Destiny

When I arrived at my house, which was built into the rocks’ face, I hadn’t taken any care in noticing the wooden door lying on the ground. The wind was always knocking it over, you know?
My mind was hooked on the topic of how I was going to propose. Maybe I would do the traditional thing and go down on one knee or maybe I would take her out to a fancy dinner, have music playing and have the waiter bring it out on the last course…
It was when I walked inside that something just didn’t feel right to me. I sniffed the air, thinking that might help in some sort of way, which by the way it didn‘t. The air smelled clean, but the feeling that something was wrong stayed. To rid of my confusion I decided to go to the room that I shared with my girl. I don’t know what it was that brought me there but when I walked in, there in my bed I saw the girl of my dreams with another Xavenerian.
I clenched my fists at the sight. You know that feeling when you have a whole bunch of emotions and you don’t know which one to dwell on? I was feeling that in the first few seconds, although I’m pretty sure the expression on my face was clear to everyone in the room. Nothing but anger appealed to me more at that time.
“Oh!” Scarlett exclaimed, “Luke let me explain!” she plead, jumping off the bed in haste. I tried not to let the lust grab a hold of me as she stood there completely nude. I felt my eyes go wide, but honestly couldn’t control it.
I could tell that she was not expecting this; me to come home early I mean. I had told her that I was going to be out for the whole day, that she’d have it all to herself. I had left to determine how I was going to proclaim my love to her, but I had decided why wait? Why not now? I guess I was wrong about her.
Scarlett however was more than shocked to see me, and I could tell by the look on her face that she was scared from the horrified look on mine. How could she do this to me? After all we’d been through. What was she thinking?
“There’s no need to explain anything,” I replied quickly, my eyes shifted to the Xavenerian she was with. Disdain filled them as I realized that I knew him.
All the love in the world I once had for the lady still standing there trying to cover herself from the embarrassment had vanished as simply as if it were dust in the wind. It all left me feeling cold and hollow.
“I can already see that you too love each other very much,” the words almost got stuck in my throat. “I hope you have a great life.” I said to them both, and ran out the door trying to keep the anger from escaping me.
Without paying attention, I ran right into two big bodyguards.
“That’s the one,” one of them said, and they both grabbed a hold of my arms and dragged me towards the castle. I didn’t try struggling or escaping because I knew I had already lost the fight before it even began.
When we arrived at the castle the doors opened, and I was shoved into a beautiful room that was decorated with dazzling tapestries and statues of all the Queens and leader’s of the past. I had never once been inside the castle so at first glance it took my breath away. I took it all in; the floor was a mix of copper and gold, and there were blood fountains cascading down the entire stretch of wall on either side. They ran into the streams below, and then followed the path of the walkway.
There was a throne at the end of the room where the Queen was perched, and beside her my best friend - and only friend - Ethan Fang smiling viciously. Why is he here? I thought to myself.
“Luke Voulduria,” the Queen’s voice echoed through the great hall without any enthusiasm. I fixed my attention on her to meet her eyes.
“Your Majesty,” I said and took a bow.
“Let me see the ring,” she ordered, and so I showed her the only ring I had on me. “Guard!” She yelled, as both of the guards straightened themselves. “Bring it to me!” She yelled again, and one of the guards brought her my mother’s wedding band. When the Queen received the ring she cradled it in the palms of her hands, and cried tears of happiness. The ring had fit the description perfectly. It was a gold band with emerald gems embedded all the way around it.
She then turned her gaze back on me, she said, “Son, I will let you leave this castle without harm done if you can tell me that you were the one who stole this ring from me.” her eyes lit with anger.
“I cannot,” I replied, and bowed to her once more. when I met her eyes again hatred struck through them which sent a chill striking through my entire body.
“Guards, send this young Xavenerian to the dungeon, and leave him there to rot for the rest of his living nights and days,” she growled through her teeth while the guards escorted me to my new living quarters, and left me there in complete darkness.

