She saw what he did and had no time to think on what to do except one useful thing. She held up her hand feeling the magic within it tingle. Gritting her teeth together she released her magic and caught the falling knight midway down the ladder. With great ease she lured him down and sat him on the ground.
She knelt beside him and pity washed over her. His fingers were curled as if in excruciating pain but it was the color that struck her hard. They were bleach white and frozen still. His eyes were closed, his mouth pressed into a straight line, and his body shivered violently.
"Get a fire going," she heard the boy Kit say behind her.
"What is she?" asked the man who gave no indication of obeying.
"Is that the witch?" said the man's wife tugging fearfully on her cloak's collar.
Galasia growled knowing they couldn't hear her. She cupped her hands and brought it to her cracked lips. She blew into her own shivering hands releasing magic at the same time. Her wishes were granted as a tiny bluish white flame grew in her handmade cup. Carefully, she disconnected her hands, the calm flame tickling her skin, and grabbed the knight's hands.
She heard movement behind her and the dark passageway lit up with a golden flame. The boy stepped over Alsindad and knelt beside him. He hovered a torch he had found somewhere over the knight's head in hopes that it would warm him.
"Don't leave me," Kit whispered his red eyes swelling with tears.
There was nothing she could say in return. The man and his family mumbled amongst themselves and two found torches were lit.
"This tunnel should lead us to the other side of the village," the man said.
"But won't the frostbiters spot us?" said the man's wife.
"Maybe if we stay down here for a while and wait until they are gone," the man said.
"I don't want to be near her," whispered the man's youngest son.
Galasia caught eyes with Kit who stared at her with great suspicion. "Can you teach me that?" The boy nodded at her flaming hands.
It's magic, she said.
"What?"
I said, it's ma-gic, she slowly mouthed feeling her blood boil with annoyance.
"Magic? Oh yeah. I know that," Kit said with a nod. "But can you teach me?"
I hate children, she said glaring at him to be silent.
"What?" the boy said and leaned back sensing her warning to stop talking to her. "Never mind," he muttered pressing a hand on Alsindad's pale forehead.
"Wake up Alsin. Don't leave me here with these people," he said which she couldn't disagree.
Already she had to listen to Galiathan explain her forgotten history and now it's certain that Edrich and Javana wants her dead. When looking at Alsindad and Kit's faces she knew that this Mad Mist was not normal. The way it took hold of her body sending it warping into aches and pains and nausea, she would not mind openly admitting that she was terrified. For as long as she could remember- in what distance her memory could take her- she had always loved soaking in other people's fear. Now the boat seemed to have turned as of late. Ever since this knight from Terra entered her life.
She rubbed his hands frostbitten still and felt a hint of warmth returning to them. His fingers moved stiffly but weren't frozen still any longer. She pressed a flamed hand on his chest and stomach hoping her magic would seep into him and renew his strength. Already she could feel the flames warming her own body up.
She didn't know what she was thinking. She grabbed the boy's good hand, pale and bluish and returned life into its veins. Kit tensed up at first, shocked by her persistence, then relaxed as his color returned to his face.
"Thank you," he said when she released him.
Alsindad then shivered to life. His red eyes popped open and wildly looked around until they focused on her. Those emerald green eyes seemed brighter than before unless she was still recovering from the sudden poisoned winter. She looked away and her embarrassment wanted to let his warm hands go. But he grasped hold and pulled her hands closer.
"Thank you," he said his thick voice crackled rusty.
Her tongue caught behind her teeth. She nodded and inwardly scolded. This knight was working her nerves and she hated it. Finally, he let go and smiled at his cousin.
"Hey, Kit," he said and stiffly propped himself against the dirt wall.
"You were half frozen. Thought you were gonna turn on me," the boy said giving the knight a hug.
He gave a throated chuckle and ruffled the boy's hair, "I'm not going anywhere, mate. The gods love me too much."
"Where's Galiathan," the man began to say pacing back and forth and staring up at the wooden door. "I hope he's okay."
Galasia didn't have any feelings for the giant- well at least at this point with her memory of him blocked. Was his words true about the Illusion Spell? Would her memory return if she traveled further away from Terra? There was only one way to find out and that is to get as far away from The Dauntless Mountains as possible.
We need to leave now, she said getting the knight's attention.
He nodded, "We will leave as soon as Galiathan comes back."
He could be dead for all we know.
The knight frowned and tapped his thigh as if he was redirecting his panic so it wouldn't show on his face. "Hopefully he's not."
