[Featured by @YAFantasy and @Fantasy]
As the world of Aslurene descends into a political game between rebels and royalty, Danika Regime Goldheart struggles to find her place. Bred as a military Lieutenant of Midway, she deserted the Battle of Ozyrn...
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❝She wore truth in her eyes, molded stones of love and tragedy, freckled constellations of pleasures and pain from a life's true story.❞
~ Atticus
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"We'll camp here," Danika announced, taking a look at the cave, "It seems nice enough."
Finnian snorted.
"After seeing the forest practically turn into ash," he said reluctantly, "I doubt I'll ever feel safe here."
Danika sighed, "Not going to lie, I agree."
Adrien sat on the edge of a rock, pulling up a leg to massage it after walking through the thickets for so long.
"Tomorrow we need food," she said, glancing at Danika, "Do we know how?"
"Maybe we can hunt," Crispin grunted, heavily taking a seat next to Aiden, "Not that any of us know how to eat the animals."
"The berries may be poisonous too," Danika cursed, racking her brain for anything useful.
"Oh that's just delightful," Finnian muttered, "We'll be dead before this is over."
He was right. Edward and his brats had destroyed their food supply and Danika knew it was a problem. She hadn't ever eaten anything in the forest. Yes she hunted here but purely for sport. There were ways to get food however, bargains could be made with the creatures, cottages could be found which had piles of fresh bread. But it could take days before they found either. Unless she revealed the location of one. Unless Danika fought for them through this forest.
"Sleep guys," Danika said, slightly frustrated, running a hand over her face. The decision to reveal or to retain was wearing her thin, "We'll figure this out tomorrow."
They all nodded, wordlessly treding inside.
Danika waited before they were well out of reach to hear her.
"Ruin us," she snarled after whirling around, staring at the clearance they had climbed, her voice echoing menacingly through the treetops, "And I'll rip you apart with my bare hands."
The wind howled and ripped through the trees lashing against Danika's will as she spoke to the spawn of the Midnight Queens. Instead of cowering, however, Danika gave the forest one hard look before turning around and heading inside with the others, allowing the night to wrap around her like a cold blanket.
Tomorrow the real trial will begin, she thought dreadfully, and not all of us will live through the end.
♕♕♔♕♕
No one slept that night. Adrien could feel the restlessness of the group. Danika had followed them in and she sat in the corner of the small shelter of the cave.
"Can't sleep?"
Her eyes snapped to her as she took a seat on the floor next to her, staring at the dagger she was twirling in her hand.
"Food is scarce," she murmured, Danika's voice echoing in the dark, "We have no shelter, and no means of communication. As someone who is leading you to your death, I believe it's fair for me to contemplate how horribly wrong this has gone."
Adrien threw her a half grin and reached her hands behind her head, getting comfortable against the wall.
"I'm not going to be nice," she warned, "But you've been here. Any information you know can help. Food, water, anything."
"I know," Danika murmured, "I know."
They sat there until the moon peeked from behind the clouds and illuminated part of the cave. Adrien didn't say anything as she cast her eyes to the fearless woman she faced. The ring training had not broken her, nor did the taunting of her brother, but something else bothered her and reflected clearly on her face.
"You want to talk," Adrien said, slowly getting up, "I'll be here. But if you don't... just make sure you're not taking us to our deaths."
She was acutely aware of her breath sharpening before she crawled back next to Emil and quietly folded her arms, ignoring the pain her hip caused as she laid on her side. The stones dug into her, and for the first time since she'd arrived in the wretched kingdom, the scales underneath her human skin flared.
More animal than human, her father had once told her, We dragons are more animals than human.
With that last realization, she fell into the welcoming abyss of darkness and found comfort in its deathly pale arms.
♕♕♔♕♕
The night was lonely and Danika was the only one still awake.There were still a few solid hours left till dawn and apart from staring at the wall and playing with her dagger, Danika had done nothing productive.
Not that she could anyway. Her family's cottage where they took their last stand was too far to reach by three hours, let alone be back in time to tell the others. There would be food there, now that the night stalkers prowled around it day and night.
She ran a hand over her face before placing her arm on her knee. Green eyes slashed through her consciousness and her breathing turned sharper. The dragon she saw many nights ago was stunning. The full scale battle armor that had almost sent her to her knees was a sight to behold and an extravagant display of its superiority.
Suddenly, Danika felt warm.
Too warm.
It only turned hotter as she hurriedly opened the buttons of her tunic and breathed down her chest.
Too warm.
Danika didn't like it. The heat made her light headed and suddenly, her dagger clanked on the floor as she surged to the mouth of the cave, desperate to get rid of this ache.
Her breath left her white hot pain flared against her back. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head as it consumed her. Danika silently screamed as the flames of agony raced down her back repeatedly. It felt like someone was whipping her to submission and enjoying every moment of it.
And then for a second, her reality clashed with her mind and the surroundings turned into a dungeon where King Andreas stood with sickening satisfaction.
And as if she'd dreamt it, the Mediae Saltus reappeared and the white pain continued until she could barely see.
The moon hid behind the clouds again once Danika stood and wavered, the coolness of the wind grounding her to the reality she faced. And she knew what must be done. Not because of the pain, but because for the first time in a long time, she had been afraid to leave the people inside the cave. The need to keep them safe overpowered her and like a fog that cleared, Danika knew the answer to her debate to reveal or retain.
Tomorrow, she thought silently, tomorrow they would trek for the cottage, eat, feast, and continue.
She stared at the forest illuminated by the moon before turning around.
But Danika froze the moment she stepped forward. The sickness in her stomach unfurled as she fully looked to the ground, the sticky wetness reaching between her toes.
And right there, a reflection of the girl she barely understood yet knew like the back of her hand stared back at her with equal horror and repulsion.
