Before we get started, here is some quick info:
Justýna - Czech Republic
Michelle - Seychelles
Nikola - Bulgaria
Vlad - Romania
I would also love to say a huge THANK YOU, to my beta reader!
Ivan took a seat at the edge of the wooden chair, half of his body leaning against the large dining table. Perhaps he drank more than need be at the banquet last night, but he couldn't help himself. He closed his eyes from the light that streamed in from outside through the windows and silently suffered. He usually was good with holding his liquor, but with the stress piling on day by day. He had drink after drink to compensate.
"Feeling good?" Natalya asked as she walked in, Ivan winced at her booming voice and she smirked. "You haven't drunken that much since father died."
Ivan lowered his hand and glanced up at her, unamused at her attempt to humor him. "Where are you off to so early? The sun has barely risen."
"Training," Natalya replied, "Time to see how they measure up against our own."
Ivan sighed leaning back in the chair, "How do you know this will work? That they won't turn against us?"
"We just have to wait and watch," Natalya answered as she leaned against the table watching the sun rise over the large mountains. The trees glimmered with morning dew and her eyelids lowered, "We have no choice but to hope they don't turn against us."
He forced his eyes to focus on his sister, and he leaned his head on one hand, furrowing his eyebrows. "You're so confident in them, but you doubt yourself at the same time. What are you hoping to get out of this?"
Without hesitation she turned towards him, he could see a fire burning in her eyes with her head held high. Her sharp gaze feeling like it was going to cut into his skin. "Death. Death to those who think they can cross us." With that, she turned on her heel and walked out of the large dining hall.
Ivan watched her disappear into the darkness of the room. Moments later she slammed the door closed, he winced holding his head.
Elizaveta heard a rough knock on the door and she groaned burrowing into the blankets further. A voice said something she couldn't understand, but after a few moments she sat up deciding to ignite the lamp beside her, lighting up the nearly vacant room. She rubbed her eyes and looked over seeing the young girl from yesterday. What was her name again? Elizaveta thought as she moved the blankets away from her and immediately regretted her decision as the cold air hit her, and she retracted into the blankets. "It's supposed to be spring, why is it so cold here?" she muttered before forcing herself to get up.
The room itself didn't have much, two beds separated by a nightstand and two large dressers tucked in the corner of the rooms, along with a fireplace that was beside the entrance of the room. Elizaveta walked over to the young girl shaking her gently, "Come on, we have to wake up," she said softly. The small girl whined as she stretched her body slightly and opened her eyes looking over at Elizaveta. Long brown hair that was parted in two had loose strands everywhere and she sat up trying to calm it down.
"What time is it?" she muttered.
Elizaveta shrugged, "I'm not sure, but I'm sure they want us up now." Elizaveta then turned toward the dressers where several uniforms had been laid out, Torris explained yesterday that the first two were training uniforms and she went over picking one up. The clothes seemed too large for her, but it was nice enough of them to at least provide something, she thought. She turned seeing the small girl getting up and going over to the dresser as well grabbing the clothes. "Michelle, right?" Elizaveta asked. Michelle looked over at her and nodded with a small smile. "You feeling okay today? You looked like you drank a little too much last night," she chuckled as she began to dress.
"Ah, I'm not used to drinking," Michelle answered, with a blush rising over her tanned face. "They...also didn't have any food I liked...so I didn't eat much."
Elizaveta nodded, "Even if they don't have food you like, you should eat something. Who knows what will happen here and you have to keep up your strength, okay?" Michelle nodded as she began to change into the uniform. But it bothered Elizaveta when she first met her, she seemed so young, why in magics name would she decide to come along with them? "How...old are you if you don't mind me asking?"
Michelle glanced back at her as she pushed her shirt down, "Ah...I'm sixteen," she replied and undid her ponytails.
"Eh? Sixteen? You're so young," Elizaveta frowned now turning to look at the girl. "Aren't your parents worried about you?"
"Ah…" Michelle awkwardly chuckled before looking away and fumbling with her hair. "It's..ah..only my mother and me," Michelle replied in a whisper, "We need the money…" Elizaveta parted her lips, now understanding, and she looked away grabbing her brush to pull her hair back into a ponytail. "Also...s-sorry about making you carry me...last night…" Michelle added quickly.
"Don't apologize," Elizaveta said with a faint smile, "It's better I did it, I wouldn't want anything bad happening to you." Michelle glanced over and her lips parted before she smiled softly. Elizaveta glanced back at her, the lamplight was dim, but she could see her smile and sighed walking over. "How about we do one ponytail instead? It will be much easier than two," she said. She took her brush and pulled her hair back.
