THE MARK OF THE BLOOD SIREN

Aildrin's veins bulged, and his brows twitched at Brutus' answer. It disgusted him. "What the hell happened to you? Silas entrusted me to find you! He trusted you!"

"Hmph! That old fool!" Brutus harrumphed. Then he stood from his throne with a tightened grip on his scepter. "The war has long been lost, human. Have you seen the miserable state of Fitz? Its inhabitants are killing each other when they should have been working together!"

Brutus' eyes wandered around the chamber. The glimmer of hope in them was just a flick away from dying.

He then continued. "And this Alliance of Light where Lazybones swore an allegiance is a joke! You cannot even summon their other Kings in a conclave! They're busy with all of this nonsense while those who work in the Dark get nearer in opening the Blacken Ridge! And it won't take long before Ancient beasts from the Abyss overrun us! And I'd rather bow to mutual destruction than to a tyrant or even a fool who dreams of uniting a divided nation!"

Aildrin did not know the entire state of Fitz, but mutual destruction was not the answer. And it seemed that the continent's real enemies were from within its land. And if they don't triumph against themselves, they'll crumble easily when the Ancients come. "So this is how you'll save your kind? You'll take matters in your own hands and keep on invading innocent towns and slaughter everyone until you find the stones?" Aildrin said, his tone rising.

"It's fate, human! It's inevitable. Lazybones must fall... And fall it did," Brutus said.

"Fall for what? So you could destroy the throne? And who the hell are you to decide the fate of the many?"

"It's none of your business! Don't talk to me if you can't even get out of that Space Prison! Now silence yourself and let me think!" Brutus hissed. Somehow, Aildrin's prodding made a dent to the barrier he had set up for his beliefs. And he hated it.

Meanwhile, Aildrin found it hard to resist the challenges set upon him. Especially the ones that came from those who underestimated him. "And if I could get out of here, will you help me?"

Brutus smirked. "Drown yourself in your arrogance, human. You had just wasted my time! There's nothing special about you nor your friend! The other gemstones must have lost their sanity for choosing unworthy hosts." He chuckled and then prepared to leave.

"Wait!" Aildrin said. Soulsworth appeared before him in a shimmer. In times of Sars' silence, he had learned to hear the weapon's voice. It had a life of its own. And it responded to his call.

Brutus squinted his eyes and found the floating flamberge. It caught his attention. "Not even the weapons of legend can break that prison, human. You'll rot in there until the gemstones request another host!"

Aildrin bit his lip. He'd been longing to test the theory in his mind.

"What are you doing?" It was Sars. He sensed Aildrin's foolish intention.

The Soulsworth shuddered, then lurched and pierced Aildrin's shoulder.

Aildrin howled in pain. Then he grinned because his plan worked. The necklace glowed, and the aura in it came rushing out to close the wound. He felt the increase in his strength, but it was not enough for him to break free from the prison. "More!"

Soulsworth pulled back, then pierced his right leg.

"You fool!" Sars panicked.

The ruby-colored aura continued to flood out of the necklace and rushed to the wounds while Soulsworth riddled Aildrin's body, who already lost his consciousness.

Brutus stirred. He raised his hand, and Aildrin's prison rushed towards him.

"No... This can't be." Brutus touched the invisible prison with disbelief in his eyes. "Athena, can you see this? It's the Mark of the Blood Siren!"

Then the purple gemstone on the scepter glowed, and a calm female voice sounded.

"When the moon turns crimson,

And the land is covered in red.

When all hope is lost, and the cheers croaked into mourning,

From the ashes and bones, an heir will rise covered in Blood Siren."

Inside the invisible barrier, Aildrin's black hair rose. Power raged around him, creating cracks in the air. Then his skin glistened like gold and his hair glowed and turned into a deep ruby color.

When Aildrin's eyes flash opened, the barrier shattered. It was like a glass exploding into numerous shards.

But Aildrin could not feel his body.

Warmth raged within him like a bomb impatient to explode. To destroy. And to unleash its wrath.

Judging by Brutus' stern look, Aildrin guessed that he had succeeded. "Now, let's get down into business, shall we?"

The fool. He did not know what he had just pulled off.

Then his eyes glanced down to the necklace. He wanted to thank Sars.

But then the necklace was no longer there. Instead, a red lily glowed on his bare chest like a tattoo. "Sars?" Aildrin's eyes widened.

"Don't talk to me; I'm not in the mood. Get lost!" Sars answered.

"Lazybones did not fall in vain... My vision did not fail me, human." Brutus said.

Aildrin did not still understand what had just happened, but he glanced back to the Black Orc who towered over him. Brutus was clad in a black robe, and one of his tusks was missing.

"You must pay for the blood of the innocent. Until then, you must aid me," Aildrin said. He then glanced at the flamberge in his hand. It showed him his reflection.

Aildrin's reflection awed him. He looked wicked.

His red hair stood and on his forehead was another red-lily symbol. Lines then snaked out of it and covered his body. "What happened to me?"

Brutus shook his head. "You have just consumed the gemstones' life essence. You and Rosarsio are now one. If you die, then the hope in finding the Empty Throne will be gone. For the gem will shatter along with you. It's both a gift and a curse, human."

"No wonder why Sars hated me," Aildrin thought. He then pointed Soulsworth at the chest of Brutus. "Then you must help me quickly! My weapon needs the essence of the Nine Kings. And my body tells me to kill you."