Chapter 3
"Are you sure this is a good idea,
Arius?" Onyx asked as the group stepped into Cavnira, the largest open
market city on the borders of the Emerald Sea. "I know we've all been
through a lot, but this isn't the time for such things."
The elf looked back at Karyana, who was looking through a trove of different
robes and dresses, acting like a curious kitten as she touched and felt the
different fabrics. "She needed something to take her mind off Allision for
a moment or two." He tried to explain, scratching his leather cap as his
scalp was starting to itch from his hair having grown longer than the clean
shave he was used to. "Pressing on too much… well, I doubt she would have
any strength left to stand, let alone fight."
Alban had to agree with the spellsword. Ever since the group had left the
Shrine towards Graveroot, Karyana had been almost so adamant upon saving her
friend from the Shadowsnare that she was taking too many risks. Her first
accident was when she fell asleep at the wagon after having insisted that she
would drive the beasts throughout the night. That had led the war horses off
track and almost cost the group their lives had the ranger not grabbed the
reins at the very last moment and guided the beasts away from the barricaded
bridge. The only casualties were the loss of the wagon, as the group ended up traveling by foot after selling the wagon and the horses for a night's rest,
some food and a safe passage in the direction of the trade port of Lakecross.
The second concern appeared when Arius began teaching the almost-reckless
mageling how to combine spells and swordplay. Her hasty approach caused a fail
in her plan to combine a simple fire spell into her sword. Rather than
Twilight accepting the spell in itself, the sword ended up shooting a ball of
flames that almost burned the mast of the ship they had to use to read Canvira.
The disgruntled captain ordered them not to use any more magic once the mast
was extinguished and the damage paid by the group.
The third problem was when Alban tried to steady Karyana's sword arm by telling
her to focus her strength into both of her arms. In doing so, she accidentally
tapped into her own manaweave which, though quite the discovery for Arius and
Turalyon, ended up almost costing Alban a new suit of armor and possibly a new
girdle of strength. While the damaged armor was discarded, the girdle was left
miraculously undamaged. However, that could not be said for the trees that the
young woman accidentally dug her sword in after failing time after time to
swing with both her arms. The ranger finally gave up on showing her how to
wield her sword in such a way.
The latest issue was when Turalyon decided to teach her how to cast two spells
at once. The amount of mana used by that rather quick class ended up creating a
new grotto for a family of nearby bears, as the barrage of magic missiles
carved a new home for the wildlife out of a massive rock that had been sitting
in the Solemn Woods, a days walk from Grimroot. After the almost reckless
display of power, they decided that it would be too dangerous for Karyana to
continue her journey with such uncontrolled fervor. Arius even cringed at the
thought of what could happen if she accidentally unleashed her unequaled power
in a more of desperation.
That was the reason why the group had to double back and find a different road
to Grimroot Forest, as they knew she was far from ready to face Pison,
especially in her given state of mind. That was also the reason why the group
was now waiting on her, outside of Pikery's Silks, the store owner happily
helping the black-haired young woman to pick through the robes.
"Are you sure that this isn't going to be a problem?" Onyx asked,
rubbing his hand against his beard. "Those dresses look like they would
fit court-folk or young wives, not traveling adventurers."
Arius rolled his eyes. "I know that her skills still need some polish, but
if she can go into battle without thinking of Allision all the time, she might
survive long enough to wear that robe at an actual court. Besides, I planned on
teaching her how to fight in more difficult conditions. I'm sure if she can
fight while wearing a full-length robe, she'll be able to stave off any
attacker."
Alban thought back to his days at the Academia. Learning to fight in the worst
conditions was something they all had to do, as Medierth wasn't known as a fair
place for combat. All sorts of battle scenarios had been given and shown, and
he could still remember how he had to help Kaina with her own attempts. Every
imaginable battle scenario, they all faced: one-on-one, one against many,
uneven ground, unsteady terrain, night and fatigue combat… The illusionists
even had a field day creating scenarios where each combatant had to fight
copies of all sorts of creatures, even creating spars between the student and a
solidified version of his shadow. "I suppose so." He concluded.
"If she can defend herself with that sword, while wearing one of those
long skirts, I'd be pleasantly surprised."
