Daighte

 

Chapter One

 

   The storm was rumbling in the skies, turning the thick clouds black and getting ready to unleash its full, unrelenting power onto the forgiving people who lay underneath the hills that the kingdom and palace of the Zardonov’s sat on.

   Watching from her bedroom, Princess Anya Zardonov held an expression on her face that one would not expect to see from a Princess. She had sympathy and longing. Sympathy for all the people who were all trying to find shelter away from the Storm of Heinodis and she held longing because she wanted to be out there helping them.

   It was September and the storm came every year for as long as anybody could remember. There was nobody alive that could remember a time when there was not a deadly storm hovering above them, ready to strike at its unwilling victims.

   The door leading into her bedroom creaked open and distracted Anya from her own thoughts. “Anya?” Her mother caught her attention as she came further into the room and closed the heavy, wooden door behind her softly.

   With her maroon coloured hair up into a tight bun at the back of her head, Anya’s mother appeared older at first glance. Katerina Zardonov was an extremely beautiful woman but with the recent changes around the palace, Katerina and her husband Demyan were under a great amount of stress and it was starting to appear in Katerina’s appearance.

   “Yes mother?” Anya replied as she climbed down from the bay window she was sat in and placed herself beside her mother on the chaise longue.

   With a heavy sigh, she looked at her daughter, “Your grandfather is throwing a party for tonight, so I came to tell you that you must be ready in two hours.” Seeing Anya’s face fall at the mention or her grandfather was one of the main reasons for the extra stress lines.

   “Do I have to attend?” Anya questioned although she already knew the answer – yes. At any other time of the year she could use the excuse that she was out in the Zafiro faction where she and her sister were ambassadors with their Aunt Elena but during the Storm under no circumstances were any part of the Royal family allowed off the premises and therefore she did not have an excuse.

   “I am sorry Anya but you are second-in-line for the throne and showing your face will benefit the family a great deal.” Katerina placed her arm around Anya’s shoulders and she leant into her mother just like she had done on many occasions before.

   Anya and her mother had a very precious relationship that Anya held dear to her heart. Her mother was probably one of her biggest role models along with her grandmother Olga. With female role models, Anya was not short of them however, with male role models, she really only had her father. Her uncle Ivan lived in a smaller palace in the kingdom but he was always so busy that she only ever saw him at important family parties and meals.

   “I know mother,” Anya breathed through the comfortable silence. “You need to rest more,” she informed her as she glanced upwards at her.

   Katerina rolled her eyes, “Wait until you and your husband are in my position, you will understand that sometimes there is not a time to simply rest.”

   The word husband scared Anya more than she thought it would. “Mother, I honestly thought Mikhail would be my husband,” the once fond smile that accompanied that name fell short and was replaced with a grim look.

   “We all did honey but think of it this way, he would have been King and I am more than sure that having ‘cowardice’ in your personality is a definite no-no when listing the traits of a good King,” her mother advised – again. When he broke her daughter’s heart, Demyan had to stop her from going round and breaking his neck. It should have been the other way but Katerina was very maternal and that is the only time she has contemplated murder.

   Anya laughed, “It feels like he sat me down on that very bed and told me it was over yesterday and not two years ago,” she admitted.

   “Well, if you ask me you got out of that one lucky,” her mother winked at her daughter and clambered to her feet and striding over to her vast wardrobe that was full of an arrangement of different coloured, beautiful dresses. “So, which one you wearing for tonight?”

   Fashion was something that Anya and Katerina had in common, unlike Anya’s sister Lara who detested fashion, Anya loved it. There was a dressmaker in the Pepino faction named Alexandra Polzin and in exchange for her making the Royal dresses, she and her husband was invited to all the huge parties, something which was a rarity for someone living in the Pepino faction.

   Anya stood next to her mother as she thumbed her way through them, “I think I am going to go for the white and blue dress that Alex made for me a few months ago,” she pondered as she held it out in front of her with a loving smile on her face. “Oh yes, I do believe this is the dress.”

   Katerina placed a hand on Anya’s shoulder and nodded her head approvingly, “That is a wonderful dress!” She exclaimed.

   The dress was floor length – like all dresses were as females were not allowed to show their legs or wear trousers – it was a dark blue which matched her eyes with white panelling down the side and on the bodice.

   “If any handsome suitors turn up tonight, you are going to knock them away,” Katerina giggled excitedly but at the thought of any suitors being there, Anya was left horrified.

   “What happens if I fall on my face again?” Anya gasped at the memory, she had never been so embarrassed than she was at that one point. Not only was he hot as sin but Mikhail was there to see the whole thing. She was trying to make him jealous and instead looked like a complete idiot in front of all her family and friends.

   Katerina let out a short laugh, “It won’t,” she promised.

      Turning serious, Anya placed the dress back into the wardrobe and let out a frustrated groan, “Mother, I am twenty-seven which means I am thirty soon, what if I have not found a husband by then?”

   “Do not worry about that,” Katerina told her at once with a stern look upon her face. “I will not let my eldest daughter marry one of the power-hungry old men who hang around your father. You will be married before you are thirty and it will be to someone you love.”

   “I do hope so,” Anya wondered aloud.

      “But, and I am saying this with a huge but, if you have not found a husband, I will make sure he is at least young and good-looking so if he is boring at least you will have something nice to look at,” Katerina teased.

   “You are wicked mother!” She cried with a giggle. Her mother had always been hilarious but the whole husband thing had been at the front of her mind since she turned twenty-five and refused to move and Anya knew it would not until she found someone she loved.

   “Okay, I need to go and see your father and tell Lara about the party so I will see you down there. I will send Sophie up when it is time to come down,” she gave her daughter a kiss on the cheek before disappearing out of the room and leaving Anya to her own thoughts once again.

   A loud crack came from outside and now that the room was silent, the noise was louder than it ever could have been. The storm was starting to build up and it made Anya more agitated as she sat back in the window and placed her head against the cool window which was calming despite the struggles everyone outside was going through.

  

                                                           ***************

 

   With her maroon hair in a luxurious bun at the back of her head and the tiara that she had inherited from her ancestor Anastasia Zardonov, the first Queen in the Zardonov Dynasty and the blue and white dress with white heels, she carefully and slowly made her way into the huge room that was already full with people.

   The band that consisted of a pianist, violinist and other musicians was in the corner of the room playing a beautiful piece of music that was like heaven to her ears.

   As she made her way to the bottom of the marble staircase, Anya could smell the distinct smell of champagne, a drink Anya enjoyed a great deal. The bubbles generally went straight to her head and made her feel a little woozy and being at this party and in the direct presence of her grandfather required at least three glasses of the drink.

   In Daighte, you had to be twenty-four years old before you drank champagne or wine – the only two alcoholic drinks allowed. There was another concoction that the poorer people drank called cider but it was banned.

   Anya also saw a few of the Frambuesa fairies floating around, letting their red aura flutter behind them as they filled glasses and kept everyone protected. Seeing them working so hard made Anya wince. She knew that was down to her grandfather abusing their power and she felt worse about herself for it. They were supposed to be following out genuine jobs such as keeping the island jail of Anceps protected, not filling glasses of champagne.

   “Anya!” Viktoriya, her childhood friend greeted as she made her way towards her with a glass of champagne in each hand, “Here you go.”

   “Thank you,” Anya told her and took a large gulp. “I did not know you would be here tonight,” she admitted.

   Viktoriya rolled her eyes, “Of course I was going to be here!” She laughed, “Besides Adlige Evgeny Chuchin is here and he is cute.”

   “I knew there would be a real reason,” Anya laughed with her eyes squinted in suspicion before taking a smaller sip of her drink. “So, who else is here?”

   The two girls began discussing potential suitors and catching up on the events of the week both women had dealt with and before long talk had turned onto the inevitable storm.   

   “Where are you staying?” Anya asked her.

      “I think my father mentioned that we were staying here for the duration of the storm,” Viktoriya smiled and Anya squealed in delight. She did not care that she was nearly thirty years old, seeing her friend was like a luxury and hearing that she was staying in the same palace she was confined to for four weeks was like a blessing.

   Clinking their glasses together the ladies took the last sip of their drinks. “Do you want another?” Anya wondered as she held her glass up in indication.

   “Sure, I’ll just call one of the fairies-” Anya cut her off.

      “-No, they are already working too hard, I have legs I will just go and fill them up myself,” She smiled before plucking Viktoriya’s glass from her tan hands and taking herself across the busy room to where a bartender was stood behind a small bar to the left of the room.

   As she was pushing through the people she recognised one of her mother’s friends so she de-toured away from the bar to say hello but their conversation peaked her attention first.

   “-So, I was hearing that the King held the party to celebrate the coming storm,” she whispered to her friend.

   “No!” The other girl gasped. “That is a little inhumane, do you not think?”

      “Oh I definitely do think,” she agreed. “If I had known I would not have come, there are people out there suffering.”

   At that point, Anya thought it to be wise that she stepped into the conversation, “So, what is this party being held for?”

   Her mother’s friends looked startled at her forced inclusion into their conversation and none of them were as forthcoming as before. “Princess Anya,” Marfa finally spoke up and Isidora soon greeted her the same way.

   Leaning in closer, Anya whispered, “I was being serious. What are the rumours? I promise I will not tell my grandfather or anyone else.”

   With her trusting nature, the two older women told Anya about how the party the King Brokova had thrown, which to most people seemed impromptu was actually to celebrate the storm of Heinodis that was going to touch down on Daighte at anytime now. The thought made Anya feel sick to the bone but she also believed them and was not surprised, in recent years this was one of the tamer things her grandfather had done.

 

 

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2: Daighte: Chapter Two

Chapter Two

 

   During the night, Heinodis had started and the constant streams of rain against the palace and the high whistles of the wind were distracting and had kept Anya up all night.

   Staying up when she was already tired was just another annoyance to Anya but it also gave her enough time to plan out what she was going to say to her grandfather.

   When she was a little girl running around the castle, Anya doted on her grandfather and would not hear a bad word said against the man but as she grew older and became more involved in what happened around the lands, especially when she started her training to become Queen. The rights of the fairies and helping the extreme poor in the Zafiro faction were just two of the causes she became passionate about but it was through this that she discovered how brutal a man he was.

   One could argue that his old age was making him crazy and it certainly was a factor but that did not excuse the manner in which he executed, figuratively and literally, his plans. He just did them without blinking or caring. He was holding onto the throne with a steel grip and he was not going to let go soon and with that came paranoia, a devastating consequence of holding onto a crown.

   But last night, having a party despite the hundreds of people who were outside and forced to take cover in their badly made houses was cruel and do it in celebration of the storm that would take someone’s parents away from them was downright vicious. It was also during the night where she was kept awake, that she decided she was going to confront her grandfather at breakfast about his actions and make him explain them.

   She had never confronted him head on before, she had also gone behind the scenes and encouraged people to join groups in which they could help their faction and they had always been peaceful but now, she felt that he had gone one step too far.

   Climbing down from the window, her feet felt toasty and warm against the under-floor heating which were provided by the fairies to maintain the flames of the mini fires and changed into her daytime wear, which consisted of a beige bodice with sleeves and an olive green skirt. She placed her feet into the matching green flat shoes that were made by the goblin Ugo who was a great friend of the family, well he was before he was sent to Anceps like the rest of the goblins.

   Although most goblins were cruel creatures, Ugo was an exception and when her grandfather sent him away in May she felt horrible. She had confided so much in the creature and he made beautiful items with his limited powers but when he was taken she felt guilty because she knew she could have done more to save him and she didn’t.

   Not angering her grandfather and letting him on to what she was doing was one request that her grandmother and parents begged of Anya and she had always listened to them. Before last night, she would never have even tried doing what she was going to do this morning but now she had this fire burning in her, just waiting until it can be truly lit up and when she see’ her grandfather it will have its chance.

   Out in the hallway of the palace, she wandered the two doors down before knocking on the door to make herself known and wandered in without waiting like usually.

   Before she could see her sister, she heard her mumbling to someone, thinking it was her servant she stepped into the room fully. “Lara…Oh my wonder!” Her hands were clasped over her eyes and she was frozen on the spot.

  Slowly uncovering her eyes, Anya could not believe what she was seeing. Her sister Lara with one of the servant boys. Her sister. And a servant boy. She was against the high class – low class divide and believed anyone could marry whomever they desired but seeing her sister in a compromising position was more than shock.

   Her sister was also courting Adlige Rovchov Tabinski and he would call off the arrangement as soon as he caught wind and he was very influential in Daighte, if he spread rumours that Lara was somewhat, spoiled her reputation would be ruined and so would hers. 

   Composing herself in a more lady-like manner she pointed at the boy, “Name.”

      He found his shirt at the end of the bed and pulled it over his bare chest before letting out a rather loud cough and avoiding Anya’s eye contact. “Andrei. Andrei Dubinsky, Miss. Zardonov.” He stuttered and Anya ignored the way he basically insulted her with calling her Miss. Zardonov. Sure, she was not too bothered but if he spoke like that to anyone else in the palace, he would have his eyeball taken out.

   “I would use our proper titles next time.” She advised almost coldly. “Now get your pants on and get going, if I see you with my sister again I shall have you sacked and shamed.” It was for her sister’s own good. If she wanted to see Andrei she had to call it off with Rovchov. There was to be no adultery going on.

   Once he had messily got his pants on, he almost ran from the room and Anya cautiously stepped closer to her sister whose eye contact she had avoided. “What were you thinking?” She asked her sister in a low voice.