"Do you..have any sisters?" Michelle asked.
"No," she replied, "But I do have friends I consider family," she replied and finished up her hair, pushing small baby hairs to the side. "There we go, now it won't get in your way so much." Michelle reached up and touched her hair.
"I think...you would have made a great sister," Michelle said.
Elizaveta was silent and then placed her hands on Michelle's shoulder, Michelle looking up at her with large copper eyes. "Listen, Michelle, we don't know what is going to happen here. Who we are going to meet, or what they are going to make us do," she murmured. "But, we have to stick together. I know your mother wants you to come home, and I can only imagine how worried she is." Elizaveta smiled tenderly seeing Michelle's eyes water, "So, from now on, the five of us have to stick together. We're family now, yes?"
Michelle nodded quickly and hugged Elizaveta, "Thank you…" she whispered with a trembling voice. Elizaveta wrapped her arms around her tightly.
There was another knock on the door, "You two ready?" she heard Gilbert say.
"Come on, before they knock the door down," Elizaveta said and Michelle giggled, wiping her tears and the two of them headed for the door. Elizaveta glanced back at the lamplight, and with a swipe of her hand, the flame was put out.
The two women emerged from the room, Elizaveta shivering against the cold and wrapping her arms around herself. It seemed much warmer in the room and wished she could curl up under the blankets. Gilbert handed her a coat he had brought with him, knowing she was prone to become colder than most. "I can't have you getting sick, or passing out on me either," he mumbled sleepily as she slipped it on.
She thanked him and pulled the slightly bigger jacket tighter around her, feeling the warmth rush over her body. She could see her breath, and was sure without the jacket she would have been down in minutes. Her eyes wandered to the scene before them, as their rooms were tucked away in the castle, they seemed simply like extra rooms that overlooked the valley. The sunlight barely rising in the distance, and her eyelids lowered as she looked over the vast forest of ever growing dark green trees. "It's almost like home," she said leaning against Gilbert, and he wrapped his arm around her.
"Almost, except they have color," he chuckled. He then turned to look at Michelle who was in awe looking over the valley. "How are you feeling this morning?" he chuckled.
Michelle glanced over, her face flushed and she looked away. Elizaveta nudged him and she held out her hand for Michelle, and she took it as Elizaveta pulled her in for a hug. "I'm fine, I just didn't eat too much last night," Michelle admitted to him.
"You should be careful then," Gilbert said and poked her forehead with a small smirk. "If we weren't there you would have probably fallen straight into the dessert table."
"At least it would have been better than a pile of manure, claiming it to be your new throne," Elizaveta teased. Michelle raised her eyebrows, looking at Gilbert then back at her as she winked, "It's true."
Gilbert's face became rosy and he huffed looking away, "Why did you have to bring that up? I was young and drunk." Both Michelle and Elizaveta laughed when they heard the crunching of gravel and the door close, two others emerging from the room beside theirs.
"This is a form of torture," Vlad said, "Nobody should be allowed up this early." The pair walked over to them. Vlad yawned and pushed his face into Nikola's neck, although Nikola seemed used to it and patted his head with sympathy.
"You decided to stay awake and party it up," Nikola said.
"Hm, but it was fun," he smiled, his canines showing as Elizaveta rolled her eyes.
"Well, where do we even go?" Michelle asked, but as she did they heard some shouting in the distance. When the five of them looked over, a group of about seven people were running their way. One was at the head of the line, leading the rest to where they were, halting when they reached them.
The man in front wore the same uniform as them, except his shirt had a small dragon embroidered on it. The sides of his head were shaved, and the hair that remained in the middle was long and pulled back into a braid. "You five must be the new recruits," he said glancing over each of them. Although Elizaveta stood straight up and squeezed her arm tightly around Michelle when she noticed his eyes lingered on her. "What are your names?" he asked now looking at Elizaveta.
"I'm Elizaveta," she said holding her head high. "This is Michelle, that's Gilbert, Vladimir, and Nikola," she said looking him straight into his eyes.
He chuckled, "You speak for all of them all the time?" he asked raising an eyebrow. "Can they not speak for themselves?"
Elizaveta forced a smile, "It's early, forgive me. What's your name?"
"General Borya, I command the elite team of the army made up of only the most powerful nobles and their magic," Borya said and stepped closer to her. "You must be the little leader of this group, no?"
Elizaveta shook her head, "I'm not the leader of anyone," she replied.
"Really? Because you speak like one," he said then looked down at the coat she wore as he raised an eyebrow. "Cold?"
"Chilly," Elizaveta answered, but didn't step back from him. Gilbert eyed the man who nodded and then glanced at the rest of them with a small chuckle.
