Chapter Six Attempts On Zaryb

 The First Attempt

Strena had been on the road for an entire year, during which she turned eleven. She did not know where she was travelling. Zaryb never told her. Which he never did. This was getting on her nerves and after the past six years of never staying in the same place for more than a year she was getting tired. Hating every moment she remained his dog.

She hardly had any sleep, in fact every time she did sleep it was due to her passing out, which was only ten times per month and this would last only for five hours. Yet at the same time Zaryb seemed to do all he could to stop her from sleeping and whenever she woke from her moments of passing out he would always punch her. They would always walk on and she would miss meals due to walking on and on. This was how things were since she had dreamed of that strange woman.

She had written all this in her diary, yet she had even been too tired to write anything down. She, aside from the times she passed out, found it almost impossible to sleep. It was getting harder and harder to sleep, day by day.

She had recently started to hear whispering. She, at first, thought that it was Zaryb, until she saw that his mouth was closed. She also noticed that he was unresponsive to the whispering that told her that only she was hearing this. She questioned him once only for him to shut her down. So she kept quiet and tried to ignore it. Yet they became more and more frequent and she had started to hear the words.

"Kill him. Kill him. Kill him!"

She knew that these whisperings were not her own thoughts. No, the voice was not her own. It was older and more mature. However despite this, she knew who the whispering wanted to kill. She had been able to resist for a month but the lack of sleep was getting to her. She could even feel her resolve facing like the sand in an hourglass.

She could feel her power weakening and she had lost weight too. She felt weary beyond the words she could speak at that moment. She dated not to complain. She did not want Zaryb to hurt her again. So she just moved on and on throughout the great lands, like age was walking in a hot desert with a dry tongue. She kept as quiet as she could, yet she could hear the words become more and more predominant almost like the burning rays of the sun.

"H-" She moaned.

She suddenly stopped herself realising that her words would only fall on deaf ears.

I wish something would help me and save me from this man! I wish I had someone to help me and I wish someone would just hug me. Help me and let me cry and sleep and be a child again.

"You day something girl?"

She shook her head.

"Don't matter."

"Grammar!"

"Doesn't matter."

He smirked.

"If you say so." He sang as he sat.

"Come on. Let's see how you've improved your cooking skills."

She nodded.

She walked to the plants. She picked the herbs and picked a few wild vegetables. There she cleaned them and found a rabbit and stabbed it. She then skinned and gutted it. She then put them all in a pot to stew. As she looked in the pot her mind became numb as she felt her tiredness becoming almost overwhelming.

She then spotted that Zaryb looked into the mixture and stirred.

She felt her hand move as if it had a will of its own. She took some black berries and picked them. She then felt her hand crushing them over the pot. She started stirring the stew. She took out a bowl and gave it to him. She then felt the feeling like someone was looking out of her eyes as she looked at him. It made her cringe as she felt almost like she had lost control of herself.

"What is it girl?"

"Nothing." She felt her mouth say.

"Good. Now we have a long way to go." He said, raising his spoon to his lips and making a sleeping sound.

She felt the presence of the one that was controlling her leave her. She quickly dived to him and grabbed his hand. Stopping him from taking a bite.

"Don't eat that! Something used me to put black berries in it!"

He let out a laugh as he shoved her off him.

"I know, I have a record of those black berries. They're Black Death Berries which is why I made the sound. I knew that something was wrong when you crushed them. That's why I threw some White Life Berries in there. After all, if you combine the juice of both it creates a good tasting stew that helps sharpen the mind and does well for the digestive system."

She raised her eyebrow as she took her portion and took a slurp. She could taste peppery lamb with spicy but sweet vegetables. It tasted almost like the stew that her father would sometimes make. In fact it tasted exactly like it. Even though the vegetables were different the taste was identical! 

How? Why does it taste like that? Did daddy make it like that?

No. Don't think about it.

"Mind telling me what that was all about?"

"I can't say… I don't quite know."

"How come?"

"I don't know how to put it into words."

He let out a stern sigh.

"Have you been reading that dictionary I gave you?"

Her eyes narrowed.

"Yes… I guess it's just, I felt like something was influencing me. Is that the right word?"

