> Nafira
“Selfish. You are so selfish. Pushing your responsibility unto others.”
Her voice smacked my soul like whip of gods. Sounding rough and unlike the voice of my child but yet at the very core, like something she would have said.
Was this my punishment? Even in death should I suffer? Let it be so. My heart lost its beat already. My sins are before my eyes. I am ready.
Pain!
Sharp and burning! As if hot coals were thrown on my chest! It startled and stirred my failing body, my eyes searched for the source… Ally?! Her body burned with light of a thousand suns. The light of the living mana.
“What are you…”
Her palm rested over my heart, burning!
Her mana burned with desire… Goddess merciful what is that?!
The mark! The mark could not be forcefully broken, came undone!
No!
That is not my daughter!
No!
Darkness, darkness and blood and ice and…
Out of the darkness something grabbed me.
No! Goddess protect me!
A girl.
Out of darkness, a small human child came in black tattered dress. Her body covered in bleeding cuts. Names. Names carved into living flesh.
She tugged at my robe.
Frozen, I watched.
Line after line, her skin ripped at her cheek as new names appeared. Allynna. Carlila. Noca. Nafira.
I shuddered when my own name appeared. Blood trickling down the child’s chin.
“Who are you?”
She did not answer but raised her arm and pointed her finger at me. At its tip, a gleaming tear hanged.
“I don’t understand.”
She pressed her finger against my heart, the tear sinking inside.
And I burned. Burned within white pleasant flame.
So gentle and kind.
My renewed body pulled me back in as if centuries of age were lifted off my shoulders and fresh blood poured into my veins.
And I heard a scream and my heart stopped.
Noca!
Before my very own eyes, her body fell.
Why, Lailyn, why?! Had the madness consumed all your mind?!
And all because people were calling your blood inferior to mine? Why?! Why, must you done that!
But the madness did not end there. In a howling roar the queen of wind came with her guards. Then, another spirit appeared and took Noca in her arms. She sealed her lips with a kiss, pushing life back into my child.
I Fell to my knees.
O merciful one, whatever the price, I beg you, save her!
“Hold her.”
Stern voice ordered and the wind moved, smiting Lailyn into dirt where she belonged since years past but…
No! Not like that! Not from your hand!
Like a bad premonition, I watched the events unfold. I saw the worm struggling for its life. Even so, a murder against a worm like her is a sin.
No, I will not allow that!
“Please, she is not worth it.”
One final time Ally’s face turned to me. Her eyes were blank. It did not matter to her.
“Please. Don’t.”
Do not let her madness take you. Ally would never kill with such cold, cold heart. Please, whoever you are. Do not spill blood with her arm!
“If you ever try to harm them, I will find you and I will kill you.”
The stranger whispered with my daughter lips, intent on each and every word she spoke. Then she left in a torrent of leaves and the wind went with her.
“The child needs rest.”
I bowed my head to the ground while the queen of healing water placed Noca in my arms.
“Praised be your name o merciful one. I am yours to command.”
The spirit fingers held my chin and lift my head up.
“Are you not of Ceila’s blood? You are mine as she was as your children are.”
Her face saddened.
“Why have you not come to me but let yourself flirt with the false wind?”
“I… have no excuse for my sin.”
Her eyes were sad but she showed me no anger.
“Wind took what wind gave. Your life is mine alone now.”
Her lips brushed my forehead and I felt her power gather there as the crystal seal formed.
“But your daughter is not. Hers is also the blood of Farin, son of Gariel, blood of flame. Her gift surpasses yours. A child of such gift… The burning one must know and she is jealous. I gave my consent.”
And at the same time passed her judgment. The worm in the dirt lost her seal.
Hardly the queen spoke when the air thundered and living flame came crushing down from the sky.
The ground shook and even stones came ablaze where she stood.
“You!”
The fire screeched.
“You shall not touch what is mine!”
And Lailyn screamed and burned. Burned from the inside out.
And screamed.
Screamed until not even dust left of her flesh.
Screamed until her soul burned out.
> Titeramus Bursa
The office seemed dark and stuffy. The ancient floor creaked under each step and the man in front of him paced back and forth.
Bursa's palms sweat. How peculiar.
Garbannel’s presence could do that to people. He suddenly stopped and turned towards him.
“And you do not recall anything else?”
“No. We were approaching Everooth when it happened. After that… the hospital bed and the quarantine.”
Imperial troops found them uncurious in the middle of the road where they fell with their mounts. They collapsed as they rode without any warning.
No signs of struggle or ambush. Just ground burned to ash. The town vanished with everything within a days’ worth of travel from it. Not a stone left of the city. Whatever happened the, buried in ruble several top most layers of the tomb as well.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“You did not enter the city?”
“No.”
His master drummed his fingers against his desk, troubled. Two of his best pawns taken by surprise and not a trace left of what happened.
“This mage you mentioned. Had she told you anything else about him?”
“No. We did not discuss the matter in detail. She felt a powerful presence and came to investigate. That perhaps spirits were involved. I cannot say more on her behalf.”