While the group was talking amongst one another, Karyana felt like she was
having trouble thinking through each and every proposition made by the store
owner, a well-mannered elf woman who seemed to have seen quite her share of
young women in her days. Even examining the black-haired human lass was just
another way to gaze at what could be a possible beauty… should the right
clothes be found. The first issue with her newest client was the sheathed sword
that rested on her right lap, making the shop owner understand that the woman,
as pretty as she was, was not the sort to frolic at court. Even with that in
mind, her client seemed… incredibly open-minded. For what felt like three
hours, the store owner handed the young woman dresses left and right, looking
for the right cut, the proper pleat, the approximate length and even the depth
of the neckline. Every single detail was meant to make this girl look great,
even if she was a traveling adventurer.
Karyana, on the other hand, couldn't seem to find a way to say no to the shop
keeper. In fact, she would have refused to do all of this had Arius not
insisted. Ever since his first class, she had slowly found herself trying to
ease her temper and work harder to master her innate skills, but it was
becoming a bit hard for her to remember some details. Her last attempt at
dancing the ceremonial ritual that she had seemingly known at the Shrine ended
in an almost disastrous fall, as her left foot tripped on a low bosk, the
thorns ripping her skirt open. Still, they did tell her not to beat herself up
over it, as new memories and skills would brush away the unneeded ones.
"Well, I think Prolectae would be proud of me today." The shop keeper
said, blowing a sigh of relief as Karyana stepped out of the tiny room that
served as a changing booth, wearing a sky blue robe, split at the left leg for
added movement, with a snow-white trim around the cut lines, not to mention
around the low neckline, which gave enough of a view as to make the
black-haired young client blush. The sleeves were also cut at the elbows,
leaving the cloth tied above the arm's muscle line, flowing down to half-way
between the elbow and the wrist.
"Are you sure this is alright? It feels… a little drafty." Karyana
wondered, feeling a little self-conscious.
Taking a moment to look at the young woman, Pikery tilted her head. "Hmm…
I suppose the hiking boots are a problem." She analyzed before walking to
the counter. "I do have some excellent leg wraps, along with low-cut boots
that should be sturdy enough… and I think you could do with hiding a little
something under that dress… that sword definitely doesn't do you favor."
The store owner grabbed a hip belt, examined the girl's legs and hid the object
under the dress' skirt, strapping a small leather flap. "There. If you
ever need to hide something, I doubt any thieves would dare sneak their grabby
fingers there… oh, and perhaps you could do with a sash. That dress would look
so much more flattering on you if it clung a little more…"
Karyana examined herself. It was true that the dress was of a thick fabric, so
she could get used to it, and lower boots would help, as the snow was receding.
Not to mention that the crimson sash the store owner finally tied around her
waist did make a decent contrast with the distilled blue she wore. "I
guess you know more about this than I do." She said. "Besides… it does fit better."
---------------
Though the group's first reaction was bewilderment, the warming weather was
making heavy fur and heavy leather cloaks a bit too warm and sweaty. Still,
Karyana had to cover herself with a cloak, as her dress did make her a little
too visible, and the draft did cause her to shiver more than once.
The way from Bolestra to Grimroot Forest was long, and the group ended up having
to rest at Harbor's Keep, one of the few human colonies allowed by elves in the
Emerald Sea. The Keep was built to withstand any weather, though the elvish
architects did make sure that, should the humans become too populous or defiant
of the forest's order, there would be a swift restoration of balance, as the
defenses were made to protect the colony from beasts and attackers, but was
meant to house a limited number of folk.
Though most of the group entered with some suspicion by the local, only Arius
seemed to walk in without any problem. The one who had the most trouble
entering the city wasn't Onyx, even if the dwarven race was not on the most
friendly of terms with the elves, but rather Turalyon.
It started with a rather misfired comment about "the children of
Eligius" and how magic should be a thing of precision, progress and
analysis. His view of mana, as shared by some members of the Order, ended up
with him seen as a possible threat to the colony's well-being. It took a whole
hour for Alban and Arius to try and negotiate his entry, the battlemage only
entering if he was not allowed to use magic, and only to stay for the night.
Though he scoffed at the former issue, the latter was actually what the group
needed, so he begrudgingly obeyed.
As the night fell, only Arius stood awake, as the road to the colony had been
extremely harsh. Though the snow had started to thaw, some areas were still
knee-deep in it, and Karyana's new clothes were causing quite a problem as her
boots would sink into the white matter, with only Alban having enough arm
strength to pull her out and enough dexterity to do it without having to
constantly pull her boots out as her feet had slipped out of them. Onyx was
also one to have trouble with the deep snow, but those were for more obvious
reasons, as his stocky stature and heavy armor made him look like a steel
turtle trying to crawl on a beach of egg-shells without falling through.
