Chapter 2 - "Nightmares"

Warning: distressing content, violence, depression

Run or they will catch you too, run, don't turn back, don't listen to their screams, don't think about what is happening to your family, to the people you love. This is all a big mistake, it can be a nightmare, these atrocities can't be true, how could they? Blood, cackles, gasps now, only part of your imagination... it will be fine, everything will be fine. A nightmare, yes, it's just a nightmare. It wasn't supposed to happen. Why did it happen? Ah... those men. Damn my long hair! My appearance... the cause? No. No, no, I have to stop them. Silence, why are there still screams? No, no, no... THEY MUST STOP IT !! Take me! Do what you want with my body, but don't touch them! I AM THE WITCH! KILL ME! The voice doesn't come out, my goddamn voice doesn't come out !!

Now the silence... it's over. All my fault…

***

In the morning I woke up out of breath and my eyes were tired, my cheeks wet. I remembered everything that had happened, every single moment of that terrible day, of the following ones and every drop of blood, the screams… the Evil that had taken my family and destroyed it. I put my hands to my face, hiding it from the sun that penetrated through a crack in the vast tent.

My chest felt contracted with tremendous pain, as if I had been stabbed hundreds of times and my body did not want to move. I remained just like that, motionless, for entire minutes to retrace everything that was devouring my sanity, imagining alternative endings, reflecting on some words, just like those of my mother, before being cruelly killed by a sword stroke: run away from here, never come back, she said.

Yet I had failed to respect her last words, as Clevwood would forever be my prison.

I wanted to cut my veins.

With that thought in my head, I got up from the ground and dressed to get out of the tent and pretend I didn't have demons on my shoulders ready to suffocate me at any moment. Nobody could understand me.

I had to get over it.

At least I had the pleasure of imagining my revenge and finding the best ways to destroy the lives of my executioners... some had already been massacred. What a pity.

"Find the Eye of Time…"

My grandmother's words whispered in spasms came back to my mind: it had to be my first step, find that artifact, try to go back in time and fix things. Was it madness? Being a witch unlocked many doors in life and not even nature itself could have stopped me. I would always have identified an alternative route in the midst of that red storm that engulfed my existence; it wouldn't stop me.

When I came out of Princess Zeyana's tent, I felt the soldiers' eyes settle on me and follow me with every movement: they probably wondered why their next ruler had let me sleep in his own tent. If only they had known about that woman's tastes, they wouldn't have respected her as they did!

"Stop" a large gloved hand placed itself in front of my face and from the imposing stature I immediately understood that it had to be just one person: Tynov.

"Why? " I asked even more stressed by the fact that in the early morning I had to communicate with him. I was looking for the princess: I wanted to know how things had gone with the group of deserters.

Who knows… maybe I would have witnessed an execution. What a day.

Tynov informed me that the princess was looking for me and accompanied me to the woods.

"You will kill me in secret and then throw the body into the nearby river" I hummed turning towards him and walking backwards just to look at him better: his black eyes were more intense than usual, even if intense did not seem the appropriate word to describe that. It was evident contempt which he avoided even disguising.

I understood immediately that his behavior towards me had changed slightly, almost as if he had begun to take me seriously: perhaps Zeyana had informed her trusted little dog just to make sure that I wouldn't play with him with my magic; too bad, I would have liked to drive him crazy a little bit.

I knew no limits, not since my powers had awakened and had taken possession of my body: I ​​still clearly remembered the ritual that the women of my family did to help me accept the magic and not oppose it; its use was to bring balance in the body, so that the spirit didn't split once it came into contact with the soul inherited from the witches before me. I did not fully understand our magical nature, but I could say with certainty that it was wonderful to feel the earth quiver under your fingers, to be indulged by nature and to bend reality to my will and pleasure.

Limits? They didn't exist for a witch. It was clear that people hated us and wanted us all dead: we were the unknown, threats, even though like all humans we were made of flesh, bone, and a sword or an arrow could kill us.

It happened to my family.

"Her majesty? "

Unlike what I had thought, that day the soldiers held a sort of trial that allowed the princess to know the details of the whole story behind the massacre that took place a few nights earlier: many of the deserters seemed to regret having gone against their princess, but I couldn't see humanity in their eyes. Their appearance was enough to show how savage they were compared to those poor innocents they had slaughtered. I tried to feel sorry for the village, to no avail, I tried to think about what I would feel if they killed my family like that too, but I had lost everything long before that horrible night.

The days passed slowly and I remained with the same purpose and the same thoughts, too worried even to realize the feeling of fatigue or hunger, too tormented to sleep.

After the trial, which would have ended once it reached the empire, the army had begun the journey to return to Atenarte, as news had come of Ferguso III's death and the fall of his kingdom.