   When Lara did not reply, Anya glanced up at her to see there were tears falling down her cheeks. “I shall not apologise,” she whispered. “I love him.”

   “Why did you not at least tell me?” Anya was hurt, she told her sister everything. She believed that they had a special connection but now she did not know what to think but she felt incredibly unsure about the situation concerning her grandfather now. She wanted to sit with her sister and get all the details on this relationship of sorts but she needed to go to breakfast, not confronting her grandfather this morning will mean that the whole thing will have lost its importance when she brought it up at a later date.

   Lara shuffled forward on the bed and for Anya’s sake she still had her corset on. Passing Lara a nightdress, she threw it on over her head in one, quick movement and sat beside her elder sister and could not keep still.

   Anya became frustrated, “Are you coming to breakfast this morning?” She can speak to her sister later in the day. This was more important than her sister’s secret affair.

  She shook her head and Anya let out a huge breath. “I am not going to give you a lecture, yet. But I am going to say this, how could you be so reckless? Anybody could have wondered in just then! You are lucky it was me.” Anya was frustrated with not just her little sister but also herself. She felt horrible that she could not confide in her.

   “I am sorry,” Lara finally spoke in her soft voice.

      Just before Anya wandered out of her door, she faced Lara. “I’ll tell mother and father that you have a headache,” and with that she shut the door behind her and prepared herself for the huge shouting match that was sure to come her own way and by the end of it, if Lara did not have a headache she surely would.

   Sitting herself down at the table across from her cousin Eduard, she turned to face her mother, “Lara has a terrible headache and will not be joining us this morning.” She informed her in a calm voice and her mother gave Anya an odd look, knowing that normally when one of the sisters was ill they would stay together. It also made Anya realise how hard keeping her sister’s secret was going to be, especially to her mother who knew her better than herself most days.

   Taking a steady and long drink of her water, Anya waited until everyone was seated at the table before standing back to her feet.

   Her grandfather was sat at the top of the table and did not even notice his granddaughter stand up, he was too busy speaking to her father.

   “King Brokova!” She addressed him formally and everyone’s attention went straight to her. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, she stared daggers at him. “As you know, I will one day be Queen of this land and I fear that when I get to become Queen, there will be no land left.” She started out.

   Her father stood to his feet and shook his head discreetly at her, “Not now Anya, we can speak in private later on.” He assured but Anya just ignored him, she needed to say it all now. She had started it and she can finish it.

   “What do you have to say, King?” She spat out his title and it was then that Anya had Brokova’s whole attention.

   He turned to his eldest son, “What is she talking about?”

      Letting out a cry of annoyance at how she was being ignored, she pushed her chair back and went to stand closer to him. “I am talking about you! You ignorant oaf!” Brokova’s eyes turned a shade darker and she stood a few steps back away from him.

   “Calm down now Anya!” Demyan’s voice roared above everyone and it was not only anger at her but also fear was in his eyes.

   Brokova stood to his feet also and placed a calming hand on Demyan’s shoulder. “Sit down son; I would like to see what she has to say here.” He told him and Demyan took a seat immediately. “You have my attention.”

   Although the King had a slowly arching back from old age and his face was covered in wrinkles, the old man was not a fool. “You are a cruel man!” Anya yelled but even she felt like stupid now. He wasn’t shouting at her, he was acting more together now than he has at any other point in the past year. The fact was a little unnerving to say the least.

   “And why so?”

      “Have you seen what you have done to those people? How could you send humans to Anceps? Have you seen the people in the Zafiro faction for starters? Here you are throwing parties in celebration of the storm of Heinodis and there are people, YOUR people out there who are probably going to lose family members? How is that fair? You are a selfish and horrible man!” She finished her rant and would not take her eyes off her grandfather.

   “Father, you didn’t?” Elena, her aunt spoke up shocked. “That party could not have been in celebration for the storm?”

   When her father did not say anything in response, instead kept hold of Anya’s gaze, Elena and Katerina joined Anya on her side, as with Inna her cousin and Eduard.

   Knowing her family were with her gave her some faith in the words she was saying. Her grandfather needed to be told and this was the only reason as to how and with her family by her side, it was comforting.

   “Anya, did you say that you would one day be Queen?” Brokova asked randomly and stiffly, Anya nodded her head.

   “Yes well, that is not going to happen. I ban you from ever becoming Queen.” He announced with an air of finality and the whole room erupted in shocked gasps.

   “You cannot do that!” Anya cried. “I have been training for this my whole life, I have been taught, prepped and everything else! Nobody else could become Queen or King. None of them are ready!”

   Brokova gave her a rather cold look, “But I can, I am the King and if you do not agree then you shan’t become Queen.”

   “You cannot take that away from me! The rule that the eldest, whether they are female or male has been a rule since Terchev was King! You cannot just strike a rule out like that!” Anya argued. “I won’t let you!”

   “And on what grounds are you able to stop me? I am King of Daighte! You cannot get higher than me! In fact, I want fifteen people from each faction sent straight to Anceps because of her outburst. You see Anya, I am King and I can arrest people without them ever going to court. So, that is seventy-five people on your hands and I think we all know that humans don’t survive a year in Anceps without being killed for meat by the demons and goblins.”

   With that he stormed out of the room and as soon as the door was slammed shut, Anya collapsed to the floor. She had never have guessed he would do this far. She would never have done this if she knew he would become this cruel. Katerina and Elena were at her side immediately and Katerina cradled her eldest daughter to her as they all processed what their King had just done.

3: Daighte: Chapter Three

Chapter Three

 

   It had been a week since the King had made his shocking announcement and the palace was like ice. The servants had stopped their gossiping, Anya refused to speak to anyone and Lara had started her Queen training with trepidation.

   It was after Lara’s first day of vague but fast training with her mother, aunt and grandmother that Anya had shut up. She barely ate or slept and just sat on the window watching the storm devastate and destruct everything in its path.

   A soft knock on her bedroom door alarmed Anya somewhat. Lara came into the room, her silver, silk dress ruffling along the floor as she stepped further into the room, her heels clipping the wooden floor. “Anya?” She spoke out, hopeful that her sister would finally reply to her.

   Instead, Anya just nodded her head in an indication that she carry on speaking. “I am truly sorry about all of this,” She started but all Anya was doing was keeping the tears at bay as she saw her sister in the dress that she wore to practice her coronation. Even her blonde hair was styled in a way so that the crown would not disturb any of the hairs on her head.

   Sure it would have been early but as soon as Anya, well now Lara became heir apparent, all the training would be stripped considerably as she would have to start spending more time in the factions than at the palace and she would be thrust into the limelight and therefore all the Queen training had to start as early as possible.

   Lara was never trained for all this; she would never be able to deal effectively with the people. For Christ’s sake, she was sleeping with the servant boy! As soon as somebody heard that she was spoiled she would not be allowed to reign as it is. Anya was frustrated with how everything was panning out.

   As long as you are not in line for the throne you can have sex as many times as you want as long as by the age of thirty you are married. Whether you are male or female those are the rules. However, if you ARE in line for the throne you cannot have sex unless it is with the person you are to marry and now she is in line for the throne and Anya is sure she is not going to be marrying the servant boy and therefore as soon as someone finds out, she will be in deep trouble.

   Just looking at her sister hurt her and with that Anya just sighed and turned back to the window. The storm had cleared a little a bit, the sky was still as dark as night and the lakes and rivers were disturbed by the high winds but it was calmer now than it had been for the past week.

   Her light footsteps hurried closer to Anya, lifting the skirt of her dress up she sat down on the seat beside her sister and raised her gloved hand to reach her sister’s cheek and forced her to face her before dropping her hand satisfied when Anya was looking at her.

   “What am I going to do? I love Andrei so much; I do not want him killed.” Lara admitted in a saddened tone. “It is all I have thought about all week.” Being able to speak about something she has longed to for the past month, Lara felt somewhat better in herself.

   Letting out a huff, Anya broke her silence. “You are worried about a servant boy? You cannot be serious and you cannot love him. You are going to be Queen now, the marriage shall never be granted and so the quicker you end it the better it shall be for you.”

   Lara was taken aback by her sister’s cold tone. “What ever is the matter with you?”

      “I do hope you are being sarcastic.” Anya replied with her voice laced in anger. “Everything that could have gone wrong has.”

      “This is not my fault.” Lara snapped.

      “The fact that I have to keep your sordid affair a secret is. If the King finds out then he will probably ban you from being Queen and go to Cousin Eduard and that would seriously keel father over. I am not against a servant marrying into the Royal family; you know that but what if I died? You would automatically become Queen and you would have been spoiled. You have to think your actions through Lara!”

   Anya stepped away from her sister in her slippers and grabbed a bobble off of her dresser and pulled her knotty hair up into a messy bun atop her head. She ignored her reflection in the mirror and stood glaring at her younger sister.

   “Sordid! I LOVE Andrei, do you not understand?” She yelled at her sister.

      “Well you cannot so stop it. People fall in and out of love all the time!”

      “He is not Mikhail!” Lara cried and Anya flinched at the mention of her only boyfriend, Mikhail Lipin who dumped her when he broke under the pressure of him eventually becoming King and in the process broke Anya’s heart.

   “No because at least Mikhail was respected! And I never slept with him!” The shouting was echoing around the room and the words were bouncing off the stone walls. Neither sister appeared to be backing down any time soon either. 

   The most frightening part of all this was that neither sister had been embroiled in a shouting match as heated as this.

   Lara scoffed and stood down from sitting in the window, making sure to put Anya’s attention on the dress she was wearing and smirked. “You are so jealous.”

   Anya felt more than furious at this point. She knew her sister more than anybody else and so ignored her pathetic attempts at making her seem envious. She felt hurt that her sister would wear the dress in front her so soon but she was far from jealous. The word alone was ugly and petty.

   “You can believe all you want Lara.” Anya told her in a calm and collected voice. “However, I would like and appreciate it if you tell mother about your ‘relations’ because if you do not I will.”

   Lara’s jaw dropped and as quick as a flash, she looked hurt. “I should have expected that my only sister could not keep a secret.”

   Anya ignored her jibe. “You have until tomorrow. Now I would appreciate it if you would leave me alone.” Her expression remained neutral and Lara narrowed her eyes at Anya.

   “I am beginning to seriously hate you.” And with that she disappeared, slamming the door shut so hard that it rattled on its metal hinges.

   The adrenalin from the shouting match was slowly seeping out of Anya and she sank to the floor in exhaustion. Her heart was beating a mile a minute and she felt like she was going to be sick. Her stomach was tying up in knots and her hands were shaking. The only noise in the room was the wind bashing against the windows and her laboured breathing.

   She felt for the first time in a long time utterly alone and the large, hot tears fell down her cheeks in rapid motion. Shuffling along the floor, she leant her back against the wooden end of her bed and she pulled her legs up to her chest, leaning her chin on her knees.

   Time seemed to pass slowly and the silence soon became deafening in the large room and so Anya pulled herself upright and went and sat in her default position in the window, the cool glass was a warm welcome to Anya whose face was burning from the tears.

      The whole family thought that her grandmother would be able to get Brokova to change his mind but he has not and as the days pass, Anya’s hope dwindled. Just seeing her sister in that dress knocked her confidence a great deal which really help cement the new changes in her mind.

   She was not jealous, she just felt worn out. She had been training to become Queen since she could walk and now twenty-five years later she was dismissed as easy as blinking is. Everything she had worked towards, all the travelling she had done, practicing with books upon her head to keep her posture up, all the endless and boring talks with her father and grandfather she had to endure have all come to nothing.

   She was sure she would be discarded now that she held no purpose in the palace. How is Brokova going to explain to the people that Lara would now become Queen instead of Anya? Everything had just been turned on its head and the change was something that Anya felt that she could not deal with.

   Underneath Anya’s window there was a balcony on the floor below and if she craned her neck she could see her grandparents whenever they were out there. She remembered when she was younger and naive she once caught them having a little kiss which she knew was so full of love.

   Right now her father and grandmother were on the balcony. Stepping on to her feet she opened the windows, ignoring the bitter coldness of the wind she craned her neck to try and hear what they were speaking about. The wind was not as noisy as it has been so hanging out of the window almost she just caught what they were saying.

   “-I’m worried about this entire situation.” Demyan sighed as he leant against the marble railings.

      Placing a hand on her son’s broad shoulders Olga nodded her head. “So am I son. I have not seen Anya all week, she has been holed up in her room and seeing her like this is breaking my heart.”

   “If I even say the wrong thing I threaten to set off father again but I went and sat with Anya last night and she didn’t even say a word, I just cradled her in my arms until she fell asleep. It did not help when I saw Lara emerge from her room earlier in tears.” Demyan admitted with a hung head.

   “Anya has always been a strong spirit; it is the risk you took when you married Katerina. She was the exact same.” Anya smiled at the comment; she took the strong spirit trait as a compliment.

  Demyan lifted his head and smirked at his mother, “That is the trait I love most about Katerina. But in all seriousness, I have never been in this situation before. My daughters are not talking; my eldest daughter is at war with my father. I am smack in the middle and I don’t know where to go. I agree fully with Anya, what father did last week was disgusting but I have warned her for years not to anger father and she did…she did and now this has happened.” He was completely torn and he did not know which way to turn.

   “Do not worry about everything, reassure Anya, get Lara and she talking again and I am still working on your father. Let me worry about him. I know you feel hopeless at the moment but there could be a positive ending to this as long as we stick together.” Olga told her son. She had not felt as lost as this since her daughter Natasha’s husband died.

   “Mother, do you think Anya will ever be Queen?”

