Queen Of Death

chapter three

The birds are singing. I don't see them at first, but I hear them. We are on our last stretch to Daudrus. I didn't think birds, or any living animal lived this close to the wasteland. The wasteland covers about 100 miles between us and . The country we have been at war with for 30 years. We spotted the last few living houses about a mile back. Everything going to the old town is getting more and more baren. Orion hasn't spoken to me since the night in the Inn.

Before long we meet with the General. Orion was right on my side. "Orion it is good to see you again. I am assuming this is everything we asked for."

Orion nods, "everything is here."

"Bring everything to the tent over there. They will direct you further." Orion tells everyone to go but pulls me aside.

"My father told me to give this to you." He hands me the rest of my owed silvers. "He knows your habits and you have been in Dorth for more than a year now. He figured you'd want a fresh start." He was right, we were going to leave once we got back.

"Thank you. We are going to go ahead and head off. This is the military I don't want them asking questions about me."

"Will you at least tell me where you are going." He looks at me with pleading eyes.

"No. I have someone to find." This time he looks at me with a sort of fire in his eyes, but he says nothing. He stands there as I leave, when I look back, he is still staring at me in the same place. I kind of laughed to myself I might miss him, maybe.

We are headed to the province Amus. That is the only place Hopper used to talk about. He also has the most connections there. I need answers, I also want to make sure he is okay. The first town in Amus is It the capital of Amus. It a huge trading city. Aezon has almost anything you could ever need. Hopper spent a lot of time there for Leran. She wanted to get in on some of the deal and trades they had. It will take about 10 nights with us just riding.

We stop at inns on the way and eat and I take care of what Selan needs. We have already been on the road for four nights. I don't prefer sleeping on the road, but I can and will. The road is mostly desolate except for farms. Thankfully after the first two nights I didn't have to because there are small villages here and there. As I am eating this forsaken cabbage stew, I get a weird feeling. I look around and there is only one other person here. I mistake them for a male, but it is a female. I saw her before briefly at a farm on the way in. She has short blond hair. Almost like the standard military cut.

She looks up at me and smiles, not in the friendly way but in a menacing way. I hear buzzing, then a sharp sting in my ankle. The world starts to spin. I slowly get up trying to act like nothing is happening. My left leg is completely numb. I grab my leather strap hoping I can move myself using it. This numbing is crawling up my body. My stomach hardens as it get to my torso. I power through the best I can until I am met with the stairs. My room was downstairs. I take the first step completely missing It and fall. It's almost like slow motion. My body is numb, but I feel my ribs breaking at the corner of the stairs. I feel the bruises forming on my shoulders, back, legs, even my face. I lay there at the bottom of the stairs hearing laughing. That laugh haunted me as I fell into blackness.

A rush of cold sensation sent all my nerves to try to grab onto what was happening. Again, the cold sensation started all over. My nerves are burning all over. I can't see anything, and I can't scream. After, I believe, a few minutes I think it's over and I feel the cold sensation all over again. Suddenly, the thing that was over my head was ripped off, taking my earing with it. I bit down a scream. My eyes take a moment to adjust to the steady stream of lights coming in from the cracks of what looks like an old warehouse. My body is still motionless and still burning from the cold.