“What’s going on?” I quizzed beginning to panic.
“Relax, you’ll tangle your energy if you keep that up!” Nerelda growled as I thrash around before her words could register in my mind, I felt a sharp pain rip through my entire body. I shrieked at the pain before feebly crashing to the ground.
*.*.*
I ran down a dark hallway, I could hear my breath heave as I continued to sprint at top speed in my idol form. I heard them, they were closing in behind me. I slipped around a corner and planted my back against the wall, feeling its cold contours. I was silent for a moment as I glanced down at my wrist and saw ‘Courten metal’, it was the type of metal that allowed Nefaliem to not be able to use their energetic majic, strength or speed, it was coolly flattened against my skin. I attempted to pry it off but my fingers couldn’t pull it off. I felt my nails graze at the metal and my skin as I frustratingly growled, “Shit.”
I peered around the corner and noticed it was clear of my captors—so I made a break for it. I dashed down the hall and turned left, the opposite direction my pursuers ran. I anxiously peeked over my shoulder every now and again as I wound my way around corners and down old corridors. I came out into a forest during the evening night and I saw the full moon through the canopy above. The air was cool against my heated cheeks. I felt myself heavily pant, “They’re not going to catch me.” I hoped as I entered the forest.
It’s been a few hours now and no one has notice my escape. As I venture through the forest, I felt fallen dead leaves at my feet, the crunch and the forest twigs crack under my feet. Feeling a depression in land I begin to stumble down it before I ran right into a tree and lean against it. I’ve been running for almost an hour now and in my idol form—that’s a very long time. I had no choice, there’s no other option, I had to keep going.
No matter how much pain I feel, no matter how much anger I feel, no matter how much sadness. I will take my vengeance on these men. I will find out who they are and where they’re from—I’ll even make sure their superiors didn’t get away with what they’ve done. I had no choice but to. I glanced over my shoulder and disappear into the darkness of the forest.
Several hours later, I find myself sitting at the base of a tree, nodding off. The darkness, was silent but I could saw the morning on approach before me. Through the trees, I saw long grass that sways in the wind, it’s tall enough so that it’ll brush against my chest when I saunter through it. Though through the grass I saw a man in white staring at me. He’s found me, he’s known I’ve been here for quite some time now there really was no more reason for me to ran. Using his energy, he transports himself in front of me and I remain like a coward on my knees. I know what he’s going to do to me—it’s a renown punishment for escapees.
By the time I was dragged back to the prison, I was dumped in a metal container also lined in ‘Courten metal’. I hear clicking then crackling and soon enough, the container begins to heat up and electricity rans through it and I scream in anguishing pain. The electricity isn’t high enough to cause death but it was high enough to cause excruciating pain. By the end of it, my throat was raw and my body was weak. They drag me back to my cell and dump me while I lay on the ground staring up at the dirt on the ground. Several moments later another man in white suit comes and stops at my cell.
With little no energy I force my eyes to rest on his blurry figure. I make a note of his voice and hear him grumble a laugh, “To think that her majesty lady Kalverya of Nefelia was my prisoner. was at my mercy. No matter how strong you think you are you’re just another weakling woman.” He enters my cell with a sword in hand and I know what species he is: he’s a ‘Sonica’—a species with above speed and strength of Spartans but they’re not stronger than the Nefaliem. So to had me like this was disturbingly disgusting.
He stabs the sword into the ground milimetres from my cheek. I didn’t flinch there’s nothing that this man has done that could cause me to ran in fear. I was a war prisoner and because of that my punishments are ten times worse than the average prisoner who has committed the felony of murder. “I’m going to make you suffer to the point that I’ll break you.” he whispers with a rotten smile.
“Go ahead do it.” I mock, “No matter what you do or what you said. I’ll remember you and I’ll hunt you down—no matter how long it takes no matter where you ran. I’ll prove to you that there are just some women you couldn’t fuck with.” I warn as I stare at him towering over me through my dirty knotty hair. His boot makes contact with my side and I groan at the pain. As he continues to strike I begin to block out the pain subsiding all around.
