Dark magic

Chapter 9: Sacrifice

I searched his beautifully haunting dark eyes for an answer, the answer I wanted but instead I saw a resigned look, a deflated demeanor accompanied by lost look in the eyes, with a hint of acceptance of the pain that waited for him. As I observed his misery I felt that despair take me back into its cold embrace, I felt myself sinking once again under the darkened waters, I struggled to breath as I felt my surroundings grew distant, I couldn't breathe, I was gasping for air despite knowing it surrounded me, my chest tightened, it was as if in a vacuum.

Suddenly I felt arms around me, holding to me tightly and a voice calling me back, I took a deep breath and pulled myself back, I didn't care how he had done it, I needed to be in his arms, I held to him with an equal urgency, clinging to him, I never wanted to let him go. I was convinced in my irrational mind that if I held to him I would never lose him and everything would be alright, this moment would stretch out over time and never end and I would not have to face what the townsfolk had planned for us, I sobbed and muttered all my fears unintelligibly, rambling between heaving breaths.

Kian chose that moment to tear him from my arms, I grasped at thin air frenzied by his sudden absence, four guards gagged and bound us under Kian's instruction. I was dragged away from him kicking and screaming up the steps out into the square amongst a blur of angry villagers, all I could see was bright torches flashing around me, my ears heard only their distaste and hatred mixed with their fear and ignorance as they shouted and spat at me as I was led up steps toward an execution stage.

Everything began to run in slow motion making this dreadful moment drag out, adding to my growing dread, I tried to plant my heels to the ground to stop this slow terrifying walk toward the death block, nothing could stop the forward motion, this hell was made greater by the absence of the necromancer, I longed to be running far from here with him at my side I would not care where.

I was forced to kneel before this incensed crowd, baying for my blood, as my head was pushed harshly against the block, the I smell and sight of dried blood filled my heightened senses, sending a chill down my spine, they wanted me to suffer, not just death but feel the terror grip and tear at my soul, knowing death was nearing when every instinct cried for survival, begging me to escape, I could see no escape, my mind drifted as I wondered of those who had suffered a similar end, how many where truly guilty of the crimes they were accused, how many innocent men and women had been tortured, while their cries of innocence fell upon deaf ears, I may be guilty of practicing magic but I had hurt no one, in fact I had prevented people from being hurt but no one would hear me. I became aware of my chest aching as my heart pumped wildly at the thought of my impending doom, straining against its prison, almost lurching itself free.

I heard the crowd cry out toward a new target, I could barely focus upon the necromancer who looked a bloody mess, this only added to my pain, I pulled against my bonds, this tightened them and burned the skin around my wrists, the pain shot through me as I wrenched my shoulders straining the joints with agonizing force, making them stretch in impossible angles to get to him but no matter how I pulled and strained I could not gain my freedom, they continued to hold me down, crushing my head upon the block in retaliation to my attempts to break free. I heard them drop him next to me with a sickening thud, I could hear Kian crying for so called justice as like mad dogs the crowd barked in crazed agreement, I turned to the necromancer, who looked more human in that moment than I had seen him, his blue eyes glazed over, revolted by the blood stained block he was forced toward, I felt so helpless, I could not help him or myself.

Kian walked triumphantly up the steps, he was enjoying the power and affection of the ignorant towns folk, I felt a wave of disappointment as I had once thought him such a kind man I was obviously mistaken as I watched as the clear line of good evil swapped places and blurred, the necromancer from my perspective was an innocent man tricked into a maddened grief and now Kian thinking himself judge and jury over things he knew nothing about was sentencing us both to death for the crime of doing things beyond his comprehension. It dawned upon me in a clear crystallized moment that would be another reason the necromancer was more than willing to accept this fate, he believed he owed a penance for his previous crimes, so he wanted to pay with his blood. As that clear moment faded I fell back into the blur of the current events.

I had never known fear like this before, an all-consuming panic that puts every sense upon overdrive, I felt someone drag me up and pull me away from the block, I was pulled back down into the stunned crowd as Kian announced my innocence pointing the blame at the wicked necromancer, the crowd took up his chant and soon forgot my existence among them "You can see better from here, this will teach you to never use magic ever again"

The necromancer looked relieved as they removed me from harms way, I looked up at his bloody face, I couldn't take this, I managed to pull away from Kian and began to scramble toward the stage, as I reached the steps the executioner was shocked away from his task as the guards reached for me, missing me by mere inches, snatching angrily at air as I dodged them, my adrenalin fueling my mad dash, I was almost to him when a guard in a panic to serve his purpose quickly plunged a blade into the necromancers stomach. My eyes widened as I saw his eyes roll over in agony, I screamed muffled by the gag but I could swear there was more of a tortured agony than sadness in my scream, after which everything was so silent and in that moment I think I felt my heart break, in the confusion of that traumatic moment as it felt as though my heart was ripped out of my chest, the pain was agonizing, as the necromancer fell to his knees I grabbed to my chest, I feel to my knees, looking into his grief stricken eyes flooding with tears of pain, I would of mouthed I loved him but I was unable, so I could only hope he saw it in my eyes. I felt a warmth rush over me as I hit the ground, the searing pain dulled for a moment, then everything went black.

In pain and drenched in a cold swear the necromancer woke with a horrified start in the other realm, he tore out of his room, donning his clothes and armor with haste, he tore out of his hideaway heading to the mortal realm, searching for Keyra. As he manically finally found his way back to his own deathbed, his heart sunk as he could sense another deathbed near his own, he looked to the dry blood fearing what memory it would bring forth, with a sense of dread he slowed as he reached the edge of the dried blood, he stared intensely at the line he feared to cross, forcing his stiff muscles into an unwilling motion forward, his body strained. He jolted back as he saw the final moments he had feared, Keyra dying muttering his name as her final breathe escaped her bloody lips.

He dropped to knees crying out in agony, his crying awoke the townsfolk who curiously flocked to the cry, this would be a time curiosity was a killer as a furious grief stricken necromancer pulled himself up, setting the town a flame with a mere whisper, his powers seemed stronger, fueled by his grief, he gladly laid waste to each villager, some died at his bare hand others in the agony of the flames, he hunted down Kian, tearing his throat out after he spoke of the location of Keyra's grave. His final act as a human being was to visit keyra's grave, with her he buried his humanity, the human half died upon that day, he lost her and lost himself to the darkness.