Isa clasped her hands over her mouth to keep from screaming. She retreated from her hiding spot and back into the tunnels. She sat for a moment, stunned. She tried not to cry or make any sound at all but the harder she tried the angrier she became. She crawled back near the vents that she had just been spying from and watched two soldiers drag out the bodies of her dead grandparents. Her cousin Esteban had done nothing to stop it and a feeling of hate began to build inside of Isabel. And Higgins? How could he have done such a thing. She hated them both. They needed to be held responsible for what they had done.
She took out the dagger that she had found in the crystal caverns and unwrapped the material, torn off her old clothes, from around it. She stared at the deadly weapon. Esteban may not have been strong enough to do anything, but she still could. She would avenge her Abuelos.
Before carrying out her plan, Isa curled up in the tunnels of the palace where she was out of sight for now. She hadn't slept in nearly two days. Not since the invasion. She closed her eyes and thought about how she had gotten to where she was now. She knew that Rico had sacrificed his life to help her escape, she had watched Avalor's Navy fight along a few willing citizens only to be taken down by Shuriki's army, she watched as Amara had been killed trying to protect her, she watched her friend Quique walk away from her, perhaps never seeing him again. Now she had seen her grandparents beheaded by someone who her family had trusted. She wondered why she had even snuck back into the castle. Part of her thought that maybe her family would still be alive and she'd be able to be with them. But now she knew that Elena was gone and her Grandparents were dead. Part of her thought that she'd at least be able to find help from the palace staff. But now after witnessing them vow their loyalty to Shuriki and after seeing what Higgins had done, it was clear that she couldn't trust any of them. Not even Esteban. She was alone. She felt an emptiness inside and all she had at that moment to fill the void was anger.
Hidden in her tunnel, Isa fell into a deep and much needed sleep. She would find no solace in it though. When she woke up there was an eerie silence. She peered out from her tunnel and saw no one. Everything was dark. Everyone must be asleep. That was perfect for Isa's plan. Using the tunnels, she made her way to the guard's barracks. She knew which room she was looking for and knew exactly where it was. She stood in the shadows on the side of the building and studied the patterns of the two guards that were patrolling the grounds. She didn't have much time between one rounding one corner of the palace and the other returning so she would have to move quickly and hope that she entered the right door. She pulled out her dagger, gripped it tight and waited for the opportune time.
The second the first guard was out of sight, Isa ran to the door that Higgins slept behind. She used her dagger to pry open the door as quietly as she could and she stepped in. She spotted the curly headed guard still fast asleep in his bed. She hadn't woken him. Seeing him sleeping so peacefully and even smiling a bit only furthered the disgust that Isa felt. She looked around and made sure that his sword wasn't in his reach in case something went wrong. It wasn't. She tip toed over to where Higgins lie and stood over him. She was surprisingly calm and emotionless. She had seen so much death so quickly and so close, that the thought of it no longer scared her. She placed the tip of her dagger under his right ear and applied pressure. Then, with a steady hand she slit across his throat and up to his other ear. His eyes shot open and widened with terror as he saw princess Isabel standing over him. He grabbed his throat as blood began to spurt out with each pulse. Isa took a step back and watched him suffer, listening to the gurgle like sounds of a man choking and gasping for air. His body began to twitch and then just as quickly, all movement ceased. Isa leaned over his body and observed the bloody mess. His eyes were still open but they were lifeless. She stared into them anyways.
"Por mis Abuelos" Isa whispered. "Venganza"
Isa stood on the mountains facing the rear of the palace. It was still dark and the wind blew through her hair. Her dress was soaked from having to cross the waters. She was in a daze as she looked upon her former home. There was nothing left for her there now. She had heard them say that Elena was gone, her grandparents were dead and the only member of her family left was to marry the very woman responsible for all the suffering. She sat down to contemplate. Everyone in Avalor thought Isa was dead. She could go anywhere now. They wouldn't be looking for her. She let out a slight sigh. There wasn't any distress in it though. She was actually quite indifferent about her situation. She simply didn't care. She held a corner of her wet dress and wiped it over her face to cleanse the spattered blood of Higgins. She had just made her second kill in only two days and it was far easier than the first. She felt no remorse. She felt nothing. She stood up and just began to walk north, towards no where in particular, with no concern about who she may run into.
Thunder boomed in the distance and dark clouds moved over the full moon. Isa saw a flash in the distance followed by a crash of lightning striking the earth. It was going to start pouring any minute and she figured that she should find some shelter. In the distance, she could see Maruvian temples and decided to head towards them. There was another flash in the sky and this time the crash was louder. The storm was getting closer to her. She walked on, making no attempt to quicken her pace. As she held her head high and walked against the increasing winds she began to feel something new. She felt a strength building inside of her that she never even knew she had. The skies opened up and rain fell hard. Still, she did not waver. Her dauntless new spirit marched on.
She stepped into the very first temple she reached and looked around. It was pitch black.
"Hello?" She called out.
There was no answer.
"Anyone in here?" She tried again.
Still, no answer. She accepted that the temple was vacant and sat up against the wall, just left of the entrance. She laid down, resting her hands under her head and fell asleep.
Isa's eyes fluttered open as the morning rays shown through the temple door. She sat up and sighed. She had no real plan so she was in no hurry to get anywhere in particular and so she was happy to just sit quietly for a bit. She had stolen some food from Higgins's room before she left so she decided that now was a good time to give herself some nourishment. Her stomach groaned with the first bite as it had been some time before she had any actual food. She momentarily felt nauseated. After a minute or two of rest, she took one more bite and continued to do so steadily until her body adjusted to being fed again.
When she was finished, she rose to her feet and began to explore the temple. It had clearly been explored before. If there had been artifacts at one time, they were now long gone. Probably in a museum somewhere. All that remained were the glyphs that told stories of long ago. Isa had studied maruvian glyphs in the past and could make out a majority of what they depicted. Mostly they revealed the everyday lives of the ancient people of Maru. In the rear of the temple, Isa found a six sided pillar. She had never seen such a thing before. She was intrigued. She circled it. Each side had only one drawing on it. The first, a single vertical line that narrowed as it reached it's peak. It almost resembled an upside down icicle to Isa. The second, another vertical line with the shape of a jewel atop it. The third, another jewel but this one atop a small circle. The fourth, a large oval atop a smaller one. Isa assumed it to be a necklace of sorts. The fifth was easy. It was clearly a book. As she rounded the final side her jaw dropped. It was a jagged arrow with what appeared to be a handle. Isabel unwrapped her dagger and held it up to the picture. It was a perfect match.
Isa froze as she felt something chilly on her shoulder. She turned her head but nothing was there.
"The Science Academy" Whispered Isa's spirit animal. A Raven. The most intelligent of birds, known for their keen ability to problem solve. A perfect match for Isabel. Though she couldn't actually hear or see the animal, his words got through to her.
"The Science Academy" Isa said aloud to herself. She could go to the Science Academy. It's where she had always imagined she'd end up someday anyways. Plus, it was far north, bordering Cordoba. Though Elena had met one of the professors there, Isa never personally had. She was confident that she could go unrecognized. Once there she could seek out Professor Mendoza who was a leading expert on all things Maruvian. Perhaps she could learn exactly where her dagger had come from and why it had been hidden.
She may have been forced out of her home but at least Shuriki couldn't stop Isabel from her passion. Seeking knowledge.