Author's Note: I think last week's post of a goal of 100 reviews scared some reviewers off, and I hope that was not the case. =( Even though there were not five reviews for two chapters this week, I am going to upload two chapters because there are two new followers and one person added this to their favorite's list! Yay! So enjoy! Also, I said before that there were no more fluffy chapters (or something like that), but I could not resist! =) Here is some fluffiness!
Chapter 36: Destiny
Anna's eyes fluttered open to the sound of a morning dove cooing at the window sill. She rubbed her eyes before walking over towards the white sill. She pulled back a curtain and found a beautiful dove. There was a scroll attached to its leg and Anna untied the intricate knot. On the scroll, written in blood, were four prophesied words. Find her. Save him. Anna froze at the sight of these words and hid the message into bosom of her nightgown. Anna recognized the words only because Gale had spoke to her mother about them once before. She knew that this haunting message was for him. She also knew that this message was her destiny.
"Anna..." Gale nuzzled his lips against her left shoulder, "Come back to bed... it's rather cold..." He purred his next few words, "without you..."
"Wizard..." Anna melted from his voice.
"Bad Miss Anna..." Gale made a "tsking" noise and rubbed down her shoulders, "You know I had asked you to call me... by my given name."
Anna shook off his hands and turned to face him with a frown on her face, "You know exactly why I cannot do that ."
Gale tilted his head towards her with his arms crossed, "And why not?"
She could not help but laugh at his perplexed look, "I am still mortal; I could control you."
"Maybe I want that..." Gale's voice teased and he gave her his signature smirk that she could not resist. Anna sighed and walked around him, "Well, I don't..." She stopped about halfway from the bed and Gale and she could not help but tease him, "Or... at least not yet."
Gale chuckled and walked oven towards the window to look outside himself. He felt a calm, cool breeze, but it did nothing to subdue the humidity. He leaned against the sill and peered over at the town beyond the west wall. Gale saw shop tenders and marketers opening their stands for the day. "How..." he walked back towards Anna, "Would you like to visit the town today?"
"More than anything!" Anna answered a bit too abruptly, "Let me go and wash up!" She left with haste.
"Hmm..." Gale thought, "Either she is really excited to see that town... or... she's hiding something from me."
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Anna dressed in a fantasy, apprenticeship wear. She wore a form fitting green jacket with black gloves and black pants. She also wore golden knee high boots and she pulled her hair back into a bun that made her appear as if she was a student of her uncle's school. Gale sighed and breathed deeply to allow him to take in every moment of Anna's beauty.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" Anna caught him and blushed.
"Because," Gale wrapped his arm around her's and whispered, "You are absolutely beautiful..."
Anna blushed and pointed towards or fresh fruit stand, "Let's... go there!" Anna rushed off.
Gale allowed her to reach the stand; and he stood there and watched her, "She is hiding something..." Gale watched her chitchat idly and he smiled when she saw her wave him over. He lightly jogged to her side and he wrapped his arm around her slender waist.
"Hear ye! Hear ye!" The town crier cried out, "The mayor will now speak!"
A husky, overweight man stepped up onto the stage that was in the center of the town's square and he silenced the crowd. His eyes were onyx and his moustache was sharp as a knife. The weight that he bore, not only symbolized his strength amongst the townspeople, but also his power. There were three people behind him. Two of them were dressed all in black and wore black masks, the other one though wore a black turtleneck and white trousers, like Gale. His face was covered with a burlap bag.
Gale tugged on Anna's arm, "We can't stay here..." He knew exactly who that person was and he saw the eerie four words flutter into his vision. Find her. Save him. Those words were now about to come true, unless Gale could avoid this.
"Why not?" Anna stood on her tiptoes to see past the crowd, "I want to see what all of the fuss is about."
"Anna..." Gale urged, "Please..." A pain shot through his golden eye and burned viciously. He fell to the ground and clutched his eye. Those words, those insufferable words, they wanted this prophesy to come true. They wanted Anna to meet her destiny.
"Gale!" Anna screamed and knelt beside him, "Are you all right?" ]
"Yeah..." He winced, "Anna... we must leave... now!"
Anna froze, she held her breathe and whispered, "Find her... save him..."
Gale shot a look up at her in fear, "No..." He let go of his right eye and held her tightly, "It's not you... Anna... don't think that..."
She shoved him away, "Who is up there?" She pointed towards the stage and snapped, "Answer me Gale!"
A force controlled him, "I think it's my master..."
Anna gasped, "You mean... that they're going to kill him?!"
He struggled to hold back the truth, but Anna's hold was too strong, "Yes... they are... going... to kill like... they did to your mother..." He felt tears stream down his eyes as he recalled the painful memories as if Isabelle's execution happened yesterday, "They'll... hang him..." He saw fear in Anna's eyes, "and... then scalp him... And then..." "Burn... him."
Anna choked out the next few words and kissed Gale on the lips one last time, "I know... what I have to do..." Anna stood up and ordered Gale, "Do not stop me Gale..."
Gale's eyes widened, "No..." He screamed, "No! Anna! Please don't do this!"
"Gale..." She smiled, "Thank you for everything."
Gale felt a stabbing pain in his heart, and while he was under her control, there was nothing that he could do.
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"Reveal his face!" The mayor cried out to his executioners.
Charles gasped a breath of fresh air and was immediately kicked to the ground. He grunted in pain and struggled to get back on his feet.
"Get up!" The mayor spat in his face, "Or is the all-mighty head wizard truly powerless?"
One of the executioners kicked Charles hard in his stomach. He coughed up blood, "For a pathetic human like you..." He chuckled weakly, "You're not even waste of breath."
"Silence!" The mayor threw a powerful at Charles and then ordered the men covered in black to finish him.
"Stop it!" Anna threw her body over top of her uncle's body, "Leave him alone!"
The mayor laughed , "Oh how precious!" He stopped laughing and snapped his chubby fingers, "Dispose of this little in any way that you please."
Four guards grabbed greedily at Anna's body.
"No!" She screamed and struggled within their grasps, "Please! Spare his life!"
He growled, "And why should I?"
The executioners placed the noose around Charles' neck and tied his arms and legs.
"Because..." She wailed, "He's the only family member that I have left!"
"Oh really?" The mayor's grin grew wide, "and that just gives me more reason to kill him!" He pulled out his saber and gently touched Anna's cheek, "How could you possibly want this man, or any other being of magic, alive?"
She glared and answered proudly, "Because he is my uncle and I love him just as much as he loves me!"
He laughed and whispered harshly into her ear, "Let me teach you something child," His whisper grew softer, "These demons will never learn to love." He spun away and charged towards her uncle. A burst of energy filled her body and blasted the guards away. Once free, she raced for that sword.
Author's Note: I forgot to mention, Ulyss made a posted a review in Gale's story, "Memories", that I have been writing as well as this one, and Ulyss was the one who inspired this chapter title! Thank you! Please continue to read and review! Only four more chapters left!