      Anya did not wait for the answer, she already knew it. No. Slamming the window shut she ran over to her bed and buried her face into her pillows while pulling herself into the foetal position and let the tears fall down her pale cheeks.

   Just like sitting on the window, her new default emotion was to cry. She hated crying as well, showing her emotions was something she was not very good at. She kept them bottled up like she had been taught and now they were coming out in bucket loads whether she liked it or not.

   Her leaf green pillowcases were becoming damp from her tears but she was that lost to the world she did not even notice. The room was filled with her hiccups from crying too hard and they sounded like they were not going to end anytime soon.

   Half an hour passed with Anya staying in the same position. She felt like everything she ever knew was crashing around her. She had nobody she solely could turn to. It wasn’t even that, her whole life had been structured, she woke up and got changed into her day wear and then she trained to become a Queen for the day.

   She had to eat dinner with her family, eating whatever her grandfather chose. Every time she spoke anything to one of the servants they went and gossiped about it for weeks. She couldn’t trust her sister and her parents obviously couldn’t choose sides.

   Viktoriya had been here all week and she had seen her twice. Her grandfather was making her family stay on the other side of the palace and if she was caught by him or his guards on this side of the palace she would be made to go out in the cold.

   Finally stretching out her legs, Anya relished in how good it felt. Wiping her face from the dampness she climbed back to her feet and slowly made her way to her wardrobe and let her soft hand glide over the many dresses all varying in colour and design.

   Stopping on a black cloak she pulled it out and threw her arms through the sleeves and pulled the over-large hood over her head. Every member of the family held one of the cloaks just in case there was ever a reason that the family had to escape from the palace. There hasn’t been so far but Anya saw it as a chance to finally use it.

   The cloak was heavy velvet that weighed on her petite shoulders and the inside was lined in a soft material. She hugged the cloak to herself and wandered around her room trying to get a feel of it. It was harder to walk in but not by much and when she didn’t adjust the hood she could not see as it hung over her face but she felt like it would do more good than bad.

   Taking it off, she laid it on the end of her bed and opened her bedroom door where her servant Gretchen was stood accordingly. Normally she would let Gretchen have the day off and Anya would do everything for herself like getting some food, she hated relying on someone else to do something. She went by the mantra – ‘The only way it will turn out right is if you do it yourself’ and she had stuck by that since she was a teenager.

   She always felt that having servants was pretty pointless, especially after seeing that any other normal person managed without them. She already was a Royal she did not want to have anything else that by society standards elevated her above everyone else. She was a human just like them, they were all the same.

   This week she wasn’t talking and she had used Gretchen to fetch her food and run her errands because she was too annoyed, angry and tired to do anything else. She felt horrible but she was not in the mood to care much.

   She was always contradicting herself and it didn’t annoy anyone else more than her. She knew that she wasn’t herself, her stress levels were at an all time high and she felt like anything could make her snap. Seeing her sister this morning only raised them.

   Gretchen faced Anya with a startled look on her face. “Miss Zardonov?” She bowed her head in greeting and Anya rolled her eyes.

   “I have told you to call me Anya.” She smiled. “And I was wondering if you would go down to the kitchen and bring me back plenty of food like apples and oranges and some chocolate please. I plan to stay in here for a while and I do not want you having to stand there all day like a statue.” Anya lied. The food was not because she could not be arsed going back down to the kitchen again.

   “Or course Miss.” Gretchen blushed a little at not calling her Anya before scurrying off down the hallway in her murky brown dress.

   Anya closed the door behind her and went back over to her bed and placed the cloak back into the wardrobe, she did not want Gretchen becoming suspicious. The cloak had never been taken off the hanger before, a servant seeing the cloak would only lead to gossip and hushed worries that she did not need nor want to deal with.

   The floor length mirror in the corner of her room commanded Anya’s attention. Her reflection shocked her, her blue eyes were red from crying for so long and her hair was like a bird’s nest on top of her head and her pyjamas were ruffled and unclean. Unbuttoning the front of her dress, she revealed her flat stomach that had become alarmingly skinny to the rate of her being able to see her ribs poking against her skin.

   She had not been eating or drinking much, she hardly slept and her body was paying for it. She even felt more exhausted than she ever had before. But her determination overpowered any tiredness in her.

   A knock sounded at the door and Anya opened the door to see Gretchen and her father stood behind her. With a gulp, she opened the door further and let them both in.

   Gretchen placed the tray full of food on the bedside table and with a respectful bow to Demyan and Anya she swiftly exited the room leaving father and daughter stood avoiding each other’s eye contact. Anya knew he was here to try and sort things out between Lara and she but she also knew that she could not tell him anything without revealing Lara’s secret and therefore she did not want to be in this position.

   “Anya…” Her father trailed off as he placed a strong hand on her upper arm indicating for her to look at him.

   Reluctantly she did. “Yes?” She replied innocently.

      He let out a sigh and gently pulled Anya to the chair in front of her desk. “Sit down please.” Again, she did as her father had asked without pushing him.

   “What is the matter father?”

      He gave her a small smile, “It is nice to see you speaking again.” He commented.

      “My throat feels better as well.” She joked and Demyan just continued to smile at her.

      “I saw Lara earlier,” he tried to pass off as casually but he was watching her reaction intently.

      Keeping her face as neutral as possible, she glanced up at her father, “oh?”

      “I saw her running from here earlier today crying her eyes out. The family is going through enough turmoil as it is and I cannot get through to your sister so do you care to explain why she is crying her eyes out?” He explained and Anya shook her head.

   “I do not know. We argued earlier but I did not think it was an argument to cry over.” She lied. She had just spent half an hour crying over the argument but she needed to keep her sister’s secret – until she told their mother that was.

   “You argued? That is not like you two.” He frowned before bending down so he was perched on the balls of his feet and looking up at his daughter. “Are you okay?”

   “She came in here with the dress on and it made me upset.” Anya admitted. She was not lying and that gave her some comfort. She was close to her parents and she valued their relationship a great deal.

   Understanding crossed his features and he clambered back to his full height of six feet two inches and Anya stood with him, still lower than him at five feet four inch. “I see, I am sorry you are going through this.”

   Anya hugged her father and kept her face pressed up against his strong chest. She felt like she was going to cry again but she stopped them with everything in her. She did not want to look even sillier. She had to learn to control her emotions, crying all the time was not going to solve anything.

   Pulling her away a little, he raised an eyebrow at her. “What is all the food for? You look like you have enough to feed a small village in the Zafiro faction for a week.” He chuckled, the sound shaking his chest a little.

   “I do not feel up to seeing anyone and I did not want Gretchen standing outside all day with nothing to do.” This time she did feel guilty lying to her father but she knew it was for his own good.

   He gave her a sad smile, “I am sorry about your grandfather.”

      “I know, you do not need to apologise and if it will make you feel better I will apologise to Lara later on.” She told him, remembering the way he sounded when he spoke to her grandmother earlier on.

   “Thank you, I knew I could rely on you Anya, always got a strong head on you.” He kissed the temple of her head before stepping out of her room and Anya felt like the air had been whipped from her lungs.

   She had a plan and she had to stick to it, she could not go back on it now or she would regret it.

4: Daighte: Chapter Four

Chapter Four

 

   Slamming his hand down on the desk, his steely gaze kept everyone facing him. Nobody dared look away. He was furious and he wanted revenge for what the demons and goblins had done to his family.

   Sat in the small hut around the rectangle shaped table, Dimitri Kanatova stood at the end as his family sat on one side and other people the family trusted sat on the other. They all had worried, weary looks on their faces but Dimitri was proving to be a good leader.

   “I am going to kill every single one of the little sneaks!” He ranted before taking a quick glance into the other room where his dead brother Grigoriy laid, his eyes shut. If it was not for the slit across his neck it would almost look like he was asleep but Dimitri knew better and knew that he wasn’t.

   His mother was barely keeping it together and his other siblings were distraught, as they had a right to be. You would have thought Dimitri was the eldest with the way he was dealing with this but he was the youngest of five children and his next sibling, Agnessa was seven years his senior.

   Dimitri was also the only child to inherit the sorcerer’s powers off of his father. He only wished that Grigoriy had inherited them also. He would not be dead right now and this battle would not be continuing.

   One of the goblins had snitched them out to the demons. They did not know which one of the siblings had magic and therefore did not attack them as with one wave of his wand, a demon, well a young demon, would be dead but some goblins confirmed that it was Dimitri with the wand and they went after his family.

   Dimitri was helping out his older brother Brokova when they went after Grigoriy and he failed to get there in time. He blamed himself for his brother’s death, which occurred two days ago but he kept that a secret, he did not want everyone trying to convince himself he was wrong when their words would be empty to him.

   “It was only two of them!” Clarissa, Dimitri’s friend defended them. “Just kill them!”

      Dimitri stared her down with his dark green eyes. He was already furious; hearing his friend defending them was not something he wanted to hear. “What? And give them a chance to snitch on us more!” He yelled.

   “Don’t shout at her!” Rolchov shouted. “I know you are upset,” his eyes darting to Dimitri’s family, “but taking it out on her is not the right way to go about this.”

   He punched the table in fury; the table shot up in the air and crashed back down almost snapping in half, his sister Katia let out a short scream in shock and everyone else looked alarmed. The last thing they needed was to be separated when there were not a lot of them to begin with. “You do know she doesn’t bat for your team right?” He spat sarcastically before storming out of the room.

   He couldn’t control his anger, his feet were stomping and his hands were clenched in fists. He needed to hit something to get his anger out and fast before he hit somebody. He was trying his best to keep them all safe and they were just disagreeing with everything he said! First it was his suggestion about just he and the sorcerer’s going out to battle and now this! What more could he do?

   His father was the best sorcerer that had ever lived. He could create anything and he could kill any creature he wanted, not that he did. His father used to be a kind man, before Dimitri knew him.

   Being sent to Anceps with his family in S80, his dad became resentful and started plotting against escaping and planned to take down the Royal family, especially King Brokova but after living in Anceps for twenty years your magic disappears and Nikolai’s did.

   Seeing his father lose his temper and nearly kill his mother when he lost them was his worst memory to date apart from witnessing his brother die.

   However, Dimitri was born in Anceps. He was the first ever human to and he inherited his father’s talents and due to his birthplace, Dimitri did not lose his magic.

   Nikolai taught his son everything he knew. He never held back and now Dimitri was the best sorcerer in Anceps, where most of them lived due to the crazy restrictions on magic in Daighte and therefore could probably contend for the title of best sorcerer in Daighte.

   Having never been outside Anceps, all Dimitri knew was war. People and creatures alike died around him every single day. The fact that his family lasted this long, the year being T14, without a single casualty was what some people would call a blessing.

   “Dee?” Her voice carried through the building and Dimitri turned around to see Clarissa stood there with an apologetic look upon her face and with that look all his anger simmered out of him.

   Knowing what she wanted, he opened her arms and she ran into them. Giving each other a hug, Dimitri had always secretly wished that she did not like girls as much as he did. If she liked boys there were no doubt that he would have asked her out by now.

   He loved Clarissa as a sister but if there was a different option he would take it. She was just as tough as he was. She had lost her father and sister a few years ago and her mother and she joined his family and they have been close ever since.

   Although she was not born in Anceps, she was sent here when she was only a few months old as her mother was a sorcerer and with her complete lack of knowledge on Daighte, just like he, it gave them something to bond over.

   “I’m sorry.” She mumbled against his chest and he gave her a tighter squeeze before letting her go.

   “I don’t blame you, C and I am sorry about what I said. I just feel at a loss. There are four sorcerers that I trust and it isn’t enough to take down the hundreds of demons and goblins out there. I’ve never felt responsibility before, this past year has been so hard and now Grigoriy is dead and I just don’t know how to cope or feel…” He trailed off, he was at a complete loss.

   “Responsibility and you before this I would never have used in the same utterance. But you are a changed man now. The word man proving that and so have your actions. Everyone trusts you. Don’t try to be anyone else and just be yourself. Honestly Dimitri, from the man who was caught sleeping with Maria Zuretski by his own mother to now where you are leading an army of motivated and skilled fighters into a war we ARE going to win, it shows how much you have evolved for the better.” She told him honestly and grabbed a hold of his hand. “Now calm down, count your breaths and let’s go back inside and you can instruct us.”

   Dimitri felt the pride swell in him and not because of the abundance of compliments she just gave him. No, it was because despite everything she has been through she still came through with a smile on her face and was a huge inspiration to him. “Thank you, I needed that.” He whispered and she just gave him a loving smile before she pulled him back through to the other side and she went and took her seat.

   “Sorry about that everyone.” He mumbled, not one for saying sorry much and went back to the task at hand.

 

                                                     ************

 

   Several days had passed and Dimitri had still not kept still. While his family buried his brother, Dimitri said his goodbyes and wandered away again, not staying long and instead planning on what to do next, strategising their first move. He had not mourned his brother at all and it was worrying everyone around him.

   “Rolchov, what did you say about the fairies?” He questioned again as they both sat in his hut alone.

   He sighed; he had gone through this with him before. “They are extremely weak at the moment. Brokova is not giving them enough power to be able to protect the prison and the storm that is raging outside. It is proving to be a lot more fatal apparently.” He replied in a monotone voice.

   Rolchov had been sent to Anceps early the previous year. He was the newest human in Anceps as well and so he was the person you went to when trying to discover what is happening. Although he had been there for nearly two years, he knew a lot of the outside world and nobody knew where he got his information from but they all trusted him and that was enough.

   “What storm?” Dimitri frowned. He had never mentioned a storm before. Come to think of it, no one has.

