The Inevitability of Fate

"What are you talking about commander?! Conspiracy against his Highness? Aiding of a Drakari? I am a KNIGHT, it is my job to serve the King and his Kingdom. I could never betray my Lord!"

Sweat ran down my forehead, and my eyes couldn't stay focused. I was completely furious and couldn't have cared less about his rank in that moment.

"And to top it all of you even make jokes in this situation? A Drakari? The race said to be as large as mountains and strong enough to wipe out whole cities?"

I shook my head vehemently, trying to make sense out of his words.

"They are merely a construct of human imagination, written down in fairy tales."

The knight didn't even deny it, he merely laughed it off while pressing his sword harder against my throat.

"Young lady, there are many things you are still unaware of and will be until the day you die. Of course you think its a fairy tale, most stories seem like fairy tales when we write them

down."

His voice was dripping with patronizing mockery as he slowly pointed toward the cave, smirking as if I was too slow to understand.

"But every tale has its own origin and are there for a reason. They are exaggerated versions of the truth made to be edible for the common folk. That includes the fairy tales about the Drakari."

He waits a moment to let his words sink in.

"And you, a so-called knight even aided and feasted with one."

My head started spinning and I felt dizzy. He could only be talking about Kaelan. And so many things started to make sense now.

The first time I saw him, he had wings so immensely large that they covered over half the cave.

He was able to grow scales on his body and was strong enough to carry a giant with a single arm.

My stomach turned around and I felt sick, as if I was about to vomit.

So he truly was a monster.

A monster from a race of lunatics whose sole purpose is to live and devour what ever happens to be near them.

And I even opened up to him like the fool I am. Calling a monster by its name, trying to sympathize with a demon.

My thoughts came to an abrupt end as I felt something flowing down my body.

I slowly put a finger on my throat, not even daring to breath.

It felt warm, was wet and slightly smelled like iron.

Blood..

I realized in that moment that this was neither a joke nor a mistake. These knights would kill me if I tried to resist.

This time around, I didn't have time to think about Kaelan, there are more urgent things to worry about.

I had been set up and I walked straight into that trap.

But who would gain something from imprisoning me?

I tried to recall the person who gave me this quest, the one I got my permission from.

I could remember that I planned to visit the King for backup.

But I decided to go by myself and act as a scout so that, at the time of my arrival, I would have the information needed and an ideal troop could be formed.

Even though going on my own with zero backup isn't not something I would do.

But I did just that.

Trying to remember what happened I start to dig through my memories. But it felt like a fog had been placed over certain parts.

And the things I could remember remained blurry.

My face grew pale and I realized something.

Someone had played around with my memory. And if not even I can remember what happened and what I did, then how could I hope to be spoken free?

I would be arrested, just like they said.

No, even if they called it arresting, conspiring against his highness is worth the guillotine.

I had been cornered and my only route out of this had been cut off.

Should I fight? Their forces are made up of 25 foot soldiers, 10 mages and a commander on their side.

And I was alone. I couldn't even trust in Kaelan who turned out to be a demon in disguise.

I could attempt to flee, but they have their blades pressed against my throat. I would just get beheaded.

Do I really have no choice? Will I die without having accomplished anything?

I haven't changed Bordertown's situation.

I couldn't even find the person I swore to kill.

The mere thought of him made my scar ache. The one who took everything, the one who gave me that disgusting scar on my neck.

I wanted to do all that, yet now I'm supposed to die in vain, here in a forrest, completly alone?

A tear rolled down my cheek, as a soft breeze whipped my silver hair into my face.

Why do I deserve this, what did I ever do?

Have I not been rightous?

Have I not done anything in my power to protect my people?

Why is the only fate that awaits the pure spirited, misery and an unfortunate fate?

What reason does fate have to spit us in the face, mocking us in the face of our goals?

Could I have lived a better life if I had been more selfish, instead of caring about the fate of others?

Suddenly blood rushed out of my mouth. I had bitten on my tongue, hard enough to draw blood.

The knights are shaking their head because they have never seen someone this desperate.

But I couldn't have cared less in that moment.

When have I started to be this cowardly, that I'm even blaming my fate right now?

Did I really just blame fate for my own weakness?

No, fate was never something created to merely be followed. It is a navigation, showing you a way that may or may not be good for you.

We humans have always defied our fate.

From having mere sticks and rocks, to the the advanced species we are now.

We survived and adapted, getting even further than we could've ever imagined.

No, I won't die. Not today.

There is no glory in death, but there there is honor in survival, it doesn't matter how unhonorable it was to get it.

I will fight for my survival and if its the last thing I do.

My left hand slowly slid down, while I kept acting like a crying maiden in distress.

