Bringer of Destruction (The Bringan saga 2)

Prologue Part 2

"Do we really want to trust a Ucria?" one of the priestesses asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"It's not about trusting it, it's about using it to our advantage," said another.

"If the Ucrie have succeeded, if they have succeeded in creating the Deorgh, then we must prepare and begin to train the Sunaura," said another, the eldest.

"They are only children, do you think the old kings will allow us to get close to them?" "We must execute Ukrainian, we cannot allow it to contaminate our land."

The priestesses continued to argue with each other, arguing about what her fate would be. Death or imprisonment?

The truth was, she didn't care what they decided for her. If she died, she would take her secret with her, and her son would be safe. If she had been imprisoned, no one would ever see her again, and her son would still be safe, and that was the most important thing.

She was on her knees, her hands stuck in a magical chain that prevented her from using her power; She could clearly feel how the spell on those chains weakened her as much as the iron that tore at her skin, as rivulets of blood ran down her palms, onto her fingers until it dripped to the ground in front of her.

They had dragged her into the hall with the throne, thrown in front of the staircase on the top of which was a stone bench; All around it were plants with green branches that twisted in the cracks that formed the backrest. The throne was illuminated by the moonlight thanks to the large windows, which rose up to the high ceiling, so high that you could hardly see the end.

Next to the throne were two statues: one of them he clearly recognized, it was the human representation of his mother, of his goddess, of Lox. He had his hands clasped in front of him, holding the world they lived in, to protect it.

Her long hair fell all over her body, covered only by a cloth that left her voluptuous breasts exposed, with which she fed their world. The statue was refined, built of white marble, and highlighted every single detail of the goddess as she was depicted in ancient inscriptions.

On the other side was another statue, of a woman, her hands carried under her swollen womb, around her arms she had veins and incisions of branches and leaves that covered her completely. She didn't know which goddess the statue depicted, she was certain that it wasn't one of her religion, but rather a goddess of the religion of Mihdel's people.

He shifted his gaze to the throne on which she was sitting.

The Docria.

His back straight and his elbows resting on the armrests as he watched her warily. The oldest being in the world, her nemesis and that of her brothers and sisters, was in front of her, looking at her, and all she could see was just a girl. A simple young woman who seemed harmless on the surface, but she knew how devastating it was.

Her white hair fell to her shoulders and was lost on the bright pink ends, her golden skin seemed to glisten in the moonlight, while her legs were crossed over each other, left uncovered by the light dress she was wearing.

Her eyes, the same color as the poured gold that seemed to sparkle, scrutinized and studied her, and she felt uncomfortable under the gaze, even though she looked older than Docria.

She sighed, lowering her eyes to her blood-dripping hands, as she continued to listen to the priestesses around her.

She had managed to reach Hryvnia after weeks of travel. Not knowing where it was exactly, she had gone on a reconnaissance mission, following her instinct and the call of her magic. She had managed to get into the territory and had been surprised to see how easily she had managed to get to the castle inhabited by the priestesses, only to realize that it had ended up exactly where the Docria wanted. Fed to all of them.

As soon as she could see the castle, she found herself imprisoned inside a cage made of magic, the priestesses had immediately surrounded her and neutralized her with those chains, before bringing her before the Docria. They had dragged her all over the castle, to that hall where they had thrown her at the foot of the throne, and began to discuss what her fate would be. He sighed and waited, without saying a word. She didn't care anymore. She had done so much harm in her life that she deserved whatever punishment they gave her, she didn't care anymore. "Silence!" said Docria suddenly.

Immediately the priestesses stopped speaking, and an almost icy silence descended upon the hall. She looked up to meet Docria's serious gaze.

"We have other guests," he declared suddenly, turning his attention to his priestesses. The whispering began immediately.

"Two intrusions in one day," one was saying.

"It's Ucria, he's cursing us," said another.

"Be silent!" cried the Docria, releasing her power.

The energy reverberated in everything, he felt it running through her body, impregnating every fiber of her being, the floor, the walls, even the air. An energy so powerful and ancient, but also warm and welcoming that it made her want to surrender to it and be protected.

"These guests look very interesting, I can feel their power from here." A smile adorned her face, and it was not a sweet or cheerful smile at all. "Get ready to receive them," he said as he hoisted himself up on his arms and got back to his feet.

He snugly down the steps to where she was, then passed by her. "Bring the Ucria, too," he ordered, before leaving at a firm pace.

