A/N: Sabrina is imaged above :)
His white milky eyes stared into hers as he gripped her neck. Clumps of soil hit the ground as they fell from the holes in his dusty grey face. Hands tightened painfully around her throat; her lungs burned from lack of oxygen while black dots flickered across her vision.
Gasping, Sabrina's eyes snapped open. Sunlight streamed through the small window in front of the bed, blinding her momentarily. She looked around the inn as her hand instinctively touched her exposed neck. At the familiar surroundings, her heart rate slowed and stale air filled her lungs. Despite the comforting sight, Sabrina couldn't shake the feeling of dread spreading throughout her body.
Something was wrong.
Sabrina flipped the rough wool blanket off her sweaty body and sighed. She shook her head and pushed her short, curly black hair out of her face. It was just a dream. That was all.
But that wasn't enough to shake the awful feeling in her core.
A shiver went down her spine as she recalled the dream: the extravagant room, the grim feeling, and the dead body. There was only one room that could bring such terror and fear into her body. And only one person could control dead bodies using earth magic. Sabrina stood up quickly, head rushing from the suddenness.
It couldn't be true.
She hurriedly dressed in her riding gear, consisting of dark green ankle-length trousers belted at the waist and a fitted long sleeve green shirt. Throwing a brown fur vest over it followed by a green cloak, Sabrina strapped a long dagger to her belt and slipped out of the room. She walked briskly down the stairs to the dining area of the inn, eyes searching for her companion.
In the corner of the sunlit room, at a table near the empty fireplace sat a man with dark grey hair pushed back away from his forehead. Sabrina made her way over to him, sliding around the tables and ignoring the curious glances of the men as they drank from their wooden tankards. She dropped into the seat in front of him, yanking up the hood of her cloak.
"There's something wrong, Galen." Her lips pressed together tightly.
Galen pulled on his thick dark grey beard, eyes darting around their surroundings. The chatter of the men was loud, despite the early morning and tankards were filled high. He looked down at the porridge in his wooden bowl before pushing it towards Sabrina, waving a hand to indicate she should eat.
"There's been rumors," Galen's deep voice rumbled as he leaned towards her. Sabrina grasped a piece of bread from the small tray between them, dipping it into the substance that looked more like mud than porridge. "Liliana is planning something."
Sabrina's golden eyes narrowed. "Tell me what you've heard."
"A few servants escaped the Night Castle and came here for refuge." Galen leaned back as the innkeeper came to the table and inquired about their desire for refreshments. After declining, Galen waited for him to leave. "They say Liliana has been torturing Alethia and Roxana. Even killed a young servant girl for no apparent reason."
The piece of bread in her mouth turned to lead as she swallowed. "She does everything for a reason, Galen."
"I know," Galen responded, dragging a hand over his face. Wrinkles stretched across his skin from years of stress and hard work. "I never thought she'd do something like this. I never imagined..."
Sabrina reached across the table and squeezed his hand. "Nobody ever thought it would come to this. But when it comes to Liliana, this is just the beginning."
Galen's lips turned down in a thoughtful frown. She couldn't remember the last time she had seen him genuinely smile. Her heart ached with the knowledge of what was occurring in the Kan Kingdom. And she couldn't get that terrifying dream out of her mind at all. A dreadful feeling spread through her body once again, sending chills down her spine.
Suddenly, a figure pulled out the empty chair at their table, jerking Sabrina out of her thoughts. The figure pulled back the hood of his black cloak revealing long reddish, brown hair as he sat down.
"You going to finish that?" Ren pointed at the bowl of half-filled porridge. Sabrina shook her head and watched as he dragged the bowl over, stabbing the leftover piece of bread into it.
Ren looked between the two of them. His icy blue eyes settled on Galen. "What's going on?"
"There's been news concerning the Kan Kingdom." Galen blew out an exasperated breath.
"I've heard," Ren said, finishing off the bread and porridge. He dusted off his fingerless leather gloves before shoving his hands in his pocket. "What's your plan?"
Galen drew back in his seat, looking towards the door as if he wanted to leave right then and there. "I plan to save my daughters."
"I'm coming with you." Ren's jaw clenched tight at the thought of going to the Night Castle.
"No, you're not." Galen glared at Ren. "You have responsibilities here."
"That's a load of horse shit, and you know it," Ren snapped back. "I'm coming. End of discussion."
Galen shook his head but made no refute. If Ren wanted to go, there was nothing he could do about it. He couldn't help but understand why he wanted to travel along. For some people, it took learning a lesson the hard way through experiences and failures for them to realize the truth. Ren was one of those people. Galen had known the boy for most of his life, and the desire to protect him was as strong as it was for his daughters.
