Chapter 2 — Chapter 2

"Place your hand on me and recite the oath that will appear in your head!" she declared importantly, lying down on the table.

I did as she said, placing my hand on her with some apprehension. Was this just a dream?

But no, a voice echoed in my head, and I began to repeat after it. When I finished the last word, the book gave me a slight electric shock, and a raised, seemingly living tattoo of a flame appeared on my arm.

"Always wanted a tattoo..." I marveled.

"And now you have one!" the book slipped out from under my hand. "Now, to your duties!"

"What, just like that?" I protested. "You haven't told me anything about these duties!"

"You're going to be a handful..."

"You can bet on it!" I agreed.

"Lava is flowing towards another mountain where dwarves live..." the book mentioned casually.

"Dwarves?" I jumped up. "How do I get there?"

"It's your domain, fly up, take a look around..." she clearly lost interest in me.

"Got it... helper," I stood up and left the cottage.

I imagined myself as a phoenix in the flames, transforming into one. With a flap of my wings, I took off...

"How did this happen? Why me?" I pondered, ascending to a height where all the mountains were visible.

Only two mountains were erupting, and I had directed one away from my oasis today. Approaching the second one, I saw that the lava was reaching another mountain with a huge cave entrance, where a castle wall carved into the stone was visible, complete with columns, embrasures, and towers.

Landing on one of the entrance columns, I watched as the lava gathered in a narrow gorge with no other outlet, blocked by a large pile of rocks.

"Hey, you! Not watching your property?" a short figure with a crown on his head appeared in one of the embrasures.

"Are you talking to me?" I was surprised by the rudeness.

"To you! Clear the lava!"

"And if I don't want to?"

"It's part of your duties!" the Little Royal Majesty fumed.

"Is it?" A list of duties appeared in my mind. Very short, I might add. "Oh, of course, I mustn't let living beings die..."

"Exactly! So get moving! The lava's about to block the road!"

"But to protect the living, I could just block the entrance with rocks, and the lava will safely cover it... You won't be harmed!" I waved my wing, and the mountain trembled, rolling a few boulders onto the road.

"You!" the female dwarf shouted.

"You!" I snapped back, shaking the mountain again.

"You..." she clung to the stone. "Can this be stopped somehow?"

"I've shared my idea. And you should learn to speak more respectfully! You're living on my land, at least show some respect to your landlady? By the way, what's the rent for living in my mountain?"

"Rent?..." the female dwarf was surprised.

"Well, that's how it should be. You live here, mining gold and precious stones from my mountain..." I looked at a boulder that had broken off the cliff, from which a stream of golden sand flowed, along with some pebbles. They seemed to be unprocessed diamonds...

When the stream ran dry, I wished for it to be sent back to my house. The pile disappeared instantly.

"But we've never paid tribute..." the female dwarf worried.

"Too bad..." I flapped my wings, clearing the way for the fiery river. It found a new path and rushed forward. I listened to the mountain: a couple more surges, and it would go quiet, accumulating magma.

I took off into the air and flew to the distant mountain, which was about to erupt again. For now, it was just releasing thick clouds of smoke and ash. Getting closer, I saw a strange scene.

At the edge of the volcano's crater were people in black robes. At their feet knelt a girl in white, her hands bound. I flew closer, diving toward the nearest rock.

"And what's going on here?" I asked the men.

They turned to look at me, and the girl fainted.

"The gods have sent the Agnus!" they rejoiced for some reason.

"I'll ask again, what's going on?" I was already getting angry, and the mountain beneath me trembled, ready to erupt.

"We're offering a sacrifice to the gods - a young maiden, may they stop the volcano and end the eruption!" they fell to their knees and extended their clasped hands. "Bless the sacrifice!"

"Clear..." I thought to myself, "Cultists, no doubt!" "So, the gods have instructed me to tell you they're displeased with maidens, and their halls are already full of them! They won't accept any more!"

"What will they accept?" the priests were interested. "Maidens are hard to come by..."

