(Aziel)

Later I learnt that the woman was Queen Adrnia Orion. While she was returning to Orion from our village, she was attacked and killed along with her son.

The situation for Fae became difficult after that. Fae folks were blamed for the attack. The Dread Army began its attacks and we lost the favour of King Orion. We moved around with other Fae people, finally settling in a distant village.

Six years later, the Dread Army came for us. They set our village on fire. Our people fought them but they had advanced weapons and powers, the kind we had never seen before.

They set fire to our house with us still inside to force us out. Amaia screamed in horror so I grabbed her hand. Our mother pulled us out through the back door.

"It’s going to be fine," I said, my voice trembling, but I had to be strong for my sister.

Our mother rushed us to the back of our small burning house. The thick black smoke surrounded us.

She placed necklaces around our necks and shoved a double-bladed sword in my hand.

She was trying to be strong for both of us but I could see how her hands trembled and her eyes fought back tears.

"Aziel, you have to protect your sister. Run now, don’t let them find you. Never take these necklaces off or reveal your identity in front of anyone," she frantically said, hugging us to her heaving chest.

"No, no. We are not leaving you." Amaia clung to her with her tiny arms, sobbing hysterically.

"There is no time. You must. Go to the east, there is a pack. They will shelter you." She removed her arms from around us and sniffled.

"I will join you in no time." She forcefully smiled. "You know what to do Aziel."

With tears in my eyes, I nodded at my resilient mother, not knowing that it was the last time I was seeing her.

The voices grew louder, they were coming.

"Protect your sister," she gave a final command before turning around to face the approaching enemy.

I had to drag a screaming Amaia away from my mother–she fought the enemy, giving us time to escape.

The screams, the burning stench of the houses and the massacre of our people weighed heavily in the air.

We ran, hand in hand, but the thudding footsteps of the enemy were behind us. I knew we wouldn’t be able to outrun them.

I had to make a decision. I was strong enough to fight and buy Amaia some time. Thrusting the sword in Amaia’s tiny hands I turned and said. "Amaia, you have to go. Make the journey on your own. We love you and I will come looking for you."

Amaia stood shaking on the ground. Her round face was littered with tears.

"I can’t...Aziel, please."

I grabbed her shoulders and shook her.

"Yes, you can. You have to live. You are smart and you are strong." I yanked my necklace off, transforming, letting my wings loose.

Amaia hesitated, her agonised face I would never forget. It made my heart bleed. First my mother and then Amaia.

"Gooo!"

Amaia ran, carrying the weapon. Her head would turn in my direction occasionally but she kept running on her small feet putting distance between us. The enemy gathered all around me.

I summoned my magic, letting it swirl into the purple lightning I commanded. It cackled on my fingertips. Summoning it, I took flight and blasted the enemy with it. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

"Dieee!" I yelled. The energy sizzled all around me, like a live wire, I transferred it through the air, aiming and killing two of them instantly. Their bodies fell to the ground, burnt.

The rest scrunched their noses, angered.

"You think you can fight us?" One of the Reavers smirked, showing me his yellow teeth.

My powers pulsed around me again, wings rapidly waving behind me keeping me airborne.

"Yes, and I am going to kill all of you." Raising both my hands I collected my powers but something hit me in the back. The pain I had never witnessed before, radiated through me, striking my heart. I tumbled to the ground, instantly losing consciousness.

When I woke up again, my head felt extremely heavy. Slowly I opened my eyes and was welcomed by dim orange light. My cheek was pressed against the hard floor.

I tried to lift myself off the ground but my body screamed. The tight ropes dug into my wrists and ankles. I had been bound and dumped on hard ground.

"Where am I?" I whispered, raising my head slightly to find more people near me. It appeared like a room with a single bulb hanging from the ceiling.

"Take it easy," someone gently said and I turned my head.

To my utter surprise, it was Queen Adrnia sitting beside me wearing rags. Her beautiful hair was a mess and the light I had observed in her eyes previously had dimmed.

"....Are you?" I stammered and she nodded with a pained smile.

"Yes, Aziel, I am alive but for the world I am dead." She had chains tied to her wrists.

Dragging herself forward as the chains clinked against the hard ground she helped me sit up.

My back hurt from where I had been shot.

"How? And where are we?" I glanced around, confused. The place had a horrible rancid stench and it was already making me dizzy.

She held me closer and warmly smiled at me, irrespective of the situation we were in. "They faked my death." Her smile dropped. Her face fell, tears collected in her eyes. "They took my son, I don’t know where. It has been six years."

Her hand rubbed my head. "They shot me with something, numbing my powers. I can’t use them anymore." Her voice had dropped to a whisper. A sad, haunting whisper.

It made my soul tremble. I remembered they had shot me too. I tried to summon my powers but I couldn’t. It was like I didn’t have them to begin with.

"No...no, I can’t feel my powers. What have they done?" I sobbed and told her what they had done.

"That means Menerla is gone," she sniffled, tears falling from her grieved eyes.

We comforted each other and then I asked. "Do you have any idea where we are?"

"We are in a dungeon in Istrale, captured by the Dread Army. But don’t worry, I am here with you, Aziel. Tell me what happened to you?"

That was the beginning of my friendship with Queen Adrnia. She took on the role of my mother, who I was sure had been murdered by the Dread Army.

She became my strength, my light. She kept me going on the darkest of days when the Dread Army would take me away, experiment on me. Injecting me with serums, torturing me.

She always comforted me later and gave me hope.

"One day we will be free, Aziel. Don’t let the hope die. We will leave this place and be free."

And I was like the son she had lost. We were two lost souls, keeping each other alive and sane.