Chapter 4

As the horrific scene played itself out in the chamber. A young woman stood just outside of the room watching aghast at the horrors before her.

The girl quickly turned away as the cloaked figure, with its abysmal garnet glowing eyes slowly crushed the Prince's head. The girl closed her eyes trying to block out the image that was forming in her mind, that accompanied the sounds that rung out into the air.

"I must do something. No, I can't I'd be too late to do any good besides..." the girl muttered to herself. She silently cursed herself for not being able to meet with the Prince and his band earlier. Now there was no doubt he would die and she would have some partial blame.

A sickening sound, much like a muffled snap, was emitted into the air. The girl squeezed her eyes closed tighter, holding her stomach as a sickness settled in it. Though she was not sure what the sound the rung so clear in the air, was, the girl could guess well enough, and the thought was most likely not far from the reality.

The girl tried her best to restrain the emotions of fear that welled inside of her. Though she could not keep for emitting a small gasp, that quickly disappeared into the silence of the night. The girl slowly took in a deep breath. Hoping that it would not only slow her rapidly beating heart, but, also placate her churning stomach. Once she had calmed herself down a bit the young woman hesitantly peered back into the room.

As she glanced into the room she could see the figure. It stood in front of the body of the Prince. The figure's red eyes stared right in the girl's direction. The young woman's eyes went wide, and her breath got caught in her throat, and she was forced to fight the urge to scream.

Quickly the young woman retreated pressing her back against the wall behind her. "Gods!" the girl mouthed, placing one of her hands over her fluttering heart. She tried to calm herself. Repeating over and over again she had not been seen in her mind. The sound of footfalls hitting the floor with a heavy 'thump,' as well as the soft rustling of fabric however, seemed to claim otherwise.

The girl's knees began to buckle from fear, and her body threatened to crumble to the floor. "Gods!" she cursed again as the steps echoed louder within the her ears. Squeezing her eyes closed the girl vainly wished she were elsewhere at the moment.

Then, when it seemed as if the figure were upon her the footstep quieted. The girl was afraid to open her eye, yet somehow she summoned up enough courage to let her eyelids slowly flitter open. Shehalf expected to find herself staring into the cloaked figure's glowing red eyes, and consequently her own demise. To the girl's relief the figure had not so much as left the room.

The girl heaved a relived sigh. Then gathering her courage the girl glanced into the room. The figure stood considerably closer to the door than the girl had expected. The girl's heart lurched at the sight, but luckily the figure still did not see her peering into the room. That fact was enough to allow the girl to breath easier.

As the young woman watched, the figure's lurid eyes narrowed, scrutinizing the doorway, perhaps the cloaked being could sense some form of threat, then acting on whatever violent whim that possessed it, the cloaked figure lifted its hand, almost instantly a violent rush of air raced out of the room through the door.

The girl had been able to move before the violent gust, that now crashed into the wall opposite her, took her head along with it. As the strange wind raced past her it whipped the girl's hair about her face. Mentally the girl was screaming, as she stood her body pressed into the cold blue gray stone wall, her eyes closed tightly, and her hands balled up into tight fists.

"Oh Gods! Casha! What in the mist's of Tovin is that Ajournesous breed beast doing!" the girl mumbled as she squeezed her eyes closed even tighter.

When the invisible assault had played out there was a rather large, and very deep depression within the wall opposite the door. The girl looked upon the sight and started to quake trying not to think about what would have happened to her, had she not moved her head in time.

The clocked figure glared toward the doorway, waiting for the dust to clear. The figure saw nothing, its eyes narrowed again, but the grew wider. The figure turned away from the doorway, as if someone had beckoned to it from the balcony.

The girl watched the curious actions of the figure once again risking her life to look upon the confines of the room. The creature quickly whipped around, and just a quickly as the figure moved, the girl had hidden herself again.

Perhaps growing tired of the nagging feeling of being watched, or not feeling a threat, the cloaked figure once again turned away from the door. A strange red light flickered within the abdomen of the creature. The light formed a small circle that seemed to bulge and grow.

