Bodil.

  Something was in the darkness with me. I could feel it. "Show yourself!" I demanded into the darkness. "Show your face!"

  I held out my palm and summoned a small flame. It wasn't large, but enough to show me that I was the only standing in the room, at least the only one that I could see. "I know you are here."

  The room had three different arched tunnels leading out of it. Two of them had metal gates that looked as though they were recently built. The one to the far right was open. Guess I was going that way. Walking down the tunnel leaving the room dark again I thought of Tyr. He was probably still laying on the ground moaning, so deciding he could either lay there or find his own way to me on his own and I kept going.

  "Amaia..." A girls voice whispered from in front of me though the dark.

  "Now that we are talking, why not show yourself to me?" I asked the voice. I sighed loudly and kept moving forward. The tunnel was going on a lot farther then I had expected. Not really changing until a torched mounted against the wall lit up marking another archway. Beyond the archway looked as though the floor was glowing red. Letting my flame fade and dropping my hand I move as quietly as I could. The archway opened up to to a large cliff ledge. It dropped down into the mountain, to a river of fire. It was far enough below that I wasn't worried, but I could still feel the heat against my face as I looked down on it. "Blood of the mountain." I whispered.

  "Amaia..." The girls voice said again.

  I looked next to me, the voice was so close to my ear that I expected someone to be there. No one. I took that as a sign and started to walk the ledge following the fire lake. I thought of Bjorn and Pepper. Sullevan and Cal. Would they be looking for Kara and I? I hoped so. I hoped Kara was alright. I thought about the legends that were told around suppers and drinking by men who had done more then I had in my life. The ones that told of maidens so beautiful stole the minds of me, and tricked them into following them to the fire lakes as sacrifices to the gods. Or the ones of beasts rising from the lava to devour people for entering a mountain with out its permission. I scoffed to myself.

  "The lake is what?" I asked no one. I scanned the edge of the fire lake. The air was thick with steam and the sulphur was on my tongue making me cough. Across the lake I could see logs that were placed into the ground. most of them were burnt away and standing only by chance. Sacrifices. This was it. This was where William was. I started along the edge of the lake holding my cloaked over my mouth, breathing in the fumes and being so close to the fire water was making my head light. I pressed my back again the rocky wall as I neared the site of the burned logs. There were still bodies half burnt and covered in blood on a few of them. Those poor souls. I was peering around to see if anything was here with me. Being sure I was alone I started to creep into the gruesome scene.

  Moving slowly and hiding behind either a dead body or a wood stack I made it to a table that was full of scrolls. One was spread out over the table held in place with black rocks. Pushing the rocks away and rolling the scroll up, I tucked it into my belt behind me. Making sure it was concealed by my top. I would read it when I was safe. I turned to move farther along and stopped mid step. Just in front of my, tied to a pole was a woman. A woman who was wearing clothing that I recognized. I fell to my knees and covered my mouth stifling a cry.

  "No!." I whispers. "No, please no. Not Kara Please don't let that be Kara." I prayed to Ota.

  I could feel someone put their hand on my shoulder and lean in beside my ear. I froze thinking I was caught. "Run. Run now!" The girls voice urged in my ear. I stood up quickly and looked behind me. She wasn't there, another tunnel was however and I could see torches lighting someone's way down it. I ran back the way I came, leaving Kara behind me. My cheeks were hot and my body was shaking. I made it back to he edge of the lake and pressed myself against the wall hoping I was hidden from whoever was coming. I waited trying to slow my breath.

  Two large men exited the tunnel first followed by a smaller man. He was wearing a robe much like what Tao had on. The same symbols and runes. It must be William. My skin went cold. I was angry at the sight of him. He killed Kara. He killed her horribly and he was going to pay. I went to step out of my hiding spot when Tyr grabbed my hand and stopped me. Shaking his head he pulled me back against the wall. I tried to move again but Tyr pushed me against the wall. He pulled me away from William back the way he came through. Slowly we left the lake, working our way in silence tracing our steps back outside of the mountain. As we exited and the sun touched my face again I let my grief fill me. Tears filling my eyes I spun around and punched Tyr on the hard on the shoulder.

  "You shouldn't have stopped me." I yelled at him.

  "You would be dead if I didn't." He said.

  "He killed Kara, Tyr. He cut her head off!" I cried out.

  "And he would have killed you in an instant as well if he seen you. He will kill anyone that's gets between him, and his god." He sounded hurt as he said that. "He has killed children, Bodil." He shook his head and started to walk away.

  "Where are you going?" I asked him.

  "Away, I want no part of this any longer. I'm getting as far away from William as I can. You should do the same, Bodil." Tyr nodded and continued to leave.

  I kneeled on the ground unsure of what I should do next. I was alone. Closing my eyes I thought of Cal and his boys. I thought of my brother. Where was he now? If we were together we could have stopped William. I should be able to stop William. I was a god once. A powerful god. A god that struck fear into those around me. Aadi and I could have destroyed William, and the Ud?de for merely thinking about coming to our realm. I screamed. Letting my anger fill the air. Echoing in the distance and sending birds fleeing into the sky.

  I stood up and brushed off my dress. I had enough. It is time for me to stop snivelling about life, and start changing it. I breathed deeply calming my body. Closing my eyes and concentrating on Bjorn, feeling for his power, his very being.

