SABRINA
I stared dewy-eyed at the skies of Ashrea. The air felt light and warm, the velvet land underneath my feet feeling so soft.
What looked like two moons shone softly, their luminous lights illuminating the red skies. They were situated some distance apart from each other.
One was bigger and the other smaller.
The bigger one had wisteria lightenings whilst the smaller one shone ocean blue.
Stars littered across the red skies, the warm breeze blowing the trees and grasses around us.
I was still finding it hard to believe that I am literally in Ashrea and not in New York anymore. Is this some sort of dream?
I pinched myself twice for me to make sure it wasn’t a dream. Some strands of my hair whipped across my face by the breeze and I tucked them behind my ear.
“It’s beautiful” I breathed out as I stared wistfully at my entire surroundings.
Aklyn came close to me and grasped on to my hands, interlocking it with his.
“Ashrea is very different from earth but I know as time roll by, you will like it” he confidently said.
I turned to look at him and hiked a brow, withdrawing my hands from his.
“And who says I am staying here for such a long period?”
“You can’t run away from us queen. This is where you belong” Nelyx chortled.
“All these and many more you would become the queen to as you sit by our side” Nelyx added in a whisper into my ear.
“I belong in earth with my friend and fiancé. I’m just here to find them both and get the fuck out” I sharply made it known to them.
No reaction can be spotted on their faces.
“Mina your place is in Ashrea. We are your mates and the sooner you accept it the better for us all” Nelyx huskily replied.
I sighed and inhaled deeply. “Let’s get to work can we?”
“By the way my name is Sabrina not Mina” I corrected.
A rich laughter rumbled from them.
“You are our Mina” Aklyn sniggered, griping me by waist and running his lips along my neck.
A sudden heat sprang up in my stomach, threatening to spread to all parts of my body.
“St–stop” I struggled to say.
He lets go and a smirk is plastered on his face.
“Lets get our queen into our kingdom brother” Nelyx flirtingly utters, coming over to me.
I rolled my eyes at both of them and heaved a sigh.
Suddenly, my ears hear cracking and tearing sounds and in a swift motion, enormous black wings with horns at the top sprout out of the backs of Nelyx and Aklyn coupled with two horns that sprout out of their heads, pushing through their hairs.
My jaws dropped and I stare like a deer caught on headlights.
What the hell?!
They literally now looked like what they claimed to be–demon kings.
“Shocked?” Nelyx queried with a flirty smile as he stretched his wings.
My hands found its way to his wings on its own accord.
It was so soft, his black feathers feeling like it was made out of the softest silks under my finger pads.
I was so caught up in feeling his wings that I didn’t notice on time, the conceited smile painted on their faces.
“Uhm… You both have great wings” I said trying to cover up my embarrassments.
“Are you sure that is all you have to say?” Aklyn cryptically inquired and I gave a rapid nod.
“Lets just go please” I demanded.
In the blink of an eye, Aklyn has me in his arms bridal style.
For some seconds, I am dazed by his rapid reflex skills.
“Why are you carrying me?”
“Because we are about to fly” he replied.
“What!” I exclaimed, clinging on to him more tighter than ever.
“Relax queen. Besides you have these wings too but you don’t know” Nelyx announced to me.
Me wings?
I don’t have no bloody wings.
“I have no wings!” I snapped back.
“Not now but once we mate” Nelyx told me before taking a leap into the air.
I let out a scream and tightened my grip around Aklyn’s neck, burying my face on his chest the moment he flew up in to the air.
I could feel him smirking down at me.
“Raise your eyes up” he commanded.
I did so slowly and my mouth hung open. We were literally soaring in the air. The sonorous sound coming from their wings gliding and flapping the air was all I could hear as the wind slapped across my face.
The wind blew my hairs rigorously in all directions and most especially over my eyes and I struggled to catch my breath.
I strained my eyesight forward and I spotted a huge wall approaching us.
“What’s that?” I timidly asked.
“That’s the central region of Ashrea that is home to the king and demons” he replied.
My breathing got clogged in my throat in an instant.
“What are in other regions of Ashrea?” I murmured.
“Other mythical beings you would get to meet once you become queen” he replied evasively.
I watched Nelyx bring out the black shiny Crystal he used in the loophole and hold it out to the wall as we approach it.
“Wait why aren’t you stopping. We will run into the wall!” I let out a panic scream.
Neither of them gives me a reply. They just keep flying in a much more faster speed as the walls draws nearer to us.
I scream and bury my head in Akyln’s chest once again, expecting for us to run into the wall but instead I felt some sort of enthralling force pass through me.
I gazed my eyes up immedately only to see that we had run right through the wall leaving me dazed and perplexed.
“The crystal is like our gateway pass into this region. That was why we went through the wall” Aklyn informed me as if sensing my bewilderment.
“Oh” was what I could only mutter out.
Inside the walls was an organised town of magnificent houses made of white and black unaltered rocks and dark roof, cobbled stone streets and street lamps illuminating vibrant but eerie red lights.
This felt so unreal. I am still struggling to believe that I am in Ashrea.
My entire system is still in shock that I almost forget to breathe.
My eyes fed on the–i don’t know if I should call them people or mythical creatures, that swarm around down below us.
Majority of them had wings sprouting off their backs like Aklyn and Nelyx whilst some were of a different entire form.
I spotted creatures that looked like goblins from children fairy tales, bird like humans and also horse like creatures trotting on the streets.
“You guys have horses?” I queried, a little bit amused.
“They aren’t horses queen. They are much more faster and stronger. More faster than your human cars. They are called Yuthors” Aklyn explained.