“I see. I won’t detain you any longer. Go and rest.”
Garbannel dismissed him. His face buried in a scroll Vernilly just brought in.
Bursa bowed and left the office then strolled idly through the corridor.
It puzzled him.
Whatever the cause, this was the first time something or someone knocked him out. All those years people and beasts alike, smashed him through the walls. Clubbed his head with stones or other hard and heavy items. Mages blasted him with magic from point blank and yet none of that made him waver or faint. His mother's protection held strong. Always.
But not this time. Something overpowered her magic.
He pulled out his dagger and stabbed his own finger. The tip of the blade snapped without drawing any blood. His skin seemed as tough as ever.
Then why?
Bursa shrugged his arms. Let a mage worry about mage shenanigans. His fists were enough for him.
Until his knees suddenly bent beneath him.
He fell crashing through a table, wood splintering under his weight.
Did something hit him?
He staggered to his feet just to fall once more not so unlike a back alley drunk.
His face felt wet, sticky. He rubbed his eyes, his palm came away dark and dripping.
Blood?
His blood?
Another hand gripped him and heaved from the ground. The stranger slung him over his arm without any effort.
Bursa stirred in a feeble attempt.
“Do not struggle.”
That soulless voice. He was one of hers. Bursa relaxed his body. And a high one at that. She never allowed lesser ones to touch him.
His mind became blank for a moment
“What is happening to me…”
Bursa whispered as the stranger cast him into a shallow grave and made earth close around him.
“You will be safe there. Sleep. Your strength is required elsewhere.”
And Bursa slept.
Slept for many nights and days as the queens battled.
> Galen Vesa
Pain. Pain, fire and wind burned my body.
Each and every bone in my flesh screamed in agony as mana burned its way through me.
A conduit unfit for the task.
How much longer would this torture last?
Hours? Days? Weeks? Years? Or all of eternity?
That had no meaning here in this space without time but time flown in the real world and my body sensed it.
*Breath! Galen, breath!*
Erta called holding my soul.
As if it made any difference.
And yet this stubborn body kept on breathing.
And the spirit army battled around us. Myriad upon myriads marching against each other. Slaying and dying. Dying and rising anew to die again. All the elements matched against each other.
And each against the wind.
And the wind’s name burned within me.
True name of a spirit is a double edged sword. It compels it to do its master’s bidding then it reaps the price such an order incurred.
All for the sake of mana.
All for the thing that brought me nothing but pain. Pain and suffering.
If they wish it so hard, let them take it and let us be done with it.
Erta’s valiant efforts hardly could hold my soul in one piece.
Let us be done with it.
My body burned.
Let it be cold again.
That is not such a bad choice.
The voice whispered in my ear and the mist came.
Mist, ice and chains.
“Enough of this.”
Logic spoke and the battle stopped. Queen of winds falling to her knees and kowtowing, her army alongside her.
The others stood surprised.
And the Jailer came in his frost covered boots and his chain would not melt.
“Outsiders,”
Her eyes cold, cold like the knife's blade.
“if mana you want, we may share. A third of it in exchange for the blessings.”
The fire burned in a wild laughter.
“A third? Why? Do tell me. Why should I bother with scraps when I can have all?!”
“Because a third is just. One for us. One for the dragon. One for you all to share equally.”
“I do not share what is mine! Mine alone!”
The fire roared.
“Then you shall have none.”
And the chain rattled within the mist. A chain that would not melt.
And I felt…
> Erta Starborn
“No! No! Do not go into the mist! Do not go into the mist!”
Galen murmured in my arms. Shivering. Terror so strong it paralyzed my soul seeped from him.
A man that did not feel.
“Do not go into the mist! It crawls! It crawls!”
He screamed pressing his palms against his ears while bloody tears leaked from his tightly shut eyes.
And the spirits felt it too. Felt or perhaps even saw what hid within mist. One by one they knelt before Logic.
Only the fire lingering.
“Sister, a third is a fair choice…”
Wind pleaded while fire stood. Stood starting into the mist. Judging.
“Let us be done with it.”
She bend the knee.
I followed their example.
“Such a well behaved puppy.”
One he called Logic smiled. Her eyes made my soul crawl.
“Hold him.”
And I did while the spirits came and one by one placed a kiss on his trembling lips and whispered their names. True names.
I felt power binding itself to me.
*Why?*
“Useless. Useless luggage you are without mana. Do not make us regret our choice.”
Then she left and mist cleared behind her.
The little boy still wept in my arms, his soul shattered into thousand pieces.
> City of Ragga, present day.
Olveron sat trembling, fighting with the bottle of piss poor wine. One of the many he drank. Not enough.
His frozen fingers freed the cork and he downed the burning liquid through his sore throat. Not enough.
More, he needed more! More to erase that face from his mind, should she find him. More!
He retched.
His body would not take any more.
He fell and cried. Doomed were his days. He saw! He saw!
He saw ~her~ .
He saw the one that shall sit on the throne of blood.