"Manipulating."

She nodded.

"Is that where you hear someone whispering in my ear, almost as if she was gaining power over me?"

He nodded.

"You could."

"Then that was it. I'm sorry."

"Next time do better."

"I would've done, if I could get some sleep."

He chuckled.

"Then get some."

"But I can't! I haven't been able to for the past year!"

"You will now. After all, both berries can fight off enchanted insomnia."

"Is that where a magic spell stops you from sleeping?"

"Yes."

"By the way, who taught you how to cook this stew?"

"My older brother."

She then nodded off, finally able to have a good and long sleep. She felt her mind start to relax along with the tension in her muscles.

The Second Attempt

Strena found herself walking down the corridors again. She could sense that there was something in these corridors, but she ignored this feeling. She also knew that there was something that she had to do. She was supposed to be there and she always was supposed to do what she was about to do. However she, in that moment, could not place a finger onto what that actually was. Nor could she place as to why.

She reached the room, her parents room or the room she should have inherited. The room she should be sleeping in,ruling her father's kingdom. She suddenly felt like she was being watched as she walked in, as silent as a mouse. No, even they were louder than her footsteps. She approached the bed where a man slept and killed him as quickly as she could, as silently as she could. She then walked out with just as little noise. None would know of her presence until they found the corpse in the morning. By then she would be far from anyone to chance after her, or know that it was her.

Then, a shock rippled throughout her body as she felt a hand on her shoulder. It felt real and the grip was strong. She tried to shove the hand off but it kept her shoulder in a vice-like grip. She looked back to see that woman.

"So…this is where you are going." She said, with a surprised tone.

"What?"

Who is this woman? And what does she want with me?

"You are going to kill that poor young man!" She purred.

She pulled her in closer.

"In cold blood no doubt! That's interesting."

"I don't know why I keep doing that. Yet I think it might have something to do with him pretending to be what I am."

"Really? Is that all?"

She frowned.

"Should there be more?"

"I think so."

"How come?"

"How come you don't take the crown? After all, it does rightfully belong to you. Why do you always walk away?"

"I don't know."

"Maybe he makes you do something that makes you feel unworthy of the crown? Or maybe you find out something that makes you not want the crown?" She suggested.

She frowned.

She wanted to argue against this but she just could not. After all, she already would not call herself the ideal queen. She was a bounty hunter, assassin and slayer. Which made her a murderer. She had recently found out that she was born out of wedlock. On top of that, she had blood on her hands and no good queen could ever have blood on their hands. She feared the more she was forced to walk down this path the worse it would become. She had to find a way to put a stop to that.

"There is a way that you can fix that. I don't even need to say. You already know. So do it!"

She looked down.

"But-" She stammered, placing a hand on the necklace around her neck.

"I will help you."

She placed her indeed on her forehead and her eyes opened.

She pulled herself out from under the covers. She took her sword and unsheathed it. She looked at the blade, having the feeling that something was missing. Something in her mind had been taken. Even though she could not place what, she did not care. Her mind became flooded with all the evil Zaryb had done and put her through and forced her to do. She could not get it out of her head. However she did not want it to get out of her head. All she cared about was killing Zaryb, all she wanted, in that moment, was to have him die at her hand.

"What?" He groaned.

"My eyes have been opened."

She shoved the blade and he pulled out a small dagger. He soon blocked it. She was drawn back. She then jumped back and Zaryb pushed forward. He pushed himself out of his bed and she momentarily lost sight of him and he hit her in the back. She spun, ignoring the pain, and tried to strike down, aiming for the torso. He jumped up and kicked her in the face. She was on the ground before she knew what was going on. She spun and as he came to pin her down, she head-butted him before he could do a thing. 

She scrambled to her feet. She flung her sword at him and he blocked. She flung her sword at him again and again and again, and he blocked and blocked and blocked. She was getting nowhere. All she was doing was hitting his blade and nothing else. She had to change her plans but this was all she could do at the moment.

Then she spotted an opening and she kicked to his side, but he flung his blade down and blocked another strike before she could even land a single blow. She had to push through the pain, again. Yet she could feel her eyes being burnt by her tears as all she could do was slash and slash and slash and she could do nothing.

