The Legacy

She was running. Low tree branches and thorn bushes scraped at her skin, but she didn’t stop. Her mother was pulling her along as they ran deeper into the dark woods. She could hear her mother chanting something, but she couldn’t focus on what her mother was saying above the burning sensation she felt in her head. She knew someone or something was chasing them, but she didn’t understand why. Neither did she know where they were running to. “Kain!” she heard someone call but it wasn’t her mother calling. “Kain! Kain, wake-up! You need to wake-up!”

Slowly, Kain began to unclench her head, she opened her eyes with great difficulty, stars dotting her vision. She found two wide green eyes staring at her. “Kain?” Breezes had worry written all over her face. Kain gave a sudden gasp of air followed by a strong force in the form of a wave pulsing out of her body and expanding in every direction. The sudden surge of power knocked Breezes a few feet back as it vanished through the woods and over the river.

“What was that?” Breezes asked as she regained her balance and crawled back towards Kain. Kain stared at the girl with her wide, bulging eyes, “I don’t know. I was hoping you could tell me?” Kain whispered with her voice shaking along with every part of her body.

“Well,” Breezes said looking back towards the spot she fell, “if I’m not mistaken, I’d say it’s magic,” Breezes continued with a surprised smile. Kain stared at the patch of wildflowers that had grown on the spot where Breezes had fallen. It had sprouted out of nowhere.

Breezes stood up and walked to a nearby tree, placing her palms on the rough bark. “What are you doing?” Kain asked, looking at Breezes as the fae took her hands away again. Breezes smiled with excited anticipation glimmering in her eyes, “testing a theory,” she said, her eyes pinned on the spot where her hands had been just a few minutes ago. They watched as two glowing green handprints remained on the bark. It seeped into the tree and in its place, several mushrooms sprouted until full grown.

Kain blinked a few times, trying to get her focus back, “I thought you said you didn’t have magic,” Kain half accused, remembering why she trusted the fae in the first place. Without magic she wasn’t a threat. Kain frowned at the fae wondering if she had been lied to. She would have put more effort in her accusation if it wasn’t for her head spinning.

‘Magic’, she thought as she tried to stand up. Her legs felt wobblily and her head began to spin faster, how was that even possible? She was nothing special, she had no special abilities. Sure, she had amazing skills as a hunter but that was from hard work and training not magic. “I didn’t. I don’t know how this is possible but somehow my magic is working again,” Breezes said looking both fascinated and amazed. She bended down next to Kain, taking Kain’s hand and helping her to her feet.

“Kain,” she began then paused before she continued, “don’t you see. I think you were the one I was looking for,” she said with wide, excited eyes. Her young face looking even younger. “I noticed subtle changes last night. Every dormant magical cell in my body vibrated almost as if a pulse of power was awakening them. And then this morning I tripped over the coffee table with the stich in my side and all. When I reached for the wooden table to stabilize myself, I was surprised to feel moss softening the hard surface beneath my palm. That’s when I had the suspicion that my magic was awakened again,”

Kain sat on the couch with her head in her hands, she was still feeling dizzy but that wasn’t what made her feel nauseous. “Do you want to explain what happened to you before, well, you know?” Breezes asked, holding a cup of purple fluid out to Kain. Kain stared at it then up at Breezes before taking the cup and draining the fluid, “I don’t know. It’s like my mind is forcing me to remember a past that I’m not familiar with. Strange and familiar images flash through my mind. It feels like a memory but I can’t tell if its mine or just a strange hallucination. But when it happens, it hurts like hell!” Kain said, after swallowing the surprisingly sweet fluid and squeezed her eyes against her palm.

They still carried a piece of the pain she felt earlier. Breezes sat down on the couch next to Kain, she placed a cool hand on Kain’s knee, “can you tell me what you see when the images appear?” she inquired gently. Kain didn’t remove her hands from her eyes, “the first time I experienced something like this, it wasn’t concrete, and it definitely didn’t hurt like this. It started when I was looking at a symbol I had found on the bodies of the killed victims. It seemed familiar to me. It was the reason I saved you in the first place. I wanted to know if you could tell me anything about it,” Kain said, taking her hands away from her eyes and rested her arms between her legs. She was staring at the ground now, watching the sparks that blotted her vision caused by the pressure of her hands.

“So, this symbol unlocked you, if that is what you could call it?” Breezes inquired. Kain just nodded. “Okay, so what happened then? Breezes pushed further. “In that vision I only heard desperate pleading for mercy and screams of horror. I could hear flames crack as buildings burned down. There was a woman calling to me, begging me to protect someone. To keep someone safe. There was another voice that had spoken to me, a voice that sounded so motherly. I was only a child and I was begging the second woman to stay. I think she was my mother!” Kain spoke in a trance as she continued onto the next vision. She remembered it as if it happened to her just a few minutes ago,

“The second time it hurt, and I sort of blacked out as the images came on strongly,” Kain told Breezes what had happened in the second and then the third visions. Tears were running down her cheek silently as she finished speaking. She still stared at the floor with her mind at a distance. How such things made her feel small and vulnerable was beneath her. Breezes put her hand on Kain’s shoulder, gently squeezing it, “so I suspected the truth! You are indeed Kainun Bloodleaf.”

