Amira

We climbed back up the steep hill to our horses. I packed up while Elias watched the Abbey burn from the edge. I tried to keep my thoughts away from the building guilt and doubt of what we had just done. How did this help unite our country back home? I tried to keep my thoughts on the task of packing up my belongings, but I was having troubles concentrating today.

"I always thought you'd outgrow your doubts about father 'Mira," came his voice from behind me suddenly.

I jumped dropping my bed roll. I turned to look at him seeing that he already had a knife in his hand.

"Why did you volunteer if you didn't believe in his vision?" he asked.

Elias's anger wasn't something easily tamed. It had always scared me. He could go from calm to blood thirsty in seconds.

"To save my sisters and in the beginning I believed, Elias, but this-" I said motioning towards the burning abbey. "How is this uniting our people?"

"Father did always have a soft spot for you because of your rune magic, but it's went on long enough. There's no room for doubt, sister," he spat.

"Elias, please," I begged. "I've tried to be like you!"

He advanced and I drew one my own daggers.

"Elias! It's me," I tried. "Amira, your sister!"

I was trying to coax him out of his anger so I could at least live to see Andre. My gut turned at the idea because Elias would tell him how I had failed to keep up the shadow spell and when he added my doubts to it, he would more than likely kill me himself.

Elias attacked me with such speed and ferocity, it was hard for me to block him. I didn't want to hurt him. I loved Elias like a brother. He had taught me how to wield my knives. I trusted him, but this was the side I feared and the side Andre loved. The blood thirsty assassin he had made. What he had tried to make me, but I had never bent to his will.

"Elias," I tried again.

"Traitor!" he spat. "I taught you everything! You were nothing before us. You were just a hidden sheep farmer's daughter until he sent you to the abbey. We gave you everything and you doubt father! How dare you!"

His words hurt and it brought down my guard enough for him to injure my shoulder as his force slammed me into the ground. He was right. Someone else in my shoes probably wouldn't doubt Andre, but I did. This was wrong.

Horse hooves pounded down the road making Andre stop.

"They couldn't have gotten far. Spread out!" called a voice.

It had to be the Guardian's from the northern outpost not far from here.

"Elias, you need me," I begged. "You need my rune magic to conceal us."

"I'd rather die than allow you to help me again."

He raised his knife to attack and I kicked him so I could get up. He had the upper hand on the ground.

"Elias, please," I begged again.

"There's horses on the hill! called a voice.

We had been spotted.

He got up swaying on his feet slightly before coming at me full speed with two daggers. I fumbled for a ruin on my side.

"Tungi burutvas mensva," I whispered.

I saw a dim light from my bag and I side stepped right as Elias barreled passed me.

"This isn't over, Amira!" he snarled.

An archer came over the hill just then and before I could react, he loosened an arrow and caught Elias square in the back right through his heart. Dark black blood stained the grass as he collapsed.

Without further delay, I ran in shadow.