Calliope found herself in Librona once more. Emerging from the tree line of the southern forest, she took in the landscape. To the west, Librona's southern most town was still mourning the devastating attack the witch had dealt to them. The townspeople of Talmond rose from the ashes that morning, rebuilding what had been lost in an attempt to keep Librona alive.

Calliope felt a gut wrenching feeling, deep in her chest. It cut off her breath, but still, she filled her air with lungs. It clenched at her heart, but still, it beat without a purpose in her chest, for no blood ran through her veins.

That's what made her different from the mortal humans of the world. Their lives had meaning; their bodies, a purpose. Even their hearts beat blood through them. Even their lungs took relief from the cool air. Her body had no purpose; her life no meaning. Only to Scarletta, and not only then; she was merely a tool in this war between the magical and the non-magical.

Calliope turned away from the crumbling town. She focused her mind on the task at hand – continuing her attacks and weakening the kingdom of it's resources. She owed that much to her master; to fulfill her purpose in this surly short lived life.

Her body shuttered as she took a step forward; a plan formed in her mind. She would make her away across the river that split the kingdom and met with the sea. Beyond the river, she would find another little town, lying unsuspecting to her approach. Yes, she would make her way through the kingdom, taking each village and city on, one by one, until all the remained was the kingdom's capital, Alryn. There, she would wait for Scarletta, and surely her imminent death, for immortality meant nothing to the woman who gave her life.

Calliope pushed onward across the kingdom. She walked through most of the day until her next destination came into sight; the town of Halas. Halas did not compare to the little village of Talmond, being much larger, but not nearly as large as the kingdom's capital, where King Sloan hid behind his stone walls. Calliope waited outside of Halas, keeping close to the trees and waiting in the shadows as night crept upon them. She watched as travelers made their way into the town for the night, and men and women returned from some business in a neighboring town. Calliope sucked in a breath, gathering the courage to make her move, ending their lives as they knew it. Her stomach twisted in a sickening knot as it did earlier, but she ignored the feeling as she got to her feet and approached the town.

She stopped just outside of the village, the darkness hiding her slim, dangerous figure as she stood in the middle of the dirt road that directed her the way into Halas.. She held her head high as she marched forward, pushing away the urge to turn around and run. She let her mind and body go numb and her will seemed to drain from her. She let herself succumb to the years of training as her body seemed to move on its own. She stared into the darkness, her golden eyes glowing in the night. The streets were empty as citizens returned to their homes for the night, unaware of the danger that stood just outside of their doors.

Calliope lifted her arms in the air and summoned her first spell. She threw her arms forward and let the magic come crashing down in the center of the town. The force of the spell rushed in all directions, blasting through quiet buildings and homes. She summoned a fire inside her and let large balls of crackling flames soar through the air, raining down on the dry, wooden homes. The panicked screams pierced her ears and Calliope was suddenly brought back into the world, her mind and body no longer numb. The cries knocked her back suddenly, an invisible force to her chest. Her stomach knotted sickeningly once more and the pain in her chest shot through her body.

Libronian soldiers hurried from their posts inside the city and in her hesitation, they swarmed around her, their swords at the ready. From a distance, archers let their arrows rain down around her. Panicked, Calliope let another spell through her body, shaking the Earth around them and sending the soldiers backwards. Calliope turned in that instant and sprinted out of the city, willing her magic to let her run faster and faster. She outran the soldiers, disappearing into the darkness of the night with only the glow of the burning town behind to light the night.

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The cool night air rushed at her face as she ran. Her head spun in a chaotic blur, cursing herself for panicking and leaving the city. She could not return to Scarletta unsuccessful; her master would not tolerate another failure on her part, and she could not return if she wanted to continue to live. Escape seemed her only option, but she could not stay in Librona. Perhaps she could blend in elsewhere. A kingdom rested just beyond the southern forest; it seemed as good a destination as any for her to head to.

As the approaching dawn began to light the sky in a gray glow, Calliope found herself just outside of another town. Stuck in the panic and chaos of her rushing mind, she lost her sense of direction. She stopped and looked around, hoping to orient herself. In the distance, Calliope heard the war cries of Librona's soldiers; the people had been alerted of her escape, and soldiers stood at the ready.

The soldiers begin their fearless march; mounted cavalry and archers approached at alarming speed. Flaming arrows flew through the air toward her and she sent another magical force through her, knocking the arrows from their flight as they scattered on the ground, black from the distinguished flames. But the soldiers did not hesitate, and as they neared, Calliope summoned another spell, sending strikes of lightning down around them.

The horses reared and screamed, sending their riders backwards or clinging to their necks. Fiery arrows continued to soar through the air towards their target, and Calliope once more blocked their attacks. She continued to throw her magic carelessly around her as the soldiers pushed onward, some on foot, some on their steeds. She sent invisible force waves through the early morning air, sending soldiers through the air, but still, they got to their feet and charged onward.

Calliope struggled with her magic as it drained from her body, along with her energy. She panicked as her spells grew weaker and weaker; Scarletta would surely sense it and summon her back to the castle as she always did when Calliope grew careless with her magic. She cursed herself under her breath and let her arms fall to her side, giving up the fight. Her magic was gone. Her heart raced as the soldiers neared, and she waited for her certain death. Whether at the hands of Librona's fearless knights, or her master's rage, it was bound to happen, one way or another.

Soldiers pressed onward and arrows flew through the air, raining down around her. She stood tall and let her mind and body grow numb once more. Without warning, Scarletta's familiar blinding light filled the air, stopping the soldiers in their tracks, gawking in horror as the witch before them vanished.

Scarletta's familiar old, rotted walls loomed above her as Calliope stood in the dark, grim room before her master. She spent most of her life in that room, cowering in the dark corners as Scarletta mixed some new potion together to inject her with. They grew stronger each time, but never strong enough to grant her the unlimited power she needed – or wanted in order to bring down Scarletta – and this was exactly her master's intent. Calliope forced her body to stand erect, feigning confidence, but the dark corners of the room called to her as they always did. She ignored the pull to hide in those corners; they did nothing to protect her. The memories that those corners held haunted her. She hated that room, but not nearly as much as she hated Scarletta.

“Calliope,” Scarletta's said, her voice eerily cool and collected. “I thought we had come to an agreement?”

“I-I'm sorry,” Calliope stammered. “I was ambushed.”

Scarletta cocked her head to the side. “Ambushed? You're a witch, Calliope. How can mere mortals ambush a witch?”

Calliope's mind raced in a panic. “I was careless,” she said. She hesitated. “I got caught up in the attack.”

Scarletta smiled wickedly, raising an eyebrow. “Is that so?”

“Please,” she started. “I can do this. Give me another chance.” Calliope couldn't stand to find herself begging for life from this woman, but she couldn't bear to live life as Scarletta's puppet any longer. One more chance and she would be able to escape Scarletta's torture once and for all, if she could muster up the courage to do so.

Scarletta looked over her witch carefully. “Fortunately for you,” she said slowly, “I'm not quite finished with my final spell. But this is your last chance, Calliope. I will not tolerate your carelessness any longer.”

Calliope nodded, her heart racing in her chest. Each return to that room meant only one thing; the needle she grew to fear would soon pierce her skin and the magic would enter her veins, altering her powers. Each injection was more painful than the last; each potion more powerful. Calliope stood tall and waited for what she hoped would be the last time Scarletta would ever touch her.