[Arthdal Chronicles] Fight for freedom

CHAPTER 35: An unavoidable fate?

Tanya and Enoria positioned themselves in the water. Before starting, the High Priestess looked at her friend, not far behind her. She still wasn't convinced if it was a good idea wanting to know more about the dream she had but Enoria just nodded, as if to confirm that no matter what she would see, she was ready to face it. Was she truly? Tanya highly doubted that but she didn't say anything.

They did the sacred dance a first time but the Flame didn't intensify as they had expected it to do, just like it had done the first time they had danced together. They did it again, and again until Enoria's tiredness caught up with her and she fell in the water.

"Are you okay?" Tanya asked as she rushed by her side, "we should stop, we'll do that another day but for now you need to res-"

"No," Enoria interrupted, "I can do it again, one more time," she said, as she stood up with difficulty.

"You are barely standing!" Tanya scolded.

"One more time," she said, ignoring Tanya's remark, "I need to know, Tanya."

The Priestess loudly sighed, she had come to know Enoria was a stubborn woman and so, she warned her it was the last time they were doing it and if nothing happened she had to go back to her room and rest until morning and there was no negotiation allowed.

Enoria agreed and they positioned themselves again and executed the same movements once more.

They weren't even done yet when Enoria's eyes stopped on the Flame. She fell back in the water. She heard Tanya calling her name but she couldn't answer her. She was unable to take her eyes out of the flame and in its dance, she was given what she had asked for:

A grassy plain. The sound of swords clashing. People fighting. Screams. People dying. Blood. She had swords in hands and blood on herself. Red blood: the blood of the ones she was fighting against. Purple blood too: hers, escaping from the few injuries she had. 

Her eyes searched for Yangcha in the middle of the chaos. She scanned around her and she felt relieved seeing him fighting with strength, slightly hurt but nothing bad enough to weaken him. Her eyes met his and she smiled at him. It seemed to her he was saying something but she couldn't hear what it was. She noticed the worry in his eyes. She heard him well when he repeated. "Don't stay here! Get the hell away from here! Now! Run! Save yourself!" he was screaming at her. Familiar words. Her father had told her the same thing the day her tribe had been attacked. That day, she had obeyed, she would have died if she hadn't. She pulled herself together, it wasn't the time to remember those things. A fraction of seconds later, she was focused again. She noticed where Yangcha was looking and she turned her head in that direction. Her eyes widened when she caught Rhaegnov's shining blue eyes. She saw in the way he was looking at her that he was going to kill her. She heard Yangcha telling her to run again. She took a step back. Yangcha was right, she had to run. What could she do against a Neanthal? A tear fell on her cheek. He wasn't looking away from her and she couldn't look away from him. She didn't hear anymore the clashs of the swords around her. She still distinguished Yangcha's voice to which she knew she had to listen to and yet, she was unable to move. Frozen in place by fear. Fear of death. Fear of her dream becoming real. Fear of having to say goodbye forever to the man she loved. 

She didn't know anymore if what she felt running down on her cheeks was tears, blood or just sweat. But she knew she had to try to escape. Her eyes turned purple. She quickly turned and started running away from the one preying on her. She ran as fast as she could to Yangcha who, between people who he was trying to push away without killing, was gesturing her to come to him, to take his hand so that they would leave together.

But she didn't have the time to reach Yangcha. 

Maekarv stopped her in her run. He caught her neck with one hand and lifted her from the ground with a strength that made her drop her swords. She struggled but he was stronger than her. And so, against the strength his blue blood was giving him, her purple blood didn't measure up.