Here Lies the Queen

Chapter 3

Bella woke to the sun shining on her face. She turned over to Hunter but he's nowhere to be seen.
"Hunter?" she called. No answer. Her heart clenched. "Hunter!"
He emerged from the washroom. "What? What's wrong?"
She let out a breath and relaxed. "Nothing. I just woke up and you were gone."
"Sorry about that." He walked over to her and kissed her hand. His eyes sparkled and her stomach turned over. Gods, he was so hot. "Ready for today?"
She groaned into her pillow. "Not really."
Last night, they had discussed the quest. Bella decided to start it as soon as possible. Hunter went out and asked some guards to accompany them, as long as they didn't ask questions. Bella still hadn't told Hunter about the ultimatum: either he would die or the kingdom would fall to Shayde.
"Bella?"
She was dragged out of her thoughts. Hunter looked down at her, his eyebrows furrowed. "What?"
"I said, are you okay?"
"I'm just nervous," she said. She flashed a radiant grin at him. "But ready to save my kingdom." She slid out of bed and pulled on her traveling outfit: a white blouse tucked into tight black trousers. Hunter followed her to the armory to get their weapons.
Bella grabbed two swords and swung them a couple of times. Hunter helped her strap them to her back before helping her strap several knives on her waist. She buckled another to her thigh. He chose a simple sword with a dragon hilt. Nothing too fancy. They opted for no armor because they didn't know how long they would be traveling. And it was too hot and heavy for summer.
A maid brought them some food while they were getting ready. Bella shifted through the basket. She had given them some beans, rice, sugar, salt, and hardtack. Tucked in were some bandages and a stitching kit. She thanked the maid and went to get her soldiers.
There were eight of them in total, including Bella's personal guard, Robert. They bowed as she approached them.
"Sirs," she began. "I am going on a quest and I need you to be as vigilant as ever. We embark tonight. Tell your fellow guards I expect them to keep my kingdom safe, no matter what."
"Yes, Your Majesty," they murmured in unison. Their armor clanked as they saluted her retreating form.
Bella moved throughout the hall, giving orders and reprimanding her servants. Hunter appeared as she was finishing up.
"I think you should tell your people where you're going," he said. She twisted to see him.
"What?"
"They deserve to know. They could help protect the kingdom."
"They could also see it as a sign of weakness," Bella snapped. Hunter raised his hands in surrender.
"I only meant that they might want a ruler who trusts them."
She crossed her arms. "I don't. They are monsters and liars and thieves. They've given me no reason to trust them."
"Sometimes you don't need a reason. You just do." His face relaxed. "That's how I trusted you."
"You're different," Bella said. She turned away and waved off the servant she was talking to. "I will not tell them."
She heard Hunter scoff behind her. Words tumbled around in her but she couldn't think of anything to say. She didn't trust her people. At the first sign of weakness from her, they would go running into Shayde's arms. Hunter's boots thudded as he walked away. She had half a mind to go after him, but would rather not argue with him. Let him think what he wants.
Someone cleared their throat behind her. "Excuse me, my lady?"
She turned and saw the handsome man from the meeting the other day. Today, his hair was pulled back in a bun that accentuated his cheekbones. His blue eyes glittered. She noticed a red circle around his neck and glanced away. Her fire had done that. She had done that.
"Yes?" she said. She cursed her voice for sounding so harsh.
"I would like to volunteer for your quest," he said. Bella blinked. How did he know about that? At her expression, he said, "I heard it from one of my guard friends. I don't know what it is, but," he glanced at her attire, "it seems dangerous."
"What's your name and position?"
"Samuel. I'm a Commander," he said. She nodded in appreciation.
"Very well. You may come. But don't expect me to tell you what is happening." She normally wouldn't allow a Commander to come with her, but since he was so handsome, she decided to let him. It certainly wouldn't hurt her eyes.
"Thank you very much, my lady. I will start preparing right away."
"We leave at dark," she told him. He bows and walks away, whistling. A spark of hope pops up in her chest. Maybe they actually have a chance.
That spark is crushed as they prepare to leave. A thunderstorm had swept over the city, unleashing waves of rain and forks of lightning.
Bella grabbed a cloak and fastened it around her. She pulled the hood over her face so only the lower half of her face could be seen. Hunter glanced at her before shrugging on his own.
"Ready?" she asked. She didn't wait for an answer before leading the group to the stables. Bella chose her warhorse, Stryker. He reared up as thunder broke. A stable boy came running over and got him under control again. Bella swung a leg over and hoisted herself up. Hunter did the same. Behind her, the soldiers climbed onto their own horses. She trotted out in the courtyard. Rain pelted her, threatening to sweep her off her horse. Above her, the castle rose into the clouds. She glanced up and sent a quick prayer up to the gods. Hunter came up next to her.