Borya clicked his tongue, "Alright, let's start with our six-mile run, hm? There is a trail just a mile up ahead that leads down into the forest, you will follow it. Princess Natalya should be waiting at the end of the trail."
Vlad groaned, "I hate running," he muttered and Borya glanced over at him and Nikola. He narrowed his eyes as Vlad stood up and stretched looking at the man as he rubbed his neck.
"This is just a warm-up," Borya smiled and held up his hand, the group of men and women standing straight and tall as he whistled and they were off heading towards the trail.
"I don't like him," Gilbert growled lowly and glanced over at Elizaveta.
"I don't trust him," Elizaveta whispered and looked back at Michelle. "You stay close to us, okay?" Michelle nodded and the five of them followed after the group.
"Haa...oh my god...what...the hell…" Vlad whined as he fell to his hands and knees on a patch of grass, then rolled over onto his back.
Gilbert was panting heavily and leaned forward, "You..wanted...to race…" he managed to get out between breaths, looking at Vlad.
"Ne..ver...a...gaiin…" Vlad whined already looking like he was going to pass out. Gilbert could barely laugh, but he smiled standing up and holding his back. He could hear the sound of feet on gravel and he looked over seeing Borya and the rest of his group heading their way.
They were panting equally as hard, but Borya didn't miss a beat as he walked right up to the two of them "What the hell did you two do?" he asked looking from Vlad to Gilbert.
"We raced…" Gilbert answered with a small smile.
"For two miles?" Borya's eyebrows knitted together as he looked between the two men. Gilbert nodded and took a seat on the grass beside Vlad.
"I won," Vlad said raising his hand pathetically up in the air.
Gilbert scoffed, "You wish."
Borya stood in disbelief hearing them bicker about who won, although he was trying to figure out how they caught up. One moment he looked back, and their group looked like specs in the distance, the next moment they were racing past him and his group at inhuman speeds. "Where is the rest of your group?"
"They're right there," Gilbert said pointing over, sure enough, the other three were trailing behind taking a light jog to the finish line. They all seemed to be out of breath as well as Gilbert gave them a thumbs up and Elizaveta returned it, her hands over her head.
"You alright?" Elizaveta asked Michelle who stood beside her and she nodded.
"I...don't usually run that far," Michelle said and waved her hands in front of her face to create a breeze.
"I haven't gone that far in a while," Elizaveta sighed and then removed the coat as her body had heated up. But she paused looking up, her eyes turning to thin slits as she looked into the sky.
Michelle saw this and then turned to look up as well, a large animal that flew overhead creating a gust of wind large enough to make the trees shake. "Is...is that a dragon?" Michelle whispered as the massive creature turned and headed right for them.
Both Vlad and Gilbert scrambled to their feet watching as the dragon made its way towards them and then landed in the same clearing they were in. The large four-legged dragon pulled its leathery wings close to its body. Jade eyes were glaring down at them, but he lowered his head as Torris climbed down and held out his hand for Natalya who jumped down easily looking over the crowd of men and women. "Good morning," she said walking towards them.
"Your Majesty," Borya said as he, and the rest of the soldiers, clicked their boots together and put a fist over their heart.
"At ease Borya," Natalya said and then looked over at Elizaveta waving her over.
Elizaveta tensed slightly but pulled her coat closer to her as she walked over. "Your Majesty," she said and bowed slightly. "Good morning."
"Good morning, Elizaveta. I would like you to meet Dragoslava," she said and stepped aside. Dragoslava's large head looking over Elizaveta and then sniffed her.
"I've never met any snake nor dragon that can shift into a human form," he said.
"I'm actually human," Elizaveta replied, "A blood ritual took place when I was an infant in order for me to be able to shift into a snake."
Natalya blinked a few times and stared at her, "You can understand him?" she whispered.
Elizaveta nodded, "Of course," she smiled.
Torris glanced at her then at Natalya who only nodded quietly. "I see," Natalya whispered, "Well, how about we continue with your training?" she said, a little unsettled at the fact.
"Right away," Borya said and bowed toward her as he walked toward the others telling them to gather.
"Your Majesty," Torris whispered, "What do you think that means?"
"I'm not sure," Natalya said reached out to touch Dragoslava's head. "A blood ritual to combine animal and human… atop of that, she can understand him…"
"Princess, you said you went to the Black Forest, did you not?" Dragoslava asked. She nodded turning toward the massive beast, a questioning look on her face. "I believe it isn't only her who can understand me," he said looking at the other four that were listening to Borya.
"Why would you think that?" she asked.
