Light Fall

“With thy golden power I cast upon, awaken thy soul that connects thy light.”

I felt a burning slowly ache within the middle of my chest. I slowly opened my eyes, fully expecting to see my bedroom ceiling. I bolted up with a heavy breath and wide eyes. I was greeted by fresh, clean air that didn’t smell like a farm, and a soft blow of wind that cooled me from the outside in. I looked down at the golden sparkling dress that went off my shoulders and where the loose sleeves were longer than my arms. There were golden bracelets around my wrists and ankles, and my fingertips gently guided along the strange white symbols that laid among them. My eyes slowly looked up at the large open meadow. The largest I had ever laid my eyes on with flowers I didn’t recognize of all sorts of colorful colors. There were large trees the circled around the meadow, and again, they weren’t like anything I had seen before.

A strong gust of wind flooded me, and I felt it lift me to my bare feet. It circled me, and my long white curls danced within it. A golden mist came to me from all sides and joined within the circling wind. I lifted out my hand, noticing my glowing tanned skin, and allowed the warm mist to pass between my fingers. The mist traveled up, and my gaze followed to the bright, colorful sky. The large sun peeked over the mountains in the horizen, and two full moons shined brightly. One was much larger than the other.

All of it was new, yet it felt...familiar.

I felt my body take a step forward and another and then another until I was running. I rushed up a sudden hill that I didn’t see before. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath of the fresh air that went into my lungs. I opened my eyes and looked all around. It was red on one side, blue on the other, green on another, and yellow. A mist of each color suddenly appeared in front of me and started to circle me. The gold mist appeared again above me, and it slowly engulfed me in warmth. I felt myself get lifted into the sky, and all the mists twirled around me. My dress fluffed outward, and the strands of my hair were taken toward the sky. I reach my hand to the moon that had appeared above me, and I reached for it. I felt like I was right there when I suddenly dropped. The ground opened up, and I was engulfed into a black abyss. I felt my heart race in my chest as I tried to look around. Panic sent through me as I braced myself for a hard landing.

Suddenly, a bright white light appeared in my eyes. I had to cover them to allow my eyes the time to adjust. I looked to see someone standing in the middle of the light, but I couldn’t see what they looked like. They looked tall with long hair that flowed in the wind just like my own did. I saw what looked like hilts of swords on their back, and the shape of the clothes they wore. They’re cape softly flowed in the wind as I saw the ripples of the cloth slowly wave. I felt myself get pulled to them. It was almost like I knew exactly who was in front of me, yet I know I didn’t. No one dressed like that, rather I could see them physically or not.

Before I could blink, the mysterious figure was in front of me with a blade in their hand. I felt something heavy fall into my hands, and I put my arms in front of me. Metal clashed against metal as a golden mist softly floated in the air from the golden swords that were suddenly in my hands. The figure attacked me over and over again, but I was able to fend him off like I knew what I was doing. I knew how to fight. My father made sure of it, but it felt like something else had control of my mind. Him and I had gone through the basics after all. This was different.

So much different.

Finally, the figure was able to subdue me, and I fell onto the ground. I heard my sword skid across the ground as the figure’s boot was pressed against my throat. I tried everything to push it off of me, but they added strength to combat me. I watched as they raised their sword, their blade sparkling in a light that I couldn’t see. I felt a sting in my cheek when their sword sliced my skin. I watched my blood slowly drip from the blade of their sword, but my blood wasn’t red. It was a bright gold that shimmered in a sparkling light. I saw the figure’s body straighten, and they brought their blade close to their eyes. I saw their cold red eyes glow as bright as the brightest star. Their eyes slowly looked at me, and I saw them widen in shock. I felt their strength loosen, and I pushed them off me with everything I had. I went to get up to run, but the figure was right on top of me before I could even move. I felt them lock my wrists next to my head, and they trapped my legs beneath their ankles.

