Fall of the South Kingdom (5)

South Kingdom (Internal Cities)

Across the alleys, seven dark figures rush from corner to corner. Their faces are covered with metal masks and only their keen eyes can be seen. Only the swish of the passing wind can be heard in their wake.

The streets' quietness is alarming. A heightened sense of foreboding rose in Yllana's chest as she gazed from house to house. No one not even one soul can be seen lurking in the streets nor inside the houses. All the citizens are gone. But they did not stop moving. The seven shadows moved stealthily from one city to another.

"Two cities away from the imperial palace," Lucien calmly whispered. He pointed to the direction of the palace. "Soldiers,"

They divided themselves into pairs while Lucien offered to scout alone. There were soldiers everywhere and they could only slip into the alleyways and corners if they divided.

"Who would have thought that you were just hiding with them?" Darion's voice was as cold as the falling snow. "Hehe, this is just getting so exciting. You, of all the elders that have the chance to fight back just, ran away. They let you…leave? Tell me, how did it feel cursing your own grandchildren?"

Grandma was still. Her vision started to blur with a tinge of red. "Your witches can't overpower me."

"I know. I'm just waiting for someone. Until then, I'll just keep you here." He walked out of the dungeon leaving only the four people inside.

Her wrists ache in pain. There were several lines on her wrists with blood oozing out. And more of those same wounds and bruises on her ankles. Grandma glanced at the three curvy women inside the dungeon cell. They were wrapped in thin clothes in pure black colors and pointed boots.

"You really are heartless imbeciles, letting a man control you whenever he pleases."

A whip sounded instantly in the air landing on soft flesh. Another round of blood spilled on the floor painting it anew with bright red. "And you are a foolish bitch, still trying to live like a normal commoner. Now, who is more stupid?"

"You are." Grandma smiled teasingly.

Boom!

Bricks and dust erupted from the wall. Grandma fell from the hanging chains. Sprawled on the floor, one of the witches stepped closer to her. Her hand was still smoking from the blast she just released. "Era…you must stop this act now. We can't kill you and you know it. But we can make you feel pain in a thousand ways everyday."

"Tori, maybe you can't kill this body. But the woman you are referring to already died years ago." Ptooey. She spat out a mouthful of blood while trying to get up from the floor. Three pairs of eyes looked on without blinking. Disgust painted on their faces.

Blood and sweat can be smelled inside the dungeon. Wails and cries echoed within its walls. The words 'Just join us,' was repeatedly being shouted along with the whiplashing.

"Grandma?"

Red eyes glistened within the dark hallway of the dungeon. Her eyes stared at the old woman on the floor. There was blood gushing out from her back. But what caught her surprise was when she saw the wounds open and heal in a matter of seconds.

The three witches squinted their eyes as they saw the hooded intruder walk to them. They couldn't see the face nor could they distinguish if it was a man or a woman. The lone intruder went nearer.

"You are not allowed to enter the dungeons. Come any closer and you'll die." One of the witches even stick out her tongue and hissed. But Yllana did not heed the warning. Her eyes focused only on the blood-stained floor below the witches.

When the intruder did not bother to even pause, Tori glanced at her two companions. "Neran, Ghali, kill without a whole corpse."

The two obliged. They might not have a chance to kill the other witch, but this is just another human. Surely this would be easy for them to have a little fun, right? With a silly grin on their faces, they took out their whips and started whipping the sides of the dungeon.

Neran's eyebrow raised, "Not scared, huh?"

Ghali did not even stop to comment, she tapped her toe and dashed towards Yllana. When Yllana saw Ghali's movement, she felt something inside her body boil. She raised her hand and summoned her silver sword.

Clang!

Whip meets sword. The whip coiled around the sword like a snake. Yllana gritted her teeth seeing that the witch won't let go and the one names Neran is rushing up to her side.

'Blue,' she called out within her.

'Yes, master!' Without any command, Blue answered willingly to Yllana's call. She knows she has to help her master. 'Moonlight glare,' blue whispered.

"Moonlight glare," Yllana echoed within the last second. A blinding light flashed all over the dungeon.

"Awww! A moon mage! Tori!" Neran and Ghali wailed in pain as their vision blurred from the blinding blue light. Tori looked behind her and saw that the two witches were stunned.

