The Raven's Fury

Ten years since I have seen the sun. For ten years, I have been kept in a cage, and collared like an animal. For ten years I have been starved of everything I should need to survive. My crime? I was born half witch, half vampire. The Linus Kingdom was a haven for hybrids and their sympathizers for sixteen years. My father was a high-ranking vampire and my mother was a noble witch. They knew hybrids were treated poorly in any kingdom and were worried about any children they may have. The Revand Kingdom shuns anyone who isn’t a pure-blooded vampire. The Queros Kingdom actively hunts hybrids. And the Tristo Kingdom enslaves them. Due to the world’s prejudices, my parents began building our kingdom shortly after they married in hopes of providing their children and many others with both safety and freedom. Our kingdom was small, but our economy was flourishing. Our people were happy. I was surrounded by friends and family who loved me. I was thriving in all my magic and swordplay lessons. We were so at peace that when Queros attacked we stood no chance of defeating them. I was twelve years old when I lost everything I cared about. They came while we slept, burning our villages and burying my people in the ashes. I don’t know how many of my people survived that night. My parents were lost that night as well. They were gutted and bled like pigs in the gardens of our castle. Queros witches put me in a collar that made my magic inaccessible. They wrapped me in chains and held me to the ground in front of my parents. I was forced to watch as my parents’ blood ran out, and the light left their eyes. I think part of me might have died as well at that moment, and I have been surviving off my hate alone. Over the years, I have heard prisoners in other parts of this dungeon, but I am kept entirely separate. I am not in a traditional cell, but in a cage designed for magic beasts. I see two guards once a month when they deliver a single cup of blood to me, but neither speaks and the only interaction is them watching me drink before they leave again. No food, no water, just a single cup of blood every month. It’s just enough to keep me barely living. There is no one to talk to, just screams in the distance. There is no light, everywhere around my cage is pitch black darkness. Until today. Guards grip my arms, pulling me forward as I stumble at my first glimpse of a distant light. I let them drag me along, trying to preserve my energy for what I expect to be ahead of us. Being unable to see has heightened my other senses exponentially, so I’ve heard rumors about where this tunnel leads. We’re on our way to the arena. It was built out of the ruins of my family’s castle, surrounding the gardens where my parents were murdered. And I can only assume it’s where my execution is to be held.