Taking a moment to walk outside, Arius looked around, hoping not to be
seen by the night patrol, creeping along the shadows and swiftly moving out of
torchlight. After a few minutes of quick maneuvering, all that was left was for him to climb up to the canopy from the rafters and sneak out of
sight.
After the ordeal, Arius slid down onto a sturdier branch and waited. He didn't
have to wait for long as a mana-scar opened a few meters from his position,
Pison's shape appearing from the grim portal of shade and blood.
"I hope you have news." the mercenary asked, holding tightly onto the
handle of his scourge. "I tire of this masquerade."
The elf gave a hasty salute before speaking. "Sir, she is as powerful as
you say… but her skills seem rough." He spoke. "Unless given the
proper reason, she would rather rush to find her friend than-"
"Enough, Arius." Pison replied. "I know she has the power to do
it, but if what you said is true, than her will is unsteady."
"True…" the spell-sword commented. "What would you have me
do?"
"Lead them to me… and be rid of her." Pison concluded as the
mana-scar started to close.
Arius looked into the nightly sky with fear. "Planars, please, still my
blade, or else I may do something terrible…"
------------
Even with the fine sheet of snow on the ground and sprouts of grass breaking
the surface unevenly, Graveroot Forest was known to be a sinister place. The
trees themselves looked like grisly gallows, as vein-like trellis blocked out
the sun in some areas, like a tangled gallery of spider webs. The bark of the
trees seemed flayed and scarred, and the winds were silent, making the
atmosphere of the place ever more oppressing.
Karyana felt a shiver run up and down her spine as she looked about. "This
place is giving me the creeps…" she said, holding her blade nervously.
Onyx looked back at the girl. "Steel yourself. If Allision is here, you
don't want to rescue her with a broken blade." He said, tapping the head
of his axe against Twilight.
Alban looked at the ground. "The snow isn't very thick, so tracking should
be easy." he noted as he unsheathed his great-sword. "If anyone else
has come here, I'll know."
Arius removed his coif, showing the inch-long hair on his head. "I'm not
much of a tracker, so I think some of us should stay put, in case there is
something."
Turalyon cocked an eyebrow. "And I supposed you'll stay put? For a
spellsword, you sure lack courage."
"I prefer to say I have patience." The elf answered back as he
unsheathed his sword. "Besides, I do have one last lesson I wish to
teach."
The black-haired young woman looked curiously at the white-haired elf. "Another
lesson? Here? Now?"
Arius made a polite laugh as he grabbed his own sword "Yes, yes, and yes.
I have yet to show you properly how to parry and defend in the throes of
battle."
The battlemage grabbed his crossbow and loaded a bolt. "In other words,
you want to ease her nerves in case we come up against Pison, is that
right?" he asked, adding a twinge of sarcasm to his question.
"Exactly." The spellsword finally spoke before removing his cloak.
"I suggest you remove your own cloak, as you will need to be as swift and
steady as you possibly can."
Karyana opened the clasp of her thick cloak, letting the fabric drop to the
ground, revealing a fine line of sweat on her skin. The cool air was causing a
mild mist against her skin, but the goose bumps were due to her nervous state.
Alban scouted in a wider perimeter before spotting a series of steps in the
ground. They weren't animal prints, as they were too narrow and too light to be
a bear's steps. Whoever had come here had quite literally burned the ground
under his feet, as the steps had melted away all of the snow, leaving grass
underneath. "Three large toes, spread unevenly." The ranger remarked.
"The strides are wide, but too evenly apart to be running. Whatever it is,
it's heading north, deeper into the woods."
Onyx grabbed his war axe with both hands. "What are we waiting for? Let's
get the lass back!" he shouted before charging in the direction of the
steps.
Alban rolled his eyes. "Onyx, wait! There could be a trap!" he
shouted before following suit.
Turalyon looked back at Arius. "If you want to be the reserve team, I
suggest you stay on your toes and keep alert."
"I'll be her eyes and ears, so don't worry." Arius answered
before the battlemage followed the other two. Looking back at Karyana, he swung
his sword in a loose circle before taking his fighting stance. "Shall
we?"
Pison sat down on a low branch, holding the black spherical jewel in one hand and
his scimitar in the other. It was only a matter of time before the trap was
set, and he quite well that Karyana's cohort would protect her at all costs…
unbeknownst that all of this was a nothing but a clever ploy to lead them away
from the true reason why he came here.
