Mortana stared in disbelief as Reidan told her they would never be able to leave the island they had been cast adrift on. “What do you mean?” she asked, her voice tight with panic.
Reidan's face was a mask of regret, “The island is surrounded by a protective spell. We cannot leave unless it's completed.”
Mortana felt a wave of despair wash over her. She had worked so hard to start her bakery. She had no family and grew up with nothing. She had built up the bakery from nothing. It was the only thing she had in the world, and now it was in danger of slipping away. Not to mention the other responsibilities that would ride her in painful ways until completed either by herself or another of her kind.
“How do we break it?” she asked desperately.
Reidan shook his head sadly. “There is nothing to do. The spell can't be broken. It has to be finished, and that is up to fate.”
Mortana clenched her fists and tried to hold back tears. She wanted to scream and rage, to rail against the unfairness of the situation, but she knew it would do no good. Instead, she took a deep breath and tried to focus on what she could do.
“Tell me more about this spell. Maybe I can figure something out,” she said, refusing to give up.
His shrug only frustrated her more.
“There's nothing else to say. When the spell is completed, you may leave.”
Mortana wanted to scream, to cry, but she knew that would do no good. She had been cast away here by fate with no way of getting back.
She studied Reidan's face and the sadness in his eyes as he told her there was nothing they could do. What kind of king would be alright with being cut off from the rest of his kingdom? How could he be so accepting of this fate? He had to have been feeling something, too, didn't he?
Mortana closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She knew she couldn't give up. Somehow, she had to think of a way to escape this.
They ate their meal mostly in silence, both too frustrated to talk. Mortana used the time to think, trying desperately to devise a plan to help her leave this island and restore the kingdom. She thought back to all the stories she had heard about powerful magicians who could open portals and break through powerful spells, but there was no way for her to learn those kinds of magic.
As soon as was appropriate, Mortana excused herself from Reidan and began exploring the castle, hoping to stumble upon something that would provide some answers. She wandered through corridors filled with dust-covered furniture and peered into empty rooms, searching for anything that might help her figure out how she could break the spell. But everywhere she went, all she found were more cobwebs and old furniture.
Frustrated, Mortana eventually gave up her search and began to return to her bed chamber. Movement caught her eye as she walked down a corridor on the third floor. A flash of light as if metal was reflecting the sun's rays from the window. By the time Mortana turned to investigate, it was gone.
“What was that?” she wondered out loud.
Intrigued, she raced down the corridor and down the narrow spiral staircase, following the path of the reflection. The soft murmur of voices guided her as she ran down the stairs, and before long, she found herself standing in front of a large open doorway far below ground.
Peering inside, she saw rows of ornate coffins. All were sealed, besides two. And in the center of the vast room was a bed, and in that bed lay a man and a woman.
Mortana froze. She found her breath had caught in her throat, and she couldn't breathe as she stared at them. They were so beautiful, so perfectly formed, it was almost as if they were a statue carved by one of the gods.
They looked like they were carved from crystal, skin shimmering as if it were truly made of light. And his face… his face looked just like the man she had had breakfast with.
Mortana realized that these two must have been the late king and queen but didn't understand why they were on a bed surrounded by coffins. There was no room for burials. You were burned and sent to live among the gods on the floating islands.
She took a step into the room and stared in wonder at the beautiful figures. They each looked to be carved from light and as alive as anyone Mortana had ever seen. She stretched a hand out and tried to place her fingers on the woman's cheek, but as soon as she had made contact, a light appeared in the center of the room, growing brighter and spreading outwards.
Mortana was thrown to the ground and forced to cover her eyes as the light brightened. When she could look again, the two were gone, and the open coffins lay with their lids sealed shut.
A hooded figure appeared in the center of the room, and Mortana felt herself being lifted up by an unseen force.
Mortana’s heart pounded in her chest as the hooded figure slowly reached out a hand towards her. The fingers were thin and bony. She felt herself being softly lifted off the ground, and a strange force began to course through her veins. It felt like an invisible energy was cocooning her body in a warm embrace, and though she was scared, she found herself relaxing and feeling safe.
The figure’s voice was barely more than a whisper when it spoke. “It is done,” they said before disappearing back into the shadows.
Mortana was left trembling and alone.
For a few moments, Mortana was too stunned to move. This wasn’t the first time she had encountered a being beyond the natural world. This was the first time that this one had visited her and disappeared without explaining what they wanted, though. The last time she had seen him her entire life had turned upside down. Her parents gone and a heavy responsibility had been placed on her tiny shoulders. Whatever had just happened couldn’t be good. If only she knew what that was.
