Four Paths- Liberation Series- Book One

Chapter Nineteen...

Orchid woke up to find herself at the end of some cliff cuddling next Gris, her other familiars may have been worried because they were out as well, one of the owls, a water serpent’s soul she’d acquired back on Dorgrania, he was the first soul that came to her without having to kill it to form a contract, and Daunte’s uncle were around her.

“I didn’t think your loyalty stretched far enough to come out without my permission.” The owl flapped his wings, the serpent hissed and slithered into her lap.

“Mistress your safety is our main priority, we are sorry for disobeying your orders," he bowed.

“Not at all, thank you. And extra thank you Gris, you kept me warm through the night.” Gris huffed in response.

Her mind wasn’t fully set just yet, she remembered everything about who she is. She wasn’t a personality that was conjured by Violet’s mind. She was a sinful soul who had been given the chance to atone. Her name is Orchid now, back then she’d been known as Everest Vondrak, The Dark Witch. She had her practices taught to her by her mother and was feared by others because of her cold exterior and skills even though she was truly a softhearted woman who craved the idea of love. She worked with her brother who ran the Hunters organization under the Theron name. She trained the hunters while Euphoria provided them with knowledge and power. They used the organization to take control of their economies and instilled fear into their rulers to create a peaceful life for all. She was a Vondrak, she created the monsters that caused so much pain, the monster’s who killed Liam, thousands of Humans and Etherions and the worst of all, she created her own descendant who raped and tortured her and Violet. She shuddered at the new level of disgust she felt. Her own body disgusted her. The serpent in her lap shifted to bring back her attention.

“I’m fine, but you’re heavy, return and rest all of you,” she ordered and they returned to her shadow. She was a ways from wherever Violet and the others were but she didn’t even want to ride, she just walked through the thick evergreen forests aimlessly trying to clear her head.

Orchid wandered for an unknown length of time when she stumbled upon a small shed. The dirty broken-down shed had only a small raft next to it.

“You have come," she spun to find the little boy again.

“Kid, it’s not polite to stalk, especially when I can accidentally chop your head off." He remained motionless.

“I was looking for you, but instead you came to me. This proves you are worthy." The little boy confused her.

His eyes brightened as a red diamond back snake slithered down his leg and shot towards her and pierced its fangs into the arm she blocked her face with. Orchid hissed in pain as she wrenched it’s body off.

“Kid what the hell did you do to me?" he passed out on the ground without answering her question. She began to feel dizzy. Heat crawled along her skin. She tore at her clothes begging for relief. Stumbling to a nearby tree for support, but she collapsed and curled on the cold grass. She felt herself slipping away. A hand touched her cheek, the grass turned to silk. The pain was gone.

“You need to stop this, it’s no good for you," the voice spoke pained and tenderly.

“Let go of me," she heard her own voice hoarsely cursing. She shifted and her ankles and wrist felt heavy and rattled. She’d been chained on a bed, lying atop a man she did not know.

“If I do, I’ll lose the game."

“The candidacy is not a game, you are not suited to guard the gates."

“And you are not suited to be my opponent, so forfeit and give yourself to me or I can find other ways to force you."

“Not before I kill them.”

“Must you make this difficult, just admit you want to be mine."

“I belong to no one,” she said a deep chuckle vibrated on her chest.

“Then say goodbye."

Orchid shot up from faded delusion in a cold sweating panic. Her lungs begged for air as if starved for days. Her legs felt paralyzed, skin numb to the textures around. She looked around and saw the little boy still passed out on the ground.

“Cain. Come,” she commanded.

“Yes mistress,” Cain bowed.

“Bring him to me.” He bowed and brought the little boy to her. Her lips quivered at the sight of the child.

“My baby boy. I thought you found peace but you were tortured even after both of our passing. Once again, I couldn’t protect you.” She kissed his forehead, Apollo, her son. After some time, she finally felt like her normal self and rode back to Violet and the others with Apollo in her arms.

Allyssa forced herself to her feet. Daunte caught her before she fell. Her heart was heavy. Her past life was filled with that of much to regret.

“My guards will guide your to an inn. I expect you all need time to rest,” said Lilith. Allyssa allowed herself to be guided to the inn.

The wooden extra of the large building fit in well with the soft rainbow lit trees along the streets. Selrians built around their forestry, cutting down them was a act to be paid for with death.

“Are you okay? You haven’t spoken a word since we left the lake,” asked Violet. Allyssa didn’t look her way but nodded and left for her assigned room.

She slammed the dark brown door but kept a fierce grip on it handle.

“I am a monster. I had the audacity to be so cheerful when those were the things I did,” she said to herself. Allyssa’s life was one of peace. She lived as a human during the days before the Etherion and Human war that brought on the discovery of human technology. Her husband was a research scientist and she an herbalist. They lived happily during their years with their two children. Until her husband took their two child to his workplace for a day. Her two kids were murdered and eaten by Etherions who crossed the border seeking human flesh for power.

Allyssa banged on the door repeatedly, bruising her knuckles as tears poured down her cheeks as she continued to remember.

Allyssa went mad with rage and wanted revenge. She created the poison known be the one human creation that could kill a high level Etherion, War Cry. She started a hunting group and the massacred hundreds of Etherions, high and low levels. It was because of this that the wheels of faith that started the wars turned. It wasn’t until she found out the truth from her broken minded-research obsessed husband. He was actually a scientist that researched, tortured and killed Etherions to understand their capabilities. He fed their two children’s hearts to Etherions to see how the pure innocence of a child would affect them. In regret, she destroyed the her garden and the War Cry research she developed. She killed her husband and drank herself to death.

“So much for being the happy one out of all of us,” she laughed through her sobs.