The mercenary knew. The power given by the Planars could be used against them;
it was only a matter of pulling the right strings and finding their true
poison. He needed one final cornerstone to his plan… and it was almost at hand.
Twirling the Shadowsnare in his hand, as if it was a ball of twine, he stopped
momentarily to gaze into it. The Dun-elf's soul rested in perpetual sleep,
unaware that it was even away from its dwelling, the illusion inside the stone
being as powerful as it was realistic. To Sayeth �" the very name felt like an
insult to all her kin had stood for -, now Allision, it would simply be a long
night, stretching dreams and nightmares beyond their length, distorting time
itself.
"Such a silly little girl…" he thought before placing the object in a
sack made of tanned human hide, "…dreaming her existence away, never to
wake until-"
The rustling of branches caught his attention, as the noise was followed by a
series of steps, running at different speeds, digging in the snow at different
weights. One wide stride with deep steps, one short stride with deeper steps
and one wide stride with light steps. "The trap is set." He spoke to
himself as he dropped from the branch, the audible crunch of snow falling to
the ground giving away his position.
The demonic mercenary put the sack against
a snowed stump before unfurling his whip, his other hand clutching his serrated
blade with utmost confidence.
--------------
Karyana breathed deeply as sweat was showing on her face. "How... how am I
doing?" she asked, trying to keep confident, even though she still felt as
though Twilight was not as strong as it was when she first held it.
"Good. Very good…" Arius replied before handing her his water-skin.
"It's not much, but perhaps a drink would do you some good."
The black-haired young woman shook her head. "That's alright. I'm not that
thirsty." She answered back.
Arius cocked an eyebrow. "Are you sure? You look a tad flustered." He
said, holding out the skin one more time.
As she refused again, the spell-sword looked worried. The drink was water, but
the simple flower, left behind when she arrived at the Shrine, was constantly
bathing in it, its spores and petals still mixed within. It was easy to hide a
ground blood rose petal in her drink at the celebration, but everything she had
done at the festival and the ceremonial dance surprised everybody. At every one
of his lessons, Arius had made sure to give her a drink of the tainted water,
to make sure her mind was pliable enough. Every moment since the war ended, he
had made sure she was compliant, and had made sure to cleverly hide any changes
by making her forget some details, simply to add fake memories and true
dictations and lessons. Though he was giving her the means to fight with both
spell and sword, he only had a single master… and that one master did not
accept failure.
"I'll be fine…" she replied as she held her sword behind her back,
her open hand readying a barrier spell, or so he thought. "But… Arius, can
I ask you something?" she questioned the half-elf before putting her
sword arm down and to her side, the blade tracing a fine line on the snow.
"Hmm? What is it?" the man asked back, hoping to hide his unease.
"Why are you training me?" Karyana asked, looking lost in thought.
"I mean… I know you said you wanted me to be more capable in battle, and I
appreciate it, but… I just don't understand why you decided to come with
us."
Arius scratched his head. "Well… I was surprised at what they said you did
for Bolestra, and when I saw you after the battle, I knew you had
potential." He explained, hoping the bluff was good enough. "I just
thought that you could be so much more. I'm certain you would make an excellent
spell-blade… or perhaps even a battle-mage!"
The young woman let out a sigh. "What if… what if I don't want to be
that?" she asked, remembering the last few days of the Battle of Bolestra.
"What if I just want to be… myself? All this time, I've been doing what
others ask of me… why can't I just do what I want?"
Arius palmed his face for a moment, letting out a sigh. "Life isn't always
about doing the things you want to do." He answered before returning to
his fighting stance. "Often, you do what you have to just to live another
day. If learning the artes of battle will make you live that one day more, then
I intend to teach you all I know."
"Can't you teach me how to heal, instead?" the black-haired young
woman asked anew. "Or how to mend a broken heart? Or how to love someone?
Wouldn't life be better without always struggling every day? I want to see the
day where fighting is no more against each other, but for a common good; a time
where magic is used for the better of all, not for death and destruction…"
Arius let out a sigh as he turned away from the girl. "Are you telling me
you are so easily willing to give up? Do you so wish to lay your sword down?"
he asked, his tone growing ever more aggressive as each question was spoken.
"Have you no will to fight?"
