PRIAM'S POV:
We set up the camp and lit the fire. We are close to the final point. I can somehow sense it. I held my Forbidden sword that was hanging from my waist in my armour as I carefully put it down. It is the only thing that reminds me of my father. The noble king and a great warrior.
I must follow his steps. To become a Great king to my people. A great son and brother to my mom and William so that they are proud of me and William can follow my steps. I have to set an example for the next generations. I have to be a great husband and father too now.
The feeling was too joyful. I am going to be a father soon. My own child. A little life that the love of my life is carrying in her womb. I had done too much injustice towards her... I have hurt her the most... But it turned out to be all a misunderstanding now. I know the pain I have caused her, is not possible to erase it all at once. But I am willing to try. I will try as much as possible to win her heart back. I know she still loves me. And this time I promise to take care of her. Take care of our baby and make a home.
I smiled at myself as I kept thinking ways of building our new home and loving my new family. I came out as I saw the soldiers are already settled. Junnie and King Alan were talking about something which was not quite audible as Brad was sitting by the fire and staring at them angrily. I know Brad since school. He has always loved Junnie but had a problem with communicating.
Though they both didn't tell me anything about their separation, I know that it was a misunderstanding too. I have tried to speak with Brad about this matter many times, but he was determined to not let anything out. That's how he is. Secretive and one-word man.
Despite his emotional consequences, he had always been with me, as a friend. I still remember when I got to know he will be joining WWS as the junior professor, I was so happy for him. He always had dreamt of being part of WWS. He was a responsible man now. But I could see the pain behind his calm face, that once was in with me.
The look he gives to Junnie explained that he is still in love and is jealous of King Alan. I don't know what should I do, but once this problem was solved I am thinking to try talking with him again. But right now, I am focused on is Shawna.
Speaking of her... I didn't see her for a long time now...
Where is she? In these thoughts, I almost forgot I haven't seen her in 20 minutes now. As soon as she came into my mind I panicked. I have the right to get panicked. We are in the middle of the dark forest. The place where evil lures in the dark and possess people to death. We have been here before. And that was the time when I was possessed by an evil soul.
I remember her struggle for that time. It was between her friends and her life.. and no doubt, she chose her friends... The kind she was always.
I knitted my brows as I called-" Guards????"
Two soldiers came forth as they stand before me while bowing their heads.
" Have you seen Queen Shawna?"- I asked with a concerned voice.
They looked at each other's faces as they replied-" No my lord... We haven't". They looked blank.
As soon as they said no. My heart skipped a beat. She is fucking missing!!!!. I clenched my fist and gritted my teeth, being angry at myself, for not giving my attention to her. I called for an immediate meeting.
Junnie, Brad, John and King Alan gathered in the fireplace as we all are alert now.
"We must find her now. She will not be far if we leave now"- King Alan said in his tough voice. " I will go with you"- John offered.
Junnie, Brad and I took another group, separated to go for the search.
SHAWNA'S POV:
Black. Pitch black that all I can see now. A few faint murmurs can be heard as the tension in me rises. What I can feel is that I was tied up by my hands on the back and my eyes were bonded. My mouth was gagged by a cloth too, to prevent me from shouting. Am I been abducted again? As soon as I gained my consciousness I began to struggle. But it was of no use. I was tired as my body began to give up soon. I was lying on a wooden floor from what I could guess. and It was moving.
Where am I? Who abducted me? It cannot be Felix... Because... As much as I know him, he never harmed me by any cause. It was another thing that his action somehow always ended up getting me hurt at the end. But it could be him too. What if his mind changes when he heard about the baby? What if Aya asked him to kill this baby and me? NO...I cannot let this happen. I have to get out and get the stone.
I could hear a few sounds as I carefully tried to listen to them. There were two male and a female voice which I can hear. They were discussing something. I calmed down as I concentrated on their voice.
The first male said-" She doesn't look like the Hunters!!!"
To which the second male replied with a hiss-" Nobody looks like one... they just are...!!!!"
"But look at her... She doesn't look like she is here to harm us"- The first guy said.
" Did you not look at the soldiers they bought?"- The second guy asked in a little annoyance.
"Enough!!!"- the female voice echoed as they both halt. " Whoever she might be, none of it matters to us. She found our location and we need to kill her!!!!...". I could hear the sound of footsteps beginning towards me as she stopped in between somewhere a little feet away from me. " Looking at her she is from a wealthy family... We will just take the gold and leave them to the sirens!!!"- She said with a tint of humour in her voice. Probably she was smirking by now.
Gold?... Sirens?... Are they perhaps... Pirates? Am I in the "Seah Beach"?
I snapped open my senses as I began to struggle again... No... I cannot get killed while being these close... Only if they let me talk I can maybe bargain...
" Looks like someone is desperate to leave huh?" The female voice asked. The voice was mean.
I grumped as I tried to speak through the bondage, but failed terribly.
" We cannot kill her just"- The first male voice said.
" Shhh... You are discussing in front of here everything..."- The female hissed.
" We need to inform the leader"- the second male said to which the female said-" I am second in command!!!"
The voices began to argue to which I get the attention to somehow remove the bondage from my hand. As soon as I get freed, I opened my eyes to see. The light hit my eyes as they adjusted sometimes to reopen.
After blinking several times I finally could see. I was shocked to see the ones who were talking just now. There were three dwarfs in front of me in the dress of pirates. The males were wearing a dirty white shirt, ragged and torn which was loose till the waist with a pair of cotton pants and boots. The female was wearing the same just with a black skirt. They were wearing black hats where the sign of a skull was printed.
