Ch 52 The Mysterious Figure

We had been flying for about three hours now. From the time Taaffeite lifted off, until now. We were above the Faelands and were nearing our destination.

"I can't see anyone nearby. Are you sure this isn't too early?"

Taaffeite asked.

"Even if it is, I can get the lay of the land and set up traps for whoever it turns out to be."

Taaffeite pulled back and banked to the right in a quick movement. I was taken by surprise.

"What happened?"

*BOOM!*

An explosion behind me nearly blew me off of her back.

"Someone threw a fireball at us... This is impossible. Magic is supposed to be non-existent."

She went full invisible. I held on as she dodged three more fireballs.

*BOOM BOOM BOOM!*

I don't know how I missed the first one as it went by. They were not hidden in any way.

"There! I see someone in a robe, by the tree-line."

Her magnifying scale showed me the image. A robed figure with a hood on. I think I can make out what looks like Delicia, tied up behind the figure.

The figure lifted up one arm and a grey circle of light began to move in front.

"I think another fireball is co...!"

I felt as though my right wrist was grabbed. I was suspended mid-air as the surface of Taaffeite's back disappeared out from below me. She was still invisible so I could not tell where she went.

I reached up with my left hand to feel for the presence of whatever was grabbing me. I felt the skin of my own wrist without anything in between. Was this magic? How?

"TAAFFEITE!"

I yelled out. I watched the spec of a figure, far below me. A red aura began to glow and move toward the figure. A stream of fire began to bellow at the individual. I could hear Taaffeite's roar in the distance.

A blue half-sphere covered the figure as the orange fire was repelled off.

I need to get down there. I am useless here.

Her scale sword!

I reached for the scale blade that was hung from my side by a couple of belt hooks. I took a breath and sliced upward to sever my own wrist.

The flesh gave way but the blow was not strong enough to sever the bone. I began hitting the same spot over and over until I heard a crack. I shook my arm and the bone broke free. I heard the last of my flesh tear away as it stretched thin.

I was in a free fall. I watched the battle below. Some kind of force blew Taaffeite away. She was knocked backward and landed against several trees before hitting the ground. Her invisibility was now gone.

The figure was building up something big. A massive ball of grey was forming.

It was released toward me. I watched as it grew larger the closer it got. Soon, I could see nothing on the ground where the figure and Taaffeite were. This ball of energy was enormous and hindering my view. I could only guess that it was meant for my destruction.

"Sophie..."

I had nothing left to use for an escape.

This was it.

I closed my eyes for the last time.

If this person knew I had the potion in me, then they 'had' to have prepared for my complete destruction.

I opened my eyes.

"Wait!"

I had one last-ditch attempt. The void of sorrow. Maybe that can overpower this energy.

My vision was entirely engulfed by the grey energy. It was more intimidating than I thought.

It seemed to hover in the air before me.

Why have I not been hit yet? What was it waiting for?

The mass showed a tiny opening in the center. Suddenly, like a slow-motion pop of a water balloon, the grey mass suddenly gave way to a blue and purple swirling mass. It was mesmerizing. Hard to look away.

*WHAM!*

I was hit from above by an intense force.

Before I could hit the ground, I caught a glimpse of Taaffeite being engulfed by the swirling mass.

She disappeared along with it. No explosion, no corpse. Not even a drop of blood. What was that energy?

I blacked out.

I found myself in darkness. Not my darkness but, the pitch-black place where I had been found by massive peering eyes, once before.

"Uhg..."

I felt groggy. I had no idea where this was but, it felt suffocating.

"I... hate... ya..."

If there was any light, my face would show a distorted confusion. Who is this and why do they hate me?

"I hate ya!"

"Why? What did I do?"

"I HATE YA I HATE YA I HATE YA I HATE YA I HATE YA!"

...

"DIE."

I felt breath in my lungs. I opened my eyes and sat up. I was forced out of that pitch-black location. I woke up to the crackling sound of a fire. The hooded figure was seated on a log on the opposite side of that fire.

I tried to lean forward and put my hand in front of me. It was tied behind my back along with the other hand.

"Ya should stop invading my head space. Ya have yer own. Leave mine out of it."

"What? Yours?"

I was a bit groggy still. I had no idea what this person meant by invading.

Now that the voice was close to me, it sounded even more familiar than ever. A woman. But, who?

The figure began poking the fire with a long stick to liven it up. The contrast of the brightening fire and the dark surroundings forced me to realize that it was dark out.

"How long have I been asleep?"

"Most of the night now. Man... ya really ruined my plans. I had no idea that ya had a dragon on ya side. Luckily for me, It's gone. Unluckily, I don't know what to do with ya now."

"What did you do to Taaffeite?"

I wanted to ask if she was dead. I almost didn't want to hear the truth.

"That spell was for ya. It used up over half my mana. That means I can't cast it ever again. Not unless I get a fresh... Well. Ya know, battery to recharge."

Some kind of mana recharge?

"WHAT HAPPENED TO HER?!"

"Now now. Ya don't need to shout. She might be dead, she might not. That spell was a dimensional teleport. Much like the one that drained this world so long ago. No tellin' where she wound up. Middle of space? Bottom of an ocean? Center of a sun? All kinds of fun places."

