"What…" My heart stopped. Everything around me stopped. "What did you just say?"
The woman tightened her grip on my hand. She looked away before answering, "It would be better if I show you."
Then the surrounding became hazy, gradually transitioning into a completely different scene.
A dark forest materialized before me, the howling of the wind sounded deadly. But what made me catch my breath was the broken carriage that was in front of me, two poor horses lay motionless and bloody. It seemed to have fallen from the low cliff up above, leaving a trail as it fell downwards. The coachman was nowhere to be found.
"A road accident?"
The glowing woman beside me did not speak a word, her eyes focused on the scene in front of us.
I looked closer and there, I finally saw it. It wasn't an accident. The horses had arrows sticking out from their bodies.
A woman came out from the toppled carriage. Her familiar blonde hair, although disheveled, and slim figure was all it took for me to recognize her instantly even with the scratches on her face and the ripped out parts of her tight dress. As soon as Lady Elizabeth got out of the carriage another hand reached out to her—a pair of tiny little hands. A little baby girl no more than three years old now sat upon the young Countess' arms.
Another woman crawled out of the damaged vehicle. She had long white hair just like the young child.
Both women had blood dripping from their foreheads, their once exquisite gowns now close to being called rags.
"Listen, Liz." said the white-haired woman, voice calm and gentle.
But Countess Elizabeth was shaking her head. "No, Kaia! You Listen to me." She swept the little girl's fluffy hair repeatedly, but her voice was trembling with fear. "Who are those people?! Why are they after us?"
"Please Liz, we need to hurry. They'll be coming here any second now." The woman held the Countess' shoulders. "I want you to take Calla as far away from here as possible. Do you understand?"
"I don't understand any of this, Kaia! Just tell me what's happening. Why are you telling me to leave you alone?" Tears ran down from Lady Elizabeth's face.
The little girl was already becoming restless. She tried to reach out towards her mother.
"Oh, my sweet Calla." The woman was now sobbing.
The three of them were now crying in sheer agony, letting out groans of pain, shoulders trembling. Countess Elizabeth and the white-haired woman hugged each other, the little girl tight in between them.
I wanted to close my eyes. I didn't want to see anymore of this. But I needed to know why this happened. I steeled myself, I have to pay attention.
Then at that moment, feet stepping on dry leaves interrupted the atmosphere.
"They're here." The woman said.
"Mommy…" cried the little girl.
"Yes dear," The woman kissed the little girl on the forehead, on each cheek, on the nose, on the lips, on the back of her palm. "Mommy loves you so… so… so… much."
"Calla loves you too, mommy."
"I know baby... I know."
"You're coming with us, Kaia. I can't just leave you here." Lady Elizabeth insisted.
"We had an agreement, Liz. If something happened, you would run away and take Calla with you."
The young Countess sighed. "Fine, I don't know what's happening here, but… promise me you'll stay alive by the time I get back with help."
"Yes, now close your eyes."
"W-what, are you crazy?"
"Just please, Liz… close your eyes."
"O-okay."
Lady Elizabeth closed her eyes. And the moment she did, the woman laid out her hands in the air. Upon it formed a ball of white light, but it looked more like an orb. For a brighter light that formed into what seemed like a rune was etched at the middle.
My eyes widened in an instant. Is that…?
The little girl's eyes were full of wonder. Her face lit up in front of the brightness.
"Calla Ausyldine Rosa of the East, daughter of Kaia and Careem, true-born child of Khloris, Goddess of Flowers, I entrust to you the divine and everlasting power that is the Pure Light."
Her voice was a whisper that almost sounded like a hymn.
The Pure Light floated towards the little girl's body, gone and peacefully tucked away. Then she lost consciousness and fell asleep.
Her lips went to the little girl's forehead for one last time. "May your journey be safe with no affliction and harm."
"Open your eyes, Liz."
The young Countess' eyes fluttered open. "W-what did you do?"
"I casted a spell to make her fall asleep, it'd be easier that way. Now go. Go and never turn back."
Lady Elizabeth's face was still full of hesitation.
"Now, Liz!"
"I'll come back, Kaia. Wait for me." Lady Elizabeth casted one final glance to her before scurrying away.
