The Knights of Aragon

Chapter 34

The sky is turbulent with raging storms. Clouds cover every part of the sky as far as the eyes can see. The forest is no better. Low hanging branches create dark shadows that seems to have a life of their own. I stand in the middle of it all. Those shadows circle me, clawing their way towards my own. From afar, I see someone standing within the darker part of the wood. I leave the circle of shadows, coming up to this person from behind. Her familiar short hair becomes visible. Vera stands with her back to me. Her left part of her body is covered in blood. "Vera?" I run over to her. "Vera, are you alright?" I make her turn around and immediately step back in alarm. Vera's skin is pale with a slight blue tint. Her usual brown eyes have turned a greyish white. "Of course, Val. Why wouldn't I be?" Her voice sounds rough and monotone. Almost dead. "You're bleeding, Vera!" I exclaim, inspecting her body.

She laughs at me as if I said something ridiculous. "It's not my blood, silly." I rip the last of her left sleeve to look at her wounds closely. I scream in horror at the sight of her arm. It's all torn and rotten with dark blood oozing from the torn flesh. "At least not all of it." She smiles wickedly, looking through me as if I were transparent. Fear grips my chest, this isn't Vera. This isn't the Vera I've gotten to know. "W-what happened to you?" My hands shake, hovering over her wounds. Thunder roars up in the clouds above. I grab her shoulders and shake her as hard as I can. "Vera, what happened to you?" I shout above the raging storm.

"You," I turn around at the voice, "you happened, Valencia." Gawain comes from the shadows of the trees, dressed in all black with an even darker cloak made of what seems like, mist. His hood casting a foreboding shadow that hides his face. "You've changed us, killed us. We followed you through Tartarus to defeat the Titans, but we never realized that you were Themis, and she was Rhea." He stalks towards me. The hairs on my arms rise, feeling threatened by his predatory stare. "I don't," I swallow harshly, "I don't know what you're talking about, Gawain." He scoffs and pulls out his sword.

I hold my arm out, keeping our distance. "You've doomed us, Themis," he raises his sword, "You've doomed us all!" Gawain swings his sword, aiming for my diaphragm. I cross my arm in defense as I close my eyes. I wait for the strike, but it never comes. Slowly, I open my eyes, wondering what delayed his attack, but I am meet with a change of scenery. I'm no longer in the woods but in a cemetery. The field is open and empty except for a few gravestones, some are recently made while others are cracked and broken. "It's so sad, isn't it?" Goosey appears next to me, wearing a beautiful mint green dress with gold accents. Her hair is as wild, dancing with the witch's wind.

"What is?"

"Their deaths," she says, as I should've known the answer. My gaze wander at the graves and take a moment to read them. Some of the names are faded from years' worth of rain an erosion. The others are new and recently plotted. "By trying to save them seemed to have brought them their end." My eyes widen at the names that I could make out. Atike, beloved daughter and sister. Samsa, the most loyal friend. Valencia of Stormhold, loved and hated by all who met her. My breathing shakes after reading my name. "I died?" Goosey looks up at me, her eyes glowing gold. I take a precarious step back. "Goliath stomped on the King, and the King defeated Goliath."

  I don't understand what she's saying. I can't understand anything anyone is saying. "Goosey," I touch her shoulder, "what the hell does that mean?" Her eyes don't move or even registers my question. It's like she's in a daze. I shake her, trying snap her out of her vision. But she just goes up in a cloud of golden dust, leaving nothing but her dress behind. "If only it were that easy." Rhydian appears a few feet from where Goosey was standing. He's wearing the same clothes he wore when we first met. Only this time, they're much cleaner. I look around as the scenery changes from the cemetery to one of the rooms back at the Knights of Aragon's compound. The round table separates me and him.