They looked at me with wide eyes just the same as me as we all get shocked to see each other.
The first guy said-" How did you remove your ties?"
"She is a witch"- The second one said.
The female removed her little sword as she pointed at me and asked-" Who are you?"
PRIAM'S POV:
We spent the next few hours looking for Shawna, But there was no trace of her. Nothing at all. the more time spends, the more my heart beats faster from the anxiety. I was becoming a mad man slowly as I kept shouting at the innocent soldiers. I felt bad, but at that time, my only concern was Shawna. Where can she be? Did she find the location somehow?
No... It cannot be, if she did, she would have informed us. She couldn't disappear like this.
But the next hour, we came back to our camp. As I look at them, they were tired and exhausted with failure.
King Alan came forth and said-" Don't worry Priam... We will find her"
I couldn't reply to her anything, my mind was too much occupied with negative thoughts. Brad and John both stood by my side as they put their hands on my shoulder as the assurance. To be honest their consolation isn't working out at this time.
Within this tension ahead, Junnie said-" Wait... I had put a tracking spell on her before we left to make sure she is safe."
My eyes list up with hope as I asked-" Why are you still waiting?"
Junnie looked at everyone as she nodded before closing her eyes and beginning to chant-" Ostende mihi viam eius... Ostende mihi umbram eius, deduc me ad eam." (show me the way to her... Show me her shadow... guide me up to her...)
"Te appello naturam, ut me nunc illi me doceas ac ducat." (I call upon thee nature to show me and guide me to her now.)
"Praecipio tibi ut me ducas nunc ad illam." (I command you to guide me to her now.)
The aura behind her began to glow in green around her. She lifts up in the air as we all witness her getting channelised with nature. The trees and nature are responding to her calls. The fallen dry leaves started to gather around as they started indicating the way. I knew she was powerful... But I didn't know she was this much power. I shrugged off the thoughts as I began to walk forward desperately trying to find her.
The leaves stopped just behind my tent. We looked at each other confused as we saw the leaves fall on the ground. Junnie opened her eyes as she came down. She said-" I guess she found the location before we did. Shawna is on the opposite side."
That was a guarded wall that we missed. Why didn't I notice this before? We didn't wait any longer as I pulled out my wand along with Brad and John and said-"aperta".the magic was not very strong as it opened giving us the way.
we looked at each other as we entered. But something unexpected happened. As we stepped in, we fell in the water. There was no land... We were floating in the water... in the sea to be exact. I looked around and all I can see is deep ocean green water around us. The Seah Beach?
But where is the beach?
We kept swimming trying to find a way back to the land... But it was hard then we thought. We tried using our magic here, but nothing worked. Our spells didn't work here, as a result, we had the only option left is swimming back to the shore. But for that, we need to know which was to go.
After struggling for at least 10 minutes we saw someone. A lady... Sitting in the rock. She was facing backwards to us while it looked like she was gazing at the sun. Something didn't feel right. There was strange magic that started working around us as we began to slowly move towards her without any intention.
She was singing a beautiful melody: " This sunset is so beautiful...
I wish you could be here...
We could have danced in the rain,
while the rainbow disappear"
This oddly strange beautiful melody somehow seems to hypnotise us. We all swim towards her as we are very close to her now. Still, I couldn't see her face clearly. I tried once again as this time she turned.
"No"- These two letters left my mouth as I saw her face.
A siren. She was a siren who was luring us to our death. But before I could do anything, the Sirens pulled up from the waters and attacked us. the soldiers were ahead of us, was caught and dragged down the water causing them to drown and die.
John tried to fight them but they were too many. He said-" I cannot stop them anymore... Swim further..."
Brad said-" Come with us"
" I am right behind you"- he replied as she stroked the final from his sword to one of the Siren, causing him to throw in the water. But we were outnumbered. All we could do is swim. King Alan was surrounded by the bunch of Sirens, as Junnie was swimming as fast as she can, trying to locate the shore. We tried keeping up the hold but it was no use.
Sirens started attacking us as they started pulling our energy. I could feel the body go numb slowly and slowly... before I could see a blank in front of my eyes.
SHAWNA'S POV:
The next few moments were a little blur as they interrogate me and I tried to explain them. Lastly, they agreed to take me to their leader. By that time I realised I was on a ship. A broken Ship to be corrected. I wanted for the leader to arrive patiently, as that is the only thing I could do. they have bonded my hands once again, and this time I didn't say anything. I wanted to talk with the leader anyways. I heard it was a lady. I hope she can understand me.
After waiting for five more minutes I could hear the sound of boots. The tension raised. Is she a dwarf too? Will she understand me? Or will I end up here? One thing was quite sure that I cannot end up here. I have my people waiting for me. I have to live up to their expectations.
With all these thoughts behind the back of my mind, I almost tear up, but somehow I controlled myself as waited. The footsteps stops at a certain point as I gazed up to locate the leader. All I could see now is a bunch of dwarfs standing all around the ship. Their eyes were at me. Some are angry... some are blunt... Some are with pity.
I wonder why haven't heard of them before? Nevertheless, If I can make the amends now, maybe I will have the chance.
Soon the lady stop before me as I looked up. She was nothing like these people. She was a normal human. Unlike these dwarfs she was tall. She had light brown hair and hazel coloured eyes that were piercing at me. Her porcelain skin was ragged and dirty but still one could manage to see beauty through it. She was wearing the same kind of dress as them, but hers were a little bright and clean.
I gulped as I look at her powerful aura behind her. I somehow managed to say-" It was nice meeting you"
She stared at me with a blank face as she replied-" Wish I could say the same".