Lightening, Witches and Dragons

The Seeing

Chapter Five

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A shiver ran through my body, sending chills, my eyes unblinking. I couldn't fathom what I was seeing. It was unreal, it had to be. Tiny strands of smoke were leaving the skin, smell of burnt flesh filling my senses. The skin looks jaggered, abused even. Black bloches covered the area, making it look painful. However Zefara showed no signs of being hurt. She, on the other hand, looked content, a tranquil glow marking her feminine features.

My fingers twitched, restless. The finger tips as though hungry for contact.  It felt like my palm weighted a ton, holding it down. However the curiousity got the best of me. Shifting my hands face-down, towards Zefara's back, my eyes zeroed in on the words. The affected area was curled outward, making tantalizing patterns.

Moving forward, the pad of my fingers finally made contact with the uneven flesh. That was all it took and my head snapped, facing upward in an unearthly fashion. Eyes rolling back, my legs gave away making me fall on my knees. A sharp pain errupted, moving from the scratched knees to the centre of my stomach. However, all that was forgotten, as my shoulders moved back, the entire body making a complete arch. I was lost to the world, my surroundings fading away in a fraction, replaced by a feeling of dread. My ears shut, numbing even the slightest sound around me.

Suddenly, regaining a bit of momentum to by limbs, I bent forward. Taking mouthful of breaths in, I tried to compose myself. I tightened my palms twice to bring back some sensation in them. However, a sudden chill jolted my mind, making me aware of my surroundings. I was no longer in the forest, covered by darkness, but was in a fairly lit room, surrounded by stone walls. The first glance around the room, blinded me by the strong ray's of sun coming in through the tiniest window I had ever seen. Moving up a palm to shield my eyes, I turned my head in the opposite direction  Needless to say what caught my eye though, made me crawl back in shock, making me widen my eyes.

There is was, the sole thing occupying the room. A wooden bed stood tall, bare of any sheets. The wood seemed old, almost tainted, albiet royal. It was no fancy establishment, but just a simple trusty feature. However what reduced me to this state of shock was the person lying on the bed motionless. He looked peaceful, almost as if he was in a deep satisfying slumber, but a feeling burned in my chest signaling it wasn't the case, he was far from content.

Trembling, I stood on my feet, taking terrified tiny steps towards the bed. I couldn't explain the feeling of fear and discomfort spreading through my chest, making my thoughts to come to a blank. Upon reaching the bedside, my shivering palms stilled, breaking into a sweat. A feeling of coolness covered my palm made me look down. There in my hand was a knife, sharp as the day, its steel body shining. A rare feeling of malice took upon me, making me grip the knife tighter. A sense of betraryal engulfed me, positioned my hand up, pointing its sharp tip towards the man with the egg. All I could think about at that moment was, the amount of ease and satisfaction it would bring, dragging the knife through his flesh.

A click made me snap, turning completely on reflex I released the knife, using brutal force. The knife glided through the air, striking its target on mark. The guard fell to its knees, gripping a hand to his throat, where the knife cleanly passed through his skin. Turning, the feeling on animosity entirely vanished, I bent at my knees. The pad of my thumb touched the terribly cold skin of his cheek. The only whisper leaving past my lips,

''I'll save you.''

And then I was falling, going down the endless path to no end. My body turning weightless, the feeling entirely unusual. A sense of relief clouded my mind making me blink, and I was back in the forest. Zefara stood over me, her hand rested just above my chest. She had her eyes closed, mumbling in hushed tones. I enlarged my eyes, taking in the night sky, filled with stars to the brim. It was surreal, like nothing I had seen before. A cough broke through me throat, causing Zefara to open her eyes. Her worried expression turned into relief as soon as her eyes laid on me. The man with the egg standing at a distance, joining his hands at the back. He looked calm, carefree even, but the slight twitch to his lips indicated differently. One look at his stature took me back to the stone room. His facial expressions completely different from the motionless body.

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