The Huntress

Chapter 1: Poisoned Dreams

Have you ever wondered why we do the things we do? Why we sacrifice so much for the ones we love? That's a question more people should be asking nowadays.

I held onto her hand with a strength I didn't know I had. "It's okay. You're okay, mother." Tears streamed down my face as I watched her pained expression, her screams ripping through the air.

"Please, help her!! Do something!!" I yelled to the Healer, who was just standing there with a grim expression on his face.

"I'm afraid I can't, Prince Agreste. She's..she's too sick. I'm sorry." It seemed as though time had stopped. Slowly, her screams died down as she grew weaker, and everything grew quiet. I didn't know what to do, and I tightened my grip on my mother's frail hands. She looked at me with her sad, dying gray eyes and did her best to smile.

"My boy...you mustn't let my fate deter you from following yours. You're strong, Liam. Not just physically, but mentally. You can..." She stopped and coughed, blood splattering onto the bed where she laid.

"What, mother? I can what?" I did everything to get her to keep talking but to no avail. She just kept coughing more blood. Fresh tears rolled down my cheeks as I held onto her, and she held on to me.

~1 year later~

"Prince Agreste!!" I turn around, finding the eyes of the Healer's apprentice.

"What is it?" He catches his breath for a minute before speaking.

"It's the Healer. He would like a word with you." I nod and follow the apprentice to the Healer's study. The room is large, and shaped like a dome. It's quite dark, but I can just make out the outlines of shelves which hold many bottles of herbs and fluids. The smell of alcohol hangs in the air, getting stronger as I move further into the room. We finally spot the Healer in the back, watering a small plant by his closed window.

"You wish to see me, Healer?" He looks surprised for a moment before setting the watering can down and wiping his hands.

"Yes, your highness. I uncovered something new...about-"

I hold up my hand. "I know what it's about." It still hurt to talk about my mother's death.

The Healer nods, his lips in a tight line. "Yes..come, have a seat." He leads me to a small, brown table with chairs on either side. It looks old, almost as though if I tapped it, it'd fall apart. I sit in one of the chairs, feeling the uncomfortable hardness of the seat.

The Healer looks at me expectantly. "Go on, what'd you find?" He smiles widely, happy with his accomplishment.

"I found out the cause of death. And how."

My eyes widen. "Tell me everything."

He nods and calls for his apprentice. "Jameson! Bring me the dish!! And my tools!!" Only a few seconds later, the apprentice came with a wooden box and the dish I had brought him that my mother last used. He takes out a small, round container from his box and slides it across the table. Inside, there appears to be some type of gray powder.

"What is this?" I ask him. He grins at me.

"Poison." I stand up abruptly, knocking the chair back.

"Where did you find this?"

The Healer grins. "In her dish. It's nothing like I've ever seen before, but it sure is strong. And painful, too. Gave it to a criminal in the gallows, told him it was an easier way out. He took it and not twenty minutes later he was on the ground, hacking up a lung. I know not how it works, but it sure is something else."

I stood, staring at the strange powder, still in shock at his words. Poison? Did someone poison my mother? What kind of poison causes such pain, anyways?

"Prince Agreste, I...nevermind. It's probably best if you get some air, yes?" The Healer gently grabbed my arm and helped me up. I smiled at him the best I could at the moment and walked out of his shop, making my way to the only spot I knew would allow me to clear my head and be alone.

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The trees surrounding the clearing are taller than any other trees I've ever seen. I'm thankful for their cover. The grass inside is lively and a healthy green. I lay back and close my eyes, listening to the sound of the birds singing their songs. This little spot in the forest was always my favorite place to go when I needed to clear my head or just relax. I lay there a few more minutes, just thinking about my mother. As I laid there, I remembered a myth I used to hear about everywhere as a boy. There was a huntress who lives in these woods, and who could track anyone and defeat anything. I decided that--though it is a myth—I was going to find that huntress and bring justice for my mother.

A/N: Hey guys!! I'm trying out this new story and this is kind of just a short intro to it but I want to see what people think of it before I start writing more, so...comment and let me know!! I'd appreciate it. Thanks, all!! 😘