   “Every year in the month of September, a storm plagues the outside world and this year it is probably the worst in many years and so all the fairies, with their limited magic will be concentrating on helping the people and for the next three weeks, the wall will be the least of their problems. Why?”

   Dimitri had a plan spinning in his mind as fast as a spell took to perform and he knew with this information he may have a winner. It might not be helpful in the short term but in the long term it may prove to be the best plan they have had in a long while.

   “If I could perform a spell strong enough at the walls, I may be able to create a portal that will get me to the other side.” Dimitri confided in him.

   Rolchov widened his eyes and he did not look like he was buying his plan. “It is near impossible!” He hissed. “You could die if the spell goes wrong. It is practically suicide and your family has just lost one son.”

   Dimitri clenched his jaw. His input would normally have been valuable to him but the past few weeks he has been opposing everything he has said and it was starting to lose its appeal very quickly. “Have you got a problem?”

   He gave Dimitri a bored look and shook his head. “Why would I?” He frowned and Dimitri glared at him.

   “Answer the question, yes or no.”

      “No!” He defended himself but Dimitri remained unconvinced.

      “Then why are you being like this?”

      “What? Do you mean why am I trying to not get you killed? Because performing that spell will. The fairies have magic that is far superior to anything that you have. Sure, they cannot kill anybody but their magic will be bound to that wall and you will not be able to penetrate it. You have to be extremely skilled and I do not believe you are there yet. The only person who could possibly get through is your father and he has no magic now so the idea is fruitless.” The words hit Dimitri harder than he would ever show.

   He practiced his magic every single day ever since he received his wand when he was three years old. He never let it waver, not for a girl, not to go out with his friends and he did not practice the way he has just for him to be told he was not ready.

   His age of only twenty-six may be a little off putting but if his father told him he was ready he was doing it regardless of the consequences. The chance that this may work will surpass any doubts anyone may have.

   Having the one chance to get out of Anceps and fulfil his father’s wish of killing this King Brokova who is keeping him and his family inside this prison on the grounds that my father could perform a little magic was preposterous. His brother had died because of this guy, his family have suffered, and Clarissa’s family have been through hell just because this guy won’t leave well enough alone.

    Well, whether he was a King or not, Dimitri was going to kill him and his family. He was going to break out and punish each and every single one of these Royals who sat on their perch above everybody else.

   Dimitri would love to see any of them inside here where he fears for his and his loved ones lives because there were demons, goblins and humans mingling together in a fairly small space and it just was not natural.

   Well he has had enough, he was going to do it and it wasn’t just determination that was sending him down this path. It was revenge and it was about time somebody collected.

 

5: Daighte: Chapter Five

Chapter Five

 

   As soon as Dimitri left Rolchov, he ran straight to his father whose advice he really treasured. Rolchov did not know what he was thinking he thought as he dodged behind all of the huts, trying to avoid any demon. But then in all honesty, unless they had a death wish they would not come near Dimitri who was famous inside Anceps and all the demons knew that he would kill them without blinking.

   Not only was Dimitri frustrated but he was also angry. Rolchov sounded like he was only looking out for him he knew that but his facial features told him something completely different. Just with the way he had been acting recently was enough to make him more than annoyed, why was he being like this? What had he done in all honesty? He was trying to be the best leader he could, the least he could do was try and support him.

   Did Rolchov not understand the importance of this? If he managed to take down the Royal family he could get him and the rest of them out of Anceps for good. There would be no more secret missions and meetings, no more fighting and no more fearing for your life.

   The risk was there, he knew that but why didn’t Rolchov?

      He stepped into his hut, not even an ounce out of breath despite his running and saw his dad sat at the table. His eyes were sullen and he looked deep in thought. He did not even see Dimitri enter the room until he said something to get his attention.

   “Son?” He frowned; Grigoriy’s death was affecting them all. Even his father felt guilty for losing his powers despite the fact that it was against his will and blamed himself for his son’s death. The whole family was letting the guilt weigh them down and it was unhealthy.

   “Father, I have a plan and I need to pass it through you before I even think about executing it.” He spoke in a rush as he sat down beside him. He did not want his mother or siblings hearing anything because just like Rolchov, they will be dead set against the plan.

   His father had always had a level-head in situations as grave as this so he was the one person he knew would give him solid advice that was both truthful and good.

   “What is it Dimitri?”

      He gulped visibly, “I think I have a chance at creating a portal that may help me escape Anceps and get though to Daighte.”

   His father did not look convinced at all. “And how do you suppose you go about doing that?” He was humouring him more than actually believing him and Dimitri let out an almost animalistic growl. His answer was worse than Rolchov’s!

   “I am being completely serious here.” Dimitri told him. “The fairies are too busy dealing with the storm than they are about protecting the wall, if I can create a portal, I may be able to pass through.” He explained in a calm voice, trying to keep the irritation out.

   His father nodded his head whilst Dimitri spoke and genuinely appeared to be considering his plan. “How do you know this about the fairies?”

   “Rolchov told me.”

      “Rolchov? How would he know?”

      “I do not know but I trust him. I say we give it a go, if I could pass through the wall I will be able to kill the King and help you all escape.” Dimitri felt better in himself now that somebody was considering his idea and not just tossing it aside like it was ridiculous.

   “You could die.” Nikolai observed as he stared at his youngest child, his warm, brown eyes wrought with worry.

   Keeping his face neutral, Dimitri nodded his head. “I could, but I am more than willing to take the risk.”

   “Even after Grigoriy?”

      “Especially after Grigoriy.” He stressed. “My brother has died, I will not see another sibling or any of my parents die now. I am the only one who can do something and I intend to use that power.”

   Dimitri could almost see his father’s mind working with all of the possible solutions and ways in which this could work. His eyes always drifted off slowly and he kept eerily still when he was in this mode.

   “Your mother will be devastated if you are killed.”

      Again, Dimitri nodded his head. “That is why we are not to tell her.”

      “And do you know what spell you would need to perform something as powerful and dangerous as this?” His father was serious now. He was leant towards Dimitri and was keeping his voice down.

   “I have an idea.” He muttered ashamed. “I know how to perform a basic portal spell but I do not know how to penetrate a fairies spell safely. I know they are a lot stronger than ours and thankfully I know the only person who has been able to do exactly that.”

   Nikolai’s face lit up at the memory. It was just after Agnessa was born. He was cradling her in his arms, his wife was beside him and he was in a bubble of pure bliss. It was at that point that the fairies first tried to arrest Nikolai and send his family to Anceps; he sent a spell at the same time as a fairy from the Girasol faction and managed to stun the fairy long enough for his family to escape.

   The second time he was not so lucky, Brokova had sent a dozen fairies instead of just four and his family were arrested and sent to Anceps without trial. Agnessa was only seven months old at the time.

   It was the only time in anybody’s living memory that a human had overridden a fairies spell and an arresting spell is powerful as you have to first stun the family, use a transporting spell and then a locking spell to keep them in the same place for twenty-four hours for the fairies to lock Anceps back up.

   Whenever the magical doors open, everyone inside is placed into a locking spell. Thankfully, not many people or creatures or sent to Anceps anymore.

   “That you do,” his father smiled. “The fairies have an enclosed spell, which can only be performed by a fairy, an anti-portal spell and a locking spell on the prison; if you can get through them you may have a chance. Although there are probably fairies on the other side keeping watch as well, this means that you will have to battle them. Luck is on your side in that a fairy cannot kill but they can send you straight back to Anceps which will make them aware of the weakness and make it disappear.”

   “So no pressure then,” Dimitri whistled as he took everything he needed to do in order to successfully pull this off.

   “It is not as hard as it sounds, the hardest part will be finding a weakness in the enclosed spell. There are ten fairies on constant watch to try and keep the spell strong, I am going to assume that the weakest spots will be coming from the Zafiro and Mandarina factions, which are next to each other, as they are the poorest areas and so will probably need the most help.”

   “Which faction did you live in?”

      “We were all, including you, from the Pepino faction which is the second richest after the Frambuesa faction but that is not important. What we need to do is get around to the Zafiro wall and start performing basic spells to see if it is indeed weak.”

   Dimitri’s eyes widened at how fast his father was rushing into this. “Father, I do believe that we need to discover how to get rid of the two other spells on the walls first.”

   He shook his head, “The locking spell is as easy to get rid of as it is to create it, all you need to do is place a few simple ingredients into the wand and then that’s it.”

   “You make it sound so easy, how come you have not tried this before?”

      Nikolai looked shocked at his son’s words. “And what makes you think that I have not tried before?”

   Dimitri was left speechless. How father had tried to escape also? This was news to him. Before today he did not know that or about the annual storm that Anceps is immune to. Live and learn, huh?

   “When?”

      “As many times as I could. I could get rid of the locking spell and the anti-portal spell I was able to get rid of a few times. It was the enclosed spell I could never get through, no matter how many times I tried it was just too hard.”

   “Oh,” Dimitri was losing faith in his own abilities the more his father spoke. Could he actually become the first person to escape from Anceps successfully? He did not think he could, he had this pit in his stomach that something was going to go wrong. It sounded too easy and he knew it was going to be far from that.

   His father noticed Dimitri’s dejected demeanour and gave him a pat on the back as both men stood to their feet and made their way out of the hut. “Don’t worry, we can do this.”

 

                                *******************************

 

   Two days had passed since Dimitri had pitched his plan to his father and everything so far had gone smoothly. Lying to his mother and siblings was painful; he had been avoiding them all. Knowing that he could possibly be the cause of even more pain to come their way was difficult.

   Not seeing Grigoriy and his large smile around the house was starting to have an effect on Dimitri. He had been trying to not mourn his brother’s death until this was over but the noticeable differences were there and it was getting harder.

   The very noticeable fact that he could be joining the line where his brother would be while waiting for his turn to face the goddess Daighte and have the good and bad acts weighed up was daunting.

   You see, when a human being, magical powers aside died they were placed in a line that moved forward fairly slowly. When you reached the end you were placed through a series of tests before having the good and bad acts you have done weighed up. If you fail, you are sent to the planet Damter which was all jungle and had much fiercer creatures residing on the planet and you were condemned there for twenty-five years.

   However, if you had more good in you, you were sent into oblivion where you worked for the goddess Daighte and it was a much more peaceful existence.

   Dimitri knew for a fact that Grigoriy would be sent to the good side, himself though, he was not too sure and that was what he was truly scared of. Damter held horrible creatures that would rip you up into pieces and the very next day you would have to go through it again.

   “Are you okay Dee?” Clarissa frowned as she joined him at the small table and he nodded his head, plastering on the fake smile. She did not know about any of his plans either.

   “Fine, why?”

      She studied his features for a few more seconds, her face scrunched up and a strand of blonde hair fell over her face and Dimitri swept it back behind her ear. He was going to miss her so much, she was his closest friend and keeping this huge secret from her felt like he was betraying her.

   “You aren’t.” She stated confidently and he sighed.

      “As well as I can be with my brother being dead, I am fine.” His harsh words affected her, he could tell with the way her easy smile and demeanour suddenly dropped and his guilt increased tenfold. “I’m sorry-“

   “Don’t be, I walked straight into that one, I am the one who is sorry.” She told him with a smile that gave him hope but knowing this could be possibly the last time he could see her, he felt anything but hopeful.

   He rubbed his hand over his face, not really know why he was about to do this. “You were right; I’m not that good at the moment.” He admitted. “I’m going on trip for a few days, there is this mission that is important and could turn the whole tide of the war.”

   Her hazel eyes appeared worried, resting her more steady hand on his shaky knee, she did not know what to think. “Is it dangerous?”

   His eyes settled on her hand and nodded his head, “Potentially.”

      “And what does that mean?”

      A groan reverberated from his throat and he lifted his head, “It means that I may die.”

      She leapt from her seat, her hands going to her mouth in horror. She looked stricken, at a loss for words.

   He stood with her and enveloped her in his arms, resting his chin atop her head. “I’m sorry but it has to be done.” She was shaking visibly in his arms, she was scared now. She never thought he would leave her willingly, even when they were kids they were attached at the hip.

   “Why?” Her shaky words asked. He was holding her up, she was truly affected by his news but he was no surprised. He was not going to tell her anything but he found the feat to be as impossible as the mission he was to take part.

   “It will help us all; I could get you out of this horrid place.”

      The room was silent apart from her hiccups and snivels as her tears dampened Dimitri’s off-white, dirt ridden shirt. His strong arms were keeping her upright.

   She took her face off his chest and glanced up at him, “Could I be there when you leave?”

      He shook his head vehemently. “No. You could die.”

      “But so could you!” She cried.

      “I know but I have welcomed that. It is just going to be my father and I, that way I will be able to concentrate on the task at hand.”

   She just placed her head back against his chest and didn’t speak again.

6: Daighte: Chapter Six

Chapter Six

 

   In a few subtle ways, Dimitri had said goodbye to his family. Being the youngest, it felt odd to him that he was going around and giving them advice and trying to support them whilst also not being there potentially in the future.

   As he grew up, he spent little time with his siblings. He practiced in solitude for days on end, only seeing his father, Clarissa and her mother as they helped teach him. His siblings were all close apart from him. That was why he believed he did not mourn Grigoriy like the rest, he felt like he couldn’t.

   He missed his brother terribly but he felt like he didn’t have a right to mourn him and it was a sad reality.

   His real family had always been Clarissa. She was his age and understood him. There was a reason as to why he told her more of the truth than any of his real family.

