Cursed Queen: Battle Against Gods

"Seize that woman!" They are going to get me if I don’t hide. Oh, but I’m going to die either way. Even if I escape from this place, torture awaits me. I laughed like a madman and got up, ready to face my fate. If I had to choose between going back home and dying here…I’d choose the latter.  I stared at the relic that I stole from our enemy. It seems important. Maybe I should destroy it as a payback for what they did to me ever since I was a child. If I’m going to die anyway, it would be better if I can destroy something important to them like how they destroyed my life. "Flare, do you want to get another punishment?" Father asked while he was holding a whip, glaring at me. "If you don’t stop crying, it won’t just be the whip." Even though I feel like my body was going to give up, I stopped crying and took my stance so I can fight my martial arts teacher. It was obvious that he pitied me, but he couldn’t do anything either. There’s no one in here who can help me escape. Not even my siblings. I’m all alone and I have no other choice but to suck it all up. Being the only female from the family, I had to be raised as a killing machine for some reason. It happens to every female that was born in our clan. My family belongs to the highest clan in the country, one that governs both the good and bad sides of the nation and they somehow made this into a tradition. If I had to guess, I think it’s because they need someone who can slaughter their enemies without having to get their own hands tainted.  "Focus, Flare! How can you be of use to me if you fail?!" my father shouted at me as she pulled my hair. "I...I'm sorry..." I whispered. He let me go as he watched me fight. I feel like I’m about to faint, but I don’t want to end up in the dungeon again. Just thinking about it makes me sick. Despite that, I continued to get up and fight. It’s not like I have a choice, anyways. I shook my head and tried to get rid of those thoughts. Why did I have to remember that right now? I threw the relic away and walked towards a strange hallway. As I strutted through the unfamiliar hallways, I heard a melancholic tune being played from a room. The tune started getting louder as I neared the room and the moment I opened it, a strange and glowing door greeted my eyes. The sound...it’s so enticing. I feel like it’s drawing me in.  Somehow, I feel the warmth that was unlike any other coming from it. Warmth…something I’ve never felt in my entire life. As I ran towards it, a smile started to form on my lips. Even I’m surprised. I can’t remember the last time I smiled. I felt my mind going blank as I entered the door and when I crossed it, I felt like I was losing consciousness. Oh, no. Am I…going to die after all? Suddenly, I felt someone tapping my cheek. As I recalled what happened, I looked up and saw a creature wearing a cloak. I wasn’t sure if it’s a person or not because the cloak was covering its face and it was really small. It spoke in a surprisingly normal tone. "Hello, young one. Welcome to Plaisiria..." Plaisiria. So that’s the name of this strange land. I looked around and assessed the situation that I’m in. There seems to be no one else but us in this narrow tunnel. A few vines were hanging and there were glowing flowers that probably serve as light here. "Who are you?" I asked, still hostile. This is an unfamiliar land, and I must stay vigilant since I know nothing about this place. I looked back at the door or...portal. It was gone! All I see is a dead end. But it’s not like I’ll go back even if it was still here. Maybe I can start anew here, far from the violence and cruelty of that world. "Calm down, young one. There is nothing to fear. I am the guardian of this gate, Bythos..." It slowly removed the hood of the cloak, revealing its face. My brows furrowed when I saw a child with long ears and very long, blonde hair. Is he an elf? Maybe that’s why he seems small.  He smiled and raised his hand. "I am not an elf, but I am taking the form of one. Please kneel so that I can bestow my blessing onto you. You will need it for your new journey..." he said softly. I was surprised that he could read my mind but when I found myself obeying him, it felt strange. Was it his power that made me follow his instructions? I am not someone who would kneel if some stranger said so but here I am. I glared at him, but he only gave me a soft smile. For some reason, it felt incredibly warm. He placed his hand on the top of my head and murmured unfamiliar words, probably some sort of chant to 'bestow his blessing' or something. I’m having a hard time trying to process everything, but I need to adapt quickly. I don't think I'll survive in this place if I take too long.  He gave me a black cloak when he finished. "Now go." "Wait, aren’t you going to give me any directions? I don’t know anything about this world." He smiled. "There are people out there who can help you." I don’t think he’s trying to put me in danger but the look on his face is telling me that there’s a rough journey ahead of me. Oh, please. Not again. I hope it won’t be as bad as the life I had in that world. "Take care, Flare..." I heard him say as I came near the end of the tunnel. I looked back, surprised. He was nowhere to be found but I swear he was just there a moment ago. Everything here seems strange to me. I have never seen anything like that before. This is an entirely different world. I swallowed hard as I held on to my cloak tightly before stepping out of the tunnel. A wide grass field with a bunch of flowers and butterflies was waiting for me outside the tunnel. I couldn’t help but admire the beautiful scenery before me. I have never seen anything like this before. Well, all I have ever seen so far are battlefields and cruelty. I smiled sadly as I bent down to look at the red rose. It looked so pretty, yet out of place because it was surrounded by white ones. Somehow, I feel like picking it… I