Chapter 7
FLASH!
"Mother? Father?" Daphne jumped through the portal, landing in the Dining Room of the castle. She looked dazzling; her blond hair glowed equally as bright as the golden gown she wore. "I got my Sirenix power, you won't beli—" Daphne gasped upon seeing the abandoned and ruined castle. "I'm too late." She whispered. "Valtor's destroyed everything."
Flying through the castle, Daphne found no living creature. The scene outside was gruesome. Many of Domino's fiercest warriors lay dead, killed by Valtor and the Ancestral Witches. It seemed like there were no survivors. The young fairy remembered what her father had said before she left on her quest, "If anything happens to us, save Bloom and yourself, don't try to save us."
"I wonder if Bloom is even alive." Daphne wondered aloud. A faint cry from the forest answered her question. "Bloom!" Daphne flew recklessly through the forest, following the sound of her baby sister.
"There you are." Daphne cuddled her sister close, "You're alive, but it's not safe for you anymore. I know father told me to save myself, but I have to do my duty as Guardian of the Dragon Flame." She closed her eyes, "I'm so sorry Bloom, but the Dragon Flame can't die. Not yet. I have to give you the Flame of the Great Dragon, you are the Guardian now. When the time comes, I hope that you can do your duty as the next Nymph of Magix." A small flame broke through Daphne's skin, it flickered in and out as she brought it close to Bloom's heart. "Take it." The small flame engulfed the baby in a fiery glow before sinking into her flesh. Bloom started to cry again.
Daphne, desperate to save her sister, frantically opened a portal to a planet called Earth. She had read about it, and trusted that Bloom would be safe there. "I'll miss you." Daphne kissed Bloom before releasing her through the portal. The magic doorway vanished and Bloom was gone.
In the quiet of the forest Daphne waited. She knew Valtor was still here, she could sense him. This was her final chance to save her family and do the right thing.
"There you are." Valtor entered the clearing nonchalantly, "I need your power, Daphne. Give it to me."
"I don't have it."
He didn't believe her, "Where is it?"
"I gave my power to my sister, but she's gone."
"Then you are no use to me." The wizard was about to kill her, but thought better of it, this girl was the last of Marion's blood. She looked nothing like Marion, in fact she looked more like Oritel; but Marion's blood pumped through her just the same. He couldn't just kill her. "Leave my sight." He pushed her away from him.
Daphne turned and ran towards the castle, away from the wizard.
"The last time I will ever show mercy." He muttered to himself
FLASH!
Daphne was breathing hard and was exhausted, she ran up the stairs and into the remains of her bedroom. She had to escape, start a new life. She grabbed the golden mask that her father had given her. He had told her it was magical, but she still hadn't figured out how. She slipped it on, and blinked. Sitting there alone she realized that all of her family was gone, she was the only one. The harsh reality hit her with a wave of emotion. She was alone, utterly alone.
"She's upstairs, I can feel it." A voice cackled. Two others laughed with her.
Daphne recognized those voices as the Three Ancestral Witches. She had heard horrifying stories about them. She rose out of her misery, they had come to kill her, but she wasn't going to go down without a fight. She thought about her parents, her sister, they needed her. She had to be strong. She stood and faced her enemy. When they arrived, she didn't expect Valtor to be among the witches. His face masked the fear and hurt in his heart.
"Valtor, where are the rest of the family?" One of them asked.
"Dead." Valtor said without hesitation. "Marion and the infant are gone."
"So you are the last one." A witch shrieked delightedly. "Forever alone, how does that feel. No Dragon Fire, no Domino, no parents?"
"But wait, you have something," A witch sniffed, "Do you have the power of Sirenix?" She cackled, "What talent you have!"
"Why does that matter? Let's just kill her!" Another one sniveled.
"Wait!" The last witch raised a hand, "It isn't enough. She'll still be mortal, she'll eventually die. I say we take away her body, curse the Sirenix power, and leave only her spirit, that way she'll watch time go by without her, and anyone who dares to achieve Sirenix shall have the same fate!"
The sisters laughed wickedly. Valtor turned away, frowning.
"Care to do the honors, Belladona?" One of them asked.
"Don't mind if I do." Belladona's yellow eyes pierced Daphne like a spear to her heart, she cried out in pain.
Valtor glanced at the girl struggling to stay together, but couldn't bear to watch. He turned away and ran. "What have I done?" Outside the walls of the palace, cities had burned to ash. Not a single creature was left alive. Valtor had destroyed the only place he called home; he had killed the only woman he loved. A tear fell from his face, it landed on his cheek, burning like the pain in his heart. It was his first and last tear.
"Valtor!" King Oritel, barely alive limped toward him. "Where is my wife?"
"Dead."
Oritel froze. "What of my daughters?"
"Dead."
The once noble king collapsed to the ground, he sobbed uncontrollably. "Then I have no desire to live anymore. Kill me Valtor."
Valtor looked at the pitiful sight. This was the man who had taken his true love away, he hated this man. He considered killing him, it would be his final revenge.
I thought you were better.
Marion's last words haunted Valtor's mind. This was his chance to prove he could be a better man, but his hate for life, his hate for the man before him, his hate for his mothers, it all seemed far more powerful than a single act of kindness. So he left him there, left him there to die.