"Their magic is... powerful. I can sense its unused potential. The man with white hair is a raven, the man with sharp teeth isn't even completely human, I truthfully cannot even tell what he is," he said as his body rested on the ground.
"Then we will see what they are capable of," Natalya whispered as she watched them go through basic exercises, before pairing off in order to start combat training.
Nikola looked at Vlad, his hand clenched into a fist, but he hesitated. "I..I can't punch you," he frowned.
"You're not going to really punch me," Vlad reassured him, "This is practice. Come on, you can do it." Nikola hesitated again, before attempting to hit Vlad who sidestepped blocking it with his hand. "See, you didn't hit me," Vlad said with his usual goofy smile. Nikola nodded and only half-heartedly attempted to punch Vlad, who easily avoided his attempts. Gilbert stood off to the side watching them, he was put into a group of three with them, seeing as Borya didn't want him to pair up with any of his soldiers. He yawned and glanced over at Elizaveta, who was trying to teach Michelle how to punch.
"There we go," Elizaveta smiled as Michelle struck the air. "Now, just turn your body into it a little more, and you got it." Michelle nodded with a wide smile, and Elizaveta raised her hands in order for her to aim.
Borya noticed this all, and he casually walked over to the group. He watched the two groups silently, his eyebrow twitching in annoyance. Princess Natalya said they were from the Black Forest, so why did they act like they had no idea what they were doing? Weren't these people fabled to be some sort of deadly force? He walked over to the group of three looking at Nikola, his form was sloppy, weak, and above all pathetic. "What are you doing?" he asked as Nikola paused and looked over at him.
"The...exercises you wanted us to practice," Nikola replied and forced a chuckle. "Is something wrong?"
"Yes, your form is pathetic, who taught you how to fight?" Borya crossed his arms, his eyes looking Nikola up and down once more.
"I..well I don't actually know how to fight," Nikola admitted, "I came here to use my healing magic…"
"If you want to help, then learn how to fight," Borya barked and stepped closer to him.
"But I-I don't fight," Nikola said taking a step back from the larger man, his hands up in front of him.
"You will learn to fight," Borya said, the next moment his fist launched into his stomach making Nikola hunch over and cough roughly.
"What do you think you're doing?!" Vlad snapped, but his arm was caught by Gilbert before he could lunge forward. "What are you doing!" he hissed at Gilbert.
"You should thank your friend, he's smart," Borya said glancing from Vlad to Gilbert. He removed his hand and Nikola stumbled slightly but didn't fall. "Now, if you want to stay here, you learn to fight. You will be useless to us if all you can do is heal someone and not even know how to protect yourself."
"He said he doesn't know how to fight!" Borya heard, he turned to see Michelle, her face red. "Instead of hitting him teach him!" she continued with Elizaveta telling her to calm down.
"Oh? And what exactly did you come here for?" Borya asked as he turned towards her.
"To help," Michelle said as she stood straight and keeping eye contact with the General. "But some people are made to heal, not hurt," she continued and watched as Vlad pulled Nikola into his arms, but Vlad glared right at Borya's back. His glare sent shivers down her spine, but she turned back to Borya who didn't even seem to notice.
"Oh is that so?" he muttered then clapped his hands twice. The other soldiers quickly stopped what they were doing and stood at attention. "Then why don't you go against one of my own, hm?"
"Why would you make her do that?" Elizaveta asked and furrowed her eyebrows. She stepped closer to Michelle, wrapping a hand around her arm.
"Because we aren't here to play hero," he snapped at her. "You want to be soft and have tea time then go home!" Elizaveta clenched her jaw and Borya turned towards his men, "Justýna!" he shouted as he waved his hand toward the group.
A short woman with dark brown hair that reached her shoulders, half of it tied in a bun with bangs just barely covering her eyebrows, stepped forward out of the line of soldiers. She had defined cheekbones and sage-green, tired eyes. She held her fist over her chest, her ankles together as she stared straight ahead at Michelle, "General."
"Why don't you show our new recruit how things are done," he said. His eyes fixated on Michelle, as he struggled to hide his smirk.
"Sir yes sir!" she answered as she then walked a few feet away, an expressionless face as she stood ready to face her opponent.
"Well?" Borya said looking at Michelle, "Go on. Let's see how far your tea time will get you."
"She doesn't know how to fight-" Elizaveta began but was cut off by Borya.
"If she wants to be soft then let's see how far it will take her," he growled.
"You can't be serious!" Elizaveta shouted and then turned to Natalya. "Are you going to let this happen?" she asked her eyes wide and her fists clenched at her sides.
