Chapter 1
There were few things she loved in the world. First, was combat. Any and all kinds! Swordsmanship, archery, knifes, poles, anything that anyone was willing to teach her she absorbed.
Next was Elric, he was a certain kind of special. Yes, there were others whom she was friends with, but they did not quite understand her, and she was often kept at an arm’s length. She was more of a source of entertainment to them, rather then a person whom they could connect with. Not with Elric though, there was some kind of sameness that she had with him. It made him irreplaceable. It was as if he was a half of her, and because of that he understood her on a level none other could.
Pup, her faithful friend and companion was also irreplaceable. She could remember the day she purchased him off a fellow farmer, his small little tail wagging so fast it blurred. He was always smart as could be, and always seemed like he listened to her many talks. He was a good friend, one whom she could place her full trust.
Then, her dragon. She was still getting to know her, but knew that they has some kind of kinship, a bond that was closer to family then friend.
Which led to what did she loved most. Her dearly departed parents, and her cute little sister. Perhaps it was because she raised Lily for the first few years, but she cherished the girl deeply. In fact, it was a special occasion when the school started to teach Lily how to write and they started to receive scrawled and simple letters. It was the only reason she learned how to read. To reply was the only reason she learned how to write. Sadly, the letters came less and less in the recent years, and they also had to cut back on sending mail due to the cost, but they always made sure to have enough money set aside to reply when Lily did write.
Watery lavender eyes, chubby cheeks, and messy black hair flashed in her vision, before the world bled red. Weak legged, and sore bodied, she staggered to her feet. She was unsure if it was her world or the cart shaking, but everything seemed to vibrate from the energy building inside her. The air crackled and steamed, and everything blurred out of vision before zooming in crystal clear as she staggered to the door.
Was it possible to be this angry? It was as if there was a storm inside her; there was raging flames on-top of roaring water, swirling deep in her core.
It was as if he sensed it from the world outside, Athelstan tossed open the door with eyes wide and created a portal just as she was about to step outside. Instead of white ground, she stepped on rock. How fucking dare he teleport her? She went to turn around, but the portal shut just as fast. The last thing she saw was Elric reaching out for her, pup hanging on his front, and her dragon bounding towards her as the portal sealed. Around her was nothing but rock, miles of grey. Clouds of steam built up around her, the air crackling as if she stood in a fire.
Anger, fear, and guilt created an indescribable pain that rested in her bones. Each emotion kept taking its turn bombarding her, each one too big for her body, yet vibrating so deep that it shook her core. It was too much, and too heavy. She couldn’t handle it!
What did she do? It was so deep in her, she clawed at her skin but the growing turmoil and destruction engraved itself in her marrow. So much, it started to effect the world around her. Rock melted at her feet, sinking to her knee in an unknown substance. The grey began to warp with lines of red, turning into swirled pattern that seemed to minorly reflected in her internal storm.
Skin gave way under her nails, blood evaporating before it could pool from her wounds. To much. It was too much. There was to many emotions ravaging her! They consumed her bit my bit, her ears now ringing from screams that came from her memory. It was like she was being lashed again, laid out on a chair with the cat o’ nine tails destroying her body and mind. But, she was not there, yet felt as if she was. Yet she felt each lash, gorging her flesh again and again. It was as if she was reliving the night once again, her body and mind crumpling as she flashed between grey, and the darkness of her mind.
Out came air from her lungs, fire entering her body as she inhailed. She dropped to her knees, the unknown substance sloshing around her body. Hot. So hot. She released the fire from her lungs, her body, her mind, and finally a sound came out. A scream. The sound echoed in her ears, body, and soul. Sediment blew away, and steam that had built up around her suddenly dispersed. And, she was able to separate herself from that night. She was here!
More.
More!
She screamed louder, and louder. Then, as if all at once, there was no more air in her lungs. Light-headed and weak, she blinked at the sky. It was as if nothing happened, it simply looked as it did every other night. Tears welled in her eyes, but she blinked them back. Why wasn’t there rain or clouds to reflect her insides? Instead the sky was a beautiful blue expanse, it was as if everything was right in the world. But it was not. Nothing was right, and it was her fault. Her body ached, her heart even more so. She took small breaths, her shoulders shaking.
She couldn’t let her sister go through the pain she did.
Yet, it was all her fault.