The war ended, but in my eyes nothing would have seemed peaceful, not until I finished my mission. I didn't mind dying after my revenge, since I had nothing to live for: the Earth wouldn't cry if I left, no one would beg me to stay alive for them. I was alone and that was my punishment because I had escaped my death with my family…

My fault was resisting the course of nature.

The journey to Atenarte didn't last long as I thought, perhaps two or three weeks; actually I didn't realize the passing of time, I relied on the number of nightmares I experienced each night.

Princess Zeyana hadn't been interested in me in those weeks and since the day we had sex, I couldn't stop wanting her again: I thought that at least I would have occupied my head with something else during the night. I wouldn't have to run away from my memories if I left my body to someone to have fun with.

I had been tempted many times by the thought of Keira, but for the moment it would have been better to know her thoroughly and make her a friend, to have someone I could rely on in Atenarte. I didn't want to risk being isolated in a foreign place; that woman was hanging on my lips, I could see it clearly, and even though Tynov was always trying to divide us, I could always find her alone to tempt her, seduce her in the most innocent way I knew. Keira seems to fall in love with defenseless people, who needed someone strong to cling to and hide behind.

If only she knew how many times I felt like unleashing my magic to take control of events, to torment some soldiers, to scare even the cold and incomprehensible princess; the closer we got to Atenarte, the more I felt my strength grow. It had to be a wonderful land, full of magic, where nature freely connected with beings similar to me, graced by life and able to communicate with everything and nothing.

"Atenarte has a beautiful capital, Riviera, and I'm sure you'll like it."

I smiled at Keira and continued to listen to her without too much attention: my eyes followed Zeyana not far from us, who after an initial gallop had suddenly decided to slow her pace of her horse. My instincts said that her glances directed at the back had a different purpose than checking the progress of the military caravan. I decided to have some fun with her: I needed to know what was going on in her mind.

"Keira? "

"Mh?"

"Can I lean on you? I can't sleep and my insomnia deprives me of any energy needed for the journey... my nightmares are killing me slowly " I whispered the last part in her ear as if I were revealing a secret to a trusted person and I watched the familiar blush spread to the tips of her ears. Keira nodded silently and I wrapped my arms around her waist, placing my head against her back, with eyes half closed in order to catch some reaction from the warrior princess. I saw that Zeyana still hadn't noticed our intimate position, so I kept talking, trying to get her attention.

"Keira you are really kind... I have never met someone like you, so helpful and gentle, despite our Countries' hostility. You are so special" I softened my voice, veiled every single word with honey, just to be sure that the red"haired woman understood that my flirtatiousness was wanted.

I couldn't fail, precisely because I had already established her feelings during the trip: she always blushed when I was around her, calling my name with shyness and she took care of me.

It was obvious that she fell for me! And not only her... there were soldiers that never took their eyes off me, but what could I do? It wasn't my fault if I was born beautiful.

Those rags I wore wouldn't make anyone look seductive, but if there was a lingering trait in every witch, that was the charm. And I took great advantage of that.

"I have never seen you as an enemy. You're innocent, you didn't want the war and it's not your fault that your king was a mad tyrant."

"True, I'm really innocent..." I whispered again in her ear.

Keira was very stiff, even the horse seemed to have noticed her condition and made a sort of snort; I smiled in amusement, hiding my lips behind the soldier's shoulders, but I realized that the princess had turned around just as I was trying to hide my facial expression. Curse. She had seen me for sure!

"Alex, I have to talk to you" her firm voice came immediately after my realization, accompanied by Keira's respectful greeting. I wrapped my arms around the soldier's waist, but she tensed even more due to the proximity of her princess, so I decided to leave for good without hiding my annoyance. I looked at Zeyana with contempt, thinking of her cold and distant behavior that she had held towards me for the rest of the trip. Still, my curiosity prevailed: I made her understand that I would listen.

"We'll stop for a break" the princess said to the troop and I mentally prepared myself for the talk we'd have: probably it wasn't wrong to assume that she would include the topic "Keira" in the conversation and that it would be a scolding of some kind.

I couldn't bear that reproachful look that she had given me a few moments before communicating her decision to stop momentarily. Above all I hated her haughty attitude towards me. I had seen how vulnerable she could become, but I didn't recognize the other masks she must have been used to show to others: I was aware that Zeyana Voklanden was cunning, but many aspects of her were still unknown to me.

"Alex where are you going? "

When we stopped, I quickly dismounted, satisfied with my agility, and marched towards the woods, followed by the princess.

"I figured you wanted privacy! " I yelled to be sure of being heard clearly, even though Zeyana must have been close to me.

