Alina

Strong winds blew and the gargoyles wailed, their cries exceptionally loud and shrill tonight, as if bitterly mourning the loss of a precious soul. Pale Angel Light floated within the Northern woods, bathing the black tree trunks and the grey gargoyles in a faint blue hue.

Alina trembled as she knelt before Lucian's grave, sobbing as bitterly as the gargoyles around her. Two guards still stood at each side, guarding Lucian's grave lest anyone tried to dig him out. He was not killed before his burial. He was buried alive! And although there was no way he would still be alive until now, the guards had to stay there for a full day and night to make sure he was completely dead beyond revival. Alina's body shook, her hands covering her quivering lips in a failed attempt to stop her uncontrollable sobs, the suffocating tightness burning her chest as she merely tried to breathe.

Lucian... To meet such a horrible death. Most Engelmen were cremated before their ashes were buried in the earth or sent over the mountains, along with blessings of peace and joys of another life. But to be buried whole in the ground, moreover when there was still breath in his body, along with a dreadful ancient curse! No one believed curses actually worked anyway, but the heaviness of the words and the gruesomeness of his torturous death, along with the menacing gargoyle that stood above his grave made it sound more than just a void mythical curse.

Alina felt a presence behind her. She was not the only one who came to mourn Lucian's loss tonight. A few servants had come and gone. And a fewer winged ones, mostly squires who practiced with him. Alina realized she had been kneeling here for too long. She would stay here for eternity. But she knew that no matter how long she stayed, Lucian would never be back. Still sobbing, her vision blurred by tears, she turned to leave, avoiding the two servants that were now approaching Lucian's grave.

Another wingless figure appeared far in the distance as she walked amid the trees. It had grown dark, and she had no energy left to conjure light. Even if she had, she did not really care to see anything. She did not want to see anything. But the figure was approaching her. It was coming for her.

"Alina..." a familiar voice whispered, and Alina stopped at once. It was Julian.

Despite the darkness, she could see the deep anguish in his eyes. No longer able to hold herself, she fell into his arms and cried. It didn't matter anymore. It didn't matter if he had hurt her. It didn't matter if she had decided not to forgive him. It didn't matter if he were a slave. She had no choice.

"Julian!" she cried, holding on to him. "Julian, let's get out of here. We must leave. We must leave this dreadful place!" She was desperate. And he was all she had got now.

"Hush. It will be alright," he whispered, though his voice was hoarse with unshed tears.

"No! It won't. It will only get worse. Oh Julian..." she sobbed in his arms while Julian quietly smoothed her hair. "Look what he did... his own little brother..." Her body shook along with her incoherent sobs, and she could feel Julian's arms tightening around her. His body was shaking too. He was crying too.

"Run away with me," she looked up at him, her eyes wide with despair. "Please! I need you Julian. I need you with me."

"Alina, what are you saying? We will definitely get caught and –"

"We won't get caught!" Alina cried desperately. "We can...we can leave at midnight. Tonight! We will be able to get far enough from here before anyone notices our absence. It will work. I know it will work. It must work. It is too unfair that one should suffer so much...It is too unfair!"

"It's just easier said than done Alina."

"No! Please!" Alina cried. "Don't give up on me. You said you love me. You said you've always loved me!"

"I do love you Alina." Julian leaned in to kiss her, but she quickly pushed him away.

"No! Love is not just kisses and hugs. I don't need that from you if you can't be there for me."

"But you're asking for certain death."

"And this is not death?" Alina gestured towards the gargoyles' graveyard behind them where Lucian was buried. "If we stay here we will die anyway Julian."

Julian only lowered his head in silence.

"If you truly love me then you would do anything for me." 

"Alina... I can't..."

Alina looked up at him, her eyes wide with disappointment. She could not believe this was the man she loved.

"You are a coward indeed," Alina said, her voice weak and broken. "But it's my fault, thinking I could possibly give you a second chance."

"No, Alina... wait..." Julian's eyes were filled with anguish as Alina took a step backwards. She only shook her head in frustration before she turned and hurried back to the keep.

***

Alina's eyes were wide open, staring blindly at the black canopy above her, while Bernard snored heavily by her side. Everyone she had ever loved was gone. Everyone, whether dead or alive. Perhaps she should start accepting the fact that she was completely on her own. That only she could save herself.

Alina crept out of her bed, throwing one last sneer of contempt at Bernard, before she quietly left the room. She was going to leave this place, with or without Julian's help.

Alina stood before Lucian's room, her heart tightening as she slowly opened the door. She cast a small sphere of blue flame as she entered the room, and her heart raced as the faint light showed her its contents. The silence inside the dark room was ominous, perhaps because she knew that its owner was dead. Her heart clenched as the realization hit her once more, confirmed by the heartbreaking emptiness of his bed. 

Apparently, nothing had been touched since Bernard's guards dragged Lucian and Daria out of there. And the chaos before her spoke of the desperate struggle that had taken place when they were captured. The sheets undone and the covers twisted over the deserted bed. A white nightshirt torn and spread on the ground. A table upturned in the middle of the room, and by its side a small wooden box lay open where colorful candy balls had spilled and scattered all over the floor.

The pale blue flame flickered and shadows danced upon the dark walls, shivering as Alina's body trembled with suppressed sobs. She walked to the other end of the room with hesitant steps where she knelt before Lucian's dressing chest, guided by the floating light sphere. She reached inside the chest, searching through the different shirts and cloaks and suits. If she wanted to escape far enough from here without getting caught, she had to at least dress like a boy.