The girl watched as the light quickly grew larger and brighter. Slowly the girl entered the doorway and stared as the light began to consume the figure. She watched with wide eyes, until the light became so bright that she was forced to cover her eyes with her forearm. "Yisa!" the girl cried out as a strong wind began to blow threatening to knock her down.

The wind died down, and the light vanished quickly. The now windswept girl nearly toppled to the ground, but she was able to hold her balance. For a moment, after lowering her hands, the girl just stood in the doorway slightly confused. Then rather absently the girl stumbled into the room.

"By the Gods." The girl whispered as she eyed the scene before her. It was a sad vision. Six bodies strewn about the floor.

Three of the bodies were those of the monsters, oozing blood onto the floor. A stench rose from the bodies as they began to prematurely fester. The girl's stomach lurched, and she covered her nose trying to block out the smell.

The girl did not allow her attention to linger on the bodies of the beasts. Instead she looked down at the familiar of bodies of the two men that served as the Prince's protectors. The girl's eyes filled with a remorseful sympathy. She had to blink back a few tears that welled up in her eyes.

"Good men, those two were. May Nacriss find a good place for your souls. Gods, why could I not have gotten here sooner?" The girl slowly let her eyes drift over a trail of blood. She was very hesitant to look upon the body of the Prince, knowing what she was expected to see.

The sight that greeted the young woman's eyes was far more ghastly than she had truly been prepared for. A pool of deep crimson blood, within the blood stood a broken representation of what had been a human head. The fiery red tresses of the Prince's hair, were stained an even deeper crimson as the sticky red liquid slide out down the Prince's hair in thick red clumps.

The girl gasped and quickly turned away from the sight squeezing her eyes closed. The girl bit her lip letting reality wash over her. A single tear slipped from her eyes, and the girl whipped it away quickly.

"Yisa." the girl stated solemnly. Summoning up all the strength within her, the girl slowly turned around, however, she still was not prepared for what she saw. The girl was unable to control the churning within her stomach and the girl wondered how long her constitution would hold up.

"Casha. I haven't the strength of mind," the girl cringed trying to ignore the knot in her stomach. "or stomach do this. Why must it be me?"

-

"Who are you?" Inquired a the young woman, she looked at the person that sat at the table she was sitting at quizzically. At least she assumed it was a person as she was unable to see the person's face, as they wore a hood.

"My name holds no importance." Said the person. The girl believed it to be a woman, from the sound of the their voice.

"What is your business here?" Inquired the girl, giving the hooded woman a stern look.

"It is time Hidrigo."

"What?" Said the girl her eyes snapped open. "How is it you know my name?" Hidrigo inquired sounding even more apprehensive than she previously had.

"Yours is a name profoundly entangled within the lines of the prophesy. You're blood is mixed with that of Ajournous."

"What!" Exclaimed Hidrigo sounding insulted. Curious faces of the other patrons looked toward Hidrigo's table and looked at her quizzically. "What do you speak of?" Hidrigo said coldly yet more quietly upon noticing the attention she was reciving.

"The prophesy is upon us."

"I know not of what you speak." Growled Hidrigo, she quickly rose from her chair. Throwing a few coins on the table to pay for her expenses. Hidrigo turned to leave not wanting to stay in company of the woman that spoke to her.

"Hidrigo." Said the woman her hand latched on to the girl's wrist.

"Let me alone." The girl seethed to the woman. Hidrigo tried to pull her hand form the woman's grasp but found her efforts fruitless. Suddenly a strange, and painful sensation shot through her. Hidrigo trembled as the sensation shot through her body. "Gods!" Hidrigo said in a strained voice.

"What are you doing to me you wrenched witch." Hidrigo pulled her hand from the woman's grip. For a moment a sliver light formed a strange sign in the palm of Hidrigo's hand. She looked at the sign until it vanished into her skin.

"Ivem Octa" Said the girl looking at her hand eyes filled with concern. "What have you done to me?" Inquired Hidrigo looking fearful.

