Witch-Spy Lanasis

They're called the hateful because any child born of a Valerian and a Dragonian, two countries whose hate for each other is second to none, should not have existed… and if such a child exists, it's an abomination so severe that it would give any man shivers.

A child of the Vale and Dragonia, would be nothing but pure evil.

-Words of Kankari Attamas, Dragon Rider of Lunma who is the second line descendant of the Dundare Dragonline, to Witch-Spy Lanasis before his execution.

Vinnandra barely had the time to register her current state—alone, without a family, and an official slave.

She wanted to say how the mighty had fallen, except that wasn't true… she was never mighty to begin with, and she had fallen a long time ago. She was just registering it now and coming to terms with it.

Vinn was stripped of her garments and forced to dress in a drab white dress, marking her new rank as a slave. She of course, wasn't allowed to take anything, not even her precious books, but that didn't matter to her for all the books she'd read, she could easily remember word for word.

An ability that even her ex family knew nothing about.

Vinnandra thought about the pale, rugged looking man and thought about his words for what was the hundredth time in one of the longest days of her life.

"Vinnandra the hateful, welcome to hell."

The man was wrong. She'd already been welcomed to hell eight years ago when her mothers identity as a witch spy became public knowledge. Ever since then, she'd been living gracefully in hell without ever complaining about how hot it felt in there.

The only thing that changed now was that she might not be able to live as gracefully in it as she'd been doing all along, And now, she would be forced to complain about how hot it was… not if she had anything to say about it.

As she took one look at the Albridge castle as they dragged her away from the town she had lived in all her life, she thought since Lord of Albridge disavowed her, it was only right for her to make her own vow.

In her head, staring straight at the castle she started.

"Hear me Albridgians. I've fallen, but I shall arise. I've been weakened, but I will be strong. I've been cut down fiercely so, but I shall be mended again.

"And when I shall arise, when I shall be strong and when I shall be mended, I will leave the Albridge family in the same hell they've left me in. This is my vow to you, let Gloptra and all the other gods hear it. Let all dragonias bear witness."

And with that, she was forced onto the back of a Transport Dragon, and they departed Albridge and the entirety of the south.

**Two Weeks Later**

"Be fast Vee, before those penchant misses that think the world is under their feet scold us again."

Vinnandra didn't bother telling Salim to stop calling her Vee again. For some reason she didn't feel like there was any need for her name to take another variation.

Vinn was enough, but Salim wouldn't hear that. In which case she was not going to expend her energy trying to correct her anymore.

Not when she was excited today. An excitement, she of course, tucked in a place no one would see.

When she arrived at Lenklock castle two weeks ago, she had a plan. It was a simple but dicey one, and amidst severe pain and long planning, she executed it well.

Her plan was to steal The Book of Chargain from the forbidden library at Lenklock where it was stowed away. Like her, the book was unwanted and unnecessary to all dragon riders.

After all, it was the same book that the first witch-spy, Lanasis, had written for his son whom he had with a dragon rider.

That son too was like her… the hateful

Except unlike her, he never lived to see another day when his identity was discovered.

In its very very dusty state, Vinnandra had plucked the book from the shelf where it lay ugly and abandoned. And right then, it was tucked inside her maids corset and was currently burning a hole in her stomach.

"You're serving Lord Lenklock's son. Trust me, he wouldn't appreciate any form of tardiness, now be fast." Salim chided again, this time she left for the tent she would be serving.

Vinn rolled her eyes and resisted the urge to huff in exasperation, the water basin she was carrying suddenly felt heavier coupled with her excitement.

It wasn't so much as that she was tired of the menial work, surprisingly, it came naturally to her. It was that she really wanted to open the book. She was feeling unusually impatient that night.

She only hoped the Lord's son would be done with her on time.

Dragons barrelled through the night air, their strong wings flapping against the small wind.

She breathed a handful of air, letting out a light sigh.

In reality, anyone who looked at her life from afar would say that nothing had changed from her state two weeks ago. But the truth was, a lot of things had changed inside her.

She was no longer the stifled, small Vinnandra. Blooming inside her was a resoluteness so strong she had a hard time keeping it in. And one of her resolutions was to become strong as soon as possible.

She didn't want strength that would come in years. She wanted one that will come now.

Hence why she wanted to tap into her witch side, something that would have her head hanging on a spike if ever anyone knew about it.

But she didn't care, she was going to be reckless. She had to have something… had to hold onto something.

Also why she manipulated her way into becoming a library slave. The result being the book that was burning a hole through her thin clothes.

They said it was impossible for the hateful to ever be able to tap into sorcery. Hardly any of them could even be riders. While the former theory has been proven, the latter not so much.

Which was why she felt like a book written for someone like her might be able to pinpoint something that could steer her onto the right path.

The Lenklock family were on their annual hunt, hence why most official slaves were dragged to accompany them to the camping field as servants.

The wind grew stronger and colder, tousling strands of her red hair that escaped the single braid holding her hair together.

The gods, she hated it when that happened, but she could hardly do anything about it.

Ignoring the stare of the guards planted evenly on her stand-out, abnormal hair colour, she announced herself from outside of the tent of the man she was to serve.

"Master Xander." She called out, "Your maid is here to bring you water for your bathings."

She waited for about ten seconds, but no reply came through.

Vinn knew only two things about the only son of Lord Lenklock. First, no maid really wanted to serve him. Second, every maid gushed about him amongst themselves when they thought no one was listening.

Contradictory, right? Don't bother thinking much about it.

"Master Xander, can I come in? I bring water for your bathings." Vinn repeated, and again was met with no reply.

At this point she'd two options. To continue standing outside the tent while repeating herself every twenty seconds and risk reading the Book of Chargain much later tonight. Or, just barrel inside the tent and face the consequences later.

With her new found recklessness, she chose the second option, and was instantly face to face with the most exquisite, naked, sculpted torso she'd ever seen. And a frowning, ice sculpted face she was familiar with.

He was…Lord Lenklock's son?