Chapter 11: Oris' Treasure

"Oh such a drama queen," Nora whispered to herself.

"Nora!" Oscar kept on fighting while simultaneously yelling her name.

"Quit screaming my name," her voice pierced through the dark fog.

He looked up to see her bright purple eyes hanging in the air.

"I thought you left me. Wait, you can fly?"

"No dummy. I'm riding a dog. I got the map."

"You better have a plan in mind," Oscar was already gasping in tiredness. After all, he's had quite enough battles for one day.

"Throw me your sword."

"Huh!" That wasn't even almost the worst things he expected. "They'd literally tear me apart if I lose this weapon."

She hopped on another dog and threw his owner down as hers charged on and got slaughtered by Oscar's blade.

"Throw me the sword now. It's the only way we can escape them."

She quickly hopped on to another one behind her.

But Nora's days were numbered, it seems one of the riders has spotted her purple eyes and hence her silhouette. He raised his hand in the air and conjured a spear, which he instantly threw at her.

But lucky for her, he missed. The spear passed by Nora's eyes in a near miss.

She turned around to see the demon with a grin on his face. They're the masters of weapons, the lords of steel; they can conjure up any weapon at will.

This time he called forth three spears that fitted into his palm perfectly, he threw it at her.

A tinge of fear jumbled with Nora's expression but she was fast enough to dodge the strikes. She turned around to Oscar this time with a tone of emergency, "Your sword, now."

"I'd get crushed between their legs!" he yelled at her. "How many times do I have to tell you?"

She turned around to see the demon cooking up another spear in his hand, without exacting any external force to throw it this time, the spear fired for her like a bullet. Nora immediately dodged again, but then more and more started firing out of his hands with much force and speed than the ones before.

Nora utilized a backflip and quickly adapted a strategy with it. She sequentially jumped behind the other riders to complicate his aim.

But then she discovered the ultimate secret; Nora closed her eyes. The rider stopped firing as soon as the tiny bright pair of eyes were lost to the darkness.

"Oscar!" she yelled his name in annoyance.

'I guess I'd just sacrifice myself for her,' thoughts rang inside Oscar's head. 'Even with powers I don't think I'd ever be a happy teenager. They have so much more than me. They have money and power. They have no misery.'

The dust made from his opponents impact with the ground passed his nose as fresh air. He took a breath and closed his eyes.

'She seemed more determined to live than me. Let her have it.'

After one last swing, he threw it up in the sky for her to catch wherever she was.

In that moment the dogs ran through him like a piece of rug on the floor, the whole army of them pounding on him as they rode further, their legs which once drummed on the surface of the ground now drumming on his bones.

It took quite a ride before they realized that the flaming sword was now behind them, floating in midair. In one accord they hit a brake and turned around to chase it, drumming against Oscar's lifeless body once again.

The sword floated further and further as they chased it, which made them all clear out of the area.

"It worked," Nora returned excitedly. "I hung the sword in front of one like a bone and he chased after it, including all of them. The dogs are really stupid, just as I thought."

With no sign of Oscar in sight she froze and looked around the field, "What are you up to now?"

{HP: 1/100}

His eyelids wavered then shut.

Just then she found him, his bones shattered and his skin spread on them like carpet, his blood like a stream leaving his body.

"Oscar!" her voice echoed like one in a vacuum as she rushed for him.

…

Hours later she stood in front of a huge gate with Oscar's body on her shoulder, belted by her right hand while the other hand held the map.

"Why have you come here?" a voice echoed behind the gate.

"I've come for Oris The Resurrector. My friend here is looking for him," Nora responded.

"A pretty girl carrying a dead man in the land of the dead. Come…"

The gates opened wide to Nora.

"King Oris would love to hear your story."

"King?" she whispered in confusion before jogging Oscar's body on her shoulders to gain a tighter grip of it. She marched in fearlessly.

It seemed Oris had built himself a little castle in the depths of the underground. He made himself royalty within the shards of hell. He had soldiers, he had subjects, and he had a medieval castle.

Nora entered the main hall where Oris was sat on his throne with elegance. She walked to the front and dropped Oscar's body before him while Oris just watched, his grey hairs itching for reverence.

She looked up to Oris with a glare that was naturally on her face, "He came here looking for you."

"That is no way to speak to a king, girl," he reproached her.

"A king?" She stepped forward by an inch. "Everyone is equal in the underworld."

Oris chuckled, "Once upon a time, with the first humans, all men were equal in the mortal world. Until some men grew ambitions bigger than their fellow and conquered them. You may walk the same earth with them, but the law will treat you differently if a problem was to arise, because their kinsmen took fields with grass and planted trees, they gathered people with no purpose and built an army. And then they introduce laws for the little man. It's how kingdoms are built."

"Equality girl," he continued, "is a construct to make even the least of men feel better. The time has come for men to kingdoms in hell. The old demon king is death, this new one has given us this realm as a playfield."

"Look at me," Nora stood fierce. "It's the face that's gonna be staring in your nightmares when I ruin your plans."

"Hahahahah," Oris laughed out loud. "I've never seen a female jester before."

Nora's temper boiled, "Try me."

Her hands immediately emitted dark fog which circled her fists.

Oris eyes widened, 'She has powers in this realm! How does she have powers in this realm!"

"Who're you? He stood up from his throne, towering over her and his guards.

"Nora. I've come for one of your greatest treasures. If you'd be kind enough to lend me," the fog disappeared from her palm as she said the last words.

"It might be able to save my friend," her tone softened.

"Hmm… You've come for my heart? You can have it."

'What' Nora's head rang in bewilderment, her face molding along to the surge of shock she felt. 'He's just gonna give it up to a stranger like that? He's greatest treasure.'

He came down the stairs and stood over her, his shadow resting on her face.

"But you'd have to do something for me," her faced changed as she heard this words. It's the same old Oris.

"If you really want your friend to live, find me the Aconite. And bring it to me."

"Impossible!" Nora's lips set loose her thoughts. She had wanted this one for herself all along.

"What's that?" Oris leaned in, "Will you do it, or let him die?"