Chapter 33: TRAPPED

I woke up with my head feeling heavy and dizzy. Everywhere was dark. Thank God elves have the ability to adjust their eyes to their present environment. It took a while for me to adjust my eyes to the darkness.

Where the heck am I? Looking around the room, it looked like a store room. I pushed myself up from the dirty floor, only to discover my hands and legs were chained.

“What on earth did Alma do? Where the heck is this place?” I muttered to myself. I tried breaking the chain around my hands, but I was too weak. I need at least some water to regain a little of my strength.

The room had one entrance door and a window that was up high, close to the roof. 

“Someone help!!!! Help me, please!!!!!” I screamed out, hoping someone would come rushing in to save me. I felt hot tears running down my cheeks.

“Help me!!!!! Please.” I ended up sitting back on the dirty floor as I awaited my fate. Alma, how could you do this to me?

I closed my eyes, trying to see if I could get some sleep. My body was so tired that I couldn't use any of my powers. It was only then that I remembered my injured hand, but elves can't heal themselves. Only a few of us have healing powers, but we still can't heal ourselves.

I can only be healed by another elf with healing power, which is considered to be rare. I have the power to heal, but no one knows about it, not even my mum.

All her life, she only cared about Alma. She never bothered to get to know me. I'm sure she would be disappointed about the stone picking her useless daughter and not the gold she has nourtured all her life.

“Siofra,” My eyes shut open upon hearing that voice again. This voice has been calling out to me all day. It's a feminine voice; her voice sounds so desperate, like she was begging for help.

“Why are you calling out to me? I can't help you; find someone who can do that. I can't even get myself away from here. All I have to do is wait and accept what comes." I said that and waited to hear her call out for me again, but she didn't. I took it that she understood what I said.

Just then, I started hearing footsteps outside the door. Someone was coming. I panicked and picked up a stone lying next to me as I hid it in my palms.

When the door came open, Alma was standing right in front of me with an empty bottle.

“I can see you are up. I have been waiting for you to wake up, but it took you two days to do so. 

Wait, did she just say two days? That explains why my body was so weak and tired out. 

“What do you want from me, Alma?” I asked, keeping my voice firm and steady.

“Why should I answer that question? It seems like you could give me what I want. Let's just get this over with. I want you to tell me where all the stones went.” She said this as she started approaching me.

“What stones?” I asked as I pushed myself up and also walked up to her, but the chain around my legs didn't let me go much further.

“Don't play dumb with me; where are the three stones that were presented on the day of the festival!?”

“How should I know? I passed out, remember? Only to wake up and have my sister try to kill me, and then she kidnapped me.” 

“Very well, since you said you don't know where the stone is, why don't we find out who has the stone?” She said that, leaving me confused.

“Come in, Hama, we have some research to do!” She said it as if she were calling out for someone.

I heard footsteps approaching the door, and I knew she wasn't alone. Standing in front of me was a woman wearing a veil. I couldn't see her face, but I could feel the dark powers surrounding her.

Just like with Alma, something was strange about hers. She wasn't an ordinary elf.

“Let's go with the magic Hama; I need to put this bottle in my decorating lab.” Alma said to her, and she took off her veil, reviewing her face.

My eyes widened when I saw who she was. I have only seen her in books, but she looked exactly the same in real life. Her white, long hair scattered around her face; her pair of green eyes had something dark in them; and the scar on her face made her even more scary.

She was Hama, the elf witch who was banished out of Álfheimr for hundreds of years. How on earth did Alma manage to find her?

"Alma, what are you doing? You brought a witch to Álfheimr; mum is going to be so mad.”

“Does it sound like her opinion is needed? I do my own thing now; at least that's what I learned from you. Do what makes me happy, and turning you into a decorative artist is what I need, and I will be happy about it.”

“What do you mean by that?” I couldn't understand what she was saying—decorative arts?

“You will see; it's a surprise I have for you." She said. She was smiling creepily at me.

"Alma, what are you doing? Why is she coming close to me?” I questioned her as I drew away from the woman standing in front of me. She began chanting a spell; at first, it sounded like music in my ears.

“The spirit of Almaruda, the one who giveth and takes, I need your strength.” She said. Almaruda, I know that name. It was the name of a great goddess of elves who lived in the ocean. She was made of so much evil that she was forbidden from leaving the ocean, but many elves still go to her for powers, and some worship her as a god.

She began chanting her spell again as I felt myself drawn to it. My body went stiff and slumped to the ground. I was fully awake but was unable to move my body. I felt a shock of pain rush through my body.

“Aaaaah!!!!!!! Alma, make her stop!” I screamed, calling out for her, but she ignored me. She stood there with the empty bottle in her hands as she watched me drown in pain.

I felt something drawing me out of my body. The pain was so unbearable. She continued to chant the spell as I felt like I was being dragged away into the darkness, but then she stopped. I had my eyes closed as I pleaded for them to stop, but when she stopped chanting the spell, I felt my pain beginning to go away.

I opened my eyes and couldn't understand anything that had happened.

“It is done,” the old witch said. 

“What did you guys do to me?” I said this as I tried pushing myself up. It was only then that I realised I wasn't on the cold, dirty floor again. 

“Good, what are we going to do about her body? Because I can't keep it with me, or the palace guards will fish me out.”

“Leave her body with me. Her body remains alive as long as her spirit is alive, but if her spirit dies, then her body dies.”

“Fair enough, make sure you take it far away from Álfheimr. No one must know we have a hand on her missing.”

All this while they were talking, I was busy staring at my own body lying on the floor, like I was dead. What is happening? Why are there two of me? 

I looked around, only to discover I was inside a bottle. How on earth did I get so small to fit in here?

“Let me out!!!” I screamed out. Alma shook the bottle, causing me to fall.

“I'm so sorry, sister, but you will have to stay without your body until I get my stone back. Until I become the queen of Álfheimr, no one will know if you are dead or alive, so enjoy your stay.”

“Get her body; let's go.”

"No, please, let me out. I hate closed spaces. Alma!!!! Please let me out.” I felt hot tears running down my face as I saw the old witch taking my body away.

Everything started to spin in my eyes as I saw her enter a carriage and leave with my body. I tried to remain conscious, but it wasn't long before I passed out.

Alma's POV

No one knows about the under-ground floor I built on my own, but today Siofra is going to know about it. She will remain in this bottle and watch me rule Álfheimr.

I will show them how worthy I am. No one is going to treat me like they did to my mother; I will regain the honour my family once had.

And no one, I mean no one, will be able to stop me. I am ready to give my life to Almaruda if I have to. I will be the most powerful queen ever to live.