Blood of Decusia

Chapter Six

I struggled to open my eyes, light blinding me through the slits of my eyelids. I groaned and rolled over. My bed felt harder than usual, and colder. My pillow was gone, probably knocked on the floor. I could tell the light was bright, probably coming through my window. I had to get up for school soon. I finally managed to open my eyes, wincing from the harsh light. When my eyes adjusted, I saw the outline of trees. I sat up quickly, the previous day's events rushing over me.
The boys were sitting on the other side of the dying fire, talking quietly.
"Morning," Warner said, looking up at me.
Marcus continued to stare straight down. I don't know why he withdrew so quickly last night, but I knew he wasn't going to tell me.
"You ready to go?"
I was about to answer, but my stomach growled loudly. I realized for the first time that I hadn't eaten since lunch yesterday.
"Um, do you guys have any food?" I asked, meekly.
"Uh, yeah," Warner said, pulling a small pouch out of his belt and tossing it to me.
I opened it and was met with a sweet, fruity smell. I reached in and pulled out a small pastry, covered in what looked like powdered sugar. I immediately shoved it in my mouth, a very sweet, fruity jam coated my tongue. It was the greatest thing I had ever eaten.
"What was that?" I asked, my mouth still full.
Warner smiled and I could see Marcus fighting one too.
"The pastry is called a scilis, it's made from the baca berry."
I swallowed the rest of it, my hunger now replaced with thirst. As if he read my mind, Marcus tossed me a small canteen that I could feel was almost empty.
"Are you sure?"
He nodded, "Yeah, it's fine. We'll be there before the end of the day."
I gulped down the cold water and felt instantly better. My headache was gone and I no longer felt like I was about to pass out.
"Let's go," I said, standing up and tossing Marcus back his canteen.
We walked for awhile in silence, Marcus in front, me in the middle, with Warner bringing up the rear. I stared at Marcus's back, thinking about the conversation last night. Besides his freak out, I remembered something he said last night.
"Who were the Fauna?"
Marcus froze. He turned around and stared at me.
"What?"
"Well, last night you told me that the people of Majestas were humans and the Malum were monsters. So who were the Fauna?"
"The Fauna were believed to be the descendants of nymphs and sprites," Warner jumped in, coming up beside me.
Marcus turned and continued walking, Warner and I side-by-side.
"Nymphs?" I asked, "So they were fairies?"
Some of the non-humans Marcus had alluded to.
"Descendants," Warner continued, "They didn't have direct magic. Magic has been dulled in Decusia for centuries, drained after years and years of hardship."
"Magic?" I asked, bewildered, "Magic is real?"
"Was," he answered, "Well, the magic you're thinking of anyway. It's now a natural thing, muted and more buried into the DNA, specifically the Fauna. They had this internal connection and communication with all aspects of nature. This place used to be bright and beautiful and full of life actually. In fact, when we were kids, Marcus and I used to play here all the time with the other Fauna, right Marcus?"
Marcus just nodded.
"You mean, before?" I asked, "Before-."
"Yeah," Warner interrupted, "Before."
"Do you know why?" I asked.
"Why what?"
"Why the Malum-," I asked, before stopping, "What makes the Malum so evil?"
"Not sure," Warner answered, "The legend goes that the Malum were born from the Fauna actually."
"Really?"
"According to myth, the nymphs and sprites were the first ones in Decusia. There was a group of nymphs whose babies died shortly after birth. There was a sickness that went around a few months before, it was said that it affected the pregnancies. Their parents, distraught, called upon the darkest of magic they could summon to bring their babies back to life. The magic was very old and very powerful, which became their undoing. It warped them, twisted their bright souls and made them dark and evil.
The Queen realized that they were far from saving, that they had become shriveled versions of themselves, consumed by darkness. She came to the conclusion that the only way to protect her people was to banish them into the mountains. So the Malum were born and when the magic started to fade."
    "What happened to the babies?"
    Warner smiled slightly.
    "The babies were reborn, but soon, they discovered that they were completely mortal. Not one ounce of magic ran through their veins. That's how humans were born."
    "Shit," I muttered.
    From his smile, I could tell that he didn't really buy this story. After everything I had been through the past day, I wasn't ready to dismiss it, just yet. I just had to figure out how I fit into the picture, even if Marcus was hiding something from me.
    "Of course, it's just a legend, but if it's true, it explains the hatred, besides you know, the obvious twisted soul."
    "Then who's Dominius?" I asked, trying to pry a little more.
    "Leader of the Malum, said to be a direct descendant from the original nymphs turned Malum" Warner answered, "For a long time, he was just a legend. Until he made himself known."
    "Ten years ago," I finished.
    "Exactly."
    "Why?"
    "Why, what?"
    "If it's been so long since the creation of the Malum, why attack only 10 years ago?" I asked, "What changed?"
    Marcus and Warner both froze and turned to me.
    "What?" they said at the same time.
    I was worried I may have crossed a line, but I needed answers, so I continued to push.
    "Well, why wait so long for an attack? And then if you're right and I'm somehow involved, why would there be a 10 year gap after the attack before coming after me?"
    Marcus and Warner exchanged a look.
    "She's got a point," Marcus muttered, "What's changed? The attack came out of nowhere and they managed to wipe out an entire people, but then nothing? Then 10 years of nothing except a few stragglers and then out of  nowhere, a girl, who seems to be from the Other World, but can still cross into Descusia. A girl who-."
    He stopped himself.
    "What?" I asked.
    "Nothing," he said, turning away.
    "No," I said, "Finish it, Marcus."
    "Clove, it's nothing."
    "No!" I exclaimed, a slight warmth formed in my chest, "First, you freak out last night and disappear, and now you're ignoring me the whole morning even though you're dragging me to some god awful place I've never been to. You know something and you're not telling me!"
    "Clove-," Warner started.
    "No!" I shouted, "You don't get to do that! You don't get to treat me like some helpless little girl! I'm done with that shit! My whole life has been turned upside down! You're telling me that I'm in a world where magic and fairies and evil forces are real. I-! "
    I didn't finish my sentence, because at that moment, a knife flew through the air and buried itself in the tree next to my head.