Ragranok- Chapter Two

" A story spinning the tale of the lives of two star crossed lovers over the centuries , through magic, and loss by forces determined to keep them apart while destiny strives to keep the together. "

Winter

Snow covered the ones green hills. A blizzard wails outside as everyone now bound to their homes.

Kiera pressed her nose against the huge high arched windows in the throne room. Frost covered most of the glass, painting on it elaborate pictures of swirling shapes that glittered like diamonds

Kiera used her sleeve to wipe away some of the frost and the valley spread underneath the castle was ones again visible to her eyes.

She watched the homes billow, covered in snow, each with flickering lights from a warm fire and smoke coming out of their chimneys, mingles in the white snow.

“What are you looking for?”

Kiera turned away from the glass towards Vincent who was sitting on the throne, one of his legs over the arm chair and the other one dangles in the air. He was looking at her while he twirled the diadem in his hand, throwing it occasionally into the air and bouncing it of his foot.

“You know, I really don’t think that’s the proper use of a diadem.” Kiera smirked, looking back down into the valley. “I never seen so much snow comes down this early in the year, have you?”

Vincent had stopped playing with the circlet and instead laid it on his head, tipped to the side like a jester’s hat.

“Better?” he asked as he jumped off the throne and came to the window where she stood.

“Much.” Kiera laughed as he wrapped one arm around her and looked down into the valley as well.

“This is our coldest winter yet.” He remarked. “I’ve never seen the valley so white before as well.” He agreed.

“Any word from Deidra?” Kiera asked, leaning back against his body.

“No. as far as I know she’s hauled up in the estate father had granted her, hasn’t heard from her in months, and can’t say I am too broken up about it. But enough about her.”

He looked down and tipped Kiera back and kissed her. Kiera spun and wrapped her arms around his neck, smiling into the kiss she refused to let him go even when he started tickling her.

“Vincent!” Kiera shrieked.

A loud thumb echoed through the throne chamber as the wooden doors were swung open.

“Agh…” Kiera reluctantly let Vincent go and glanced over to the entryway where Greg stood, panting.

“Is this going to be your thing now?” Vincent asked, fixing the diadem on his head. “Interrupting us?” He asked half smiling but Greg apparently did not share the joke.

“Fire.” He breathed out. “The armory in the valley was set ablaze!”

“What?!” Vincent glanced down from the window but he knew he couldn’t see anything clearly because of the gale.

“Sound the alarm!” He ordered turning to Kiera. “I’ve got to go down there!”

Greg nodded briefly and ran back out of the chamber.

“Do you want me to come with you?” Kiera asked concerned, grabbing Vincent’s hand before he had a chance to run out after his brother.

“No!” Vincent stroked her face and kissed her. “Send a messenger to the infirmary, we might have casualties and I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Kiera frowned. “I can’t do my job when I’m worried about you.” Vincent let out a sigh. Then he extracted his hand from her grip and hastily followed his brother.

“Have you found the culprit responsible for this mayhem?!” The gust had picked up when Vincent and Gregory arrived at the armory. In the distance the chime of alarm rang through the valley and the stronghold guards mounted on black stallions were using their elemental ability’s to direct the snow towards the blaze.

Vincent reached his arms up towards the frozen waters of the rapids; he felt in his gut the roil of power, griping might that pulled at the very essence of his élan vital and erupted from his veins.

The river burst, the crystal clear waters rained upon the fire and slowly began to extinguish it. White smoke filled the air as water battled fire. Vincent struggled to contain the rivers full force within him; he felt it take a toll on his psych. His head began throbbing in pain and his eyes burned. He took a knee, his stance faltering and in that instant Gregory was at his side on the ground, his arm propped against Vincent’s back and together with the help of their guard they navigated the full force of the river onto the blaze, dousing it until it was no more.

The crowd that gathered to help cheered the prince’s accomplishment thinking that the peril had been averted.

