*** MILLENNIA’S POV ***

I flee out the cave as a storm and find myself out in total darkness. My heart is free and finally some kind of joy returns into it. Though my feets don’t even touch the ground as my wide steps make me almost fly, not looking back nor stopping for a moment, seeking to separate me from that awful place where I was trapped. I break out of that cave and its surroundings with one solemn wish in my chest. Freedom.

  • Just to get away. Far, far away from the danger, from strangers, from beasts.

Accumulated energy from inside me pushes my legs moving forward. I run and run, till I’m out of breath. Completely lost rhythm of airflow in my lungs stops me in place. I struggle to catch air. Though it could help me to feel better, it doesn’t. I try to intake once and once more. After repeated struggles I stabilize my breath and finally concentrate to look around. Where am I? 

No moon, no stars above. Just light clouds look like dragons skin, pulsating, slightly moving, making sounds. Even with my abilities to see at night it’s hard to discern anything around. 

  • Where the hell did they bring me? 

My feets hurt. I take a look at them, but see almost nothing. My breath slowly becomes steady. Sand! It’s sand under me. Feet by feet. It’s sand. Never-ending sand. It melts, runs and hugs my feets. They sink in those micro little pieces. 

Again this sound coming from the clouds. It’s strange, becomes louder. My eyes widen. F*ck! It’s a sand storm. I can’t see, but I already feel those little pieces rising in the wind and cutting my skin. 

  • Schelter.. I need schelter.

My eyes dart around at light speed. I am used to darkness, but I can’t see damn anything now.

  • C’mon Milly, try harder! You escaped not to die here!

I spur myself. Finally I see something. Despite my hurting feets and washed out body I try to reach a safer place. To hide myself from mother nature. 

Wind tries to catch me. He doesn’t want to let me go. Angry pieces of sand cut my skin all over my body. My hands, legs, face and mouth are full of them, unpleasant. I growl out loud.

  • Pfu.. 

I spit and push myself toward that place with a hope my vision didn’t mislead myself. I reach forward and it appears to be the sharp corner. Just a bit more and I will be there. Wind catches me stronger. It’s hard to go through, it stifles me. I tear my nightgown and put a piece on my nose. It helps enough to get some air and hide against the wall or large stone. Whatever it is.

I don’t see clearly, just put my palms on it and trust my touch to help me find some space to hide. 

  • Pfu.. 

Is it entrance? Hole in stone? I get in. It’s dark. It’s cold. It’s quiet. It’s quiet. I am safe. I lean against the wall and slowly slide down on the floor, sigh deep and listen to the storm behind my shelter’s wall.  

  • Huh?!. 

My skin burns! I jump on my feet ready to flee or fight, but I’m alone. Realization comes to me. Most probably I fell asleep. I find the furthest darkest corner guided more by instinct as my eyes refuse to be friendly with that bright light coming through. It’s a bloody hot sunny day out there. I’m trapped. What is this place? 

It’s a square place, connected with other square or rectangular shaped spaces based from stone, not so big, but enough to stand here in a full height, some large colorful pictures and schemes on the walls, some of them are small, but grouped. Looks like a letter.. Maybe a story? Some of them are damaged. It’s not a simple damage of the time. It’s made on purpose. It was destroyed, scratched. My fingertips pet those open wounds in the wall. 

My tummy rumbles, bringing  my attention to my body. I’m nauseous. I’m hungry. My eyes travel to the escape route, but it’s still daylight. I can’t leave. Wet finger makes a move from my mouth, lips and moves back on the wounds of the wall. Nausea hits stronger and I close my eyes trying to find power to survive until sunset.

** Vision **

Woman in a white dress, black straight shoulder-length hair. Some kind of golden horns on her head and a shining disc between them. She moves and laughs. I swirl with her and see her surroundings. Ah, she dances! It’s a land of prosperity as houses and people around us are healthy and lavish. A land of peace and joy.

  • Marvelous.

Escapes my smiley lips. She dances with one more man. He is much younger than her. They smile at each other. They know each other well. Is he her son? It could be. They have similar features. Eyes, cheekbones, nose. The other second her face makes a painful grimace making me quail. She leans and hugs him, but he doesn’t hold her. Just takes out a red dagger from her chest pushing her abruptly backwards. Her body drops down. 

  • Oh burning hell !

She heals. She is one of us! I exhale in relief. He cuts his hand with the dagger and darts it bloody back into her body. She lets a loud cry and shows two fangs, gets ready for the fight.. One second more and she burst in ashes. They slowly, very slowly land on the ground.

  • Father.. **

Solty drop runs my cheek. It burns. It cuts deep, eats skin away. My heart is a wound and now it has salt on it. I want.. revenge. I want.. them to suffer. I want to wipe them from our world. To tear them from our history pages. Leave them forgotten. 

Hard and deep into my skin burns more tattoos. They flame my fingertips, cheeks, the same spots where my tears used to roll down. 

  • They won’t get away. Beasts.

Continue reading chapter 11