"We should leave," the man said coming to stand in front of them. He waved his torch down upon them and shifted nervously. "Me and Galiathan had discovered this tunnel years ago. It's adjoined to different ones throughout the village. If we head that way-," he pointed to the direction behind her, "-we'll be going eastward toward Iceburn. Their border villages are trading sites so we wouldn't fall under any suspicions."
"And who are you?" Alsin asked as if disregarding his suggestion.
"Roger Collins. I'm a blacksmith," he said then indicated the people with him, "and this is my family."
Alsindad climbed onto his feet grunting here and there. She and Kit rose and stood beside him. He held out a hand and Roger shook it with a frown.
"I'm Alsin. This is Kit and this is Galasia,"
"The witch. I know," he muttered stepping awkwardly to the side.
She rolled her eyes and scolded. And this is why she never liked leaving her castle unless she needed to.
"Well, not really a witch per say..." the knight said and she gave him a dangerous glare in which he flashed her a cunning smile.
"Look. I don't care. I just need to get my family out of here. Are you good with that sword?"
"Uh...yes. I'm a knight."
The man seemed to relax a bit, "Okay. Great. Should we go now or do you need more time to renew your strength?"
"We should wait for Galiathan."
"No. He will catch up with us. He can take care of himself." Roger said with great certainty.
Alsin glanced at her then down at his cousin before looking up at the frosted white door. He gave a great sigh and combed a hand through is hair. "Fine. Let us go. Do you know the way?"
"Yes. I do. We must keep heading east no matter what. We may run into other people."
"Are there markings...?" Alsin asked following the man to the front of everyone.
"Yeah. Hopefully they are still along the walls. Red arrows mean we are heading east. The black ones mean we're heading to another exit."
"Okay. Everyone keep your eyes and ears open," Sir Alsindad ordered and took the lead.
Galasia let everyone walk in front of her even the boy Kit. She recapped everything that had happened thus far hoping it would glue to her memory for another day. She smirked, happy on the fact that she once had loving parents. She frowned, disappointed that they were taken from her so gruesomely. The singing little girl floating in her mind whom with the help of Alsindad found out was her in the past, resurfaced. The music from her lips made her want to join her aloud.
Unfortunately, her mute predicament prevented her from doing so. Especially, the last thing she wanted was to entertain these people who she rather not have met. Matter of fact, she would still be in her warm castle eating cherries and reading books if it wasn't for that Terran knight although he wasn't to blame for Stein's behavior.
She stared at the back of his head and scolded. He needed to fix his hair. His hands were dirty but he continued to comb his fingers through it as if was a napkin. It looked as if he was a madman. And his gait was not steady like a knight, but free, casual, with a subtle bop. And there was an obvious tear along the side of his breeches, which she couldn't stop looking at.
She threw her eyes to the ceiling and wanted to die suddenly noticing what she was doing. He meant nothing to her. He had tried to kill her once. He had saved her too once or twice. He had given her a lost memory. For all what was worth, she couldn't erase the feeling that she still owed him. As fast as that thought came she remembered her beloved raptor and wraith.
She glanced behind into the darkness and used her summoning spell again. Where are you Kaahiss and Casper?
The walk felt to have gone on for hours. They took tiny breaks, which opened the opportunity for other people who had found an underground passage to join them. A deadly silence lingered on their heads as they treaded on. Soon the anxious and tired crowd had stopped. She made her way to the front hoping no one would take note of her ruined dress, her obvious gold eyes, and the faint black veins visible along her neck that identified her as their feared witch.
She halted at Kit's side as Alsindad and a guard climbed up a ladder and disappeared into the tunnel's exit. For a while they all stood in silence listening to the two banging the door. Then a woman frantically said, "What if the frostbiters hear their racket?" and the crowd uprooted with noise.
Roger turned to face everyone, "Everyone please. Please stay silent. They would most likely come running to the sound of your voice rather than their racket."
Galasia shook her head knowing that wasn't true. But she had to give the man some credit for trying to calm the people. She approached the ladder and dared to look up as dirt and chipped wood fell. Still they continued to push and bang the door. Something was blocking it. She fumbled with her fingers feeling her magic scream for release again. At times she savored that feeling of her magic working her adrenaline and spewing an addictive energy through her veins.
Her eyes were glowing for sure. She knew so. They always glowed a bit when she was mentally and physically feeling the magic that dwelled within her. She couldn't remember the day she had first summoned it or whether she was taught it, but she thanked the gods for it.
She gestured Kit to come closer. "What?" he said in the midst of the anxious noise.