"I've given you the power to fulfill your destiny soon... this land, it won't be long, till the end." As the woman spoke she freed her head from the hood of her cloak. The woman's face was stunning. She had long strawberry blond hair and eyes a sparkling blue.

"Ta… Talva." Hidrigo stuttered looking at the woman her eyes filled with surprise. "But how?" As Hidrigo spoke the features of Talva began to wither before the girl's eyes.

"The end shall be the start." Said Talva cryptically, her voice grew weaker, and age became more prevalent in her looks. Hidrigo watched the woman wither before her, with fearful eyes.

"Lady, you speak in riddles. I do not understand. What is your meaning?"

"Do not become jaded by lies."

"Ivem Octa! What do you mean?" Hidrigo asked with a voice filled with desperation.She shook her head trying to comprehend what Talva was saying.

Talva now looked like she was nothing more than a withered corpse her skin hanging so loosely on her face, that it seemed it would fall from her bones. "It's time…" Said Talva her voice creaked her breathing became slow, and shallow. "The Prince…" the lady gasped weakly "Protect…" Talva's head drooped down.

"Lady Talva." Said Hidrigo placing her hand on the woman's shoulder. "What's the meaning of this? What am I supposed to do, and how? What can I do?"

Talva coughed and gave a weak smile. "Inquisitive…Hidrigo, memories of the dead don't die with them. Remember that, and go. You'll know what to do when it happens. Choose right when the times comes."

"My lady." Said Hidrigo looking at Talva as her now withered face crashed on the table.

"Hidrigo. Hidrigo. Have you gone out of you head. You're wailing as if you've gone mad."

"Repla" Said Hidrigo she turned to look at her companion. "Repla, The Princess Talva said I'm to find the Prince. Repla we have to go to…"

"Hidrigo, the long dead Pincess Talva spoke with you." Said Repla in a voice filled with disbelief. "Did you drink a whole meshla of Thesalva's brew."

"It's true she… The Lady." Hidriogo turned back to the table to see if there was anything she could do to help Talva. But when she looked the lady was gone "What?" Hidriogo gasped. "She was right there. Where could she have gone?"

"Hidirgo I think you should rest. Let's get you to the camp, and sober you up."

"No Repla. I can't." Hidrigo gained a far off look. "I have to go. Something is going to happen and I'm a part of it." Stated Hidrigo sounding almost excited.

Memories of the dead don't die with them. You'll know what to do when it happens. Choose right when the time comes.

"Memories." Said Hidrigo looking at the Prince's body. "They don't die." Hidrigo took a moment to think of what she had to do. The words echoed in Hidrigo's head for a moment finally with a sigh. The girl let her mind settle on the necessary actions she would have to take to complete the task at hand.

"Gods please help me." Hidrigo murmured as she saw her hands delving into the sticky viscous liquid about and broken fragments of the Prince's head. Hidrigo stumbled away from and the sight. Hidrigo was unable to hold her stomach. She retched, until her skin paled and her body convulsed. Hidrigo wiped her face and tried to stumble away.

"There's no way. I can I haven't the strength. I can't…"

I've given you the power to fulfill your destiny soon.

Hidrigo closed her eyes and went back into the room. "I can do this." Hidrigo said with as much confidence as she could muster. "I have the strength." I'm going to be sick.

Hidrigo sank down to her knees. "Yisa, please." Hidrigo's trembling hands touched the broken fragments of what had been a human head. Hidrigo's stomach lurched again, as her hands sloshed about in the still warm blood in her hands. The viscous sticky liquid, gave off a sickly sweet coppery smell.

Hidrigo let her mind wander as her cupped the Prince's broken skull. Using the strange power she now had claim to. Hidrigo went into a trance and her hands glowed with a silvery light that glittered eventually consumed the Prince's head. When the light died the Prince's head was mended.

The girl come out of the trance she was in, and Hidrigo looked at what she had done. She was astonished by what she saw, true that the Prince still lay dead but the destructive signs of death disappeared, and she was able to mend him.