Dark Queen

xxii.

The two misfits figured that by now, the wall would be crawling with soldiers, all thanks to a certain Nefari's antics. Side by side, they wandered through the forest, searching for anything that might help them.

Zora would have been more annoyed at Jurauk, but he had brought her food. So his adventure wasn't completely for nothing.

"What are we looking for?" she asked aloud. Jurauk glanced at her, pausing his whistling.

"Good question. Not sure if I have an answer."

Zora growled in frustration. "We're just pacing around! We've got no weapons or any other supplies. How the hell is this supposed to work?"

Jurauk smiled, revealing his pointed fangs.

"Besides your teeth and talons."

The smile vanished.

She glared hard at a patch of dandelions, irked by their cheery yellow petals. They seemed to wilt slightly beneath her wrath. Frustrated, she kicked a few pebbles, sending them skittering across earth, startling a few squirrels.

Zora was embarrassed to hear her voice crack with her next few words. With each passing hour, she was starting to see just how severe her situation was. "This is ridiculous. I -I don't understand why all this has happened."

A cackling voice within her head responded, "It's all because you decided to kill your father."
"He deserved it!" she snapped.

"You talking to me?" asked Jurauk, eyeing her warily. Zora blinked, realizing that she had just blurted it to thin air.

"Forget what I just said." She sighed. "I just wish...I were a boy, you know?"

"It sucks."

Despite herself, Zora couldn't help but smile. "So what if there's an occasional brawling? Girls are treated equally in wherever you're from. But not in Etharia. Words aren't the only things used to hurt us. We're treated worse than trash. We have no worth, except for the possibility of bearing a son."

"I had no idea." Jurauk sounded sincere. "I assume your father is the one who had these mindsets implemented? It's a good thing you killed him."

"Not quite," she admitted bitterly. "If anything, Gregori is worse. I truly fear for the women who must serve him. Even my half-sisters may not escape torture. The Queens are just as vulnerable."

Warm hands engulfed her shoulders. Disconcerted, Zora glanced up to see Jurauk staring at her fiercely. "No one deserves this injustice. I swear to you, I will send your brother so far into hell, he will not even attempt to crawl his way out."

Her heart soared. "That's good to know," she whispered. Her steps felt lighter now. The dwindling sunlight and the pressing darkness didn't feel so ominous. Pushing aside a few low branches in their path, she was about to open her mouth to remark about the strange acrid smell of smoke when she was yanked to the side.