A Sorceress From the Future

Chapter Forty

There is something romantic about being aware of your fate, even when it is doomed. As quailing as it is, you begin to embrace the inevitable, come to peace with it and eventually, you start looking forward to it. In a scroll scribed by one of the forefathers of Chi, death is described as a stepping stone to eternal rest. Yes, it would be a tragedy. No one likes to live with the knowledge of mortality. That one day you will leave your loved ones behind or worse, your loved ones will leave you behind. Still, death was inevitable, to humans at least.

The people of Chi gathered around the gallows at dawn with grim faces and troubled hearts. Executions were to be attended by all members of the kingdom including children. This law was put in place to instill fear amidst the people. To remind them that no life was sacred. Women donned dark apparel and white head scarfs. They tightly held on to their terrified, confused children. Infants wailed in the hands of their mothers, demanding that they be returned to familiar surroundings, warmer surroundings. But no mother would risk heeding their infant’s cry lest they too be accused of treason.

Fathers grunted and grumbled quietly to one another. They did not approve of their new king’s execution. The woman who would lose her life today was no witch or traitor. She was a woman of honor, the first woman to ever sit in a council. Could it be that the people were now executing her because of her gender? Was the king that petty? Despite their different opinions, the fathers were well aware there was little they could do to salvage the woman’s life. The king was the law and with the sudden death of King Matthias and the absence of his two sons, Dawson had been the only one to step up to the task. If anything, the people of Chi should be grateful that he was brave enough to take the responsibility of sitting on the throne. Perhaps the woman had deserved her fate after all.

“Are the men ready?”

“Yes Sir. Everyone is simply waiting for a directive from the king…”

“Good. Have them convene at the square at dusk. It is time they get acquainted with the vessel.”

“But sir…Prince Luke would never-“

“Is Prince Luke here?”

“No Sir…he is…he is not…”

“Good. Have the men convene at dusk.”

With those closing remarks, the General swirled around and walked away briskly from his captain. What the captain did not see after this exchange is the deep snarl the general bore. He was not pleased by this directive at all. The whole purpose of hiding the vessel from the commoners was to ensure that the only thing protecting humanity is never located by their enemy. This absurd directive could compromise the safety of the vessel. What if one of the men was a spy? Wasn’t it true that everyone had a price after all? Offer a man anything he desires and his honor would be tossed off a cliff. The general itched for a drink but that was all he could do, itch. He had vowed to his wife that he would at least refrain from drinking in the mornings. The general cast his gaze to the horizon; the sun had hardly risen. Cussing, he set off to fetch the prisoner from the dungeon. The thought of her being executed intensified his need for a drink.

Sabrina had not slept a wink after the issuing of her execution. She had waited for the council to summon her, to offer her a fair fight. Didn’t she deserve a fair trial? Hadn’t she made any allies during her time as an elder? As time fleeted by, Sabrina concluded that her fate was sealed, that this truly would be her end. This was a hard fact to stomach but there was little she could do about it. In fact, she couldn’t do anything. Sabrina had thereafter chosen to rock herself back and forth against the dungeon wall while staring at the night sky through the tiny window in her prison. An instantaneous feeling of profound serenity had washed over her. Yes, her ancestors were watching. They would welcome her with open arms and perhaps, perhaps she would be able to watch over her husband from the sky as well. And just like that, her peace had fled.

The thought of not seeing her husband again crushed her being. Sabrina had been fully aware of the consequences of her staying behind in Chi while her husband scouted for Prince Luke but she had not expected to lose her life so soon. What had she really accomplished by failing to accompany her husband? Had she increased the chances of humanity surviving in any way? Stephen had been right, she should have gone with him. At least that way, she would have fulfilled the promise she had made to her dear friend. She would have tried to stop the prophecy from coming to pass. Perhaps if she would have stayed alive long enough to cross paths with Tamara she would have helped the girl make a choice, a choice that would have prevented Armageddon. Sabrina’s impulsive choice of staying behind had not only robbed her of spending time with her husband, but it had also worsened the chances of an apocalypse being avoided altogether,

The sound of a doorknob jostling startled Sabrina. She had been reminiscing about her time on earth, about her life, about her marriage. She couldn’t stop the tears flowing down her cheeks as she painted a blissful image of her and her husband gazing at the stars, making future plans. She wondered what life would be like had they chosen to birth a child. Fear of having a half-mage half-human child had sniffled this dream. They had not wanted their child to suffer the pressures of making a choice. Sabrina had been present during Tamara’s ceremony. The child had endured a lot of suffering during that time. How do you choose between your family and your identity?

“It is time Sabrina…For what it is worth-“

“No need for your pity General. I have accepted my fate. Just promise me this, should Stephen return, spare him the gory details of my death. Tell him…tell him I died at peace, with him in mind…”

The general gave a grim nod before escorting Sabrina to the gallows. As Sabrina was drawing her last breath, kicking her legs ferociously after the stepping stool had been pushed away from her, she thought about Stephen and him reaching Prince Luke in time.

She was completely unaware that during this same time, her husband was also drawing his last breath.