“Yes. There are whispers going around that you are a traitor.” “I see,” She replied blandly. “Are you?”“Am I?” Tsiri shifted from one foot to another, obviously uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was taking. “Why does the Heir have you watched? What have you done? You know you can tell me anything. We can help you, Nyka.”We? Again, that only reminded her of what Tsiri was here as. They wanted to know what was really going on so they could speak of it between them and laugh at her behind her back. She knew all of this. “I see you are their mouthpiece.” She slapped her herbs to her arm. She could go back with the news of that and describe to them the claw marks in detail; that way, she wasn’t sending her back empty-handed. “Go back, Tsiri. Go to your friends.”“You are my friend.” Ny'ka frowned. “May I remind you, I killed your lover, Tsiri. We are no longer friends.”“It was his life against that or the whole Cave. There was no better decision.”For a moment,
It was a custom practiced in different Houses to appoint one of the finest maidens to please a visitor that was of high regard.Since leader Tyrek wasn't in the Cave, and Ny'ka was being watched; it was certain that the Priest had made this arrangement. Since they knew that his relationship with Belladonna was different from what they had misunderstood it to be, they had taken this step; a different thing from when they had first gotten to the Cave. “Did the Priest send you?” Alaris walked away from the bed, taking off his weapons and hanging them on the wall. “Yes, My Lord.”“You may go back to him. This is unnecessary.”“I stay of my own freewill. I want to please you, I will grant you the greatest pleasures, I promise.”He smiled, turning to her. “The only pleasure I want is a war won, my throne, and your freedom.” His gaze swept over her body; her thin brown dress that left little to imagination. “You may be in the wrong attire for that.”A coy smile played on her lips, and she
[LYCAN'S REALM]Aniya woke up furious. How dare she had slept in this kind of situation?! She marched to the door, but just as she was about to bang her fists against the wooden obstruction, it pushed open, and Oana stepped in with a frown. “I cannot believe he locked you up!” She declared. Aniya dropped her hands to her sides. “I can't believe you left me here all alone for that long.” “I thought my brother was with you.” Aniya folded her arms across her, and walked out into the hallway. “Don't even mention him, I hate your brother. If I hated him before, well now I hate him even more.” Oana was not pleased with that. While she had been with Goldie, she had hoped that Aniya’s relationship with her brother would blossom into a force to be reckoned with. She had heard from Eldrick that the North border wasn't disturbed yet, which was surprising because it didn't usually take this long for another attack to happen at the North Border. She had hoped to meet something different, b
Only the royal members of the Houses could shift into dragons. It was what made them special, what drew the line between commoners and royalty. There would be many members of the Royal Houses who would be leading the war for the White King. For his house, there was only one dragon, which was him. One dragon against many more; one inexperienced dragon against many that were experienced. Alaris knew the problem he would have to face soon, but he told no one of his worries; after all, if the head was afraid, then what would he rest do? Also, what was fear?That was beneath him. The warriors of the cave needed more training than ever though. They were lacking in number, but quality had always prevailed over quantity, so it wouldn't have been a completely dreadful situation if they weren't also lacking in skills. They didn't watch to see when fire would be unleashed upon them, they weren't observant enough, nor did they know what to do when faced with flames. One of them almost got
Alaris alerted the Priest immediately and, next the Cave. They all began their search for Ny'ka and Belladonna. Alaris headed to the passageway, believing that Ny'ka had someone made it there, taking Belladonna as hostage to ensure her safe journey to her liver, Ka'el. Although, Ny'ka had claimed that she only ensured Ka'el for her people’s sake and she didn't love him. She had also said that she didn't tell him about the Heir’s presence in the cave, nor did he know where they were hiding - as she had lied to him about their location, everything she had said could easily be lies.She had probably taken Belladonna, who was with the Life Gem with her, to earn the favor of a place and security with the White King, seeing that now her life was threatened in the Cave. He had been stupid to let her roam freely, stupid to think that the guards were competent enough to follow his orders to ensure that she kept only to caves while practicing. He was a fool!His mind had been so occupied w