“Who are you? Why do you have blood of that of a golden royal?” growled the voice deeply, their eyes darkening. I kept my mouth shut, refusing to answer. Their grip tightened, and I felt their nails sink into my skin. “Answer me before I cut you down,” he threatened, but angier than before. Again, I refused to answer even from the pain that shot through me. I could only keep my intense gaze matched with his own.

“Zarriyia! Wake up!” I heard my father order me desperately.

My eyes shot above me just as a golden portal appeared. I headed the man off of me, and I bolted as fast as I could. My eyes went wide, and my body suddenly turned. One of the swords had returned to my hand just in time for me to block an incoming dagger that aimed for my head. The hilt of the sword burned into my hand, and a golden light started to travel up my blood stream. I let go of the sword with hiss and held my wrist in pain.

“Zarriyia!” bellowed my father with a plea.

“Papa,” I said aloud hushly.

I bolted toward the light due to the desperate plea. I felt the man grab me, and I tried to fight him off. However, he overpowered me. I was right there; I was almost within the light. The golden light slowly started to close, and I felt myself fight with everything within me. I was somehow able to wiggle myself from the man’s hold, and I leeped toward the light. I felt his fingertips glaze my skin just as my fingertips touched the portal. The golden light exploded in my eyes, and it pulsated a large gust of wind.

“I will find you. I give you a warrior’s promise,” I heard him speak.

I felt my eyes squeeze tightly before they bolted open with a gasp exiting my lips. I found myself outside when I should have been in my bed, sleeping, resting peacefully with my sister in our shared room and our parents right next to us. I sat up, only to hold my head in a daze that made my head spin. I looked around my small village, feeling my breathing stop in my chest at the fire that rose in black smoke thoward the sky. I could hear everyone I knew, I could tell their screams as they echoed all around. I saw people I didn’t reconize, killing those I did, destorying everything that our village built with there own hands to try and escape the cruelty that laid our lands to waste. Where was my mother, my sister? Where was my papa? Why was I…? How did I end up here?

My eyes caught sight of bodies dressed in black and lying in pools of blood. My eyes went up in shock, and my heart raced in my chest. I never had fought in battle like this before. I was trained for it yes, but I never thought I would actually have to…Did I kill them? I don’t recall killing them, yet my bloodied hands told me everything I was hoping to deny. I didn’t get to think much about it because my eyes caught the sparkling of a sword in the flames light that was a few feet away. I tried to get up to grab it, but I couldn’t. Pain flooded up my entire leg, causing me to wince and put pressure on my knee. I was hoping it would calm the pain of the burns to stop, but it didn’t do anything.

I had three choices that I could make. One, sit here and wait to be killed, which wasn’t an option. I could call for my papa and risk my life by drawling attention to myself. Or three, I could push through my pain, grab the sword, and fight until my life was taken or until I found my family. Papa always told me that protecting them was my main priority. He raised me to be able to protect them, and that’s what I needed to do.

No matter what.

No matter how I had to do it.

Protect them.

Making my mind up, I pushed myself to my feet. I panted for heavy breaths as I fought through the pain and quickly limped to the sword. I had it in my hands for a second when I heard footsteps quickly rush to me. I looked with shocked eyes and quickly blocked an attack that knocked me back a step. My enemy quickly striked again, causing me to quickly block. Another attack, another block. I tried to look for an opening, but I couldn’t get myself to stop defending. I could hear my heartbeat drum with my fear with the sound getting louder with each clash.

Finally, gathering myself, I blocked his arm with my own and shoved my sword into his stomach. He tried to push me away, but I was able to get my hands on his sword. I used it to quickly slice his neck with speed that surprised me. I swayed back, feeling my chest burning with a soft vibration pulsating through my skin. I looked down at my hands, and I could have sworn I saw a golden flash in my veins. I closed my eyes, shook out my head, and looked around in hopes to see my papa. I whistled our familiar tune as loud as I could. I did it again and again out of desperation. Stupid, yes, because I had gathered the attention of three enemies. I quickly stepped back as they appeared in front of me, whistling even louder as my voice shook. I felt tears enter my eyes as one of them tauntingly rotated their sword in their hand. I heard one snicker, and the other laugh.