  "There you are." I whispered to myself. I could feel him, I knew he was close. I reached out in front of my and gripped the air as if I was grabbing onto Bjorn's essence, and pulled it to my chest.

  "Bodil?" Bjorn said my name.

  Opening my eyes, I was now standing in front of him, Pepper and Sullevan looked completely shocked next to him. Cal was behind me and started laughing. He clapped his hands.

  "That was wonderful." He said with a grin. "How did you do that?"

  I was staring into Bjorn's eyes and didn't say a word. I thought of Kara, what I had seen. Tyr. All of it. I knew Bjorn knew. I could see in his eyes, he just knew.

  "Kara is dead." He said out loud. "William had her sacrificed." He said sadly as he looked up at Cal.

  Cal's smile was gone in an instant. "How do you know?" He demanded. "Where?"

  I turned around and looked at Cal shaking my head. "I only just found her body. We were ambushed some how. I don't remember. I woke up... Cal, I am so sorry. I tried to find her and Tao in time. And then..." I shook my head again. "I'm going to finish this. We are going to finish this." I looked up at Bjorn.

  "Now." He agreed. I gripped his wrist and he mine. I could feel our power, lighting like a great furnace inside of me. The warmth from the flames of Interitus in my soul.

  Bjorn pulled out his sword, Gorn's blade. I reached out beside me and held my hand out for my axe. Heading my call it came rushing through the air like an arrow from wherever it was. The moment my hand gripped the handle, lighting struck the sky above Bjorn and I. The gods were with us.

  "Let's go find ?deleggeren." Bjorn said.

  'The Girl'

  "Father? When will I become a queen?" The girl asked looking up from her grass woven crown she was weaving.

  "You are already a queen, you are the queen of Nef!" ?deleggeren said.

  "No, Father. I meant, When will I get to go to Nef? When will I see my kingdom?" She asked, her green eyes glinting in the flame lit torches around the room. Her hair yellow like wheat, her skin the same as her mothers, an olive color and warm. She had ears like Terra's first children, the Eladry, long and thin. She was small if height and build, nothing of her physical self resembled her father. She had marks on her like those of Ota's kind, the awakened. The marks given to her while she grew in her mothers belly. The marks were bright white, crawling vines that formed ruins of that were as old as Terra and Ota themselves. Ruins that not even the girl understood the meaning of, though she knew they were there for when she needed them the most.

  The girl was sad. She knew things were going to change soon. Did she love her father? In a way. A way that she did have one likeness inside of her she shared with him. A darkness. Sometimes she would lose control of that darkness. It would pour out of her like black tar, poisoning those around her. Changing them into something else. Changing her into something else. Something dark. She called it Dorchadas.

  ?deleggeren would tell her, that was his true daughter.

  "Nef is just there." ?deleggeren pointed to a swirling portal across his throne room. He stood from his throne and reached for the girls hand. "Come." He said.

  She stood up and put her small hand in ?deleggeren's, leaving her pile of grass. Together they crossed the black shale walled room. The floors as black as the walls reflecting back at them. The only thing with color in the room was the throne its self. Red fabric on the seat of a throne made from bones of those fallen before ?deleggeren.

  "When the portal is finally opened on the other side, we will destroy our enemies, and rule over Nef. You, will destroy my enemies." He said to her as he kneeled before her. "Your power is my power." He said as he squeezed her hand. She smiled faintly and hesitated.

  "Father? Where is my mother?" She knew he would tell her she was dead, he always did. She knew better. She could feel her.

  "Dead." He said annoyed standing up. "Dead, and better for it. You know this my child" He started to walk back to his throne irritated that she was obsessed with her mother's whereabouts. The very idea of Terra having any connection with this girl was disgusting. It was enough that she looked much like her mother. And yes, he needed Terra's blood line mixed with his own to create a new power. A power that Verge wouldn't know. A power even he didn't know the reach of. But that didn't mean he couldn't hate that part of her. Hated that he was reminded that inevitably the Verge would still be connected to him, through her.

  "But she is not dead. I can see her now. In darkness and chained. Why don't you tell me, why?" The girl asked innocently. She could feel her temper rising already knowing that her father was going to lie.

  "Nothing matters except for what you have been taught. Yes, she is alive but dead to us. You will never see her." He sat in his throne trying to keep his anger from exploding out of him.

  "It does matter!" The girl yelled, "It matters because you are a liar!" It wasn't the first time she accused her father of lying to her. Her eyes turning black, her tears black to match. her light features turning dark. "I love you father! Why do you lie?" She screamed. the sound like that of a banshee. The air started to feel heavy. The darkness she carried was always there. Always waiting to destroy those around her.

  "Stop!" ?deleggeren demanded as he grabbed the girls shoulders and shook her. He could already feel the affects of his daughters power. His mind cloudy with thoughts with pure hatred. He squeezed his eyes shut trying to push her from his mind. "STOP!" he yelled letting her go, falling to the ground.

  She blinked in shock as she fell back and then laughed. "It's okay, father. I promise I wont do that again." Her smile sweet and kind once again.

  ?deleggeren reached out and picked her up effortlessly from the floor and laughed. " All is just as it should be, my child." He said to her as he carried her back to the grass pile.