Kingdom of Hallos, Beswind Execution Grounds, Present day.
Sara's placed a hand over the spout of blood on her shoulder. It did next to nothing to the river of red that spilled on the floor. That damn girl…she actually managed to land a shot on me…The pain was nearly unbearable as she stood on unsteady legs. Any movement would cause a jolt of anguish to spread across her entire chest. Though the aching was slowly diminishing, as was every sense of her body, an effect of losing too much blood.
Myn growled as he lifted the huntress by her throat. Her body was limp, as her eyes fluttered, she was alive, but not for long.
Sara gulped. "Myn, finish her." Loose strands of hair fell in front of her, as she took small rapid breaths. Inhaling deep breaths threatened to spread the pain further. She had to stop the bleeding.
Suddenly Ered dashed out of the corpse-filled room.
Sara struggled to lift a finger. "Ered is fleeing. Myn, don't let him escape!"
Myn tossed the limp huntress out of the room like a ragdoll, her body thudded loudly against the stands outside. He then stomped after the coward.
Sara followed behind, everything felt like a dream as she pursued behind Myn for what felt like ages though long dark tunnels that led back into the city. She must have lost too much blood, because she began hearing the screams of men, women and children alike. She shook her head. They were no hallucinations but rather a reality.
Night had overtaken the city, though it wouldn't appear so due to the countless homes that were swallowed by flames. Civilians ran around in a severe panic as monsters ran rampant through the streets. Not monsters…demons! Countless mangled bodies decorated the paved roads as the demons added more to the piles.
A woman's screams were cut short as a demon that resembled a skinless wolf pounced on her and feasted on her throat, eating pounds of flesh at a time.
Another creature that looked like the skeleton of a stag, lifted a man by his neck. A second later it dug its claw into the man's abdomen, and pulled out his organs, gutting him like one would a fish.
Warm bile reached Sara's throat as she vomited on the stone. "What is this? I never wanted this." Her eyes found Myn amidst the chaos. People ran past her, occasionally shoving her which would cause a spatter of blood to release from her wound. She reached Myn who had entered a wide alleyway. She coughed up blood as her eyelids felt heavy. She leaned against Myn to prevent herself from falling over.
The otherwise dark alley was lit by dancing flames.
Ered was again on all fours like a dog, dragging his robes along the filthy ground. "Please! You promised you didn't want war!" he squealed. "Now look what you've caused!" He turned onto his backside while slowly heaving himself backwards. The blade that she had put in his shoulder was gone, he must have pulled it out. With nothing to plug the wound, blood flowed freely, absorbed by his no-longer-regal robes.
"I didn't cause this…" murmured Sara. Her tongue felt heavy. "You have to die." She took a blade from Myn's belt. "There can't be peace after this." Her lips seemed to have a mind of their own as the words escaped her. "I'm sorry." Voicing the thoughts felt foreign. Did she really feel sympathy for this pathetic man? No matter. What she did now was a mercy. She lifted the sword as she neared him.
A sudden whiz pierced the air as something hit the blade from her hand. The steel clanked against the floor alongside an arrow.
Who? What—
A man landed in between her and her victim. He held a bow at the ready. Had he come from the rooftops? "You can't kill this man," he said almost pleadingly. His sharpened ears peaked from under his shaggy hair. An eyepatch covered his right eye.
"Get out of the way!" barked Sara weakly.
"I won't," he said firmly, as his red scarf fluttered with a passing wind.
Sara hung from Myn's arm. "The only way to stop me…is to kill me." She panted out of breath.
The man put up a hand defensively. "I'm not going to kill you." His voice was soft. He proved his claims as he put his bow on his back. "You can end this, and use your men to help defend the people." He pointed past her. "Please. There doesn't have to be any more killings."
"There always has to be killings," she retorted.
Loud gurgles came from behind the elven.
Roxas stood beside the king who was now clutching at a gaping laceration at his throat.
When did he…? Sara clutched Myn's arm tighter. The sight before her was nothing as she had pictured. The death of Ered, it wasn't glorious or pleasing to watch. Rather she was disgusted at the sight.
"It can't be…Roxas?" The elven turned to fully face the necromancer. "How is this possible? I thought—"
Roxas swiped his sword towards the elven before returning his focus on the dying man. He recreated the horrific scene from before as he put up his hand, commanding the king's blood to levitate and take the shape of a sphere.
Ered croaked one last time before his body withered and turned a ghastly grey. His body was quickly nothing but a husk.
The elven backed away from the man and now stood beside her. "You're not Roxas," he shuttered.
"Why did you do this?" Sara's voiced echoed in her own thoughts. "You said you only wanted Ered. But…you're killing innocents." As the words escaped her lips, she felt a wave of fatigue and shame wash over her. How could she have been so idiotic? How could she ally herself with a monster? Imbecile!
Roxas gulped the blood in seconds. "One of royal blood done. Three to go." His eyes burned red with malice as he looked towards her. "You're nearly dead as is." He began towards her. "Suppose, I should finish the deed."
Myn growled but remained at her side.
Sara closed her eyes, it felt as if the weight of an anvil was on her back as she tumbled to her knees. She begged to the gods that when she opened her eyes once more. She would wake from this terror. It seemed her prayers were answered as she caught a voice that she never thought she longed to hear this badly. That of General Svarga.
"Princess!" he yelled. "Myn! What happened!?"
She opened her eyes to find the light skinned man looking down at her. "I'm sorry, Svarga." She wanted to close her eyes so badly, to fall asleep and wake up in her bed back in Belfire.
The elven man had his bow trained on Roxas. "Stay back." His voice sounded distant.
Svarga looked to Myn. "We can't keep her here—she's lost too much blood!"
Sara grimaced. Why was everyone shouting? All she wanted to do was sleep. Why wouldn't they simply let her sleep?
Svarga took her wrist and placed a small red orb in her palm. He closed her hand for her, forcing her to grip the red pearl. He turned to the elven. "Boy, take my hand!"
The violet-eyed man hesitantly took hold of the general's hand.
Svarga looked down at her with saddened eyes. "Just think of home, we'll be home soon."
Home…I can do that…home. She felt Svarga's warm hand force over her own. The last thing she saw was a bright red light before she drifted to sleep.