   Don’t get him wrong, he does love his family and they were the driving force behind this strong spell but he always felt left out while being included at the same time.

   As Dimitri approached the Zafiro wall of Anceps, each step he took was like an anchor was weighing him down. He was surprised he made it to his destination without wanting to be sick. His fears were sinking in and the fact that this was a last resort was also causing his doubts to multiply.

   His father was stood there with an almost solemn look on his face. Not only had the recent events been a toll on him but he wanted to give his family the first piece of good news since Dimitri was born and if another son died, it could potentially send his wife into a deep depression.

   Stood next to his father was a very reluctant Rolchov. His father figured that if the spell got a little out of hand he could help out but with what had happened a few days ago, Dimitri was approaching the idea of him being here wearily.

   “Are you sure you want to do this Dimitri?” Rolchov asked and he just nodded his head in response, he did not want to speak with Rolchov that much. He was not even being childish, he just did not trust him anymore.

   “What is the first step then?”

      “I think it is best to reverse the anti-portal spell, it would probably be the easiest one.” His father replied. “The locking spell is hard to get rid of but if you manage to erase the enclosed spell, the locking spell will go with it.”

   “The anti-portal spell,” Dimitri mused. He knew how to create a portal but getting rid of one was something entirely new. It wasn’t like he could just chant the spell and reply ‘anti-‘ or something along those lines to make it disappear into a puff of smoke.

   “This is where the dangerous part plays in…” Rolchov explained carefully. “To reverse the spell you need a certain amount of ingredients and well, you can get most of them inside of Anceps but there is one which we cannot get a hold of.”

   Dimitri groaned, “And what is that?”

      “Five drops of blood from a yardan.” His father told him. “They only reside in the Mandarina Faction. However, the ingredient is not the most important. The piece of brick is the most important; the blood only ties the spell together and keeps it secure. Once you reverse the spell, any other spell you create will cause parts of the spell to spit out and it will kill any living thing it touches.”

   Dimitri knew that it was dangerous and definitely knew that it was deadly but never understood why. He had never dealt close to this type of magic before. All he had ever practiced on live was some demons and goblins and they were easy to battle.

   With a shaking hand, Dimitri raised his wand to face the wall and before he could even mutter any words he heard Rolchov curse aloud which threw off his concentration. With an irritated look he glared at Rolchov. “What?”

   “You can’t see the problem?” He cried back.

      “And what is that?”

      “Your hand is shaking like crazy! If you are like that, you will never succeed!”

      Dimitri clenched his jaw and with his green eyes, glanced at his dad. “Could you not have brought anybody else?”

   His dad just let out a sigh and came to stand next to his son. “Rolchov has a point. You need to keep your hand steady.” He advised and clasped his hand around his son’s and raising it back up. “See, once I place the ingredients in there is no practice run. You know what to do and I trust you.”

   Dimitri nodded his head, appearing to be much calmer and his eyes met the wall. It was towering above him, at least five times his height and he gulped. He knew he could do this, he had been in battle and near killed dozens of times, and this is no different. This is no different.

    “Please pass me the ingredients father,” he asked with his hand held out and Nikolai passed them over carefully.

   His wand was a fragile looking thing but it was in fact a very strong glass, the end of the glass was jet black as he was from Anceps and the handle, which was clear glass, had ridges that gave you a better grip. You placed the ingredients into the coloured part, which he did and that was that.

   Whenever you did a spell, the colour of your wand was like a whip almost as it emerged, the colour of the spell intertwined with the blackness.

   Placing the ingredients into the wand carefully, he felt the wand grow warmer in his palm as it brewed the contents. As soon as the warmth stopped, Dimitri knew the wand was ready to start the anti-portal spell.

   His family flashed through his mind to try and keep his hand more steady. He was doing this for them; he needed to remember how important this was. He was not going to die, there was too much on the line.

   His nerves were settling and he raised his wand once again, with it being an ingredient spell he did not have to chant a spell so throwing his arm back he threw it forward towards the wall and the blue smoke and black whip shot from his wand and the whole wall illuminated before their eyes.

   Between every crack along the wall for as far as the three men could see there was a bright light and with an almighty loud bang the wall started to shake violently.

   “You need to perform the enclosed spell now!” His father yelled above the deafening sound and Dimitri faltered, he was at a loss for words. He had started this, he needed to finish it.

   Raising his wand once again, he bellowed, “Hoc includit et tortor carmine muris posse et incolumis transire potest!” The green spark flew towards the wall, the spark wavering as it struggled to go forward.

   Rolchov brought his wand out immediately at the sight of the spell not quite making it and chanted the same spell, the green spark flew out to meet Dimitri’s spark and the two collided, a huge stray spark flew out and as fast as the spark the second spark disappeared.

   Dimitri turned to see Rolchov laid on the ground dead.

      “Father!” Dimitri cried. He was getting scared, however with Rolchov’s help Dimitri was able to create the second spell. His heart was thudding do rapidly in his chest that it threatened to burst out of his ribcage.

   The sky was darkening and the loud crashing noises just grew louder. There were bricks of the wall falling down around them.

   “Son, you need to carry on!” Nikolai advised his son but seeing Rolchov slumped on the ground dead, his eyes void of all light and his wand just dropped by his side it was hard to concentrate on anything else.

   With a large, visible gulp Dimitri stood closer to the wall and with one last chant created a portal. It was swirling a deep purple and yellow, he could just see the other side but just as he did this, the serene-ness of the other side was pulled away from him. He could hear the shouts of his father, the screams of those who could see what he was doing and before he could turn back and help those who needed it, Dimitri stepped through the portal and disappeared from everyone in Anceps.

 

 

Hey! Now, I am not happy with this chapter at all. This is the fourth time I have written it but I give up so here is it. I'm sorry if it is kind of sucky.

7: Daighte: Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

 

   Her black, heavy cloak shielded Anya from the brunt of the wind as she trudged forward into the Zafiro faction. She had escaped the palace with only a few belongings and was now trying to get away as far as she could without being stopped.

   Everybody knew who she was almost and as she saw it, the Zafiro faction were less likely to tell her father that they had seen her as she had helped out a lot of them and it was about time that she collected her favour.

   With the cloak covering her face, Anya peaked the hood backwards an inch or so when she came to a fork in the road. The rain had subsided for the time being and being able to see the sign, she went down the road that would lead to the lake as she knew there was an abandoned cave that lay beside it. She could hide out there for the foreseeable future.

   She would never have planned this if she had nowhere to go but staying in a palace where she had no place and where there were more secrets and betrayals that she could handle. She felt like she was suffocating under it all and with a small bag full of food and a spare dress she escaped in the middle of the night whilst everyone slept.

   The lane that led down towards the lake was a peaceful one. Or it generally was.

      The wind was starting to pick up and now she was more in the open all she could feel was the cold air as it whipped through the cloak, pulling it closer to her she wished she had worn her gloves. Her fingers were on the verge of dropping off and they were purpler than the usual pale peach colour.

   She was wearing her strong boots that were made of the skin on a yardan. Ugo made them for her actually. Usually she would never wear anything made from an animal but a yardan grew its fur at such an extraordinary rate that it had to be cut every three days. The fur was soft but once it is compressed it turns extremely hard and manageable material and can make very good boots.

   Her feet were bone dry and she was wandering through the puddles that littered the lane with ease. There was mud at the bottom of her cloak but for the first time she felt a sense of freedom. There was a weight she didn’t even know was there on her shoulders and the further she got away from the palace, every step and every puddle she splashed it was slowly being taken away.

   It was mid-morning now; the position of the sun was proof of that and she had been gone for around six hours and she knew that as soon as her grandfather found out that she had defied one of his rules he was going to send out the guards after her and she knew that she had to get to the caves as fast as she could.

   The caves were deep and there was no chance the guards would find her in there. She had taken some of the children down them often and knew where every corner and dead end was which extremely lucky.

   The lane led Anya for another hour and half before the lake came into view. The body of water was large, it would take an half an hour boat trip just to cross it. The Zafiro faction only had claim to a fifth of the lake as the Girasol faction had bought most of the lake. It was only one of the reasons as to why the Zafiro faction was as poor as it was.

   There was also a rumour that a demon had cursed the land so that no crops could ever grow in the land. The only steady source of income the faction had of maintaining itself was coal. There were plenty of the fossil fuel but even they knew that it would run out someday and the whole population of the faction were not looking forward to it.

   The cave was coming into her view as she trudged along the bumpy lane. The lake was distressed from the wind and the rain was slowly starting to attack the land again. She was having a hard time trying to breathe, the strong air was taking it out of her but she trudged forward slowly.

   The long, gruelling walk was taking its toll on her small frame and keeping her blue eyes trained on the cave, she kept the hope and relief inside of her.

   As she edged closer, a frown appeared on her slim face and not even seconds had passed when the panic set in. She watched rigid as she saw a man wander into the cave. The guards. She had not expected them to turn up so fast. What was she going to do?

   Despite the freezing temperatures, Anya’s hands started sweating. She was spinning around on the spot, looking out for any sort of movement she could see in the background but with the wind she could hardly concentrate. She couldn’t see anyone else but they could not have caught up with her that fast. She had at least four hours walk ahead of them and they didn’t know whereabouts she was going, nobody knew about her plan. Not her mother, not Lara and not Gertrude.

   Starting to calm down, she was not going to come this far to turn around. She pulled the hood over her face and kept her ears trained as she edged closer to the cave.

   The rocky edge of the cave was dripping with rain and she ducked inside as fast as she could. The air wasn’t much warmer but it was better than before.

   She could hear the guards footsteps in front of her, heartbeat racing she shuffled forward. There was a light coming from his direction so she went down the left side and as she stepped further into the cave she could feel the stress slowly leaving her. She had made it.

   “Hello?” A deep voice called from behind her and she stopped still in her footsteps afraid to make a noise. Did he know she was there?

   Not taking a chance she ran forward, her legs kicking as fast as she could. She went down all the twists and turns that the cave held and after a good ten minutes of running she found a small snicket and snuck inside of it. She pulled her cloak closer to her body and held her breath.

   The light was coming closer to her and she could feel the tears pooling at her eyes. She did not want to be caught now; being taken back to the palace would kill her. Having to watch her sister act as normally as did when she went about her duties and pretending like she didn’t even exist.

   The man wandered past her and Anya let out a tiny breath in relief. However, as she saw him run past her, she could not help but notice the uniform he was wearing. A King’s Guard wore all black and this man was wearing brown boots, off-white trousers and a green shirt. He did not look at all like he belonged in the King’s Guards.

   “Lady?” The man called out again. “I’m not going to hurt you!”

      Taking a deep breath, Anya stepped out from where she was hiding but kept her face hidden. “Who are you?”

   The man looked startled as he turned around to see Anya stood in the middle of the cave.

      “Erm...Dimitri.” He answered. “Who may you be?”

      She knew she couldn’t tell him the truth as he would send her back to her grandfather and collect whatever reward he was giving out and she was not going to let that happen. Not now.

   “My name is Alexandra.” She used her dressmakers name but refused to look at the man although she had to admit, she could not recall a Dimitri living in the Zafiro faction and she made it her business to know everybody by at least their name.

   “May I see your face Alexandra?” He replied and she shook her head.

      “No, I must also be going.” She went to turn around but he caught her wrist and spun her around. The movement was so fast that her hood flew off her head and she gasped.

   Pulling his hand from her wrist, she took off back down the cave. He saw her. Damn. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her but from the eight hour walk and now all this running her energy was falling quickly.

   Finding another snicket that was a little deeper than before, she settled herself down on her floor, her knees up to her chest. Her breaths were laboured and she felt scared. From what she caught of his face, he definitely was not a guard but he lived in Daighte and the chances are extremely high that he would have recognised her and therefore she had to hide.

   She was starting to feel a little stupid; all of this running away was starting to feel like it was not worth it. It was freezing cold and she had never spent a night rough before. She was in a cave where a man had seemed to have also taken up refuge and as soon as…

   She was too exhausted to even think about the consequences of all this. She was twenty-six years old but she felt about twelve. She had never done anything before without permission, well anything too drastic. Even when she was helping the Zafiro faction and the fairies, her mother and father knew about it and gave their blessing.

   Anya had always been a strong-minded woman and did not shy away from challenges but with this she felt a little too out of depth. She was only thankful that she had enough food to last her a week and a change of clothing.

   Although she never associated herself as being a Royal who did not care about anyone but themselves, she was starting to see the privileges she was given. Every single bad thing that could happen was whirling around her mind as fast as the wind outside.

   Just after she sat down, Anya gave up and fell asleep, her head resting on her knees. 

8: Daighte: Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

 

   As soon as Dimitri landed in Daighte, he landed on top of a hill. There was nothing around, no fairies, no people and no guards. He was shaken, he had literally just escaped what he had called home for twenty-six years and now he didn’t even know what to do.

   He could tell they were in the midst of a storm as the wind was whipping at him from all directions atop the hill. He could see a lake and in the distance a palace which Rolchov told him he may be able to see.

   Rolchov. He was dead.

      And as horrible as it was, all Dimitri could think about was that he was glad Clarissa had not turned up unexpectedly, he certainly would not have left if it had been she who died.

   He trusted Rolchov but he did not have much time to think over his death. He probably would never see him again if he lived anyway. He was thankful for his help but all he wanted to do now was go and kill King Brokova, after he had a sleep.

   He was exhausted and as he sat down upon the green, soft stuff that lined the ground, something he had never seen before, he noticed blood dripping down his arm. Carefully, he turned his arm to see he had a nasty gash just above his elbow which was caused by the same stray magic that had killed Rolchov.

