Chapter 3: Zarafea

Zarafea found herself once again in the ever-changing landscape of her nightmare dimension. Today, it was a lush rainforest, with towering trees and vibrant flora. She watched as her father, the tyrant supreme god, tormented her beloved pegasus, its once graceful wings tattered and broken.

"No, father please!!" She begged as she rushed towards it. "please spare it!!' She cried with tears in her eyes.

"Insolent child," he tutted with a malicious smile. "if you had not gone against me by going war against me, we wouldn't be here would we?"

"Father please!!" Zarafea cried, "spare my children, they have done you no wrong."

She held the pegasus's head on her lap. The poor thing had been battered and beaten to the point where it's silver blood created a large pool on the forest floor. Her father was a tyrannical bastard. He was only killing her creations to show her how powerless she was against him. She gritted her teeth, it wasn't enough for him to trap her in here with the ability to survive without food but he added conditions for her release. Tears welled up in her crystal eyes as she felt the agony of her creation. She did not beg anyone yet she had been forced to for the sake of the pegasus. She knew her father could not kill the enchanted creatures because they regulated the magic of the Enchanted Dimension and that he was only doing so to spite her. She looked up at him with hatred in her eyes.

"You bastard!" Her eyes glowed vivid silver. "They have done you no wrong. Is this what brings you joy? The pain of your subjects. It only shows how much more pathetic you are." She glared at him.

Helios narrowed his eyes in anger. "It seems your smart mouth continues to run despite your situation. If you had not been banished, I would have burned you for that!"

"Good luck for me then." she smirked. Despite being far away from her, he was incredibly easy to rile.

"Don't push me further daughter." Helios replied. "You cannot escape from your fate. Love is useless and you will never find the one who can break your curse. Even if you do, he cannot defeat me and I will make sure to drag you back here for all eternity."

"Love is not useless, I will get out of her and I shall finish what I started."

"Think what you may, but I am still the supreme god. Maybe I shall grant Hades his offer and wed you to him." He smirked. "In the meantime, enjoy your paradise."

Zarafea woke up with a start. The desert had transformed into a rainforest and now there was a heavy downpour. She walked to a nearby large tree with a small cave in it's trunk. It was enough to keep her dry in the meantime. She gathered a few dry sticks outside the cave and made a fire pit. She flicked her wrist and immediately they caught fire.

She was drained and exhausted. With the constant use if her magic, her strength had deteriorated. She had been in the Nightmare dimension for five millennia and she had not yet found a way for escape. Her thoughts drifted to the reason she was here in the first place, the war.

Helios had ruled the seven realms for eons after he overthrew his father and cast him in the Pits of Despair. He was a ruthless and manipulative ruler and often enjoyed toying with the lives of the gods and humans and all creatures for his amusement. He had taken an interest in one of the daughters of the demigod, Hercules. He forcefully took her and married her against her will and consumated their union. The other gods and demigods rebelled at this act but they couldn't do anything. Years later, her mother Thea bore Zarafea and a celebration was held in the sacred mountain.

Zarafea was often a free and curious child but her father oppressed her as well. Once her powers manifested at a hundred years, she created the enchanted creatures and sent them to the Enchanted Dimension to regulate the magic. Her father continued to oppress his subjects.

The other gods had had enough of Helios. They wanted things to go back to the way they were and for a new supreme god to be crowned. Thea led the rebellion and a war broke out between Helios, his followers and the other gods. Zarafea fought valiantly beside her mother but Helios ended up punishing the gods and turned Thea into a dragon for her betrayal. He banished all the gods who had betrayed him, including her for eternity. Now she has to find a tortured soul who doesn't believe in love to fall for her. He also has to be strong enough to defeat Helios. One way or another, she was the key to saving the seven realms.

A cold wind blew inside the cave, wavering the fire fir a bit. Her flimsy clothes had already started to dry. Tomorrow she would use the cotton she pulled to weave herself new clothes. As she stoked the fire, she thought about Asher.

King Asher was a handsome albeit tortured young man. She had slowly been falling for him even as she watched him slowly. She loved his smart mouth and his quick witt. She found his dedication to his kingdom alluring. She had been appearing to him for some weeks now, hoping to intrigue him enough to find out about her. She could only hope that he cared enough to do so. Her dressed had dried by now and the rain had ceased. She lay on the ground and drifted into her usual nightmare filled sleep as the fire warmed her.