The Game Before the Fall

Chapter 33: The tale of a Witch

Chapter 33: The tale of a Witch

2 years 9 months 1 weeks 2 days after the Fall:

"What did you to do Ardy?" I screamed at the women standing in front of me.

Kah'Seer simply smiled, "Ardent is being kept in our custody. Just do what we ask and everything will be just dandy."

"This won't end well for you," I grit my teeth. I was alone in the centre of Crysis, trapped and surrounded. In the sky a dozen gunships belonging to factions far across the sea hovered ready to fire. Behind Kah'Seer armoured men and women pointed their rifles towards me.

One approached and smiled creepily, his handsome face only twisting my gut in annoyance, "We don't mean any harm Aria. We have heard of you. Everyone has. If you join us, we could create a home greater than any before it."

"Really?" I roughly gestured to everything around us. "You force me to go with you, use my family and friends as hostages, looted our dungeons and you expect me to just follow you?"

The man remained smiling, "Your friends, your brother, they can all be safe with us. The new world doesn't have room for everyone. You know that. People have to be sacrificed."

I began to laugh madly, "Sacrifice? What the hell do you bastards know about sacrifice?"

"Her mana levels are spiking!" someone yelled.

I ignored them, "I've had it. I won't be bullied by you anymore."

Kah'Seer jumped back, "Shoot her now!"

It was too late. I had seen enough, and I wanted them dead. Their bullets fired but dissolved to ashes before they could reach me and standing, I watched their skin peal to reveal their flesh as it too burnt to nothing. Their bones collapsed to dust and the world around me was nothing but white.

"Aria? Aria wake up. It's just a dream."

I shook awake to Erin's calm words. My body was covered in sweat. The memory in my mind vivid. My stomach turned and suddenly I felt sick as I began to shiver.

"It's okay," Erin held me closer in the bed we shared. "Was it another nightmare?"

"Yeah...," I nestled deeper into her chest. "I hate them." I turned my head to look at her as she gently smiled back, "Thank you Erin."

"I should thank you," she kissed my forehead. "I still have nightmares as well... but seeing you beside me. They fade away."

"We can be there for each other then."

"Always." We fell asleep in each other's arms. A vision of myself stood beside the bed, watching and waiting.

**

Aria Friend:

"So have anything to say?" I stood gloatingly in front of Crozen. Though a head shorter, the aura of superiority I wielded was clear.

Crozen grit his teeth but managed to relax, "What can I say. Like brother, like sister."

Stonerheart laughed beside him, "You know, I watched all the footage of your brother that I could. Built myself to be able to beat him. Then you come along and wipe the floor with us entirely differently."

"Yeah, no kidding," Innovation sighed. "A lot of my build was based off him as well. Maybe I should have gone done the magic route instead."