TW// Blood
They had left the horses behind, for the road up The Awiergan Mountain became too steep. With every step they made, the air became colder and colder, despite the fact that spring was coming. Tivon hadn't spoken to Cornelis since earlier when he told her about the scar.
Cornelis was acting strange. She looked troubled as if she kept hearing someone. Her glowing golden eyes were fixed in front of her, walking so fast that Tivon could barely keep up and constantly muttering things in her tongue. Sometimes they were barely audible and then the next time she was shouting them. She kept saying the same things.
"Ruy xarotx, ruy gdtxy, ruy qyburpypib, ruy antes, ropk tonryt."
The stars, the curse, the lightning, the antes, and sister. Tivon didn't bother to ask why she kept repeating those few words. He hugged his coat closer to his body, trying to warm himself up. When father sent him up the mountain, he had never made it this far. He was glad that this time a storm wasn't ragging on them, yet Tivon didn't know if he would prefer rain over this cold.
Tivon felt something light and cold dropping on his nose, melting away in an instant. He looked up and stopped.
Snow.
He hadn't seen snow in Naydawin in years. It was a rare occurrence, especially with spring around the corner. He looked at Cornelis, who had also stopped and looked up into the sky. Tivon would think of this image as beautiful – Cornelis' dark skin against a snowy sky – if her look wouldn't turn stone cold again.
"Yr'x uiraypypib, ruy xaronts yx uyty ropk ruyty'x qyrrqy rysarry."
A strong wind blew through the path, making Tivon's bones jolt. If they continued on the path they would freeze to death before they've reached their stop.
As if Cornelis could hear him, she dragged her long black nail over the exposed skin on her body. She started muttering the words, drawing a symbol into her skin. When she finished, warmth spread through Tivon's body in an instant. Blood dripped down her arm, falling onto the snow, already gathering on the ground.
"We need to move." She rasped coldly and turned to continue walking.
Tivon stood in place for a minute, contemplating if he should follow her. She knows what she's doing. He took a breath of air, expecting it to be chill, but it turned warm in an instant when it touched his lips. He took a step and followed her.
They were almost at the top, the snow storm getting stronger with every minute. Tivon couldn't even see before him, let alone hear Cornelis' muttering. Suddenly Cornelis stopped, still murmuring words. They had changed now.
"Zyru uyx qyburpypib, Y zyq atypib uyt aog."
She kept saying it over and over again. Tivon looked over her to see why she stopped. They were standing before a cave. Cornelis stepped in and Tivon followed quickly after. Tivon couldn't see the end of it, as it was too dark.
"Zyru uyx qyburpypib, Y zyq atypib uyt aog."
Tivon knew it wasn't the time to ask her about her sister, but his mouth was quicker than his mind. "What happened to your sister?"
Cornelis went quiet. Tivon already regretted asking when suddenly Cornelis spoke, her voice low and soft. "She was everything I had left when my mother died. We were the same age, but she always was an older sister to me. We wanted to bring our mother back from the dead for we knew that there was a spell that allowed that." She met Tivon's eyes. "And only she could do it. She was the only one who could bring back the souls."
She started walking round the cave, scratching her nail over the walls. Torch lights, that Tivon didn't even see were there, lit up, revealing symbols carved into stone.
"We didn't notice, we were being followed. We realized it too late. My sister was in the middle of bringing the dead back as they stormed into the cave." Tivon could see tears gathering up in her eyes. "I just wanted to protect her, but I was too weak, and I sealed my sister into stone."
The whole cave lit up, and now Tivon could see a person with long straight hair, a snake curling at her feet, carved into stone.
"I ran away to the sea." She continued. "I was a coward and ran away, leaving my sister behind. I made a promise, I would get stronger and save my sister. Years later, I met Sabur."
She wouldn't elaborate on that story as Tivon already knew it.
"I came back thirteen years ago with new spells, new powers, and new knowledge. But they were there." She turned back at Tivon, her eyes angry. "The royal army." She laughed. "I never knew why they were there, but now I know."
Tivon's blood went cold as he too started putting the pieces together. Cornelis' eyes flickered. "You were supposed to be coming. I had a spell – a lightning that would strike them, made them see the dead, make them help me save my sister. The voices told me about the spell. They screamed the words, yet the lightning never came. The royal army beat me up, left me bloodied on the ground. They thought they had killed me, but it won't take just blades to kill me. I killed them before they could leave the cave. I was weak from using that spell and it took me ten years to get back to who I was."
She slowly started approaching Tivon. "I always questioned myself, what went wrong? Why did the lightning never come?" A big smile crossed over her face. "It was you."
Tivon looked down. The lightning that day, the aches in his eyes before he could see the dead, the first time he saw Cornelis – her muttering words to him. Tivon's eyes narrowed as he looked up.
"You cursed me. On that day by The Emerald Palace." Cornelis' smile widened. "You said you didn't do it."
"I had to, otherwise how would I find you under the sea?"
"Why me?!"
Cornelis laughed, her laughter sounding through the cave walls. "As I said, I didn't choose you. The voices did. I could never figure out why," She stepped closer. "but now I know."
Tivon reached for his knives when Cornelis reached up her hand. She clenched his heart before he could grab the hilt of his knife.
Her black painted lips curled up. "Not so fast, Tivon."
She moved her hand and Tivon's vision turned black, before he hit the cold ground.
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Cornelis' language
"Ruy xarotx, ruy gdtxy, ruy qyburpypib, ruy antes, ropk tonryt." "The stars, the curse, the lightning, the antes, and sister."
"Yr'x uiraypypib, ruy xaronts yx uyty ropk ruyty'x qyrrqy rysarry."It's happening, the storm is here and there's little time."
"Zyru uyx qyburpypib, Y zyq atypib uyt aog." "With his lightning, I will bring her back."
"Zyru uyx qyburpypib, Y zyq atypib uyt aog." "With his lightning, I will bring her back."