"It is done, Your Majesty. Even magic users wouldn't be able to escape," the blonde man said, standing beside the king, watching the building engulfed in flames collapse. The reflection of flames danced in those red orbs that stared emotionlessly at the destruction he had decreed on the poor and unsuspecting individuals.
"Good," he said, taking his steps toward the carriage parked in the distance. His long cape danced to the wind behind him with every step that he took. But before he could reach the carriage, something caught his attention, and he frowned. His steps halted instantly.
On the side of the auction house was a man sized hole, and in front of it was Edith crawling her way out in search of safer grounds. His frown deepened.
"Evans, you said not even mages can escape. Am I correct?"
"Yes, Your Majesty…" Evans replied before his eyes caught sight of the crawling woman his brows pulled together, but strangely, he felt a sense of relief.
"Then tell me, why isn't she burned along with the rest?" He asked coldly. Evans swallowed, not sure how he should answer that. He had made sure that even mages or vampires and beastmen could not make it out.
"I do not know, your Majesty," Evans replied with his head bowed. He didn't dare say more.
This had never happened before. He had always been sure of his powers, and holding just those inside the auction house hostage wouldn't have been a problem, but somehow, she was out here.
"Help me, Please…" Edith's weak and frail voice came. She had bruises on her arms and feet and scratches on her face, but that shouldn't have been enough to weaken her as much as she was.
Davion looked at her without an ounce of pity. His calculative gaze never wavered, not even when she crawled up to where they stood. He watched her pitifully struggle to keep moving until her hand clamped on the hem of his robe. "Please help me… water," she pleaded again.
Evans stepped forward and pried her hands off Davion. He sympathized with her, but he had sworn to do only as the king commanded him. And that means killing this pitiful damsel in distress if the king wanted him to.
"As much as your failure is as disappointing as it is worrisome, Evans," he paused and crouched down and then continued, "She has clung to life long enough to earn the right to live," he placed a finger under her chin and lifted her face slowly until she was looking him in the eyes.
He stared into her eyes. They were the brightest shade of blue and the clearest eyes that he had ever seen. They pulled him in, leaving him entranced. He almost couldn't take his eyes off of them. Instead, a similar pair appeared on his memory.
Blinking, he stood back up and ordered, "Take her and feed her, then put her to work."
Evans inwardly sighed in relief.
"Yes, your Majesty," he said and picked up Edith, whose eyes could no longer keep awake.
"Find out what happened in the forbidden lands and her connections to it," Davion ordered once they were settled inside the carriage. His eyes locked on the frame of the sleeping girl in Evans' arms.
"As you command, Your Majesty." Looking out the window, his brows pulled together. "It seems there will be a storm, your Majesty. Do we make a stop at an inn?"
"If something as simple as a storm would prove problematic for you, perhaps I should consider finding a replacement," Davion commented.
Evans gave a small smile, his eyes closed, and nodded his head. His expression looked so serene as if he wasn't just told that he would be replaced. "There is no need for that, your Majesty. I will take care of it," he said before opening his eyes slowly to see Davion nod his head, but his eyes remained on the sleeping Edith.
His brows tightly pulled together, and the longer he looked at her and another but similar image overlapped with hers. The growing sense of familiarity becoming haunting.
**
Edith found herself back in Novara. Her brows tightly pulled together as she stared at the chaos going on around her. The place she called home was engulfed in flames, and the cries of the people she knew all too well filled the air.
"Wha….what is this?" Edith uttered, stuttering.
"Why are you still standing there, Edith? I told you to run," her mothers voice startled her, and she turned to see that she was truly looking at her. "Go and don't let them catch you. Even if everyone dies, you must live. Do you understand?" Her mother said while pulling her hand, taking her away from everyone else.
"Mother…?" Edith didn't know whether what was happening here was a dream or if she was truly back to her home.
"Go, your father and I will make sure you survive this onslaught," she said, and it was then that Edith remembered her father. She looked around and found him engaged with a masked man. He looked like a knight, but she couldn't be too sure.
"Go, now!" Her mother seems to be losing it. She let go of Edith's hand when an archer pointed his arrow at them. "Edith…"
Edith didn't allow her to finish when she dashed forward and pushed her mother out of the way. The arrow grazed her arm, tearing a significant amount of flesh, but luckily, it wasn't deep enough to harm her bones.
"Edith!" Her mother cried out in horror. She rushed forward to her side but not before taking care of the archer who hurt her daughter. She tried to heal the wound as much as possible.
"We agreed that you would leave. Why are you still here? Novara is in danger. Everyone is fighting, so you would escape. Don't let their sacrifices be in vain," a man's voice said, and Edith stilled.
"Father…?" She called, turning slowly to see the man who stood like a tower over them. "I.. I don't want to leave…"
"You have to. You must. We will all be fine as long as you are alive. Once this ordeal is over, we will come find you. All of us," Her father said.
Edith looked around and was able to meet the eyes of many others, and they each nodded at her, encouraging her to escape.
"We will be fine, Edith," her mother said, drawing her attention back to herself. "But we need you to leave here and be safe," as she spoke, Edith felt her mother's power go through. Her appearance started changing as well, and she now looked more… human.
"All exits all blocked by the invaders. So I'll have to send you away through other means," her father said, placing his palm on the ground. A white circle appeared underneath Edith, and her went wide open.
"No don't, you'll be left open for…" before she could complete her sentence, she saw as an arrow pierced through his chest from the back and her mother screamed.