The Death Bridge

"How did you do it before?", Axil asked, clasping his hands behind his back.

"I don't know…it just…happened", Raven said with a shrug.

"Yes, but it didn't just happen…something must've triggered it…", Axil said. "There are many things that can influence that. So let's start with the most obvious one and see where that leads us", he said, slowly pacing around.

"Just like with anything else, emotions play an important part in wielding magic…certain emotions such as anger or sadness. So, which one triggered your magic?"

"I…I don't know…anger, I guess…"

"Anger…anger for what or whom?"

"At myself? Everyone else?", she said with a hint of uncertainty.

"Alright, now focus on those emotions", Axil said. "Keep in mind that this is just to start with…emotions should never be able to trigger your magic. You must be in control of your magic, not your emotions. But we will focus on that later. Right now, you must first discover your magic…"

"How?"

"As I said before, focus on your emotions…in this case, anger. Focus on it and feel it fill your heart and mind", Axil explained.

Raven closed her eyes. She tried to find the anger within her, but there was nothing. After a few minutes, she opened her eyes.

"Nothing…There's no anger…"

Axil studied her face for a few seconds before speaking.

"Try it again…"

Raven sighed and closed her eyes once more.

A frown appeared between her brows. After a few more moments, she opened her eyes and threw her hands in the air.

"Still nothing!", she said, frustrated.

Axil's gaze rested on her face as he thought. "Perhaps it wasn't anger that triggered your magic…", he said as he walked closer.

Raven shrugged.

"What did you feel besides anger? "

"I…I can't remember…"

She glanced up at his face and saw the frown between his brows.

"I've been having trouble remembering things…small things about my past, my parents and…I-I don't know why", she explained. "It has gotten worse…it somehow feels as if…well, as if it is being erased", she said as she sat down on the soft grass.

"Perhaps I can help…", Axil said as he sat down cross-legged, opposite her.

He sighed.

"However…I'm afraid you are not going to like it"

"Why?", Raven asked suspiciously.

"I can tap into your memories…"

Raven arched her brows. "How is that possible?"

"That's a long story and one for another day", Axil answered curtly.

Raven narrowed her eyes at him.

"It will only work if you allow me out of your own free will. If you do, we would be able to see your memories", Axil said, ignoring the suspicious look in Raven's eyes.

"Even those that I cannot remember?"

"I am hoping that would be the case"

Raven averted her gaze and stared at her hands. Finally, she lifted her eyes to meet the piercing silver ones.

"Alright", she said softly.

Axil nodded.

"Anything I need to know about tapping into people's memories?"

"It is dangerous if that is what you want to know. One can get lost, trapped in your own mind. But you'll be safe. I'll be with you the whole time", the white-haired man reassured her.

"And you've done this how many times?", she asked, still feeling a bit uncertain.

Axil held his hands out to her, ignoring her question.

"Take my hands when you are ready"

Raven sighed.

"Well, here goes nothing!", she said as she placed her hands in Axil's.

The moments her hands touched his, she felt a shock go through her body as the world around her faded into darkness.

***

She found herself standing in the Inner Circle, not far from the bridge.

She saw the same scene she saw so many years ago. The scene that sometimes haunted her in her dreams.

She walked a few steps closer and her eyes once more met her mother's.

'Run', she saw her mother mouth to her before the ghost-like people surrounded her. She saw her parent's lifeless bodies being carried away by the things as they disappeared. The flash of blue appeared on the other side f the bridge.

{"Beastie…I knew it! You were there…you…"}, she thought as she watched it disappear.

Suddenly a familiar stench filled her nostrils. But then she realized that something about the smell was different. The sweet smell that mixed with the stench made her frown.

{"What is that?"}, she thought.

Suddenly she heard a scream and found herself lying on the ground. She saw something dark and big at her right shoulder. {"What the…"}, her thoughts were interrupted when she saw a flash of metal and the thing at her shoulder backed away.

The creature growled and disappeared into the thicket.

{"Oh no! The sword! I need to follow that…whatever it was!"}, she thought as she got up and sprinted after the creature.

But the world around her faded into darkness again.

{"What the-?"}. She suddenly felt her consciousness being pulled into another memory. She saw her mother and father arguing.

"John, no! We cannot risk it!", her mother's voice was serious and thick.

"Saerwyn, what choice do we have? You've seen that the sword doesn't work for us…Raven is our only hope!"

"No! I will not let my daughter do it! She can't even lift that sword with one hand, much less fight the creature!", her mother said almost hysterically.

"So, we'll train her…teach her…make her strong!", her father said as he took her mother's hands in his own.

The memory changed again.

She was back at the bridge, but she wasn't alone. A group of hunters was with her.

"You don't know what you are doing!", Raven heard herself say.

"Keep her quiet", one of the hunters said.

She felt a hand pressing tightly over her mouth. Then she saw it. The creature appeared on the other side of the bridge. It was waiting on the other side.

Patiently waiting.

Watching.

"There it is! Come on, let's go kill ourselves a beast!", she heard the hunter say.

The group moved forward, dragging her along.

A blood-chilling scream echoed through the air as chaos broke loose. The hunters each fell down as white transparent figures passed through them. The grip around Raven's mouth loosened as the body of the dead hunter fell beside her. The figures picked the bodies up and disappeared. She heard a triumphant screech coming from the creature.

Suddenly everything around her faded into nothingness once more.

She closed her eyes.

She heard a voice call out to her. She felt herself being yanked by her hands repeatedly.

She opened her eyes but found herself still inside the void.

From afar she could see a sharp light. It came closer and closer. The light became brighter and brighter, but the light didn't hurt her eyes. A golden flame appeared as the light surrounded it.

Raven suddenly felt the need to reach out, to touch the flame. She slowly reached out.

She touched the flame and it suddenly disappeared into her hand. A golden glow spread through her arm and moved to the other. Raven felt a strange power flowing through her veins.

And then everything disappeared and the void became dark once more…