It’s in the Blood
Chapter 2
Amina awoke early from her restless sleep. She hardly ever slept because of the bloody nightmares or her family members’ deaths. They haunted her every night. She quickly pulled on her red leather boots. She wore the garb of a dark sorceress because she had tried to hide at the beginning when she escaped her home. Her magic didn’t like being disguised and fought against it, killing a few innocent villagers. Once Amina’s appearance was changed to dark colors and hints of scarlet adorned her body she was able to suppress it a fraction more, able to call it back and control the blood lust. Her hair had changed slowly over the years, but it grew in thick waves of ebony and ruby. Her eyes too changed from a light chocolate brown to a dark sinister one almost to the point of being black. It seemed as though there was a bloody entity inside her, wanting the blood, craving it. She wanted to know why this magic was hers and why out of all her lineage she was the one chosen for it. Was she weak and this curse thought it could control her for its hunger? Most of her family had magic bestowed on them, but only a rare few were truly wizards or heavy magic users. She was broken out of her thoughts by a small knock on the door. Figuring it was the old innkeeper she beckoned her in. “Come in.” The door crashed in and guards crowded around her. Amina cursed. “I guess I should be more careful who I let in, hmm?” She smirked. “Let me leave in peace and no one will get hurt, maybe, can’t guarantee anything.”
“You are ordered to come to the palace as a prisoner of His Highness Lucas the Great.” One of the taller, more muscled guards announced in a deep voice. There were three altogether. Amina didn’t want to hurt any of them, but she really didn’t want to be captured either. She had been deemed a witch or demon and she knew they would ultimately try to kill her. If that happened and there was a crowd to watch, she shuddered at the thought because of what happened the first time someone tried to kill her. After the last five years her past had never been brought out in the light; she tried to bury it and just live, but for some reason something had other plans.
“I’d rather not and it would be in your best interest to let me go on my way.” Amina tried to walk forward out of the small room, but they bullied their way in front of me. She felt the magic in me swell and tried to drench its flames. Through gritted teeth she said, “Please let me leave.” One of the men flinched as a slash opened up on his arm. Amina continued to quell the power surging. She closed her eyes, calling the wound to stop flowing.
“She is a witch as they say!” The guard cursed as the blood flowed towards Amina, crawling in a thick flow on the floor. His lips were growing pale and he slumped to the floor.
“Please stop, stop NOW!” Amina screamed and the blood that was coming to her retreated back into the man. His color restored, but he was still unconscious. The other two guards were out of the way and the entrance was no longer blocked. She ran out the door and down the steps. The old woman grabbed her hand, stopping her solidly in her tracks. “Let me go, please. I don’t want to hurt you too, please.” Bloody tears spilled down her cheeks again. This woman was something other than human; she had some sort of magic too.
“You cannot hurt one who is pure of heart, Blood Sorceress Amina.” The woman said solemnly. “Do not fear child. I was called to help you.” A blinding light burst out of the woman’s skin and she was transformed into an elegant woman in white and silver garb.
“Who? Are you?” Amina was taken aback and it seemed for an instant her bloody entity was calmed and not threatened at all. Usually when something unknown came into play it would rear its ugly head.
“I am Alorna, a Light Sorceress. I try to help the dark souls I cross paths with. I had heard of you and have been searching for you. I knew you were pure at heart, but that black, dark magic has taken hold of you. I know the Lorant bloodline and there are no blood mages in it; it’s all white magic. Your parents were perhaps not telling any truths to you or they made a pact with something dark.” The guards came barreling down the stairs and went straight out of the inn, not glancing back at the glowing woman. Amina stared in their direction. “They cannot see me as I am now, all they see is an old woman. I conceal myself.”
“My magic won’t let me. It wants me to look this way. I’ve tried to hide.” The young sorceress shook her head in disgust with herself.
“You speak of your magic like it is a living thing. My magic is me, but you haven’t claimed yours.” Alorna said carefully thinking.
“I don’t want it, it’s not who I am. It does horrible unspeakable things to people. It overcomes my senses and takes control. I have no say in the matter.” Amina sat down on a chair, thinking too. She had spent countless hours, days, and weeks thinking about this. It was her life goal to be rid of this magic.
“But magic my dear is who we are and if we don’t accept it, it can overwhelm us. I used to not be able to tame my light, now I can dim or brighten it as I choose.” She took Amina’s hand again and squeezed it; a warm gentle feeling came over her and the bloodlust nearly disappeared.
“So, you’re saying if I stop fighting it, I can learn how to control it? That sounds ridiculous!” She threw up her hands in the air in exasperation and began pacing like a panther.
“With any magic there is a reason why it chooses a person and this blood magic chose you. It’s now time to accept that and move on Amina. Once you do that, then we can train.” The light sorceress offered her hand again and Amina took it. Alorna took her to the stables attached to the inn. Two horses ate away at some hay laid out for them. “We’re leaving town and going to my home in the mountains.”
“Training in the mountains, how cliché, master.” She smirked, but the light sorceress was serious and Amina took heed as she mounted the steed. “How far is it?” The sun was rising over the horizon.
“We’ll be there by sunset.” The blood sorceress noticed her satchel already on her horse and another small satchel on Alorna’s. When had she done that, thought Amina. So, they rode off into the hills Amina’s fate lie ahead of her and she could only wish that what Alorna was speaking of, making peace with this black magic inside her would allow her to live freely again. |
