Exposed

The green snake roared and hissed under the weight of the attacks. It lifted its tail and repeatedly slammed it into the ground. The earth vibrated under their feet as large chucks of rock flew into the air. 

Felicia and Alex were ruthless, attacking without catching their breath. They weren't even worried about themselves. Their main concern was for the people this creature would hurt should it get past them. 

After all, the nearest village was only three miles away. A beast of this size would be able to cross it in record time. Not to mention the travelers who it might encounter. 

And no one would be able to stop it unless they had magic of their own. What were the chances of that?

On the other hand, if the serpent went in the direction of Imperium then Aura Wielders would get involved. After the death of countless civilians. Once that happened, word of the demonic entity rising here would spread there as well. And, perhaps to other parts of the continent.

The Pope's cover would be blown. And that's what he feared the most.

He couldn't afford having large groups of magic practitioners who could sense demonic prowess coming to Elysium to investigate. It would be too risky! He did not hold authority outside of Elysium. They wouldn't hesitate to point him out.

That's why he told Helena to make that speech about witches and the Devil in conjunction with the pulling of the Holy Sword.

He had planned on eliminating the "threat" by killing them off today. 

Then concocting another hoax by claiming Helena had eliminated the threat with the Goddess's blade.

Thus the matter is resolved and nobody would stick their nose in his business.

But his plans had failed since they had lived, so what was he going to do now? Would he start spreading rumors that they were the witches?

Wait! Where was the Pope? In that brief moment Alex was distracted, the snake massive jaws came his way. He didn't manage to raise his sword in time and he felt the hot mouth stinking of dark magic close over him.

In the next second, a massive bolt of lightning struck the neck of the snake, severing its head completely.

"Alex!"

"Alex!"

A heavy thud filled the air when the rest of the snake body hit the ground.

Alex raised the Holy Sword and shoved it straight into the roof of its mouth. Felicia was about to zap the head when it abruptly dissolved into green powder. So did the rest of its body.

The brief darkness that Alex was enveloped in was gone.

Felicia and Liam rushed towards him. "Are you okay? Did that thing hurt you?"

"Fuck, I though it'd bitten you in half." Felicia cried. "When I saw the way it slammed its mouth over you..."

"It looked like it was going to swallow you and the rock beneath you." Liam gasped.

Alex grabbed Felicia's hands which were roaming over his body examining him for any wounds. Apart from a few bruises and scratches, there was nothing. Still, it was enough to make her panic. It had been less an hour since she'd seen him covered in horrific burns with black magic flooding through his veins.

"I am alright Felicia." He pulled her into an embrace and waited for her to stop crying. "You saved me. I wouldn't have been able to defeat it without your. Your power is exceptional! You looked like the Goddess of Lightning just now."

Felicia chuckled, tearfully.

Once she pulled away from Alex's embrace Liam pulled her into his own. He had almost had a tiny heart attack watching her take on the serpent. She was so courageous! Foolish, undoubtedly. But still so much bravery.

Alex massaged his neck. Felicia smacked his hand away and applied her healing magic upon it. He smiled at his sister who was so much a mother hen when it came to him. "What is that on your chest?"

Felicia looked down at it. "It a mark he put on me when we were in his underground prayer room. He tried to poison me the way he poisoned you with the green water. But I vomited it all out, so no need to worry."

Alex wasn't appeased by her explanation. Leaning closer, he saw that it was a demonic symbol.

"She's saying that Alex, but that mark is from the Pope. It hurt her earlier right before he showed up and the fact that it hasn't faded can only mean trouble." 

Alex stared at it as if they were having a staring contest.

Felicia covered it with her two fingers and tried to heal it away but it remained put. "We have to get the ruby," she bluffed. "I think it may help me deal with this mark."

"Then let's head back to the church now," Alex replied.

"What if the Pope's set up another trap? What if he gave me this mark hoping we would return to the church? What if he's lying in waiting for us?" Felicia asked.

Alex looked her in the eyes. "Do you believe he knows we're after the ruby?"

"I think we'd better be prepared for any outcome," Felicia answered.

A silence stretched.

"So," Liam began. "The Pope escaped us in spite of his injury. He must have slipped away as soon as we were distracted by the snake. But with his severed arm...that will slow him down for some time, won't it?"

"I don't know. I hope so, but we do not know what he is capable of. We don't know what he can hit us with. We've had two clashes back to back and barely survived both." Felicia's expression was more angry then hurtful now. "I hope he suffers! No doubt he knows of some dark spell to regrow his arm. After all, all he needs to do is sacrifice more souls and he'll be back in top condition. That's how he was able to recover so fast after I fried him like a chicken earlier." Felicia fumed as she thought of the people that man killed indiscriminately for his own selfish needs.

Liam tensed, glancing around. "Does that mean he'll be back here soon?"

Alex thought about that and walked to the edge of the lake. He dipped the tip of the Holy Sword into the water. "He escaped through lake. The demonic magic here is strong. Saintess Joan's mark keeps it from getting too strong, but there is something else."

Felicia kneeled down and dipped her hand into the water. When she'd first plunged here, she had only felt the cold, but now she could feel the magic.

And....a tear? Why did it feel like there was something broken here?

"A gash seeping blood which needs a bandage," Alex muttered.

Felicia nodded. "A magical tear...one which separates this world from other dimensions." 

"So that's what you felt the need to find earlier? Liam inquired.

Felicia nodded.

"That other dimension being hell?" Though Liam sounded like he'd asked a question, his tone was more conclusive.

Alex pulled Felicia back up. "Don't touch this water for too long. It making me and the Holy Sword uneasy."

Indeed, the symbols on the sword were flashing on and off.

"Whatever happens, it will end here." Alex intoned.

Before Felicia could ask him what that meant, they heard the thunder of horse hooves approaching them from behind. From Elysium.

Then loud voices shouted at them from the opposite direction. Their heads snapped forward, across the lake.

There were several men mounted on stallions atop the cliffs, trail and bank of Lake Joan. They had come from behind the mountains which served as the borderline between the two empires.

These were soldiers from Imperium. And based off of the glowing white crystals a few of them were holding up, there were Aurors mixed in.

"Crap!"

"Damn!"

"Fuck!"

Felicia, Alex and Liam all cursed at once.

"You three! Who are you?!"

"What was all that ruckus we heard?!"

"We heard the sound of a beast!"

"Careful, brothers! There is a heavy presence of black magic here!"

"Are you three witches?!"

At this point the men had drawn their weapons. Arrows and crossbows pointed at them as they rode their horses closer with great caution and hostility.

Behind them, the sound of the approaching guards from their own empire also grew louder. And their weapons were drawn as well.

"What is that green substance behind you?! Answer at once or we will fire! We do not tolerate witchcraft!"

"Alright time to go!" Alex burst out. Felicia grabbed Liam's hand and touched the blade of the Holy Sword. The three vanished at once.

Exposing the infinity symbol to countless sets of eyes.

Hopefully, nobody recognized their faces.