   His hands drifted over the small blades and although he was unsure on how to get the palace he saw in the distance, he felt a sense of comfort. Dimitri felt peace for the first time in his life. You could only sleep for about four hours sleep in Anceps in case you were ambushed. Somebody had to look out at all times.

   Living in Anceps was the norm though, he always had to watch his back because if he didn’t the demons would kill him.

   This green ground he was sat upon was the liveliest, natural product he had seen. The ground was that barren in Anceps that nothing ever grew apart from a few trees and they were dead before he was even born.

   Climbing to his feet he placed his wand in his trouser pocket, keeping it hidden like his father advised and scanned his eyes over the land.

   His ultimate destination was the palace but he knew he needed to find a place close by that would allow give him shelter and a decent night’s sleep so he could head out in the morning and start the journey.

   The lake was just huge and beyond that he could see a scattering of houses and as he looked east he could see another scattering of houses although they were much closer.

   There was not any life at all on top of the hill and Dimitri was more than thankful for that. His father did not manage to give him much advice but he told him to keep his wand hidden as much as possible, avoid crowds and just get into the palace as quickly as he could.

   Letting out a sigh and filling his lungs with the fresh air, he started to slowly make his way down the hill, going towards the lake. He had never seen so much water in one place and was fascinated by it.

   As he edged closer to the lake he noticed an entranceway that started on the small beach. Dimitri could not help the huge smile on his face as he almost ran towards the cave. How could his luck have changed like that?

   These past few weeks as he planned and grieved, he truly felt like his luck had finally fallen through. Growing up, despite feeling somewhat left out by his siblings and living in Anceps he had always felt lucky. He had loving parents and it was not until the past year that the demons and goblins knew he had magic and so they did not target his family specifically before then. He was not some lothario but he had a bit of luck with the ladies and he had a great best friend in Clarissa.

   When he had all of that, Dimitri felt like all the war he had been through was worth it.

      His black hair was waving in the wind as he ran and his green shirt was billowing in the wind but he hardly felt the cold, only the exhilaration that his family would one day be free from the restraints of this King Brokova he was going to meet for the first and final time soon.

   Reaching the cave entrance, Dimitri soundlessly made his way into the entrance. He strained his ears as much as he could to try and hear anything but apart from the waves crashing onto the small beach he could hear nothing at all.

   The clouds were grey and in the distance they were the darkest clouds Dimitri had ever seen. Rolchov definitely was not lying when he said a storm was coming. There were a few low grumbles that could be heard over the wind but apart from that the cave sounded like it was empty.

   He brought his wand out of his pocket, “Clarum,” he muttered and his wand lit up. Being able to see deeper into the cave, Dimitri felt a rush of excitement shoot through his body. As he glanced further inside, he could see the cave split into two at the end which meant that the cave was vast and seemed to be a good hiding place for him.

   Taking a few tentative steps inside, his green eyes were looking out for any traps that could take him by surprise. His wand was in front of him if anything happened so that gave him some comfort.

   Getting to the fork in the cave, he started down the right side of the cave. Dimitri was concentrating hard, he was looking out for anything that could jump out at him.

   The cave was dripping with water behind him, turning around he saw movement go down the other side of the cave. Alerted, he dimmed the light on his wand and followed after what he saw.

      “Hello?” He called out into the silence. He frowned when nobody replied back, he could have sworn he saw somebody.

   If it was a human he could try and get them to give him instructions on how to get to the palace. He was allowed to speak with one person, was he not? After all, they could be an ally and he would never have got here without Rolchov or his father. He was wary of the implications of having a friend but he was not going to tell them his plans or anything, not even he was that stupid.

   He started following the person and just before they disappeared again he saw their skirt which revealed their gender. He was at a bit of an impasse with this information. His only friend that was of the opposite gender was Clarissa and he was as comfortable as anyone around her but he felt a little odd making friend with another girl.

   He ran after her but as he turned another corner she disappeared. Slowing to a walk he wandered in a straight line until he reached a dead end which meant she was here. “Lady?”

   The cave was as quiet as it was when he first stood inside but he was more than positive he had seen somebody. “I’m not going to hurt you!” He called out. Why the hell was she hiding? She had hardly seen him; surely he did not look that scary?

   He heard movement, whizzing around he saw her step out from a crook in the cave. “Who are you?” Her voice shook but it was soft. She was also wearing a huge cloak and could just see the bottom of her dress with the light from his wand.

   “Erm…Dimitri.” He replied hesitantly. “Who may you be?”

      She paused for a few seconds and Dimitri panicked a little, he really could do with somebody to talk to. “My name is Alexandra.” She mumbled and Dimitri stood closer to her, he could just about hear her.

  “May I see your face Alexandra?” He asked precariously. He didn’t want to scare her away but he really wanted her to speak a bit more.

   She stepped a few steps backwards and she shook her head. “No, I must be going.” She told him but even he knew it was a lie.

   She turned around but she didn’t even get a step away when Dimitri’s reflexes kicked in and he caught hold of her wrist. The movement knocked her hood off and he caught sight of her maroon hair, the red twinge shining against the white light of his wand and her blue eyes were wide and scared.

   He opened his mouth to speak but was caught off guard at how beautiful she looked and his hold on her loosened which she took advantage of and ripped her wrist away before lifting the hood back up and running back away from him.

   He felt like he was nailed to the ground, his body refused to move.

      She was extremely pretty and he did not expect it at all. He thought she may have had a skin condition or thought herself to be ugly with her hood covering her whole face but if she was stunning, why did she keep the hood up? Was she hiding from somebody? She could not know him.

   Whatever the reason was, the girl obviously did not want to be found but his curiosity was peaked and he wanted to know who this girl was. He also wanted to somebody to talk to. He had never been to Daighte and not only would she help in getting to the palace but she could tell him what the green blades were and tell him about the lake and learn more about this place before he helped his family escape Anceps.

   Dimitri shut off his wand and the darkness wrapped around him but being used to it he could see more than well, the darkness was his friend not his enemy.

   Walking in the direction that the woman had ran hastily in, he came to the end of that branch in the cave and turned right but when he came to the next split in the path he had forgotten which way the girl had taken him in when he was chasing her originally so he went left first.

   Keeping his eyes out for a similar little space she could have hid in like before, he started searching up and down the cave walls looking for the woman.

   It had to have been half an hour of him wandering around the cave in silence and it was starting to dawn on him that he was looking for a girl who was one, not wanting to be found and two, he had only spoke to briefly. He felt like he was going a little crazy.

   He needed to stay focused and yet just thinking about not searching for the girl made me feel a little odd. He felt a need to just keep looking.

   As he turned another corner, one he swore he had seen before he heard faint snores coming from a little gap in the left side of the wall. Edging closer he saw the girl curled up asleep. He hadn’t seen her before because if he did not hear her snores he would never have seen her. The cloak she was wearing was starting to become a death wish for him. He had only seen the girl for less than a second because of the thing but waking her up felt cruel so he wandered to the other side of the wall and laid his back against the cave and watching her so that as soon as she woke up she would not have the chance to leave and not talk to him.

 

Hey! Please like my Facebook page if you enjoyed - https://www.facebook.com/jemmanoble1995?fref=ts - thank you :)

9: Daighte: Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

 

   Dimitri had succumbed to the tiredness and slept for four hours on the hard floor with no blanket but as soon as his eyes became adjusted to the nonexistent light in the cave he looked straight to where Alexandra slept last night and relief rushed through him when he saw that she was still there, curled in that horrible spot she decided on.

   The air was bitterly cold and even in the cave the wind whipped at him and although he knew that using his wand was dangerous he couldn’t help it as he brought it out and whispered, “Ignis.” A small, controlled fire appeared in front of him and settled on to the ground. Putting his wand back away he placed his hands in front of the only source of heat he had.

   Dimitri was doing this mission for his family and in all honesty he never wanted to leave them alone in Anceps at all. They now only had two sorcerers with Rolchov dead and he gone which meant they were much more vulnerable and it also meant that he could go back to no family at all and make this mission completely useless which made him on edge already.

   He knew that he needed to get there as fast as he could but he also needed a plan, he didn’t know this land at all and he needed help and hopefully this girl could point him in the right direction. Plus, if he did go back to his family dead the demon race would last about five minutes because he would wipe the whole race out.  

   The girl stirred in her sleep and her head lolled forward, just missing the cave wall by an inch and Dimitri winced, she would definitely have a sore neck when she woke up.

   Mumbling a few incoherent words, her head snapped up, catching the edge of a rock sticking out and a huge crack echoed out in the silence, this time not so lucky to miss it. She groaned and pulled the hood off of her head and Dimitri caught her blue eyes once again when her eyes fluttered open.

   Her expression was blank as she eyed the fire and Dimitri but she stood to her feet and coming out of the crevice without putting the hood back on much to Dimitri’s delight.

   “Have a good sleep?” He mused as she stretched her limbs before settling herself in front of the fire.

   “I suppose there isn’t any point in trying to hide now is there?” She chuckled sarcastically as she copied Dimitri and placed her hands around the fire.

   He shook his head, “Not much.”

      She pulled the cloak around her tighter and sighed, “Do you know who I am?” She muttered whilst eyeing him cautiously.

   He frowned, “Should I?”

      She appeared to be stunned and Dimitri looked confused. Was she some kind of famous person? After a tense minute or so, she shook her head. “No, I was just wondering,” she passed off but Dimitri still wasn’t sure.

   “Oh, okay.”

      The air between them was awkward and tense and both of them were avoiding the gazes each gave each other as much as possible. She was obviously hiding a secret and it was a little off-putting to Dimitri if he was being completely honest. He didn’t know her and wasn’t expecting her life story or anything but when she was being this obvious about it, it did make him curious.

   “So, where did you get the tattoo from?” She asked him and Dimitri’s hand instinctively rubbed the back of his neck where it was. His skin was starting to warm back up now thanks to the heat of the fire and he was more than glad.

   “It is a birthmark,” he informed her.

      She shuffled closer to him to take a better look. “It is beautiful,” she complimented. It was a mark that every sorcerer was born with; it was a single feather with the detailing that most would recognise as the bird Dailile a sorcerer’s symbol.

   “Thanks I suppose,” he replied with a smile.

      “Don’t you think it is a little weird for a birthmark though? I mean, my birthmark is a tiny, brown, heart-shaped thing on the back of my leg,” she spoke in awe, taking another look at it.

  He smiled at her, “My father has the same one, it must be a family thing.” He waved off.

      “Have you got any tattoos then?” She wondered and Dimitri nodded his head with a huge grin, glad that she was talking to him so freely.

   “Yeah, I have some on my arm,” he told her but didn’t bother showing her, to show the whole thing he would have to take his shirt off and he did not think that would be appropriate. “Anyway, are you okay? You look a little pale.”

   He swore he saw a smile cross her lips before settling back onto her straight-lipped expression. “I’ve always been a little pale, it runs in the family.” She used his words, changing them a little and it made Dimitri amused.

   “How is your head?” He closed the distance between them and bent her neck forward to see if he could see any bumps or scratches but he became momentarily entranced by her scent, he wasn’t there to smell her or anything but her hair smelled like strawberries and it made him smile.

   “Are you done yet?” She mused.

      “Yeah,” he chuckled as he sat back away from her. “What brings you to the caves?” He questioned, changing the subject.

      “I was about to ask you the same,” she replied and he frowned at how she was evaded his question.

   “Well I thought it would be the best place to shelter from the storm.” Dimitri told her the lie he had come up with during the night.

      “What? Where is your family?” She looked around herself like somebody was going to spring up on her but when she couldn’t see anybody she turned back to Dimitri with her brow creased.

   He sighed; this was going to harder than he thought. He was not bothered about keeping anything from her apart from the real reason as to why he is in Daighte but speaking about his family was more than painful.

   “My brother just died so I wanted to just get away for a few days.” He said with a sad smile. He did miss Grigoriy, he didn’t spend much time with him but as he grew older he did and he was as nice as anybody could be which was a trait he most definitely inherited from their father.

   “Oh, I am sorry but would you not want to be with them?”

      He wished he could. “Not at the moment.”

      “So, where did you get the wand from? You do know that magic is banned in Daighte, right?” She changed the subject and Dimitri was grateful but he wished more than anything that the subject was changed to anything but this.

   He brought it out of his pocket and held it in the palm of his hand. “I’ve been a sorcerer my whole life,” he kept his green eyes on her expression as she looked at the wand and when she didn’t run away from him, he took that as a good sign.

  If she was keeping secrets from him she has obviously run away and the fact that she has ran from him twice meant that the fact that she has stayed there is a sign of hope to Dimitri and hope was not something that he cared for much.

   Hope was generally a bad thing as it set you up for failure.

      Dimitri’s life was not all misery but it sure did make him wonder if the Goddess Daighte just liked to punish him some days when he was alone and in one of those moods where he didn’t know whether he was coming or going but he hadn’t had one of those days in a long time now.

   “How have you not been caught? I thought all of the sorcerers lived in Anceps now?” He winced at the word Anceps and how she said it like it was a bad word and just shrugged his shoulders, trying to make sure she didn’t just see right through him and start asking more questions.

   “What do you know about Anceps?” Dimitri enquired with a raised eyebrow. She did look a little too innocent to him the more he studied her and watched her reactions to his words.

   Her lips parted like she wanted to say something but it closed just after. “Not much,” she finally admitted with a frown, her blue eyes full of curiosity and wonder, like she was about to get answers she had been wondering for a while now.