I could faintly hear the grumbling and talking of that knight but that was the perfect chance to cover up the noise I made.

The moment my hand touched the hilt, I infused Soulessence in Vaelor to sharpen it and cut through the sheath, right into the stomach of a suprised knight.

I kick him far away and immediatly fall on my knees to dodge the swordslash of the commander.

"You've chosen to attack a troup of knights and mages? You are truly are the offspring of that filthy woman"

He sighed and stabbed his sword into the Ground.

"We will now fulfill our sacred mission, given to us by the Queen."

His voice got deeper and louder as he shouted his command

"Soldiers, she has right now taken the life of a brother in arms and with that lost any privilege she had as a former Baroness. Bring her to me, Dea-"

But he couldn't finish his sentence because he had to dodge my attacks. The fight had already started.

I aim at his throat, trying to behead him, but he blocks my attacks with little to no difficulty.

"What made you think you can take on a whole troup by yourself. You won't even get passed me"

He threw me back, and as I looked up, I saw the sword gleaming in the moonlight. With a swift motion, he aimed a downward slash at me.

I barely blocked it with Vaelor, though that didn't even give me time to breath.

Two knights came from each side, trying to pierce through me while I was already going over my limits holding myself against the commander.

And if I now somehow dodged them and got out of that situation, the mages at the backline would start to use their magic.

Has my time finally come? Because I know very well, no matter how often I keep saying I will survive, reality won't change to my taste.

But I had to try everything in my power. The last thing I will do is to die without even trying.

If I'm not strong enough than I will just have to use more Soulessence to make up for it.

I close my eyes and completly focus on the glowing hot Arc within my body.

It was palpable, my Arc was at its limit. No wonder, I had been using it constantly the last few days, without taking time to regenerate it.

But my body could complain later. Right now, I had to stay alive.

Pulling at my Arc I tried sucking out as much soulessence as I could until it was completly burned out.

Yet I kept pulling, trying to get more and more. Then without warning, a flow made of soulessence coursed through my body.

However my Arc was still burned out, where did all this soulessence come from?

That was when I felt it. A second Arc, double the size of my other one was producing soulessence and it was right next to the first one.

In an instant flames as purple as my gaze erupted from my skin, almost like something laying dormant finally awakening.

Every fiber in my body was screaming as I got stronger.

Overwhelmingly much stronger, so much that this doesn't even feel like my body anymore.

Instinctivly, my hand reaches out towards the left knight as my flames already start engulfing his body, his scream filled with despair tearing through the silence, as my flame devours him whole.

The commander looks down on me, a mocking grin spreading across his face.

"The Witch is finally showing her true colors. You're really just as foolish as your mother was"

My eyes trembled, fully bloodshot as vains on my forehead started visibly pulsing like they were about to burst.

Before I know, my hand is already grabbing after his throat, my flames trying to engulf him whole.

"Don't ever speak about my mother with that disgusting mouth of yours"

But instead of burning like the knight did, my flames extinguished immediatly.

I had been focused on my anger so much that I didn't notice the thin layer of water covering his whole body.

He grabbed me by the head and lifted me up like a doll and started laughing.

"What are you going to do about it?"

I grab after Vaelor and try to stab into his hand but he simply grabs after my wrist.

Craack

I had never felt more intense pain than now

"AGHHHH, FUCK YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE"

My hand loosened and let go of Vaelor. It was just hanging at my side, not being able to move my hand.

Suddenly his fist grabbed a handful of my hair and forced me to look at him. He didn't even look human anymore. Just a demon making fun of his prey

"You want to know how your mother was? She was despicable, a thing more pathetic than a rat growling in filth. She died the way she lived: worthless and alone with no one at her side."

I felt like vomitting, it was as if I someone had punched my stomach. The longer I was forced to hear his voice the more sick I felt.

Why am I this weak that I can't even fight against a single commander? 

I couldn't even defend the honor of my mother, nor can I stop him from talking. 

Tears ran down my cheek while the commander ordered the mages to attack.

Magic came from all sides and all I could do is stay there as dozens of spells flew at me.

My armor broke, my back froze and shattered.

Blood sprayed all across the area, painting the battlefield in the red color of my blood.

Has it been minutes or even hours?

At one point my eyes had turned glassy and I couldn't even feel my body anymore. It sounded like the attacks had stopped but I couldn't be sure.

The commander smiled, satisfied with the result and throws me to the ground, not without spitting at my face one last time.

Beaten and broken, humiliated and disgraced.

And all I could do in the face of such certain death was to let out a hollow, bitter laugh.

'So the last thing I will see in my life, is a knight more despicable than any beast I have ever met.'

I closed my eyes, accepting my fate

"Who dares to disrupt my rest?"