The Diusa legacy by Tradia

Over the next six months Serina rejoiced in attending to the matters of her child. She sent artisans and other elves to clean up the place that had been left hollow by her demented grandmother and such grandmother was now living with her . She rarely came out and when she did she would watch Serina’s swollen belly with a strange smirk and Serina suddenly afraid would flinch and try to cover her unborn babes. She had found out a while back that it was to be twins and relieved even joyful she accepted the fact and walked about the picture of joy and health. Her people would smile at her and she would smile back. Her father at her request took care of the Veletia and the surrounding cities since Serina wanted to take time only to live idly with Amrod and her swollen belly. Sometimes she would tease herself that she would get fat and ugly. However she being al elven maid, the only thing protruding was her curved belly. She would sit and pat it tenderly and speak softly to the children within her.
Her son Ruke sweetly and slowly began to warm towards her and then after time went on he truly began to like her. Every time Serina entered trough the inside of the came the toddler would scream and run towards her. Serina would carry him and kiss him and finally, sadly she would sent him back to the blond woman. They tried explaining to him that she was his mother but in the end all the child understood that he had two mothers…one was “Mommy” And the other was “mamma”. Serina loved it. She loved hearing mamma form the boy’s mouth. She basked in the attention and while she did she did not notice how the summer was too dry and how fires had begun outside the city. One of the great trees had been split apart with no reason one day and the city was scandalized. Who would not and what could destroy the huge tree. But Serina was lost in her own little world. She did not pay attention to the strange men following her around the place. Her grandmother’s men. Her mind was only in the two children inside of her and in Ruke. And then it began.
She had been sitting in the great hall finishing her strawberries and then the quickening started. She tried to ignore it and for a while she did. She was able to ignore it because another tree had fallen. And now the fires in the steep were nearer. So close to the city that one of the wooden house had caught on fire taking their neighbors with them. The place was dry since it had rained but once in the whole summer. And the dry wood was kindle to the fires. Before the afternoon was out half of the city raged in fire and Serina could no longer ignore he pains. She did not know where Amrod was. Perhaps helping the people escape and she felt the children within her moving. She breathe heavily stopping once in a while in her way to find a doctor…a healer…Amrod. She stumbled and suddenly two kind men picked her up and spoke quietly to her. “come over here madam. We know of a place where healer resides. It is in the stone part of the city and thus you could bear your child in peace. Come this way madam..” And in her pain Serina followed along.

To her it took a lifetime to reach it, but in fact it had been less than ten minutes. But in those ten minutes more of the city had caught on fire. The fire raged on and ate everything in it’s path. People fled the city to the waterfall where the wood started and so did the great river. They crossed it as quickly as they could and the fire continued eating Veletia.
She dare not recognize the healer. She did not want to. She was in too much pain. The old woman heated the water and cleaned Serina’s fore head with a warm towel. After two hours the first child came cleanly. Serina took it in her arms and with a smile named him.
“Raphael” She did not why such human name came to mind but she loved it. And then the second pains started once again. And this time it was not so easy. Or clean. The child was in the wrong position with her foot coming out first. The healer quickly grabbed her knife and made a anesthetic concoction. She fed it to Serina and the poor girl drank it. The knife then went into her stomach creating an opening for the child to come out. The little girl was born and Serina was rousted from her drugged sleep she saw the child and weakly whispered “Galatea”. Her smiled waned. She could not keep her eyes opened and then the healer fed her something else and the woman in the bed closed her eyes. She slept a little and then slowly the life began to leave her. The two babies were wrapped in tight bundles and their names spoken quietly in the dead of the night. And while Veletia burned outside the four riders rode away into the darkness . One went south and the other one north and for twenty one years, the fate of the children was unknown.
The woman then sewed up her patient and cleansed her. Her hair was washed and put pretty along her body. The girl was dressed and perfumed and then the old woman chanted something in her ear . Two men came in then and carried the body to an altar like table. There lilies, her favorite flowers were arranged at her side, and the woman seemed peaceful. A crystal case then was arranged to cover her body and the curse upon Veletia was lifted. The last princess was dead, her children scattered to never be found. And then the older woman went into the other room were Serina’ grandmother sat silent.
“Have you done as I requested”
“Yes madam”
“Very good.. bring the poison to me”
The woman left and Vivica spoke then to herself.
“finally the curse is gone…Veletia shall be rid of us. Of the Diusas. We have always brought harm upon this city.. always. Let Veletia rot. It has lived long enough”
And then her hand moved around “Spirits of fire cede to eat. Be gone with you. You have done your part…Spirits of the earth hide the last of the Diusas away. As we die we shall never be reborn and the last princess is gone. The prophesy is no more. For she has returned to the dead where she was always meant to be…”
The other woman entered and gave her the poison. The woman drank it and then with a sad little smile Arranged herself like Serina had been and another crystal case was put above her. Serina in her pain had never realized that the only stone part of the city was the Diusas Graveyard. There in that great temple laid many women and men who once had been great queens and kings. All of them enchanted to look as they had when they died. And Serina rested there in her crystal case.
When the fire finally disappeared the great trees began to move closer and closer together finally covering Veletia away from the world. Veletia would never reopen it’s doors to anyone….unless the Diusa blood ran in their veins.

And there was a girl lost out there. To the south . And her name was Galatea.