“What do we have here?” one questioned as I heard my papa finally reply.

“It would seem she’s trying to get someone’s attention,” one laughed, causing them to look at one another. “There’s no warrior’s left-”

He didn’t get to finish his sentence when a loud thump echoed around. He fell with a thump just as my papa swarmed in, quickly knocking a sword out of one’s hand. He quickly turned before he could be touched and took down the other two without missing a beat, without blinking an eye. Almost like this was something he did all the time.

“Zarriyia,” my papa breathed, quickly taking me to his chest. I felt my fearful sobs burst through me before I could stop them. My hands released the swords at their own accord, and I held onto him with such a death grip. “You’re okay. I’m here,” he promised, holding me close with one of his hands behind my head. “I’m here.”

I went to say something to him when I lifted my head away, only to see someone charging at us with a sword. “Papa!” I screamed. He quickly turned where he was quickly able to take down the man in black. He watched the figure fall with many questions in his pitiful eyes, observing him for a reason I didn’t understand. “Papa, what’s going on?” I finally asked, breaking his gaze.

My papa quickly handed me a sword and grabbed my shoulder in a tight grip. “I’ll answer your questions as soon as we’re safe,” he nodded.

“Where’s mama? Olympia?” I asked, searching his eyes.

“We’ll find them. Right now we have to focus on getting out of here. Remember our training. Kill everyone who dares to hold a sword against you. Keep with me, understand?”

My lip quievered as my breathing quickened. “Papa, I’m scared!”

He caressed my cheek and gave me a gentle smile. “It’s okay! We’ll find-!”

I was suddenly pushed behind him before I was attacked, and my papa blocked it. He killed the stranger with a furious strike before grabbing my free hand and pulling me with him. He took down a lot of people, protecting me when I could have been fighting with him. He had trained me for this very moment, but I hesitated. So many hours fighting in our training circle, and I couldn’t get myself to help him.

I wanted it to stop.

My papa quickly pulled us out of the village and toward the tree line that surrounded us. Papa and I had hunted in these woods so many times. We knew all the exits and hiding places between the both of us, which helped calm my nerves a little. That was ruined when he looked back at our burning village where people were trying to run...to hide...to survive.

I pulled on his arm as hard as I could, but he wasn’t budging. “Come on, Papa! We have to go!” I shouted desperately.

To my horror, he crouched in front of me and grabbed my shoulders in a tight hold. “Run! Go find your mother and your sister! You run, you find them, and then you keep running!”

“No!” I cried, my tears streaming from my face. “We need to find them together!”

He carressed my cheek and gave me the gentlest and softest smile I had ever seen him give. “I know you’re scared, Zarriyia. Remember everything I’ve taught you. It’s been for this exact moment. I’ll be right behind you. I promise.”

“And what if you don’t!” I screamed at him as rain quickly began to fall. He searched my eyes as I added, “What happens if I find them and you never come back? How am I to explain this to them if they start to ask questions? When they search and beg for you to come back to us?”

He remained quiet for a long time as we became soaked until he finally whispered, “Olympia and you won’t understand, but your mother will. I only hope that when you realize why it is I made this choice, you won’t be as angry with me.”

“Papa please-” I tried, feeling my lips quiver.

He kissed my forehead for a long time before leaning back with tears falling down his cheeks. “Take care of them for me. Protect them. We’ll meet again, my daughter. I promise.”

“No! I’m not leaving you!” I bellowed, hugging him as tight as I could. “Please, please, Papa-”

He held me so tight I could breathe. “I love you,” he whispered, “I love you so much, Princess.”

Papa gave me one last kiss before gently pushing me away. He grabbed his sword and dashed back toward the village. “Don’t leave me!” I pleaded, going to chase him only to trip.