"Are you sure?" he asked. His gloved hands clenched hers.
"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?" She turned around to the group. Hunter's hand dropped from hers as she snapped the reins. "Let's go!"
The sound of hooves was swept away by the wind. They galloped through the streets. There was nobody on the streets, presumably taking shelter from the rain. It wasn't that bad, though. They've certainly had worse.
As they raced through the city, she scanned the area for any sign of her people. An overturned cart spilled fruit out into the street. A shadow slid into an ally before Bella could get a good look. Her horse reared as thunder crashed again. The wind whipped her cloak around her, threatening to snatch it. Bella wiped the rain off her face but was immediately soaked again. Her kingdom had become a ghost of what it was just hours before.
By the time they reached the wall, the rain had soaked through her clothes and down to her bones.
The wall was made of obsidian and stretched way above her head. Small spikes topped with red orbs shoot up into the sky. She could just make out the small shapes of the guards patrolling.
The guards heaved open the gate, their hands slipping on the chains. The gate slowly rose, revealing a narrow path surrounded by water. Fog covered the lake, obscuring her view of the shore. She cursed her ancestors for deciding to build the kingdom on a lake. What a foolish idea.
"I'll go in front," Hunter said. He nudged his horse in front of hers. "To make sure it's safe."
"Thank you," she replied. He nodded and they were off.
The wood creaked beneath them as they moved. Rain still fell from the sky but seemed to be fading. Lily pads dotted the surface of the lake. Occasionally she would hear a splash nearby. She didn't know if it was a frog, a fish, or something worse. Sometimes she wished the water was unoccupied, just so she would know what lurked beneath.
When they reached the shore, the storm had passed. The rumble of thunder still echoed in the distance, but the rain had ceased. In front of them was the Dark Forest. Filled with the worst monsters known, anyone who had gone in had never come out, save for the Kings and Queens. There was an old man in Vearus who claimed he had been in, but nobody believed him. Bella had his head removed for saying such things. She still remembered the feel of her sword cutting through flesh and bone.
"Let me go first," Bella commanded. She held up her hand, a flame dancing on her palm. Hunter let her shove her way to the front of the group. "This Forest is filled with unmentionables. They are unlike anything you've ever seen before. Don't say anything, don't touch anything, and you will be fine." She guided her horse into the trees.
The forest that was once so alive was now silent. The leaves crunched under her as they followed the path. Rain fell from the leaves and onto her head. Bella spied a skull buried under a mound of dirt and gently steered her horse away from it. Best not disturb whatever is nearby.
They soon come to a sign pointing in two different directions. On one side it says, Man-Eating Forest. On the other, it says Whispering Desert.
"Which one?" Samuel asked. Bella didn't hear him come up beside her and startled. "My apologies, Miss."
She shrugged off his apology. "We go through the Forest. The trees are under my control. They won't harm us."
"Led on."
"Leave the horses," Bella commanded. A rustle and the horses headed back to the kingdom. Hopefully, her people won't ask where she is. Guilt twisted in her breast. Maybe she should've told them.
"Bella?" Hunter's voice jolts her back to reality. "Are we going?"
"Draw your weapons and stay alert," she said. Metal whined as she unsheathed her swords. They walked for a bit before coming to a blue gate. The beginning of the sun was peeking up through the greenery.
Up ahead, the blue gate swung open. Bella softly walked up to it and stepped through. Immediately, the trees came to life.
"Who goes there?" one of them boomed. A groan of wood cut through the air as it opened its eyes. Another groan and snapping of bark and a mouth appeared.
"Me!" squeaked another. She watched as all the trees opened their eyes and stared at her.
"My lady," the first one sneered. It was a redwood tree, the snappiest type. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"
"We're just passing through. No fights," Bella promised. She sheathed her swords and held out her hands. "See?"
"I say kill them all anyway!" the second shrieked. She studied it. It's a pine tree, one of the most annoying types.
"I said, I come here in peace." Bella stepped forward. "If you have a problem, I'll burn you all down."
"Nope! No problem," it squeaked Its eyes darted around before settling on Hunter. "Keep your death away from us."
"Enough!" the redwood roared. "You can pass! But we don't guarantee your safety!"
"Thank you." She motioned for the group to follow her deeper. As they walked, more trees came to life. They all watched her pass with hungry expressions. Whispers floated past her ears, but she couldn't make out the words.