"If Borya thinks this is the proper course of action, then so be it," Natalya replied looking at Borya, nodding. "Go ahead." Torris stared at her, his jaw dropped slightly and he turned to look at Michelle, her face had gone pale and her eyes wide.
Elizaveta was speechless and Borya used the chance to grip Michelle's arm, ripping her away from Elizaveta and shoving her toward Justýna. Michelle stumbled forward looking at Borya then at Elizaveta who continued to protest, "She's just a child! Stop this! She doesn't know any better!" Gilbert had walked over to her, ready to hold her back if need be. Although he didn't agree with this either, he couldn't afford to let Elizaveta do anything rash.
Michelle's knees began shaking and she turned towards the woman who took a defensive stance, staring at her. "I..I don't want to do this…" Michelle whispered holding her hands to her chest.
" The rules are simple," Borya said ignoring her request. "You only use your physical abilities, no magic. Any magic results in an automatic disqualification, and you will be punished according to the handbook." Michelle took a step back from the woman shaking her head whispering her pleas. "Ready?" Borya whispered threateningly.
"Begin."
The woman took a few steps forward and Michelle froze, she knew she could run away. She could turn around and run straight to Elizaveta. But, then there would be a high chance of her being forced to go home. To have to face her mother empty-handed.
She could already see the soft smile on her mother's face, her lips saying 'it's okay' , that she had tried. When she hadn't. But worst of all, her eyes would say the truth. Tears of disappointment in her eyes, tears of guilt for relying on her daughter to provide. Michelle turned her hands into fists, and she clenched her jaw. She couldn't return to her mother like that. She couldn't return defeated without even trying. She looked at the woman with determination burning in her eyes, then charged at the woman.
Elizaveta held her breath, her hand gripping Gilbert's arm. Vlad looked up after making sure Nikola was alright, and he shook his head. "She's slow," he whispered.
However, Justýna barely managed to dodge her charging attack as Michelle swung at her, then stumbled when she missed. Her eyes went wide as she sidestepped barely catching her breath. What kind of speed was that? She glanced over at Borya who clearly seemed just as confused at the profound speed.
"How…" Torris began and turned to Natalya. Her lips parted as even she had to blink twice and her eyebrows furrowed.
"Move faster! Aim!" Elizaveta shouted feeling her stomach twist. She was moving too slow, she would be overtaken any moment if she kept moving that way.
Michelle turned on her heels facing Justýna again, her eyes wide with adrenaline. "Aim...aim…" she whispered as she charged once more at the woman, this time swinging right for her face. Justýna only could move her head to the side as Michelle's knuckles caressed her cheek. Michelle tried to regain her balance, but she felt Justýna grip her wrist and twist it behind her back in one smooth motion. She gasped feeling her arm bend unnaturally, then Justýna used her uneven balance to sweep her feet from under her, slamming her into the ground. She followed through digging her knee into her back and heard Michelle cry out.
"S-She won! Stop this!" Vlad snapped pulling away from Nikola and looking at Michelle on the ground.
Borya glanced back at him, "She's an example of a weak link," he muttered. Although, he didn't know how weak she was after seeing her move at inhuman speeds. "If she is that delicate, then she doesn't need to be here." He turned back towards Justýna, "Finish her."
Justýna looked at him then down at Michelle who had begun crying, begging her to stop. She hesitated when Michelle glanced up at her, tears streaming down her face and her lips trembling. "Stop...pl-please...don't…" Michelle whispered.
"You proved your point!" Vlad snapped now looking from Borya to Justýna, his breathing quickening.
Gilbert tightened his grip on Elizaveta and he glared at Borya, his lips pressing into a firm line, but his other hand clenched into a fist. "Get off of her!" Elizaveta shouted taking a step towards them and Borya glared at her. "Get off of her!" she screamed again.
"Elizaveta," Gilbert hissed at her, but she wouldn't look at him, her body trembling underneath his grip. He glanced over at Natalya who watched, no expression on her face, his knuckles turned white.
"Justýna," Borya said calmly, "Are you disobeying an order?"
Michelle saw Justýna visibly tense, her hands tightening on Michelle. "No sir," she replied, but for a second, Michelle saw the soft look in her eyes, the remorse, and then watched as Justýna tore her eyes away looking up at Borya.
"IF YOU FUCKING HURT HER I'LL RIP YOUR GODDAMN THROAT OUT!" Vlad shouted. Justýna glanced at Vlad, her breath catching in her throat, her hands faltered seeing his crimson eyes focusing on her.
