World of Tiber

Chapter 52: Problems

Nava's PoV

It's hard to see Nightbreeze because she's wearing a mask, black pants, boots, and a short sleeve shirt. Her arms that usually have designs on them are all scarred. The scars are around all her designs. She takes off her helmet and something is wrong. Her eyes are completely black. They aren't her bright, green eyes. She smiles at us and says “Take them to my tent.”

She puts her helmet back and and they force us to their camp. We are forced into her tent and they tie our feet to the chairs. Then they tie are hands behind our backs and onto the chairs. She orders them to leave but they hesitate. One of the Dark Knights, it sounds like a female asks “Are you sure? They could attack you?”

She sarcastically responds “Really? How can they attack me when they are tied to the chairs?”

The Knights leave the tent while I'm looking around. The tent looks way too big for one person. There's a big bed, two desks, multiple dressers, and some other furniture. She takes her helmet off again and tells us “Tell me what I want or I will kill you.”

I ask her “Nightbreeze what happened to you?”

“Oh I'm not Nightbreeze.”

“Then who are you?”

“You probably don't know me but I am the Evil Queen. I killed her and took control of her body after making her go through different tests to prove she was loyal to the Highlord army. She fought others, starved, was left alone, and some other things you wouldn't like to hear.”

“What happened to her arms?”

“A test to prove she's not loyal to the Elves. But I didn't want to ruin her face. And I did one more thing.”

After she says that a Dark Knight walks in and takes off his helmet. They kiss and then she asks “What are you doing here?”

“I heard you had prisoners in our tent. And I wanted to see you. When are they getting moved?”

I ask him, “Who are you?”

He tells us “I'm General Dak Fearlock. 2nd in command of the Highlord army and her husband.”

We are all surprised when he says that. Rosa asks “Where's the ring?”

She takes her glove off and shows the ring. It's a very fancy ring. Her husband says “The best ring for the best person.”

She tells him “Get back to work.”

They kiss again before he puts his helmet back on and walks away. She says “I'm giving you five minutes to come up with some answers then you will tell me what I want or else I will kill you.”

She walks out of the tent after putting her helmet back on. We quietly talk and Rosa asks me “Did you see she still had the bird and ring on a chain around her neck?”

Quintrine says “I saw that too. Nightbreeze wouldn't take it off. Do you think she's still alive?”

I tell them “I did see it and I know she's alive. I don't know very much about Tibers gods but I do know that the only way they can control someone is if they are still alive. We just have to figure out how to help Nightbreeze.”

Rosa asks me “How can we do it? It's the Evil Queen.”

“Nightbreeze is a fighter. She won't give in easily.”

We stop talking when she walks in and takes her helmet off again. She sets it down on her desk and starts walking around us. She asks “What are the army's plans? How are they planning to fight us?”

I start talking about Nightbreeze’s past, hoping to get her in control again. I tell her “Remember your parents? They sacrificed themselves for you.”

The Evil Queen says “Nice try but it won't work.”

“Eveningfall and Silverbow. That's their names. What about Thallan? Eleathen? Ailmar? Slavery. Everything you've been through.”

She stops walking around and walks back over to her desk. She's gripping the desk and I can see her hands are shaking. Hopefully it's working. When her hands stop shaking she turns around and her eyes are normal. Nightbreeze is in control again. The first thing she tells us is “What are you doing here? I told you not to come.”

Quintrine tells her “It wasn't our fault. The ground started to shake and we got separated from the army and then captured. What were we supposed to do?”

“Stay away from here. It's not safe. You shouldn't even be near me.”

I ask her “What happened?”

“I went through different tests to prove my loyalty. Then the last test the Evil Queen came to me. I tried to fight her but she's slowly taking control of me. That's why being near me isn't safe. I try to stay in control but it doesn't work. The only way to stay in control is to hurt myself. She doesn't like showing her weaknesses. She stays away for a while when I hurt myself. Thats...that's why I did this.”

She shows us her arms and Rosa asks, “You did that? The Evil Queen said that's a test.”

“It wasn't. But that's what she tells everyone else.”

I tell her “There has to be some way to stop the Evil Queen and end the war. What do you know about it?”

“I barely know anything. When I try to learn something she takes control of me again. But I do know how she's making the army bigger.”

“How?”

“The army attacks small towns. When they surrender the men have two choices. To either join the army and live or not join and die. If they join then their wives and kids are held prisoner. If they don't do their jobs then their wives and kids will be killed. If they won't join then they watch as the army slowly and painfully kills their wife and kids then they get tortured for days until they die too. Part of the army is good people. I don't know how much though.”

“Where are they being held at?”

“Somewhere secret. Only a few people know. When I try to figure it out the Evil Queen gets control of me again.”

“What happens when shes in control?”

“I either end up falling asleep or sometimes she lets me stay conscious and watch what she does. I saw her kill or order to kill people way too many times. I watched when she got married and then the short honeymoon. Other than that she doesn't really ever kiss him. Except for days like today. They haven't seen each other in private for a long time. So she's going to be nicer to him.”

Before she says anything else her hands start to shake again. She walks over to the desk and grabs a knife. She carves something into her arm then stabs herself in her stomach. It's not deep enough that bleeding out will kill her but it is deep enough to start bleeding. She drops the knife after she does that and her hands slowly stop shaking. She tells us “I'll go try again.”

She starts to walk towards the tent entrance and then she suddenly collapses on the ground and she's holding her head. I want to go help her but I can't because we are tied to the chairs. After a couple minutes she gets up and she looks extremely pale but she's still in control. I ask her “What just happened?”

“She's trying to get control again but she won't because she doesn't want to deal with me being injured. So she...punished me instead.”

“How?”

She doesn't answer and walks back to the desk to put on her helmet before walking out. Rosa asks “How can we help her?”

Quintrine suggests “Getting help from the other gods?”

“How can we? We don't even know how to do it.”

I tell them, “We will find a way somehow.”

Hopefully Nightbreeze won't lose control again. 

*Picture at the top of the chapter is General Dak Fearlock*