“Oh, gods!” Marian said in despair as we walked by the knights that had been burned alive by the dragon. “Cellie! Juron!”
I looked at the charred remains of the knights and it just didn't seem real. But yet it definitely was. Their bodies were still smoldering. I could feel my stomach doing backflips.
“I’m sorry, Marian! But we must go!” Cyrena said. She was way ahead of us as always. She was constantly looking around her as if expecting a portal to open up and a horde of dragons to come through.
Marian nodded and wiped the tears from her eyes. We all began to jog at a quick pace. We moved past destroyed homes and more burnt bodies. I tried not to even look at the inn but I had to. I felt responsible. All of those women had perished as soon as that dragon tore the roof off the place and shot fire out of its mouth.
The inn was still smoking. There was rubble everywhere. Nothing moved. I felt so sick to my stomach. Faye caught me looking at the inn and she took my hand in hers and gave it a squeeze.
“It’s not your fault, James. You can’t blame yourself for this,” she said in a sympathetic voice. “None of us had any idea of what was going to happen when we got here.”
“I know but I still feel like I brought all of this destruction here,” I said. Tears rolled down my cheeks. I hadn’t cried in a very long time. It might have been years actually.
Faye wiped a tear from my cheek and smiled sadly at me. “Don’t beat yourself up. The Demon Queen did this. She is solely responsible for these deaths. Not you.”
Faye gave my hand another squeeze and we hurried behind Marian and Cyrena who were far ahead of us. I saw Marian give Wandermere Village a final look as we entered the field outside. There was a look of sadness that quickly changed to anger. Her short blonde hair blew in the wind that swept across us. It was a very cold wind that sent a chill up my spine.
Cyrena’s eyes grew large. “Their coming!”
We all looked around in fear except for Marian who had her hand on the hilt of her sword. She looked like she was ready to chop down whatever or whoever was on their way. There was a deep scowl on her face.
“We need to hide!” Cyrena said.
“Fuck that! I’m going to kill those fuckers!” Marian said. “I’m not hiding!”
“Marian, these are dark mages! You will not be able to fight them with a sword! You will die before you even get a chance to raise it!” Cyrena said.
“I don’t care!” Marian responded in anger.
“Don’t be stupid!”
The wind was getting stronger now and I could see some sort of oval shape forming a few yards away. It was like watching a hole appear in your right before your eyes.
“Everyone come close to me!” Cyrena said. Faye and I ran to her. Marian did not budge. She was still in her fighting stance. “Marian, get over here!”
“I have to fight!” Marian shouted.
“You are going to die! I promise you that you will get revenge for what happened today. The villagers did not die in vain!”
Marian let out a frustrated grunt and then ran over to us. Cyrena lifted her wand and shouted. “Mesmerri Mora!”
Some sort of shimmering substance surrounded us just as a large portal appeared. Two figures dressed in hooded red and black robes stepped out of it and looked at the village. The portal disappeared along with that cold wind. The figures started to walk toward the villages.
Suddenly, one of the figures stopped and turned to look in our direction. It was an elven woman with dark green eyes and a pale face beneath the robe. I held my breath as she stared in our direction. She stared for a moment then she turned around and followed behind the other dark mage.
“Did she see us?” Faye asked Cyrena.
“No. This spell hides us from being seen. The only way she could see us is if she has the true sight,” Cyrena said with a frown.
“True sight?” I asked her. The two dark mages had disappeared into the village.
“Yes. Some witches have the true sight where they can see all even those that are concealed from others. She was not a witch,” Cyrena said with certainty. “Come on. Let’s get out here!”
Cyrena kept her wand raised as we ran with the shimmering shield around us. We must have ran for what felt like hours. The sun had even descended as we moved across the large field and over several hills. Faye had my hand in hers the entire time and I must admit it was an added comfort to me. I had never held a girl’s hand before and Faye’s soft hand seemed to fit perfectly in mine. It was almost like it belonged there.
We kept moving until we got to a ravine. This area had lots of caves and a river that weaved through it. We all got down on our knees to drink from the water. I was very thirsty and drank my fill.
“We’ll stay in one of these caves for the night and figure out what our next move is,” Cyrena said.
