This story is also published under my Archive of our Own account "Leader_In_Red" so don't be alarmed if you've seen it on both. I just wanted to put it here as I know that some people only browse one site or another. Anyway... hope you enjoy!

Evelyn opened her eyes and was greeted by fire, fire all around her burning brighter than she could imagine. She inhaled deeply and found herself bending over, choking on the wretched smoke, heavier in her lungs than the wildfires which once plagued her town. She coughed and retched, wondering vaguely as to when dreams became so realistic.

Now, she raised her head and watched as a bright speck of yellow in the distance above rapidly drew closer. From the sky they fell, a golden haired angel and a hulking mass that she could not identify crashed before her. The blond figure rolled over after impact and was followed by a sight that informed her that this was surly a nightmare; a beast burning like it was a demon on fire with claws as long as a man's arm and a tail like a dragon was thundering towards the slim figure bearing the blond mane. The smaller of the two was valiantly fending it off, a bright sword gleaming with the light of flames striking back and forth. It was clear however that he was losing, his silver armor was tainted with what must have been the remnants of a long fight, his hair though bright yellow was tousled and matted, and the movement of his arms was growing ever slower.

Closer and closer to Evelyn they stepped, fair being forced to back up by the flaming claws of the relentless beast. Evelyn did not know either, yet she knew in her heart that the blond creature must certainly be fair whilst the fire beast was undoubtedly foul. Her heart increased in speed and ached with exertion as she watched what was fast becoming a losing battle.

Clang

The sounds of the fight increased with their closeness as the beasts claws seemed unaffected by the steel of the sword. The fire beast was huge and hulking, relying on its superior size, strength, and seemingly impenetrable armored skin. The other being however moved like silk dancing between flecks of ash. He ducked and feigned, sword ever lifted and dancing in the orange glow of flames. There was an inhuman grace with which he moved. He was certainly a being like no other.

Bang

The beast struck harder, this time his blow was too much for the wearied arms of his opponent. The blond's sword was ripped from his hands and flew across the stones behind the fire beast. The fair being however did not spare it a glance however as he lept from the path of another stoke from those deadly claws. Rolling and jumping forth once more, he readied his stance as if he were willing to take on the beast bare handed. They then became a cat and mouse. The beast knew that its prey was defenseless and seemed to revel in the fact that it would soon perish beneath its claws. It swiped its claws back and forth whilst the fair creature ducked, dodged, and rolled- always a hair's breath away from those razor edges.

Hiss

He stumbled, just slightly too slow the fair being was caught across the stomach, blood spilling forth from the wound as he fell to his knees, arms cradling his midsection. With its prey defenseless and trapped, the beast lumbered closer and Evelyn would swear that it was smiling.

Crash

Both beings were temporally distracted by this sudden and strange sound. They looked up to see Evelyn, standing with another rock loaded in her hand. She didn't know where she was, what she was doing, or why her dream felt so real, but she knew she had to help. At first, she had been so enchanted and horrified by the scene that she dared not move, however the thought of the beautiful creature dying by the hands of the wretched beast spurred her into action.

She pulled her arm back and threw with all her might, which was pitiful at best, bouncing the rock off the fire demon.

"Hey ugly," she cried. "Over here!" There she stood, amount the flames she felt in part like those righteous avenging angels of old. To her utter surprise, from her back she felt a pair of massive, feathered wings spread forth and rise up as raised her voice. There was no time to contemplate this strange turn of events however as a part of her grinned in triumph when the beast abandoned its quarry to lumber towards her whilst the other, more rational part of her mind, screamed hysterically at what she had just done. Perhaps it was the hope that this was just a dream that drove her to do it; but in truth, the gear of the light, the heat of the flames, and the bitter taste of ash on her tongue told her that this was far too real.

As the beast lumbered closer however, the blond figure looked up, blue eyes meeting hers with astute clarity. His gaze was intense enough to draw her attention for a moment as the thundering beast drew closer to her vulnerable form. Suddenly, she realized that she had not thought this plan through. She grabbed another rock and threw it with all her might. The beat, seemed to think of it as an annoyance of less importance than a fly being swatted from a picnic. Evelyn took a few steps back, finding a sheer drop behind her she braced herself for the blow that would inevitably end her life.

Once the beast got closer however, the fair being took his chance and, with grim pain still etched across his face, ran to his sword. In a flourish far too graceful for his state of injury, he turned and lunged at the beast from behind. He flew through the air, sliding to his back and under the legs of the beast, as it was raised to strike Evelyn, thrusting his sword into its belly. The demon had been so focused on Evelyn, its most annoying prey, it had not noticed the warrior at its back.

With a sickening crunch the blade found its home in a slight chink in the armored skin on the beast's stomach. The creature roared in agony and raised itself one last time before falling off the path on which they stood, down to the chasm below.

The fair creature remained where it laid, head and arms falling down in exhaustion. Evelyn then ran to him, all sense of caution gone as she was desperate to meet this being who had saved her life. She threw herself to her knees beside him and cradled his head, crowned with beautiful golden hair, on her lap. His golden tresses were long and pulled back in a series of delicate braids which had come partially undone in the fighting. She stroked his fevered brow and marveled at the perfection of his face. He was scuttled like those Greek statues of old: a chisel jaw, high cheekbones, a hawk-like nose, and eyes so blue it nearly hurt for her to look at them. Most of all though, those eyes showed pain and strength woven together with utter concern. He was babbling in some strange language which sounded like music to her ears, but his words were obviously laced with fear.

Evelyn did all she could, shushing him with soothing sounds and running gentle caresses across his face, hand tangling through his hair to reveal finally pointed ears. She had no time to revel in this however as her eyes shifted to his stomach. The creature's arms had fallen away in exhaustion and the extent of his injury was reveled- he had been disembowled. The beast's claws had torn through delicate flesh and reveled a set of organs looking all too human, now spilling forth from his battered vessel. If Evelyn had been made of weaker conviction, she would have fainted. Instead, she felt the bizarre appendages on her back flutter with worry before resuming her soothing caresses. The fair being continued to babel, eyes shining with concern and one hand vaguely pointing upwards.

Evelyn, for the first time since witnessing the fight expanded her attention outwards and listed with a sense of hearing she found strangely intense. Above she could hear the sounds of people running, carts speaking with exertion and children crying out in fear. However, she did not hear the sounds of fighting or monsters lumbering forth. Comprehension dawned on Evelyn at once. That was why this being was fighting all alone! He was a warrior, running forth to fight the beast alone so his kin could escape.

"Shhhh shhhhhh," she whispered, hands feather light as she attempted to provide whatever comfort that she could. His breaths were becoming more labored and the flow of blood was turning from a steady stream to a leak. "They are safe, none pursue them. You did it, you stayed the beast and those you were protecting will continue on. No more beasts follow. They are safe." She whispered the mantra over and over again, not offering false assurances that he would live, but instead granting this noble warrior the truth and solstice that those he sought to protect would live on.

For many moment she whispered these words to the creature and stroked his fever brow, eventually though, his lips stilled and his eyes lost their lustre. He was dead.

Evelyn wept.

For what felt like hours she cradled his head, rocking slowly back and forth whilst weeping over the loss of a life she had never known. This fair being, in the short time was watch him, showed courage and heart beyond anything Evelyn had ever seen. In her short, sixteen years of life she had never experienced death up close. She felt her heart was breaking.