Two priestesses pulled her up, putting her back on her feet. They grabbed the chains and dragged her, pushing her hard to keep up. Ucria could do nothing but follow them, heads down, as they made their way out of the throne room, down a stone corridor to one of the doors leading to the outside of the castle.

When they came out, Ucria looked up, meeting the moonlight caressing her skin, the night flowers had all bloomed and gave off a sweet smell that surrounded her and calmed her senses. The outer walls of the small castle were completely covered with vegetation and flowers, some had closed petals, while others, those with silver petals, were open and gave off that wonderful scent.

The priestesses lined up, covering her so that the new guests could not see her.

She remained silent, taking deep breaths as voices could be heard in the distance. The sound of the nearby river suddenly became louder, and she looked up, shifting her attention to the river, while everyone's eyes were on the incoming guests.

She frowned as she followed the movement of the stream that seemed abnormal, giving her the impression that it was moving faster. The smell of the night flowers was completely gone and he could smell a slight burning smell in the air. He looked around, not knowing where it was coming from, when another noise caught his attention.

He looked back at the river and saw that the water had risen and was beginning to overflow from the edges, soaking all the surrounding land. Slowly the water moved in a slow, lonely dance as it burst its banks and approached the castle, where they were.

She looked alarmed at the priestesses, but they didn't seem to care, they were focused on something else. Her head snapped from side to side, trying to get the attention of the women around her, but no one was looking.

He looked back at the river that was now advancing towards them, and this time he opened his mouth to say something, turned his head, and met the golden eyes of the Docria. The girl looked over her shoulder, a mischievous smile on her face, while shadows could be seen among the trees in front of them, with torches partially illuminating their faces. There weren't many of them. Only a few figures covered by armour, on the chest engraved a coat of arms painted in gold. She recognized him immediately.

The hand clutching a golden chain in its fist on a black background.

It was the coat of arms of the Ackards, the rulers of Aeris.

What were they doing there?

She, her brothers and sisters had grown up with stories about the Ackard, how powerful their dynasty was, how the first Ackard had defeated their father and locked him in another world, forever confining him away from the world of human beings.

He wondered if the Ackards were really as powerful as all the legends told. His gaze returned to the river, which had now reached the feet of the priestesses at the bottom of the steps. Only then did they realize the overflowing river.

His eyes caught a glint, then suddenly a blaze was ignited and a huge flame began to burn on the surface of the water, setting fire to the blades of grass that protruded from the surface, inflaming the petals of the flowers on the ground. She opened her eyes wide, as the men approached, past the first row of trees, the flames grew larger and the water increased, while the grass grew out of all proportion and a wind rose, hitting the walls of the castle.

Ukriah looked again at the advancing men, saw the gold of a crown gleaming between them, and stood upright, her body tense, as she watched with curious eyes the king advance with his back straight.

King Ackard walked in all his pride, his crown shining in the moonlight, his black hair pulled back, and his eyes as cold as the ice he had seen to the north.

She sensed the release of a great accumulation of power, and suddenly chaos erupted around her. The overflowing water of the river receded and then relaunched itself in a gigantic wave that threatened to hit them; The wind was blowing so hard that she had to crouch down and hold on to a step to avoid being thrown out.

She felt the priestesses gasp in fear, and her gaze fell on the Docria, motionless with her arms crossed behind her back, as if everything around her did not touch her in the slightest.

She saw the wave approach her and almost hit her, but the girl simply raised one arm and it froze. The water began to drip and the wave broke up and collapsed to the ground with a thud.

The Docria looked away from the water on land and then turned to King Ackard, who stood a few paces in front of her.

"King Ackard, you look nothing like your ancestor," said the Docria, looking at him.

"I hope it is a compliment," replied the king, bowing his head in respect for the old priestess.

"We'll see if it is," said the girl.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of this unexpected visit?" he asked

. "I have heard that forces are awakening beyond the sea. My ancestors tried to keep history alive, so that I couldn't forget what happened and be prepared for what was to come. I can't prepare them, but you are," said the king. The Ucria frowned as the king moved to the side, showing behind him who he was referring to. She widened her eyes as she saw the two children behind the king, both of whom were not more than ten years old. One was a copy of King Ackard, the other... She was completely different, but at the same time familiar. She felt her heart skip a beat when that reality formed in her head and she snapped with her gaze towards the Docria who was watching the children attentively. A smile rolled across her lips.

"Oh, I think we're going to have a lot of fun."