Kain stared at Breezes now, “how can I be someone if I don’t even know who that person is?” she asked, her voice broken and weak. Breezes thought for a moment as she stared at the moss covered door, then scooted closer to Kain, “you said your mother was chanting while you were running and that your head felt warm?” she recalled. Kain could tell by the sound of her voice that she was heading somewhere with the thought.

“Yeah, what about it?” she inquired curiously as she sat a little straighter. “I think I might have an idea but I’m going to have to summon someone if that is alright with you?” Breezes asked carefully.

Kain knew that the ‘someone’ Breezes wants to summon would be another fae. She thought about it for a moment. All of this was happening too fast. Her trusting a fae. The people she used to trust deceiving her. things happening that made no sense. The visions. She wasn’t comfortable with the idea of bringing more fae into these woods. She was already taking a big chance with keeping Breezes here, did she really want to risk anymore? But what if Breezes could help her? Would she risk it? Kain breathed out slowly, “will you promise to keep out of sight?” she asked, giving in.

Breezes nodded, “of course.” She said smiling to assure Kain that she wasn’t making a mistake. Breezes stood up and brought Kain a piece of paper and charcoal, “so this symbol you mentioned? Can you draw it?” she asked as she handed Kain the two items. Kain stared at the blank page for a while then nodded, taking the piece of charcoal. She drew a replica of the symbol as best as she could remember. She only drew the symbol halfway when she heard Breezes gasp. It wasn’t until Kain stared down at the three headed snakes that she realized the similarity to the symbol they had found beneath Collin’s chin. Only this one was surrounded by flames instead of being in boxed by a frame.

“Where did you see this symbol?” Breezes asked, her voice shivering as she spoke. Kain lifted her eyes towards the fae girl, “they were burned into the victims of fae killings, in black ink.” She squinted her eyes slightly at Breezes, “does it mean something to you?” she inquired carefully. This was what she wanted to know from the start. This is why she saved the fae girl.

Breezes sat down on the mouldy couch, her thin fingers brushing over the pink petals on her head, “it became well known in my world. It is Zorzia’s symbol. Her trademark for death. Which she inflicted, whether it was by command or by her own hand,” Breezes explained, her thoughts were at a distance. “But I don’t understand. Zorzia is long gone. Why would her symbol appear now? Along with her name on dead bodies?” Breezes asked with a frown burrowing deeply into her forehead. Kain took both of Breezes’s hands, “something isn’t right? I can feel it and I know you can too. There’s something bad going on Breezes and I don’t like it,” Kain whispered eerily.

Breezes focused on Kain. She leaned in closer and squeezed Kain’s hands gently, “we’ll figure this out. I’m sure of it,” she assured. Kain knew they were just words to make them both feel better, but she wouldn’t count on it right away. She didn’t say so, out loud. Kain turned her gaze towards the green moss stained window. It was getting late. She hadn’t realized that the morning had gone by so quickly. She needed to get back before Gavin decided to come after her. She thought about his kiss again and wondered if he felt as loved as she did. She wondered if he knew how much he really meant to her. If he did, would he understand what she is going through? Would he help her if she told him her secrets? “I should go,” Kain said, standing up from the couch realizing how stiff she was from all the tension, “but before I do, let me check out your wound first,” she suggested as she turned back towards Breezes.

Breezes smiled brightly up at her, “no need. I’m all healed up,” she said with a giggle. Kain blinked a few times, “I don’t understand. How’s that possible, let me see it,” she commanded, her brows furrowing together. Breezes lifted her flower petals that covered her front as Kain move closer to see. There was no sign of any wound except for a long, dark green scar that would remain there for the rest of her life.

Kain shook her head as she continued to frown, her eyes sparkled with amazement, “how? The wound was easily a few inches deep?” she asked. Breezes laughed as she let her petals fall down again, “I’m a plant, Kain. So basically, I heal on my own. You took all the debris out of my wounds, so I was able to heal overnight. Given that I seem to have my magic back, the healing process went even faster,” Breezes giggled. She looked down at her covered wound, “of course I will have a scar to prove that I have been wounded at all,”

“that’s kind of amazing,” Kain said, smiling at the fae. And it really was. She could think of a few reasons how that fast healing ability could come in handy. “See you tomorrow. More or less about the same time?” Kain asked, making for the door. Breezes laughed quietly, “as long as you don’t collapse on me again.”

Kain laughed as well, “I make no promises.”

She felt a little lighter after visiting Breezes. She didn’t know why but maybe it was because she needed someone to talk to, since the only person she could talk to, is Breezes. Which is quite inconvenient since she is also a fae. Kain scoffed to herself. Turns out that she in herself was also a fae. What would Abbadon think about that? She wondered. The thought made her face grow cold, what would he think about it? Would he kill her? Or would he spare the girl who he had raised to be his first apprentice? Kain shuddered at the thought, she knew what he would do. He wouldn’t care who or what she was to him, he would definitely kill her. She walked slowly through the woods. Kain wasn’t that eager to go back to the Academy, knowing what her fate now held.