* * *

Every day the Queen came to visit, but it was not exactly pleasant. She would ask me over and over if I stole the ring. Every time I would deny it, and she would become angry with me for that was not what she wanted to hear. Eventually she ordered her guards to lash and beat me until I told her what she thought was the truth. I know it sounds like an easy way out, but I just couldn’t give in to admitting something I hadn’t done.
I lost count of the dark and bloody nights that I was beaten. I can remember clearly the severe torment inflicted upon me. The guards had wicked grins on their faces every time they came.
The first time they had whipped me with a device I had never seen before. I could describe it as a long metal pole with multiple barbed wire strands that had claw-like end effectors. They were used to grab hold of the flesh and rip it off in chunks. I can still hear the sickening sound it made and still feel the excruciating pain that tore through my body. Every unfading scar is a revolting reminder of what I had endured those many nights. Every beating I was left bloody but not defeated. The anger swelled inside of me and grew greater until one night I refused to take any more of it. I had it all planned. As soon as the guards came to break me in further I would unleash my fury upon them.
I could hear the guards coming down the stone stairs to the dungeon. When they came into view I noticed they were holding a different device this time. It was glowing and white-hot for I could feel the heat radiating off of it. They were smiling again, that same wicked grin stretched across their faces, but this time they looked as if this was the end; as if the Queen had ordered them to finish me off. I waited for them to open the hold and I felt like an animal backed into a corner with nowhere else to run. The guards had unlocked my cell and stared toward me. I let my survival instinct take over as I felt the concentrated-hot range I’d been hiding consume me. The guard swung the iron rod at my head, but I ducked in time as it scathed the other guard in the upper chest which sent falling to the ground in pain. Ouch, I thought, but said as menacing as I could muster,
“Is that all you got, or yah thirsty for more?”
The guard with the iron growled and narrowed his eyes at me. I instantaneously did a jump crescent kick, and my foot connected with his jaw. This sent him reeling backwards and swinging the iron rod that bit into my arm. I yelled, but more in anger than in pain. As soon as I regained the ambience of my surroundings the passive reflex that hid my true intentions brought power up out of the earth with deliberation and served the intensity of what followed. An unrecognizable source of wind passed through the dungeon and I instantly felt a deep seductive power I’d never encountered before. It sent the feeling of ice cold crystals through my veins, but it didn‘t hurt. Oh no, it felt amazing. A rumble formed beneath us and a light shone around me as the guards both looked oblivious but frightened at what was coming.
They both scrambled to their feet and ran in attempt to flee, but their effort was instantly shot down when their legs became paralyzed by the deep reverberating shakes of the ground where they plunged and were unable to get up. What happened next was nothing I would ever wish upon anyone. From the light surrounding me two slithering serpent like clouds of lightning reached out towards the guards; wide eyes of fear illuminating their faces. The impact of the lightning entered their bodies and they jerked from side to side as if they were being ripped out of their own skin. Their deathly screams sliced the formerly tainted air like knives in pre-inflicted wounds. When I saw the light leave there eyes I withdrew the clouds and settled my rage. A low tremble replaced the anger and I looked around the bloody room. I could now feel the searing sting on my arm but wasted no time in looking at it. Instead I fled past the guards and made my great escape. Once up the stairs that led to the dungeon I found myself still in the castle. I remembered the rout to the front doors, but I would have to find another way out unless I wanted to get caught and sent back to the dungeon, or worse. Soon the dead guards would be discovered because I knew more guards would be sent to check out all the noise I had made.
Finding my way out of the castle had been hard since I wasn‘t familiar with the floor plan, and within moments - like I had predicted - the castle was buzzing with an extreme number of guards. I presumed they had figured out about my disappearance. I moved quick and stealthy; staying in the shadows as much as possible.
I exited the castle through an emergency exit that no one had seemed to use or was guarding for that matter, which seemed silly to me at a time such as this. It was pure luck that I made it out alive, but I didn’t think twice as I opened the door and ran away from the castle and the village. I couldn’t stop thinking of the murder I had just committed. I had killed my own kind, out of sheer self defence because who was it to say that those guards weren’t there to kill me too? But none of that mattered. I would be persecuted had any of them ever found me.
I had nothing left to stay for. Scarlett had clearly not love me or she’d not have cheated me. I had lost the last reminder of my parents, felt the ripping -out of my dead heart as I watched my one and only friend betray me. No, there was nothing left for me. So I put everything behind me and ran from all that had once been my home. Ran into my fate, where I’d be chased down and killed all because of a misunderstanding. That’s all it was.

