The Curse

Volume One | Prologue 1.2

Stepping through the dense underbrush of the forest, Adelaide's senses were roughly taken from her. She was disoriented for just a moment, as her body adjusted to her surroundings. It was difficult to discern the different parts of the forest, as the black tree trunks stood camouflaged with the charcoal night sky.

Stars, twinkled through the canopy of the trees, lending prickles of light to her vision as she made her way through the forest. As she wandered the narrow path, she momentarily questioned her hesitance. Where had her desire to live, fled to?

Is this what it felt like to give up? She thought to herself, hugging her arms around her mid-drift. Stumbling over the knotted tree roots, which covered the beaten path Adelaide mentally berated herself.

Adelaide found herself wincing as the branches of the trees whispered in the light wind that night. As the wind brushed past her, it bought the scent of decomposing leaves, thick, earthy. Surrounding her, the smells and the blackness pressed in. She felt isolated, alone.

She supposed she was.

Aside from her heavy breathing, stark against the silence of the forest, she knew there was no one and nothing to be found for quite a distance. At least, nothing she wanted to find her. After a few more minutes of wandering the hazard laden path, a trickling sound began to join the whispering of the wind.

Adelaide wanted to run, but with her steps faltering across the dimly lit path she knew running was out of the equation. Kicking stones in her path, and muttering obscenities beneath her breath, Adelaide continued.

A harsh crack resounded throughout the forest, and Adelaide's hesitance to run faded. Curses unravelling on her tongue, she could hear a rhythmic beat against the ground.

They had found her.

She froze, eyes locking on the large form before her as it slid to a stop. Edging backward, she realised she'd finally found that desire to live.

Adelaide, still frozen, could count the rows of teeth visible as the creature snarled its lips drawn tightly across its snout. She could've sworn it smirked at her, she supposed knowing what she did about the origin of the creature, it probably was. The creature stalked towards her, head raised, and tail curved in the air behind its body. As the muscles lining the gargantuan paws of the creature tensed, she knew she'd run out of time.

She tried to dodge a swing from its massive claws, but it struck her solidly in the side, flinging her into the nearby tree. Ears ringing, she dragged herself up, using the tree bark as leverage to stand. Winds whipped faster around her now, branches groaning from the movement it caused, as though the forest was her audience.

Stumbling, Adelaide began to run. She wasn't sure where she was going now, feeling the harsh bark of the tree drag down the sides of her body.

As she reached a clearing, the clearing, she sighed. Collapsing to the ground.

Silence fell across the moon-lit forest, illuminating the trees with a silvery hue. A menacing chuckle echoed through the clearing, as Adelaide dragged herself across the uneven forest floor. She winced, as the crisp autumn leaves dragged down her battered body. Twigs were catching in her long brown hair as dirt clung to the damp parts of her body.

Her circumstances as dire as they were, weren't enough to shake the lingering comfort she felt, knowing her daughter was safe. 'Safe', ironic as it were. She'd grow knowing nothing of her parents, or herself. Yet she'd be alive and for now, alive was enough.

"Please, take care of her."

She'd looked them in the eye and made them promise. As she passed over her sleeping child, she took one last chance to memorise her features. Her button nose, and chocolate brown hair were enough to give her identity away.

"She must not know..." her voice caught on her words, "...not a thing about who she is, or what happens tonight. She will be drawn back eventually, but please, let her live a normal life."

Adelaide had done it for the good of her daughter. Or, that's what she told herself. Her reasons were selfish, she wanted to give her daughter what she'd never had. Normalcy. Perhaps she should've entrusted her to her parents, or even the leader of the village. But they were too close. They couldn't guarantee her safety, not the way living amongst humans would.

Pulling herself forward once more and suppressing the groan at the back of her throat, Adelaide rolled onto her back, taking in her surroundings. The blades of grass whispered in the dull wind as it whistled through the trees. Surrounding her, was a cone of moonlight. It illuminated every rock in the circle that surrounded her, she pondered on it a moment as she reached out towards the power they held. It was beautiful, and tantalising.

She started, as a figure in white seemingly appeared in front of her. Furrowing her brow, she looked up at the woman - the same power as the stones, gently caressed her as their eyes met in silent solidarity.

Nodding slightly, Adelaide removed her hand from the stone and watched as the figure disappeared. Smiling, her eyes focused in on a man. She'd accepted her fate. Letting herself go from the pain, she allowed her body to join with the magic of the stones. As her soul split from her physical form, seeping into nothingness she sang to herself the words which had nearly ended a kingdom.

Born from the soul-bond between Veritas and Neaera. Descendant of the Wolf and Fae. Power is given to the only child. Reborn is the Monarchy so peace may reign