The Academy buzzed with talk about Sophia and the fae ambush. Kain walked down the long hallways towards the Rec-hall, knowing that Gavin would probably be in there eating away his dinner. She smiled at some passing students as she went through the open double doors. Abbadon wasn’t sitting in his usual chair which made her frown slightly. She caught Edrick’s eye and felt cold fingers tickle her spine. He was staring at her, his eyes unmoving and unreadable. His strange warning echoed through her thoughts, which made her wonder if he knew something about Collins and about the fae. She shivered, wondering if he knew something about her, about the Kainun Bloodleaf part. When he turned his head away, looking at the other students, Kain turned her head and scanned the crowd once more. She found Gavin sitting alone with his half-eaten sub in one hand and an open document in the other. He was frowning as he read through the document.

The sight of him sent butterflies through her stomach, seeing him always did. She made her way towards him. “Hey there,” she greeted, swinging her leg over the bench and sat down next to him. He stared at her mid-chew then swallowed heavily. “Hey. I was wondering when you will return,” he said folding the document closed again, “feeling better yet?” he asked, turning to give her his full attention.

His skew smile looked charming, and his eyes shimmering with delight, “yeah, much better,” she said, smiling as guilt gnawed at her again. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek just to make sure he didn’t detect the lie. “Where’s Abbadon?” she asked, nodding her head towards the headmaster’s chair. Gavin looked over his shoulder, frowned at the chair then turned back towards her, “he’s out. Said something about a meeting with someone and that he won’t be back until tomorrow evening.”

Kain’s brows furrowed together, “what do you suppose Abbadon is up to with all these strange meetings?” she asked, remembering the strange old man from the other day. “Don’t know. But I suppose Abbadon’s business is none of our business anyway,” he shrugged, taking a big bite from his sub before holding it out towards her. She shook her head. It was a BBQ beef sub and he knew she didn’t eat red meat.

“So, did you talk to Sophia?” she asked curiously. Gavin nodded his head, but he didn’t look satisfied. “What did she say?” she prodded wondering if Sophia still had no memories.

“Nothing helpful. We’re going to have to solve this case another way, it seems,” he said with a low groan in his voice. “We’ll figure this out,” she said. Kain had meant to say it to him, but she knew that she was referring to herself and her own problems she needed to solve in a different way. Gavin stood up, not noticing Kain’s dazed expression.

“I’m going to check into the lab, see if they have the results back on the poison we found in Collins’s blood,” he said flatly, placing a quick kiss on her cheek. She watched his tense shoulders disappear through the doors.

Kain made her way back through the halls towards her chambers. She was about to turn the corner, when she caught sight of the stairs that led to Abbadon’s office. Gavin had said that Abbadon was out and won’t be back until tomorrow. There had been something bothering her about what she saw underneath Collins’s chin. The symbol embedded into Collins’s skin was one she had seen somewhere. One a little closer to home than the symbols inked into the skin of the fae victims. She stood there staring at the stairs for a while, thinking. Hesitating.

The Academy was still too busy, and she would easily be spotted if she tried to sneak into Abbadon’s office now. She rounded the corner and walked towards her chambers. She will sneak into his office tonight. As soon as everyone is asleep. She knows where she will be able to get in without being caught but she needed the darkness on her side.

Her chamber smelled like burned sage and smoked lavender. She breathed in deeply. Gavin must have done it. He knew it was the only two things that made her relax. She smiled to herself. He was such a good boyfriend, yet she still couldn’t tell him everything. Her smile faded and she closed the doors. She ran a tub and added citrus scented bubble bath to it. Kain had plenty of time to enjoy a nice bath before the night would come. She slid out of her clothes and climbed into the warm, foam covered water. She sunk deeper into the tub and rested her head against the tubs edge. Only her head was visible above the foam.

Kainun, she heard someone call. Her eyes remained closed, thinking that she imagined it. She was about to doze off again when the voice sounded once more, Kainun! Wake-up! The voice was a loud whisper. Kain ignored it, she didn’t want to wake up. She was exhausted and she just wanted to sleep. KAINUN! You have to wake up! NOW!

Kain opened her eyes, the fae name sinking into her consciousness. It was when she opened her eyes that she realized what was going on. She sat up straight, her head emerging out of the water. She coughed violently as she tried to remove the water from her lungs. She had forgotten that she was still in the bathtub. Kain was so tired that she had fallen asleep as soon as she rested her head against the edge of the tub. She stared around the room, but she was still alone. Who was calling her then?

Kain climbed out of the now ice-cold, foamless water and walked towards the window. Water dripped down her skin which was slowly being covered by pinpricks. She shuddered. The sky outside was already filled with stars and a moonless heaven. How long had she been in the bathtub? She wondered. With another shudder, Kain grabbed a towel and dabbed the remaining drops from her skin. She put on some dark clothes and grabbed her black hood. She didn’t want to think about it. There were too many things going on already. She tied her hair in a rough bun before climbing out of her window. There was still something she had to do before morning came.

Later, she thought to herself, later she could worry about the voice that had saved her from almost drowning.