Then she lost sight of him again then she felt his foot in her gut. She flew in the air and she felt a hand quickly jab into her hip. She flung down and rolled rapidly as she landed. She then rolled back on her feet and then saw the shadow and flung her fist into it. Only for him to grab her wrist. He pulled her hand up and he then punched her in the face. 

She flung away and hit her head hard. Everything went black. When she woke up, whatever was taken was back. Yet she remembered everything that had happened and fear was pierced into her heart. It felt like she was doing worse that whatever Zaryb was doing. After all, she felt like she was losing all agency over her own body!

"W-what's happening to me?" She cried.

"Depends, mind telling me what that was all about?"

"I-I-I d-don't know! All I could think about was what you did to me. I don't know how but she took something and I don't even know what and-and-and…"

"Tried to kill me."

She nodded as she trembled.

The Third Attempt

Strena was finally fast asleep in a field in her green animal skin sleeping bag. She had been dreaming for some time when she felt the presence of another mind in hers. She knew instantly that it was the witch. Then she soon looked back in her dream and saw her. She saw that she was walking towards her. She took a step back as she did not want her to get anywhere near her. Not after last time. In fact she did not want to hear a word of what she had to say for that matter.

Yet as she turned to run away she suddenly stopped.

No. I have to go. If I don't, she'll only gain more ground in my mind. Plus either way I will have to deal with her. At least this way it will be on my terms.

So she turned around to face her then walked up to her. With each step, she did her best to keep her determination intact. It took all her will to keep fear from her. She did all that she could to keep herself from shaking. No, now was not the time for weakness.

"Are you going to leave me alone?"

She looked down at her almost like she was an adorable pet and smiled. This suddenly made her feel even more vulnerable than she was currently feeling. Yet she knew that she would try to do her best to stand her ground.

She tried not to flinch as she tucked her hair behind her ear and knelt in front of her.

"No. I can not do that. You see, I want to torment that master of yours before he dies. So, as I can not enchant you to kill him, I will have to take direct control over you to do it."

Suddenly fear rippled throughout her body as flashes of when Zaryb would control her flew throughout her mind.

"No!" She shouted.

She found her sword in her hand. She then raised it. The witch looked at her nonchalantly before her eyes dropped to the sword. Then her eyes widened with a surprised look on her face. Yet she looked pleased as well. Her eyebrow raised.

"Is that your sword?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Can you unsheathe it in the real world?"

Why do people keep asking me that?

"Yes. What of it?"

She let out a playful yet chilling laugh.

"What?"

"Do you know it's name?"

"No. Didn't know it had a name."

She let out a giggle.

"Good."

Having had enough she went to strike her but she missed. In the next moment she felt her hand on the back of her shoulder.

How?

She then turned and slashed and, again, she missed. Then she saw that she and the witch were in a ring of fire. Then she threw a ball of fire at her. It then struck and she fell back. She, to her surprise, could feel the pain of the fire burning her.

"What? No scream?" She taunted, disappointed.

She looked up at her with anger and then struck her in the cheek in nothing but a blind anger. This dragged her back slightly. She smiled as she placed a finger on the cheek and looked at the blood. Then she looked at her with that may look that Zaryb would give her whenever he was going to do something undoubtedly cruel.

"You know, you're quite strong for a girl your age."

"Master Zaryb always trains me whenever I have anything near to spare time."

Her eyebrow cocked.

"Oh? He does, does he? Well let's see if you're good enough!"

Then the fire rose higher and higher. Then, when the flames touched the ceiling, she turned it to ice. Strena, again, lost sight of the witch and suddenly felt a hand grip the break of her neck. She then felt the hand squeeze hard. Then a pain flared up from the hand like fire and spread around the body like it was burning to the stake. Then she felt a pressure in her head. It dated out bearable but the pressure became worse and worse. Soon it became completely unbearable.

She screamed and screamed. The witch closed her eyes and smiled almost like she was listening to her favourite part of a music piece. She screamed more and more and the witch started laughing.

"Stop it! Just stop it!"

She pulled her in.

