Chapter 34 - Cornelis

Tivon was stalling behind her, despite him riding a horse. Cornelis had to stop multiple times, so he could catch up to her. The forest in these parts were already dark because of all the dense trees, and with the night getting closer Cornelis didn't want to stay here for too long. Especially with the pirates and Luana on the loose. She glanced back at Tivon, whose eyes were fixed on the ground before him. She knew that Tivon didn't want to go with her, but she really didn't have any another option. She only had a day left to do what she needed.

The stars will soon collide.

You need to hurry.

Cornelis stopped, got off of her horse and leaned on the tree. If these voices would just shut up for just a second. I know I'm running late. She reached into her bag and pulled out a handful of rocks, placed her lips to them and whispered.

"Bdyky sarry."

Cornelis dropped the rocks and looked at them. Her finger traced the pattern the rocks formed. Snow, stars, lightning, curse, and time. Not helping me. She looked over her shoulder to see if Tivon was anywhere near. He was slowly progressing his way up the slope.

"We need to hurry."

"Why are you always in such a hurry?"

Cornelis turned to face him and hissed. "I've been waiting for you for days. I gave you time when Elias was gone. I gave you my precious time and now all I'm asking you to do is to hurry up."

Tivon stopped and hesitated.

"I need you." Said Cornelis. "I need you back at Rhiamon."

"Rhiamon?" His face went pale. "You never said we need to go to Rhiamon."

"You said you saw them there. That means something is there."

Tivon took a step back. "I'm not going back there. I-I can't."

Cornelis rolled her eyes and turned around frustrated. "Ona dpibtoryhdq aon. Kon ponr ona xaya ruor y payak ona."

"Ungrateful boy?" Cornelis turned around surprised. "Is that all I am to you?"

"How do you understand me?"

"I'm a quick learner." Tivon crossed his hands over his chest. "You constantly talk in this language, I figured out a word there and then."

Cornelis just stared at him, her face expressionless. If he could understand her, she needed to be more careful of what she was saying.

The boy is too smart for you.

Soon he'll know.

Know what?! Hissed Cornelis to the voices. Know that I just want to save my sister?! The voices grew louder and louder till she couldn't define their words anymore.

"Cornelis!"

The voices disappeared as she snapped back, realizing that she was still standing in front of Tivon. He was looking at her impatiently.

"Stop looking at me like that. It's not my fault you're here. The voices chose y-"

"Ruy yonygyx gyonxy sarry. I know, you've said it a million times. But why? All I ever did was drag you down. I'm useless to you."

Cornelis had enough. "Do you think I wanted to bring you back to life?!" She snapped. "Do you think it was my choice to save you from the depths of the sea? Do you think I willingly used all my powers to bring you back to life?!"

"And cursed me?" Cornelis stepped back and hesitated. Tivon took his chance. "Was my eye not freakish enough? Was my life not already a curse before it? Is seeing the dead not a burden on itself?"

Tivon was shouting at her so desperately, that Cornelis only wanted to hold him and tell him that he thought wrong. But as much as she wanted to do that, she was angry. Angry at him for not understanding her. Angry because he thought that she was the cause of his problems. She was furious and the voices were angry with her.

"I had nothing to do with that! Nobody can see the dead. The only way is through meditating and even that is nearly impossible."

"Then why did I see them, Cornelis?" Tears were gathering in his eyes and his voice was about to break. "Why did I feel them?"

"I don't know!"

She had yelled so loud that it took Tivon aback. The forest fell silent and there wasn't even a breeze to be heard or felt. For a second she thought Tivon would just run away.

"Why Rhiamon?" He asked quietly. "I can go anywhere else, just please not there."

"That town is my only lead Tivon."

"Lead to what? Just tell me, you don't have to hide things from me." Said Tivon desperately.

Cornelis considered for a minute. Why had she never directly told him what she really wanted? She had told him it was to save other witches, her sisters, which was partially right, but it was not the only thing she wanted.

Tell him.

You can't hide things from him for forever.

Tell him the truth.

Ryq uys oaondr ruy atonauyg.

Cornelis closed her eyes and sat down on a tree trunk. "I had a sister." There was silence, then Tivon asked quietly and carefully. "Is she still alive?"

Tivon approached her and sat beside.

