Morph

7 : Cecelia

My eyes fluttered open. My vision was slightly blurry, and my whole body felt like it was on fire. I felt something warm and sticky on my neck. Instantly, panic struck through my body and breathing became a struggle. I turned my head, even though every muscle of my body was screaming in protest.

Looking at my surroundings, I found it was very dark except for some light filtering through a window. I was in some sort of room.

My mind flew back to the death beggar.

Had he captured me?

But that didn't make sense. Someone had shot the death beggar. He was dead now. He couldn't harm me. His words flew back to my mind.

I have seen you before! I have watched you! Silly girl... thinking you could defeat me! Such a shame I will have to ruin such a pretty face! I will not kill you... yet!

After that, all I could remember was pain. Pain from every part of my body. Pain like no other. Pain. Only pain. And blood. Lots of blood. I remembered his dagger-like claws and the way he tore through my flesh like it was paper. I remembered how I was restrained to those rocks while he ripped me to shreds. I remembered how he had brought me to only an inch of life.

My body convulsed and I threw up over the edge of the bed made of sea sponge and other underwater plants. I felt a hand holding back my hair as I released my stomach contents all over the floor.

"You are safe now," a gentle voice whispered in my ear. It was like the whispering of the sea itself, and I relaxed slightly. "You need rest. Go back to sleep," the voice whispered again.

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The next time I woke up, the room was bright. Gloomy sunlight filtered through the windows shadowed only by the water that surrounded me in all directions.

The girl was gone. I was alone in the room. I still felt weak, but the fire was gone. Replaced by a sickening throb. I felt something cold and hard sticking into my arm, and I looked over to see a needle sticking into the inside of my elbow. There was a little packet of liquid attached to a pole of coral. But instead of an IV, there was a magic-like mist radiating from the packet.

I felt something warm on my neck, and I used most of my strength to turn over to see what it was. It was the girl who had been in my room the night before. At least, I thought it was the night before.

"Relax," she soothed.

Her hand reached down to touch my neck, and I winced.

"I'm not going to hurt you," she said. "I rescued you from that death beggar. You are safe now." Her voice was kind, welcoming. I thought I had heard it before.

I decided now would be the time to take in all her futures just in case she was a death beggar herself. I turned my head slightly to the left. It was the sprite who had saved me earlier!

"Are you Her?" I questioned.

"Yes..." She said hesitantly.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" I questioned.

"You weren't ready..." She started. "You had to prove yourself..."

"Prove myself? What does that mean?"

"You had to prove your loyalty..."

"What do you mean 'prove my loyalty?'"

"There are a lot of elves using look-alike spells and whatnot... I figured the king's daughter would probably be used as a disguise... It's happened before..."

"What?!?" I half-yelled. "People have been disguising themselves as me? But why?"

"Look... you're in a very difficult position... It's kind of hard to explain..."

"Difficult?" Rage was boiling up in me like a pot on a stove, and I had to stop myself from saying something I'd regret.

"The powers..." She mumbled.

"What powers?" I asked, curious.

The sprite cursed colorfully.

"What?"

"You weren't supposed to hear that!"

"Well, too bad. What powers?"

"Look... you were bonded with a dragon when you were very little."

"Bonded? To a dragon? They're extinct! You're a very delusional sprite!"

"Call me Cecelia... and I'm not delusional."

"Well then there must be something I don't know."

"Uhh..." Cecelia was trying to bluff her way out.

"Just spill the beans!" I snapped. "You said I was it a 'difficult' position! If my life is on the line I should darn well know about it!"

"I suppose you're right..." She said. "Well, make yourself comfortable... you're in for a long story."

"Not like I can move anywhere anyways, with the condition I'm in!"

A small smile tugged at the corners of Cecelia's lips, and I lifted and dropped a hand in exasperation.

We burst out laughing and Cecelia began the story.