The Fates

Celia looked around the town as they walked, trying to take everything in.

Apparently this was a small town but Celia was amazed at all the bustling shops and stands that lined the streets.

Beard had planned on leaving this morning to go back to his home, which was apparently located in the midwest somewhere but he had decided to stay another day and so he was walking with Rhale and her as they explored the town.

Celia was happy that Beard had decided to stay, she liked him and she enjoyed his and Rhale's playful banter tremendously.

Rhale had bought her a new dress, this one was also simple but fit her better around her chest and she felt a lot more comfortable in it then the other one. They had still not planned on what they were going to do next and neither of them had mentioned joining again.

Celia thought back to this morning, Rhale had stayed up the night before but she had fallen asleep peacefully, dressed in one of his shirts, his scent still lingering on it.

She had woken up with Rhale next to her, his eyes studying her quietly. He had apparently been looking at her for a while and Celia blushed when she realized it.

“I never asked you how you felt about it” Rhale had asked, his voice low.

“About what?”

“You being an Angel.”

She had not known how to respond, the truth was that she did not know how she felt about it.

She still felt like herself, just normal Celia. She had liked Mildritha and it was nice to know that she had some sort of family even if she was in another realm.

“You should come with me, Lord Kieran would welcome you with open arms!” Celia came back from her thoughts just as Beard spoke, it was a nice idea, she had really come to like Beard. But she knew that they couldn’t, Beard did not even know what she was and she could not do that to him, putting him at risk like that.

“Another time my friend” Rhale told his friend and clapped his back.

“Ay, another time. It’s an open invitation!” Nothing seemed to ruin Beards happy mood, he always had a smile on his face.

All in all it was a wonderful uneventful day, they stopped and ate and talked and laughed. Celia wished that her life could always be this easy, it felt nice, not running, no mountain to climb and no dark creatures in sight.

When they had made their way back to the tavern she stopped by Taurus and gave him some much needed attention. She could feel that he was growing restless and knew that he was not used to moving around so little.

Rhale stood back, watching their interaction with a small smile. He rarely looked so at ease and she wished she could see it more often.

Celia was brushing Taurus' dark mane when a commotion drew her attention away from the beautiful horse in front of her, something was happening in the tavern but they could not see what it was from where they stood.

They both made their way over there to see what the commotion was about but Rhale stooped in his tracks, his hand coming forward to stop her as well. When Celia looked up her eyes widened, a man was holding the King’s banner.

Before them at least a dozen men from the Kings guard were questioning people around the tavern, their horses standing in formation all wearing the King's colors.

Celia’s breath caught at the ferocious looking men and she strained to hear what they were saying.

“She goes by the name of Celia.” One of them said just as she felt Rhale’s hands on her shoulders, gently steering her back. Celia stumbled a little but caught herself before they hurried back back to the horses.

Rhale wasted no time in saddling Taurus and hurriedly put on his bridle. So much for an uneventful day she thought solemnly, the day had really been perfect until now.

“We have to leave straight away” Rhale told her and she nodded mutely. She felt her shoulder, she was happy that she had taken to carry her bow and arrows around wherever they went, had she not she would have had to leave them behind.

“By The Fates is it true?” Beard whispered behind them and Celia spun around so fast her head spun and she grabbed a hold of one of the stall walls for support. Beard was staring at her with a wondrous look in his eyes, like he could not believe what he was seeing.

“Why did you not say?” He asked Rhale, his voice a stark contrast to its normally booming pitch.

“We were hoping that no one would find out” Rhale sounded annoyed and Celia could understand why, she felt annoyed at the situation too. She was not happy that they had to hurry away again, she would really have liked to stay here at least one more day.

“Well everyone knows now, they are threatening to lock away anyone that withholds any information for treason.” Treason? Celia shuddered, she knew that it meant a gruesome death for anyone who was found guilty. Surly, she was not worth that.

“I have to get her out of here safely”

“Ay, you do” Beard was still eying her up and down “I don’t believe it.”

“Its true and we do not have time for this”

Celia remained quiet, guilt filled her as she looked at Beard. What he should do was to call the guards and hand her over to them, there was no reason for him to risk being accused of treason.

But that is not what he did, “I will distract them” he said with a determined tone. Both men grabbed each other's forearms and a serious look passed between them, a hundred words not being said.

“I’m in your debt”

“Just get her somewhere safe.”

Beard disappeared without another word and they took their seats on Taurus as he stomped his hooves restlessly on the ground, Taurus was apparently ready to leave this place behind.

Soon they heard Beards booming voice, leading the guards away and they were off at a frightening speed.

Celia had no chance to look behind her as they galloped fast out of the town, Taurus did not even stop for the guards at the entrance and they had to jump to the side as Taurus flew by.

Once they were past the walls of the town she tried to look behind her to see if they were being followed but Rhale urged Taurus to go faster and it was all she could do to hold on.

They rode non stop until they reached woodland and as soon as they came upon a stream of water they stopped to quiet their thirst.

“Do you think they followed us?” Celia asked worriedly, looking in the direction of which they had come.

“No, I don't even think that they had a chance to mount their horses before we were out of the town. They will track uss eventually but we have a good head start.”

That at least was a small blessing, but what were they going to do now? The question laid silently between them, pressing down the air around them.

They sat down, listening as the water trickled over the small rocks.

“We can not go into any more towns.” Rhale said after a while.

“No, I would imagine not.”

Then silence again. Celia saw no way out of this, even being around humans wasn’t safe anymore.

But... There was also something else, she herself wanted to know what being part angel meant. She did not believe that she would ever possess the ability of magic but what if there was a chance that she could?

The question had plagued her lately.

