Seirra kept walking. The pain in her foot was leaving, it still was a dull ache, but it was much better. She continued following an overgrown path. She wasn't sure where it would lead, but, she had to find shelter soon. She didn't want to find out what crawled in these lands at night.

Yes, she did restore peace to the kingdom, but nights were when the few evil souls decided to linger out. Taking cover in the darkness.

Seirra shivered at the thought. The grass now seemed to be clawing at her feet, the trees closing out the light. Their branches trying to grasp anything in the way. The once beautiful undergrowth now seemed to be traps, waiting for her.

She now was moving rapidly, following the twisting path. Something is wrong. Even when Asadior ruled these lands, they were never this dark. Seirra found herself wanting to curl up and cry. This was not the Kascia she remembered.

The path led her to a hut. The hut was seemingly familiar. As Seirra ran her fingers against the rough sandpapery walls, a name struck her.

This is Stargazer's old hut!

Happiness filled her. Now she felt safe, and loved. Looking down for a moment, a gleam of gold caught her eye. Bending down, she brushed off the hay covering it. It was shaped like a heart. She picked it up, it was a locket, without a chain!

Instantly, her hand went to her neck. No. Way! Seirra thought she had lost it in the first battle! She opened it. Indeed it was her mother and father. She sat down and started to cry. She hated when she remembered.

"Someone feeling broken?" A taunting voice asked.

Seirra recognized the voice all to clearly.

"Hey Asadior."

❇❇❇

Kathreen looked out her window sadly. She had to keep the tears that were selling up in her eyes down. Her father had returned from the army. But her mother was gone. It was so different. Not just because her mother was gone, but because she had to move to the United States. Her father had been stationed in Pearl Harbor. Looking out at her tropical surroundings, she felt another wave of homesickness.

"Hey princess." A deep voice sounded from her doorway.

"Hey prince." Kathreen sniffeled.

"What's going on Kat?"

She turned to him. Her brother had worry written across his face. She suddenly felt happy. Someone cared about her.

"I just miss England, Joe."

"I'm sure you do."

Getting the feeling she wanted to be left alone, Joseph left the room. Leaving Kathreen by herself once more. She flopped back into her bed, but instead of hitting the soft cushions, blackness wrapped her up, in place of the blankets.

Panic was the first thing Kathreen felt.

"Save me!!!"

She screamed into the nothingness. Her brain wasn't working properly, or so she thought. Is that, a planet? Why is it getting closer? HOW THE HECK CAN I BREATHE?!

Then, her mind went blank. Everything faded into nothing.

❇❇❇

Asadior looked down at the weak girl in front of him. He kicked her. She turned on her side, not even trying to fight. His face turned from pleasure to confusion.

"Get up." He spat.

She did, Seirra turned to face him. "Hey." She said, still facing the ground.

"Look at me peasant. Look. At. Me." He hissed.

"Your humor is great. May I remind you I'm the Queen?" Sierra spoke as if she was bored.

"A queen that left her home. A queen that left a criminal to torture. A queen that lied. Now what kind of queen is that? You tell me?" Asadior spat.

Shock flickered across Seirra's face, before it was masked again. Asadior wanted to grin on triumph, but the hurt stopped him. Maybe he wasn't a beating heart of stone. No I am. There's no questioning about it.

So he grinned. His filed teeth showing. He saw her gasp. That's what they did to me. And this is what I'll do to you.

❇❇❇

Kaden was grinning! He was on the back of Stargazer. The wind ruffled his clothes. The ride was thrilling! Everything seemed more magical. The sky, the stars, the plains, and the mountains!

"I can see why Seirra loves this place!" He exclaimed in joy!

Stargazer halted, almost sending Kaden over her head.

"D-did you say Seirra?" She stuttered.

Horses can stutter? Okay, new fact.

"Nope! I said Frog." Kaden said sarcastically, almost laughing at himself.

"When did you last see her?" Stargazer whinnied.

"When I was back in Earth. Why?"

"Something's wrong!"

❇❇❇

Kathreen woke up to glimmering lights above her head. Sitting up, she looked around.

"Oh no, I'm not in Earth anymore, am I?"

She knew nobody could hear her. But talking to herself seemed to comfort her in this strange artistic place.

A footstep sounded behind Kathreen. She snapped her head up. Another human was there, although there was a dark shadow to him.

