L`Univers: "The Sigil" Book 2

Dangerous journey

     “Cristina!” he shook her body, but she remained motionless and her eyes wide open staring in the sky. “Cristina,” he shook her again as Hugo ran up and placed his ear on her chest.

     “There is a pulse!” he looked at Francis. “She is still alive.”

     “No,” said Franco from above them as they looked at him. “You saw what that thing did to her,” his voice was trembling he was shaking completely. “It was as if it drained the life from her.”

     “Well then, what do we do!?” Francis stood up and yelled at him as he got frightened even more and fell to the ground.

     “Calm down!” Aelizia stood in front of Francis. “He may be right, this is indeed dark magic.”         

     “Well you know magic, help her,” Hugo looked at her.

     “It does not work that way, we do not practice dark magic,” said Aelizia. “Even if we did, I don’t know-how, we never studied.”

     “I may know somebody,” said Liza. “A witch, I know where she lives.”

     “No… We cannot trust a witch, not only they practice dark magic but the rituals…” warned Aelizia.

     “What other choice do we have?” asked Liza. “We can`t leave her like that.”

     “We will do it,” Francis stood up and looked at Aelizia.

     “I am not doing it.”

     “You don`t have to, you and Franco will go to the king and queen and warn them of the n***d man, warn them so they will amass an army worthy of facing him, the rest of us will go to that witch,” he finished as Hugo looked at him and nodded. “Deal?” Francis gave his palm to Aelizia.

     “Deal,” she shook his palm. “Just know, what you are doing it`s bad and comes with a price that some of you will have to pay later,” she warned again.

     “So be it,” Francis was determined to save his sister as they parted ways.

     “Come on,” Aelizia helped Franco who was still on the ground distraught by the events that have occurred. Both of them went back the same way they came from and back to their kingdoms, they returned as the others picked up Cristina and continued forward.

      Francis, Hugo, Liza and Cristina left the forest and went up on a mountain that Liza led them to, because she knew where the witch was living in. For days they have traveled made camps where ever they could. But the worst was yet to come, storms poured over them with no place to hide as they were climbing the mountain.

     “It`s not an easy path!” yelled Liza as they could barely understand each other in the storm. Francis was casually checking up on Cristina but still nothing she still remained motionless, she was breathing and walking but she wasn`t talking nor eating and her gaze… always centered at the same spot, her eyes never moved nor blinked, at times she was really scary. Hugo was also worried, they finally began to conect with each other and now this… Maybe it was his fault he would often doubt himself, maybe he shouldn`t of rushed to face the n***d man, maybe they should have returned as the others hesitated, but what`s done is done there is no going back. They reached the point where the ground was covered in snow, it was cold they had to come up with something. They killed some animals for the hide, it was not fair but in the grand scale of things maybe it was for the best, they stashed the meat from the animals in the backpacks they were carying, saving it for later because if they went further there was no guarantee that they were going to find prey that they could hunt down. Francis had Cristina tied with a rope on her half as he held the other end of the rope walking in front of her as Hugo was behind them making sure nothing will happen and Liza was up front leading the way, and slowly step by step they were climbing the mountain. A storm hit them and it became really hard to see as to what was ahead of them. They came closer to each other so they don`t lose sight of each other. But Liza broke the formation and ran up ahead the hill.

     “Liza!” Francis yelled at her but it was futile, she was gone, Cristina fell on the ground pulling Francis as well, he stood up quickly as Hugo ran up to them. Cristina did not say a word but she was shivering from the cold, she could still feel.

     “Come on Cristina! Come on darling hold on!” Hugo hovered above her.

     “What?” Francis looked at Hugo, how dare he say darling to her.

     “Francis…” Hugo looked at him and before he could react Francis punched him in the face as he tumbled in the snow dissapearing from sight.

     “Cristina,” Francis hugged her but it didn`t really help as she was still cold and shivering.

     “No!” Liza ran back and kneeled next to Cristina and Francis. “I`ve found it! I`ve found the house!” she looked at Francis. “Come on,” Liza tried to pick up Cristina but the wind just pushed her on the ground. “Where is Hugo!?” Francis remained quiet as he struggled to pick up Cristina, “Hey!” Liza pushed him on the shoulder. “Where is he?” Francis looked at her but still he gave her no answer. “HUGO!!!” Liza stood up and screamed her lungs out but Hugo was nowhere to be seen or heard, not that she could see much but she kept screaming.

     “Liza help me, we are going to freeze to death!” warned Francis as he left Cristina on the ground and walked up to Liza pulling her on the hand. “He is gone, he left us,” said Francis.

     “No!” Liza stood dead in her tracks, she refused to believe, he must be still here, what if something happened to him, what if he hit his head on a rock when he tumbled. Francis managed to pick up Cristina but the wind was pushing him back he was going to fall on the ground, but in the last moment out of all the chaos he saw a foot as it stepped in front of him and Hugo appeared grabbing him by the clothes and pulling him up the mountain.

     “Come on!” Hugo grabbed Francis and pulled him.

     “Hugo…” Liza screamed as she ran up to help them. They pulled each other on top of the clearing where of all the wind and blizzard a dimly yellow light shone in the distance. They made their way in front of the cottage and fell on the ground from all the tiredness. The witch opened the doors and let them in.