He gave me one last smile to reassure me, but it only frightened me more. “I’ll see you on the other side! Don’t worry!” he nodded before dashing away.

“Papa, no!” I screamed, stumbling after him.

The hot flames blocked my path, and I was brought down to the ground from them. I staggered to my feet with my eyes looking toward the tree line. My mind wanted to listen to his order, but I couldn’t leave him like that. I had to try and protect him! I couldn’t lose him! Olympia and mama were praying for us both to return to them, I was sure of it. I wasn’t going to face them alone!

“Come on, Zarriyia,” I whispered, preparing myself, “we can do this.”

I gripped the sword tightly in my hand and dashed through the flames. I took a few steps into the village when I had to kill someone. I felt something cold flood through me as panic rushed through, but it slowly changed into something warm. I felt something pulsate within my chest as I jumped back just as tip of a sword was about to graze me. I plunged my sword into the flesh of the stranger, and I felt the same thing happen. Except the warmth was hotter now. It was right in the middle of my chest where I felt something wave throughout my entire body like waves in water. I blocked two attacks with ease from another and kicked him in the chest. I kicked another behind me and quickly dodged before killing them both like I had done this all before. The warmth flooded to my eyes, and I felt a burn ignite that there were flames burning behind my eyeballs. I even accumulated another sword without batting an eye, and I felt something in my chest jump at it. All the fear and panic I felt changed into something that was…familiar. The sight of blood made my heart skip in beats. Each move I made caused my blood to warm hotter like I was bathing in the summer sun. The sight of taking a soul caused something to rise within me, and I was soon feeling something I shouldn’t have.

Pleasure.

Suddenly, time slowed when I had turned a corner. Everything I felt left me as I watched a sword plunge into my Papa. I heard my voice grow distant in my ears, and I felt something erupt within my chest. I rushed forward with my sword ready and plunged the sword deep within the man that dared to hurt my father. I was up on my feet quickly and was fighting everyone who dared to come our way. Body after body piled up until I felt a sharp pain rush through my stomach. I went to attack again, but my head smacked against the dirt.

“NO!” my papa screamed as I felt something hard kick into my stomach.

I curled into a ball and looked at my struggling papa as he reached for me. He wanted to run to me, but there were people holding him back. Blood quickly swarmed me from my wound, and it fell from my mouth. My body hurt, and I could barely get myself to move. I could feel myself growing dizzy from the blood loss already. Everything I felt…all the warmth disappeared like a gust in the wind. I left fearful of the struggling breaths that broke through the sounds of struggling movements, footsteps, rain, and the burning village.

The men suddenly let my papa go, and he rushed to me in an instant. He took me into his arms where I gasped for breath and held me so tight. “Why didn’t you run?” he begged under his breath, moving hair from my face. I heard him mumble something under his breath as he tried to hold himself together. “I told you to run. Why didn’t you run?”

“What a nice surprise?” The voice made my papa’s eyes darken and his gaze slowly looked at the man circling in front of us. “Children with a golden elf, huh?”

“This is between me and you, Carticous,” growled my papa, spit forced through his teeth.

I slowly turned my gaze to look at the man’s amused red eyes as he looked around at the slaughter I created. “She brought herself into this when she killed my men,” he retorted, looking at my papa with a smirk. “Never in my life would I have thought I would have been able to see such a creation before my very eyes. A royal warrior, huh? A female at that.” Those words caused my papa to go ridgid, and his hold on me tightened. “Our king-”

“He is no king of mine,” my papa barked.

“No king of yours?” Carticous spat. “He gave you everything. You used to be a man that had everything. You had the most powerful army in the world, a position right next to our king. You were a one man army, you were given everything men would kill to have, and you threw it all away. For what?” growled the man.

“You’re incorrect. Everything I had was made by decisions that caused me everything. Decisions you would know if you were intelligent enough to gain even an ounce of what I had. What I was,” hissed my papa, making Carticous’ eyes darken.

