Klaus was livid that the man in front of him kept playing dumb. They had multiple sorcerers working on the map and on its two years of existence, never had it ever been wrong.
Several decisions were made by the ascended members based on its readings and now that insignificant and barely magical being in front of him was questioning it! How dare him.
And adding to his anger was the fact that he couldn’t throw it in his face. Whoever decided the map was to be kept a secret never had to deal with such insubordinate scum. How he wanted to dr
Nate, followed closely by Klaus and the warriors, made his way to the forest. There was no way to escape the fight that was about to happen, and he hoped his idea was enough to get Bree ready. He touched the first tree he saw and set it on fire right away. “What the hell are you doing?” Klaus had already motioned three soldiers to surround him, in the event Nate couldn’t explain his action“That’s the only way to get past the safety measures she conjured. I’ll have to burn a few more, closer to the place I&
When the earth called for her earlier in distress, Bree went into the woods to figure it out. It didn’t take long for her to realize it was Nate warning her something was off. She wasn’t sure what it meant, since the last time they talked he walked out on her and left her to wonder if the future she imagined for them was gone for good.Brianna was willing to talk it through. Not just willing, she needed it. The months they spent living under the same roof showed her a life she never deemed possible, but now wanted more than anything. They were good together. Not only the romance they shared, but they could do so much for the land as a pair.
Nate almost lost it when he saw the new set of soldiers in front of him. His faith in the Council had already vanished after the forceful ways they approached him, but he expected a little more respect after over a decade of loyalty. At that moment he could feel only contempt towards the organization.They sent thirty men to the field. Ten upfront, and another twenty hidden in the shadows. The tactic was clear as day, exhaust and destroy. There was nothing he could say to convince them to act differently and from the information he gathered so far, they would have done the same regardless of his attitude.
The first rays of sunlight woke up an expended Brianna. It might not be possible to call it a restless night, because she collapsed from exhaustion and therefore had no dreams or mid-sleep awakenings, but the fact was that she felt even more tired than when she first closed her eyes. In her daze, she took a few minutes to grasp the events of the previous night. As soon as she did, she ran towards the ashes one more time hoping to find any change that could soothe her aching heart. The only difference, tough, was the pattern of the ashes that scattered even more during the night.
The ashes were scattered on the battlefield. There was no blood in the fallen arena, but there was clear evidence of the massacre. No animal dared approach the area, there was no noise in the air. It was as if the place was trapped in a void of sound, of movement, of life. But if anyone was paying close attention, they would see the change. It was subtle, like the climbing of a single ant into a picnic basket. But then it grew, as if that one little ant called for others and they gathered into so many that it was no longer possible to ignore the takeover. The ashes gathered around a single spot, pilling up to envelop that precious spark, the last thing clinging to life among the vast ruination
After a couple of desperate hours trying to figure things out, Nate began to worry about the gap. Usually, the first flashes began after the first hour and in no more than four the whole thing was back in his mind. But nothing was coming back, and he was feeling impatient. His idea was to wait for most of his memory to come back so he could know where Bree was, or if there was any sort of danger left. But since it was not happening, his best option was to move. The last memory he had was of him leaving their home at night. There weren’
“I’m sorry, I don’t know what the hell is happening. I’ve been away for the past four days and I really need to find Bree. I need to make sure she’s safe.”Nate’s softer tone seemed to make the woman in front of him relax a bit, and he hoped it would make her slip out information on Brianna’s whereabouts. He was using all his will to contain his anger, since it did not seem to be taking him anywhere.“Oh, so you leave the poor girl after she fights a bear alone and now you need to know if s
Bree knew her routine for the past couple of days was absurd. She tried to spiral out of it, but it was impossible to control matters of the heart with a rational mind. As much as she thought ‘enough is enough’, her soul was not done yet. She had to keep searching and digging. She didn’t even have a chance to grief, despite the sadness that consumed her every move. She was not one for crying, but she knew it wasn’t healthy to bottle all those miserable feelings inside. Yet she didn’t cry. Not once. She tried to, but nothing came out, not even a dry sob.
The camp near the southern border was perhaps one of the oldest. It lost many residents throughout the years, but still held more people than the resources could feed. The movement of the desert’s sand was the only thing indicating the passing of time on the otherwise static land. Even the strong willed eventually caved to the ruthlessness of the camp, the inevitability of its reality. It was the apex of grief, that much power constrained by the invisible shackles of danger. The self-imposed imprisonment eroded the souls of the adventurers and crushed the wishes of the dreamers.
“Allow me to shed some light into your path, my dears” The couple turned to the woman, surprised to see she was still there. Bree trusted her implicitly, but she knew Nate was still apprehensive. The anger from his drawn need was present, pulsing behind his eyes. She heard him fuming against her hair and intertwined their fingers to help him calm down. The old woman motioned them to take a sit again, and Bree took the opportunity to quickly peck Nate on the lips. It was working, the little contact she was establishi
Bree was the first to accept the situation. She was barely functional during the four days she spent with the older woman, but it was enough for her to understand she was as mysterious as she was caring.“Cassie, where should we start”“Tell me everything you know, child”Nate was beginning to catch up with the ladies.
Brianna was trying to keep herself together, but she was livid. It took her over an hour to calm Nate down enough for him to tell her the story. An hour and two punches to the wall. She felt the anger pouring out of his every word and by the end, most of it was shared between the two.She was sitting on their bed while he paced around, both trying to breath through the rage. “We need to leave” Her voice was sure, probably more that she really felt.
“So, Angel, hm?” Bree threw him an amused look while arching her left brow. He was still laying in the grass by the river after they explored each other to exhaustion. “What do you mean?”“You called me Angel”“Oh, yes. Do you like it?” He asked, eyes still closed enjoying the afternoon sun.
Nate jumped into the river like he was seeking to put out a fire. In a sense, he was, but reaching the water did nothing to calm his need. They reconnected emotionally after the near-death experience, but now he urged for her body. She had a smile that could light up any mood and when his hands reached the back of her neck, it felt like she was molded for him.“So you decided to join me after all?”
Bree and Nate left the room way too late for a morning meal, and both their stomachs were complaining when they got to the main flor of the library. Lady Cassie, as the amazing host she was, prepared them a complete meal to welcome both of them back to the world of the living. As they sat on the table of her simple home, Nate wondered again why someone with the Lady’s means and possibilities would choose such a humble life. He wanted to ask, but she was the one to break the silence.“Nathaniel, I understand you just came back from
Bree knew her routine for the past couple of days was absurd. She tried to spiral out of it, but it was impossible to control matters of the heart with a rational mind. As much as she thought ‘enough is enough’, her soul was not done yet. She had to keep searching and digging. She didn’t even have a chance to grief, despite the sadness that consumed her every move. She was not one for crying, but she knew it wasn’t healthy to bottle all those miserable feelings inside. Yet she didn’t cry. Not once. She tried to, but nothing came out, not even a dry sob.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know what the hell is happening. I’ve been away for the past four days and I really need to find Bree. I need to make sure she’s safe.”Nate’s softer tone seemed to make the woman in front of him relax a bit, and he hoped it would make her slip out information on Brianna’s whereabouts. He was using all his will to contain his anger, since it did not seem to be taking him anywhere.“Oh, so you leave the poor girl after she fights a bear alone and now you need to know if s