Jane fell beside Eddie as blood dripped down slowly from her mouth. Priscilla was standing over them with the staff in her right hand.
"Child, I told you the weapon is not for you." She mocked before turning to walk towards the platform, "Take their bodies to Shrine of Death. The priest will tell you what to do with them"
Six women came with three black caskets which Jane, Eddie and Catherine were put in one each. Each casket was carried by two women who disappeared from the hall immediately they had them on their shoulders.
"This time, we from the High Shrine will be greatly rewarded." As she sat on her chair, a wicked smile appeared on Priscilla's face. The ladies were already seated on their mats and none showed any emotion even when Priscilla talked about reward, they only nodded in agreement.
"Madam, big sister left with the belief that he is dead, should we tell her about this?" One of the women stood and curtsied before returning to her seat.
"It is better that she believes what she already does. After all, he is still going to die anyway." When she received Priscilla's answer, the woman who had asked the question nodded.
The six appeared at a place with hills so tall that their peaks seemed to pierce through the clouds. The hills were cloaked in green vegetation imbuing the place green. It was foggy and the sight ahead was not very clear. Strange animal sounds filled the entire place. Without fear, the six took a path to one of the hills.
They climbed the hill to almost its peak. The fog was denser there and the path ahead was barely visible. They walked until they reached a clearing that had only one tree standing in the middle. The tree had purple leaves that it was constantly shading. It gave the place a beautiful yet a horrible sight. Even the faces of the six women started showing fear.
"The great priest of death, sisters from High Shrine seek an audience." They chorused and forthwith, an old man appeared just before the tree. His robe was so white that it appeared to glow. He looked at them nonchalantly before asking. "You seek an audience with the condemnation caskets, who is in them?"
"Great priest, it is the mage with his friends." One of the women answered.
"Mage? that is the greatest life Her Celestial has coveted. Put them down before the tree. Inform the chief priestess that we are not going to disappoint at all."
"Yes, great priest." The women bowed before disappearing.
Deborah was lounging in the living room enjoying the newest music in town. Today, Catherine was not around to bother her like she sometimes did. Yesterday had not ended well as that stupid organization she worked for terminated her contract. She did not have to go for work today and time was for hers to spend as she deemed fit. On the screen not too far from her, the third movie was almost ending and the drink in her glass was now half empty.
She was about to go fill the glass when a loud roar came from one of the many rooms that made up her mansion. She put the glass on a nearby table and decided to rush to that room. However, a green dragon-like creature, her size, appeared before her, beating her to whatever it was she was about to do.
"Green Wyvern, what is the problem?" She asked.
"The mage, Catherine and the love girl are in deep trouble. If we do not rescue them, they will be dead in the next fifteen minutes." There was urgency in its rough masculine voice.
Deborah needed no further explanations. They rushed out of the majestic mansion where the dragon expanded two a size as twice as hers before she climbed its back. It then flew to a direction at a speed higher than that of most of the flying vehicles covering the skies of Noya.
"What kind of trouble are they in?"
"They are captured by those who serve the Celestial Witch. The three of them are wounded and are right now in the shrine of death where a ritual is to take place. The ritual is to make the people from the Cursed Town unable to trace their whereabouts or who their killers are. It is also to harvest whatever power they have. If we do not rush, we may rescue them but their powers could be gone."
"Then, why don't you increase your speed. I do not want anything happening to Catherine."
From their attitudes, it was clear the two of them were good friends and none was superior to the other although the dragon was powerful enough to destroy Deborah at will. Its speed crescendoed until everything around them blurred. Deborah squinted when air that made her struggle to breathe hit her from the front. Her clothes were swayed with a strength seemingly intent on ripping them from her body. She however clenched her teeth and endured, if that is what it would cost her to save her friend.