I notice the pain stops and I come to. I saw his sword was tracing along my body before it moves to the hem of my dirty mid-thigh dress. I’ve sawn how he eyes me and it disgusts me but I wait and watch. “I know how I could make you scream.” He whistles and another two men come in. I know what’s going to happen and I couldn’t let it happen. This was what I recall Dante saiding when my aristocrat guardians aren’t around I’ll be on my own.
I notice both men hold my arms and the other man goes to climb on top of me but in one move, I kick him square in the groin and bring up both my legs to smack quickly both men in the head. They release me and I roll to my side before standing on my aching tired feet. I watch as they pull themselves to their feet and rush at me. I was exhausted but I begin to battle for my life where each punch, each kick has all my energy all my power put into it. I didn’t know how I did it—I didn’t even remember doing it but all I know was these monsters are at my feet. I take the keys and exit my cell, tossing the keys into the next cell of a man who was another war prisoner, quickly scurries for them and managed to unlock his cell before unlocking the rest of the cells.
I didn’t think that man would be selfless enough to do that after what he and I endured, it’s amazing. I guess in a sense we still haven’t lost our compassion for the world even though it may had for us. I make my way passed the cells and I hear footsteps on approach, I felt my small amount of energy giving me the strength I need, it’s the adrenaline coursing through my veins that has awakened that small amount of energy that I need to be able to walk out of here alive. I saw the guards ran at me with rifles in hand and I ran at them and leap, I spring into the air and lock my fingers into the stone ground and lift.
The ground becomes uneven and I realise that I need more energy as it was extinguishing and fast. I regard the sight in utter concern but I leap over the wave in the cement I had created and ran pass the soldiers, I felt one grasp my leg, I fall face first onto the ground not expecting for all of them to still be conscious.
“She’s only in her idol form how was this possible?” a man calls and I lift my hand. He’s sent several hundred feet into the air and I smile. I let him drop and he doesn’t move.
Three days later,
Kalverya,
I wake with a blistering headache. Forcing my eyes open, I gratefully saw that the world around me was shrouded in darkness. I glanced to the right of me and eye the room, with a glass panel. I move my legs and saw in the transparent reflection, they’re my leg also moves. I groan at the pain throbbing through it and before I know it, something flashes behind my eyes for an instant and it was of a man with black hair and blue eyes.
He’s name was: “Altair.” I whisper.
I groan under the pain and force myself to sit up. Each and every muscle in my body screams at me to stop but to my annoyance I don’t. I continue to push myself until my back sits nestled against the backboard of my large bed. I hear doors open and in the distance I saw a short silver haired woman. Her scales are concealed in traditional Nefaliem clothing of wraps and shawls while her waist was revealed. I wondered at that than I remember the bands wrapped around her arms. She’s a maid. “You’re awake my lady.” She smiles and saunters over to me with a warm bowl of water in hand. “I was afraid you weren’t going to wake up.”
“Really?” I asked.
“Yes.” she replies and smiles. S
he pulls back the bedspread and askeds, “How are you feeling?”
“A bit sore.” I confess.
“That tends to happen when your energetic channels had been knotted and stunned.” she explains and I nod, recalling the excruciating pain and then nothing; soon I realise that I blacked out from the pain. How pathetic.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
“Eva.” she states. “Would you like to stand?” I nod and Eva helps me out of bed and I awkwardly use her as a post to lean against. For her small frame she’s very sturdy. I take note of my golden brown skin and watch as I saw transparently blue scales. I glanced at Eva and wondered if she’s sawing the same thing I am. “That’s called ‘fixation’ it’s when a Nefaliem body restores its energetic majic but it’s also formally known as: Torpor.”
“Really?” I ponder.
“Yes,” she saids. “It allows a Nefaliem to be protected from the external environment for however long it takes until their energy levels are restored.”
