The Raven's Nightmare

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

    Letting out a gasp of shock, I found myself falling within the floor with a SPLASH!

    Then I found myself drowning while sinking deeper into the dark abyss.

       ❣︎AUTHOR'S POV❣︎

       Salem stood behind a tree that was directly in front of Raven; waiting for her husband to give the signal. Upon seeing it, she took a deep breath and walk towards her daughter; making sure to snap on a twig to gain her attention. Swinging her head towards the sound, the young woman charged with a roar.

    Standing her ground, the Healer called "Raven!" making the said girl to abruptly stop.

    "Whatever you're going through, Raven, we can go through with it together. So, please tell me what's wrong...!"

    There was a moment of silence before the young mage spoke in a deep, echoey voice while pointing in the direction where DreamTale resided "They need to pay with blood! They caused us pain and suffering! Everyday, those maggots hurt us!"

    "Who's 'us', Starlight?"

    Raven clutched the star necklace that her precious treasure made for her, "Nightmare... they hurt him longer.."

    Batair gave a sad smile at his child as he peaked behind the tree; glad that his little girl at least has an anchor. But then frowned when he realized that it seems that the Guardian and his daughter are still being tormented by the townsfolk. How long had the two lovers been suffering for without him realizing it? The Hunter couldn't help but feel  like he failed to protect them...

     Tears trickled down Salem's cheeks, "Oh, Raven...," before steeling herself, "but you know that killing isn't the answer! It's wrong and you know that!"

    Narrowing her eyes harshly at her mother, the ebony haired woman growled out "If you get in my way, I won't hesitate to kill you."

    "Don't you hear yourself?! You're threatening to kill your own mother! Just, snap out of it!"

    Batair stepped out of his hiding spot with his hand up to show he meant no harm as he stated, "Ya got ta pull yourself out of tha' darkness. Don't go down tha' same path tha' I did, Starlight."

    Looking at her daughter with desperate eye, Salem pleaded "Please, Raven! Snap out of it!"

    Raven's face softened slightly before quickly changing to alarm as a familiar skeleton's voice rang out, "Raven...?", as Nightmare appeared behind the Healer with widened sockets.

    Everything happened in slow motion as Salem sharply turned with an arm out stretched towards the skeleton in an attempt to warn him of the situation. But to the unstable mage, that motion triggered a protective instinct as a flash of memory of the Guardian being beat by the towns people. Her alarmed expression changed into that of a snarl as Raven's hands glowed red; causing black bladed chains to erupt out of the ground and shoot towards the direction of her mother.

    Everyone could only watch in horror as the chain pierced Salem's chest.

    Quickly grabbing the weapon, Raven used all her might as she pulled the chain forward; causing the mortally injured Healer to be flung against a tree with a sickening THUD!

    CRACK

    Batair clutched his chest in agony as he felt his SOUL start to break due to the death of his BONDED. But, he refused to die just yet; not until he makes sure he SAVES his daughter first. Locking gazes with the horrified skeleton with blood dribbling from the corner of his mouth, he shouted "'Ey, boy! 'Elp an old man out and save ye girl!"

    ☽NIGHTMARE'S POV☽

    He didn't need to tell me twice!

    Without even realizing it, I quickly ran to Raven, who had her back to me, as I embraced her as if my life depended on it. Tears poured from my eye sockets while pleading, "Please, Raven! Stop! D-don't do this!" I loosened my hold on her as I felt her shift to face me with cinfused eyes, "B-but they hurt us... they'll continue to hurt us, Nightmare! We have to kill them before they hurt us more!"

    I narrowed my eyes at the entity, automatically realizing that this isn't the Raven I know and love.

    My eye sockets flared up as I glared daggers at this unknown being, "Whoever you are, bring Raven back. There will be no killing."

    Blinking in surprise of few times, her eyes turned cold while sneering up at me as she hissed out "Fine. But I warned you two. Sooner or later you will change your minds."

    With those final words, Raven's sclera turned back to normal before falling unconscious. Laying her, gently, on the ground, I was about to help Batair when he stopped me "Check on Salem first... I just want to make sure..."

    Nodding my head, I quickly went over to the lifeless body of my girlfriend's mother. When I got there, I thought I was going to be sick. Salem had a huge hole in the middle of her chest that was still leaking blood and her once emerald eyes were now a dull grey. Tears cascaded down my cheekbones as I faced the waiting husband; shaking my head sorrowfully.

    With a looked of resignation, the grieving mage croaked "C-can ya b-bring 'er to me, lad? I-I don't 'ave much time left...", before coughing up blood as he fell to his knees.

    Panic and shock coursed through my bones as I picked the ebony haired woman bridle style and laid her in front of the man. Tears fell down his cheeks as he gave a small smile while brushing her bangs away from her face, "Ya can rest easy, Mama Bear. Our little Starlight is safe. I-I'll be 'ith ya soon." Locking his dull, tired blue orbs with my purple eye lights, Batair asked "Are ye afraid of Raven now; knowing what she did?"

    "No. It's quite obvious that she was not in control of herself. But, what was that... thing?"

    The veteran gave a grateful smile before turning serious as he started to talk but was abruptly stopped with a coughing fit. It lasted for a couple of minutes, with me helping him stay up, until it finally stopped.

   "I-I think that was 'er RAGE that's been festering after all these years; 'orming a conscious of its own due to R-Raven pushing it down."

    I looked at in in disbelief, "How is that possible?"

    "T-the SOUL w-works in ... COUGH... mysterious w-ways."

    By now, his breathing became more labored as Batair gripped my shirt in desperation while pleading "P-please Nightmare, t-take care of R-Raven... COUGH... she'll b-be d-devastated when she l-learns... COUGH... what happened."

    I gritted my teeth in an attempt to stay strong, "I-I will, you know I w-will! But, Batair... we can do that together! We just need to heal whatever wound you have-"

    "Ya can not heal a breaking SOUL that's lost its BONDED partner."

    My eyes widened in realization as I whispered in awe, "You and Salem...?"

    "Aye..." he let out a weak chuckle as Batair forced out, "I-I'm glad... that you and R-Raven are fin...ally t-tagether... cause now... I c-can finally s-start calling ya my son... even though... I saw ya as one when she first introduced ya..."

    I was about to comment until I felt the Hunter go limp as he fell from my hold and landed next to his wife; dead.