was about to touch it when someone pulled me from it. "I wouldn’t touch that if I were you. That’s a deadly poison right there, Miss..." My breathing hitched as he placed his hand on my waist. By pure instinct, I punched his gut and took a few steps back as I took my fighting stance with both of my fists up. He was on his knees, looking so pained. He held his stomach and after a few seconds, he looked like he’s totally fine. It was as if nothing happened. Did he just heal himself? "Come on! This is what I get after helping you? Miss, you were about to touch a deadly poison, you could have died if I didn’t stop you! You didn’t even thank me," he complained like a child. “Okay. Thank you,” I said blankly, so he gave me a ridiculed look. Now that I look at him, he looks like some sort of prince. He’s dressed nicely and he’s clean. His hair was blonde and long. He has those sharp features, and he looks like he’s from a well-off family, too. He’s probably from around here so I’m sure he knows which way I should go. That Bythos guy never gave me directions and he only gave me this cloak. He didn’t even explain anything to me. I’ll get this guy to tell me everything I should know. There’s so much I don’t know about this place, and I know that I’ll get in trouble soon enough if this goes on. "Hey, can you help me? I'm an outsider and I don’t know anything about this place." He raised a brow. "Outsider? What do you mean by that?" I pursed my lips. I’m not sure if I can tell him that. He might be an enemy or something, so I must be wary of him. Wow, I'm suddenly in a tight situation. Damn that Bythos guy. What should I do? Maybe Bythos was talking about this guy when he said that there are people out there who can help me. I swallowed hard and looked him in the eye. However, my mouth went agape, and my throat felt dry. His eyes are the same as my father's. So cold and heartless, like they would devour you anytime. He’s definitely not an ally. I kept my distance and looked for anything in the cloak. Bythos must have placed something I can use for combat here. True enough, there was a dagger in one of its pockets. He smirked. 'Oh, you figured it out. Not like you can do anything against me," he said as he raised his hand. A ball of flame formed, and I was sure that it was going to hit me when he threw it. I tried to dodge it, but it seems to change its trajectory along with its target. It’s really about to hit me. I don’t think I can fight him in this state. Damn, I guess I’m still fated to die. I wish I can say that I lived a good life but the life I lived up until now was nowhere near good. As I watched the ball of fire coming in my direction, I shut my eyes tightly and accepted the fact that I’ll die without getting to experience happiness at all. A few seconds passed but I’m still alive. I opened my eyes and I saw a man who seems to be holding the fireball off. I took a few steps back and tried to run away but there were a bunch of soldiers there, ready to capture him. "Oh? If it isn’t Karis the traitor," the blonde guy said. "It’s been a while, Drake," the guy who saved me replied. He was guarding against the blonde guy's attacks using a katana that's infused with, uh, water? The blonde guy, I think his name is Drake, took a katana out and it suddenly went on fire. "You won’t get away this time." "Hm? Did you improve already?" They know each other but it’s obvious that they hate each other. I can feel the tension even though I can't actually see them. We are surrounded by soldiers who look like they can also fight using magic. Damn, if only I had a unique ability like they do, I'll be able to fight them all. Well, I don't think I have a choice. I'll have to barehandedly fight them and rely on good luck.  "Don't think of anything else, just fight..." the guy from behind me said. "Do you think it's that easy? I'm not like you," I replied, annoyed. He chuckled. "Alright, I'm sorry. When you find a chance to escape, do it. There's a strange forest ahead, go there. I'm pretty sure it'll let you in." There really is a forest behind the whole flock of soldiers. As long as they don't catch me, everything will be fine. I don't know why but I just trusted the black-haired guy with the armor. "My allies are there. Just say my name, they'll help you." "Is it Karis?" I asked, ready to run with all my might. "Yes. Run after I attack Drake." I got ready and waited for him. The field was dead silent until Karis moved his feet and launched an attack towards Drake. The soldiers started charging towards me and so did I. They were using magical attacks and I thought it would give me a hard time, but the daggers easily deflected those. I guess Bythos gave me something useful. I smirked and continued running towards the forest while defeating the soldiers. Honestly, I thought it was easy until my body started feeling numb. My head started spinning and I fell on the ground, unable to move a single limb. "What...is going on?" What happened? I was moving just fine a while ago. I'm certain that someone paralyzed me, but I never got hit! How come... Someone stood in front of me and looked down so that she can see my face. "Oh, you're kinda cute. Hi!" she said and smiled. She had cat ears and a tail. A cat...? I can still see and hear well. Maybe I can still speak. "What...did you do to me?" I can speak but it sounded like a whisper.  "I just paralyzed you. Hm, I guess you didn't feel it since it immediately took effect." She giggled and slowly transformed into a huge cat. A soldier tied me onto her back, and I wanted to fight back so bad, but I couldn’t. My eyes were about to give up. I felt like I'm about to fall asleep, but I tried really hard to keep it open so that I can see where we passed by She entered a big castle and transformed back into a human. A servant came to give her a pair of clothes and she changed into them before carrying me again downstairs. We're probably heading towards a dungeon. Great. Another dungeon. I hated those kinds of places.  "What do you need from me?" I asked sharply. She laughed and gently placed me on the bed in a big cell. "I don't need anything from you, but His Majesty ordered us to capture you. I can't deny him." "I don't understand. I'm only an outsider. What does he need from me?" I tried to move a finger and it finally did. She noticed so she immediately left and locked the cell. Even though I was tottering, I tried to follow her. I fell on the ground a few times but when I finally recovered, I stood firmly and glared at her. She raised a brow, amused by what I did. "You better watch your back if I get out of here." She smirked and caressed my cheek. "What? Will you stab me in the back with your daggers? Ooh, I can't wait," she teased. I gritted my teeth and watched her walk away, carrying my cloak with a mocking smirk plastered on her face. That girl! I looked around the cell, hoping to find something that will help me break out of this cell. I have already lived my whole like a prisoner, I don't want to keep that up until now. Not when I finally escaped my father's binding chains. I'm done being everyone else's toy. This time, I won't go down without a fight. First, I need to learn how to manipulate those elements fast. But if I'm going to that, I'll have to escape from here first. That woman took my cloak and I have nothing else in here. The cell seems to be imbued with magic and breaking out wouldn't be easy. There is really nothing in here. Literally nothing. I am the only one inside and I don't think I can force my way out using brute force. Even if I try, I will only end up hurting myself. What should I do…? No one is coming to help me. I must somehow make it out on my own. I surveyed the iron cell and I tried to touch it. Weird, I thought it would electrify me or something. The person from the cell in front of me saw what I did and tried to do it but ended up being thrown across the cell. My eyes widened and removed my hand. What was that?! Wait, maybe it doesn't affect me because I don't have magic. Then, does that mean I won't be able to manipulate any of those elements? That's…a shame. I sat on the corner and tried to assess my situation. That girl said that someone ordered her to capture me. Oh, wait. There was that blonde guy who fought the guy who saved me. I wonder what happened to those two. I think the blonde was Drake and the guy who saved me was Karis. That Karis guy was wearing something that looked familiar, it was a grey hakama with a black top. My older brother used to wear something like that, and they look a little similar, too. I slapped my cheek, annoyed at myself for thinking about them. All they ever did was hurt me so why do I keep remembering them…? Anyway, I feel bad for getting captured even though he tried to save me. I had no idea that there was someone with the ability to paralyze people. And I didn't feel that woman's presence. This world…is truly different. I looked at the iron bars again, wondering if I'll get thrown across the room like that person earlier. I swallowed hard and slowly touched it. A minute passed already but nothing really happened. I'm still fine and I don't feel anything weird at all. Hm…what would happen if I tried to bust it open with brute force? It seems like a ridiculous idea but it's worth the try. I shouldn’t let my head get hit, though. It would be bad if I passed out. Wait, I would get injured. Even if I somehow make it out alive of this cell after trying that, escaping from this place without being seen would be the hardest part. I wouldn’t be able to fight properly, either. Maybe someone will come to save me? Pfft. I laughed sarcastically. Come on, Flare, think rationally. There isn't a single person in this world who would be stupid enough to save me. I said I'll get out of here, but I have to admit to myself...that it's nearly impossible. I can't think of any way to get out of here. Well, I guess I'll just have to hope that a miracle happens, and I somehow got lucky enough to be able to leave this stinky dungeon.  I have been sitting there for a couple of hours until I heard footsteps that seem to be in a hurry. I was curious so I stood up and held onto the iron bars, hoping that someone would see me and help me. As the footsteps became louder, my heart started beating so fast. However, a familiar blonde guy stopped in front of me with a stupid grin on his face. I groaned and was about to go back to the corner when he held my arm. My brows furrowed and I turned to him, confused. He smiled and created a magic circle on the door. I was in awe when it opened but I immediately went out. "I'll turn you into a dragon. You have to fly towards the exit without being seen. Karis is waiting for you outside the gate," he said as he created a magic circle in front. Confusion washed over me but I trusted him since I have no other choice. "Why are you helping me?" He grinned. "My instincts are telling me to do so." When he finished saying the chant, I turned into a tiny dragon. I don’t think I’ll be seen at this size. Flying seems to be a lot harder than it looks, but I tried to fully balance myself. He smiled at me when he noticed that I finally got the gist of it. "Now, go. You better get out of here alive, Flare..." he said as he slowly turned into a small flame. He knew my name, too. This is certainly strange but I emptied my mind. I know that they won’t be able to notice me but I still kept my guard up. As I neared the exit, I saw soldiers marching along the hallways. They must have noticed that I got out. I quickly flew towards the gates and the moment I got out, I felt my body slowly turning back to normal. I landed and covered my body with my mere hands. Someone placed a cloak around my body. I looked up and saw the man who saved me earlier. His name is Karis, if I'm not wrong. He looked around and carried me. "Now, let’s get out of here before they find us."