"Hello young one." The voice was deep, and echo-y.

"Hola?" Kathreen hoped if the man thought she spoke another language, he'd leave her alone.

"Look, I know you speak "English" so cooperate.'' He sounded bored.

"Fine." She sighed. "What do you want?"

"I want Seirra."

"Who is that?"

"I can smell your fear. You know who I'm talking about." The dark man smiled toothily.

"I haven't seen her in years, Sir." Kathreen replied steadily.

"Sadly, you speak the truth. But, I have other uses for you."

A cloud of smoke came from his right hand, Kathreen's eyes became watery and felt like they were on fire. She coughed and coughed until her eyes rolled into the back of her head.

"My plan is now coming together."

❇❇❇

Asadior was having too much fun torturing Seirra. But the only thing he wasn't having fun with, is that Seirra wouldn't fight back. She would just lie there, completely helpless. As if she didn't matter. It irritated Asadior greatly.

"I said get up!"

And she did, without a word.

"TALK TO ME." Asadior was as red as an apple. His nostrils flared, his right eye twitched.

"Alright. Want me to say something specific?" Her face was blank, void of emotion.

"Say I'm the king, and you are worthless." He finally had caught her.

"I'm the ki-" Seirra was cut short.

"Stop. Say Asadior is king. And I am worthless." Asadior grinned.

"Asadior was King. And I was worthless." She finally chose to fight, what Asadior had wanted.

"Ah. You decided to talk." Asadior replied salty.

"Yeah. It's funny your the broken one, but I'm the one that's needing saving."

"I am NOT broken!!!" Asadior growled.

"Well you aren't complete."

Asadior felt a wave of rage come over him. He found himself raising his hand. And without thinking he slapped her. Two words repeated themselves over and over in his rage driven mind.

Monster

Broken.

Monster.

Broken.

He turned away from the fear stricken girl.

"Well. Two halves make a whole. Don't they." It was more of a statement instead of a question.

"Yes. But a whole can split to pieces."

"Shut up."

Asadior had completely turned his back. Tears were pouring down his face. Stop! You have to be strong! He told himself. But how can you be strong, when your world has caved in?

That was a question that he couldn't answer. No matter how hard he tried. His wall had ended up breaking, after years of building. The last time he was used to this much pain was, was that one fateful day. The day he had kill- no, put aside his mother.

"It's okay to cry." Seirra's voice changed from challenging, to soft.

"No it's not. It's a sign of weakness."

"That's a lie we believe too often. It just shows how much you be gone through, how brave you are."

"Oh." He sadly chuckled. "How I wish I could believe you."

❇❇❇

Kaden looked at the majestic horse in worry.

"What's wrong?"

"Something, I'm not sure what exactly. There's a dark hue in the air."

Something did smell ash-y. Like a forest fire. For a few moments it felt like they moved in slow motion. Then Stargazer swiveled her head towards towards the smell. Her eyes widened.

"Kaden. Hurry, get on my back."

He obeyed her quickly, grasping her mane to hold on. Tightly but not too tight, in case he should accidentally hurt her. And she ran. This horse could run antelope speed without a thought,Kaden had to dig his knees into her side to stay on.

He looked behind him. It seemed as if something had crashed into the ground, and started part of the forest on fire. A wave of dust and smoke was coming towards them. Kaden looked forwards again to see boulders looming up in front of them. Stargazer hid behind one as the ash and smoke caught up to them.

❇❇❇

Seirra felt as if she were on fire. She coughed, ash had filled her lungs. Asadior had completely lost control. He had unleashed a power not even he knew of. Blowing the hut to bits, and starting a massive fire. He had left. Knowing Seirra would die, which was what he wanted.

She crawled painfully over to Stargazer's old well, and she was very relieved to see Kascia's water, Xol at the bottom. Lowering down the bucket, she got some of the marbled water and drank. It was sweet when you didn't imagine anything, and it helped restore heath.

Seirra collapsed on the ground. Her brain was foggy, not wanting to work properly. She started to hallucinate things. Like her mother and father asking if she was okay. Then them fading away without a goodbye, which did happen.

❇❇❇

Asadior walked away from the wreck. That was the first time anyone had told him it was okay to cry. Libbi didn't even tell him that! And she was his mother. In all honestly, he did feel broken, and alone, and scared. But he didn't, and wouldn't admit it.

Ever.

(1,673 words)