Tales of Sundardesha: Journey of a lost queen (book I)

Chapter 17 - Magic

Hi! Thank you for taking the time to read my story!

OK, this chapter is a mess! I mean there are so many things that become clear and it was a real struggle to write it all down.

Still, I am very excited because we have reached chapter 14! Honestly, I am surprised I've come this far but it makes me very happy! ;)

Hope you'll enjoy it!

Please, don't forget to vote and comment if you like my work! Thank you!

P.S. This chapter is unedited, so please excuse any monstrosities you might come across.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once Thalya made sure, Ayden was alright and resting, she let out a breath of relief.

The young woman sat back down, leaning on her hands for support. She ran her palm over the straw-like-grass then she closed her eyes and let her awareness spread.

A cold shiver run through her body. Everything in the perimeter around them was drained. There was no vital energy left neither in the grass nor in its former inhabitants.

Her attention was drawn to a couple of bright animal auras on one of the dead trees. She reached delicately toward them, careful not to scare them away.

It was a nest of nightingales, female, male and their newly hatched nestlings.

Goosebumps raised on Thalya's skin, as she thought back to the Grand Mage and the way he had been draining the vital energy of all the participants in the combat the previous night.

She shook her head to chase away the unpleasant memories.

The young woman looked up and searched for her father. Her gaze found him resting on the ground under the shade of one of the dead pines, his eyes closed.

Thalya got up, and groaned, her muscles felt tired and worn. She slowly stepped toward the older man observing his beaten face carefully.

The skin around his right eye was discolored, his chin painted with dark bruises as well and his lower lip cracked.

Thalya's heart clenched, who knew how much beating he had suffered after being captured. She noticed there were numerous tears on his clothes and the skin that peered through was scratched and cut.

She gritted her teeth, anger boiling in her veins. Bryann's guards were merciless bastards, she had learnt that on more than one occasion.

The young woman discovered she didn't regret any of their deaths. They had killed Carrieann and Gore, they had hurt her friend Sabrena, they had beaten her father, they had even tried to kill her.

Thalya stopped a few feet away from her father. She stood in silence not sure how to approach him.

After a long moment, she finally spoke.

"Dad," she called him hesitantly.

It felt strange using the word for someone other than Gore, but Thalya was glad she had someone to call her father again.

Tiergan opened his eyes immediately then squinted them, as he looked at his daughter in bright sunlight. He stood quickly observing her features closely.

"Thalya," His voice was raspy. "What is it?"

"Dad, I want to talk to you, if that is alright."

Thalya's face was etched with worry.