Välikirja: The Wyvern's Pact

Chapter Twenty-Four - And We Meet Again

This one's dedicated to one of my few friends who bothered to read my story—I do think she's the only one who's still reading Välikirja until now—and even asked me to update the story once. She's a good friend, one who made me want to write more. :D For that, I thank her.

Anyway, lucky for you guys who're reading the first draft (this one that you're reading right now), you won't see much of Chaucer's suffering...nor the head magisters cruelty. Those are one of the parts that I'll surely edit into the story in the future. Hopefully, I'll be able to get the story across efficiently.

Er, sorry. I'm blabbing again. Read on. :) Oh, and don't forget to comment. It does magic, I'm telling you. :)

~*~*~*~*

Chapter Twenty-Four - And We Meet Again

          Finally, Chaucer was safe.

          "Ack!"

          Magister Mitena nudged my broken arm with her foot. She let out a sardonic cackle.

          "Why are you doing this?" I cried, almost breathless because of pain.

          Her empty eyes gazed into me, piercing through my soul and seeing everything inside me. "You must know, back then, we thought you would grow into a serviceable woman fit to stand by Sumner's side at all times, giving him the strength he needed to lead and protect Aethelgard, as what a dutiful wife out to do. We, as magisters who are in charge of choosing the rightful heirs of our title, have always been debating upon this idea."

          She paced slowly around me, her arms crossed over her chest. She proceeded speaking.

          "It was the head magister who was against the idea. That was why it was difficult to reach a decision. She said that you didn't love Sumner, and she did believe love was an important factor of great leadership. The three of us, however, believe that your being a vagabond for years—which, as we know, was not your choice—would make you treasure Aethelgard and the family it housed to a higher extent, and thus, fuel a burning desire to protect this castle within you, a desire beyond anyone else's. But we were wrong."

          I blinked. "Why are you telling me all this?"

          "Don't you see?" she asked. "All of this, everything that we're doing...is for the safety and protection of this castle and the people who are worthy of being a part of its legacy. Threats shall be terminated. Those found disloyal shall be punished, and those who refuse to abide to our laws shall have the same fate."

          With my eyes still trained on her as she trod around me, I tried to push the boulder off my legs with my good hand.

          "Aiden, where are you?" I asked through our mind link.

          "I'm almost there, love. Hang on."

          "We had high hopes for you, Koshka," she continued. "Now, here you are, with the pride and bravery to march into this castle and join the war against us!"

          Her fists trembled in restrained fury. I could see how resentful she was, but for some reason that I did not know, she tried to keep her rage bottled in. Blood dripped from her knuckles, perhaps because her nails dug into her palms, plunging into her skin.

          "I am going to make you wish you were never born. You'll soon realize that you should never have braved the Alasdair plains that night when it was raining hard and you have nowhere to run to. You should never have met the people of Aethelgard...and your mate, that wyvern Hirviö. But what has been done is done. There's nothing any of us can do but face the consequences." She held her hands up in the air then stretched them forward. "Now die!"