"Stop," Natalya said, Dragoslava hissing lowly and his wings raised after hearing Vlad's booming voice. She walked over calmly and looked at Justýna, "You may rest," she said. Justýna immediately removed herself from Michelle who curled up holding her arm to her chest. Elizaveta didn't hesitate to run towards her and crouch down beside her. Natalya glanced at her, but then turned towards Vlad, "You are quick to threaten," she said looking him over. He isn't completely human, Dragoslava's words echoed in her mind. "Do you have any fighting experience?"
"I do, and I will gladly show it," Vlad said, Nikola pulling on his arm and shaking his head gently.
"Vlad, stop, don't do it," Nikola whispered.
Vlad ignored him and pulled his arm away. "I will gladly show you princess, but I'd rather fight him," he said pointing right at Borya.
Borya raised an eyebrow, "You want to fight me?" he scoffed. "You're going to die if you fight me."
"I guess we'll just have to find out," Vlad growled as he walked towards the taller man. "You are willing to find out, aren't you?"
Natalya looked between the two men and cleared her throat, "Then step forward," she said. Elizaveta looked up at Natalya, then she clenched her jaw and helped Michelle to her feet. Borya walked past the two of them with another scoff.
Vlad paused when he reached Michelle, "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Michelle whispered, sniffling.
Vlad nodded and then looked up at Elizaveta, "You better kick his ass," she whispered.
"Trust me," Vlad muttered, "I'll do more than just that."
"We don't have all day," Borya said as he stretched his arm across his chest. He watched as Vlad glanced back at him, said a few words to the women he couldn't hear, and then walked over to take his place in front of him.
"As Borya explained before, no magic, only physical strength is allowed," Natalya said standing between the two. "Are you both ready?" she asked.
"You sure you don't want to back out now?" Borya asked with a smirk, "Don't want to join your little friend over there, do you?"
Vlad clicked his tongue and glanced over at Natalya, she raised her hand, "Begin," she said and swiped her hand down.
Borya raised his fists to his face staring at Vlad, but moments later Vlad was right in his face. "You're too slow," Vlad muttered and swung his leg, driving it right into his stomach. Borya had no time to react and felt his breath leave his body as he stumbled to the side and fell onto the ground. Vlad narrowed his eyes at him, "Come on, I barely touched you," he said and his lips slowly twitched into a smile.
Borya clenched his jaw as he got up and spit onto the ground, "I gave you that one," he said and wiped his mouth. "But my two year old can hit harder than you," he chuckled.
Vlad's eyebrow twitched, and his smile disappeared, "Is that so?"
Nikola shook his head, "Vlad don't,' he whispered swallowing the lump in his throat. He let go of Michelle who, whose sprained wrists and arm he had healed in a matter of moments.
"What? What is he doing?" Elizaveta asked not seeing what Nikola was seeing.
"It's what he's about to do," Nikola whispered.
"Then what are you waiting for?" Vlad asked as he held out his arms. "Come at me, let me see what you're made of!" he snapped.
Borya smiled, "Gladly," he whispered, raising his hands once again. He inched closer, swinging his leg, but Vlad dodged it easily. Borya didn't quit and threw kick after kick and punch after punch, all things that Vlad evaded easily. It was as if Borya was only aiming at air, not a single hit landed on Vlad and after a minute of straight out attacking, Borya stepped back to catch his breath.
"Is that it?" Vlad asked with a small chuckle. "Is that all the General of the most feared army in the world has got? You have only managed to tire yourself out, and not even landed a single hit on me." Borya glared at him, but Vlad wasn't fazed, "If you're done playing, let me finish this." Vlad's smiled, baring his fangs. Borya tensed, but just as before Vlad appeared suddenly in his face. He swung his hand back, "Too slow," he whispered and he drove his fist right into his face. The sound of his nose breaking filled the air and blood instantly gushed out onto his hand. Vlad's eyes went wide seeing the blood, becoming a deep crimson color while his pupils turned to slits. The next second he gripped Borya by the neck and slammed him down. The impact was enough to create a dent in the earth, and the sweet sound of bones shattering filled his ears.e Blood shot out of Borya's mouth and landed on Vlad's face. His tongue swept it off his lips, and his smile got wider.
"Enough!" Natalya snapped her body tense and gripping her own arm.
Vlad paused, his nails digging into the man's neck, more blood seeping over his fingers and drenching his nails. "Enough?" he repeated. "You're telling me, that this is enough ?"
"Yes," she said as firmly as she could, and then Vlad turned to look at her. Blood on his pale face, with eyes that looked at her like a predator being interrupted in the middle of his kill. She could hear Dragoslava instantly rise behind her, growling at the man. She couldn't help but tremble under his stare and wanted to take a step back. But she couldn't falter now. "That's enough," she repeated.