Long nights and days stood from when I first entered the forest of no return. I had no trouble coping with my surroundings. I had made a shelter to live in which was basically a cave that had been naturally formed inside a hill. The previous tenants had been a regenerating snack.
A few weeks into my new life I met Ava. Her long red hair had been flowing in a relaxing manor the night she first came to me.
“Are you lost?” I asked her. She eyed me suspiciously before hiding behind the closest tree. “I’m not going to harm you,” I said calmly. “I actually ran away from my own kind. I’m no threat to you.”
She slowly re-appeared and cautiously stepped forward. She extended her hand to mine and said, “I’m Ava.” a small smile had formed on her lips and I shook her hand in return.
“Luke Voulduria. Now,” I started and letting go of her hand. “Do you need any help out of here? I can bring you back to the Vampires if you like.”
Ava glared at me with satisfaction and replied, “I am not a Vampire. I am a Witch,” she paused to see my reaction, which was in fact astonishment.
“But I thought Witches were-”
“Extinct?” she finished. “No, not exactly.” I couldn’t believe it. A real live Witch. “I actually came to ask you a favour,” she said looking into my eyes; hers were livid green. I could almost see them pulsing with the intensity of her gaze.
“What is that?” I asked, urging her on.
“You know of the Golden Child, don’t you?”
I did. In fact I knew a lot about her. I knew that her name was Violet, and that both Vampire species were battling over her soul.
“Who doesn’t?” I stated.
“Good, so you can help me then.”
“With what?”
“Go to her, find her. She is in the forest and in trouble. Go, and keep her safe from your kind.” Ava’s features looked strained.
Without a second thought I agreed to find the Golden Child.

A few nights later during my search I had heard a noise in the stillness of the night. It sounded like someone was running, so I ran after them, determined to find who the steps belonged to. The steps seemed to be getting faster until my sharp hearing couldn’t pick them up anymore. I instantly stopped and searched around me.
At first my gut was telling me it was a trap, it was the Xavenerians. They found me, shit! I cursed in my head. Quietly I walked further ahead, still listening intently for the steps to pick up again, but they never did so I rested up against a tree and wiped my hand down my face. The fear that spiked had dulled into a tasteful numbing sensation, I was safe once again.
A little while later I could hear a the sound of harsh breathing coming from the other side of the tree. I turned, ready for a strike as my eyes flared yellow with anger. It was them all along, they found me. But they won’t get away with this again. I won’t be tortured again! My thoughts screamed as I began to feel the heat of the recent memories flood back to me.
Before I could bring myself to strike first a girl appeared in front of me. She screamed so piercingly and fell backward. I tried unsuccessfully to catch her, but she had found impact with the ground before I could get a grip on her. I dove to the ground and tried to wake her, but it was no use, she had hit her head on a rock. I assumed she had a concussion since even when I slit my wrist, the smell of blood had not even waken her.
I brought her to a small rock cave I had found and laid her inside then left to find a snack. I came back in time before the sun rose and positioned a piece of bark big enough to cover the hole of the cave. Then before I could think of anything else I went to sleep.
The next night I held a lookout for the Xavenerians and was lucky that they never came. With the vulnerable state the Golden Child was in, I doubted we’d get far. I slept that day away too, but I had a very vivid dream…
A girl I had never seen before was being beaten, almost the same way I had when I was locked in the dungeon back at the Xavenerian castle. I saw the Xavenerians laugh with a hate gleaming in their eyes as they threw her in a stream that carried her onward…
I woke up only seconds later, but thought nothing of the dream as I sat myself up against the wall of the cave. I stretched and glanced over at the Vampire still in lying in a deep trance.
It was there that I waited patiently for her to awake when I noticed the deep colour of her jet black hair. Her pale white face grabbed my attention as I stared wonderingly at her sublime beauty. The splendour of every-one of her features made my heart leap in my chest for the first time, and I almost thought it would start beating again. I got up off the wall where I’d been sitting and went to crouch over her limp body. I almost didn’t realize that I had reached out to caress her ice cold cheek, and was half hoping she would wake, but also contemplating the thought.
“Are you in there?” I asked dumbly, knowing I wouldn’t get answer as I pulled my hand away from her face. A sigh then escaped my lips. “Wow,” I heard myself say just as her eyes fluttered and her breathing picked up. The rise and fall of her chest sent a numb feeling to my brain. She is waking up, she is actually waking up, was the only verse repeating in my head. I was overwhelmed with an all-over feeling of joy, and I couldn’t suppress the smile that spread across my lips. I had finally found the girl that I’d been waiting for.