"Offerings - food, gold, jewelry, books, fabrics..." I started listing. "Just call me first, I'll check if everything's in order. Otherwise, the gods will be displeased again!"

"How should we call you, Messenger of the gods!" they remained on their knees. I waved my wing, sending the girl back to where she came from. Hopefully, home...

"Agnel!" I flapped my wings, sending them away from the mountain. Dunking them into a muddy river flowing through the nearest city...

I flew back to the cottage, walked over to an old bench beside two apple trees. Sitting down, I leaned back and started thinking.

How did it happen that the men's betrayal and our deaths coincided, but the pregnancy terms were different? Back there - eight weeks, and here, in this body, about four months.

Did I not get here immediately?..

And if the soul of that girl left, what soul does the baby have? It's mine, right?..

Suddenly, I swallowed back the tears. I felt sorry for myself, though I considered myself tough on emotions... But it concerned my child, whom I had been so eagerly awaiting...

Memories flooded over me, and I doubted I'd want to share them with anyone.

It wasn't about the groceries my boyfriend didn't buy...

That day I felt ill, checking the calendar, I realized I had missed something as usual. Buying a dozen different tests at the nearest pharmacy, I hid in the bathroom. One of the most expensive ones even showed the pregnancy term...

Leaving work early, I ran home. My happiness knew no bounds. I was thirty-one, wanting, simply yearning to become a mom and a wife. Grisha said there was no rush for the wedding, but if I got pregnant, he'd propose. After all, children shouldn't be born out of wedlock...

I loved him madly... but I was wearing those "rose-colored glasses." I was completely blind and deaf... to everything, yet there were warning signs. But I thought they were just temporary difficulties and my vivid imagination.

I didn't walk home; I flew on wings. So, as I unlocked the door, I was also smiling happily. The first warning bell rang when I found my dear friend Tanya's shoes. But I thought, who knows, maybe she came to check on me early...

The second bell was the open bedroom door. The bed, meticulously made by me in the morning, was now disheveled.

And the third, the one that shattered my illusions and removed my rose-colored glasses — in the living room, through the open balcony door, I saw two silhouettes. My smile slowly faded from my face, and my steps grew slower and slower until I froze at the door frame.

They didn't see me; they were busy, discussing their future plans.

"When are we going to tell her? I'm tired of this game! My apartment's been renovated, my mother is fussing about, buying furniture, appliances. I've told everyone I'm getting married and pregnant!" Tanya was wearing my favorite silk robe. It was loosely draped, barely covering her ample chest and completely revealing her lack of undergarments...

"I don't know..." Grisha said, blowing smoke out the wide-open window. "Now there will be a scene, and I hate that..." he said lazily, barely squeezing out the words.

He always spoke like that after sex. Relaxed, satisfied... with himself, of course. He loved himself insanely, was divinely handsome, charming...

"I thought you loved me..." I whispered. The couple flinched at the sound of my voice.

"Agnes, what are you talking about, he only loves himself..." my friend smirked, trying to wrap my robe around her. But it was hopelessly small for her.

"Here we go!" he chuckled. He stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray. "Are you going to start a fight?"

"I'd better get dressed. While you discuss the breakup!" Tanya tried to slip away from the balcony.

"No way, wait..." I stopped her, stepping between them.

"Oh, come on," she frowned, stepping back from me. She knew my temper could make me do crazy things. "You're not going to fight?"

"Not with you..." and, turning to Grisha, I tried to slap him. But he easily caught my hand and pushed me away.

"You idiot, don't touch him," Tanya shrieked, adding speed to my fall.

"No..." I screamed, hitting the windowsill, and tried to grab the window. But my hands were sweaty from the tension, and my fingers slipped...

"Have a nice flight," Grisha, or Gregory, said with a laugh. His face strangely morphed, resembling one man then another.

His face, watching me as I fell, receded until it disappeared completely. And I, as if asleep, fell into soft, gentle darkness.

I woke up here...