The story follows a young girl with powerful magical abilities. Haunted by mysterious dreams, she finds herself entangled with a boy. A long, sometimes painful adventure begins.
My native language is not English; it is a language I have learned, so...
Following the circle, the stalls are set up. Everyone can find something they like—there are weapon and armor merchants, clothing vendors, some selling food—cheese, milk, bread—and others offering handmade decorations. My favorite is always the sweet old lady who makes jewelry by hand and tries to sell it. I always buy something from her, and I'm sure I'll do the same this time too. The only empty stall left is ours, so we set our things down here. Grandma always makes sure to arrange everything neatly and in groups, and even the distant onlookers' eyes are drawn to our well-organized display. On the right side, the labeled bottles of potions are placed, each with a note telling what it's for. On the left, small bags of medicinal herbs are arranged, also labeled.
"Feel free to wander around and take a look," Grandma says, pressing a small amount of money into my hand. I nod in thanks and step into the crowd. A lot of people from Zalgrath have come, the neighboring city, and they're easy to spot from the material of their clothing. Zalgrath has always been a wealthy city. I've been there once or twice, and it left me in awe, especially the Mortisora—a school reserved for witches and warlocks. Though, I've only had the chance to admire it from the outside. My steps lead me to the kind old lady who sells jewelry. I stop in front of her stall and smile.
"Well, you've come back again, dear child" the old lady greets me warmly. "Come on, take a look around. I'm sure you'll find something to your liking."
"Good day! Yes, I'm back again—I wouldn't miss the chance." I reply, carefully examining her wares. I already have so much jewelry at home, but there's never enough. This time, I'm looking for something more mature, though I don't have a specific idea in mind.
"Is everything all right, dear?" she asks, her expression turning concerned. "You look so worn out."
"Ah, yes, I just haven't been sleeping well lately, but don't worry about me." I say, picking up a silver necklace with a green pendulum pendant.
"Do you like that one? Good choice. It'll look wonderful on you... when they lay you in your coffin" she says, smiling.
My heart skips a beat when she says those words. I think I must have misheard her, and I just stare at her in shock. "Excuse me, I might have misheard..." I swallow hard.
"You heard me perfectly well," she says, a mocking smile spreading across her face. Her once pale blue eyes darken completely. I feel the darkness radiating from her, his entire being filled with ill will. It's clear she wants to harm me.
"This is very bad..." My heart races as I toss the necklace back among the others and decide to get away as quickly as possible. I'm so desperate to escape that I don't watch where I'm going or even pay attention to my feet. I throw one last glance over my shoulder at the old woman, but before I can turn my head back, it's too late—I crash into something.
"Where are you running off to, little girl?" a gruff voice asks, sending a chill down my spine."Did you steal something and are now trying to escape?"
From the crest on his armor, I can clearly see that he's a city soldier. I've never seen one around the village, especially not at the market. City soldiers wear light metal armor that allows them to move quickly, and a simple sword hangs from their belt. The armor strips on their shoulders, though not large, offer enough protection against a surprise attack. These soldiers also have magical abilities, so they don't need heavy armor. I can assume there's some sort of magical protection built into their gear.
"That's not the case at all," I reply firmly. "I'm just on my way to my grandmother's."
"Well, next time, maybe you should watch where you're going," he says, crossing his arms. "It's impolite to bump into a soldier protecting the country." He glares at me, his eyes sharp. It's not just him; most of the onlookers have turned their attention to me as well. I've definitely drawn the crowd's gaze.
"I'm very sorry, I wasn't paying attention. It won't happen again," I say, feeling the weight of their stares.
"I'm sure," a self-satisfied smile appears on his face, "I could punish you, but since I'm generous, I'll offer you a chance to make up for your mistake." He says quietly, leaning toward me, just loud enough that no one else can hear. I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself. Until now, I've been trying to block out the feelings of the people around us, but it's getting harder. The soldier's feelings, though, I can feel clearly. My stomach tightens as his emotions flood through my body. I sense a kind of longing, his whole being built on a desire to influence, to dominate me. Disgust fills me, and it shows on my face. I take a few steps back, hoping I can escape, but suddenly he grabs my arm and pulls it hard.
"What's going on here, soldier?" A familiar voice calls out from behind, I hear his footsteps as he stops right behind me. I turn my head, and a hot sensation spreads across my entire face.
Hexen Corvaille.
Priscilla in my mind
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