"What were you talking about earlier, Sabrina?" Galen inquired, his brow scrunching together in worry. Ren clicked his tongue at the obvious dismissal.
"I..." Sabrina paused and cleared her throat, glancing around to make sure no one was listening in on their conversation. "I had a dream."
"Okay," Galen replied slowly. "What of it?"
Sabrina rubbed her chest as it constricted briefly. "Liliana has done an awful thing. She's using her gift, Galen."
"How do you know?"
"I don't know how." Sabrina glanced at Ren's curious face. "Just trust me. If you want to save them, you need to do it fast. Before it's too late."
"Will you travel with me?" Galen reached over, grasping her hand tightly. "You have more sway over her than I do. I could use the help."
Sabrina shook her head, pulling her hand away. "I'll be more useful here. We can't both go into the snake's den. One of us must remain in the Gera Kingdom."
"Be careful, Sabrina. There's more than just snakes in this world. Once I've gotten my daughters, I will return to the shop. May the skies' blessing be with you." Galen stood out of his seat, giving his oldest friend a sad smile. He tossed a couple of bronze coins on the table as Ren stood.
"And you as well, Galen." Sabrina stood, following the pair out of the swinging doors of the tavern.
The streets of Gera were bustling with laughter and vendors shouting at people, selling an assortment of items ranging from jewelry to luxurious silks. Geranians displayed their water magic abilities in an attempt to attract customers while children tried to recreate creatures with their magic.
A clear water butterfly flew past Sabrina's face as she moved with Galen towards the center of the square. The small owner of the butterfly shot past, banging into her while their friends laughed, and ran after them. It was a peaceful town where the land flourished, and its people thrived.
Sabrina was overtaken by an onslaught of bittersweet emotions. The Kan Kingdom, her homeland, could never compare with its drier land and its people struggling to survive.
At the market town's square, the path split into multiple directions. Sabrina grasped Galen's shoulder, and he nodded in return.
"After a fortnight, meet me back at the shop," Galen said. At Sabrina's nod, Galen and Ren turned away, beginning their trip back to their smith shop.
Sabrina took in a deep breath of crisp air. She smiled at the children dancing by the water fountain in the middle of the square. They lifted water out of the fountain and twirled it around like ribbons. Sabrina watched them for a moment before turning away. With a heavy heart, she started towards the Hardingham Castle.
Now, it was time for her to do her part.
She pulled her hood over her distinct Kantian features: the raven black hair and pale skin. She strolled towards the formidable stone castle looming in the distance.
On a large uphill slope, the castle overlooked the entire population of people in its town. Green, brown, and yellow houses and shops continued upwards, stopping a couple of feet away from the moat surrounding the castle's wall. A perfect defensive component for Geranians.
By the time Sabrina reached the castle, the sun was sitting high in the sky, and her stomach growled from lack of a proper meal. Ignoring the familiar feeling, Sabrina took a deep breath and approached the main gate that sat between twin watching towers. The two guards slumped against the towers straightened at the sight of her.
"State your name and business at the castle," The heavier set guard of the two stated.
Heart racing, Sabrina stretched to her full height and spoke with a calmness she didn't feel on the inside. "My name is Lady Sabrina Sanora, sister of the Queen of the Kan Kingdom, Liliana Sanora. I am here to peacefully offer my aid and services to King Chancellor Garner of the Gera Kingdom."
For a moment, silence was their only response. Then the guards jumped into action, moving in unison to grab Sabrina's arms. They began to drag her forward, her feet tripping over each other as she struggled to keep up with their pace.
Her heart sped up as the castle grounds blurred past her. The guards were shouting at their companions to alert the king.
Sabrina almost wanted to laugh. Of course, she should have known better.
The bloody history between the Kan and Gera kingdom went far back, and their hatred for each other was palpable. The guards yanked her through the golden hallways of the castle, servants crashing into the walls to move out of the way. Large golden-yellow doors with the face of a dragon engraved into them appeared ahead.
The guards stationed at the door heaved it open at their approach. The guards dragged her across the blue and gold rug that stopped at the stairs, leading to a heightened stone platform. On it sat two elegant thrones of oak covered in green textured and layered marks. Travertine columns lit up the entire throne hall and covered the hall in warm oranges and dancing shadows. The intricate golden patterns on the arched ceiling glittered in the flickering light while marble statues looked down upon the stone floor.
Bowing low to King Chancellor Garner, the guards drew their hands away from Sabrina's arms and took a measured step back. The king drew to his full height in his throne, looking down his straight nose with piercing light brown eyes. To his right, the queen fanned her face with an embellished, white, and gold fan.