"You're not going to let me finish him?" Vlad asked with a chuckle. "He was so eager to finish off my sister, I thought the same rules applied to me."
"You've done enough," Natalya said. "Now move away."
Vlad ended up pulling his nails out of the man's throat, "Is that how it's going to be?!" Vlad snapped at her. "You're going to let them do what they want to us! For what? Huh? Your entertainment?!"
"Excuse you?" Natalya said as she regained control of herself and her eyes narrowed at him. "You are under my rule now. I will not allow you to disrespect me in such a way. Do I make myself clear?"
Nikola ran to Vlad gripping his arm and pulling him away from the unmoving Borya. Vlad hissed at him, then quickly simmered down when he realized it was Nikola. His eyes slowly returned to normal, Nikola shook his head slowly at him. Vlad quickly looked down, biting the inside of his cheek.
"Well?" Natalya said.
"Understood," he muttered, with Nikola taking his hand and leading him back to the others.
"Get him to the infirmary," Natalya ordered, the other soldiers nodded and did as she wanted. She stared the group of five, her eyes narrowing, "We are done for today. Return to your rooms." She then turned on her heels heading back toward Dragoslava and Torris.
Torris was shaking where he was, his back pressed against Dragoslava. "Wh...what was that?" he whispered looking at Natalya. However, Natalya was silent, Dragoslava pressing his head against her gently and she reached over petting his head gently. "Your Majesty…?"
She swallowed a little and closed her eyes, "Magic...is like a physical ability. The stronger the magic, the physically stronger you are."
Torris furrowed his eyebrows and then his eyebrows raised, "B-but they weren't even moving at human speeds! I couldn't even follow the girl with my eyes at the beginning...I…" he had fallen silent with his face paling. "None...of them are human...are they?" he asked quietly.
Natalya didn't reply, for she didn't know the answer, and she climbed up atop of Dragoslava, helping Torris up. She glanced over at the five, her eyelids lowering. With a low whistle, Dragoslava spread his wings and took off.
Elizaveta glanced over as Dragoslava took off and she sighed quietly. "You could have been put to death for speaking to her that way," she muttered.
Vlad glanced at her, then at the dragon who had taken off. "That so?" he muttered. The blood stained his training uniform, and what was left on his exposed body slowly disappearing as it seeped inside his skin. "They would need to catch me first."
"Vladimir," Nikola said lowly, his eyebrows furrowed as he crossed his arm. Vlad glanced at him parting his lips, but then looked down. Nikola's expression eased, "Things...are different here, Vlad. You have to be careful." He then reached over taking one of his hands, squeezing it.
"What is the point of us coming here, hm? Did they just want to use us as punching bags?" Vlad growled.
"I'm sure that was not the point," Elizaveta said and took a deep breath turning to Michelle. "We will work on your technique, okay? Let's just make sure that doesn't happen again." Michelle nodded, but she didn't look up at her.
"Come on, we should get back," Gilbert sighed and put his hands behind his head. "I can carry both Elizaveta and Michelle, and then come back for the two of you, is that okay?" Gilbert asked looking at Nikola.
"We'll be fine walking," Nikola said. He needed Vlad to calm down before they got back to the castle, and Gilbert nodded glancing between the both of them. He shifted allowing both Elizaveta and Michelle onto his back before he took off.
"I'm fine," Vlad muttered not looking at Nikola. "Now we have to walk back six miles."
"You're not fine," Nikola whispered. "You almost lost it out there."
"I had control, I know what I was doing."
"I trust you, Vlad, I do. But I also know when you come dangerously close," he whispered and stepped closer to him, pressing his forehead against the other. "You don't need to lie to me, you know this." Vlad kept avoiding his eyes and a small whimper emitted from his throat. Vlad closed his eyes, squeezing his hand even tighter. "Vlad...Vladimir.." Nikola whispered.
Vlad finally looked at him, his crimson color had faded slightly, "I.. I was upset, I didn't mean to get that close. Please believe me, Niki… I didn't…"
But Nikola pulled him in for a hug, "I know, I know," he repeated gently. Vlad closed his eyes slightly, his fingers digging into Nikola's shirt. "You just have to be careful here, we aren't protected like we are in the Black Forest." Vlad nodded and squeezed his eyes shut, his face buried in his neck. After a few moments, Nikola pulled away and Vlad sniffled wiping his nose. "Do...you still need to eat tonight?" Nikola asked quietly.
"No..I think I'll be okay," Vlad whispered and glanced at Nikola, a goofy smile taking over his face instead. "Come on, we have a six-mile walk because someone insisted we did."