My shaking hands gripped my papa’s shirt so hard that my knuckles were white. He looked down at me, and the fury he once held was replaced with a soft, gentle gaze as he moved my hair from my eyes. I could feel my breathing getting weaker and weaker. My heart’s beat softened within my chest. My eyes grew heavy as I kept his gaze within my own. I didn’t want our gazes to break. I wanted to die in his arms with his gaze on mine.

“Everything will be alright,” he whispered, tears feeling his eyes. “I love you so much, Princess,” he assured me.

I felt a spark within my chest as I watched a group of people come to us. My papa struggled against them as they dragged him a few feet away from him. The spark in my chest grew as I struggled to my hands and knees. My bloodied hand reached for him as I tried to gather the strength to go to him. The spark felt like it was burning within my chest as the wind around me felt like it began to move through the quiet air. I felt my skin and everything within me felt like I was in a flame. I felt it move within my eyes where I felt like they were melting in an invisible ray of fire.

“You can’t kill me, Carticous!” shouted my papa desperately, struggling against the people holding him. I felt someone grab me to keep me back as I reached for my papa.

“Papa,” I struggled to say.

“You really think he cares for you?” laughed Carticous, casually walking in front of my papa.

“Stop,” I whispered, trying to pry myself from my hold.

“No,” assured my papa, shaking his head, “I know he’s the one who wants my head.”

“Get away from him,” I spoke in gasps.

“It’s a good thing I have such a position he trusts,” said Carticous, looking at his sword. He peeked his eyes at me, and I knew instantly what he was planning.

“No! Leave him alone! Take me,” I begged, struggling as hard as I could, “take me!”

My papa knew too because he looked at me with pleading eyes. “Turn away.”

“No, no, no!” I screamed, tears rolling down my cheeks.

“Not in front of her. For fuck sakes, not in front of her!” my papa raged through gritted teeth.

“Why? It makes this easier,” Carticous shrugged.

“No!”

My eyes went wide the moment Carticous plunged the sword into my papa’s neck. I watched his blood slowly splatter into the air like time had slowed. I heard my distant scream echo in my ears. I felt something take over me, and I was able to escape to his side just as those people let him fall. I quickly caught him and softly laid him on the ground. I quickly tried to get his blood to stop, but it poured through my fingers. He struggled to talk to me, trying to hold on, but I just shook my head.

“No. Please. Don’t go,” I whispered brokenly, feeling a warmth flood through me. It slowly erased the physical pain I felt as fury began to rush through. “Please don’t go. I’m so sorry.” He gave me a warm, brave, and gentle smile. He tried to say something; I knew what he was trying to say. “I’m so sorry,” was all I could repeat through my sobs.

“I-I-” he tried.

I watched his smile slowly fade as his body slowly relaxed. I watched in horror as my papa died within my arms, and I felt his final breath beneath my skin. Carticous’ laugh filled the air as my body grew cold. I wanted to move for a sword, but I couldn’t. I could only slowly grab his face within my bloody hands...A mix of his and mine...I looked into his cold eyes...No, it couldn’t be...It couldn’t end like...No...I bit into my lip as the tears poured from my eyes. I felt the pain from my shattered heart take over my body. My shaking hand slowly moved my papa’s hair from his eyes...his once warm and gentle eyes. I got to close his eyes when I felt myself get dragged back.

Carticous crouched in front of me, but my gazed stayed on my papa’s corpse. I felt a single tear fall down from my hardened eyes. I couldn’t cry…my heart felt…none existent. I wanted to scream, but my throat was too tight to even breathe. I wanted to fight, but my body was too numbed. I wanted to do something, anything, but it felt like I was the corpse.

Everything I once knew was destroyed or killed before my very eyes.

The only people I had left were my sister and my mother.

People I had sworn I would protect.

I had to protect them.

I had to protect the last people I had.

They were the only thing I had left.

It was papa’s wish after all.

I already failed him once.

I wasn’t going to do it.

Again.