On her knees she was watching as Erden disappeared right in front of her, with nearly all her strength exhausted she could only stay there trying to remain conscious. "Hey Conrad." She spoke weakly, "Did you know about him? About his connection to my sister? Was that a part of your motives?
The sound of many different voices reached her ears but Conrad's was not one of them. The woman looked back only to discover her friend had fallen unconscious.
Soon enough she was surrounded by prison guards, all of them in black plates of armour. As soon as they saw them the guards rushed to their aid. Soon enough her brain was overloaded with countless questions.
Among them one was not so quick to approach, the only difference between him and the other guards was a single red line painted only on his chest plate.
Silistra looked at him, managing to see the eyes underneath the helmet. "Donas," she called to the guard who was still standing back. "I want a full report on the structure of the prison."
The man went to her and pointed at Conrad, "Ask him, he is the one that ran through the place."
"I am not in the mood for your attitude, Donnie." She said as she stood up, each movement slow and painful. Silistra looked at the direction Erden had taken and lowered herself, using the metal sheathe of her sword as a cane she stumbled forward. "There are more important things I need to attend to anyway." She looked back at him with absolute fury, " I will be expecting a written report on my desk tomorrow morning."
Donas cut off her path and crossed his arms, "First you owe some explanation to what is happening here." The other guards took notice, "Why did you and the commander fight? And why were you in such a rush to kill that kid they captured."
Silistra let her eyes wander around, all the men gathered there patiently awaited her answer. She let out a sigh and gathered her strength to stand upright. "Conrad has not turned his fangs against Raza if that is what you are asking." Her voice loud and clear, she then turned to the other guards. "I want you all to take Conrad back to the prison, treat his injuries then lock him in a cell. His mind has been captured by a wicked monster, one posing as a child."
"That is what I wanted to know." Donas said with relief, "However." He stepped up to Silistra, looking up at her, "We cannot allow you to continue in the shape that you are in."
Silistra's face began to twitch, "Donnie you are really…." Her words were cut short as somewhere along the path she was trying to pursue something appeared. Something which exuded immeasurable bloodlust.
The sheer presence of what was ahead left everyone except Silistra petrified as she pushed past Donas and stumbled forward.
Trembling, he grabbed her by the arm, "You will die if you go there alone. Please let us accompany you."
Silistra looked him in the eyes, then chuckled, "I appreciate the sentiment." In the next moment all emotion disappeared from her face, "Unfortunately you lot would be no more than dead weight." She shrugged off his hand and continued on.
Donas backed off, "What has happened to you?"
"I grew up to realize that some problems are best tackled with less people involved." She said as she limped away.
Lost in thought Silistra ignored the powerful winds that wailed around her, That boy, Beleth is the key! She thought. Why was I so blind to it? If he is as old as he looks, that would place his birth around a year after she went missing. Her eyes wandered from one place to another as she began to grasp the full extent of the devastation her fight had brought upon the forest. All of this devastation, brought upon by my own fear…. of a child.
Soon enough she reached the cause of all her confusion, her sister's swords. The curse placed upon it still active, the chains tight around the blade as if to punish the steel for turning on its master.
Silistra stopped before the sword, her eyes empty. After looking at it for a bit, she punctured her right thumb with her own teeth. The woman then knelt on the ground and smeared the handle with her own blood.
The metal reacted, the handle absorbed her blood, as a crest appeared on the crossguard, a crow with three heads and eight wings. If only you had never gone missing. Tears formed in her eyes as the chains dissipated into the air along with the stinging pain throughout her whole body.
She felt her tears roll down her cheeks. Reaching to wipe them off she froze.
"Is this how a queen should behave?" A deep old voice echoed around her.
Silistra looked around frantically, fear painted exquisitely on her face.
"Laying in the mud, crying?" The voice continued this time coming from behind her. "What a disgrace you are." It continued mockingly.
She looked behind her, to see no one there. Her heart skipped a beat as she felt someone breathing on the other side of her head. "Move forward my daughter." It whispered in her ear and just as it did Silistra swung her sword.
Something fell a couple of meters in front of her as Silistra's heart skipped a beat. A sight of extreme familiarity, a severed head, the teeth in its mouth rotten, the hair on it long and dirty. The left eyes gauged out of the socket held by the cheek with only a single ligament with the other closed.
The woman breathed heavily as she looked at it. With both her hands on the handle she pointed the sword's to it.
The lifeless head's lips began to move though before they could finish saying anything Silistra lunged at it driving her blade through it.
A couple of exasperated gasps later she realized what she had stabbed was only the ground. A Queen? She thought as she pulled out the blade from the ground, That is right. I am the queen ! She got up and sheathed her sword, I exist only for my people. My personal feelings are irrelevant.
A chuckle left her lips as they contorted into a smile. Wait…. Silistra began shaking and snivelling. Did I not just lie to save the person who betrayed me? What benefit does that bring to the rest? Soon she erupted in violent laughter as tears streamed down her cheeks and onto the ground. Look at yourself! She laughed so hard her throat began to hurt, What a failure you are.
A minute or so later she managed to calm herself and wipe her tears. What about the boy? What happened to my resolve to kill him? She began to walk aimlessly ignoring everything around her not even noticing that the wind had stopped.
As she slowly trudged through the forest her arms found their way to her hair and soon enough she began to fiddle with it. Did I not judge him as a threat? But now… now that he might be my nephew. I have discarded all my fear?
A foul stench brought her back to reality, she had reached a point very close to the city walls. Her eyes were illuminated by familiar flames with shadowy figures near them.
The woman disregarded her own thoughts and rushed closer to the scene. When she arrived she saw the full picture. Over thirty members of her police force had gathered there investigating. The snow was stained in blood in several places.
Silistra quickly closed the distance to one of her men. It did not take long for an explanation to be given, one which sounded like a complete lie.
The woman said nothing, she simply stared at the bloodstained snow. One thought in her mind. Why would Erden lie ?