Darkness

Pitch black, that was the sole way Phaedra could illustrate the place she was in right now. After her mother shoved her into the tunnel and disappeared for what presumably was forever; she sobbed. Cried for her mother's bound soul, mourned for her father who was a mortal and who would be punished severally by the gods. She cried for herself as she realized she would have to run away from the world she had ever known and live in an unfamiliar one. Running in the tunnel felt like an unending loop, there was no light at the end. Phaedra felt as if she was running for days and her feet were growing tired. There was no end to it and Phaedra wondered if any of what she was doing was worth the suffering. The voice of her mother telling her to continue running and don't look back flooded her mind. She knew she couldn't quit no matter how tired her limbs were getting. Heavy breathing echoed through the tunnel as the young woman forced her body to its max. Suddenly she toppled on something and tumbled flat on her face. Laying there still, tears trickled down her face. "Why am I going through all of this stupid mess!" Yelled Phaedra. Growing fed up she laid there letting her tears drop. Life was not going to be pleasant with her anymore, she wasn't the empress in line anymore. She wasn't going to be dealt with like a queen in public anymore and that fact upset her. How was she going to get out of this dreadful situation untouched? Thinking to herself how much she loathed her father for the plagues he poured upon her after his death. With the fall she took on her forehead a liquid flowed down onto her nose, blood oozing down her nose and on top of her dried cold lips. The girl cursed at herself, as she began wiping the thick blood gushing down her face. "Can things get any worse!" Grunted the bleeding woman.

Phaedra split apart a portion of her gown and applied pressure onto her forehead to block more blood from leaking. She rose up from the filthy rocky tunnel floor and returned to wandering down the broad, graveled pathway. Using her other hand she held it up forward to balance herself. So that she would know if something was in front of her, and to maneuver her way. Phaedra walked cautiously in the dark, tuning into her own sounds of her wincing because of how painful her forehead was. The way her lavish lifestyle was cut short was tragic. Ever since she was young she was trained by her mother on how to survive critical circumstances but to have to do it now was so surreal. In the cold and darkness the miserable young woman continued to roam the tunnel, without shoes and thin clothing. Eventually, after what felt like days of walking, she struck something in front of her. What merely felt like a wall, to her was her salvation. She pressed on the wall trying to open it up but it wasn't working. Phaedra started to panic feeling as if the walls around her were closing in on her. Slapping the wall in front of her didn't seem to avail her in her dire situation but it did provide her some comfort.

It is often verbalized that people with authority live extravagant lives but that is undoubtedly just a fable regarding Phaedra's. Just as she was about to succumb to the tightening air around her, Phaedra reminisced about the words her mother informed her regarding how to open the walls. "The amulet I gave you before I passed away will help you open the tunnel, all you have to do is repeat the exact movements I do and the wall will open for you." The voice of her mother echoed through her head. Standing up, with one hand on the amulet, Phaedra recalled the exact movements her mother performed. Identical blue lights formed a circle around her. It was at that moment that she truly looked at what the circle around her was. There was writing engraved around the circle, it wasn't any of the languages she grew up studying and speaking. Instead, it seemed to be ancient scripture, but what frightened her was that she knew precisely what the words written were. Even though she had never seen writing like this before she knew explicitly what it meant. "Those who seek the power of the gods must sacrifice their all in order to be a god." Phaedra read the writing carefully, she deciphered what was written and observed as the similar blue flames deteriorated the wall in front of her. There it was, freedom, it almost felt too good to be true. Phaedra's mother was right the tunnels did lead to a forest, but it was one far beyond what she had ever seen.

An easing feeling swept through Phaedra as she stepped out of the tunnel and onto the radiant green grass. The wall closed behind her, revealing that she had arrived out from an enormous tree. Phaedra was indeed right when she suggested she has been running through the tunnels for hours. It was a bright hot day now compared to the cold dark night she had last night. Phaedra tucked her amulet inside her dress and sank down onto her knees. Touching the grass soothed her, it was the most lifelike forest she had ever been in. Growing up Phaedra was rarely ever allowed outside the kingdom but when she was, she would remember how dreary and lifeless the environment around her was. The forest were thick and dead plants spread for miles outside the kingdom gates. Everything had to be a specific color and texture for her father, and if he was ever defied, people would face consequences. It was a refreshing shift in what she had consistently seen and was repeatedly told. When Phaedra was younger, she was extremely engaged with the outdoors. Young Phaedra would always study textbooks with regards to the diversity of flowers and plants. Life was satisfying for the young girl at the time until her father caught her reading and punished her for it. Apparently emperor Phon could not handle the ideology of a woman in his household educating themselves instead of being a pushover. Recalling her father and how he treated her, disgusted the woman as she walked around the forest. Never did she feel the same type of euphoria she felt from before her mother passed away until now. Surrounded by all types of flowers and plants, she smiled in content. The only genuine smile she had in over years.

"The air is so wonderful," exhaled Phaedra whilst she laid down on the ground. From out of the blue, the noise of branches cracking around the girl, alerted her. Without any delay Phaedra stood up and got into a stance. Although her father would be disgusted by his daughter reading and getting an education, nevertheless, he forced her to learn swords art and combat battle. Five, she was five years old waking up as early as three in the morning to train with level ten based knights. Level ten being the sharpest and most hazardous knights. Phaedra shook her head trying to take the memory out of her mind and concentrate on what was important. Squinting her eyes behind a tree where the noise came from, Phaedra inches closer and closer.

The leaves around the tree were rustling in the breeze. Unexpectedly the thing producing the rattling noise jumped from behind the tree and in front of her. Phaedra was about to kick it with her reflexes when she realized that it was a baby wolf. The abrupt jump in front of her startled Phaedra, but shortly after she calmed herself. To be truthful, the wolf was adorable to her, with its sleek white fur coat and big brown eyes. "Aw what are you doing out in this giant forest all alone?" She questioned the small animal. Looking around for a large momma wolf, but not finding one, Phaedra focused back on the wolf. "Where is your mother?" The white wolf inched its way towards her allowing the strange woman in front of it to hold them. As if anything couldn't get any worse, Phaedra felt a cold pointy object touch her neck from behind her. "Unhand him now," a deep voice demanded behind her. Little by little, Phaedra bent down lowering her knees. She placed the wolf onto the ground and gradually rose back up. "I mean no harm," she spoke in a gentle manner, arms placed over her head. "Who are you and why are you outside Zeldeb's kingdom gates?!" Growled the person behind her. Zeldeb? Phaedra's eyes widen, she was beyond shocked that she was outside of Zeldeb's kingdom gates. Zeldeb was one of the six kingdoms that were allies with her father. But what shocked her was that the distance between the two kingdoms were so immense, that it would take a months voyage to get there by foot. "Well? Who are you and why are you trespassing? Answer or I will imprison you right now." Frantically trying to come up with a name and excuse, Phaedra turned to face the man and flashed an innocent smile at him. "Oh dear, I seem to have gotten lost, I'm but a mere hunter who hoped to catch some fish sir." Said Phaedra as she bowed down to what looked like a knight. A few seconds passed by, whilst the knight looked her up and down. By now with the way she looked and how filthy she was, she knew he'd believe her. "Your name miss?" A sigh of relief blew out of Phaedra's lips. "My name is Margarita, sir."