The Fall of Vequera

Chapter twenty-two | Valia

LOCATION: EASTCLIFF, ELER

YEAR: 621 C.E

"THE GODS WERE ONCE GRACIOUS WITH THEIR CREATIONS." MARY WALKED AS SHE SPOKE TO VALIA.

The sun beamed down on them as they walked through Eastcliff. The days have been quiet in her mind once Koa had apologized but there was still a bit of uncertainty lying within her. The trusting part was her problem. She trusted Mary and Nyra but the thought of giving Koa her full trust was a daunting thought. She ran her hand over the trousers Mary had given to her when she started training. She had told her that was how everyone dressed when they trained. Dresses got in the way especially when you were running for your life. Most of her life, she wore dresses, and she preferred them but if the trousers helped her train, she would wear them.

"Is there a but in there?" Valia grumbled as she kicked snow under her foot.

Her body felt slightly warmer with it being winter. Eler didn't have much to it from what she could tell. Not like Vequera. It was her family's fault, and she knew that much. Myrna hadn't said a word to her since the Elders found out who she was. The quietness calmed her, and her mood changed. She wasn't on edge waiting for Myrna to make her panic once more; instead, she was more at ease. Valia, on the other hand, was curious as to when she would return. She hasn't been called before the Elders for what she did either. Mary told her that once the elders are in your mind, you must obey all of their orders without question or suffer the repercussions. She would hold off until they called for her for the time being.

Mary wrapped her arms around herself. " The gods had winged servants that took care of things on Earth for them but they started to mingle with the humans and what they created were these giant beast like creatures. They looked human but they were anything but. It was peaceful for a while until the Vitinae grew a taste for things that they weren't supposed to desire. Human flesh. But the gods cannot destroy something they have already created, so they created us as the humans' protectors. Litinae, Children of light. They would soon get the name Vitinae which means Children of darkness." They walked past the same statue that Valia would visit quite often. The same one her and Koa had argued at.

"But one of the gods did not like that decision so, he made more Vitinae and as more came into existence, we had more to fight and kill. The original Vitinae had become such vile creatures. They were monsters and they did what monsters do best; destroy things," Mary Added.

"What happened to them?"

"They were frozen in time. No one knows where they are. The other creatures were trapped in the black forest for eternity but every now and then one finds their way out. I've never spoken this before, but I feel as if the black forest will not hold them forever. History repeats itself more often than people seem to think." Mary stopped walking completely in front of a house. It was identical to all of the other houses.

"You've grown in the last five months but whatever else is in the black forest is much more powerful than any of us. You might need to work harder to protect yourself and the people you care about." Mary glanced at the house and there was a light coming from it and smoke escaped the chimney.

"You should focus on training and preparing to take the crown." Mary's tone darkened as she continued to stare at the house. Her hands tightened into fists and Valia felt the rage as it bubbled up inside of her. This time it wasn't Valia's that caused it. It was Mary's.

"Focus on training and killing my brother. I got it. What's wrong?"

"There is someone in the house when there's not supposed." Mary answered with a glare.