THE HUNTING AND THE CURSE.

Rattling Headache

The sound and the screams of the prisoners drowned the dungeon of the old Castle of Hizar. Sorcha the young Alchemist couldn't catch an eye for a few hours due to all of the screaming and begging of the fellow sinners who dared defied the King or dared to threat him with their words of blasphemy and rude opinions. She groaned softly as huge headache formed due to the lack of sleep that place caused her. Sorcha rested her body against the cold cobblestones of her cell. Her wrists all bruised due to the chains that wrapped around them in a tight freezing hug. The only thing that kept her warm in that ominous place was an old baggy "blanket" the guards deposited to her after her belongings were taken away. After all once they discovered she was a "Witch" or at least that's what they assumed, they hunted her down. After all what did she expected from the uncultured people of that kingdom; being ruled by a greedy pig that called himself a king. All Sorcha saw was an arrogant animal siting in a chair of gold. Sorcha's lips now blue and dried due to the dehydration she had after not dirking water in days, she started seem pale and more dead. Almost like a rose slowly entering the season of winter. She felt something within her blanket as it slowly poked it nose trough her old draggy cloth. She felt the warmth of her pet rat sitting on her palm as her little friend curled trough her fingers squeaking softly giving Sorcha's hands a little bit of it's warmth. Sorcha gently placed her fellow friend on her cheek as it hugged her with its warmth as she gently kissed her pet rat. The little friend named "Plague" gently licked her as it started grooming her nose as a gesture to keep her clean. Sorcha's vision was blurry and her eyes were swollen from the tears she shed in the beginning of her capture. The keys of the guard of the dungeon echoed down the hall almost mimicking death it self bringing the fellow sinners fear. Sorcha laid down quietly already expecting the worse after all she didn't blamed them for being afraid. Sorcha was badly wounded trough out the beginning of her punishment to repent her "sins" or so that's what they thought she deserved. But what did she do exactly? Live properly? Having the knowledge most women didn't acquired trough time? She was indeed a living curse. The guard stopped at her cell gate while the rattling of the keys made her flinch. Her hollowed eyes gazed at the man that screamed death or so that's what she thought. She was a fair believer that death morphed into anything to pray upon their next victim after all she indeed respected that to keep up with the cycle of life. If it was her time to come she had already accepted it long ago.

The guard opened the gate as he spoke roughly his cold voice echoed trough the hallway announcing his next victims name. "Sorcha Vermut the King has required your presence, he has plans for your retched soul." Or guess not in this case.

Sorcha looked at the guard with her golden orbs. Her eyes. They looked like the gold of a hidden treasure chest under the ocean. They were beautiful, strong, and yet cold like the ocean of Valuth the most coldest part of the their world. The freezing ocean resembled her eyes it self. But under all that cold freezing shell a warm heart was carried.

The Guard entered as he walked to the other end of her chains unlocking her from what kept her in place. He grabbed onto her chains and tugged onto them speaking. "Move we cannot keep your majesty awaiting our presence you retched witch."

She glanced onto the guard as he tugged again harder yanking her forward. Sorcha grunted as she fell. The guard chuckled mischievously and in struggling  manner she stood up. Sorcha followed behind the guard as they both excited her cell and began walking up the dungeon. The odor of death and corpses filled that labyrinth of pain and past regrets. Sorcha wondered how many cells were unchecked, she didn't wanted to even imagine how many dead bodies she was passing by. Sorcha looked forward as she felt her little friend curled trough her hair. She smiled softly feeling plague play trough her hair or at least getting comfy, she got distracted and that was indeed good. At least it made her forget where she was for only a few moments. Sorcha hissed softly as she kept walking up the stairs of the dungeon. Her ankles were cuffed with the chains that connected to her throat . Sorcha had her eyes closed feeling each stair following her instincts. She felt how the guard stopped while hearing the rattling of the key's unlock the door. He slowly stepped forward and so did Sorcha, she followed patiently while she curled her eyebrows feeling the rays of light hit her faces. She was now on the lower ground of the castle as they slowly kept walking. Sorcha's vision adjusted as she gently placed one of her hands above her face to block the light that abruptly hit her. After all she was indeed locked up in an underground dungeon with no trace of light or breathable air. She slowly put her hand away as she began walking now entering one of the most prestigious areas of the castle.

Sorcha felt how the soft warm rug hugged her toes and caressed her feet. She looked down staring at the blue royal carpet that drowned the floor of the prestigious hallway like an ocean. She compared it to walking on water but unlike this water it was indeed pleasing and rather comfy. Sorcha began to look around the hallway seeing the big windows of the castle and then glancing at the blue royal curtains that matched with the carpet. She then stared at the chandeliers that dangled above her as it carried skulls with their mouth's wide opened, within their mouths candles turned off peeked trough and the wax that dribbled down looked almost like the skulls were drooling. Sorcha then stared at her sides seeing the knights in their "Holy" armors. Sorcha lifted her chin up and as she arched her back and narrowed her eyebrows almost as if her corporal pain disappeared looking fresh and new. Sorcha did that as she slowly approached the gates to her hell. She approached the King's Golden doors and diamond's of all sorts. The doors slowly opened for both the Guard of the dungeon and her as she slowly entered seeing Satan itself sitting on his throne. She looked strong even though she was not prepared for the outcome of her majesties decisions. Sorcha stood in front of the stairs of the king's throne as the Guard spoke. "Your majesty I have brought upon the witch you so requested to see."

The guard moved aside as Sorcha looked upon the king as he stared back at her. One of the knights approached her while he pulled out his sword as he stood behind her. Sorcha looked back with corner of her eye as the King."Young witch may I request for your wisdom and prophecies." Sorcha chuckled while responding. "Here we go again." Sorcha continued. "I'm not a witch I'm an alchemist." The king chuckled as he leaned back on his throne arrogantly. "What's the difference?"

Sorcha responded slightly annoyed to his response. "The difference between Alchemy and Magic is that Magic can break the laws of nature it self Alchemy divides and bends those laws to a different outcome and solution... I am an alchemist I do not work with magic."

The king now questioned as his expression changed to one of confusion. " Tell me aren't you the Witch called Midnah Vermut?"

Sorcha cursed deeply within her soul hating upon that cursed name. "No. I am indeed not Midnah Vermut I am Sorcha Vermut Sister of Midnah Vermut and daughter of Hazerd Vermut my Father and my Mother Iris Vermut."

The king smirked to himself as he responded. "Looks like we have indeed caught the wrong fish but still you will be a useful subject after all you are from the same family."

The knight grabbed upon Sorcha's chains as they yanked her chains forcing her to move abruptly.  Sorcha followed the knight placing her next to kings throne, now as she was forced to abruptly kneel down. Sorcha groaned softly,the knight stood now next to her as the King spoke."I hope you  love visitors for I have a special one for you."

The air became colder and the aura more creepier and as soon as the king finished speaking from within the  shadows something began to morph into what it seemed to be the body of a man. Once the image became clearer It was a man that carried the tunic of a Plague Doctor its long black tunic looked like the shadows from the underworld itself. A coat of feather's wrapped around the tall male and with each step he took the feathers fell and disappeared into nothing almost like if they never fell to begin with. The male move in front of the king as he slowly kneeled down. The King spoke bluntly and proudly almost knowing the creature. "Is rather pleasing seeing you back Ghost."