Rise and Fight

Chapter 6

Gavrien wandered through the hopeless wasteland of this mysterious world. 

When had it changed from the pines of Terrasen to this disaster? He didn't know. 

But something had changed. First, the air became dry and hot, until the full change came.

There was nothing around for as far as he could see. The only thing growing here were cacti, and they were literally on fire. 

Occasionally, he thought he saw something in the distance, a human, but when he blinked, it would be gone again.

There was nothing out here. 

But then it appeared in front of him. It was almost eight feet tall, towering above him. 

Its skin was black, and looked like charred wood. Its limbs were long a intimidating. Its sockets held no eyes. They were glowing pits of lava. When it smiled, its mouth was the same, filled with broken and decaying teeth. 

It spoke, but Gavrien couldn't understand it. It was speaking in a language so old, it had faded into history. Not even the Fae knew it. 

Before he could react, the creature shot out a skinny arm and grabbed him. They both faded into dust, appearing in quite a different place than the wasteland. 

It was a beautiful courtyard, with fountains where, instead of water, lava flowed. 

The plants were as black and dead as the walls surrounding him. 

But the most noticeable thing in the room was a throne. It was intricate and beautiful and struck terror into his heart for no known reason. And it wasn't empty. 

The woman who sat in it may have been more terrifying. She had two long horns growing from her head. She was more human than the creature that brought him here. 

Her skin was normal, mostly. It went from a human skin on her arms, to charred hands. 

What was shocking was the collar around her neck. Connected to a chain, held by a guard. 

"It is quite a beautiful place here, isn't it?" She spoke. 

Her voice was cunning and wise, young, but held the weight of worlds. 

"Who are you?" He asked warily. 

"Oh, silly me, did I forget to introduce myself?" She chuckled. "I am the beginning and the end, life and death, love and hate, bravery and terror. Mortals call me Satan, or the devil, but you can call me Amren, on account of my friendship with your aunt." 

...............................

Sorscha looked up from her fire to speak to her twin. 

Only to jump up, panicking. 

Where there were just pines and a fire and her sister, there was now a frozen wasteland and a small village. 

Where was she? Only the goddess knew. (And by goddess she means Aelin of course)

An old woman came out of a hut near her. 

"Child, what are you doing out in the cold? Come in, quickly!" She called beconning. 

What could it hurt?  Sorscha thought. If it was a trap, she had been trained well to kill. Plus, it really was cold. 

She nodded to the kind woman as she entered the house."Thank you, miss?" 

"Agatha dear. And what should I call you?" 

"My name's Sorscha. I don't know where I am." 

"Well, that's expected, dear. This isn't Terrasen, as you may have guessed."