Karyana looked nervously at the elf, even as she held her sword in a defensive
stance. Still, her sword felt like it was clattering in her hand, the blade
seemingly thinner. "Wh-what are you saying? I just want-"
The spellsword turned back towards his would-be student with a menacing glare.
"Why do you think I trained you? Do you honestly believe I will be used by
the likes of you, then discarded on a whim?" he groaned. "I won't let
all my efforts go to waste! Either fight or suffer!"
The elf's charge caught Karyana by surprise, even as she raised Twilight to
defend against the volley of sword slashes and thrusts. Even as she tried to
steel herself, she could see how her doubts had whittled away at the strength of
her sword. Every strike dealt by the spellsword made her weapon ring as chinks
of metal broke off, causing her fear to grow.
Arius lashed out, swinging harder and harder, causing the brittle Twilight to
chip and crack, even as Karyana tried her best to parry each strike, unable to
remove one hand from her sword's handle, trying in vain to give herself some
breathing space to cast even the simplest of spells.
After a third volley of strikes, the panicking girl found herself backed
against a willow tree's trunk. Taking a moment to look at Twilight, she gasped
as her eyes finally noticed by terribly beaten and battered her sword was.
"Your will to fight is in shambles…" he said, taking
several leaps away from the girl. "If you can't stand against me to
protect yourself, what good would you be to Allision? To all of Medierth?"
Karyana's eyes shot wide open. "A-Arius, please, stop!" she pleaded,
trying as hard as she could to find a parcel of strength in her fear-tainted
heart.
The elf placed a hand against his blade. "If you can't stand against Pison
now… then you never will!" he roared, charging mana into his weapon.
"You're not worthy of this power… but it is the last thing you'll ever
see! Say goodbye!"
The spellsword's weapon charged with burning energy, fueled by his own anger,
as a sphere of flames grew from its tip. "A-Arius…" Karyana
whispered, tears welling from her eyes as she felt the now-familiar burn on her
forehead, the red star-shaped mark appearing.
"I will not suffer the whims of a pitiful girl like you!" the elf
shouted before thrusting his blade, the immense ball of flames rippling towards her.
Karyana looked at the spell with deep-seated fear in her eyes, her every fibers
feeling stiff and heavy. She couldn't reason with him, and she could not bring
herself to hurt a fellow comrade, no matter how ill his intentions were. There
was only one thing she could do, and her legs barely found enough push to follow
through.
--------
Alban looked at Pison, his arms barely holding onto his great-sword, even as the
demonic mercenary had latched on to it with his whip. Already, several scars on
his arms were starting to blacken, as if the very touch of the assassin's weapons
were enough to cripple his muscles.
Turalyon fared no better as his crossbow was now in splinters and his long
sword had been cloven right down the middle. Though he was less wounded than
the ranger, he was still reeling and coughing from the powerful kick that
burned his robes and chest.
Onyx had been lucky enough �" and armored enough �" to survive most of Pison's
attacks, though his beard had been sliced half-way and his breastplate had been
splintered, as if it had been made of birch rather than steel, due to the
devilish strength of Pison's legs. Even there, he had been lucky enough to have
moved around the battlegrounds, grabbing the black gem from its grotesque bag.
"I ask you again, fools… do you even know why you were led here?"
Pison asked, a grisly sneer contorting his face, his glistening fangs showing.
"Do you even know why you are fighting me now?"
Alban tried with all of his dwindling strength to pull his sword out of the
shackle-like hold the scourge had on his great-sword, but in vain as the
mercenary rose his weapon in a high lash, yanking the blade out of the ranger's
hands. "Aren't you wondering why I am toying with you, rather than killing
you outright?"
Turalyon lost his nerve. "Shut up!" he shouted before firing a lightning
bolt at Pison.
Before the spell struck, the mercenary lashed his whip, forcing the great-sword
to catch the lightning bolt in its straight path, deflecting it like an angled
steel plate would deflect an arrow. Pison grinned devilishly as the battlemage
looked aghast as the whip uncoiled itself, throwing the ranger's blade against
the spellcaster, the heavy weapon knocking his off his feet as the pommel
struck against Turalyon's chest like a ram's horns.
"Don't you understand that Sayeth's life means nothing to me?" the scheming assassin
added, taunting the three men incessantly.
Onyx took a moment to look at his wounded friend before gazing back at the
Shadowsnare. "If he cares so little about Allision, why didn't he just
destroy her?" he wondered, before his mind pieced the grim puzzle
together. Turning back to the others, he grabbed his war axe. "It was a
trap!" he shouted.
