Delve

Chapter One-Part One

Delve

By Cherry

Prologue:

Viza looked over the edge of the cliff. Freezing drizzle of sea spray washed over her face and bare chest.  Leather made pants hung baggy on his waist. As the water collected in his hair, it started to make haggard streaks down his face, the caked on dirt he had been exposed to for little more than a year, began to wash away. His fists were balled tightly, the muscles of his forearms jutted in response to the tightness of his grip. Both rough hands unclenched and went up to wipe the  muck from his face- the filth he was in constantly. Slowly he took another step forward, his feet kicked small pebbles- sending them over the edge an into the hungry sea below. Body leaning forward he was met with a blast of air from the crashing waves.

‘There would be no way someone would survive that fall. Not even her, right?’ he thought to himself. His mind began to race, but he managed to get a grip on himself. They would be here soon. All the yelling and screaming was bound to attract someone’s attention. He wouldn’t be surprised if a nurse maid making her rounds, looked out the window and saw the Lady Zalaria take a little trip off the cliff and into the unforgiving sea below. The first thing he had to do was escape from there. No doubt they would connect her murder to him, after all he hated her above all the Keepers,  and he promised in front of the whole Council that he would kill her; if he ever had the chance. Maybe the should have taken him seriously.

High above, the moon cast its’ silvery glow on the tainted earth below. He was in the shadow of the moon, as if he were trying to spare the Silver Lady’s eyes from such a sight- he would have to pray, ask for forgiveness from the gods later. His head turned, eyes darted from window to window, only small flickers of light, no lantern floating about and no one standing to watch. Turning fully away from the edge, a small smile couldn't help but cross his lips. He did away with the evil bitch, and good riddance. For more than a year she made his life miserable. Her and her sorcery tricked him, he would have never come here on his own will. A small voice inside told him he would. With the promise of coin and food, he was almost willing to do anything.  Naturally it was a heaven sent when his second cousin asked him to come work in the area where he lived. Viza traveled days on foot to get there, having no money to pay for a ride or food, he was nearly dead when he reached their door. His wife, Lana,  was the one who nursed him back to health. She stayed by his bedside. When she had fallen ill herself, the task to care for him was given to her sister Zalaria.

Zalaria didn’t take an interest in Viza like Lana did, she would come into the room, have him drink this strange smelling-even worse tasting- liquid from a vial. It burned his throat and made him cough, which caused his throat to burn even more.

“What is in that?” he asked, the second time she came in to give it to him. His throat was still burning from the first one so it hurt to talk and even breath.

“Don’t you worry what’s in it. Your brother wants you well, and this will make you stronger.” She said. He accent thick, her family were foreign, they came here across the sea.

“It will burn a hole in my chest if you keep making me drink it. “ he told her as he shook his head when she leaned down and pressed the bottle to his chapped lips.

“You will take this. “ she said. Her hand was on his face, just where the jaw opened and closed, she dug her nails into the joint forcing his mouth open. With the other hand she poured the liquid into his mouth.

He began to choke as it went down, he rolled over gasping for breath, clinging to his throat.

“Water! Water!” he rasped, his back arching off the bed as the choking continued.