"Shhh, don't worry it will be all over soon." She whispered, with false compassion.

NO! NO! No! No! No. No…

She suddenly felt herself slipping. She did all that age could to stay focused but the pain was far too overwhelming for her. She kicked back but the witch's hand did not budge. She kicked her in the shin, yet she was the one that felt the pain. She reached back to grab the hand but all she could feel was the wrist.

What?

"What are you doing? Stop it! Phrase just stop it!"

Then she felt a hand crushing her brain. She tried to pull the hand out but she felt pain in the back of her neck.

"Get it off me! Get it off me! Please just-can't take it anymore!" She cried.

"You will not take my hand away. I have merged it with your mind. Now, stop fighting it. Don't worry. I will let you go once I am done with you." She whispered in her ear.

"Liar! You won't!"

"Oh? And what makes you think that?"

She looked back through the tears.

"That look! It told me!" She cried, her voice hurting.

She could feel a great exhaustion overwhelming her.

"Alright. I can see that there's no fooling you. Maybe I won't. Maybe I have plans for you after my dear Zarry's dead. But I still have to find you!" She sang. "See he's been awfully careful hiding you from me. So it will come soon, the time when I will find you. After all, if you can unsheath that sword you must have a great potential that I must unleash."

She felt her focus waver slightly.

I have to focus! I have to keep my mind sharp or I'll get hurt again. 

She soon had to put all her will to get this creep of a witch out of her mind. She then felt relief run throughout her as the wrist started to move back. She felt herself smirk as she felt the witch's grip and pain slip slightly.

"Oh?"

That was when she felt another will, her will, push back against hers. However this one, it felt stronger. Much stronger than anything she had ever felt before. It was like a tsunami hitting her with the full blast of its power. She tried to fight against it but it was like a kitten fighting a fully grown lion. She felt the hand move back in and the fingers wrapped around her windpipe. She could no longer hold on and all went black.

Her eyes flicked open as she looked at Zaryb with a smile.

"What is it now girl?"

She looked hurt.

"What? Don't you know your teacher even when she's using another?"

"Get out of her."

"No!"

She then ran to him and took out a knife and slashed to the left. He blocked using a tiny blade and then kicked her in the gut.

"Now get out of her." He said, more condemningly.

"No, by the way I do have to ask, did you know she has magic?"

He looked aside with anger in his eyes.

"Oh! You do! Wonder what he spoils say? My other apprentice. What would he do if he ever found out, that dear friend of yours? Especially since I can sense that she has very powerful magic."

She then pulled out a dagger and threw it at him. He jumped to the side to dodge it and caught it. He then ran at her faster then usual and pointed it at her. She smiled and looked at it. She then laughed.

"Can you do it? Can you kill her?"

"Is that what you want?"

"Maybe, maybe not!"

He let out a cry as he clutched his head. He started to sweat.

"No! Just, no! Not now."

Then his face changed to the cruel look that matched hers.

"I'm sorry I can't let him die yet." He said, grabbing her by the throat.

He pulled her in and licked his lips.

"Now let her go!"

He looked at her in her eyes and pushed her away. The witch left and she collapsed in his arms. He let go as she trembled.

"Don't worry she's alive. You don't need to worry your pretty little head."

The Fourth Attempt

Strena woke up feeling very scared and naked, despite having warm winter clothes on. Her fear filled every corner of her heart. Her eyes darted to Zaryb. He reached out his hand and she closed her eyes as she tembeld. He then placed his hand upon her head. Her eyes opened and she frowned. She looked away as she pouted, trying not to cry. She wanted this to be over as soon as possible. So she huffed.

"I suppose you're going to punish me for my weakness."

He chuckled.

"No you are no match for that Dark Lady." He said, patting her. "She would have been dead already if she could be trusted!"

"What do you mean by that?"

"She has her ways and has been known to become more dangerous whenever she is dead or found a way to resurrect herself."

She smirked bitterly.

"Sounds like we have a problem." She sang with a bittersweet chuckle.

He too had a bittersweet smile.

"Only if you deny her what she wants."

"How so?"

"She ensures that all who get in her way come to a very grim end. How grim? Well that depends entirely on how angry she is."

