Desert Wings

Queen

"Once this land was green,lush with the fruit of life. Now cold, white snow holds much if the realm in its iced grasp, holding us for eternity." The voice ran softly through my dream, supplying me new ideas. "The truth to this in full is not known, unconfirmed. This is our only guess, our best hope in order to maintain our will to survive this merciless land. Here we must remember that a nightmare is simply a dream, for here live the beings of both. Here lies the people of the Desert, our hearts, minds, bodies, and our souls. Be careful, even we can break. Even we can heal." The whispered warning passes the deaf ears of my consciousness as I awaken, the words are still stored away though.
"Where is everyone?" I wonder aloud, nothing stirred on the grounds of my fortress, not even a wind to stir the leaves of trees. The silence became eerie very quickly, my isolation unnerving in comparison to at least the wolf stalking the grounds.
"Forgetting someone?"
"Death?" I call, trying to place the voice as I turn to find its owner.
"Guess again my dear." The honey coated voice drifts into my ears.
"Chance?"
"The one and only." I finally spot him, perched on a narrow ledge beside a stone gargoyle.
"Not just him." Fate grins, stepping from her hiding place in the corner.
Before either if us has a chance to notice what I am doing my sword is at her throat, a drop of molten gold wells beside the blade,"Fate."
"Always a pleasure Kara." She replies dryly.
"Kara..." Chance growls dangerously.
"One day this Desert will be mine." I hiss in Fate' s ear before moving back slightly, allowing her to stand straight up again,"Sorry about that." I say openly.
"No you aren't."
"Yeah okay you're right." I shrug.
"Kara."
"Yes."
"You can put away your sword."
"I can but I won't." Chance sighs angrily, I simply grin at him.
"So why are you here? And don't try to say you want to apologize, then I will run either of you through."
"I was unaware of my presence on your enemy or so-and-so must die list. Whatever you call it."
"You aren't Chance, at least not yet, she is."
"Thanks for that." Fate replied in a monotone.
"Any time." I reply, not missing beat,"And you have yet to tell me why you are here."
"Oh, about that." Chance ducks his head and runs the back of his neck,"Fate. Your problem you explain."
"What do you need someone killed?"
Fate shrugs,"Not yet, maybe later. No, right now, well ever since the banquet Life hadn't been leaving me alone and I'm going insane."
"What's your point?" I ask, raising one eye brow skeptically.
"Can I stay with you? Just until she leaves me alone?" By way of reply I level my sword with her eyes,"I take it that is a yes?"
That was all she had to say, and my answer was hopefully a clear cut no.
"Kara!" Chance screamed as Fate slowly fell off the narrow ledge that was now coated in gold.
"Is this stuff valuable?" I dip the end of my sword in the blood.
"Kara!" Chance screamed again, I was mildly aware of Death making an appearance on the ground below me.
Chance shoved me and I almost fell, and almost dropped my sword, inadvertently a drop of Fate' s blood lands in my mouth.
As the molten gold enters my mouth the world immediately feels slowed, muffled as a ringing sound starts somewhere beyond my awareness. My wings won't spread quickly enough, I am going to hit the ground. Yet I feel so calm.
Death watches my fall, an uncaring expression hiding his thoughts. Chance above me watching, expression unreadable as I near the stone ground. Why am I falling? I think I forgot. Why is the ground spattered in gold? So many questions crowd my head, why this, why that?
What is happening? This question silenced the discordant voices and eerie silence follows in its wake. Then I realize I have yet to hit the ground, I have yet to experience the bone crushing impact that is sure to follow. Instead I fall like a bubble in water, drifting down instead of up.
As I hit the ground I momentarily see Death standing over me before the world goes dark.

Darkness envelops me, "Kara..."
"Hello? Who are you?"
"I don't know... I'm forgetting everything. Why have you brought me here?"
"What do you mean I brought you here?! I thought you brought me here. Where even is here?"
"I brought you here." A familiar voice boomed.
"Yeah okay but why?" I demand impatiently.
"Paitence Kara."
"You should know by now I am really bad at that."
"I know Kara, I know."
"I know your voice, who are you?"
"Take a guess my dear."
"Fate?"
"No."
"Chance?"
"No, my you are bad at this."
"Okay then you are either Life or Death."
"Very good. Both of us are here."
"What?"
"It's complicated we'll explain later."
"So am I Fate?" The other voice echoes in the darkness.
"Yes. This honestly is so tedious limbo never is easy to deal with though."
"Limbo? What limbo? I just hit the ground, I should be dead."
"That limbo. You and Fate both are in limbo between us, so we must pass judgement."
"Judgement?" I panic, my past deeds streaming through my mind.
"Yes Kara. Why are you so panicked?"
"Oh, no reason, just that I've killed about a dozen people!"
"Did you torture them?"
I falter,"Enslave them? Contaminate their minds, their very thoughts?"
"I don't think so. I don't think any one... oh."
"Fate." Life's voice becomes more prevalent, a cold machine preparing to pass judgement on its victim,"You are accused of tourture, murder and several other crimes that for the sake of time we shall not list. How do you plead?"
"Did I really do those things?" I can practically see her trembling form, hear her silent tears.
"Yes. I am afraid so."
"Kara."
"Yes?"
"You are accused only if murder. Do you deny committing the act?"
"No." I admit, cautiously.
"Fate, your heavier crimes weigh upon your mind, soul, and spirit. You shall pass to the hands of Death and into the realm beyond. Kara, you shall take her position as keeper of the White Desert. Good luck."

My eyes slide open, and Death still stands over me, head tilted,"That was interesting."
"Yeah." I mutter, slowly sitting up and rubbing the back of my aching head,"What did happen?"
"You know."
"Yeah. That was weird."
Death shakes his head,"Sure Kara. It was weird."
"What did it all mean? Like am I immortal?"
Death tilts his head, amusement lighting up his eyes,"I don't have all the answers Kara, and if you are immortal or not is one I happen to lack. I do know this though, you are now the queen of the White Desert."
"I'm what?"
"Empress, Queen, whatever you wish your title to be. Oh, and I am fairly sure that means you can no longer leave, ever. Must have been Fate' s Last Wish or something, I don't fully know how it works."
"So I'm a Queen now." I grin, mind whirling,"Cool."