The Cursed Lands

Chapter ten

"Have you rested "a woman i had seen with the general asked as i step out of my room with my backpack on my hand

"Hardly " i answer not in the mood for a conversation

"My name is Pandora im fenrick's finace " she says and i just nod not processing the words she had just spoken "finance , uh huh very nice " my tired voice replies " wait what , fiance " realization sinks in and i am left in shock " i thought he was gay " the words leave my mouth unattended but pandora doesnt seem offended at all she just laughs it off.

"That's what everyone thought , but when he claimed me as his mate everyone was left in shock " she says with a smile that could brighten up the whole kingdom

"Congratulations then, i hope you two have a bright future ahead of you,'' I told her as we arrived at the small barn where I had found the sword first .

"Hello there darling nice of you to finally join us "the king says as he throws his arm around my shoulders but before he could tuck me closer to him i elbow him hard enough for him to let me go

"Bitch " he spits out while holding his abdomen but i just smile and flick him off possibly signing my death contract

"Whenever you are ready " Pandora calls in the midst of four horses

"Here goes nothing i guess " i whisper and off we went to the river of the crying virgins

The legend has it that when the universe was still new and knew no evil, the land was occupied by three sisters which had sworn an oath to Artemis thus leaving the three women unwed but as time went by a man came to the land , his body leaking dark energy which darkened the sky and killed the animals that surrounded him , the sisters , protectors of the land tried to defeat him but to no avail , the man had imprisoned the sisters for three full years , and each year he would take one of them and rape them till the white marble of the Artemis temple turned red , the sisters lived for another two years but they say that since the day the first sister was robed of her innocence their golden tears had created a pond growing with each year as they suffered , after their death it is said that Artemis came down and avenged their deaths , blessing the river they had created .

I didn't know how much of that was true but no one went to the river and came back alive , they say the keeper of the river always leaves one person alive long enough to tell the tale

"We'll only stop for food and bathroom " the arrogant kings says as he leads us through the giant forest

"What about sleep " i ask " no sleeping " his reply short making me roll my eyes

"Whatever"

"You're going the wrong direction by the way "i tell him as i go left " whatever i knew that " he says with his head high before i am allowed to make a snide remark the generals laugh interrupts us " whats wrong with you" the king asks but the general just shakes his head

"Let's just move so we can arrive there faster " he says his laugh dying down

And that is what we do , the trees pass us in a blur and so do the hours , soon enough we are engulfed in the darkness that surrounds the forest but we are not alone ,fairies make their presence known as they bless us with their small blue lights , they lead us through the forest until dawn breaks out and beams of gold are seen throughout the forest

"Thank you for your company " the king says with a fist in his arm as he peers down the lady which was sitting in his palm , so small yet so deadly

"Were close , i can feel it " i tell them

"How can you feel it " the king asks " you're forgetting my mother was the daughter of the high priestess coven i am connected to every part of this forest " i tell him as we stop in front of destroyed houses and unmarked graves " we're here" i say as i turn to face him but i was shocked to find him laying a flower in one of the unmarked graves " why " i ask him " because they didn't deserve to die , they were good people , but my father was power hungry , he craved for the power which your mother and grandmother beheld " he says with a clenched fist " But i thought the white witches killed your mother , the queen " he laughs slightly shaking his head " no, my father was the one who killed her , my mother was a white witch and father took her powers after he had killed her , blaming her death on your clan "

" so that must mean-" he nodded at my words but i don't say anything

"C'mon guys" the general shouts

"One second " i shout as i look the king in the eyes " your mother was a white witch " i whisper low enough so both of us could hear and he just nods " do you possess any of her abilities " i ask him " as far as i know , no , perhaps that's why the keeper of the sword asked me to come with you " he says as he rubs his face in frustration " if you possess any of her powers then the travel to limbo will be successful " i say as i look at him but his eyes were trained on the scar that went from my forehead to my left eyebrow i quickly turn away from his gaze " he did that didn't he " he ask as i feel his body standing right next to mine " yes" i say trying to distract myself from his smell

" listen guys im fucking hungry and i miss my fiance so can we wrap this shit up " the general reapears infront of us making the king take a few steps back

" let's go then "

"Uhm guys" fenrick calls outside the barrier which protects the home of the once white witches

"Fenrick i don't believe you will be able to pass through , you would need permission from the high priestess , but since she is dead and she didn't pass her powers to anyone this place is closed to humans who bear no magic of the white witches in their veins "

" i'll search the perimeter then , be quick this place isn't safe for us " he says as he mounts his horse once again and leaves leaving me alone with the king

" the river should be next to my grandmothers home " i tell him as we go right

" you mean the priestess" he says but i just nod staring into the dull and lifeless houses that stood before us but before i could even take a step further i was pressed on the cold pavement my face squashed in the kings foot

" if you don't successfully complete this mission i assure you , ill kill you in the slowest way possible " and a kick was sent straight in my gut making me shut my eyes and clench my fists in pain " understood brat " he spits i nod franticly not being able to form any words since my mouth was filled with dirt and insects

As soon as the pressure from his foot is gone i get up and wipe my mouth with the back of my sleeve , dirting the white satin material

" let's go then " he says as he bends down and pick something from the ground " whats this " he asks as he shoves it in my face

" it's a piece of clothing used in rituals " i tell him as i snatch it away from his hand and begin to examine it

"Wait , actually , no " i say low enough for him to hear me

" this is weird " i say as i hand him the cloth

" what's weird " he asks " look at the initials

His eyes widen in shock "but that's impossible " .the cloth looked new and not touched by dirt which meant the owner had lost it today

" But i saw them die " he says to me as his hand holding the cloth tremble

" that was an illusion " a voice from behind us says

All that was above , that's impossible , she's - she's alive ?

"Hello dears " the voice says as a body steps into the light

"Mother "for as long as I had known him I had never seen him so breathless and eyes filled with tears , he never had let anyone see his tears ,for when the tears fell they were black with a shimmer of gold, the indication of darkness inside of him , of the ancestry that still lived inside of that cold black heart , but also of light and the good that still lived within , a shimer of hope perhaps ,for humanity,  for these cursed lands , that maybe , only maybe he would be the prophesied king that would finally release us of this curse

But hoping was not made for us ,

So to give them privacy i stepped away from the duo.