When they reached halfway, the Forest went silent. Streaks of red and pink were beginning to run across the sky. There was a pause, then a gust of wind as the trees sucked in a breath. Bella's hand twitched to her swords just as the trees screamed, "ATTACK!"
An ear-splitting crack echoed around them and the trees suddenly had arms. They reached for them and Bella dropped to the ground. Her chin barked as she landed on a rock and she tasted blood.
"Order!" she heard Hunter yell. "Fight ba—" His words were cut off. She flipped over on her back and fumbled for her swords. Above her was a maze of wood and steel.
"Bella!" Samuel's face appeared over hers. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," she snapped and stumbled to her feet. Keeping low, she scanned the Forest. Already, most of her guard was gone. Hunter was fighting off a reedy pine tree. Another one of her soldiers fought beside him.. Everyone else was... gone.
"Let's go!" Samuel began to usher her forward, but she dug her heels in.
"What are you doing? We don't run from a fight!" She stepped around him before he could say something and began to fight. Her blades were a whirlwind of metal as they cut off arm after arm. Still, more appeared out of nowhere.
A shout drew her attention to Hunter. He had been caught and was being drawn to a tree's mouth. She threw a knife and it landed in the tree's eye. It yelled and let him go.
"ENOUGH!" Bella bellowed. The Forest seemed to freeze. All eyes looked at her. "We said peace!"
"We like the other Queen better," a tree snarled.
"What. Queen," Bella bit out.
The tree lit up as he realized Bella didn't know. "The one that came through the other day. I think her name was... Shayde. Pretty little thing. Said she would destroy you and bring us home."
"You are home."
"No. We aren't. Your ancestors took us from another continent and placed us here. So, no, we aren't home. I think she's the True Queen. Why hasn't the Devil's Flame bloomed if you are the True Queen?"
Blind fury filled her. "You are all IDIOTS!" she screamed. "I am the True Queen!" The ground rumbled as fire swept over the trees. They shrieked and yelled as they were reduced to ash. "There. Now you're home."
Hunter walked over to her and hugged her close to his chest. "It's okay. We will find her."
Samuel staggered over to join them. A scratch on his cheek oozed blood. Otherwise, he was completely fine. "Who's Shayde?"
"Nobody," Hunter snarled. Samuel backed away as he beheld the fire in Hunter's eyes. "How are you alive?"
"Got lucky?"
Hunter's growl ripped through the air. "Care to see?"
"Let's not fight right now," Bella intervened. They both looked at her with surprise. Normally, she was the last person to break up a fight, but she was drained from the trees' betrayal. Doubt from the trees swirled inside her. Why hadn't the Devil's Flame bloomed yet? "We need to hurry."
Luckily, they made it through the rest of the forest without incident. Bella tripped over a pile of bones that appeared on the path. Hunter laughed as she sprinted away, eyes wild.
"Finding bones in the woods is not funny," she said.
He chuckled and came over to join her. "No, but you are."
She flicked his nose. "Come on. We have to hurry."
At midday, they made it to the edge of the forest. In front of them was a large opening. Bella had read about this place. It was the Cave of Souls. If you listened too long to the many whispers, you would drive yourself mad.
"Ready?" Hunter asked. Samuel came to stand on the other side of Bella. One glance at him told her he was terrified of what awaited. She placed a hand on his arm.
"Don't listen to them. No matter what," she said. He nodded. Bella took a deep breath and stepped inside.
Immediately, voices spun around her. You're not a Queen, one said. Another crooned, Your people would rather follow Shayde than you. Bella clapped her hands over her ears but it had no effect. Traitor. False Queen. Selfish. Coward.
"Enough!" she yelped. The voices paused for a moment before disappearing. She turned back to the mouth of the cave but couldn't see it. Without knowing it, she had walked farther than she thought. Hunter and Samuel were nowhere to be seen. The only way left to go was forward.
Bella wandered through the maze of tunnels. She had no idea where she was supposed to go. "Hunter! Samuel!" she called. The words echoed around her, mimicking her, taunting her. Reminding her she was lost. "Damn this place to hell," she mumbled.
The next moment, a piercing shriek burst her ears. She broke into a sprint, not caring if she got lost even more. The scream came again and she turned into a large empty space. At least, she thought it was empty until a figure dropped from the ceiling.
It was a thing from nightmares. A cloud of dark smoke covered most of its body. Protruding from the cloud was an assortment of arms. Some short, some long, some light, some dark. The head was the worst part, though. The upper half was a regular human head without hair, but the lower half is split open, revealing muscle and bone. Metal spikes stuck out of it like teeth. If it was a regular monster, like the ones in her kingdom, she would be fine. However, this was different. It chilled her down to the bone.