“Oh, gods!” Marian said in despair as we walked by the knights that had been burned alive by the dragon. “Cellie! Juron!”
I looked at the charred remains of the knights and it just didn't seem real. But yet it definitely was. Their bodies were still smoldering. I could feel my stomach doing backflips.
“I’m sorry, Marian! But we must go!” Cyrena said. She was way ahead of us as always. She was constantly looking around her as if expecting a portal to open up and a horde of dragons to come through.
Marian nodded and wiped the tears from her eyes. We all began to jog at a quick pace. We moved past destroyed homes and more burnt bodies. I tried not to even look at the inn but I had to. I felt responsible. All of those women had perished as soon as that dragon tore the roof off the place and shot fire out of its mouth.
The inn was still smoking. There was rubble everywhere. Nothing moved. I felt so sick to my stomach. Faye caught me looking at the inn and she took my hand in hers and gave it a squeeze.
“It’s not your fault, James. You can’t blame yourself for this,” she said in a sympathetic voice. “None of us had any idea of what was going to happen when we got here.”
“I know but I still feel like I brought all of this destruction here,” I said. Tears rolled down my cheeks. I hadn’t cried in a very long time. It might have been years actually.
Faye wiped a tear from my cheek and smiled sadly at me. “Don’t beat yourself up. The Demon Queen did this. She is solely responsible for these deaths. Not you.”
Faye gave my hand another squeeze and we hurried behind Marian and Cyrena who were far ahead of us. I saw Marian give Wandermere Village a final look as we entered the field outside. There was a look of sadness that quickly changed to anger. Her short blonde hair blew in the wind that swept across us. It was a very cold wind that sent a chill up my spine.
Cyrena’s eyes grew large. “Their coming!”
We all looked around in fear except for Marian who had her hand on the hilt of her sword. She looked like she was ready to chop down whatever or whoever was on their way. There was a deep scowl on her face.
“We need to hide!” Cyrena said.
“Fuck that! I’m going to kill those fuckers!” Marian said. “I’m not hiding!”
“Marian, these are dark mages! You will not be able to fight them with a sword! You will die before you even get a chance to raise it!” Cyrena said.
“I don’t care!” Marian responded in anger.
“Don’t be stupid!”
The wind was getting stronger now and I could see some sort of oval shape forming a few yards away. It was like watching a hole appear in your right before your eyes.
“Everyone come close to me!” Cyrena said. Faye and I ran to her. Marian did not budge. She was still in her fighting stance. “Marian, get over here!”
“I have to fight!” Marian shouted.
“You are going to die! I promise you that you will get revenge for what happened today. The villagers did not die in vain!”
Marian let out a frustrated grunt and then ran over to us. Cyrena lifted her wand and shouted. “Mesmerri Mora!”
Some sort of shimmering substance surrounded us just as a large portal appeared. Two figures dressed in hooded red and black robes stepped out of it and looked at the village. The portal disappeared along with that cold wind. The figures started to walk toward the villages.
Suddenly, one of the figures stopped and turned to look in our direction. It was an elven woman with dark green eyes and a pale face beneath the robe. I held my breath as she stared in our direction. She stared for a moment then she turned around and followed behind the other dark mage.
“Did she see us?” Faye asked Cyrena.
“No. This spell hides us from being seen. The only way she could see us is if she has the true sight,” Cyrena said with a frown.
“True sight?” I asked her. The two dark mages had disappeared into the village.
“Yes. Some witches have the true sight where they can see all even those that are concealed from others. She was not a witch,” Cyrena said with certainty. “Come on. Let’s get out here!”
Cyrena kept her wand raised as we ran with the shimmering shield around us. We must have ran for what felt like hours. The sun had even descended as we moved across the large field and over several hills. Faye had my hand in hers the entire time and I must admit it was an added comfort to me. I had never held a girl’s hand before and Faye’s soft hand seemed to fit perfectly in mine. It was almost like it belonged there.
We kept moving until we got to a ravine. This area had lots of caves and a river that weaved through it. We all got down on our knees to drink from the water. I was very thirsty and drank my fill.
“We’ll stay in one of these caves for the night and figure out what our next move is,” Cyrena said.