She checked her body for any signs of injury but found none. Confused, she quickly stood on her own two feet and left the hall of the dead behind.
Long ago, she had lost all fear of death. It was something she had become all too familiar with. She wasn’t running from the dead below but from whatever had just happened. Too many things had happened lately that were out of her control entirely.
The dragon appearing from nowhere and dropping her on this forsaken island. This mysterious being who hit her with magic and disappeared immediately after. Whatever was happening, she wasn’t sure she wanted to be a part of it. Too much in her life already felt out of her control. That’s why she had taken up baking, to begin with. Measured exactness meant she got the same results every single time. The right results.
Giving in to her emotions and the darkness that seemed to swallow her in the narrow stairwell, she collapsed onto the cold, hard stone steps. With each raspy breath and salty tear, she felt a heavy weight lifting from her shoulders.
Time seemed to stand still as she lay there until, finally, the tears dried up, and her mind began to wander. Images of her beloved bakery filled her thoughts, and she knew what she had to do. She had to get back. She had to summon all of the strength she could muster, take a deep breath, and make the journey back to her bakery before the sun set and her other responsibilities began calling. It was up to her to find a way off this island before she drove herself mad.
Mortana slowly rose up and felt her way through the darkness. With every step, she became more certain of where to go and how to get back to the castle’s exit. Drawing upon what little knowledge she had of this place, Mortana began to retrace her steps out of the underground tunnels.
With each step, Mortana felt the castle’s cold, damp stone walls pressing in on her, and the isolation of the place made her heart sink. She had taken several wrong turns and had narrowly avoided encounters with some of the castle’s inhabitants. Finally, she recognized her surroundings - a large hall illuminated by chandeliers that hung high above, with chairs lining the walls.
Mortana continued through various rooms and hallways without hesitation until the tantalizing aromas of roasting potatoes in garlic and thyme hit her nose - signifying that she was close to the kitchen. She followed her nose further until she finally reached the kitchen and hurried out of the exit.
She worked her way through the gardens and back to the gate, now illuminated by a dull orange light from the rapidly setting sun. Mortana looked back at the castle before slipping through its entrance, grateful for having made it out alive.
Mortana walked through the empty cobbled streets of the city, choosing one direction to follow until she reached the edge of the island.
The street lamps had just been lit, and their soft glow created an almost eerie atmosphere that sent chills down her spine. She couldn’t help but wonder who lit them if the entire city was empty. Everywhere she looked, Mortana saw shadows dancing on walls and in alleyways - whether they were alive or dead, she couldn’t be sure.
She stayed close to buildings for safety, avoiding areas where danger could lurk around the corner. Her pace increased as anxiety began to build up inside her chest - it felt like someone was watching her every move, stalking her through the darkness.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of walking, Mortana saw an endless sea of clouds at the end of the small street she had been following. She hurried to the edge and took in a deep breath as she looked out into the kingdom she called home. She began walking along the island’s edge, hoping to find a way home.
On one side of her stood buildings, and on the other, an eternity of clouds. The view was breathtaking - the trees on the island gently swayed, adorned with colorful leaves that glittered in the twilight, birds singing their evening songs. But, as she watched the waves of thick clouds softly rolling against the shore, a sense of dread overcame her.
Despite searching for hours, she had yet to find a bridge or boat to take her off the island. Despair filled her heart as she tried to make sense of it all. What was happening? Why hadn’t she been able to find a way home?
Mortana continued to walk the edge of the island and city, and as she continued, she noticed something move out of the corner of her eye. She turned toward the city but she saw nothing.
She kept walking, but every now and then she would catch movement, like someone or something was running ahead of her. She quickened her pace to follow it, but every time she thought she was getting close, whatever it was had already gone again.
A familiar tightness began to form in Mortana's chest - a feeling that told her she was being called. A call that she had lived on a small island to avoid as much as possible. As if there was an invisible force guiding her footsteps towards an unknown destination to do the most unpleasant job she could imagine.
She followed it into the city until finally all traces of movement stopped. Then suddenly a chill ran down Mortana's spine as light shone from a nearby window - illuminating a figure standing inside. The figure had its back turned to Mortana - yet somehow she felt like it knew exactly where she stood.
Her heart sank. She would have to do this. No one could help her, and she couldn't ignore the call, or it would become physically and mentally unbearable.