CHAPTER 45
RUINS
When Kiethara finally collapsed into her hammock and closed her eyes, she had never thought that she could feel that amount of pain by simply laying down. Her bruises pulsed, her scratches stung, and even her new scar prickled unpleasantly. Not to mention the sorrow that drenched every thought, everything besides her connection. That was the only peace inside her head. Her connection was quiet, not a single presence besides her own.
Could it really only be late afternoon? The sun wasn’t even beginning its descent! It seemed like weeks ago she had woken up, ecstatic that Navadar had finally paid her a visit. It should be impossible for a day to change into a living nightmare in only a matter of hours and for a handful of reasons.
Still, the pain and sunlight were not enough to keep her awake. Exhaustion had taken on a whole new meaning for her.
With that, Kiethara drifted into a sleep that brought on a wave of blissful numbness.
But, of course, she couldn’t expect peace to come to her that easily. A nightmare was in stock for her, just as it had been this morning.
Kiethara was standing on the outside edge of…Well, she did not know exactly what it was. A clearing? Perhaps. Everything in it was charred; the grass was burnt to ash and the few trees that stood were as black as night. It was strange though, for the clearing she was in was a perfect circle, with the trees aligned flawlessly.
It was strange, for the burnt foliage looked so familiar. But her empty head was numb, unwilling to think of whatever memory it was suppressing. It was not as though she cared, though.
Surprise, surprise, the voice in her head commented dryly.
Kiethara ignored it.
She began walking around the edge of the circle, studying it. The ashes swirled at her feet in a familiar way.
The fact that ashes’ swirling around your feet is familiar should be warning enough, the voice mumbled.
Kiethara stared hard at the ground, mystified. Images flashed through her mind, but they were gone before she could get a good grasp on them.
Kiethara looked up, and suddenly, standing in the middle of the burnt circle, was Gandador. When they made eye contact he smirked and beckoned her forward. She swallowed back bile.
Don’t listen to him, the voice whispered.
Kiethara fought the urge to roll her eyes. It wasn’t as though she had ever listened to him before. Not unless she was forced to. Kiethara continued pacing around the edge of the circle. She did not want to get any closer, but for some reason she could not go any farther away. She was bound to stay inside this burnt circle.
Gandador’s bottomless eyes followed her every move as though he expected her to attack. This surprised her. That option hadn’t even occurred to her.
But attack with what? She didn’t have her potions or her sword strapped to her waist. The crystals around her wrists were dead, as though there was no magic in them. She could not think of any way to hurt him.
Gandador looked up at the sky suddenly. She followed his gaze, but it was only gray and cloudy, nothing exceedingly interesting. So why did he suddenly lose in interest in her?
Jealous? The voice snickered.
Again, Kiethara ignored it. Tinya was getting on her nerves.
It started to rain.
At first, Kiethara had no idea what was happening. All of a sudden, it became dark, as though all the light was being blocked from the world. The first drop landed on her skin.
It was blood.
The crimson poison poured out of the sky, drenching everything it touched, except for Gandador. Her white dress became red in a matter of seconds. She screamed and stumbled back, losing her footing on the moist ground. To her horror, she fell in a pool of blood.
The voice in her head was quiet, but Kiethara could feel the disgust that was silencing it.
Gandador laughed loudly and threw his arms up. The blood did not drench him but fell around him, slowly pooling at his feet.
“Why?!” Kiethara asked him. She did not know what had made her say the word, but it had come out of her mouth before she had time to stop it.
He didn’t respond. He just kept laughing.
And then it thundered, a crack so loud it hurt her ears. So loud, in fact, that everything seemed to mute. Gandador was still laughing; she could tell by the crazed look on his face, his mouth opened wide as the silent bellows came out of him. The voice tried to say something in her head, but she could not hear it. Kiethara screamed, but no sound echoed with it.
Her heart in her throat, she scrambled to her feet, sloshing blood everywhere. It was now mixing with the ashes and the concoction it made was…nauseating.
The rain of blood continued relentlessly, pouring down onto her head. Gandador continued to laugh up at the dark clouds while the voice in her head mutely tried to give her a warning.
Why?
Kiethara tried to scream that at her father, but like everything else, it was silent. Except for the thunder that rumbled again.
Why?
She could not stop screaming that on word. It slipped from her tongue like water gushing down a waterfall. Again and again she pleaded it in her mind, desperately praying for the sound to return. All she wanted was an answer! Even if she did not fully understand the question.
Somehow she knew this answer would release her. The blood was weighing down on her shoulders, bowing her head with its mighty pressure, and she wanted it gone. She needed it off. If only Gandador would answer her!
Kiethara could practically hear the snide comment Tinya was trying to make, despite the fact that the world was on mute.
Tentatively, Kiethara tried to take a step forward. The giant lake of blood that surrounded them was now up to her knees. She gagged as she sloshed her way through it, her feet sinking into the soaked ash beneath her toes.
Finally, she reached the first ring of dead trees. The bark was now soggy and the branches drooped low. She stumbled slightly and reached out for one of the limbs for support, but it snapped off in her grip. The piece in her hand dissolved into a swirl of ashes in a matter of seconds.
How could anything be so delicate when it was drenched in blood?
Kiethara trudged on, silently screaming her question at the crazed man in front of her. Her throat hurt, for no matter how many times she shrieked the word no sound would come out.
Why?
At last, she reached her father. Grabbing the front of his robes, she shook him violently, blood splashing all around them. He stopped laughing and looked down at her in surprise. His face broke into a smirk.
With that smirk the sound returned, but it did so slowly. The thunder continued to boom as it always did, but now it sounded far away. There was a faint whispering in her head and the sloshing around her was muffled, but not quiet.
“Why?” she tried to scream, but it came out as a whisper.
The sounds started to get louder around her. In her head, she could finally hear the voice screaming.
Get out of there!
No, she wasn’t going anywhere. She needed an answer, and she wanted it now.
“Why?” she asked again. His hands clasped down on her shoulders.
He’ll kill you! the voice screamed.
For the third time, Kiethara ignored it.
“WHY?!” Kiethara screamed, shaking Gandador again.
He chuckled and gestured towards the ground. For some reason, her stomach dropped.
“Why? Dear child, the answer is right here, at your feet! I did it so we could take over the world. I did it so magic could reign! Now they know that the threat is real!” he laughed.
Kiethara looked down. The lake of blood was gone.
They were hovering above ruins. There were crumpled buildings everywhere; the small trees that she had seen were the first among the land. The burnt grass was the remains of what had grown over the giant stone wall. Part of a gold statue stuck out of the dirt.
The ruins of Redawn.