So close to the end... and we finally know Riese's past... or at least part. And no i'm not going to tell you my villain's history!
Memories rushed into Riese's mind as the Shadow told the story of her family's murder. She remembered sitting next to her grandma when the room became filled with smoke. Riese couldn't even see her own hand in front of her face.
Standing up she wandered around hoping to find the door. A scream sounded in the quiet room, Riese turned towards it hoping to save her sister-in-law. The newborn baby that the sister held was crying loudly, until it stopped suddenly. Riese stumbled against a small table and fell to the floor.
Another strangled scream sounded right next to Riese and her head jerked up as she recognized her mom's voice. Rolling to the side she looked around, the smoke was clearing quickly and Riese could see a vague outline of a man.
The man walked towards the figure who was leaning over a body on the floor. Riese slowly stood up a crept towards her mother's killer. A hand landed on Riese's shoulder and she whorled around and attacked.
"Stop!" whispered the quiet calm voice of her father.
"Dad?" Riese asked confused.
"Yes! Come with me."
Reise's father pulled her to the open window. The smoke was almost completely gone and Riese could hear the sound of her brother fighting with the stranger.
"Jump." commanded the father.
"No! I want to stay and help you fight!" argued Riese.
"No you can not! I know this man, and he will not stop till we are all dead. You must escape and find out who did this. Now go!"
Riese kissed her father on the cheek, took a deep breath and jumped out the window. Landing like a cat Riese stood up and started walking towards the back door. About to walk up the stair she suddenly heard a thud sounded behind her. Riese quickly turned to see who it was. A small boy around five stood up and dusted himself off. Seeing Riese he ran up to her, breathing hard.
"Sam! Are you okay?" Riese asked worriedly.
"Yeah I'm fine." he said quietly.
"Good." Riese said relived. "Now stay here. I'm gonna go in and grab our cloaks, and a few supplies. If anything happens run into the woods and whistle for Syrra. She will take you to safety."
Riese walked up the stairs and opened the door. The sound of a fight came from above the ceiling. Riese walked into the kitchen and saw her uncle leaning against a counter and drinking wine. He looked up and laughed then his eye rested on the young woman standing in the doorway.
All of a sudden a small figure push passed Riese and ran up to the drinking uncle. Riese reached out to grab her unsuspecting nephew, she knew something wasn't right. Sam cried into his great uncle's shirt, while Riese stood at the door unmoving, waiting to see what her uncle would do.
The uncle kneeled down and hugged the boy close with one hand. Riese relaxed a little thinking she had been too paranoid. Reaching behind his back, Uncle, unknown to Riese, picked up a knife. Moving quickly he brought his hand forward and stabbed the young boy in the back right where his heart was.
Riese, her senses sharpened by adrenalin saw her uncle raise the knife. Time seemed to slow down as Riese rushed forward and cried, "Sam! NO!" but it was too late.
Will was walking to the hospital a plate of food in his hand. I'll show her how good of a cook I am, he thought. Reaching for the door he turned the doorknob and pulled, but the door didn't budge. Hmm… he thought the nurse must have locked up early. Will pulled out his keys and unlocked the door. He walked by the unmanned nurses' station thinking nothing of it and made his way up the stairs.
Riese was still pinned against the wall her mind stuck in the past reliving the murder of her family, while The Shadow described how he killed her family and his preferred killing methods.
The uncle started laughing and jerked the knife from the little boy's lifeless body. The two cloaks Riese held floated down, as she watched Sam's body crumpled to the floor into a pool of blood. The little boy's face was turned towards Riese and she stared into his shocked, scared, inert face.
Tears formed in Riese's eyes and anger filled her veins. Riese looked up at her laughing uncle and ran at him. Sobering up quickly he dodged as Riese tried to punch him and swung his right arm up the knife aimed for her head. Riese grabbed his incoming arm and twisted it. The uncle cried out in pain and shock and dropped the blood stained knife.
The two wrestled together for a while, then Uncle kicked Riese's in the chest knocking her down. The wind left Riese's lungs and she struggled to breath.
"I'm sorry about this!" came the uncle's raspy voice. "but it is the only way to find the dragons. You see in this family are the only people who still know that they exist. We could bring them back… destroy those who killed them. But your parents thought it was best that they remained hidden and since I did not have the stone I couldn't communicate with the beasts to plan my own attack."
Riese's breath returned and she slowly started to inch her way across the room and towards the door. Her uncle wasn't looking at her, but at the knife he held in his palms.
"So I hatched a plan, I knew that I would not obtain the stone until nearly everyone was dead. I hired an assassin to kill the family and as soon as I posses the stone the world will feel the wrath of the dragons. If you had only escaped while you could… then I wouldn't have to kill you, I have no quarrel against you but now that you know it is me… well I just have to kill you."