After walking a few meters towards the vegetation, sure that no one would hear us, I turned around, observing her impassive face, enjoying the silence that was preceding our conversation. I wanted to deny it but her beauty always caused unknown reactions in me: my heart's beating was fast and I was paying close attention to the words I said or the gestures I addressed to her; I wanted to have her full attention and, even if I wouldn't have admitted it out loud, I craved her touches.

"Alex what game are you playing at? "

I sighed, reclining against an oak trunk, feeling the pleasant sensation of hearing the vital whispers of the tree. I focused on my perception of the surrounding nature, she always calmed me, no matter where I was or what happened to me. By now I was linked to Nature and we couldn't be separated.

"I haven't allowed you to follow me to let you revel in my army and in my kingdom. If you think you can go around causing confusion because of your needs then you "! "

"What are you talking about?"

I approached her, furious because of her insults, and I saw her slightly surprised. Even if her words weren't as poisonous as those I had caught many times in the village, it still hurt me.

Her coldness made them even more bitter.

She treated me like a worthless person, I was a stranger to her, it could be possible that she regarded me as her pet!

I had never been so angry with anyone and unfortunately for the dear princess, when I got angry, I destroyed everything on my path!

" With that woman, Keira Mellarc... What are you up to? I saw how you behave around her, did you charm her with some spell? Or are you perhaps looking for your next prey to play with at night while you're bored?" Zeyana smiled wickedly, narrowing her eyes and showing how mean, irritating and hateful she could be. At that point I no longer held back my tongue: who did she think she was? She was neither my boss, nor did she have the right to tell me those things since she was the first one to use me to satisfy her wishes!

"What does it matter to you if I play with your soldier? Are you jealous princess? By chance since you had me that night you can't stop wanting me all to yourself..? I won't allow anyone to insult me ​​like this and get away with it! Get ready for hell darling, because I'll let you taste it"! "

I would have continued screaming those words against her annoying face, ready to summon some spirit to haunt her or call some storm or thunderstorm to make her electrocuted, but her hands had pushed me against the trunk that I had previously leaned on and had pressed her mouth on mine.

She was totally crazy.

The kiss was immediately aggressive and passionate; she took my breath away, but I couldn't resist her soft, sensual lips, especially since I really missed them. I let her hands roam my body and grabbed her hair with mine, gripping her locks to hurt her, to hear her pleasure"filled sighs.

"I am the person who will reward you for your work, who will pay you every time you do the tasks that I will assign you, therefore" and she began kissing my neck hard, biting my skin before continuing: "If sex is what you want, don't ever leave my tent."

I clung to her shoulders, holding back a groan as her fingers brushed my very much sensible area, between my legs, to tempt me. I had to admit that at that moment she was irresistible, with slightly red cheeks, with her hair a little tousled and her face contracted with her pleasure. How did we get to this if we wanted to tear ourselves apart? The more I spent time with her, the more I didn't understand myself and my reactions.

"You... you always wanted to have sex with a witch, right? "

"My desire ignited only after meeting a sensual and very fiery one" she smiled at me and left a last kiss on my lips.

I left my arms around her neck in a soft embrace and looked at her long lashes, her red lips consumed by our kisses and her unique and spectacular eyes. I was about to touch her beautiful hair, but I sensed a movement, a presence not far from us. I stepped away from the princess in a sudden gesture, but I tripped over a large root of the oak and lost my balance.

"What's wrong with you?" Zeyana had grabbed my arm and waist just in time, but if someone had seen us in that position, this wouldn't have helped our situation.

"Someone has seen us for sure! "

The princess looked up at the spot in the wood that I was pointing to with my hand, but she showed no sign of wanting to separate from me: my heart began to beat faster than normal due to the proximity to the princess and I didn't particularly like it…

I broke away and walked briskly in the direction of the fugitive, using my powers to figure out where they had gone. Nature managed to whisper the right direction in my ear, but when I came within ten meters of the soldiers posted, I saw Keira looking at a fixed point of emptiness, while she rubbed the muzzle of her horse.

Zeyana had followed me silently, probably looking curiously at my attitude with the surrounding vegetation: stroking trunks, plants, trampling the ground, I could easily get in touch with the life flow around me, but this didn't mean that I would always be helped by Nature.

"What were you doing..? "

"I was following the traces left by anyone who has seen us."

"Keira? "

"Did you see her?" I turned to the princess, amazed by her statement.

"I have been used to watching my back for years. This is nothing, moreover Keira doesn't have a very light step."

I remained silent, reflecting on the first words that had come out of her lips. I wasn't naive, I knew that especially at court things could be violent and rather grotesque: heirs fighting each other, murderers, attempted murders, false alliances, betrayals...

Zeyana seemed to me the kind of person who terrified opponents with just a simple glance and soon I'd witness it.

