First Look Friday: When Everything Goes Wrong

 

Copyright: Serhii Bobyk
The princess Ondina

Just Another Day

“In the name of Vulxoix, Qweh, what have you done?”

The color drained from Princess Ondina’s face as she entered her laboratory to find all thirteen members of her core staff lying on gurneys, each with horrific injuries inflicted upon them.

Ondina’s half-brother King Qweh guffawed at his sister’s revulsion. Although Qweh dwarfed her by more than half a meter and outweighed her by more than 100 kilograms, much of his weight being powerful muscle, Ondina whirled on her brother, kicking him as hard as she could in the shin. Although he was momentarily startled, Ondina’s face reddened as Qweh burst out laughing.

“An excellent strike, Baby Sister,” he chortled, enraging Ondina by chucking her under the chin. “Not enough to incapacitate me, but, there again, combat never was your forte. Oh, you would be a formidable enough opponent against an ordinary adversary, even against one of the guards. Ah, but as you can see, none of them can best me.”

“That’s probably because your goons held them down while you savaged them,” Ondina snapped. “I despise you with every molecule in my miserable being. I wish you were dead!”

“Then why not make me so, Ondina?” Qweh jeered, stroking Ondina’s cheek in a suggestive fashion that sent a wave of nausea through her. “Sweet, quiet Ondina, blessed with the power to cure or kill. Why don’t you reverse your empathic abilities and twist your astral grip around my heart, wringing the life from me as you burned the ability to grow new life from your own womb? Come now, Sister, if you loathe me as much as you say you do, why not strike me down?”

Ondina pushed away from Qweh, turning her attention to a tall, slender young man with shoulder-length hair the color of warm loam. He was bleeding from multiple wounds and angry bruises marred his pale skin. Blood bubbled from his lips as he gave a quiet moan. Ondina gently pressed a hand to his stomach and zircon light flowed from her fingers. The man gripped the princess’ hand, pulling it away from his body.

“Aqnax, I can heal you,” Ondina pleaded.

“Please, your majesty, don’t,” the man insisted. “Dear Princess Ondina, I love you with all my soul in life or in death. You are sweet and giving and my fidelity is ever yours. But oh, Your Majesty, I beg you, let me depart now for the Fields of Strans where I will be reunited with my beloved brother Aattul.”

“If this is truly your wish, my friend,” Ondina agreed reluctantly.

Ondina held her hands over her bodyguard’s heart. Dark blue light streamed from her fingers and tears flowed down her cheeks.

“My friend and protector Aqnax, I release you from your broken body to reunite with your beloved brother in the Fields of Strans. Go in peace. It was my pleasure to have known you.”

*********************
This is the first segment in a new chapter from my WIP, tentatively titled "The Tragic Last Days of Zetar."

Curse you and your cliffhangers, Cie! Where do I find the rest of this?
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1 comment:

I try to get comments published as quickly as possible. I have ADHD and anxiety and sometimes I need to work myself up to be able to respond to comments. I don't always reply to comments on my blog, but I do try to visit as many people as possible when I participate in blog hops. I share your work on the monthly Roost Recommendations posts at ornerybookemporium.blogspot.com so others can discover your work. I do read and appreciate your comments.
Sorry, the Captcha is back and this time it's staying. I was inundated with spam comments when I turned it off. I wish butt rash on all the spammers out there.

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