NOVEL SIMPLE Ch. 14 Aftermath (Cecilia)
The princess had never been so tired in her life. Granted she is willing to admit that there has never been a need to push herself to extremes growing up in the royal castle. Sure she had spent long days practicing magic with her teachers and yes she knows what mana exhaustion feels like, but Cecilia had never been so taxed mentally, emotionally, and physically before. The drain on her energy she experienced after the adrenaline in her veins finally calmed down was overwhelming. It had been well over an hour since they left Brynville and Cecilia was having difficulty remaining upright in her saddle in the late afternoon sun. Cecilia felt the worried eyes of her loyal bodyguard and best friend watching her.
“We should rest.” Kaitlyn told Devin firmly. “The princess used up a lot of strength getting us out of that town.”
“I’m fine.” Cecilia tried to sound firm but she continued to sway in place on her horse despite her best efforts to steady herself. “We still have a few hours to go until we reach the fort.”
Devin glanced back the way they had come. “We have time for a short rest. You don’t have to feel like you have to act tough. I could use a breather as well.”
Kaitlyn hopped down from her horse and held Cecilia’s reigns for her while she slid down the side of her saddle.
“Sorry.” The princess mumbled to her bodyguard. “I didn’t think I’d be so weak.”
The breath was driven from Cecilia’s lungs as Kaitlyn enveloped her in a forceful hug.
“Don’t say that.” Kaitlyn whispered earnestly. “You were spectacular. Stamina comes with time and effort. In combat it's difficult to track exactly how much mana you’re channeling into any given spell, especially if you’re not used to the chaos of battle. It’s very easy to burn through your energy much faster than you anticipate. At least, that’s what others have told me.”
Cecilia gingerly lifted her arms behind Kaitlyn and returned her hug. Feeling a pair of eyes on them, the princess turned her head slightly and spotted Devin watching the two of them with a warm smile and knowing eyes. Cecilia felt her face redden slightly and she pushed Kaitlyn gently away.
“Thanks Kaitlyn.” Cecilia cleared her throat and turned to remove a wool blanket from her saddle. “I think I’ll rest up a bit.”
The other two got busy sorting the horses while Cecilia found a soft patch of grass beneath a nearby tree and layed out her blanket. It didn’t take her long to drift off to an exhausted sleep. Cecilia descended into uncomfortable dreams full of hideous goblins and burning towns.
Her actions felt sluggish and she could never quite get away from any of the monstrous beasts that chased her around the ruined town in her dream. Throughout it all an overwhelming feeling of being watched devoured Cecilia’s slumbering mind. The feeling grew stronger the longer the princess slept until the featureless presence began to take shape as a spectral figure looming in the distance. Crimson eyes watched her. At first they were curious but the longer the dream dragged on the more angry and fierce the eyes grew.
“... Why is she there?”
Whispers reverberated around the dreamscape and mixed with the hideous snarls of the goblin like dream creatures.
“... Worthless…”
“... Pitiful...”
“... Undeserved…”
Cecilia tried to cast any sort of magic but was unable to summon even an ounce of mana. Her arms felt like they were made of lead and she struggled even to lift them in front of her.
“...Spent all that time just for someone else to swoop in and try to steal him from me…”
The spectral voices grew easier to understand, though they still echoed around and over one another. It was a woman’s voice. One that the princess had never heard before.
“... Love him.”
“... Have loved him...”
“... Will always love him...”
The spectral form became even sharper. A demon woman with long white hair and a sneering mouth flickered in and out of vision.
“... Dead soon...”
“... Dead now…”
The voice suddenly became very clear, like the mysterious woman was right next to Cecilia’s ear. The hauntingly excited voice sent chills through the princess’ core.
“Found you.”
Cecilia sat bolt upright on her blanket. Cold sweat dripped from her neck and left a cold trail down her goosebump covered backside.
“Woah. Hey now.” Devin pushed himself up from the tree trunk he had been leaning on when he noticed how rapid Cecilia was breathing. “Kaitlyn.”
The bodyguard sprinted over and knelt beside the princess. Worry filled Kaitlyn’s eyes.
“Cecilia? What’s wrong? What happened?” Her bodyguard ran her careful hands up and down the princess’ body frantically looking for a potential wound.
“Um… I don’t… It’s noth-” Cecilia stopped short when a flicker of movement above Devin’s head caught her eye.
A dark raven sat upon a high branch. Its black eyes made direct eye contact with Cecilia. It cawed loudly, turned to look purposefully at Devin, and then cawed again.
“The bird.” Cecilia stammered.
She struggled to her feet and lifted a shaky hand to point at the raven. Kaitlyn’s right hand flashed behind her back and in one swift motion she drew and threw an expertly placed dagger straight at the dark avian. In a surprising twist the raven drew back its wings and threw them forward with such force that the gust of wind caused by its flap knocked the dagger off course. The dagger bounced off of the trunk of the tree and spun out of sight somewhere in the distance. The raven launched itself off of its perch and flew a tight path through the trees, also disappearing from sight to the west.
“Care to explain, Cecilia?” Devin asked.
The hero had his shield readied as he surveyed the forest around their rest spot. The princess shook her head.
“I’m not sure, but I think the raven was some sort of familiar. Someone was trying to find you.”
“Could it have been your father? Or one of the court wizards?” Devin asked. “They’re pretty much the only ones who knew relatively where to find us.”
Cecilia frowned. “I didn’t say it was trying to find us. I said it was trying to find you.”
Devin looked back at her with concern.
“Look, whoever is linked to that bird felt extremely powerful.” The princess explained as she reached down and scooped up her wool blanket. “And I didn’t get the feeling that they were good news. I don’t think we should be here by the time that bird reports our position to whoever sent it.”
Devin spent a moment to gaze back in the direction of Brynville for a moment before responding.
“You’re right. There’s some strange things going on around here. We should keep moving.”
The trio packed up their horses quickly and were back riding within two minutes. Cecilia still felt tired, but the fear of what she experienced in her dream kept her alert for the rest of their journey to the nearby fort where she prayed they would find safety.