"Should I explain to Keira what happened? " I asked with uncertainty and the princess placed a hand on my shoulder, she brought her lips to my ear: "Should we? I will introduce you to court as my personal powerful sorceress and what we do in private shouldn't matter to anyone. Everyone will see you, everyone will see us, so it would be better if you get used to the attention they will reserve for you only for the fact that you are by the future empress's side."

"Future empress?! "

"How could they deny it to me?" She smiled at me, her gaze confident enough to make me believe that everything in her future was a certainty.

"You don't even know how powerful I am."

"You still have a week to show me that I've made the right choice by taking you with me" she said walking towards the encamped army. Her words left a bad taste in my mouth: I knew I was strong, I knew I could master magic like no other in my lineage, but would I be reckless enough once I got to the imperial court?

Just as announced by Zeyana, a few days later I was able to demonstrate my powers.

"What should we do? With the flood of the river the travel will get longer… we can't be late for the coronation ceremony."

I listened to some soldiers talking to each other as we waited for the princess's decision and wondered if it might be risky for me to unblock the passage without asking for permission.

Wait… That seemed to be the kind of thinking that a subordinate would have.

It was obvious that the situation was changing me and frustration was my motivation to move.

"Keira would you offer me your hand? "

"W"what? Ah yes, sorry..." Keira didn't really look like herself, but I still hadn't been able to wrest the truth from her lips. Was she jealous or just amazed at what was going on between me and her princess? However, by now I had lost every opportunity with her and I could not have made up for it with the soldier: I could no longer play the part of the innocent girl, prisoner of her enemies! But thinking about it, maybe I still had a chance.

"Thank you" I got off the horse and looked at Keira's clear eyes.

"I am afraid I have not been fair to you, I should have been more honest... Keira can I ask you the favor of hearing my words later, in private? I'd like to fix it somehow, of course if you'll let me."

"All right."

Keira looked really curious: she had an impassive expression but it was clear that she hadn't lost her shyness towards me. Her hand was as warm as ever, a warmth I didn't mind.

After reflecting on my decision, I looked up at the rather vast and impassable river in flood and I planned a quick fix that would prove to the princess that I deserved a chance. On the other hand, it was in my greatest interests to go to Atenarte and I couldn't miss the golden opportunity of looking for the Eye of Time directly in the imperial court.

I breathed deeply, placing myself on the river bank, hearing the stillness of the vegetation around me and the silence caused by the amazement of the soldiers. Still, the roar of the stream dominated my mind.

My hand soon touched the damp soil and a strong flow of magic ran through my body, encouraged me to dominate nature by its opening towards me: I reopened my eyes that I had closed, feeling a slight tremor coming from the ground; soon would appear the passage I had called, which I had longed to find.

When I met the princess's gaze, she was speechless, struck by amazement.

"Look! " exclaimed a soldier pointing to the river.

The surface of the water had been broken by a large mound of earth which, growing and expanding, created a natural bridge for the passage of the army. It wouldn't last long, but long enough for everyone to cross the river, plus I had to pay attention to the water that risked overflowing from the sides.

I felt the weight of that spell but didn't let it weigh too much on my shoulders, pretending to be fine and strong in front of others.

"Now we can move on."

The soldiers finally broke the silence and cheered me, starting the march when I walked a few meters to show the solidity of the natural bridge. I waited for the princess to arrive before following the group and smiled at her satisfaction: "So? What do you think about it? Am I fantastic enough? " I did not add the "for you" that was trapped between my lips.

"You deserve my favor from her" she said, holding out her hand covered by her white glove: she was wearing her beautiful armor and under the sparkling sun I wondered if it was strange to think she was as flashy as a deity. Her ocean eyes had never been so clear and bewitching, her hair looked like white gold.

We were so different.

I timidly accepted her help to get on her horse and settled behind her, amazed that she had decided to let me ride with her. I looked at Keira, not far from me, who seemed indifferent to what was happening.

"If you have to talk to her you can do it later, is it okay? " said the princess following my gaze. I grinned nodding and I brought my arms around her waist and my lips to her ear: "You didn't answer my questions though..."

We moved at a slow pace; it would take a few minutes to walk the entire natural bridge, but in this way I had time to discuss with Zeyana without having to worry about the attention that others were giving us.

"I must say that you amazed me... how is it possible that witches are hunted when you possess such a power? "

"I'm unique" I laughed weakly, but continued the speech more seriously: "My lineage had many particularly strong witches, but I'm the only one to have received the gift of being able to communicate with nature. Every woman in my family went through a ritual to awaken her powers, but it wasn't a success for all. And to answer your question, we too have... weaknesses."

"This is why they managed to get you? "

"You are way too direct. "

She remained silent.

I rested my head on her shoulder and closed my eyes thinking about the day they had taken me.