“Are you all right?” Gregory helped Vincent up. “You’re bleeding.” He said, handing his brother a piece of linen cloth he pulled from his tunic. Vincent blinked and put the cloth to his nose, removing it to find it stained with blood.

“I’m fine.” Vincent breathed out. “I’m just not used to using my ability in this capacity.” Gregory smirked. “Well, if you are going to be our new king you better learn fast little brother.”

Vincent leaned back against a nearby tree trunk. “I never wanted to…”

“Sire! Look out!” A black arrow whistled too close to Vincent’s ear and Gregory pulled his brother down.

“Who’s shooting at us?!” He howled, enraged. “Vince! Watch out!” Several black clothed figures with krampus like masks covering their faces emerged from behind the trees.

“Sire!” One of the guards cast Vincent a sword he caught on the fly and imminently swung up, slicing the assassin that had just dropped on top of him from the tree he stood under.

“After them! “ He ordered. “Don’t let them get away!”

Several more black clothed figures rose up from behind the trees and fled.

Vincent’s guards gave chase after the bandits while Vincent and Gregory turned to the one Vincent had just struck down.

“Who are you?” Vincent crouched down next to the barely breathing assassin he struck down to the ground. His red blood stained the sooth covered snow. Vincent tore the krampus mask from his face and threw it aside.

“Who are you?! Who sent you?! Tell me before you die!” Vincent demanded.

He grabbed the collar of the man before him and shook him viciously but no voice came out of him, just a gurgled sound as he drowned in his own blood.

“A human!” Gregory breathed out, inspecting the face of the assassin.

“Thugs for hire.” Vincent spat, heaving the lifeless body into the dirt.

There hasn’t been a sighting of a human mercenary in these parts for decades!”

“They wouldn’t travel this far north for nothing.” Vincent looked at the krampus mask that was now partially covered in soil. “Someone is paying these savage monsters and I am going to find out whom!”

“The new sovereign seems to be coming into his abilities faster than we anticipated.” Deidra dismissed with a wave of her hand the leader of the human mercenaries that had been crouched on his knees before her.

He bowed to her and got up, barking towards his men to follow him out.

Deidra smiled.

Although he did not come back with the new álfur monarch as she instructed him to do, he did bring back a piece of valuable information for her.

His men had lost the royal guards in the black woods, sneaking away in the cover of darkness. In the initial encounter one of them was struck down and injured but his comrades had disposed of him quickly to avoid detection. That is what Deidra most loved about these humans. They had no allegiance but to hard cold precious stones.

“And to think I grew up with that brat. I should have killed him in his sleep when he was a boy.”

Deidra turned towards the stone mental behind her. She blew on to the coals and set them on fire, marveling in the sight of the orange flames.

“Calm yourself daughter.” Dokkalfar moved a glass chess piece across the board of marble he was sitting by.

“We shall have another chance to get him. If I know our young ruler well enough he won’t let himself be confined to the constant watch of the royal guard. All we have to do is be patient and when he gets comfortable and think the danger had passed and when he least expects it…” He struck down the chess piece of the king, shattering it into tiny fragments. “We will have him in our grasp.”

He laughed.

Spring

“As much as I love winter I just adore this place when it’s in bloom.” Kiera leaned down and took in with a deep breath the wonderful fragrance of the blue roses that bloomed from the bushes covering the road leading out of the castle.

The cold winter had ran its course and brought in its wake all the marvelous colors of spring. The armory that had been damaged by the fire was almost completely rebuilt and those human assassins were not seen again since.

All throughout the long winter months Vincent had been sending parties of armed scouts into the surrounding woods of the city to look for the hired guns that attacked him.

To Kiera’s dismay and to the protest of both his captain of the guards and Gregory too many times Vincent had joined their search, causing Kiera a great deal of worry but none were ever found.

It seemed that just like the snow they too had somehow managed to simply dissolve into thin air.

Kiera straightened up and put her hands on her hips, looking around her.