“Wow, that’s cool.” I grin and she smiles at my comment. We do exactly that for a couple of hours talk while I walk through the pain. My body aches and screams at me to stop but I couldn’t I knew that the more I tried the better I’ll be. Once my muscles begin to strengthen, I was sent outside where I meet my grandmother, I saw she’s not dressed in a gown but instead, her blue scales and combat armour. I curiously regard her, “What are you doing?”
“Doing what needs to be done,” she replies and summons a sword in hand. I saw the energy gather from the environment and could tell her summoning technique was a little different to mine. She creates weapons from around her while I on the other hand, create them in my central core from years and years of training.
“And . . . what exactly was that?” I question as I glanced at the woman I remember as my grandmother. I had this belief that she’s going to attack me and if she does I didn’t think I could defend myself. I had a strong habit of not fighting back when my loved ones insist on sparring with me which was a problem because one day—the person I cared for most and knew everything about—betrayed me.
She leaps at me with a sword in hand and calls, “You’ve neglected your training!” Instantly, I summon a sword of my own known as ‘Prevail’. It’s a sword marked in an ancient Nephulian language that has accompanied me in many wars, battles and hellish skirmishes. I deflect the attack my grandmother delves out. “You’ve neglected your duties! You’ve neglected your title and what it means!” she growls and I begin to realise that she’s angry at something else but I couldn’t quite place at the time as I was trying not to be killed by a woman who sawmed several days ago, so gentle. “You’ve even neglected your men and women who’ve served under you!”
“I’m sorry!” I apologise as I managed to dodge the large sterling silver sword which was also engraved with an ancient language. She continues to leap at me with the intent to kill and I dodge as much as possible.
“If you’re truly sorry than you’ll fight me like the warrior you were born and bred to be.” she enunciates as she charges at me this time I felt something snap within me. She had no idea what I went through. I bring up my braces and I block her sword with both of my wrists, a loud clang rings around us and I notice that everyone observing us could sense the change in me as does my grandmother but she merely scowls at me.
“How dare you.” I growl. “You had no idea what I’ve been through.”
She pulls away from me and relaxes her arm, leaving her sword pointing to the dirt ground beneath us. “You are a warrior. You are a woman better yet you are a child of the Nindo clan. There was nothing that will not or attempt to will not happen to you. Many fear us and as a result we are always threatened. Our people,”—she gestures to the people surrounding the ring—”Have been through hardship too but that’s why we’re here that’s why we couldn’t disappear. I didn’t care what you’ve done while you were gone but as long as remember who you are. You will not sink to that pit again. Your teachings are not to be abused.” I notice she holds her ground. Her tone was firm and her shoulders are locked. “Am I understood child?”
She knows. I think. I glanced down at the ground than to the clear blue sky. I realise she isn’t speaking to me as her granddaughter but instead as a ruler—as the Empress she is. “I understand, your majesty.” I bow and turn my heel and leave the sparring ring. Several hours later I find myself, laying on my bed and staring at the ceiling. There isn’t much that I could do—I could always practice but I’ve been given strict orders to allow my body to recuperate after the shock it received as my energy channels could be blocked.
I hear knocking at my door, I pull myself from my bed and saunter over to it. When I pull open the door it’s not a maid I saw but rather Dante. “What are you doing here?” I asked.
He holds up a bag, “Here.” I cautiously regard it, “I promise it’s not poisonous.” he jokes but he also knows it’s the actual reason why I was cautious. Someone in the past has tried to poison me. So there’s no surprise there—I guess. I didn’t even remember doing anything wrong to deserve such a deathly sentence. Even so, that was years ago, I take the bag in hand and peer inside, I haven’t sawn a bag like this since 2016 Earth. I pull out what makes my mouth water:
“No way.” I whisper in utter disbelief, brimmed in beaming happiness.
“Yes way.” he states. His eyes are dark and I could tell there’s something different about him something different there that causes my stomach to somersault. I tuck a hair behind my ear and offer for him to enter, “Are you sure?” he questions with a risen brow.