He retracted his claw and took a step back. This was a waste of time! He had a war to prepare for. “How did you find me?” She asked, probably wondering if that gem gave him those powers, accessing the obstacle she was against.A path swap was a random ability for her; her Gamama didn't have it, which was surprising. Not many did, though, but for good her Gamama was at channeling; it was indeed surprising. “You are a weak Channeler. I’ve lived with a far better one, you do not hold a candle to her powers.” “Your mother?” He said nothing but headed to the mouth of the cave. “My Gamama’s twin! The one your female killed! She is your family, how can you not grieve her?”Alaris turned to her with a shrug. “I never knew her. She was not my mother, she was no one to me. Even if they looked alike, they weren't the same. I didn't know her. All I know of her is her manipulative ways. She almost killed my friend just because she wanted to live. Her death was well deserved.”He heard her hear
[LYCAN'S REALM]The first thing Aniya noticed when she got to the Wuri Festival was that a lot of females had on veils just like her, with painted scars on their faces. Those with the costume scared others with it, allowing screams to make their way into the banging of the drums, ululating, and singing that filled the air. Oana was displeased with it and she quickly found the tent where the costumes and the face painting were being made. She wanted Eldrick and some guards around to bring the tent down; she wanted the tent owner to be dragged to the dungeon, but Aniya disagreed. She wasn't offended by the act. Instead, she found it hilarious that they would willingly try to be like her to scare others; it was a display of a power she held over them - to command their fear, and by imitating her, they had confirmed that, indeed, she was that powerful. “Let them have their fun,” Aniya had said. Oana had reluctantly given in to her but she led them to another tent to find their costumes
They spent about an hour mingling with the crowd, dancing, and singing. Without them knowing who she actually was, it was easy for Aniya to have company. Soon enough they had to retire from the fun and find food. Eldrick volunteered to go and find them food, and with an excuse from Oana that she would have to go with Aniya to sort out some lady business, they parted ways. The real reason for the excuse was so that Oana could take Aniya to the witch she thought could help her. They didn't want Eldrick to know about it because although Eldrick and Ikrus didn't see eye to eye, if Ikrus was still the Gamma and if he demanded a report of how the festival had gone, Eldrick would have to tell him everything. It would be an undeniable order. Oana had brought her to a small tent; a witch was in front of it, behind a small table, with a globe in her hand as she spoke of telling people their future. She was young and her light purple dress complemented her skin. She stared at them, a smile
“That is too short.” Everyone turned to her immediately. “I should have been here earlier. I am sorry, Father. I arrived late.” “You are here now, Child.” The White King spoke on about how he couldn't wait to crush the hope of the Rebellion and the false prophecy that they were abiding by to trick themselves into believing the Heir was a saviour. “There is only one true prophecy, the one the stones carry. He is their death and only you can save us all. You will save us all from him and from every evil that wants to befall our Realm.” Then he pulled out Jyris's sword and handed it to her as some warriors brought in Xida and forced her to her knees in front of the King’s daughter. “You shall begin with this one.” “No! You cannot do this! Create your warriors and save me, Lady Belladonna!” Xida screamed. There was no familiarity in those blue eyes. “Violence is not—” The King’s daughter began to speak but the White King stopped her. “Do it for Father.” Then she nodded and raised
“Open this cage at once!” Lord Jyris ordered, his gaze hardening as he clicked his claws against the golden rings on his fingers. “The White King—” the warrior began to protest when Lord Jyris silenced him with the following words. “I will take her to him myself.”In no time, he had taken Xinora to the throne room. It was large and tall, adorned with gold and giant menacing statues.“Father!” She rushed out of Jyris’s hold immediately, her bare feet hitting the smooth that glimmered golden as a result of the floating candles above. The White King’s eyes brightened, and in a flash, he was in front of her, pulling her into an embrace. He seemed to have flown there, but it was too quick. His wings had sprouted from behind him as quickly as they had vanished. He acted with perfect precision. He was wearing an open silver flowing robe, his silver crown on his gray-haired head. He was enormous and from the gap between his robes, faint white scales protruding from his skin could be seen.