“I beat you this time!” She announced loudly into the air.

“Not quiet.”

A voice filled with glee answered from somewhere above her head.

Kiera span around, looked up and her jaw dropped in astonishment to see Vincent perched on one of the ancient coulombs, a crimson rose in his hand.

“Oh my love, you gloated a little too soon. I told you I could not be defeated.”

He laughed, throwing her the rose. She caught it and glared up at him. “Two out of three!” She demanded. He laughed again and looked down the road.

From up here he could see the beauty of the land spread out as far as the eye could see.

The ancient coulombs with the thin thorns wrapped around them like skeletal hands crawling out from beneath the dirt. The rose bushes blooming by the low wall leading from the castle to an iron gate, its metal bent to look like vines curved in intrigued forms.

And beyond the gate the stream and the trees with their branches kissing the water and their leafs casting a shadow on the flowers growing wild and beautiful in all colors of the spectrum.

‘This is my home’. Vincent thought. ’I’ve bloomed and grew in these gardens.

These ancient stones are as much a part of me as my bones. The vines of the roses are my veins, the wind gently steering the grass is my soul singing.

I could never imagine myself being anywhere else.’

“You cheated!” Kiera declared. “How did you get here so fast?!”

Vincent smirked. “You always need to know who you are up against my love. Also the time to challenge someone may just be the key to defeat or victory. Next time I suggest you try challenging me right after a big meal. My honor will oblige me to accept the challenge, but my belly will sure be at your favor and force me to roll slowly behind you. “He winked.

Kiera laughed. “Well, it was your idea to train me, if you are over it I will be quite content to go back to our chambers and have a little more fun indulging in other activities.”

Vincent smiled and leaped from the top of the column to Kiera’s sudden gasp.

Vincent laughed as he landed right in front of her. “Oh my little doll.” He said, kissing her.

“I could never refuse to an offer like that.”

Kiera wrapped her arms around him to deepen the kiss but right before Vince closed his eyes to oblige her, a movement at the corner of his eye caught his attention.

“Kiera.” He said in an even tone. “Run.”

“What?” Kiera blinked at him, starting to turn her head back but Vince caught her face between his palms and made her look at him.

“Run back to the castle and call the guards, then stay in the castle until I come back. We are not alone.” The hairs on the back of his neck stood up, he could feel eyes set on him from behind the trees.

“But…” Kiera tried to protest but Vincent hushed her with a kiss. “Remember what we agreed on? In case of danger if we are ever caught on our own, you run. I cannot fight and worry about you at the same time.”

Kiera pouted, her lips taking the shape of a thin line but then she nodded briefly and took off up the road, back the way that lead to the castle.

Vincent watched her run and when he was satisfied she was a long way away his gaze darkened and he turned towards the trees, their branches cast a menacing a shadow across his face. Vincent felt the air shift, suddenly it became colder and the shadows grew as if reaching towards him.

“C’mon then!” He shouted as the wind began to blow. “I know you are out there!”

He looked around him, expecting a sneak attack. “I can feel you.” He said in a low roar.

“Brave little king.” Vincent tensed as he heard a flat threatening voice coming from several directions. “Or stupid.”

The blow from above came as of no big surprise to Vincent, he side stepped and clanked the mask wearing assassin on his head with his elbow, clasping the sword from the unconscious man’s hand as he went down.

“Huh!” Vincent raised the sword and the sound of it hitting the metal of another sword rang through the air. Vincent somersaulted back and stricken down another mortal who appeared from behind the trees. The man that stood in front of him took off his krampus mask and grinned at him with his scared place.

“What are you doing in my land?” Vincent questioned, his sword raised.

“Who paid you to attack me?” He snarled.

“You will soon find out blue-blood.” The one with the scared face, most likely the leader whistled and out from the darkness of obscurity they came, dozens of men wearing all black with their faces covered with krampus masks.

