The Forgotten Ruler

Why can't you hear me?..

We stepped back as the arch awoke in a spark of blue, the portal like object glowwed an ocean blue, as if it was a wall of water under the sun.

My attention was swifftly taken by the surrounding area of the portal. The ground around the structure itself was freezing and dying. A pressure started to form in my chest, growing stronger with every second we stood there. Somehow, my body felt solid, like I was unable to move. I couldn't resist the instinct to stare and admire the decaying world around the portal itself.

Suddenly, a pare of warm arm wrapped around me squeezing my body. I turned my attention to Satrena and took hold of her hands, looking back at the arch. "Your hands," she said, "why are they so cold." I looked down, staring at our intertwined fingers. I pulled my hands away from hers, examining them. My veins were darker and my skin looked far paler than before. Dread started to twist in my throat as I moved out of her embrace then my eyelids started to feel heavy but my head felt light.

She hesitaintly moved closer to me, wrapping her hands around mine but her warmth was no longer comforting, instead it felt unwelcome. I closed my eyes, feeling my senses fade into numbness. My breathing was uneven but I focused on Satrena's pulse as it pulsated through her veins.

Suddenly, a spark of light manifested in the dark of my mind, a light similar to the portal. I opened my eyes and looked at the arch once more. I squeezed Satrena's hand then let her go, approaching the portal. As I stepped closer, I could feel the surrounding area's drop in temperature and I took a deep breath. I quickly glanced behind myself then back towards the portal, Satrena was still there. Somehow, I felt more calm with the thought of her being here with me.

The portal was tall and loomed above the trees. I stared into the portal, watching my reflection shift. The familiar figure that stared back was one of what I was. The beast of black hide, it's two smoke tipped tails and the the crow like skull it wore with horns replacing its eye sockets and one gaping hole in its forehead, assumingly its eye.

I reached towards the portal, my fingers sinked into the blue liquid. Once my hand was completely through, I took a deep breath and stepped through...

Silence...

I opened my eyes, feeling my feet were on ground, looked around myself. The building was left in ruins, it's walls were barely standing. Vines had grown down the walls and across the ceiling. I turned my attention to the darkened hallway ahead of me. As I stared down it, it looked endless. As I turned back, I heard a faint crying, like a child. Apart of me felt the need to return to Satrena but another felt longing to this place.

The hallway was long and eerie, I continued forth as the crying became louder. Dread started to twist within me as the hallway continued. Every step was the same, like some sort of loop. Strangely, the walls around me reflected some light yet there was no source, keeping the hallway around me dimly lit.

After walking for some time, I saw light beaming through the egdes of two large doors ahead of me. The crying seemed to be from behind it. As I came closer to the doors, I felt a strong resistance coming from the crying and as I reached for the doorknob, the crying stopped.

I slowly opened the doors, flinching as the light struck my eyes. I looked up, amazed at the size of the window at the end of the hall as the moonlight shined through. The room looked rather well-kept for something that appeared abandoned. The pillars weren't all in solid shape and there seemed to be many hallways connecting to this room. I noticed the crimson carpet beneath me, it was torn and dirty. There was a chandelier hanging from the ceiling and the candles were lit...

Strange...

"Who are you?" a female voice emerged from the silence, I quickly glanced around the room but found no one.

"I-" "Answer me, what is your name?" the voice persisted. I swallowed my discomfort and cleared my throat, "I am Nathan Werlock." I spoke, feeling a slight sense of ease settle with in me. I noticed a silhouette atop the balcony, just looking down at me.

"Why are you here? Did the gods send you to torment me to?" she continued, annoyance filled her voice and she added, "because if that is why, then you might as well leave. I have no time for that godly nonsense." her words were filled with hate, almost seemed fitting.

"I don't know why I'm here, actually I was wondering if you knew where 'here' is?" I asked, wondering if this woman had an answer and I looked down one of the darkened hallways as I stepped to the middle of the room.

The room became silent once more and as I turned back to look at the balcony, I was the only one here. Dread started to knot in my chest and I quickly turned back but the doors were shut, vines had grown over them. I stared at the doors for a bit before noticing the shadow behind me and I swiftly spun around seeing her, the forgotten queen.

She stood in the center of the moonlight, casting a large shadow that loomed across the room. Her back was turned to me as I stared up at her, noticing that she still had her crown. We remained silent for Availeh knows how long. The air was cold and unpleasant, like the presence of death loomed in this castle. The odor of the room smelled like rot yet sweet, must have been the vines and flowers.

"Why did you do it?" I asked, already knowing the answer but I wanted to hear it from her.

"Do what?" she said, her words were almost threatening. She turned around and stared down at me, shivers crawled up my spine as I stared back at her. Her eyes were lifeless and the shadows over her made her look deceased. I clenched my fist, feeling some sort of hate towards her, especially at how familiar her eyes looked.

My body tensed as my fear was slowly replaced with anger. "Why did you neglect your kingdom? Why did you neglect your daughter..." my words tasted bitter, like it burned my tongue when I spoke them.

She started walking down the stairs, approaching me, "Neglect? My kingdom was murdered, slaughtered in fact. And my daughter, she died of a disease. You knew that, I did not neglect her dammit." I felt disgusted at her lies, wondered how she could say that.

"Is that what you told your people?" I asked, "Told them she died from a disease? I bet you made the servants lie to." she was just like her. She reminded me of my own mother, just the thought of that resemblance made me feel sick. Her face twisted into something of anger and disgust, looked rather fitting on her.

"How dare you!" she hissed, "I did what had to be done, something her father couldn't do. He could never have made that choice, he could barely keep order in his own kingdom." she swung her arm to her side. She spat out her words like they were poison in her mouth.

I wanted to scream at this woman, she made me feel disgusted but I bit my tongue. I turned around, walking towards the door when suddenly, her voice cut through the air.

"The little brat deserves that dammed curse and should have died like her pathetic father." I felt my blood boil under my skin and I spun round, pointing at the queen.

"What kind of mother are you?! You can't even let your own ego go for your child. Instead, you abuse her and forced her to flee, then you DARE pretend like you were the good one. How could you even try to take life from such a young child, let alone your own blood," I stepped closer to her and she stepped back, stumbling at the stairs, "Not only did you fail your child, you killed your kingdom out of sheer spite." I took a deep breath, noticing that she was shielding her face as she looked at me in horror.

I stepped back, feeling the adrenaline leave my veins and I continued back to the doors. I reached at the vines, seeing that my skin had become paler and my veins were black. Ripping down the vines, I pushed the doors opened and enter into the darkened hallway once more.

The hallway was silent and not as long as it were before. I quickly arrived at the portal again, feeling a little surprised that it had still been there, and stepped through.

I opened my eyes, staring at the clearing and I stepped forward. Suddenly, the portal dissipated and the only light was from Athe moons above me. "Satrena" I thought, worried about how long I had been gone.

"Satrena!" I called, looking around the arches and pillars. "Nathan!" her voice sounded like a melody as she embraced my side and I wrapped my arms around her.

"I didn't know when you'd come back," she said, pulling away from our embrace. "I know, I'm sorry, honestly, I didn't really know where I was." I said, wanting to forget that interacting with the queen.

We became silent for a while before I spoke again, "Why don't we go home, fix things and just live our lives again." I said, looking into her eyes. Satrena nodded and smiled as she took my hand, leading me back to the path. I could not help but feel guilty for what I had said to Faith...

"Let's go home." Satrena said, her voice hummed as I stared at here hand.

I could only hope that this was the last. But alas, the gods were the only ones to tell the future...