Hertezia: The Woman In The Mirror

Chapter 2

Waking up to the rattling of leaves caused by the strong winds that originated from the towering mountains of Keer, Kae softly woke up. He found himself staring at the wooden ceiling of his house, cricket-like sounds and eerie screams could be heard coming from the forest of Denkar, located far behind his home.

He found his room to be completely dark, devoid of any color besides black. He lifted his hands up but couldn't see their shape.

"It's still early, huh," stated Kae, who was starting to reminisce about the past.

He was reminded of distant times as a child, frightened by complete darkness. Albeit his sister was always keen on protecting him, saying that he didn't need to feel scared. She'd destroy every evil spirit! Or so he remembers.

"I guess some things never change, she's always been very protective," giggled Kae, as his chest warmed up and a smile surfaced on his face.

He sat on the bed while scurrying his hand on the dented counter, looking for a flint-like device. 'A soft surface? No, this isn't it.' He began scurrying once more, feeling a rather strange stick, 'Yeah, this isn't it either.'

A few moments passed, and he quit. He couldn't find the device that would help him create some form of light. He heaved a big sigh and decided to look on the floor. 'Bingo!' He felt content, he swiftly picked up the rather long stone that had a small hole on top.

He took a deep breath and visualized the Heith within his body moving. He imagined it slowly moving towards his arm, reaching his elbow and then the palm. Then releasing it straight into the stone, causing a dim light to appear on the top.

The room that was once clouded in black became somewhat visible, a house made out of wood along with wooden furniture and wooden vases. The smell of timber was something Kae had become used to.

It was the start of a new day.

                                                    ...

Kae had begun cooking the meat that his wife Elna had hunted a few days back. He let it simmer in wine and salt overnight. He proceeded to fry the fat riddled steak-like meat, sizzling as he boiled a bit of rice on the side. This was going to be Elna's and Maeve's lunch.

The sizzling of the meat had caused some oil to get onto Kae's hands. However many burn marks already remained there as proof of his effort inside the kitchen. He had been immersed in the art of cooking for a long time, yet he was far from mastering it.

The light of the sun had begun to illuminate the room, giving Kae an idea of the time.

He quickly packed the food into two containers and rinsed his hands in cold water and glanced at the off-putting sword that remained in the corner of the kitchen. It wasn't long before the day would commence and he needed Elna and Maeve up.

He slowly walked towards his bedroom, breathing in the fresh forest-like scent that came from the opened window.

Upon reaching his room, he found a particular intruder inside the covers of his own bed besides his wife. He had intended to prank them both, but the sight that remained ahead of him put him in a trance.

A mother gently wrapped her arms around her child, as the child rested her head on the mother's shoulder. The sun brightly displayed their blonde hair, as it glistened under the sun's radiance and swiftly waved from the morning breeze. Their faces portrayed the exact definition of innocence and the exact reason why he couldn't bring himself to ruin it.

Kae laid down beside Maeve, and wrapped his arm around both his wife and daughter, feeling their body warmth surrounding him. Everything is worth it, the scars, the mornings, the tiredness. It's all worth it, he thought deeply as his entire soul was filled with the strong emotion of love.