She closed her eyes in dread as her heart sank. She let out a sigh trying not to cry out of how scared that she was.

Looks like this will be yet another thing that I'm gonna have to get used to.

"Is she the reason why we've always been moving so much?"

He stopped for a moment and looked at her impressed.

"Yes."

"And why do you not give in and die?"

His eyes tensed.

"Multiple reasons. Though I hardly think that she really wants to kill me, not really. No…I think it's something else. After all, she could carry many other spells and enchantments to do that. No…" He spoke out loud as his eyes slid to her.

"What?"

"N-never mind. I'll tell you when you're older."

When I'm older?

She frowned as she sat up. She curled into a ball. Yet she looked up at him.

"Then looks like I need a lot of training then. After all, I know we have a long battle ahead of us. Right?"

He smiled, relieved by something.

"Yes, yes we do. By the way, since when did you become so assertive?"

She shrugged and smiled.

"It's all down to your training Master Zaryb."

His smile dropped.

"Then I better make something. Then we can train."

He soon made the stew and they soon ate and finished their meal.

They walked a good pace away from the camp next to a clear shallow river. Then they turned to each other.

"Here." 

"Why not back where we were?"

"It was too rocky and near civilization. After all, you know how little I like to be interrupted during a training session."

She shrugged.

"Alright." She said, looking away.

She took her blade out and unsheathed it. She looked down and looked at the blade. She stroked the blade slowly and looked at the hilt. Almost like she was studying the blade. She swung it a few times and the swing sounded clear and sharp. She smirked as she drew her attention back to Zaryb. There was a hunting look in her eyes. Almost like she was looking at him like a pet hat she wanted to put down.

Suddenly Zaryb felt his heart sink. This had confined something.

He drew his tiny blades.

"Ready?"

"Yes." 

He threw a few of them at her. She struck them down easily. He ran around her, throwing more at her. All she blocked. He drew in close to her, throwing more at her. She continued to slash at each and everyone down. Then he drew a dagger down to strike her but she was able to dodge. She jumped back, drawing the blade into his stomach. He whacked it away.

He let out a sigh as he pulled out a small dagger.

"You can't have her."

"You know, thinking about it you were always perceptive, my dear Zarry."

"I know and she will not be a dark lady."

"Oh? Well if that is where you draw the line." She said, stroking the side of his face, tracing the scar with her fingertips. "Then offer yourself to me. After all, you do remember what happens to people who get in my way? Or have you forgotten Gennifield already? Or those many, many women that I killed that you so ever deeply loved."

He looked down and nodded. Anger and frustration in his eyes.

He then threw a punch at her, yet she blocked. He threw punch after punch at her and she continued to block, one after the other. He drew a knife down and she struck it right out of his hand! He flicked a tiny dagger at her face and she dived back. He then ran and gave her a punch to the jaw and she flew and landed with a thud.

When she rose her eyes changed for a moment and he saw Strena had taken over. However by the time he ran to her the witch had taken back over. She then stabbed the palm of his hand. He drew back and looked at the bloody hand in shock. He looked back as she cackled.

"Tell me, how would you like it if she knew the truth? How would you like it if I told her all about what her father did to you? Including what he put in you?" She asked, drawing closer and closer to him.

He suddenly looked like less of a man and more like a wounded animal. She looked at him with false compassion as she placed a hand on his cheek.

"It still hurts you, doesn't it? Give me this and I will save you from all your sorrows. You know that I could." She purred, leaning in deeply. "And I know how much I love it too!"

His eyes closed and when he opened them, his eyes became insane and the nasty smile reappeared on his lips.

"I'm sorry, but I like it here. So no. I will not allow this deal! So you are going to have to find another thing that will persuade him."

He sighed as she went to whack him in the head. He ducked and punched her in the gut. His smirk curled in a way that would have hurt his cheeks. His eyes wrinkled as he did.

"Yes. I have that too and I know how to use it."

She clutched her head and her eyelids fell. Then his eyes returned to normal and he shook as he knelt by her unconscious body. There he wept and trembled.

