Annabelle La'Crain - The Prophecy

Chapter 5 - The Trail Of The Blood Raiyn

Annabelle and Harry arrived the town and found their way to the mayor's house. They approached the house and knocked on the door to the house, but as they knocked the door creaked open, and they noticed that the door was partly broken and wood splinters were on the ground, it appeared as though the door had been forced open by something powerful. Harry gave Annabelle a reassuring look, and so she entered the mayor's house. The further they travelled into the house, the more horrific the scene became. Annabelle saw a mirror with what looked like a hand print, and as she approached it, she noticed that it was a bloody handprint, and that the mirror had been partly smashed. Annabelle gasped and continued into the next room. She was investigating the dining room, which had overturned furniture and blood smeared all over the walls and floors, when suddenly Harry called out to her, "Annabelle, you need to see this" Annabelle noticed his voice waver, and rushed to the room upstairs that he was in, there was a trail of blood leading to the room and once she entered, she saw the bodies of the mayors family and the mayor. Their throats had been torn out, their blood was spattered everywhere, and worst of all; even the children had their faces torn off. Annabelle could barely breath, she had seen terrible things before, but nothing like this. "That's not the worst of it" Harry said, gesturing to the wall, and as Annabelle looked up, all she could do was fall to her knees, tears streaming when she saw what Harry meant... on the wall, written in blood, was the words "I hear you've been looking for us, Annabelle La'Crain" and beneath the writing was the sigil of the Order Of The Blood Raiyn. "No" Annabelle breathed, pain filling her voice. Harry put his hand on her shoulder, understanding exactly what she was feeling. After a few minutes of Annabelle kneeling silently, tears streaming, she stood up, wiping away her tears, furious. She was staring furiously at the words on the wall, when suddenly the room lit up, on fire, the fire beginning from the writing and slowly spreading, almost completely surrounding Harry and Annabelle. "They will pay for this, I will find them" Annabelle said, before Harry pulled her out of the house, he pulled her down the stairs and out the door, and they stood in front of the house, just watching it burn down, to embers.

The sun had set by the time last embers of what was once the mayor's house had burnt out, all that was left was ash, and smoke rising from the remnants. The air stunk of burnt wood and blood, and the fury in Annabelle's eyes was clear. Without a word, breaking the silence, Annabelle turned and stalked towards Nightshade, determination in her walk, leaving the destruction of the house in her wake. Harry followed behind, mounting Twilight, as they left the town, smoke rising from the house, like a beacon.

Annabelle and Harry had been travelling for days, camping by day, riding at night, but one evening, as Annabelle and Harry were preparing to leave their campsite, a young man approached them. Annabelle drew her sword and poised it directly at his neck, "State your business, and be quick about it, before this is your last breath." Annabelle ordered the man, her blade grazing the man's bare neck. "I was travelling through Delnaer when the mayor of the town asked me to deliver you a message, as I was already passing this way on their travels." He said, gulping, his eyes glancing fearfully at the blade that was pressing into the skin of his neck. "And what, might I ask, was the message you were supposed to give me" Annabelle asked, making no effort to move the blade away from his neck. "I was told to give Ms Annabelle, this message; The Order Of The Blood Raiyn have sent word to mayor Ulrich, warning him that if he does not ostracize Annabelle La'Crain from the town wholly and completely the Order Of The Blood Raiyn shall bring their wrath down on the town. The Town Council had a meeting and they all agreed that they shall not betray Ms Annabelle that she has not let them down yet, and as they all owe her their lives, they owe her their loyalty. So, in light of these events Mayor Ulrich requests that Ms Annabelle travels to the Town Of Delnaer at her earliest convenience to help defend the, from the Order Of The Blood Raiyn. Mayor Ulrich understands that Ms Annabelle has already given so much to the town and that asking this may be too much, but he hopes she understands the dire urgency of the situation. That was my message miss." He said, relaxing after having finished, although the blade still had not been moved from his neck. "And how do I know that The Blood Raiyn didn't send you?" Annabelle asked, the threat clear in her voice, moving towards the man, causing him to back up until his back hit a tree, "P-P-Please don't k-k-kill me." The man stuttered, seeing that Annabelle wasn't kidding. "Annabelle, he is shaking, if he was part of the Blood Raiyn, he would've have killed one or both of us, already." Harry said, lowering the blade from the man's neck and pulling him away from the tree, "Forget what you saw here, and be on your way" Harry said to the man. The man nodded his head quickly and hastened away as fast as he could.

"What are you thinking Annabelle, holding a blade to a man, where you would usually just show caution?" Harry said to Annabelle, and unintentionally frustration in his voice. "We can't afford to take risks right now Harry, The Order Of The Blood Raiyn is after us, the only people we can trust now are ourselves." Annabelle said, looking Harry in the eyes sternly, with a sadness hidden at the back of her eyes. Harry saw the sadness that was hidden beneath her determined exterior, and softened, understanding her pain, "I know that it's hard, but you can't lose hope and most importantly, you can't lose compassion, especially not at a time like this." Harry said, nearing Annabelle, and putting his arm around her, she looked down, feeling her pain come rushing to the surface. She simply nodded her head at Harry, and said, "Well if we need to show compassion, then how about we go and see what we can do to help Ulrich." Harry smiled, and they headed towards the horses and mounted them, riding as fast as they could, for the town of Delnaer.