Too late. Ny'ka got there too late. The battle had happened. Belladonna and Xida, among others, had been captive. They had been dealt another defeat, one that was too close to the previous one. They had been ambushed, but for Ny’ka, that wasn't the most painful thing. What hurt the most was her father’s corpse, which was placed at her feet. She fell to her knees and wept; she grieved. Then her grief turned to rage and she sought for something or someone to be dealt the violence of her rage. “Everyone that believes in you dies.” The midnight wind felt harsh and the beings that stood before her seemed like what they were: her enemies.“Ny'ka,” the Priest called her sharply. “Come with me to bury him to grant his soul safe—”“My mother died and now my father?” She snapped, not listening to the Priest at all. She continued, angry tears streaming down her cheeks, her hand tightening around the hilt of her sword. “You are no saviour!” She was closing up the distance between them. “Yo
“What is this?” Ny'ka asked, racing up to her feet.“The Stones of Prophecy. I already told you,” Ka'el replied, rising to his feet too. He groaned a little, his ribs hurting from the force that had tossed him aside.The stones had suddenly fallen to the ground, scattered; they were still glowing though. “I mean, what do they do?“I don't know!” There was a bit of panic in his voice, then he started to mumble to himself as he fell on his knees and started trying to collect the stones. “The King believes his daughter is in the Rebellion, and there are rumors of the Heir; he thinks they are working together.” He stopped and stared up at Ny'ka who watched him with a frown on her face. “That is why the Moon and the Sun came up in the sky because she is really here? But you said it didn't happen here, that it was from another Realm. It is from another realm, right? It isn’t true, Is it?”Ny'ka tried to grab one of the stones from Ka'el but it held it away from her. “Is his daughter truly
Then she felt like she was drowning and her words vanished from her lips. It felt like she was right in the lake and above it at the same time, hovering over the water and looking at the drowning child, while the drowning child looked back at her, struggling. Then she was finally in the baby and she could see Xinora floating over her as she felt herself dying in the baby — felt the baby dying. She saw Xinora stare right at her mother, who froze immediately like she had seen a ghost - it was what she looked like anyway, what she seemed to be. Then Belladonna felt the presence slam right into her immediately. Xinora had vanished and was now inside her as one being, the moment of her almost death creating the perfect space for Xinora to fit in. But just as Xinora had merged into her, she dissolved into the back of her mind like a mere pest fighting against a strong host. Her mother pulled her out of the water, her gaze blank and cold. Without a word, she wrapped her in a piece of clo
Trigger warning: Dealing with rape aftermath (from victim’s perspective) on page, and baby drowning on page. _________Belladonna paced the room. Two nights have passed since Alaris and her had discussed about Xinora. The Rebellion was healing, and she had sought out Ny'ka to help her with creating portals; although she knew that it might not work, just as it hadn't been working, but that was just how unpromising Channeling had been, and it had worked eventually. That wasn't the problem though. The thing was that Ny'ka was nowhere to be found. It didn't take long for her to figure out where she was.She was with Ka'el, most likely inquiring about their recent failure.Alaris had confirmed her suspicion, and here she was, in the room, trying not to drive herself mad with every single possibility that was crossing her mind.The Priest had drawn a tattoo on the top part of her chest, a little distance from her neck. He had smeared it with the blood of an animal, chanted some things th
Ny'ka went to Ka'el that night as the Heir had ordered, only to find out that he was with someone. Tsiri?What?What was she doing here? Why was she here? How long has she known about Ka'el? How did she get here?Why was she here?By Ina, what had she told him?!The White glow of the crescent moon above glimmered down on them through the shadows of the scanty leaves of the tall trees around them. The smile on Tsiri’s face was plain for Ny'ka to see, just as obvious as the doubt that dotted Ka’el’s eyes. What had she told him?!“Is it true?” Ka'el asked, his fist tightening around the small bag he had in his hand. She wondered what was in that bag but his next words made her aware of the greater problem she had before her. “Are you just fooling me?” He asked as his free hand anchored around Tsiri’s waist, making her smile widen. Disappointment flashed in Ny'ka's eyes and she frowned, blatantly ignoring Tsiri. “Fooling you? What nonsense are you talking about? And why are you with o
“Nightshade, do you have any memories of Jyris?”He was crouching in front of her. This room suddenly felt too small. Where was the air of ease?“No, except that he healed my ankle, gave me that gold ring that you tossed away and he was at the table with the King. Nothing else. I’m trying to but I don't remember anything else.” She wouldn't tell him about the strange feeling of familiarity she had when she had first seen him. That would be too dangerous. “You were in her dreams even when you weren't in captivity. So can you just go into people's dreams? Can you still do that?”“No. Her dream was the only one I could get into without being in captivity. But My freedom does come at a price. It was hard to lure the brides with my soul, and certainly, I prefer this freedom to that.”“Did killing her hurt you? Since the gems are supposed to be a pair.”“I struck her stomach.”“Why didn't you strike her in the heart or behead?”“I wanted to behead her and take her heart as my own; a litt
He heaved a sigh and sat next to her. “Well, it was after being King. I think the wars I had fought strengthened the connection with my gem; the lives I had taken fed it, and I dreamt of Xinora — well, she dreamt of me. It was the first time I would be in anyone's dreams.”Belladonna nodded, taking a mental note of that. “She was crying and lonely, and because the Gem perceived its master to be distressed, it sought a connection and found me. Xinora was terrified when we met; I was confused, too; it was strange. But then, I realized who she was and why I was there. At that time, I really wanted to come back here, to Vestros, but I knew it wasn’t time, I wasn't powerful enough back then.” He paused, before he continued. “The White King would kill me easily, but being in her dreams was like fate being on my side. She was the only weapon that could be used to kill me—”The only weapon?“Wait. Only a Bearer can kill a Bearer?”“Yes.” “So,” she turned to him squarely so she wouldn't mi