Tori threw her whip in Yllana's direction. In the air, the whip turned into a straight spear with a pointed tip and was madly closing in on Yllana.

Her sword was still stuck. And Neran was slowly getting near her.

"Shadow serpents!"

Five shadows crawled instantly on the walls from where she stood and latched on Nera's boots.

"Neran!"

It was too late. Tori's eyes widened in fear as she saw her spear pierce through Neran's chest. The spear turned back into a whip and shot itself back into her palm. She stood dumbfounded for a few seconds.

Ghali was still tugging on her own metal whip. Yllana called on her shadow serpents again and pulled out Ghali's arms from the whip.

She furiously pulled her sword out of the coil and eyed Tori. Her whip was now around Grandma's neck.

"Under the emperor's orders, I can't kill her yet. But you just have to kill my sister in front of me." Tori's voice turned cold. Black smoke emerged from her shadows and covered grandma's whole body.

"What? Neran! Neran!" Ghali crawled on the floor. When she grasped a familiar hand, she got up and screamed at the top of her lungs. "You bitch!" her tone was shrilly and sounded like grating metals. Yllana winced at the irritating sound. "You'll pay for this! You'll pay!"

"You're just a Mid-Saint ranked mage. How conceited! Praemmium!" Tori gathered a ball of life force in her hands and threw it harshly to Yllana.

She dodged and threw a kick at Ghali's stomach. Ghali staggered backward and held on to the wall behind her. "Sudis!" A dozen small pointed sticks emerged from the wall behind her and fired to the opposite side.

Yllana's muscles tensed. It was too late for her to dodge, so she put up her arms to cover her face and chest. Two spikes clashed with her sword. One gashed her right arm. One caught on her leg. And another just brushed up her head removing her hood. Lush red hair cascaded down to her shoulders and her bright red eyes glowed in the torches' light.

Tori froze. Her body shivered as she stared at the girl in front of her. 'It…it can't be. Darion said..she wasn't here.' She suddenly felt her throat go dry and her chest tightened.

Ghali noticed the silence and called Tori. "Is she dead?" When no one answered, Ghali called out spikes again. The spikes did not strike anything. Ghali smelled a new scent of blood. "She's dead. Tori, you know the sight spell, right? Come on and help me."

Yllana heard Ghali and a creepy smile slowly formed on her lips. The red lines on the corner of her eyes glistened even livelier giving her a sensual look of a beautiful demon.

"Ghali! Don't move." When Tori found some of her voice, what she wanted to say first was to warn her sister. "Sh-she's still alive…the Accursed One is…s-still…" she lost her voice again.

"Accursed One?" Ghali could feel the air around the dungeon went stale. She could almost feel the fear in Tori's voice.

Woosh! Swish! Woosh! Six more hooded shadows entered the dungeon. One was particularly giving off a nasty vibe against the two remaining witches as he looked at the wounds on Yllana's body. A spike was still lodged on her leg and blood was dripping continuously.

He was the tallest among the group. His presence alone brought the two witches to their knees. His power was overwhelming. Maybe too overwhelming for them. Yllana staggered to get up. Her leg was evidently aching badly with the spike still stuck.

Tori noticed the red-haired girl tap on his shoulder and the pressure on the air dissipated a little, giving them air to breathe. Tori's hold on grandma weakened. The smoke disappeared and grandma coughed out blood when she was released.

Swish! Her sword cut through Ghali's neck. She did not hold back and still waited for Ghali to hold her own throat. "Get your grandma," she ordered from her comrades.

"Ghali!" Tori shouted as her sister's body went limp and fell on the floor. The light faded from Ghali's eyes.

Two young men took off their hoods and eyed Tori. She was still kneeling on the floor while the two walked up in front of her. She did not bother to move. Her eyes stayed fixed on the two bodies lying on their pool of blood a few meters away from her.

"Leave her," she told the two young men.

The group managed to get Grandma out of the chains. Yllana slowly approached the witch.

Her eyes were filled with tears, but there was no sound coming out of her throat. They brought this upon themselves. They should have turned the other way around if they had the chance, but they didn't. They were witches through and through. The darkness has already planted itself in their hearts.

When Yllana and the others went out of the dungeon, Tori gathered her sisters' bodies beside her and knelt. She opened her palm and looked inside the packet that Yllana handed over to her before they left. "So, it is true. You are either the salvation or the damnation of this mainland."