Pison let out a sigh. "You finally understood." He said with a sense
of gruesome pride. "Killing you means nothing to me. All you did was deliver
to me the very poison of the Planars, that which will slay even those who
cannot die!"
Alban lurched over to Turalyon before picking up his blade. "The poison of
the Planars…" Turalyon uttered, trying to find the breath to speak.
"But only a Chosen can…"
The ranger's eyes widened. "He's after Karyana!" he realized.
"This was all a blasted ploy!"
Onyx looked at the Shadowsnare. "You two go ahead!" he shouted to
Alban and the huffing battlemage. "I'll make sure Allision is freed!"
Pison sheathed his sword. "Hmph. Go ahead." He spoke with a somber
voice. "Run like cattle to the lamb sent to the slaughter… and tell her
that I will be waiting for her… at Death's End."
Onyx frowned as he noticed the assassin vanish into the shades of the
trees. "Damn you…" he spoke before placing the Shadowsnare on the
stump, then grabbing his axe. "Damn you!" he shouted again, the
weapon breaking the gem and itself apart.
-----------
Karyana tried painfully to get up. She grit her teeth, the skin on her back
seared as if torched by hellfire. Her last chance effort to escape the fireball
was a qualified success, as the burning orb grazed her back, though her robes
and locks of her hair had caught fire. All she could do was drop Twilight, fall
on her back in the snow and roll about, hoping the white matter would snuff out
the magical flames, even as the willow she had her back against burned like a ceremonial pyre.
Arius held his blade with both hands as he stepped ever closer to his
student-now-prey. "So much for the savior of Bolestra… the Chosen of the
Planars." He roared spitefully. "Here you are now; weak… broken…
helpless…"
The young woman tried her best to keep herself steady, hoping to keep a
defensive stance, even with her damaged sword. All it would take to make her
keel over was a simple push, and her tear-filled eyes tried to focus through
the pain and sadness, only to see the spellsword strike not at her, but at her
sword.
A gasp escaped her lips as his first slice clove her sword's tip in half,
breaking a third of the way down to the hilt. The second strike snapped the
blade right down the middle, while the third strike cracked the blade even more
as the rest of it splintered, leaving a length of steel barely longer than a
kitchen knife.
"Pathetic… scared… defeated!" he shouted as each strike clove a bit
more of Twilight, scarring her own heart and will to live. "Death will
only be a merciful end for you!"
"Arius, no!" shouted Alban as he rushed towards the battle grounds,
and stood in dread-filled shock as the spellsword plunged his sword into
Karyana's side, rending a deep slice of his blade inches under her rib cage.
Though the blow had not hit any organs, the shock of the betrayal and her own
powerlessness caused Karyana to plummet onto the snow, her tears flying through
the air before she collapsed, crying in despair as blood poured from the fresh
wound.
Arius dropped his blade at the sudden realization of what he had done, combined
with the ranger's forceful tackle which knocked the spellsword's head against a
nearby snow-covered rock, knocking him unconscious.
"Damn you, traitor!" Alban shouted, holding the limp Arius in a
stranglehold. "I'll end you myself!"
Turalyon tried to pull against the ranger's arms. "Alban, stop this! We
have to get Karyana out of here before Pison comes here to finish her
off!"
Onyx slowly approached the group, Allision's body held up only by his weary
arms. "Pison left… but we better get out of here now, or else we might
lose them both!"
The ranger grit his teeth before walking over to Karyana. Kneeling before her,
he tore at her skirt, ripping a length of cloth, grabbed his own skin and
poured cold water on it, then pressed the temporary gaze against her wound.
Looking back at her, he could only curse as he gazed at her unconscious face, a
searing eight-point star appearing on her
forehead.
-------
Pison walked back to where the foolish adventurer's hopes were crushed, and
examine the sword left behind by his lackey, as well as the puddle of frozen
blood that had spread on the snow.
Picking up the weapon with one hand, he opened the other wide and whispered an
infernal command. Moments later, the blood spill rose out of the snow like a
puddle of water sucked in the vortex of a tornado, before disappearing into the
gourd that he had kept open.
"One thing left to do…" the mercenary muttered as he walked away,
cackling devilish at the coming storm he would soon unleash.
prev chapter
Share This
Email
Facebook
Twitter
Read Request
My Library
Subscribe
Flag Writing
