• I heard her screams as I woke with a start. Over and over again she would say "You've killed me Evan Sparsz. This is your fault." Even as a sword began to run through her chest, her blood covering the blade and slowly dripping off, and I pleaded her to forgive me, she would say it. This one time was different though.Before I actually woke up, she said "Evan, run now! My love is with you." I shook off the dream and sat up in my bed. Sweat was pouring down my face as I got up. Everything seemed so empty and dark without her here. I reached over to grasp my blade, tied it around my waist, and went on outside. As I opened the door to our- my small cottage, the cold night air hit my face like a hit from a horse. For once that night, I was at peace. I closed my eyes, lifting my head and breathing in the night's air, letting it become me. I returned my gaze foreword to find my horse, Sabastian trotting back and forth in a uniform line. I looked around at the village. It was a small settlement in the Northern Herrald Plains called Geavstead. It was a cozy little town, perfect to settle down and find a love and start a family. I quickly stopped myself before I let my mind drift to thoughts of her, but I knew it was too late. I began to think of our wedding day, how beautiful she was, and our first trip to our home here. Still to this day, I remember our vows. She said "Evan Sparsz, my life lies with you, now and forever. May we never be parted in this plain or the next." To which I said "Victoria Eyria, I promise to protect you with my life, no matter what the cost."
    Some wedding vows. I thought to myself.
    Slowly, my mind ended the torment and allowed me to return to the world. Sebastian was still going back and forth, not stopping. Walking over to him, I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. It was him. The man who killed Victoria, Micheal Vieal. It was impossible that he was here because I killed him in his castle. I didn't know whether it was just my mind playing tricks on me or if it was actually him, but my hand instinctively went to my sword and drew it from its scabbard. I looked in the direction I saw him and he was gone. That's when I felt him behind me. "You think you've won, don't you? Don't try to destroy me, worm. I'm beyond your reach." , he said, his voice echoing around me. "If you want revenge, you will find none. If you want salvation, there is none for you here. If you want redemption, you must work for it." His voice began to fade away with his shade and I yelled out to him "How!? How do I attain my redemption!? ANSWER ME!", but it was too late. He was gone. With a pain in my chest, I dropped to my knees, my head in my hands. Tears began to cascade down my face and pool in them. Looking up to the trees near my house, I noticed a flash of what seemed to a red and purple cloak going through the trees. Those were the colors of the Vieal family. With haste, I sheathed my sword and jumped onto Sabastion. I raced after the cloak that seemed to be flying through the trees. Suddenly, after a few hundred yards of chasing the unnamed wearer, they spun through the air over me. When he did, he threw something at me. Slowly, I slid off of Sabastion, a dagger piercing my stomach. I hit the ground and looked down at it. The dagger had easily ripped through my clothes and my skin. As I dropped my head I began to think of her again and how she died.

    "Is this the place?" Victoria asked, the map in her hands twisting in the wind. "Yeah. This is it. The home of Micheal Vieal, the 'great and powerful wizard'." I answered, making the end of it sound as sarcastic as possible. "Then let's get started!" she said, putting away the map into a sack straddled on Sabastian's back. "You have your sword?" she asked, grabbing a bow from the same sack. "Yeah. You have your bow?" I asked, fastening the metal plate covering my shoulder. "Yeah, right here." she said, pulling out her large oak bow. We made our way into the castle without any trouble and opened the door, trepidation creeping up on us.

    If only I told her not to come.

    As we made our way through the castle, we found no resistance. No one seemed to be home. We thought that the entire place was empty and so we let down our guard.

    Oh, how wrong we were.

    We walked up to the main chambers' doors and stopped. "Are you ready?" Victoria asked, notching an arrow on her bow. "Yeah. Let's go kill a mage." I answered, drawing my blade. We burst through the doors and were immediately met with a heavy force that seemed to stop us in our tracks.The arrow armed in Victoria's bow snapped under the force, sending wooden shards around her. Before I could tell what was happening, we were frozen where we stood. "So, you tow planned on killing me?" a voice boomed from deep in the chamber. "Now, believe I'll have some fun with you two.", it continued, malevolence showing in its words.

    If only I didn't agree to hunt mages

    We began to rise into the air and stopped almost twenty feet from where we were before. The voice began to take a shape as we were approached by a man covered in a red and purple cloak. He pulled back his hood and looked up at his, stroking his charcoal colored beard, his copper eyes piercing mine. "You two are lovers aren't you?" he asked, his face brightening. "Ah, yes, you are. Very good.", he said as he walked away. The room began to spin and slowly became dark. In a matter of a few moments, we were knocked out. When we woke up, we were in a sort of dungeon. Footsteps started coming towards the cell we were kept in while a sing song voice was saying "As one becomes darkness, it engulfs the world." I looked over to Victoria and saw she was still out. "I see you're awake, sir." Vieal said, his voice breaking into a cackle. He threw a sword down to my feet and broke the chains holding me to the wall. I slowly rose and grabbed the blade, but I couldn't strike out at him. "I'm sure you've noticed you can't attack me. Well, you see I control you now. Aside from my discovery of the flammable and explosive powder, this is my greatest magical feat! I have created an incantation that bends the will of men! Now, turn to your lovely wife there.", he laughed. I turned to Victoria. She was slowly waking up and began to stare at me. She was scared and started to ask "Evan what's going-" "SILENCE YOU WORTHLESS WRETCH!", Vieal screamed. "So, your name is Evan? Good. Evan! Approach your wife." He said, rubbing his hands together. I began to walk towards Victoria with the sword clenched in my hand.

    Oh gods, if I could have only stopped

    "Evan, stop listening to him, I know you can." Victoria said, her voice shaking. "He can't my dear, he's mine now.", Micheal chimed in. "Listen Victoria, I can't control what I'm doing. Know that I'll always love you." I said, sweat dripping from my brow. "I love you too Evan, and it's okay.", she said, her voice calming down. "Hah, good. Kill her Evan." Vieal commanded. I brought up the hand holding the sword and placed the tip on Victoria's chest. "NO!" I screamed, my voice straining.

    Please... just let me forget...

    "Evan, I love you." Victoria said, straining to hold back tears. "Now Evan. I haven't all day." Micheal reminded me. With his word I began to push the sword into her chest, blood slowly collecting on it and sliding down to the hilt. I couldn't say a single word as the man standing next to me forced me to kill my wife, the one woman I have ever loved. As the blade's hilt met Victoria's chest, her head fell to the handle. I'd done it. I'd killed my love. "Very good, now come with me." Vieal said, walking off. As he was leaving I stayed where I was. "No. I won't" I said, tears blinding me. He came back and yelled once again for me to follow. I finally snapped. Before he knew what was going on I drew the sword from Victoria's body and brought it across his throat. In less than a second, he stopped talking. As his body fell back, his head ripped from its resting place, rolling across the room. The only sound produced in the room was my breathing and the blood running out of Vieal's body. I set his castle aflame as I left with Victoria's body. As I was leaving, the castle began to explode. That must have been the flammable and explosive powder he was talking about.

    She needed an end...

    I brought her body back to our house and gave her a proper burial. Since then, I've never felt happy, or been at peace. I've always blamed myself for what happened. I looked down at the dagger in my stomach once again and reached out at it. When I did, the man in the cloak who I was chasing grabbed my hand before I could. He then shook his head as if to say "Bad idea." I put my hand down and quickly, I passed out.

    I could hear her again.

    "Get up Evan."