   “Well, tell me what you do know.” He pushed before shuffling backwards so his strong, toned back was pressed up against the rocky surface of the cave, the heat of the fire getting a little too hot for him.

   She sighed, “I know that it is a jail and that there are humans mingling with demons and goblins in there and that it is inhumane but apart from that nothing.”

   Dimitri was taken aback; he was expecting some innocent answer where she defended the kingdom. He was kind of pleased by it. “That’s what I always thought,” he eventually muttered.

   She was right as well, Anceps was inhumane and no human without the powers to defend themselves should have been sent there. Under no circumstances.

   “Why did you want to know?”

      “I know somebody who was sent there,” he told her and her eyes filled with sympathy which made him groan inwardly.

   “I don’t need your pity.” He snapped. The look reminded him of the face the people in Anceps were giving him when his brother died and it only brought back bad memories. Nothing good comes from that look.

   “I wasn’t giving you pity.”

      He rolled his eyes, “I know the look when I see it.”

      She huffed loudly and crossed her arms over her chest, an annoyed look on her face. “I wished I stayed hidden now.”

   “Oh I am sorry your majesty,” he spoke sarcastically but his words seem to hit her more than he anticipated as her face turned blank and her crossed arms fell by her sides. “Are-” He started but she stood to her feet and just walked straight past him silently.

   “Alexandra?” Dimitri called but when she ignored him he cursed before putting the fire out and going after her.

   “Leave me alone,” she ordered him but Dimitri ignored her and walked by her side.

      “What did I say?” He couldn’t see anything wrong with what he just said. He replayed what he said in his mind and couldn’t find fault with anything, he was only being sarcastic.

   She just scowled at him and started to walk at a faster pace towards the entrance and when Dimitri saw he stood in front of her and placed his hands on her slender shoulders, the cloak soft under his long fingers. He bent down to look in her eyes and sighed. “Where are you going? It’s dangerous.”

   She tried to push past him but he stood his ground and after a few minutes of getting absolutely nowhere she growled and glared at him. “I have a friend I want to go and see before the storm gets really bad. Now let. Me. Go.”

   “Not alone you aren’t,” he knew what he was saying but if he was with her there wouldn’t be a lot of attention on himself and if he could steal a coat he would be sorted.

   “You aren’t coming with me.”

      He nodded his head, “Oh yes I am, there is no chance you are going out there alone.”

      She looked beyond annoyed now. “Why do you care? We only met last night.”

      “Because I’m alone in this world, besides you know my secret and I can’t let you going around spreading it now, can I?” He winked and bumped his hip with hers and she gave him a ghost of a smile. “Oh, I saw that!” He cried with fake enthusiasm. “I saw that smile!”

   This time she really did give him a full smile. “Come on then, she doesn’t live too far but we have to get there before dark.”

 

 

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10: Daighte: Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

 

   Anya glanced at Dimitri as he walked beside her and couldn’t help but inwardly agree that he was gorgeous. He didn’t look like the typical man you found in the Frambuesa Faction, like Mikhail who was more of a pretty boy, he was more rugged and she liked that.

   His black hair was just stuck up on all ends, like he had been running his hands through it constantly but it suited him so well. He also had this vibrant green eyes and she worried that she would get lost in them if he stared at her again.

   His arms were broad and muscular and the fact that he had a tattoo and was a sorcerer completed the whole bad boy look.

   Dimitri being a sorcerer hadn’t bothered her as much as she thought it would. There were some obvious benefits like the fact that he could create fire to warm them up but she was also aware that he could just flick his wand and she would be dead so she had to make sure she didn’t annoy him too much.

   “Dimitri, I have something to confess.” She looked up at him and pulled the hood back so she could see his face properly. “My name is Anya not Alexandra.” From the expression on his face this morning when she asked if he knew who she was, she knew he didn’t know and that was not only a surprise but a huge weight off her shoulders.

   “Why would you lie about a name?”

      “Well you see, erm… basically when we go into the crowds we have to hide.” She finally sighed. He was probably going to think she was a complete freak right now.

   “How does that answer my question?”

     “There is a reason as to why we have to hide and it is not one I am willing to tell you.” She snapped.

   He subtlety rolled his eyes. “Okay, but why are you telling me now?”

      She glared up at him, “Do you always interrogate people you just meet?”

      He met her steely gaze, “Do you always lie about your name to people you just meet?” He smirked.

   The gravely path that led them towards the Zafiro Faction was not a long one. It took about two hours at the most to get between the caves and the centre of the faction and with the winds it seemed like it was going to be a long day.

   Overhead, a loud noise cracked in the clouds and Anya jumped in the air at the noise. “Crikey!”

   Dimitri laughed, “What did you just say?” He teased.

      She ignored his jibe and started walking ahead of him because if he was going to tease her then she wasn’t going to listen. She had more than enough on her plate and to listen to him messing around was just plain irritating.

   He jogged up to her chuckling, “Oh come on!” He cried. “I was only joking around.”

   She ignored his stupid voice and turned to face him which stopped him abruptly in his tracks with the usual, stupid smirk on his face. “We need to get you a cloak. If you are with me you need to stay hidden as well.”

   He rolled his eyes, “One, I thought that was a given and two, would we not look a little sketchy with our hoods up and sneaking around?”

   “We are in the middle of a storm! Can you not feel the wind or are you sorcerer’s immune? Oh and it is spitting now so you are going to get soaked to the bone.” She smirked back before continuing down the path.

   He held his palm out and groaned when he felt the drops bounce on his hand. “This is just perfect.” He grumbled before catching back up to her again. “Oh and please refrain from shouting my secret around please.”

   She felt guilty about that but she knew nobody would be stupid enough to be travelling in this weather, she was only doing it because she needed to see Darya.

   She turned to Dimitri and narrowed her eyes. “While we are in the Zafiro faction you can go and see your family while I see my friend.” Anya told him as surely he would like to see them after his brother died.

   She was estranged from her family but if Lara died she would be devastated. Despite the recent events, Lara and she were as close as ever growing up and for her to just not be there anymore would almost cripple her. She didn’t have anyone in her life that she could solely trust apart from Darya. Viktoriya was her best friend but her loyalty was to her family first and foremost and if she had told her about her running away she would have eventually told somebody.

   Darya on the other hand was an orphaned girl who had no family at all. Anya befriended her and the two had become good friends, Darya was nineteen years old now and Anya felt a huge amount of responsibility for her.

   “I can’t.” Dimitri told her. “My family do not live here.”

      Anya furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, “Where did you come from then? You are not allowed to leave your faction without permission from the King or the King’s Heir which is Prince Demyan.” Instinctively she took a few steps away from him. She didn’t know the man and the more he revealed about himself the more wary she became.

   He stalled and cursed under his breath – again. “I mean that they live hours away, still in the Zafiro faction.” He obviously lied and Anya rolled her eyes.

   “Smooth.” She muttered. She wasn’t going to push the subject but she was growing more and more curious the more he spoke. “So, tell me about your family then.”

   “There isn’t much to say,” he replied shivering. Rain was dripping down his nose and his clothes had grown darker from how wet they were, his abs were more on show and Anya was revelling in the sight.

   “Are you cold?”

      “I am freezing cold.”

      “How come you have not got a coat?” She questioned as he walked beside her as he breathed hot air into his hands, rubbing them together and then repeating the action over and over again.

   “I have never owned one.”

      “Living in the Zafiro faction I find that hard to believe.”

      He sighed, “Well my family are hardly rich, I mean your family must have some money to be able to have a cloak like that.”

   She scowled, “What does that matter? If you lived here you should have a coat, it is way too cold.”

   “Well I didn’t. Okay?”

      Silence fell between them as they carried on down the beaten path, there was an underlining of tension between the two just sizzling beneath the surface but neither was willing to speak up and address it.

   As they continued, the usually busy centre of the Zafiro faction came into view. The stalls had been abandoned almost, only a few were open and that was because they had to fill that weeks order to the King. If they failed to make up the order then they would be arrested and they could not afford to do that.

   Anya however did not see any of these, she only saw the men dressed in all black stood around the place, stern expressions and threatening swords by their side.

   She gulped and glanced at Dimitri who hadn’t noticed anything wrong and as he wandered closer, the more scared she became. The King’s Guards were known for their brutality, just because she was Princess does not mean that they will not be rough with her. Plus she didn’t want to go back to the palace at all.

   “Dimitri,” she hissed under her breath. “Dimitri!”

      He faced her with a frown, “What?” He was not bothering to be quiet despite the desperate and alarming look on her face.

   “I don’t think I can go into the centre,” she admitted as she shuffled closer to him. Placing a hand on his bicep, she felt almost scared to let go. She didn’t want to go back not when she had got this far.

   His eyes followed her hand to her blue eyes, his eyes worried. “What is wrong?”

      She shot a look at the guards who stood a mere two hundred metres from where they stood before glancing back at Dimitri, the rain dripping off the end of his nose and his ears bright red from the rain which for a brief second made her smile. His green eyes were squinted due to the rain and wind and he looked like he was five minutes away from catching hypothermia.

   “There are guards that may recognise me,” she pointed them out subtlety and Dimitri turned to see who she meant before turning back around.

   “Why? Why would they?”

      “I can’t explain right now but if they see me I’m as good as dead.” She muttered.

      He nodded his head in understanding and immediately pulled her to him. “Keep your hood up and follow my lead.” He ordered.

   Tucked underneath his arm almost like a jigsaw puzzle, they started walking again; well shuffling they were that close together. There was no space between at all but their body heat against their shivering bodies was more of a welcome than anything else.

  Anya’s arms were wrapped around his back and she could feel his shivering slowly start to disappear but his heart beat was racing faster than anything like he was scared or nervous but Anya could not see why. It was not like he had never been here before but Anya was still a little confused about his odd answers. Why would he not have a coat? The fact that she had never seen him before was biting at the back of her mind, nagging her.

   Dimitri had a face that she would have remembered.

      Their feet stopped abruptly. “Hello sir, are you okay?” A foreign voice asked and Anya peeked discreetly under the hood to see his face and instantly recognised him. He wasn’t very important but she had seen him wandering around the palace before.

   “I am thank you, my grandmother is not very well and I was taking her home.” Dimitri spoke with no hint of hesitation and Anya pinched his side in annoyance. Grandmother. Huh.

   “Just be careful the storm is going to be getting gradually worse, I believe it would be best for you to stay with her for the duration.” He eyed Anya up wearily and Dimitri simply nodded his head as he started walking forward again.

   Her heartbeat started slowing down but Dimitri’s didn’t but she put it down to the coldness and when they rounded a corner out of sight from the guards she dropped her arms from around his waist and wrapped them around herself, trying to keep the warmth.

   She would have kept a tight grip on him but she was annoyed at his stupid comment. “Grandmother?” She hissed at his playful grin.

   “You were hunched over but you weren’t small enough to pretend to be a child,” he shrugged and she frowned but could see the logic of it. Regrettably.

   “My grandmother is not hunched over like that.” She told him stubbornly.

      His face turned serious and Anya sighed. “Why were you hiding then?”

      “Can I tell you later?”

      He looked irritated by her answer but nodded his head regardless. “Tonight,” He ordered an eyebrow raised like he dared her to challenge him which she wasn’t. “Now, where does this damned friend live?”

   She smiled at his answer and pointed down the alleyway they were walking in, “Just down here. Now, her place is tiny and apart from the bathroom everything is in the same room so please don’t point anything out or make it obvious or anything she is self-conscious about the whole thing.”

   “Okay,” he replied. “How do you know her?”

      “She was homeless when I found her and after much convincing I got her to move into this place I discovered and helped her out a lot but not only that she helped me out, like she is now. We’ve just bonded over the three years I’ve known her.” Anya told him.

   “Sounds nice,” he mused.

      The rain was still coming down hard on the two of them as Anya knocked on a small door and not even five seconds later a girl with brown hair with frizzy hair and small, hazel eyes answered the door with a smile.

   “Anya!” She whisper yelled as she threw her arms around her and Anya returned the hug with her own smile. Taking a step back, she took notice of Dimitri with weary eyes and a frown. “Who’s that? Your new bodyguard?”

   Anya rolled her eyes and shook her head, “Just a friend. Dimitri this is Darya, Darya this is Dimitri.” She introduced before pushing past her friend and into the warm room. The tiny fire in the corner of the room beckoned her as she rushed towards it and sat directly in front.

   “Do you like hogging the heat?” Dimitri laughed as he came and leant against the wall next to the fire.

   She narrowed her eyes back at him jokingly. “We can stay here until the rain lets up but I would take your shirt off for now and hang it above the fire so that it can dry as much as it can.” She advised but Dimitri didn’t take it as helpful advice.

   “You know, if you want to get me out of my clothes you could at least wait until we get back to the cave,” he winked and Anya groaned.

   “What makes you think I would even go there with you?” The conversation was making Anya’s cheeks heat up slowly in embarrassment but the heat of the fire was already doing that for her thankfully.

   He just looked himself over and gave Anya a pointed look. “Who wouldn’t?”

      Darya joined them then leaving Anya with a scowl on her face and sat between them. “So, how the hell did you get past the guards?”

   “She put her hood up and I told them she was my grandmother,” Dimitri chuckled and Darya grinned.

   “They never were bright sparks were they? Anyway, what were you thinking running like that?” Darya asked Anya with a stern look upon her face. “You grandfather is going to catch you if you turn up here, they know we’re friends.”

   Anya looked and felt guilty, she knew that there was a chance that they would visit Darya but while the storm rumbled on anything serious happening was practically nil which meant she had three weeks to gather up enough supplies to add to the food and spare dress back at the cave and to get Darya out of here, the two of them could run it was possible.

