A Will of Fire and Darkness

Prologue 1.2

GET UP! NOW! YOU HAVE TO MOVE!

I jerked awake, cold sweat dripping down my face. Running to the restroom and dousing hot water on my face, I was breathing heavily and shaking. I looked in the mirror and saw what a mess I was. Trying to smooth my hair down and dry off my face, I thought I heard the voice again. Looking over at the curtain, a dark figure loomed on the other side.

"Kelzic?" I tried, my voice shaking.

Suddenly the curtains were ripped away by a dark clawed hand. I'm frozen. It feels like my heart stopped. The horror before me was mangled and scarred, blood dripping on the floor. It was the queen, half her face has been ripped apart, a dark bloody socket where her left eye used to be. Her left wing was nothing but a nub dripping blood on the floor as if the wound had just happened.

I blinked hoping the image would disappear. "K-Kelzic, your... your arm is missing..." I felt sick at the sight before me. She breathed heavy and staggered, her feet unsteady below her.

A low growl left her mouth, "You..." she coughed up blood on the floor. It took all I had not to vomit. "You left... me. You let this happen..." She reached a bloody hand toward me, staggering forward. "DELKOR! YOU LEFT ME!" She lunged at me with her dark nails digging into my neck.

A bright light, fiery and warm. It's ok. You're going to be ok. A soft light voice hummed in my ear. Then I saw a blurry girl reaching her gloved hand to me. Her curved horns were made of fire, as well as... a tail? It doesn't burn being near her, it feels like a warmth I've never known. I grabbed her hand, and she spoke again, Everything is ok, now you have to wake up please. I tried to open my mouth to say anything, to ask her name but no words came. Wake up and you will find me, Kory. Was that her name?

I'm awake now, still lying on the floor. It was a nightmare... or maybe a warning? I get up touching my neck, no blood. I look over at the bed and saw the queen sprawled out, sleeping, breathing. I let out a breath of relief. I must leave, whatever that was had to be a warning.

I picked up a pitcher on one of the bedside tables and filled it to the brim with water and put it in a neat bag that was hung on a dresser. I shoveled the leftover snacks from the queen into the bag and grabbed a candle as well. I tried my best to be as quiet as possible to not wake the queen. The stained window was cracked open to let in fresh air, that was my exit. I grabbed whatever else seemed useful and slung the bag over my shoulder. I carefully pushed open the window enough to slip out. I knew I couldn't fly or else the queen would hear it. Standing on the seal, I peered down at the sharp rocks that jutted out of the ground and made up the base of the palace.

A slow breath and then I jumped. The slight panic of falling hit my chest as the wind whipped past my face. The rocks were clear and lethal as they got closer. My wings caught the wind and shot open, gliding across the open air away from the spikes. I scanned the land below me. I had only left the palace as a kid when my mother made dealings with outsiders. Rarely did anyone leave the palace or the underground city. The air was crisp and cool, as if it was welcoming me, lifting my wings and carrying me to wherever I was going.

I should have grabbed a map, I have no clue where I'm going. I looked ahead; the twin cliffs that pointed to each other loomed in the distance. On one of them I knew the Red City of Narudeik stood, and the other held the ridged mountains of Kirzek. I knew I couldn't enter the city; the queen has acquaintances there. So I aimed for the middle of both cliffs. It would take days to get there but I had no other choice.

...

It's been five days since I left. The black desert is now only the horizon. I stopped flying by the third day when I ran out if water and food. I found a river on the fourth day, but it's long behind me now, and I still have no food. I've been walking in the forest since I left the desert, the shade keeps me from the heat of the summer, but the ground is uneven and roots trip my foot every so often. I don't know where I'm going, I don't know if I'll ever get there, all I have is the hope that I will find some sort of town or another river.