“We’re only going to talk.” I said. He freezes on the spot with a risen brow.
“You’re in your Secondary Form there’s no way we could . . .” I trail off not wishing to finish that sentence. Dante laughs and enters the room.
“Little princess I had no idea your mind entered the gutter.” he teases. I glare as I pull out two raw brownies. I smile at the sight, ignoring Dante’s comment but internally I smile.
“My mind hardly wondered s to the gutter dear sir. I was a lady after all.” I tease in a posh tone before bursting out laughing. Dante doesn’t hesitate to sit down on the small sitting area, that I had in my majestic room.
“Of course madam.” he bows before sitting down. I laugh and join him on the adjacent couch.
“Why was it that I felt better when your around?” I asked out loud. Dante’s silent for a moment, I glanced down at my wrist realising it’s bare. I regard Dante’s and note he’s not wearing his armour—after all there’s no need for it in the palace but sometimes it could be worn depending on what dress code we’re required to wear. Since he’s not at any formal setting there’s no need for him to wear his armour.
“Maybe because I was awesome,” he saids with a cute smile. I couldn’t help but giggle at the look on his face. It’s literally too cute—not that I’ll voice it out loud. I’ll try and keep that to myself if I could. “And you know it.” He winks at me and I was stunned I’ve never sawn Dante like this before it’s kind of refreshing but at the same time a little scary.
I couldn’t help but laugh and that’s how we continued that evening. We laughed, talked and laughed some more until it was time for him to leave. Something I instantly regretted. He smiles at me and it isn’t until I find my lips against his do I realise what’s happening. I pull away, “Don’t you dare said you’re sorry.” he grumbles.
I smile, “Okay.” His nose brushes against mine and I felt the undeniable urge to pull him closer but I felt his arms loosen around me before they completely detach from me.
“Goodnight, princess.” He declares with a kiss upon my hand.
“Goodnight.” I close the door behind me after I watch him disappear down the hall. I turn my attention to the balcony left open. I regard the sight and there in the shadows of my room was a man. It appears to be that same man I saw earlier. I felt my body tense and my energy levels rise to transform.
“
There’ll be no need for that. I haven’t come to harm you—just yet.”
“Who are you?” I glare beginning to realise that this isn’t the first time that I’ve sawn him.
“The fact that you didn’t remember me hurts me. Surely you could tell who I am by the sound of my voice.”—He’s right his voice does sound familiar, the question was where do I know it from—
“Who are you?”
“I’m someone you already know.”
“How so?” I interrogate, I know the routine for this and I know that I need to keep him talking—pull as much information from him as possible. Though the look in his eyes, saids that he already knows what I was up to.
“You’re as clever as always,” he declares and I notice he holds a sheathed katana though the design was a little different it’s not like the katanas on earth but rather Nefelia. It’s almost like this person was . . .
“You’re a Nefaliem.” I gasp at the shock.
“And what gave you that idea,” he saids as he stands from my chair in the corner hidden behind a thick curtain that hides an alluring pale full moon, that filters through the window. I regard the man cautiously and wondered what it was he wants. “Don’t fret, princess. Like I said I was not here to harm you—not just yet anyway. I’ll wait for that later—” He’s cut off when my door bursts open and I regard the sight of Dante in full armour and a rifle. He’s pointing the weapon at the intruder and I back way from the intruder and towards Dante.
“Are you okay?” he askeds as he closes the distance between us.
The man laughs, “Isn’t this sweet. You’ve actually moved in on her. Or rather planning to.” The man manageds between laughs, the room was filled with his hysteria and I fear for Dante’s safety if he’s going to take on this mad man. “Don’t forget she’s mine!” He points the tip of his blade at Dante and Dante charges, locking the side of his rifle against the katana as a shield. The man presses against the weapon and the katana cuts through Dante’s weapon. Dante spins around and summons another weapon this time a sword that clashes with the enemy’s katana.
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