NATALIA OPENED HER EYES slowly, wincing a bit when the strain on her eyelids caused her pain. She
sat up looking around, not recognizing her surroundings. A gush of wind swept past her and she shivered a bit, her hands automatically wrapping around her body. Where was she?

She took a deep breath and took a closer look around. One thing was certain, this wasn’t Havaris. The air
was a bit heavier and if she wasn’t partial, more congested, with smoky fumes. The trees around her were moving slowly and she could see the traces of smoke on a hill high up.

Standing up carefully, she
drew a sharp breath when she felt a sharp pain tear through her midsection and she collapsed back on the grassy terrain. Why was she here? Where was everyone?

A soft sound coming from just beside her made her turn sharply, it was the cry of a baby. Her baby.

She rushed up quickly, her motherly instinct kicking in as she searched for her darling. Straining her ears.
Sure enough she found her little girl, covered by a thin baby blue blanket. Her tiny hands were raised as she wailed, her face puffy and red. Natalia’s distorted mind struggled to make sense of the situation and she took her little bundle of joy in her arms, cooing silently and whispering sweet words.

Walking away slowly, heedless of directions, she stopped when she heard footsteps. The footsteps were
light but the owners were probably much farther than indicated. Her hearing heightened, she listened
carefully trying to figure out who they were. A warrior instinct.

Then it hit her. Her heart sped up and the thumping was sharp, she ran. Her steps were dragged and slower than usual but she didn’t care, her stomach tightened and sweat fell from her forehead even in the chilly weather. Her little girl held close to her heart, she continued.

Having no idea where she was going was a disadvantage and this became clearer when she came upon a dead end. She scowled glancing around as the footsteps grew closer. She made a turn trying not to dwell on the surge of emotion flowing through her. Pain, sorrow, fear, love, hate.

It was pointless though and she fell down sobbing, her tears drying up before they touched the ground.
Her hands shook and she spared a glance at her beautiful daughter.

Smiling sadly as she giggled softly,
she used a finger and lightly caressed her baby’s cheek, the attackers momentarily forgotten. The little
girl smiled, her silvery deep blue eyes glowing – still not completely formed – Her little curly brown hair
were intertwined in her mother’s middle finger.

Her daughter, Now her only reason to survive, She would never know her father’s smile. Never taste her grandma’s cooking and never hear her grandpa’s story.

She knew she was being emotional, but she couldn’t help it. She was too deep in her pain. The footstep coming closer snapped her out of her state of shock and she stood up again her legs threatening to give away. She was a mother now and she would protect her child. Even if it cost her life.

With that thought, she breathe deeply standing still, her grey eyes closed, a surge of power came to her. The last of her energy. The air around her crackled and the wind picked up speed, billowing her blonde hair. Giving birth really took a lot of her energy, much more than was accustomed to their kind. It was worth it though, her daughter was worth it.

With renewed vigor and strength she ran again, the attackers were closer now. She could determine their number. Six…No, seven. A petite lady included by her soft steps. Either that or just a man very light on his feet. Finally they reached her, she risked a glance back and saw their willowy form. The bright light of the full moon outlining their features.

She closed her eyes concentrating deeply on the earth, she could hear its whispers. A bit faint but it was there, obviously this world has less magic than her world. The horrid acids in the air probably contributed to that. She stopped abruptly and placed her
cool hand on a tree, it moved in accordance to her silent plea. Its branches intertwined, forming thick
twines as they moved, blocking the path she had just crossed just as the attackers reached there. She watched as they used their sharp weapons to slice it, trying to cut it down. With each single strike, the branches came together stronger and thicker. Seeing that her plan had worked she moved along, her legs picking up pace.

She stumbled and fell roughly, her child slipping from her tight grip. Catching her quickly and bruising herself as she rolled over, she closed her eyes, wincing slightly. They would probably have found another path and would be coming for her. She struggled to sit up ignoring the sharp pain in her hands. Her legs finally supporting her, she leaned against a tree, breathing heavily. Her first step sent her back on the floor, bent over with blood dripping out of her mouth. Wiping her mouth with one hand, the other holding her baby. She came to a realization, she could not fight them and hope to win. As one of the best warriors among her peers, she knew her limits. Unfortunately, she was already at it.

A plan formed in her mind. It wasn’t the best but it was all she had.

Swaying on her feet as she stood,
she glanced around, her vision a bit distorted. She blinked and saw a place that could fit her plan.

Running towards it and stumbling a few times, she bent over, her breathe coming out in short pants.

She placed her child inside the little hole removing her blanket.

Unhooking the brightly glowing jewel at her neck, she placed it on her daughter, smiling when it glowed brighter immediately. She whispered a word and it dimmed, the magic becoming less noticeable. She cast a spell on her daughter, one that
made her wails unheard for a limited time.

Hearing the voices of her attackers become louder, she placed her hands on her daughter putting some of her life force, her energy in her. Hopefully the seal would make her less noticeable, though a little vulnerable. She placed a kiss on her forehead, her eyes blurry before she wiped it quickly. Placing her hand on the grass, she controlled it and the twines covered her child, gently, providing breathing space.

Then she stood, once again and ran in another direction. The empty blanket held in her arms tightly. Stopping abruptly when four men confronted her, their weapons raised. The most threatening being a large axe held by an equally intimidating man. She moved back concentrating on the grass, she dried them out and they ignited, flames blazing, the area getting heated up.

She turned away taking advantage of their distraction. Coming to a stop suddenly when the earth rumbled around her, she levitated quickly, her body becoming lighter as she floated up but fell down almost immediately, blood dripping from the her mouth. The rusty taste irritating her a little as it passed down from the corner of her mouth.

She saw the shadow move and a man stepped out, dressed in all black. Recognition flashed in her eyes
and anger surged through her.

“Lady Natalia, It seems you can’t handle any more of this. Why don’t you give us what we want? We might even spare the little heir, raise her to be mine.” He said, his voice mocking and challenging. The
others finally arrived and in seconds she was surrounded.

She finally saw the face of the woman among them, surprisingly, after all that had happened, she couldn’t even feel any more anger. The man signaled for them to take her and she turned in circles, her eyes darting around, her hands still clutching the empty blanket

“Touch me if you dare!” Natalia yelled her voice carrying the superior tone aristocrats were known for. “I’ll cut off your heads and feed it to the dragons of the fire.”

A humorless laughter was heard in the calm silence of the night and the woman came forward, not in the least fazed by Natalia’s threats “Oh Talia, thinking she has any power here. Let’s get this straight, we are getting what we want. The way we take it is up to you.” A shadow of darkness flickered around her and realization settled deep in Natalia’s belly.

Taking a deep breathe, she brought her legs out giving a sweeping kick around her, fire lighting to form a
ring, the glowing ember making the others back away, with her at its center. She concentrated deeply
drowning out their voices as they yelled, a water user putting out the flame.

Her lips twitched up, a chill running through her, from the tip of her toes. Her breathe came out in cold puff as the ice crackled as it settled on her skin. Who knew she would have to use it on herself? A forbidden spell she created just a few years ago, those days of recklessness and war. The fire around her was finally put off and she saw their expression when they realized what was happening. It was too late.

Her friend, now enemy scream was shrilling when she reached her. Natalia closed her eyes, taking
refuge in the fact that her daughter was safe…her princess, named after her mother, her Aurora.

At that moment, a bright light shined, one blinding and scalding.

She only hoped that when they realized that what they wanted was not with her, someone would have found her little girl.

At that moment, she couldn’t care less about herself.

What do you guys think of this chapter? I put lots of effort into it and I hope you all enjoyed it.

Thanks for reading

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