Lucian was taller than her, which made it a bit difficult to find something that would fit her size. But this was the only option she had now. She searched for a while, until she found a riding suit that seemed rather small. It was apparently an old piece which he had outgrown, for she had never seen him wear it before. She quickly changed into the soft velvet outfit, a midnight blue coat with black leather trims, and a pair of matching pants. It was almost a perfect fit, almost... The sleeves were a little long, and so were the pants, but not too long to get in the way. The coat a bit tight at the chest, which was better anyway to flatten her curves. She had never realized how difficult it was to get dressed on her own until now, as she struggled to tie the lace at the back beneath her wings.

When Alina was done she scanned the room for anything else that she could find useful, and she spotted Lucian's sword standing in the corner. She reached out to hold it, and she was surprised by how thin and light it was, probably made this way to suit his inexperienced skills. Her fingers trembled as she passed them over the few jewels that adorned the hilt, blue topaz stones that matched Lucian's eyes. Alina's chest tightened and tears escaped her. She would never see those bright blue eyes again...

Alina turned around with one last look at the desolate room, before she gave out a ragged sigh and left.

It was well past midnight, deadly dark and silent, as Alina crept into the glass domed stable. Her heart raced. The last time she tried to escape, Julian had appeared out of nowhere and stopped her. But back then there was no way she could fight him. She had had her wings chained, and Bernard had beaten the life out of her. But today, she was well prepared. Her free wings were perfectly sound, her body pulsating with determined will as she approached Achilles's stall. And she had Lucian's sword. Even if Julian appeared out of nowhere and tried to stop her, she could fight him.

Alina stopped midway. Someone was already there, standing next to Achilles's stall.

Her heart thumped hard and she held her breath as she tried to make out the silhouette of the person standing there. But she didn't need to wonder. Who else could it be?

Julian lit a small lantern and held it up, putting an end to her disguise and his own hiding. The faint light danced off his youthful face, showing her his gleaming eyes and slightly parted lips. She swallowed hard as her shaking hands reached for the hilt of her sword. She was not going to let him stop her this time.

"Julian... Get out of my way," she attempted a confident tone.

"Alina, listen to me..."

"No!" she snapped, suddenly drawing out her sword. "Get out of the way!"

Julian's eyes widened in surprise for a very brief moment, before a deep frown formed on his face.

"Put down that sword," he said in a cold commanding tone. "You will hurt yourself."

"Oh, you're concerned that I will hurt myself? I am truly touched by your kind heart," she mocked as she still held the sword with both hands in his direction. 

Julian's frown deepened further, and he quickly closed the distance between them with long unwavering strides, stopping as his chest touched the sword's pointed tip.

"I said, put down that sword," he challenged, his voice calm yet firm. 

The sword still extended between her and Julian's chest, shaking within her hands. Julian pressed himself forward. Alina gasped, taking an involuntary step backward, but Julian only pushed himself forward again where the pointed sword poked his chest. Alina's hands shook terribly now, and the next moment, she yelped as Julian grabbed her wrists, catching her off guard. The sword dropped into the hay with a dull thud.

"You stupid girl!" he scowled. "You think you're going to escape, all alone in the middle of the night?"

"Let go of me!" Alina snapped as she tried to free her hands.

"No," he snapped back, holding her in place. "You listen to me!"

"No! Let me go!"

"Fuck, I'm not letting you go anywhere," he glared at her. "Not without me!

Alina froze for a moment, her frown disappearing and her eyes widening as his words replayed within her mind.

"What... what do you mean?" She took a step backwards and looked back at him, studying his face, and his clothes. And that was when she realized that he was quite dressed up to be out for a mere midnight stroll inside the stable.

He wore a deep burgundy coat, black velvet pants and brown leather boots, all spotless and unpatched. His sword, the one she had given him, lay inside its sheath, secured by a leather brown belt at his slim waist. His shoulder length brown curls were neatly styled in a half updo, revealing his handsome face despite the dark. A few tiny braids were pulled back at each side above his ears, intertwining and gathering behind his head. He looked like the young squires when they dressed up their best to copy the elder knights. She looked up at him in awe as she realized that he was here, finely dressed and groomed, not to stop her, but to run away with her.

"Julian...you... you're coming... with me?" She still looked up at him in disbelief.

"Stupid girl..." he muttered, shaking his head in exasperation. "Of course I am. You really thought I'd give up on you?"

Alina's body shook and sudden overwhelming tears of relief flooded down her cheeks. As if the weight of the whole world suddenly lifted off her chest. Julian sighed before he gently pulled her into his arms, muffling her sobs against his chest.

She did not know why she cried anymore. Was it because of all the pain she had suffered since she came to this dreadful castle, or because she was finally going to run away from it all? Everything was so overwhelming. Lucian's death, Bernard's abuse, Mikal's loss. And now Julian's love, and their new hope of freedom...

"We better hurry," Julian said as he broke the embrace and cupped her face, "before someone finds us."

***

The sun shone bright above them as they flew over the large Western forests, Alina mounting Achilles, and Julian mounting Nina.

Alina took in a deep breath and closed her eyes as she looked upwards, letting the sun chase away all the darkness that had been feeding her soul for the past year, since the first moment she set foot in the dreadful castle of Nordenvania. 

But now the dreadful castle was far behind her. Now she was free at last. With a handsome young lover at her side...

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