Page 19 of Clouded by Envy

Thoughts churned around inside his head of his deal with the Stone of Desire.So, I won’t be able to eat fruit anymore.he thought.There could only be one thing that would satisfy his hunger, and he would do anything to achieve it.

Drifting off to sleep, Bray entered his dreams, even then he couldn’t rid his mind of his family.

Brenik fell to the ground in a puddle of goo, two hands gripping his sides to pull him up.

“I cannot be a mother to you two—there was never supposed to be two, not even one. And you’re too weak.” Two bright cerulean eyes stared down at Brenik. “I never wanted this—never wanted to be a mother.”

If it was not his mother who was holding him, then who was it? His heavy head lolled to the side, where he focused on another tiny frame holding him, covered in wetness.

“It does not take long for our kind to take care of ourselves, so I know you two can do it. I am sorry, but I cannot stay. As brother and sister, at least you will have each other.” Without any tears falling from her face, Brenik’s mother flew away. He watched her dark wings beat back and forth as she strayed farther and farther away from him into the distance.

“Little brother,” the one holding him whispered in his ear, while clasping his hands.

Brenik did not say anything—he could not. His body felt too weak.

“Brenik, we were together inside our mother. I am Brayora, remember?”

He remembered now as everything came together. Inside their mother, they were able to communicate with each other in different ways. They had given each other names and would listen to their mother’s voice and movements.

“I remember,” he finally answered.

“We have to leave and find something to eat,” she rushed out.

They didn’t fight over food inside of their mother’s stomach—he had given a lot to Brayora because she was so hungry, even though she had always offered the nutrients to him first.

As soon as Brenik tried to stand from the grassy area, his knees buckled, and he fell back down to the ground.

Brayora grabbed under his arms and dragged him backward, with the energy she must have received from their mother’s food. He didn’t have the strength to try to do anything on his own.

His tiny brain latched onto his surroundings and instinct let him know what the various shapes and figures were as he looked around. Brayora halted in front of a tree, and slowly lay his body against the warm dirt.

Wings crinkled behind his back, and he had to adjust them since they were still covered in liquid. The twins needed to find somewhere to wash off.

A boisterous stomping sounded in the distance, and Brenik and Brayora froze. Over the roaring noise, Brenik turned around to see the tree had a small opening on the bottom. “In here.” Frantically, he pointed to the hole and motioned Brayora to go inside first.

Gathering as much strength as he could muster, he crawled inside after her. Brenik swiveled to the side and planted himself against the inside of the tree.

The stomping became louder and louder, and Brenik and Brayora held their breathing steady as best as they could.

Like earlier, the world was now suddenly quiet. Brenik perked an ear up and heard not a single sound—no movement. He believed them to have stopped. Growing braver, he peered out of the hole and squirmed forward. Nothing was there.

“You can come out, Brayora.” As soon as he scooted all the way out, something snatched him off the ground. Brayora screamed from below and tried to fly up to him, but she could not use her wings yet.

With his heart frantically beating in his chest, Brenik turned to face what had him in their grip. He saw horns—all four black. Two protruded from the front and two from the sides. A flat nose with thin twin slits was puffing hot air onto his face from a large gray head.

His own body shook with fear as the gray creature pulled him even closer.

“Bat,” the creature murmured.

“Yes, that is what I am!” Brenik spat. He was not going to be afraid.

“Feisty, feisty, little bat.”

“Let my brother go!” Somehow, Brayora had managed to use her wings and was in front of the horned creature’s face.

“Two of you. You are lucky I’m the one who has stumbled upon you.”

“Why is that?” Brayora asked as she tried to unwrap the creature’s thick fingers from around Brenik’s body.

---