If she had ran from the attack, she would have made it to the school. She would have been able to take her sister, and Lily would be safe.
But no, she fought stupidly. She got Pup killed. And now, Lily was in the hands of evil.
Stupid! She was so stupid!
She sat there, staring at the sky. How far away was she? How long had her sister been in the hands of her brother and the Lord?
But... She was not powerful enough to fight them head on. Her brother was skilled, and she could only assume a Lord would have an army.
Think.
Think!
Did it matter? So what if she wasn’t strong enough? She couldn’t leave Lily alone.
“Have you calmed down?” Athelstan was standing not far from her.
He could be useful.
“C-could you use your portal to send me to K-knox?” It was the first time saying the name of her home city in so long, the name felt foreign. Lifting one leg up from the molten rock, she forced herself up, limbs weak and heavy. The substance dripped off her, and she noticed she was once again naked. When did she lose her clothes? This was a common occurrence now- but still not pleasant. She covered herself with her arms, eyes downcast as Athelstan approached her.
“I can, but I will not.” His voice was low and even. Her eyes snapped to him, watching as he held his hands up. It was the same pose as when Elric gave up. He tilted his head, eyes turning to the mountains behind her. “I will however, think it over if you leave the dragons.” His moss green eyes turned to her, his face blank as ever.
Leave her dragons?
Could she leave Pup and her dragon? Who would take care of them? Elric? That was a possibility... He was safe, trustworthy.
“Okay.” She took a step towards the redhead. “S-send me there.”
Athelstan closed his eyes and shook his head. “Young, reckless, and stupid. First, we need to teach you how to hide your bond.” His tone was low, even. But, that simply would not do. That would take time. She needed to go. There was no time to waste.
“Is there any m-magic where you can hide them f-for me?” She spat, trying her best to swallow the fire in her chest. She clenched her hands, and unclenched, doing her best to remain reasonable. Athelstan seemed to ponder the thought, at least that is what she told herself as not to lash out at him.
“Yes. But... Its-” Athelstan paused, before looking to the mountain of a man who suddenly appeared.
“I will help-” Venrir hummed, a coy smile on his lips. “But we will need a day to build the foundation, and it would only last so long.”
“H-how long?”
“There are two main factors: how long you are willing to wait, and how long you can stand to have contact with me.” Venrir stepped towards her, holding out his hand. What would contact have to do with anything? As if he already knew what she was thinking, he answered. “I need to work around the magic in your body.” He nodded to his outstretched out. Well, it was not like she hated contact with him. She went to grab his hand, but he intertwined his fingers with hers. Well, it wasn’t the worst. At least they were willing to help her. As if materializing it out of the air, Venrir was draping her shoulders with the scaled blanket. His hand rested on her bicep, before he tugged her against his body. It was oddly comforting, being so close to him.
“H-how long will a day g-give?” She asked.
“About a week, maybe a day or two more. Most of it will be...” He paused, looking to Athelstan. “I will need to close off your outputs- Sorry.” Again, he noticed her confusion and fixed his language. “It means I need to seal your magic.”
“W-why?”
“For one, we cant have none of that-” He pointed to the pool of molten rock, and cracks in the earth from her breakdown. It was absolutely destructive. Honestly, she understood that. She had no idea how to control the magic inside her. “And if you were to have an outburst, it would blow my cloaking spell right off you.” Again, fair. So, if he was already putting this spell on her to hide her markings, was it possible for him to change her appearance for the while as well?
Perhaps she was overstepping a boundary, but she needed all the options she could. “C-could you make me look like someone else?” She asked. It was worth a try. Already, there was multiple plans brewing in her brain. If she could take on the appearance of a guard, perhaps she could break her sister out. If she had a week she could probably find a way to get to the dungeons.
“That can be arranged.” Venrir gave her hand a bit of a squeeze, his eyes soft as he lead her to a open portal.
Wait! She has an idea. “Could you make a portal where sh-she is? S-so I can pull her out?” A brief look of pain crossed Venrir’s face right before he looked away. She looked to Athelstan, who answered in his place.
“We need to have seen the place before in order to create a portal.” His gaze shifted to her for a split moment, before turning back to the portal. So, that wouldn’t work. The other option, perhaps she could somehow sneak in, kill the guards, and then get her sister out?
She let them lead her through the portal. She would talk it over with Elric.
