24

"I don't know either Sage, one thing I remember is that I wasn't in control of my body, " she replied and I felt disappointed because that wasn't the answer I wished for.

"I can't believe I didn't know you left, I am even more confused as to how the sorceress didn't know-

"She knew," the princess Interjected and I raised a brow. 

"What do you mean my princess?" I asked her but before she replied, someone entered the tent.

She looked old and miserable. I was able to tell that she was a sorceress because of the beads made of bones that she hung on her neck and wore on her wrist.

Both I and the Princess stared at her with curiosity written all over our faces, she went close to the princess first and walked around her, she took out a cylindrical container and opened it up.

I didn't know what it was at that moment but it contained a black powder that she blew into the air over and onto the Princess's face while she whispered words that neither of us understood.  

After she was done with the Princess, she stared at me and my whole body trembled as soon as our eyes Interlocked. She looked even scarier than I thought. She had a pointed nose just like I always imagined that a witch looked like, her skin peeled off and left a disgusting inner layer that made me nauseous as I stared at it.

When she got closer to me, I averted my gaze in disgust. I wanted to move away from her but couldn't since my hands were tied up. She touched my face and I found it repulsive when her fingers trailed down to my chin. I closed my eyes and shook my head from side to side until she took her hands off me.

I opened my eyes to see what she was doing and I saw her blow the black powder into the hair above me and onto my face, the powder smelt like petals from a flower and I sneezed when I inhaled it.

She walked away from me after that and stood in the middle of the tent, she turned around in circles and blew more of those powders into the air. Of all the words chants and spells she cast, the only thing I heard was, " Cattof-ma-brust" which at that time I had no idea what the spell was for.

It was the last thing she said before she left the tent and I only remembered it because to me I sounded like she said "cut off my breast" and I wasn't the only one who thought that because as soon as she left, the Princess turned to me and asked.

"Did she say 'cut off my breast?' 

" Yes I heard the same thing, who knows what she did," I said and bent my head in a way that my nose touched my shoulders and blocked out the smell from the powder.

Neither I nor the princess said anything after that, the silence was uncomfortable but I didn't want to start up a conversation or ask too many questions that may offend the princess.

While we waited for nothing in particular to happen, we heard footsteps from outside the tent, but the footsteps suddenly changed into clashing swords.

"What's going on?" The Princess asked, she already panicked and even I was afraid.

"Where is she?" I heard Adriel's voice from outside and both I and the Princess stared at each other simultaneously.

"In here, we are inside the tent!" 

I couldn't tell what went on outside there but I concluded that it was Adriel and Allesio out there fighting with the knights who guarded the entrance to the tent.

It didn't take so long and the fight ended after we heard a loud voice scream in pain and a person dropped to the ground, and we were afraid when we heard footsteps that came toward the tent.

The Princess and I stared at each other with fear written all over our faces as it got close until the shadow of two men formed at the entrance.

My heart skipped a beat when they barged in, even the Princess closed her eyes and tilted backward, but we heaved a sigh of relief when we saw that it was Adriel and Allesio.

But what shocked me was that they stood there, as if they couldn't see us, they turned around in different directions and didn't stare at us.

"Where are they?" Allesio asked and I and the Princess stared at each other again because we were confused.

"Is this some kind of joke!" The princess yelled at them but they didn't act as if someone spoke to them.

"They are not here, they must have sent someone to take them away before we got here, we have been tricked," Adriel said and threw his sword to the ground in anger and that was when I realized that they truly didn't see us.

"Do you think that was why that old lady blew that powder into the air? " The princess asked me and I nodded my head in agreement.

" Hey! We are here!" We screamed at the top of our voices but neither Adriel nor Allesio heard anything, and my heart sank to the bottom of my stomach when Adriel told Allesio,

"They are not here, let's go find them and fast," 

Tears that had already gathered up in the princess's eyes fell off as our only source of hope was about to leave.

"Wait!" Allesio stopped abruptly and turned around.

"What is it?" Adriel asked him.

"She is here, Sage is still here at this moment, I can sense her presence." He replied and my jaws dropped in astonishment.

"What are you even saying, you can sense her presence. Are you out of your mind Allesio?" Adriel roared at him.

" No sir I know what I am saying, she is here right now," he said.

" I can see that your love for her makes you imagine things, let's get out of here Allesio! " Adriel instructed but Adriel didn't pay attention to him, but walked closer to where I was.