The rest of our journey to wherever they were taking me to was accompanied by silence. I chose to enjoy the placid and serene view as we soared through the winds.
After what seemed like an endless flight, I noticed two watchtowers coming into sight. It seemed like we were at the centre of the city.
Slowly we began descending until we had reached the ground. Aklyn puts me down and my legs almost feels wobbly as it touched the grounds of Ashrea.
In the middle of the watchtowers stood a huge and frightening iron gate doused in black. It literally looked like the gates of hell.
I shuddered at the thought and watched the gate open for us on its own.
An awfully pale human male approaches us as we walked inside the grand castle of the demon kings.
He was dressed on a tunic coupled with dark pants and had such black hair that seemed as black as midnight itself.
“Alton I can see you kept to your word of welcoming us back!” Aklyn grins at the man.
He laughed exposing his two canine razor pointed teeth which got me to flinch. Was he some sort of vampire?
“Aklyn and Nelyx, Ashrea has so awaited your arrival” he grinned back.
“And this must be our queen” he diverted his attention at me.
I gulped.
“Does she speak?” He pushes his attention back at the kings.
“Ofcourse I speak” I snapped back seemingly irritated by his question.
He laughed more and clapped his hands together.
“Alton stop teasing our bride please” Nelyx sighed.
“Fine. Come bride let me lead you to your quaters” he offered, exposing his sharp canines. I tried so hard not to wince at his offer.
“That will be very much appreciated Alton. Mina go with Alton. He will lead you to your chambers and make sure you feel comfortable. We have important matters to handle” Aklyn said before exiting out with Nelyx.
Just great.
I grumble within me but tried not to make my discomfort obvious.
“So your name is Mina? What a coincidence” Alton snuffled the words as we began walking.
“No my name is Sabrina” I corrected.
“And why do you call it a coincidence if my name was Mina?” I query, tilting my head to catch a glimpse of his profile.
“Because Nelyx and Aklyn first mate was a girl named Mina. Well she is the reincarnated you. You both are gotten from the same life source. So you have the same energy within you” he told me.
This story again.
As much as I don’t want to believe in all these, I can’t help but do.
I wonder what happened to me—i mean Mina.
I eyed Alton and summoned up courage to ask him. Taking a sharp intake of air, I pushed the words out of my mouth.
“What happened to Mina?”
He gave an agonising sigh. “She was murdered”
I gasped at his reply, a hand covering my mouth.
“The demon kings had been searching for her next life being” he added.
“And it was me?”
“Well it took them a millennium to actually get to you before you probably meet an untimely demise like in your former lives. They found you about three times but in each life you were killed. And as your soul is so pure, it takes almost a century before you are reincarnated again”
This is too much to handle.
I’ve being killed more than once?! All these seemed so bizarre to my ears.
“Who is responsible for my death in each life? Who killed Mina?” I asked, suddenly feeling so enraged at the thought of my murderer.
“Cory” Alton simply replied.
He noticed my confused stare and chuckled. “Mind me for not explaining.
He is an ancient demon who is seeking vengeance for some unfortunate event that happened to him in Mina’s life time. He killed her, he killed every reincarnated form of her and he–he might kill you if he
gets to you because you my queen, are Mina”
All these was beginning to make sense now. He sent his creatures to kidnap Sharon thinking it was me.
Suddenly images of something gory happening to Sharon and Henry began flashing in my head.
What would he do to her?
She must be so scared right now, I can’t even imagine the truama this will put her through.
“I want to see the demon kings” I make my thoughts known.
“They are busy my queen. You may see them tomorrow” he calmly replied as we entered into the courtyard.
I’m at loss for words. I tried to calm my fears, telling myself that nothing will happen to Henry and Sharon.
I decided to focus on the intricate designs in the courtyard.
Truth be told this place was breathtaking.
A huge fountain sprouting out Crystal clear water stood in the centre.
Coloured fishes and other little mythical aquatic creatures swarm inside it.
Ostentious statues of beings with horns, dragons and scary gargoyles were splattered all across the courtyard.
“You will soon be at your quarters. You will also need your clothes fit for the queen of Ashrea. I shall assign a sylph at your disposal” Alton tells me as we continue walking.
“Ok that’s good” I answered awkwardly.
“Your mates studied Earth’s design so well so as to make your quarters as comfortable as possible and to your taste” Alton praised the demon kings.
“Your awakening will begin tomorrow” he added as we passed a hallway of gallery paintings.
“What’s my awakening?”
“It’s like the various rituals or tests you will have to undergo to remember your past lives” Alton tried explaining it as simple as possible to me.
Why would I remember those? I was brutally killed in each life.
“I don’t want to remember them”
“You have to if you want to end this cycle of death once and for all” he vaguely replied.
His response got me to recoil in my skin.
I thwarted my attention to the paintings on the wall. There were eerie paintings of dragons, winged individuals, gargoyles and bird like humans.
We approached a frosty silver door at the end of the hall.
“Welcome to your chambers queen” Alton announced, opening the door for me to step inside.
What the hell!
This place could house in my entire apartment.
I stepped inside the imperial designed chambers. The marble floors echoed as my shoes hit against them.
The entire room glowed so heavenly with a plethora of majestic gold colours.
The lightening, the beautifully carved ornate furnitures, the silky embroideries used in beautifying the room…. every thing felt like it belonged to a royal blood.
“I shall call a female sylph to help you with your dressing and freshening up. Dinner will be served once you are done” Alton words cut into my reverie.
I turned to face him and nodded.
I watched him close the doors, the sound reverberating to the high intricate ceilings of the room.
Leaving me all to myself, I couldn’t help but stare at everything.
What truly awaited me in Ashrea?