Call them down, she said pointing up at the two in the tunnel then pointed downward.
"You want them?" he said. "Why?"
She held out her hands and for a minute had a second thought. These people were going to kill her if they saw her use magic. Galiathan did say the Illusion Spell covered this part of the Dauntless as well. Which meant their knowledge or opinions of her could be mixed.
Kit smiled, an honest smile and nodded. He went to Roger and whispered something to him. His eyes widened and glanced at her and shook his head no. She growled and clenched her hands into fists. Who was this man to deny a possible way to get out? The boy returned to her.
"He said no. It would scare the people."
Scare the people? This is the Mystic Realm. They had just seen the unnatural try to kill them. I'm not going to hurt them. I'm trying too...she let her muted voice float away for two reasons. The first, the boy couldn't understand what she was saying. The second, when did she all of sudden want to save people? Just a few days ago she was living peacefully in her castle killing little girls for their pure blood and scaring the breath out of grown men, and here she was wanting to help.
She looked away from the confused boy to savage through her thoughts and feelings. That knight did something to her when he was fooling around in her head...probably. She twisted her lips and folded her arms and decided not to do anything but watch.
Finally, Alsindad and the guard climbed back down.
"It's blocked," said the bearded guard receiving groans from everyone.
The knight gave her a disdainful look wiping debris off of his broad shoulders. "Maybe there is another way out."
"We could try the last exit we had passed," said a farmer wearing a black straw hat and missing a front tooth.
"But it's too close to the village," Roger said glancing at a few young men who had gathered at the front.
"We needta get outta he' 'efore nightfall," said a man who wore a dark red undershirt. "That's when them biters get crazier."
This broke everyone into their own conversations. She even heard someone blame the frostbiters on the witch whom she knew referred to her. Sir Alsindad held up a hand and shouted for everyone's attention. She felt her heart speed up by his demanding presence. The seriousness of his face made her want to see that stupid grin he'd always make at the most dire time.
"People. People of Haven please." When everyone got quiet he did exactly what she wanted him to do. The corner of his lips curved upwards, but his eyes stayed leveled between firm and kindness. "The last thing we need to do right now is panic or fight amongst ourselves. We will figure this out one way or another, but we all must stick together. Now it's true. We need to leave this area before nightfall. I was thinking me and a group of good men could backtrack to the last exit and find out what's blocking this one."
Before the people could break out into their murmurs, Kit did the unspeakable. "Or we can use Galasia's magic." If it wasn't for his pointing thumb the people wouldn't have turned their eyes on her so quickly.
"Or that..." Alsindad said considering Kit's suggestion.
Again her tongue was caught. She didn't know what to say. Actually, she didn't know what to do or how they people would react.
"Magic?" the farmer said rubbing his finger along his dagger's hilt.
Alsindad approached her smiling joyfully. "Are you up for it? You think you can do it?"
Um... I don't know.
"It was her idea," Kit pointed out. She could just pluck the boy in the ear for speaking.
There was a look in the knight's eyes that she didn't like. It made her stomach churn with distaste. She shrugged.
I can see what I can do.
"What did she say?" said someone.
"She's the witch," said Roger's wife and that one fact sent everyone in an uproar. People literally began to grab their families and move away.
She backed against the wall and glared murderously at the woman and her big mouth. Roger didn't like what his wife did for he grabbed her arm and whispered something angrily in her ear. Alsindad on the other hand, rested a hand on his hilt and tilted his head. A playful smile masked his face as he stared at her, which warmed her cheeks for some reason.
What? They are going to kill me.
He chuckled, "I won't let them," he whispered. She searched his strange eyes and growled. She nudged him away and approached the ladder. Ignoring the disagreements shouting at her she ascended. As she approached the door, which was made of metal and not wood, she swallowed the burning igniting in her heart.
These people are going to regret their insults one day, a dangerous voice spoke within her head. She pressed a hand against the cold metal door. She closed her eyes to concentrate on whatever sat on the door. With great ease she released her magic and she could feel whatever sat above shiver to life. There was creaking and groaning sounds. Things flopped back onto the metal door in clumps. It sounded like a fallen tree.
Then a heavy pressure began to push back. Her hand and arm trembled under the unknown weight. Something wasn't right. The sound of running footsteps came near. There was a sudden thud and the ceiling trembled. A ruffling sound caught her attention where the latch sat. The metal door opened with a nasty creak.
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Who just opened the door??? I hope you all are enjoying this. Thank you for reading! Please remember to vote or comment and tell me what you liked.
From GoldFantasy