The Fifth Attempt

Strena woke up. It was early in the morning, so early in fact, that the sun had not yet come out on the horizon. She smiled nonchalantly as she stretched. She sat up and looked down to see Zaryb sleeping soundly beside her. She smiled as she outrushed her hand and a fire sprung from it. Her smile widened.

She looked at Zaryb again, before looking back. She moved throughout the forest. She was enjoying the time she was spending going up and down the thick roots. Then the bracelet around her wrist prevented her from going too far. She looked at it as her eyes rolled. She soon returned to the camp. With her mind clear and at peace.

She took out a pot and poured water into it and started muttering something under her breath. She pricked her finger and a drop of blood fell into the potion. She then dropped a few herbs into the pot. Yet as she did the blood increased in the mixture. Then the potion started to stir on its own and, as it did, it increased the speed until it became a crimson whirlpool in the centre.

She then caught a rabbit and slit its throat. She turned it upside down. There she kept it until all the blood had drained. She then dropped it in. She soon boiled the liquid to a point that it was rapidly bubbling and the bubbles rapidly popped. Like a whirlpool that had blisters that rapidly popped. The mixture turned red and then blue. She then turned the fire off and used her magic to make it cool to lukewarm. 

She took a spoon out and then clicked her fingers and the piton became as still as water on a windless day. Tuning the liquid into a blue tinted mirror. She scooped some of the liquid up and carefully opened Zaryb's mouth. She then started to speak in the native tongue of the land.

"Let the hand of death come,

End this man's cruel scum,

Free him from his sad life,

End his long, cruel strife!"

He groaned as he woke up. He looked up at her. He, without flinching, punched her in the jaw. He looked at the potion and lit a fire and kicked it into the flames. He then raced to her and hit her. She flew and he dashed after her and hit her again. She flew to the side and then punched her to the ground. He then went in for another punch but he was thrust back and hit the ground hard.

She sat up and spat out some blood. She let out a bone chilling laugh as she smirked.

"Yes. I figured out how to use her magic."

He then looked at her and placed his index finger on his lower lip. He saw the blue liquid and then put his fingers into his mouth. The next moment he threw up all of the blue liquid that he could and spat out the rest of it. He then ran to the river and cleaned his hand and mouth thrice and thoroughly.

He then looked back in anger and ran to her. She outstretched her hand and fire flew out of her palm. He dodged out of the way and she moved the palm of her hand to him. Spraying out more fire as he moved. He was able to dodge out of the way with the flexibility of a snake. She outstretched the other one and sent another blast. He was soon hit.

He looked at her with the scary, wild look in his eyes. He threw his tiny daggers at her and she stopped dagger after dagger. He smiled and he threw more and more. Yet, as he did, he came closer and closer and faster and faster than a normal human. She found it difficult to spray her fire at him, he was moving so fast. Too fast for a human.

He then punched her chin upwards before she could react. She flew in the air and smiled as she did. She then felt a kick in her spine and she was back in the air. She spun to look for him but she could not. Her eyes turned to the left and he thrust the heel of his hand into her side and she was dragged to the right. She then spun as she did. Her eyes darted to see where he was. Yet she saw the ground beneath her and she rolled to land safely.

She felt another punch and she rolled down. She found that she was sweating as she spat out more blood and noticed that there was blood pouring from her nose.

"Hey! Don't you care for the girl?"

"Zaryb does."

"Then convince him to give her to me. I won't kill her, don't you worry about that."

He stopped and then knelt. She smirked.

"What did you do?"

She let out a chuckle and looked at his vomit.

"It's an energy draining potion. You remember the one. I used to give it to him every night!" She sang licking her lips.

He looked back at it and glared at her. He then dragged himself to his feet. He threw a dagger after dagger at her as he ran to the fire. She then clocked and the fire went out like a light. Yet the fire relit and he picked up a log. He then flung it at the vomit and it burst into flames.

He then turned back to her. He willed the fire to be blasted at her. She dodged out of the way and threw blue fire at him. She then ran to him, blasting him again and again and again. Barely giving him any time to breathe as she ran closer and closer to him. She then threw her closed first out and finally hit him. She then threw another and another until his face became bloody.