"Your Majesty, we have brought Lady Sabrina Sanora, sister to Queen Liliana of the Kan Kingdom." The guards proclaimed.
The queen gasped softly, a delicate hand coming up to cover her mouth. King Chancellor's eyes narrowed. "Crest of proof?"
Sabrina gritted her teeth and yanked her hood off. Her loosened black curls fell to her shoulders as she reached within her cloak, grasping her dagger. The guards shot forward as the king rose from his seat.
"Restrain her, now!"
The dagger clattered on the floor as the guards shoved Sabrina to the ground. The stone tiles bit into her knees, cutting the skin open. Blood rushing to her ears in the scramble, Sabrina spoke loudly over the commotion. "Check the hilt of my dagger!"
A guard stationed on the stairs of the platform came forward, lifting the dagger to look at the black twin serpent symbol engraved against a circular gold medal. "She is who she claims to be."
King Chancellor returned to his seat while Queen Bellerose removed her hand from her chest.
"You're quite bold to enter my kingdom and stroll up to my castle," King Chancellor spoke, his deep voice sharp with anger. "The audacity you have displayed will be your downfall."
Adrenaline coursed through Sabrina's blood, and her breathing picked up as a foreign feeling coursed through her blood. She blinked as the king vanished from her sight in a flash of white. Heart pounding in her chest, the whiteness changed into images.
Bodies ripped to shreds lay across the tall green grass near the Wasted Sea. Men and women alike were cut open. Intestines spilled out of bodies while flies and vultures picked at the remains. Heads discarded throughout the field with vacant eyes staring off into space. The images transformed into ships marked with the serpent insignia filled with fighting men set aflame. Men jumped overboard to escape burning alive, only to fall prey to circling sharks.
The images vanished, and Sabrina shook her head as her vision cleared, and the king's face stared at her. Dizziness overtook her, and she slumped forward. Her body went limp from exhaustion. Sabrina swallowed past the lump in her throat.
"Your Majesty, I come in peace to help you," Sabrina pleaded. She didn't understand what she saw, and she couldn't explain the vivid dream she had. But the feelings that came with both were too intense to ignore. "My sister has planned an attack on your kingdom. You must send soldiers to the villages near the forest."
"An attack on my kingdom?" The king questioned skeptically. "You must take me for a fool. And for that, I shall have your head. For good measure, I'll send it back to your sister for this impudence."
The king gestured to the guards to carry out his order. Grabbed and held to the ground by a guard, Sabrina struggled to get free as the other gripped her hair. She screamed as he pulled her head forward. Sabrina breathed hard into the ground, golden eyes wide and frantic. Her eyes connected with Queen Bellerose, whose face was horrified by the turn of events.
Please, believe me. Look at my face. I'm telling the truth.
Sabrina tried to convey each of these to the queen as the guard lifted his sword high above her neck. Tears formed in her eyes. Queen Bellerose turned her head away from Sabrina, breaking eye contact. The sword swung down towards Sabrina's neck.
Queen Bellerose jumped from her seat and commanded, "Stop!"
The sword bit into Sabrina's neck before it stilled, lifting away from her. Sabrina sucked in the deepest breath she had ever taken, filling her empty lungs as her heart pounded. The sting from the back of her neck was a relief. Pain meant she was still alive.
"Have you lost your mind, woman?" The king glared at his wife. "Or have you forgotten your place?"
"You're making a mistake," The queen jutted out her sharp chin, peering down a small nose. "We will not kill this woman without reason."
"Reason?" King Chancellor bellowed. "She is related to a woman who has done nothing but threaten our kingdom for years. There is no other reason necessary."
"She has brought us information." Queen Bellerose's hands shook, but she refused to back down. Not when her people might be at stake. "We should heed what she is saying."
The king stood up out of his chair. "I shall heed nothing. Throw her in the dungeons. If my wife will not allow me behead her, then she shall rot away in a cell, but she will die."
The guards gathered Sabrina up from the ground, dragging her through the throne room once again. Queen Bellerose rose out of her seat, meeting her husband's glare head-on. "You're making a mistake that will cost us our people's lives."
Sabrina turned to look at the pair again. "You are not prepared for what is coming!"
The doors to the throne room slammed shut on her last words as the guards dragged Sabrina to the dungeons.
‡
A/N:
This chapter is dedicated to sjramess for all her help thus far with helping to edit my chapters. Along with my mother, who inspired this chapter and the next couple of ones. If it weren't for these two, I would probably be in a ditch crying out of frustration lol.