Ember in the Dark

His body is still warm.

His eyes wide open and still. His face a mixture of surprise and anger. The bleeding is finally stopped. My face is covered in his blood, a mixture of gold and crimson. I looked at his soulless body scared. His still eyes on me, I know he is dead but I'm still scared of him. His voice still echoes in my mind, his shrieks and his last words. Each and everything he said to me. The blazing fire in his eyes and his words like venom still linger inside my mind.

"I curse you, filthy mortal. I curse you that you will never sleep peacefully. I curse your soul that it will stay hungry for blood and that your hands will never be of any color but red. May death will be your salvation and peace. I curse you" but before he could say anything I crushed his skull with the rock.

"Fuck you. I've been sleepless since the day my family was slaughtered at the altar." I spat at his soulless body.

I gathered all my strength, holding the handle of the knife I closed my eyes. Even just by touching it is making the pain grow wild. My skin throbbing with pain but I can't stay here. I should get away from here before another elf finds me. I've been on the run from three months. My family was slaughter right in front of me as a punishment for me as a lesson for the thing I haven't done. Elves are considered as the purest soul of lights and holder of peace in the court of spring but they are vicious, cunning and clever just like the night court.

Their beauty is ethereal. Pointed ears, tall, long hair, skin pale, lips red like blood, long hands and feet, faces full of life even dead would wake up to see them. And on the top betrayer. They are known in all kingdoms for their betrayal after the great war. My mother used to tell me the stories of the war and world before war. She used to say that the world was filled with joy and happiness. There were no territories, no kingdom, everyone was free. The Gods were happy and the world was at peace until the darkness came ruining the peace of world. That's when greed was born. No one knew who was defected or engulfed in it until the victim turned into a monster. The world was becoming something that no one had never seen. Monsters who can fly and spit fire. Monster like human who feed on human and mankind. Shadows looking for a body to stay in.

The good days were gone. Everyone was a puppet in the hands of greed. Some were greedy for power, some for love and some for their hunger. The high priest believed the Gods were angry and this was their punishment for disgracing their Gods. When the people gathered around in the court of Gods they asked for mercy. But the Gods ignored their plea. That's when Zaria, the princess of Elves stepped ahead and sacrificed herself to the Gods. The Gods were happy and agreed to help. They divided the world into five lands: 1) The land of spring 2) The land of Night 3) The land of Sea 4) The land of Humans 5) The land of Zaria.

The land of spring was given to elves, faeries, unicorns, goblins, golems, centaurs, griffin, dwarves, Pegasus, hippogriffs. The court was named The court of spring. The land of Night was given to witches, vampires, werewolves, medusa, demons, trolls, orc, imp, gargoyles, dementors, serpents, chimera. The land of Sea was given to sea creatures, mermaids and sirens. The land of Humans to humans and, the land of Zaria was for everyone.

My father was a farmer and was a solider. He used to teach me tactics, tricks, politics and sword fight rather than girly things. He believed that a good woman knows everything, though other might deny it and would see us as weird but my father never stopped teaching me. At the age of eight I knew how to sneak around without making any sound and how to climb and jump like feather. By ten I had my own knife that my father carved out from a stone. The knife was small but carved better. It had a small holder made of rusted gold and some uneven purple crystals were embodied in it. My father didn't believe my mother stories but I believed in them. The stories were interesting and they made me feel like that I would one day save the world. That one day I would have the power and guts like princess Zaria to sacrifice and there will be a land in my honor too but I was nothing but coward. A coward who saw her family slaughtered and their head cut down. I was a coward. I thought I was strong but I was never. My mother was so happy when the high priestess told her that this year she was going to be blessed and will be given an opportunity to be cleaned of her crimes by my sacrifice. My father was happy too that Gods have choose me for the sacrifice. For once my whole family was proud of me for something but I failed them.

The day was coming close and I was given respect and everything that I haven't had before maybe my greed came in the way or was I just foolish to think I was brave but nothing more than just a coward. The city was decorated with flowers and lights. My name was written on walls and everyone was singing songs of my name. The feeling was euphoric and I was gay for once in my life I thought I was ready for it but when the time came I wasn't. I was scared. I was scared of giving my life without even knowing if that was what Gods wanted. Why would Gods need a human girl with no royalty? I was no royal or beautiful. I was just Verena. A normal girl.

The thought was simple yet it was storming my brain away. Making my mind nub and making me question my beliefs in Gods. Were there even Gods or just people were satisfying themselves.

I ran away from my home scared and horrified. After two days when I decided to show up in the city the soldiers got me and the king decided to punish me by slaughtering my family in front of me. I saw it all happening in front of me hopeless and helpless. I can still see the disappointment in my father eyes and my mother's still eyes looking me for the last time. I see them every night in my dreams covered in blood looking at me the same way. Slaughtered right in front of me continuously. I left the city and even the lands of Human. I wanted to go away as far as I can and the only place I could think of was the land of Zaria.

I've been sleeping on the trees, tying my legs with its bark and holding the knife close to my heart. I've escaped death right under its nose for several times but today it felt like it had got me when the elf attacked me. I struggled for my life and eventually I had to become the monster I feared the most. I became a murderer but it felt good. I can feel it in my bones the feeling making gay and I can feel my blood pumping, each and every cell in my body. I tucked my knife in my boots. I steal the elf clothes, warm and cozy. The fabric is soft against my skin and warm. Its winter and freezing cold. I have been covering my body with leaves, using fire to warm myself but abandon it as I sense someone's presence.

Eating strange fruits whose taste is euphoric and makes mind wild. The fruits are sweet and juicy but bewitched with magic. I've seen elves and faeries eating them and staying normal but for human it plays lethal hallucinations more like sweet poison. A single drop of juice causes hallucinations and everything looks good and funny. I've seen many humans here being slaved by faeries and elves. Some are captured and bounded to slavery against their will and some are willing to do which I suppose is the after math of eating too much of fruit. I've talked to few of them and know about some fruits that are not poisonous and don't cause hallucinations.

I heard a rustle as I rose up. The throbbing is making it hard for me to stand. I know someone is watching me and know that I'm weak and easy to attack but is still hiding knowing what I can do to it. I heard another rustle behind me but before I could do I was dragged into darkness with a ringing noise my ears.

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TO BE CONTINUED........