The scared man barked a command Vincent did not understand but in a swift motion they surrounded him. With their swords unsheathed they bore upon him from every direction and as hard as Vincent fought he could not stand against all of them at once. He was enclosed by adversaries and in a split moment of miscalculation someone had managed to strike the back of his knees, flattening him to the ground.

The sword flew out of his grasp and the next thing Vincent knew he was down on his knees, his long hair in the grip of the scared man and a sword fixed on his neck.

“What do you want?!” Vincent growled, attempting to break free from the hold of his captors but two of the mortals had his arms banded back and every movement he struggle to make only caused him pain.

“Oh, it is not what they want.”

Vincent’s eyes opened in bewilderment. He knew that voice.

“It’s what I want.” Deidra came strolling out of the thicket, a large timeworn tome in her hands.

“Deidra!” Vincent tried to launch at her but he was only pulled back, the scared man pulling at his hair so hard Vincent was sure he was going to pull it out with his scalp in tow.

“I should have known.” Vincent felt very foolish at that moment. All of a sudden all of the unsorted chips in his head had started to fall into place. “You were the one to poison our father!” He stated. Sure of the answer with rage in his eyes.

“Your father.” Deidra corrected. “And no. that was the work of my true predecessor.”

“And who is that?” Vince sneered at her.

“That is for me to know and for you to never find out.” Deidra laughed.

“You traitor!” Vincent screamed. “We took you in! You were like family! How could you do this to him?!”

“Oh please.” Deidra brushed her hair back. “You never seen me as family Vincent and besides it was never personal.”

“What was it then?”

“A means to an end. In this case the end is power. Great power that I was unjustly denied by your father. But,” She fanned herself in a lady like fashion and winked at him.

“All is right with my world ones more as now I don’t need that ancient cretin to crown me. I can cease the throne for myself and you can share in my fortune.”

“What are you talking about?” Vincent narrowed his eyes.

“I am offering you this one time only chance dearie.” Deidra smiled. “Join me and we can rule together as equals.”

“Ha!” Vincent grimaced. “In case you haven’t noticed, you tart.” He spat. “I am betrothed to another and oh yeah, you want another reason? You are certifiably deranged!”

“Suit yourself.” Deidra shrugged and stepped closer. “I thought we were going to do it the easy way but the hard way worked just fine for me.”

She opened the age-old manuscript and closed the gap between them.

With the hired thugs still holding him down Deidra put her hand on Vincent’s Forehead, slashing his skin with her sharp claw like nails.

“What are you doing!?” Vincent trashed in his endeavor to pull back from her but Deidra ignored him, putting her fingers to her lips and tasting his blood she began to chant.

Old words, ancient like the sands of time rang through the air.

Old words hollowed through his mind. The sun was concealed in darkness in his eyes and day became night.

Vincent observed the trees fall with their roots sticking like dead hands out of the ground, he witnessed the roses and the grass wither and die , he watched as his castle fell into ruins and stones marking his beloved erected in the middle of the abandoned court yard.

Vincent’s eyes rolled back in his head, a white tint covered his skin, his lips turned blue, his hair grew alabaster, his body convulsed, and he no longer knew what was real and what wasn’t and the words, the endless surge of archaic dead words brim his mind.

“Vincent!!”

He knew that voice! It haunted him in my sleep; it rang as clear as a bell in his ears.

The voice from a dream he was sure he had long forgotten.

“Vincent!”

And then he was free, his body felt light but he could not open his eyes.

With nothing keeping him up he collapsed to the ground.

“Vincent!”

He didn’t know that Kiera had reached the castle and now she was back with reinforcement in the place of danger even though he told her not to come back until he came to find her.

He didn’t know that Gregory had used his powers to force the waters of the river to coerce his captors away from Vincent when they were least on their guard.

He didn’t see the bloody fight that ensued and Deidra swearing enraged and dissipating in a bright orange flame.

All he knew is that he couldn’t open his eyes.

He couldn’t move and the darkness, the cold darkness had claimed him.