The white-haired woman only smiled. Then her face transitioned into a grim expression, and then she wasted no second to crouch back to the carriage and took out a sword. She just stood there, weapon at the ready.
I wanted to ask a question but somebody had already appeared. One by one they emerged from the shadows. Seven figures donned in black cloaks. It wasn't hard to spot out the strange sign that was drawn on their right sleeves. Three lines that formed into an almost circle, drawn in bright violet ink.
"I told you we shouldn't have staged such a complicated 'accident'. It took us so long to find her." It was a voice of a woman.
Another snickered as a reply. "The King is not ready to risk for war yet."
"Yeah right, the princeling is still too weak." One said in a mocking tone.
"What's wrong with you? He's literally a child."
"Avas!" A deep voice boomed. It was the familiar Ventus language. "Pashilzum kivo no vi!"
Everyone went silent.
"Pay attention to the mission."
All of their heads went to the woman standing in front of them. Then in the darkness that hid beneath their hoods, a crack of white appeared, each curling into evil smiles.
One unsheathed an impossibly large blade, but it fit perfectly for his large form. "Is this the one our people have been looking for hundreds of years? Doesn't really look like a goddess to me."
"They're just as humans as we are when they're here and not lying around their heavenly homes."
"Oh? Lucky us then."
The woman who stood at the center, sword at her hand, only gave them a smile—one that seemed to bewitch even the deadliest of enemies. She took the sword from its sheath. "Let's get this over with."
"My pleasure, goddess!" One was already about to pounce, when another raised a hand to stop him.
"Wait, I can't sense the Pure Light in her. You witch, where is it?!"
The goddess only sneered. "So that's what you want? Apologies but, I don't intend to give it to you."
Then she raised her sword. In a blink of an eye, she already appeared in front of them. The men in cloaks were caught off guard. She had already diagonally slashed the upper body of a member, blood gushed out like a water fountain.
"This bitch!" screamed the woman from earlier. She lunged towards the goddess with twin axes but missed in utter failure. For the heavenly entity moved with swift and monstrous agility.
Two cloaked-figures attacked at the same time, only to have their arms sliced one by one. Sounds of steel colliding rang out of the dark forest, leaves rustled harshly, the wind howled eerily.
"Stay put, woman!" The one with the largest build tried to pin the goddess down, throwing his huge body towards her. She dodged and kicked the man at the back. A loud thud was heard as the man crash landed into a tree.
One was already lying dead on the ground. Two had clutched each of their useless arms. One was unconsciously face leaning on the bottom of a tree. There were five still standing.
"What an annoying whore." The woman in black cloak said, panting.
The goddess smirked cheekily, threw her hand into the air and gestured her enemies to come at her.
One jumped out from behind, only for his stomach to be met by a sword. The goddess twirled her body towards more enemies coming at her, black cloaks fluttering behind them like ghosts.
Watching all this, my heart was nearly brimming with hope.
But something was clearly wrong. The enemies were all attacking from one direction. And it was effective as the goddess took more steps backwards. Before she could realize what was happening, a cold sharp object had already penetrated deep into her back.
The goddess stopped. Her knees fell, she pinned her bloodied sword to the ground to lean on it. She took the blade out and brought it in front of her. It didn't look like any other dagger. The hilt was a sharpened bone studded by three red diamonds.
"God… Killer?"
The four black-cloaked figures stood in front of her. One took the dagger from her hands.
"Didn't expect this, did you? You probably thought that you'd recover back in heaven even after we stop your human heart from beating."
Blood trickled from the goddess' mouth.
"So, what do you think of our little toy?" The man waved the dagger playfully in front of the goddess' face. "Oh no, actually don't think of anything. Just do your pitiful reminiscing of your pathetic long life."
The air was filled with laughter.
"Do not… underestimate… a god."
"Huh? What was that? I couldn't hear you with all the blood flowing out of your mouth."
The goddess only closed her eyes. After that, a wave of blinding white light emanated from her body.
I didn't bother to close or cover my eyes for it was simply too beautiful. Five seconds of brightness and a woman's body was seen lying on bloody ground.
"What was that? Hey, are you sure she's dead?"
"It was probably one last magic trick before she died. Don't forget, the God Killer has killed many gods before."
"Right, our king wouldn't lie about it."
"Let's go. We're done here. Pick up the bodies of the fallen."