’ve known him so long but he’s . . . it’s hard to pinpoint the emotion.”

“I’m not sure if it’s an emotion,” Durza offered, “I think he just seems more caring, almost father-like.”


Tornado lay on his bed staring up at the ceiling when he heard a light knock on the door. He rolled off the bed to answer it. The fire was still lit in the room where everyone slept with spare blankets. Durza stood before him.

“Is something wrong?” he whispered.

“That’s what I was going to ask you. I woke up and you were gone.”

“I was just-

Umbro stirred in his sleep.

“Let me come in. We’ll wake them if we talk here.” They walked in and Durza took her normal seat on top of his dresser. “Why didn’t you talk about your Aero?” she asked quietly.

“I didn’t feel like talking about it.”

“Aero’s a person, right?”

He didn’t answer.

“Someone you care about? Come on, tell me.”

“Everyone has their secrets.”

“Fine.” She swung her legs as she thought. “How about a secret for a secret?”

“Why do you want to know about Aero so badly?” he asked exasperated.

“Because you don’t ever talk about yourself. You stay alone within yourself even when you’re around your friends. Unless you’re spoken to you rarely start conversation.”

“But why Aero? Can’t you ask about something else?”

“No. I want to know about the thing you hold so closely. The thing you’re always thinking about. The thing that makes up most of who you are,” she explained, “I’m willing to trade my secret for that knowledge. Only two people outside of my family knows about it. It’s the reason that it was so hard for me to hate your father.”

That sparked his interest. “Fine you already know a little about her. A secret for a secret.”

“Alright, I’ll go first,” she began pulling her legs on top of the dresser to sit pretzel style. “It happened when I was still pretty young. My family is a very prominent fighting family, we even have our own style, but that means that we have many rival families, as well. Since my father is the oldest child of the family head I’m the next to rule the family, after my father.

“One night, I woke because something didn’t feel right. I felt someone nearby, someone unfamiliar. Then there was a hand around my mouth and everything went black . . .”




When Durza woke her hands and feet were bound and she was blindfolded. She heard voices but they were distant and she wasn’t sure if she was being watched. The ropes were tight but it didn’t take long for her undo the tight knot by her wrists. It was hardly as difficult as the ones she practiced with at home.

She peeked out from under her blindfold to examine her surroundings. She was in a forest hidden by thick trees. Not far away there was a tent, where the voices were coming from, with a recently used fire beside it.

“What are you planning to do with her now? Are you sure she’s the head family’s child? She doesn’t look like much of a fighter. She’s so . . . tiny.”

Durza crossed her arms at the insult. Size didn’t matter in her style of fighting, if anything she used it as an advantage.

“It’s obvious she’s their child. She doesn’t have wings. Her family doesn’t have wings, it’s one of their traits.”

They were right. Generation after generation the head family had children without wings. It was useful for them though. They were fast runners and much lighter without wings. Big bulky wings would get in the way while fighting and running. She didn’t need wings . . . even if she did wonder what it was like to fly in the air like a bird, the feeling of gliding on the wind, to touch the clouds- No! She didn’t need that.

“Well, now that we have her what should we do? Kill her?”

“She’s the head families only child. If we get her out of the way their family will weaken from the loss.”

She heard a twig snap from the forest and quickly tied back on her blindfold and bindings. The footsteps sounded closer as the conversation inside the tent continued. The person walking scuffed his feet as he walked though the dark. Suddenly, her blindfold was lifted off. The person who knelt before her had dark black hair that fell over one eye and part of his face. He had a finger to his lips.

“Don’t worry, I’ll save you.” He whispered.

“I don’t need you to save me.” Durza told him slipping her hands out to show him. I can leave anytime, besides you aren’t very sneaky.”

The person smiled. “I see. Why don’t you leave then?”

“They’ll notice I’m gone and probably capture me again before I can get home. I’m waiting to find out who it is that got me. Then I can hide until morning and get home.”

“You know the way through these woods?”

“No.” She mumbled.

The tarp of the tent was pulled aside and the kidnappers came out. Durza tensed as she stared at them. The man pulled his hood up over his head. It was large and hid his face. He tied Durza’s blindfold back on and picked her up.

“Stay here.” He told her hiding her behind a tree.

She pulled the blindfold off as she heard the metallic sheen of a blade being unsheathed. Two more joined it as the kidnappers prepared themselves. The man turned to an angle bending low in a sturdy fighting stance. The kidnappers ran at him and he blocked both of their swings parrying to focus on one. In three quick hits he disarmed the first, flinging their sword away. He spun kicking the attacker to the ground and faced the next. He did the same disarming move and grabbed the kidnapper by the shirt flinging him on top of the other. He pointed his sword over them. Durza couldn’t help but notice how graceful he was when fighting. He seemed like a completely different person.

“What should I do with them, sweety?” he called to Durza.

“My parents should decide.” She told him walking over with her ropes. “I’ll tie them up so they don’t get away. We don’t have to worry about them getting away. Even some people in my family take two hours to get them off.”

“It’s fine, they won’t leave,” he told her taking off his hood and looking at them, “I’ve seen their faces and know their names. There’s no way they can hide.
Their faces turned white as they stared horror stuck at his face.

“Now, let’s get you home.” He picked he up smiling as he extended his deep black, bat-like wings.