"I wasn't going to let you go back like that," Nikola frowned as Vlad pulled him along. Vlad rolled his eyes but paused for a second pressing his lips against Nikola's. "H-hey!" Nikola hissed looking around quickly to check if anyone had seen.
"Jeez, you make it seem like it's a crime," Vlad teased.
"It's not, but we're in public," Nikola whispered covering his face with one hand while looking away. A light red hue covering his cheeks and the tips of his ears. Vlad bit his lip and smiled pulling Nikola along for the six-mile hike back.
Ivan turned when the door opened, Natalya walking in looking disheveled. She threw her coat over the seat, pacing back and forth. "That was quite a show," Ivan said staring at his younger sister.
"A show? A show?" she repeated and shook her head pausing her walk while looking at her brother. "They made Borya look like a brand new enlisted soldier! Their strength, their speed, even their stamina!" Her eyes were wide and she looked down at the ground, her arms crossed, and her chest rising up and down rapidly.
"Then are you sure you want to go through with this?" Ivan asked as he crossed his arms over his chest. "If they decide to turn on us, who knows what they can accomplish."
Natalya was silent for a moment, then spoke, "Of course, why would I back out now?" she asked looking up at her brother. "Now that I know more about them, I can concentrate their training, make it work for them." Her lips formed into a smile, "I'm going to find out their limits," she began, "Then I'm going to make them break them. And I will do that over, and over, and over.."
"Just how do you plan on doing this?" Ivan interrupted as he took a few steps towards her. "You must follow certain rules, certain things that limit the usage of magic, you have to think about those too."
"Do you think they became the way they are because of rules?" Natalya asked. "The woman with long brown hair, she went through a blood ritual giving her the strength of a snake. She can even shift into a large snake itself. When was the last time you heard of a blood ritual like that?"
"Those are strictly forbidden for a reason," Ivan growled.
"Exactly," Natalya whispered. "They are not who they are because they followed the rules we do. They did what they had to in order to survive. The white-haired man, he's probably gone through some blood ritual as well. Dragoslava couldn't even tell me what the man with fangs was. They have stayed alive in that blasted forest for centuries, and not by following any rules. " She dropped her hands and then turned away from her brother slightly, facing a portrait of her father and mother that hung on the wall. Its gold frame shining as the outside light fell upon it. "They have refined magic for a purpose. Not for show."
"You should be careful," Ivan warned her. "You don't know how they will react. You're searching to create monsters. Not soldiers."
Her smile faded and her eyelids lowered, "Ivan, if I create them to be monsters, I am simply creating them in my own image." She paused and glanced at him, "For only monsters, can create monsters." Without another word, she walked out of the room.
"Queen Mother," Nikita said as she bowed her head.
Svetlana kneeled down kissing the golden dragon, "Has Qui Niu brought you news?"
"Yes," she replied as she nuzzled her head against the woman who ran one hand over her scales, the other holding a torch. "He says he's found the human and is only awaiting our word."
She nodded and held her cloak tighter to her body, turning slightly towards Torris who stood at the entry of the stables, holding a torch as well. "I will be taking my leave," she said and stood up.
"My Queen?" Torris asked blinking a few times, his lips parting and his eyebrows furrowing. "Queen Mother, a-are you sure about this? Won't King Ivan be…" But she pushed her hood back with Nikita rubbing her head against her like a cat.
"Torris, I don't want you to breathe a word to anyone of my absence," she said softly not looking at him. "I won't tell you where or why, this way you may keep a clean conscious," she said and walked over to him. She handed her torch to him as he struggled to say words to convince her otherwise.
"B-but...but what if something happens?" Torris whispered.
"Does he not trust me to protect my own Queen?" Nikita hissed lowly. The noise startled Torris who swallowed the lump in his throat and turned back to Svetlana.
"I have Nikita," she replied and placed her hands over one Torris'. "Please, Torris, as your Queen, I ask you this favor. This is an extremely important journey I must take, please understand." He hesitated but reluctantly nodded looking away from her. "Remember, not a word," she said with a soft smile.
"Not a word," he repeated and she nodded putting her hood back up and walking over to Nikita. He watched her go over to Nikita and climbed atop of the golden dragon that spread her wings, her sharp blue eyes looking at Torris and a low growl emitting from her throat. Torris stepped back as he watched the golden dragon take off and disappear with the Queen on her back.
Just want to give a huge thanks to everyone who has continued to read and support this story, and hopefully, you all will continue to do so. I also got a question on another website where I post my work, and they were asking if they could create fan art of my story. I never expected anyone to be so captivated by my story, but the answer is yes! I'm extremely flattered and if you can please send me a link to your amazing art! I'll even mention you in the next chapter! Thank you and have a good day/night!