"Yes? No? I don't know." She sighed and leaned her elbows on her legs. "I'm not sure, It's hard to explain. I hope she is alive, however I'm not sure."

"Why haven't you told me yet?" Asked Tivon softly.

"I don't know. It has been so long and…" Cornelis buried her head into her hands. "I just miss her."

"I can understand that." Sighed Tivon. "I know how it feels to miss someone who you don't even know if they're alive or dead."

Cornelis looked at him. His words were genuine, he was in the same place after all with Elias. He still is now, with him going after Luana. Suddenly she felt sorry for both of them.

"I'm sorry I yelled." Tivon said to break the silence. He laughed. "The past few years were a lot."

Cornelis only nodded. She wanted to comfort him, but with things slipping from her hands she couldn't. There was no time for comfort. They needed to move. Cornelis was looking at the scar running down his head, over his eye, as she tried to pick the right words.

Lightning.

His scar looked like a lightning had struck him. Had it really? The realization, that he never told her much about it, hit her.

"You never told me exactly how you got that scar." Tivon looked up. Cornelis ran her finger down her eye, tracing the lines Tivon had across his face. "The one that looks like a lightning scar. It can't be from a lightning, can it?"

"Funny enough, it is from the lightning." Laughed Tivon. "I guess, I never really told you about it."

He paused, probably contemplating how he should explain it to her. Tivon took a breath. "It is a tradition in my family, that a prince – and it is meant only for princes and not princesses – must go up The Awiergan Mountain, the sacred mountain near the castle. It is meant to prove you're worthy to be the next successor of the kingdom. It is for the King to decide on which day his son should go.

"I was eight. Everyone was telling Urien I shouldn't go because there was a storm coming up on that night. My father wouldn't listen to them, so there was no other way, but for me to go. I was hopeful that the storm would clear as we set off, but it just got worse with every minute. We almost made it at the top when the lightning struck me. The horse got scared and threw me off. I fell down the steep hill, crooking my back. Half of the guards went with me back to the castle, and half stayed and continued the path. I never figured out why that was necessary.

"The days that lead were the worst days of my life. Agony, disgust, rejection, and constant pain, until I crossed path with you. Living without the constant pain is amazing. I'm really grateful to you for that." He paused. "But the ache is still there, and it always happens before I see- "

Tivon turned to Cornelis and stopped. Her eyes wide open, were fixed on the ground to where she had previously placed her rocks. The voices grew louder, shouting over each other. Snow, stars, lightning, curse, and time.

"Cornelis?"

The lightning. It had to be that night. The voices were screeching, yelping, and screaming out to one another.

"Cornelis?"

She suddenly turned to him and asked slowly. "Tivon, when did that happen?"

"W-what do you mean?" Stuttered Tivon.

Cornelis grabbed the collar of his jacket. "On what day did you go up that mountain?!"

"First day of s-spring."

The screaming of the voices suddenly stopped. Cornelis hadn't heard that silence in decades. She felt her eyes narrow, and by Tivon's reaction, they must've looked bright gold, with the black pupil so small it was barely visible. He's the one.

Yes!

We've told you already.

We don't lie.

Yax, uy yx ruy guonxyp onpy.

"Ona oty ruy onpy…" Muttered Cornelis.

"The one?" He slipped away from her grip. Cornelis looked down at her shaking hands. "Cornelis, w-what is going on?"

Her head suddenly snapped up. "We need to go." She stood up and when she saw that Tivon still didn't move she hissed. "Now!"

Tivon was up on his feet in seconds. They mounted their horses and when Cornelis grabbed the horses rains Tivon asked. "Where are we going?"

Cornelis looked over her shoulder up at the mountain in the back. Tivon followed her look. "We're going to The Awiergan Mountain."

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Cornelis' language

"Bdyky sarry." "Guide me."

"Ona dpibtoryhdq aon. Kon ponr ona xaya ruor y payak ona."

"You ungrateful boy. Don't you see that I need you."

"Ruy yonygyx gyonxy sarry." "The voices chose me."

"Ryq uys oaondr ruy atonauyg." "Tell him about the prophecy."

"Yax, uy yx ruy guonxyp onpy." "Yes, he is the chosen one."

"Ona oty ruy onpy..." "You are the one…"