This person is sick. She only thought of the worst places to end up. If the location is that random, she could still be alive. That's all I can hope for right now.

"Mana? Spell? How?"

"Oh, that's for me to know. Not for ya."

"The mana in this world was drained. You even said it yourself. How can you cast spells?"

She reached a hand into her hood and pulled it back.

The beautiful red hair. The familiar elf face. I knew I recognized the voice. The odd accent though...

"Y'gdrim?! Why did you do this? I thought Mik had killed you?"

"Hmm? Oh. That. Hypnosis spells are easy on conceited targets. He only thought he killed her."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Her? You speak in the third person now?"

"Oops. Don't mind my speech. I'm a bit different than what I used to be. Let's leave it at that."

So many things bouncing around in my head. Something is not right. Obviously but, I missed something.

"What do you want with me?"

"I told ya. I wanted to send ya far away. I can't do that now. I need to contact my benefactor. I can try to ask him now but, ya might not like what I do to ya in order to relieve my stress."

I felt my eye twitch in annoyance. I stood up. My feet were not bound.

"Oh! Ya wanna try to break them bonds? I'm sure that would be no problem for ya. Try it, lets see how 'she' fairs."

Y'gdrim lifted up a hand and pointed it at something. I had to squint to see through the dark. Delicia was tied up and hanging from a tree. She looked nearly lifeless. I took one step toward her.

"Ah ah! Move away from that spot and she gets a fireball to the face."

I stopped and looked at Y'gdrim. She had a wrenched smile on her face. Almost like she wanted me to move. This bitch was getting on my nerves. I sat back down.

"Don't move."

She spun up a spell with her left hand while keeping her right aimed at Delicia. A gentle white magic thread wrapped around her finger and then around my neck. I couldn't feel it at all.

"If ya move, this will tell me and I will blow up, kitty. I'm going back into my head space. Stay out this time."

I was left with my own thoughts for over an hour. Was she meditating like I do? Is her head space like my darkness?

I went back through my conversation with her. Something still didn't sit right with me. She seemed like she was someone else. Nothing like the Y'gdrim I had been around that one day. Could she have been acting the entire time?

"Okay. I have my orders."

She proclaimed. The spell that shackled me to her was removed. Y'gdrim stood up without warning. She raised a hand and aimed it at Delicia.

"NO! STOP!"

"Relax, tight ass."

The ropes that bound Delicia to the tree branch were unraveling on their own. Delicia's limbs were still tied. Her body floated over to Y'gdrim. Her body hung in the air in front of Y'gdrim's hand. As if she was holding Delicia up by the neck with an invisible magic hand.

Delicia's body began to curl up in pain. She let out the weakest sound. It was heart-crushing to hear.

"STOP! LET GO OF HER!"

"Keep in mind, she is dead in my hands if ya don't do what I want ya to do."

The sun was peeking through now. It was early morning. Y'gdrim's face was distorted in pleasure. She was planning something.

"Keep in mind, there won't be much left of you if you kill her."

"HAHA! Oh, a threat! I like it. Tell ya what. Go kill all of her siblings and I will let her live."

My eyes went wide. What kind of demand is that? She is insane.

"What? How can you expect someone to just... do that? I can't..."

"OH NO! Her life is slipping awayyy! How about a compromise? Kill her parents and all of her people. Ya can leave the siblings alive."

"That's... no different."

"Oh? I think it's quite different. Third time's the charm. Kill them pretty wives of yas. Two lives for hers. That's a deal of a lifetime!"

Her face told me she was enjoying this torture. I had a feeling that she was not joking with me. She seriously wanted me to agree to kill someone for Delicia's life. Maybe if I agree to something and just come up with a plan. Fake some deaths or something.

"Fine... I'll kill whoever you want. Let her go."

"Too late!"

I looked up in alarm. Y'gdrim reached out with her left hand and used a spell to crush Delicia's right leg. Her body convulsed in pain. She couldn't let out any sounds. She was already weak and now this...

"Stop..."

I let out that one word with the utmost hatred. I had never been more serious in my life.

"HEE HEE HEE! That sounded wonderful. So much hatred in that one word. Let me hear it again."

Her enthusiasm was sickening. I watched as she bit her lower lip and began reaching out for Delicia's left leg.

"DON'T..."

I heard the crunching of bones yet again.

I was grinding my teeth at this point. I could feel more than enough strength to break this simple rope binding me.

I turned my head away in helplessness.

"Oh? That wasn't as fun. I know! How about her entire lower half?"

I had enough.

The rope snapped. I could feel my anger bubbling over. My vision of the world turned into a red hue.

I was truly infuriated at this... 'THING'S'... lack of compassion for life.

I wanted to break her slower than she was breaking Delicia. I could no longer hear anything that Y'gdrim was saying. She was practically jumping for joy.

I was about to take a step forward.

*SNAP*

"Oh... Hahah. I guess I just got TOO excited! i'M rEaLlY eNjOyInG ThIs..."

Something in my brain... broke.

The world went a solid white.

The last thing I remember...

Was Delicia's neck, snapping...

And her lifeless body falling to the ground.

The anger disappeared.

It was my fault. First I couldn't protect Mery. This time, I couldn't protect her sister. All this power and they still died.

I'm pathetic.

...

I couldn't feel anything anymore.