The Destined Protector (The Chronicles of Mistar - Book 1)

Six · · · Mell (.2)

Mell felt like every time the Witch took a step, it was as if she was on a pair of stairs with water flooding around her. At every step the fear drowned her, first reaching her ankles and soon to her knees and then her waist. Mell couldn't stop her feet from moving forward, deeper into the water, as she clawed at the dirt-covered walls. In her dream though, it made it worse. The falling dirt was never-ending and piling up on her head and shoulders. When she looked back, her hair stuck to her face, Mell could see a trail of dark brown clay as the dirt touched the water. Mud surrounded her ankles as tears fell down her face.

"Please," she begged to the open air.

This was just a dream though. A nightmare that the Witch was planting in her head. A never-ending nightmare.

"Shut up," Mell growled through gritted teeth.

The Witch cackled. "I have said nothing till now. Do know the color blue? Do you know why I took you?"

Mell screamed with her mouth closed. Through her closed eyes, she could still see the yellow-green light. She closed her eyes harder and she could see Ryn's face, no. She could him, his height and everything, standing a few feet down the steps. The water was up to his shoulders and his sly grin was smiling back at her.

Then his lips moved, speaking with the words from the Witch, "Open your eyes."

This time Mell opened her mouth when she screamed. It echoed throughout the tunnel. The dirt underneath her bare skin rumbled but stopped a few seconds later.

"Go away," Mell muttered. "I don't want to answer your questions."

The Witch scoffed, her voice still raspy, "Do now? I must tell you then."

Mell sneered. She didn't want to listen to this woman's scratchy voice. It was getting on her nerves and if she wasn't too scared she probably would have punched the nasty hag in her face.

"No," Mell spat. "I don't want to hear any more words come from your distasteful voice."

The Witch giggled. It was nasally and made Mell feel sick to the stomach with disgust and fear. "Do now?" she repeated. "But you need to know. After all, you are an immortal princess. At least that's what the map said. Isn't it?"

Mell just shook her head. She tried to close her eyes harder, but it only gave her a headache.

A humph sounded from the Witch's throat. It was a guttural sound that sounded like she just puked out her heart. "Did you know that the map is not its real name? Guess!"

The Witch seemed excited at the guessing game, but Mell wasn't thrilled in the least bit.

"I don't want to guess."

Mell felt she was going to get a shriek out of the old witch when she felt her hair stand on end. Her fear heightened and part of her felt like she was going to die. In a few minutes, the fear factor went down so she wasn't scared out of her mind, but still terrified.

The Witch hummed. "Fine. I'll tell you. Immorta. Yes, that's its name and I will tell you a story."

"I don't want to hear your story," Mell growled.

Mell almost felt as if she could feel the Witch shrug her shoulders. "I know, but are scared so you will listen. You won't be able to not listen, Mattite."

Mell screamed. "Go away!"

Instead, the Witch cleared her throat, which was no help since her voice was still raspy, and started off by saying, "Immora is what they search for. It's what everyone searches for. Everyone wants to survive, so in a way, they are looking for my dear Immorta." The Witch paused. It almost sounded like she was about to cry. "Immorta," she continued, "was my daughter. Beautiful, smart, and perfect skin for a princess. It was as black as night and her eyes were bright like the sun. Before I go on, I want to ask if you know that the people of the two planets, Gazar and Lotna, have special gifts? Family gifts there called."