He grabbed her by the ankle and threw her away. She landed with a thud. He ran to her. He checked her pulse. He let out a sigh. He looked aside as he drew himself in and hugged his legs.

Total Defeat

When Streba woke up next, a blade was pointing to her throat.  She looked at it with a slight smile. Yet she dropped the smile. Her lip curled as she sat up. She then smiled again as she looked at the bounds around her wrists.

"Not taking any chances, I see!"

"No."

"It's alright. I'm not going to try to kill you. No Zarry. I've seen that your self preservation is not your weakness. However, I have seen that it never had been, which I find to be ironic. Yet I now know what it is!" She sang as she sat up.

"Speaking of which, I can also tell that the girl does want to kill you, but she wants it to be on her terms. Oh! What is it about you and your lot and wanting things to be on your terms, that I will never know. However I can see right through you and what you are doing." She said, rolling onto her feet.

She looked down at the bounds and they broke apart. She looked up at him and let out a chuckle. Then she let out a sigh.

"Did you really think that they could stop me?"

She then heard the sound of the sea and looked back. 

"What else should I have expected, Dark Lady?"

She smiled as she ran to the cliffs. She looked down and smirked as she saw the rocky pile below. She even saw the sea almost rushing to crash into the cliff.

"By the way, that sword. The one she wields, do you know the name of it?" She asked to distract him.

"No, why? Is it important?" He asked, walking slowly towards her.

She let out a laugh.

"Might be. After all, the one that can wield the sword and knows its name will have access to the power it contains. Yet she has power of her own and she needs a teacher to show her how. One that still has her magic."

"Not you!"

"Oh but you will not have a choice in that regard. After all, she does need to grow and I am the only one who can help you in that regard. Who else do you have? That friend of yours would not do, nah! Knowing him, he would kill her the moment that he finds out what she is. So let me."

"No. There is someone I can turn to."

"Oh? Is that so? Then what do you think he will do once he finds out the nature of her birth? Let's face it, you're even more alone in this than you already are."

He looked down. He tried not to cry so he bit his lip to stop himself.

"No. I will not let her become a dark lady. She is far too young and you know it. And if I did want her to become one you would be the last person I would turn to."

She let out a laugh.

"Oh! You're so cold! That's what I like most about you. I admit that I thought you would say something like that."

She then ran to the edge of the cliff. She then placed her leg out and almost jumped. Zaryb raced to her and gripped her wrist. She was able to take advantage of this and reached out and pulled his blade out and pointed it at her throat!

His eyes widened and his grip became momentarily loose. Yet he gripped her again to stop her from falling. She smiled victoriously.

"Got you! Now let me have her as my apprentice. I hardly need to say what will happen if you don't! I know it will be of no consequence to me but for you…"

"No I will not!"

She pressed the blade in deeper to let the blood start to trickle down her neck.

"She will die."

He closed his eyes as he started to tremble. He was about to pull her up but his body froze. He opened his eyes and looked at her in shock.

"Ah, ah, ahhh! Only a 'yes' will save her."

He looked behind her at the rocks and the ocean. Then at her.

"Yes. You can have her as an apprentice."

She smiled, returning the dagger and placed a hand over her neck. Steam rose and she let out a scream. When she pulled the hand away, there was a thick black ring around her neck.

"What was that for?"

"Insurance. You have a year until all of the ring glows red. Should you fail to come by that time she will die horribly. Also it will do the same thing if you hand her over to me without finding out the name of the sword. And just to show you that I mean business, I will be popping by. Just to give you a little more motivation."

He nodded. He pulled her in. Strena felt the witch finally let her go. She hugged him tightly as she trembled uncontrollably. She could not stop herself from shaking nor crying. She knew it would earn her a scolding but, try as she might, she just could not stop it. She could feel her fear and tears suffocate her.

Yet he instead refined the hit as he too could not stop his tears and his shaking either.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I couldn't- I tried but I couldn't-"

"It's alright. As I said, you are no match for her."

"Wh-who w-was she anyway?"

"A Dark Lady known as Grasharlo. And I'm sorry but you're going to be her apprentice once we find out the name of your sword."