   “He won’t catch me.” She assured her voice and confidence wavering slightly. She caught Dimitri’s curious glance but she ignored him. “And I have everything else sorted out. I came here to ask you to help me with something.”

   “What?”

      “I have enough food to last me a few days but not long so if I give you-”

      She was cut off by Darya, “-you will not give me anything, you have done enough.”

      “I need food and clothes to last me – and now Dimitri – through the storm.” She ended. “I cannot ask you to give up your rations for me, I will give you something.”

   “Ahh,” Darya ended.

      Food in the factions was given out equally. The workers traded their goods for food and other necessities and it was then given out equally to everyone who lived in the faction. Darya received five eggs, ten carrots, a kilogram of flour, half a kilogram of butter, six rashers of bacon and a few other items every Friday and that was to last her the week. It was more than enough to get her through the week and she usually had leftovers.

   “I will give you it all back I promise; like Dimitri could keep your fire going through the storm without you lifting a finger and I will visit some of the girls in the group and ask them to petition for more food to be given out. I mean I know it isn’t a lot but trying to keep hidden has its downfalls.” Anya rambled. “Honestly, I’m sorry I have to ask.”

   Darya gave her friend a reassuring smile, “It is fine, do not worry. And how does Dimitri keep this fire going?”

    “He is a sorcerer,” she whispered and Darya’s eyes widened.

    “H-how?” She stuttered as she gave him more attention.

     “Dimitri show her your wand please.”

      Dimitri looked stunned and did as he was asked but unlike Anya, Darya shuffled away from him and held a scared look on her face. “I have a sorcerer and a missing pr… I mean girl in my flimsy house, I do not want to see evidence that I could be arrested for.”

   Anya was more than irritated at her comments, she knew this was dangerous but she would never have come to Darya if she didn’t trust her with her life. Darya was her eyes and ears in the faction. The two were as thick as thieves. Even though she only met Dimitri yesterday she didn’t feel off about him, he was lying to her but she was lying to him and she didn’t want to kill him.

   “If I didn’t trust him I would never have brought him here.” Anya was lying about trusting him but she liked his company.

   Darya gave him an odd look and sighed, “Look I was nearly killed by a sorcerer, and you know that Anya plus I just don’t trust their kind.”

   Dimitri clenched his jaw and climbed to his feet. “I don’t care about the rain; just get what you need Anya so we can go. I think this girl fails to remember that I could kill her right now and she is your friend so I would rather not.” He spat before walking out of the room and back into the downpour.

   Anya shot Darya a dark look. “That was uncalled for. Dimitri was willing to help you out!”

      “I do not need his help. I’ll get you your food Anya but only because you have helped me out a great deal in the past.”

   “Are we really doing this?” Anya stood up and asked seriously.

      “Yes we are. I hate them, they are barely human Anya how can you not see that? He has the power to kill you.”

   “But he won’t and I didn’t discriminate against you so why are you doing it now?”

      “A week today I’ll meet you halfway on the path from the caves and I will give you the food.” She changed the subject, looking towards the fire and completely ignoring Anya.

   “Good.” And with that she exited the house to see Dimitri stood there leaning against the wall with his eyes closed. His chest was rising and falling at a rapid pace and Anya knew he was going to get ill if they didn’t get him some dry clothes soon.

   “We need to get you a cloak.” Anya stated her voice monotone as she tried to put the whole Darya situation to the back of her mind. She was going to try and settle things with her next week; their friendship was too precious to just give up on like that.

   He jumped at her voice and gave her a weak smile. “Okay, where can we get one?”

      “One of the girls from the group will have one.” She replied.

      “Thank you,” he started walking ahead as Anya led the way. “I’m sorry for coming between you and your friend.”

   “Have you ever killed someone?” She heard what he had said to Darya and it didn’t settle well in her gut.

   “How about we speak about that when we discuss why the guards are after you?” He offered and Anya just nodded her head regrettably.

   “Well let’s get you that cloak then.” 

11: Daighte: Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

 

   They say that family is everything, that without a good support system at home you will not do well and Dimitri could somewhat understand that. In fact, he knew that was true as he would never be the man he was today without his family.

   His mother and father were more in love than anyone he had seen before and although he never wanted that one person who he would one day love for the rest of his life, he knew that he and Clarissa would always be friends and that was good enough for him.

   As he slept that night, Dimitri had a recurring nightmare that Clarissa was killed whilst demons were looking for him and each and every time Dimitri would wake up covered in sweat just to have the same thing happen again.

   He had less sleep than he had in a long time and he could not shake off the sense that he was being watched. In Anceps, he had the luxury of having someone look out for him but here there was not anyone and what Darya had said in the afternoon the previous day had shaken him somewhat.

   He was a dangerous individual and he knew that. However, he was not an executioner. He did not kill humans unless he had a true purpose and he hadn’t found that reason yet and because he was sorcerer he was labelled with that word ‘killer’ and when Darya had called him that it had taken him off guard and had offended him.

   And that was because his father and mother had raised him to be better than that and he respected them.

   But he could hear Anya’s soft snores as she lay underneath her own cloak that had dried a few feet away from him, curled up into a ball and he could tell that she was lost and that her actions today just showed that she was just bobbing above the water.

   He had only known Anya for two days and yet he felt like he knew who she was and what she was about. She had come to the cave to seek refuge from wherever she was from and whoever she lived with previously but he had caught her staring off into the distance and knew that there was something holding her back.

   When they got back from the walk they did not discuss what they needed to, they had put it off for tonight and when Anya was huddled around the fire she didn’t utter a single word apart from when she laid her cloak out and told him she was going to sleep.

   He did not know the time but he knew it was still dark out and he could not stop the pictures of his family lying dead out in the battlefield. This whole nightmare was just the start and he was starting to become anxious.

   Although he was here now, he could just go up to a fairy and throw a bit of magic around and he would be straight back to Anceps where he not only belonged but needed to be. Seeing the Zafiro faction and the way everything was built was an eye opener to Dimitri.

   The green blades that he first landed on he discovered was called grass and he had been around a girl who did not even know how to defend herself, or he assumed and it was refreshing but staying in Daighte was not an option for him.

   It was not but an hour when Anya stirred in her sleep and flickered her eyes open, as she first acknowledged Dimitri’s presence she smiled and stretched before wrapping her cloak around her and sitting up. Dimitri noted how she sat with her back upright and not slouched in the slightest bit.

   “Good morning,” she spoke with a wide yawn.

      Dimitri chuckled, “I don’t even think it is light outside yet.”

      “The dark clouds will be concealing any sunlight,” she guessed. “Besides, when did you wake?”

   He shrugged his shoulders, “Not long.”

      She clambered to her feet and brought out a bag from the small crook in the cave wall where she slept the first night here and gestured with a finger for Dimitri to stand. “I have been in these caves many a time and down the other fork, there is a long, stone block that we can sit on to eat.”

   The mention of food made Dimitri’s stomach rumble, he hadn’t eaten in two whole days. He had been too focused and determined to even think about it.

   “What food have you got?”

      “You’ll see won’t you?” She laughed as Dimitri followed her.

      Once they were seated by the stone block, something that was clearly placed there and was not a natural part of the cave, Anya brought out a few apples, oranges and some other different fruits and separated them equally. “Enjoy.”

   Dimitri picked up an apple first and eyed it suspiciously, he had never seen any of these foods before and it was a little odd seeing their bright colours when the food back in Anceps was all dreary and not very tasteful.

   “Are you going to eat then?” Anya chuckled as she took a bite out of her own apple.

      With a short nod of his head he copied her action and took a crunchy bite of the apple, the richness took him by surprise but the taste delighted his taste buds. He had never experienced anything like it before and readily took another bite.

   “I’m sorry if it is a bit bruised.”

      He frowned, “Bruised?”

      “You know the brown marks,” she pointed one out on her own apple but Dimitri was rendered speechless. This was a bad apple? Crikey, it was the best thing he had ever tasted before and it wasn’t even considered ‘good’.

   The rest of the meals were finished with indifference from Anya and delight from Dimitri who felt like he could have eaten twice as many. He had not felt that happy since departing his family and friends and when he went back to Anceps he may try and take back a few.

   “How do you get apples?” He pondered.

      Anya gave him an odd look but answered nonetheless. “There are seeds in the core – that you ate – and you place them in the ground and grow an apple tree that will produce more.”

   Fascinating, he kept that opinion to himself however after the odd look she gave him.

      “I might grow some when I get back home.” Dimitri wondered aloud and Anya gave him a warmer smile.

   “You should.”

      “So, are we going to answer the questions we both have for each other?” Dimitri asked. The sooner they got it over with the better.

   “How about you ask a question and then I will and keep going like that?” He nodded his head. “Okay, how about we go back to the fire first?”

   Once they had both got more comfortable around the welcoming heat Dimitri wrapped his new cloak tighter around him and Anya did the same.

   “So, I’ll go first,” Anya broke the silence. “Why are you really here?”

      Dimitri blanked, he didn’t expect her to start with a heavy question straight away and although he promised to be truthful he couldn’t be about that. “I’ve told you, I just need to get away from my family as I can’t look my mother or father in the face as they grieve.”

   She shook her head. “I don’t believe you.”

      “Well it is the truth.” He defended, his voice hardened. “My brother Grigoriy has not been dead a month, my mother and father are distraught and I feel I may have caused his death and I cannot look them in the face. I feel guilty if I grieve for him and I do not want them to answer awkward questions as I am afraid they may disown me.”

   “Why did you cause his death?”

      “Ask that next, it is my turn.” Dimitri was not going to go down her route and asked a lighter question. “Did what Darya say have an effect on what you think of me?”

   A look of guilt immediately flashed across her face and unwillingly she nodded her head. “I knew what I was getting into when you revealed yourself to be a sorcerer, trust me I did but when she mentioned about her past – which I did know and should have considered – it did make me for a few seconds doubt you but I shouldn’t have as you haven’t done anything to prove me otherwise. Besides, I pride myself in not having prejudice in my character and I thought Darya was the same.”

  He nodded his head satisfied, he was kind of glad that she felt that way. It made him respect her more because she wasn’t placing him in a stereotype like most people would. Anya surprises him all the time but that was the nicest one of them all.

   “So, why did you cause the death of your brother?”

      “The people were after me and instead of defending him I defended my older brother and when I saw them going after my brother I didn’t get there in time and he was killed.”

   “Why were they after you?” Her curiosity was peaking the more he spoke and Dimitri was going to point out the one question at a time rule but thought it best to get all of this out in one go.

   “They know I am dangerous.” He didn’t want to broaden his answer and was thankful when she didn’t push another answer out of him.

   “You know, I don’t think it is your fault, the people who murdered your brother are to fault. If you did not protect Grigoriy they may have gone after your older brother and you will be punishing yourself again. You cannot help becoming a sorcerer besides I will make sure they are sent to Anceps because murder is not the answer ever.”

   Dimitri nearly smirked at the irony but kept quiet. “How will you make sure?” Her mouth closed at the question and groaned.

      “My father is influential.”

      “How so?”

   “My turn,” she announced. “Despite what Darya thinks, have you actually killed someone?”

   Dimitri was going to answer no because he hadn’t but then he considered Rolchov’s death and his brothers and although they weren’t his fault directly, indirectly they were and it made him think more about his answer. Without the human deaths, his demon and goblin kills were sky high and although he wasn’t particularly proud of that he knew that made him a killer despite his hatred for the word.

   “I have.” He told her and her own face fell. “I have regretted it both times but yes I have.”

      After an enlonated pause, she spoke, "I do hope you are not counting your brother in that count." 

      How did she see straight through him? Dimitri was intrigued further by Anya as she spoke, she was kind to him and she didn't judge him, just the thought that somebody else in the world didn't just tar him with the same brush made him respect this woman even more.

   "I'm not." He lied.

      She gave him a wary look and as Dimitri watched her he saw her eyes divert to what seemed like something behind him, following her gaze he frowned when he saw that there was nothing in his eyesight that he could see.

   "What is it? Did you see someone?"

      Her eyes were fixed on something and as he looked closer he noticed that she was staring at him. Looking over himself, a stain on his shirt by his arm caught his attention and he remember about his cut from the spell back in Anceps.

   Rolling his sleeve up, as soon as the blood started dripping onto the dusty floor, she gasped. "How did you do that?" She cried with worry as she shuffled closer to him so that her knees were resting against his thigh and he was made very aware of that small touch by the heat that radiated around him. 

   "A stray spell hit me." He replied.

      She gasped and brought his arm closer to her, "Does it hurt?" She grabbed her cloak and started dabbing at the deep cut carefully but Dimitri was too stunned to reply but did manage with much strength to pull his arm away.

   "Don't stain your cloak with my blood."

      With a little force she yanked his arm back and continued. "I don't care about that, we need to clean the cut. Can you create a spell to stitch it back up?"

   He shook his head, "It was my spell that caused it so I can't."

      "Well I have not got a needle but next time I meet Darya I will ask her to bring one back on her next trip with some thread and I can stitch you up." Her kindness was overwhelming, he had a mother who cared but she had a husband and five children to look after and as he was hardly ever in her company because he was training he lacked in much comfort from her and he did have Clarissa but they didn't have many moments, they were too busy laughing and having a good time to be soppy so now he enjoyed the moment.

   "Thank you," he told her barely above a whisper as he stared into her blue eyes, they were light and reminded him of hope and as kept her gaze he kept hold of that feeling.