THE ELEMENTAL CHRONICLE

Twenty-Nine |

Twenty-Nine |

"Has your answer changed?"

"I will not betray my friends."

My limbs are pulled from my body like cheese.

"Has your answer changed?"

"I will not cause harm to those close to me."

My throat is torn out, their teeth shred my fingers.

"Has your answer changed?"

"I will not utter their names."

My heart is torn from my chest and swallowed whole.

"Has your answer changed?"

"I will not allow them to suffer."

My body is shredded, torn, mauled, disrespected, degraded—over and over again until my words are turned to ash on my tongue and my pain has bloomed into utter insanity. I find this all entirely hilarious. By the thousandth time, there is no pain to their actions but instead a bitter-sweet sensation. I almost wish them to go deeper—allow me to remember the feeling of pain like the first time. My eyes look towards the marble Goddess who has sent her wolves upon me over and over and I'm filled with a sensation of superiority.

Goddess or not, I shall not give her what she asks for.

I'm revived once more. My clothing is nothing more than stings of forgotten scraps. My body is red—the entire marble room is soaked with my blood. I hope it stains. I hope she is reminded every second for the rest of eternity that she had failed.

Bested by a pathetic mortal.

"Has your answer changed?"

I grin at her wildly. "Perhaps you should change the question!"

She pauses. "Change my question?"

Oberon flashes in my mind and I cackle. Of course. It was so easy this entire time. I am the girl who could sweet talk the very scales off a dragon—a goddess was nothing! I walked forward towards her and she allowed it. She was interested in what I'd say.

The wolves didn't move as I stepped past them.

"You're not asking the right question," I murmured, climbing onto her lap.

She tilts her head, those marble eyes boring into mine. "What is the right question?"

I'm grinning so hard I'm sure my skin has split but who can tell? I am far beyond feeling pain at this point that I'd welcome any sort of change. Whether it be life or death, it didn't matter. I merely wished for some sort of excitement past whatever silly game this was.

"I cannot ask it for you," I murmured, my blood dripping onto her marble face.

She frowned. "I suppose you cannot."

"Shall I give you a hint?" I ask.

"Yes."

My magic blooms around us and through the marble there is thorned vines growing but she does not notice. She could easily end me and all my magic, but her interest is far too great and my tongue is far too silver to be stopped.

This is my game now.

"Why not ask what I would do for them?" I murmur in her marble ear.

She hums. "Very well. What would you do for them?"

I allow my magic to unleash without a worry of control. Behind me, I can feel my vines wrapping around the wolves until their marble cracks and shatters, but I do not stop there. I allow the vines to wrap around both of us. They cut through my flesh, but I don't feel a thing as they tie me around this goddess, trapping us both. My eyes shut as I allow my magic to burn me up from the inside out until all that's left is the ashes of the soul I was.

"I would stand against the very gods," I whisper, my eyes peeling open. "And threaten all that they've built. I would crush the gods then the humans themselves. I would die a thousand deaths until my mind is broken and my soul is ash. I would not just live for them, I would fight for them, and I would suffer for them."

A crack runs down her face. "So be it daughter."

I blink and when I do, I'm back in my original spot. My vines are gone and the wolves sit at the throne however, something is different. There is no goddess sitting in the throne. There is no blood either. I look down at my attire. There is no blood—anywhere. I'm dressed back in my original clothing without so much as a scrape.

A growl cuts through the air, and as I look up, the wolves are stalking towards me. This time however, they do not attack right away, and I make no motion to back up. The scent of water tickles my nose and from behind me, water soaks my boots.

I'm not foolish enough to look away from such beasts.

"This daughter's magic could not be contained by her body. So, the Sun had sealed it away." The marble goddess' voice seeped through the room like a slow rolling mist but she did not appear. "Seeing what the Sun had done, the Moon gave her own gift."

The wolves lunged for me but this time, they did not go for any killing blows. I'm thrown back as their teeth draw blood from my arms and legs, and I find myself thrown into a pool of water. A gasp sounds from my lips.

"Each drop was absorbed into the baby's flesh. She did not cry, but laughed instead."

As soon as the wolves touched the water, they melted into light—distorted by the water. I cannot find myself moving but instead, sinking deeper and deeper into the water. My lungs burn as they fill but the darkness does not free me.

"Such a sound had even the moon smiling."

My eyes shut as I sink deeper.

"But that is not where the story ends. There is more yet to be written."

Hands grasped my arms, and I was pulled up and out of the surface of a water. I gasped, pain twisting in my stomach as something hit me hard. Water spewed from my stomach as I retched. My eyes burned, and my body felt weak. I could barely move.

"Little one!"

The voice sounded so familiar and yet so far away.

"When all gifts become one, the fourth daughter will be complete and her magic which could not be contained will shift into the answer of all strife. When that happens, she will become the bringer of all death, or the harbor of true peace. That is how this story ends."

"Ciara, open your eyes!"

So, I do, looking up to the world that has not changed at all and yet, has changed completely. My eyes look towards the person who had yet again saved me—Oberon. His face is dark with anger and worry and I've never seen him in such a state. It was almost humorous.

"Hello," I croak. "I think that's the first time you've said my name."

His eyes glowed. "You're playing a very dangerous game little one."

"Perhaps that's the only way to play," I whisper.

He pulls away and I'm suddenly left feeling cold. I look around, the entire cave is covered with a soft, white mold. Ebby sits on a rock very still and a great guilt fills my heart. He was worried about me, I realized. I inched over to him and held out my hand. To which he bite me.

"I deserved that," I murmured. "I'm sorry friend."

He turned on the rock so his back faced me.

I sighed softly, looking over to Oberon who stood just as angry. "I'm sorry."

"If you die, we will never be free," he snaps.

Hurt throbs in my heart.

"Is that all you care about?" I ask.

Silence is my answer—fae cannot lie.

"You care for me," I mused.

His glare is my answer.

"I am sorry," I tell him, my guilt returning.

"I know little one," he sighs. "I know."