My heart, My love, My dragon

Chapter 30

Yesterday's occurrences still bothered Anya. Though, Oliver had made no more comments about the incident the darkness of his anger was near consuming Anya's head. Throughout the day she kept sneaking glances at him, trying to figure out what anger or pain might he be harboring. Her fingers hadn't been steady since yesterday and kept shaking whenever she went near Oliver. 

She ignored this and instead to Oliver, "It's your turn to teach me today."

He grunted and focussed on placing onions in the frying pan. He had been...off...since yesterday but Anya was persistent on learning the ways of the wind. "Ollie, we made a deal."

He stared at her and wrote on the paper, 'Ollie?'

Anya flushed, "I can't keep calling you Oliver. It's kind of too formal to keep repeating it."

Oliver didn't reply, instead, he turned off the frying pan and motioned for her to follow him. Bouncing along happily she followed him to the same clearing as yesterday. The trees that were victims to the ice still remained frozen. Anya stared at the tree Ollie had enveloped with ice but he tapped her shoulder and drove her away from the tree.

He had prepped his notebook with instructions already. There were tons of notes and directions that Anya supposed he had been preparing since they made the deal to teach each other. She smiled gratefully at him but he coughed awkwardly and tapped on the first page for her to read.

It said, "Sit down in a comfortable position and extend your arms out but leave your palms and fingertips exposed."

Anya followed the instructions and sat up against a tree with her palms and fingertips outstretched. The next note said, "Place this notebook away and close your eyes. Focussing on the wind, feel it murmur and whisper to you. Feel it brush your fingertips until it bends to your will and liking. Be one with the wind and then control it."

She closed her eyes and waited until her breathing became slow and steady. She exhaled from her lips and felt the cold wind gently brushing across her fingertips. As promised, it murmured in her ear as she felt it encircle her and lift up her hair. She was calm and at peace as she slowly entangling the wind to her command. 

But something went wrong. When Anya opened her eyes, her proud accomplished smile disappeared. Everything was dark. It was a void. There was nothing but darkness. The wind no longer murmured to her but screamed at her. 

***

'Momma! Papa! Look at what I can do!'  a young girl's voice echoes throughout the void and a small fragile fire is sprouted in the distance. Anya squints at it and moves toward it.

'I see. You have such beautiful powers they'll grow tremendously,' a womanly voice rings with pride.

'See, I've told you my eldest daughter would make the finest queen,' a man's voice happily announces followed by the giggle of the small girl.

A loud opening of a door hurts Anya's ear as she tries to comprehend where these voices were coming from. 'My King, we're being attacked!'

'By who?' the woman's anguished voice-only causes Anya dispair. 

'The-' he was interrupted by the silent screams of terrified mothers, the prayers of anguished old men and woman. The tears of children.

The little girl's screams echo terrifyingly to Anya. The crackling of horrible flames erupt and even more, screams were heard.

''NASIE!' the man's voice calls out but the little girl on sobs in return.

'ATHANASIA!'

***

"ANYA!"

Harshly jostled Anya gasped for air and returned back to reality. She thought she heard Oliver call out to her but she knew too well that he couldn't speak. He was cradling her and cupping her face. She blinked rapidly as the light blinded her. 

"Where am I?" she breathed but Oliver held her down and brushed his hand against her cheeks comfortingly. She frowned at the calming sensation and easily settled down. "What are you-"

He immediately distanced himself and Anya quickly got to her feet. She kept turning around to see who was there. But there was nothing, only dead grass where she was sitting. The tree she was leaning against had no more life. 

Oliver handed her the notebook in which he wrote, "You've controlled the wind calmly in the beginning but I'm not sure what happened but your wind suddenly turned violent and began to whip around you. You were crying and I tried to get past your wind barrier but couldn't until you fell on the ground."

"I'm sorry but your story isn't adding up," Anya said, breathing heavily and on the edge. "Your revelations don't look nothing like the pictures I saw."

He shook his head and scribbled down, "I think we should stop this training. We only cause each other damage."

She frowned, "What do you mean by that?"

"He means that you're dangerous," King Vulcan's harsh voice didn't appeal Anya.

She whipped around and found that he was right beside her, "Why are you here?"

He sneered, "I should be asking the questions here. Why are you here with the servant?"

"That's none of your concern," she replied and turned away from him.

But he caught her wrist and dug his nails into her skin, "Oh, but it is."

"What is it that you want from me?" Anya whispered roughly. She didn't want Ollie to hear their conversation.

"Have you forgotten?" he smirked.

A wave of confusion passed through Anya, "Forgotten what?"

"Tomorrow is September 23."

***