Nyka glared, her grip tightening around her sword. She made a move to step forward but someone tossed his sword to the ground next to her.
“Saviour,” he said and he slipped to his knees.
“Father?” Nyka questioned the man, stunned. “What are you—”
“The Heir of the Lost Throne!” He bowed. “Finally.”
More and more people tossed their swords to the ground and soon enough the chanting of saviour filled the air. With a glare, Nyka sheathed her sword and turned away.
Everyone else might be foolish and desperate enough to believe the words of this “saviour” but she wasn’t. There was something about him that didn't put her at ease.
Something about him that didn't feel right.
She would find out what that thing was and put an end to this madness.
That was a promise.
“And I swear to you that every last member of the Houses against us shall I bring to ashes. Their blood will be our wine and their bones flimsy ornaments! This is my oath to you.” With a claw, he slashed his palm and made a bloodoath.
“Saviour! Saviour! Saviour!” They yelled in unison.
Nyka urned away finally.
Saviour indeed.
____
____
“There is so much happiness in the Cage tonight,” Nyka said the moment her father stepped into their section of the cave.
Her father was a man a little taller than she was, with red hair mixed with more specks of gray than there should be. The stress of survival did come at a price and that was just one of the things he had to pay.
“The Saviour is here and finally we have hope.” He bellowed, his eyes dancing with delight. “Of course, there will be happiness in the cave. We are on the losing side of this war and the Sky sent us the Heir of the Lost Throne! My Dear, you should be happy too!”
“I am happy for everyone.” She stood up from the mat, and she shrugged as she strapped a bag to her back. “I just think it is stupid to neglect our duties because some stranger declared himself a Saviour.”
Her Father’s smile dwindled. “What is that supposed to mean? The people are allowed a moment of celebration and I permitted it.”
“I’m going for the Night watch, Father. Goodnight.”
“What is wrong with you, Nyka? You are not usually like this.”
She huffed and sighed with defeat. “I don't believe him, Father. I don't think he is our Savior.”
“You think he is lying?”
“I didn't say that, but I think it is suspicious that the Priest that spread the word of this prophecy in the beginning is the same one to bring him into the cave. It just doesn't feel right.”
“The Priest wasn't the only one that spoke of the Prophecy.”
“But he was one of the ones who claimed to have seen the vision. That was what you told me.”
“You are right.” Her father nodded as he held his hand in front of him. “You are right.”
The cave fell into a moment of silence before her father spoke again.
“He has the wings of a sky beast and flames at his fingertips!” He declared.
“That doesn't make him our Savior.”
“If it isn't him, then who would it be?”
“I believe we are our own saviour. Not some stranger who self proclaims himself as such. I believe there is no prophecy, I believe all we need is us.”
Her father smiled gently. “Nyka, it is understandable that you are not easily trusting. You have seen a lot—”
“And I am afraid that we have brought an enemy into our cave. The Priest said they were attacked, yes? So what if he bargained with them to spare his life and what he has to give in return is this–this lie! What if he isn't who he says he is?”
Her father rested his hand on each of her shoulders, a gentle smile still playing on his lips.
“I understand that you want the best for the people but you are overthinking it. You know the Priest would never do that. He would rather die.”
“You have never led us astray, Father.” Her words held silent meanings.
“I will appoint someone to find out more about him. You are already biased, you can't be the one.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead and she smiled.
“Thank you.” She hugged him.
Then she pulled away, journeying to her duty post.
___
___
The people were celebrating but honestly that wasn't what Belladonna was concerned about at all.
She just wanted to see the Chaneller.
If the stone could possibly bring someone back to life and the Chaneller could move between Realms, then maybe the powers combined could do something greater, like taking her back in time.
Maybe she would be able to find another way to kill Kestra, maybe— she just needed another chance to have her little family once again. This time she would ensure not to lose it.
Tears streamed down her cheeks once again and she wiped them away. These days, tears always rained down her cheeks. It didn't help that the hollowness in her heart grew larger and larger by the second. The emptiness felt entirely consuming throughout her body. She was more than aware of what she had lost and like the moment she had lost them, she blamed herself.
A gentle caress of her hand distracted her briefly from her deep grieve.
It was good to have Alaris by her side, although he concealed his own sadness with his cold eyes that sometimes, she would forget that Eli also meant something to him too.
His mannerism was just so different, one would think he had completely forgotten about him.
“The Channeller is awake,” a man said.
He seemed to be the leader of the people in this cave. He was a slightly tall man with gray and red hair. Leader Tyrek, that was what the people called him.
“Led the way,” Alaris said to Leader Tyrek as he pulled her along with him.
Belladonna's steps were eager, this was it. This was her first step in fixing everything she had been too ignorant to protect.
Hope built up in her heart once again.
Small and flickering like a candle light.