She thought about the young boy that had died yesterday when the dragon had attacked, she thought about the hybrids and what they had done to her mother and she thought about that village that they had been in, the one where everyone had been dead in their homes.

What if she could help? How many life’s had to be lost because she was such a coward? Maybe she needed to be tested.

If there was even the smallest possibility that she could learn to do magic was it then not her responsibility to do so?

She was the only one in the entire world with angel blood running through her veins, she was the last hope to restore light magic.

Celia felt foolish, the King was right to pursue her. Had he not a kingdom to think about? Everyone knew that the King was a ruthless man but did he not have a right to be one?

The King had to rule a land plagued by monsters.

Celia felt as if she was at fault here, no, she had not asked for this and, yes, she was scared.

She was scared that if she did not show any signs of magic the King would push and prod until there was nothing left, perhaps even to her death.

She was perhaps even more afraid of what would happen if she did possess magic, she knew that her life would not be her own anymore. She would be used by the King, probably forced to stay locked away for safekeeping.

But still, maybe that was the reason for her existence. She needed to stop being selfish and think of the greater good, she needed to go to the King and let him test her. She needed to know if she was capable of helping the world.

Her mind was made up, she knew what she needed to do but now she needed to convince Rhale of that fact, she was not going to try and run away from him again. He deserved better, but she needed to make him understand that this was something she had to do, she needed to do the right thing.

“I need to go to the King'' Celia tried to sound stern but her voice, like always, failed her.

“No you do not.”

“I need to find out if I can help and if I can then I have to.” She would not back down.

“You do not know the King, he will torture you. There are better ways to find out if you have magic.”

“What ways?”

“Time.” Rhale’s voice was kind when he spoke which only aggravated her further.

He made it sound so simple, could he not understand that people were dying now? Time was a luxury she simply did not have.

“The world doesn’t have time Rhale, it is my responsibility to try and help!” She threw her hands up in the air in hopelessness.

“Did you create the dark creatures? There was a time before the angels, perhaps it is time that humans learn to fight their own battles.” Celia gaped at him, how could he be so crude?

“People are dying! I will not have that on my conscience!” Her voice was not failing her now, she had never heard herself sound so angry.

“So you want to sacrifice yourself? To become a martyr?” Rhale’s tone of voice changed as he spoke, gone were the calm kindness and in its place an undertone of anger could be heard.

“You don’t know that that will happen”

“I do know! You need time Celia, time to grow into whatever it is that you are going to be. Then you can help the world all you want, if you can.”

Celia was really getting angry now, she wanted to believe what Rhale was saying but she doubted that the people who were dying could see it that way. The monsters would not just wait for her to grow, the world needed magic now.

Besides there was nowhere she would be safe, to grow, as he called it.

“I have made up my mind. There is nothing you can say, this is my choice.”

Rhale put his head in his hands, she could see his anger, almost feeling it as it radiated out of him.

“There is no other place to go but to the King.”

“I will not allow it.”

“I’m not asking”

“And how will you get there?” he turned to her, she saw the fire that was burning in his eyes.

“The guards will find me eventually, we did leave a trail behind us.” She pointed out what he had told her only moments before.

Rhale stood up and started to pace, he looked like a wild animal locked in a cage, a very large and terrifying animal.

“Please Rhale, I do not want to fight.” Celia looked at him pleadingly, willing him to understand.

Rhale stormed over to her and pulled her up, she did not have a chance to react before his lips were on hers. He had never kissed her so roughly but she didn’t want it any other way, she kissed him back with the same frustration.

Their tongues pushed against one another, fighting for dominance which she soon lost and she let him explore her mouth at his leisure.

Celia felt Rhale push her body onto his, feeling his muscles ripple against her as he did and her hands knotted themselves in his tousled hair.

She soon became out of breath and pulled back regretfully, gasping for air. Rhale's mouth continued down her throat and she moaned at the wonderful feelings he was creating inside of her.

A sound from behind some trees made them pull apart, Rhale had already drawn his sword when Celia grabbed her bow.

A big elk came trotting out from between the trees and they both relaxed, Celia fastened her bow again and let out a small laugh. As she did the elk turned his head and looked at her, their eyes met and the strangest feeling of being pulled from the inside hit her.

All of a sudden she saw in its perspective as it walked through the woodland, running when horses came galloping by wearing the King's colors. It was the King's guard.

Celia came back into her own head and she nodded at the majestic animal before turning to Rhale.

“I was right, the King's guard is coming.”

“How do you know that?" He eyed her suspiciously, his brows going into a deep frown.

“The elk told me.” She said quietly, not quite believing the words that were coming out of her own mouth.

“The elk told you”

“Yes”

Rhale didn’t question it, instead he went straight to Taurus. When Celia didn’t follow he turned to her.

"Come, we must depart”

Celia shook her head at him, she was going to wait here for the Kings guard.

“You should go.” She told him, she would prefer it if he wasn’t here when they came.

“I am not leaving you” Rhale almost spit out the words and gritted his teeth.

“I don’t want you to stay” Celia crossed her arms stubbornly.

“Do you think that I will let the King's guard arrest you like some kind of criminal?”

“It is my choice” He needed to respect that.

Rhale sighed in frustration and walked over to her and lifted her over his shoulder like she was nothing but a defiant child. She couldn’t believe him!

Celia kicked her legs and tried to lift herself up by pushing her hands on his back but Rhale didn’t ever react, he simply plopped her down on Taurus and held on to her as he sat himself behind her.

“Rhale, let me go!”

“No” he almost growled as he urged Taurus forward. Taurus wasted no time and they were long gone before the King's guard arrived at the spot they had just been at.

As soon as she had a chance Celia was going to give him an earful.