"Who are you?" she said. She meant for her voice to come out confident, but it came out like a squeak instead. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Who are you?"
"I am Stirin," the thing rasped. Its voice grated along her bones and shivers ran up her spine.
Bella almost ordered it to let her pass, then thought better of it. "May I pass?"
"Answer my riddle, and I shall let you. If you fail..." A slimy thing emerged from its mouth and circled its head. She realized it was a tongue.
"I know. What is the riddle?"
"At night, they come without being fetched. By day, they are lost without being stolen. What are they?"
"Night? They come at night? And are gone during the day..." Bella closed her eyes to think. Another scream pierced the air and she jumped. Her thoughts swirled. "The stars?"
"Is that your final answer?" Stirin gazed at her.
"Yes. It's the stars."
"Correct. You may pass."
Bella bowed to the creature. "Thank you."
Once out of the room, she sprinted to where she heard the scream come from. Tunnels branched off of each other, making it impossible to tell where it came from without listening for another one. Soon, the sound of fighting reached her ears. She had to double back a couple of times before finally coming to a large room nearly identical to the one where the Stirin was.
Inside was a mess. Hunter lay on one side of the room. A puddle of blood surrounded him. Standing over him was a monster. One that she recognized this time. A Snowghost. Samuel was nowhere to be seen.
At first glance, it looked like a giant white ferret. Up close, it's anomalies become apparent. Its eyes are a milky red color, and it has the legs of a chicken. Its jaws were just opening when Bella's knife struck its heart. Blood spilled out over Hunter, turning him red. He didn't move, even as it sprayed his face, his body. Bella ran forward and grasped his shoulders.
"Hunter! Hunter!" The Snowghost's body thudded on the floor, causing dust to fall from the ceiling. "Hunter, wake up!" He groaned and Bella almost collapsed from relief. "I'm going to pick you up." She threw his arm around her neck and pushed up. Her legs strained as she struggled to get them both upright. Once she was able to, she waved a hand and a small shield wrapped around his wound, holding the blood inside.
They wandered through the maze, trying to find a way out. At last, Bella saw a light. They emerged in a grassy clearing.
Bella dragged him to the middle of the clearing before dumping him unceremoniously on the ground. She removed his armor and gasped. What she saw made her head spin.
The Snowghost's jaws had dug all the way to his bone. A chunk of flesh was missing, and Bella could see part of his ribs. She swayed, but she forced herself to concentrate. A red glimmer settled over Hunter's body.
"Don't move too much," she said. Without waiting for him to acknowledge her, she bolted back into the Cave.
Her feet flew over the stone as she ran. Ran and ran until she reached the room with Stirin.
"Hello?" she called. "My... friend needs help. Will you help him? Please?" Her voice broke on the last word. Silence greeted her. Then...
"What happened?"
"A Snowghost. He was bitten."
The creature tutted. "Lethal. I don't think he will make it."
"You have to help."
"What will I receive?"
"What do you want?"
Stirin fell silent for a moment. "Company. Come and visit me. Tell me of the stars. We miss the stars"
"We?" The ceiling hissed and she jumped back as more creatures appeared. They were of all different shapes and sizes. "Okay," she stammered. "Deal." A gust of wind blew through, stirring her hair. A glass vial appeared in her hand.
"Give that to him. He will be fine within a week."
She frowned. A week? "Thank you," she said, then turned and ran.
Blood was beginning to seep under the shield when she got back. Her knees barked as she slid to the ground.
"Here, drink this." The liquid sloshed inside as she uncorked it. A putrid smell rose from it. Hunter groaned as she forced him to swallow it. The basket sat on the other side of the clearing. How it survived, she didn't know. She rifled through it until she found the medkit. "This is going to hurt."
Hunter gasped as she poured antiseptic over the wound. She carefully wrapped his torso in bandages before forcing him to eat some bread. She gathered some wood to make a fire while he ate.
By the time the sun had set, Hunter was able to move a bit. He healed faster than most because he was a Prince of Hell, but he could still die. His lineage made him immortal, unless he was killed in battle. Bella filled him in on what happened while he was unconscious. They had dinner, then settled down for the night.
The fire crackled as Bella laid with Hunter beside it. The stars shone down on them, keeping watch. Bella wondered about what the trees had said. She was not the True Queen because the Devil's Flame hadn't bloomed. It only bloomed for the King and Queens that were most worthy. No ruler of Vearus had witnessed it, except for the first. It was a common goal, but one that was never achieved. Sleep dragged Bella under, silencing her thoughts on the matter.