A sultry voice came from the figure. "My, my. What chaos is in here? " Vin could recognize the owner of the voice. It's the same person that could save Aegir's life.
Vin didn't hesitate and asked for her help. "Please help him, " he asked the woman, who in turn smiled widely.
She held Aegir's pale cheek, not minding if she's obscuring Anthony from Aegir. Her eyes registered sadness. She held Aegir's hair tenderly before closing her eyes and changed her expression to her usual sultry one. "Hmm, I wasn't too late but first... " she turned her attention to Anthony and his ravens.
Upon seeing her, the ravens' croaking call grew louder. Soon, the white orb-like light with them started to compress themselves to each other until it created a huge scythe made of bones. The blade was coated with white colored fire.
The witch laughed in amusement as she stared at it. She couldn't believe that this mere 'human' was capable of it. But she's also disappointed that it's something he couldn't control, in turn it's the one that was controlling him. She could clearly see the thin white strings made of energy that held the boy, like a puppet string. His rage awakened whatever he has in him but it's also the one which controls him.
She tossed her robe aside, revealing a woman with rich silver hair wearing a black victorian dress that reached her knees. Her golden eyes shone in excitement. She fished a purple feather from the back of her hair, it then transformed into a huge bow made from purple mithril. In the bow, there's also carved green vines encircling around it. The string was glowing purple as an arrow rested in between it, waiting to be aimed.
The woman didn't wait for the huge scythe to make its way towards her. He aimed her bow at its targets—the ravens. A series of arrows were fired on the birds, each aim hitting a bullseye leaving only a wisp of shadows from the once figures of ravens.
The woman walked slowly towards Anthony's direction which is now dazed. He didn't know what happened but the feeling of seeking revenge was still in him.
Once close, the woman held Anthony's chin and stared at him eye to eye. He could feel the power on her eyes. Something that can end him whenever she feels like it. He could feel his chest felt heavy. He's scared of the power she has but he also feels envious of it.
"It's too early for you to jump in, child. You're too weak. You desire to protect someone but you still couldn't even hurt a fly. Don't make his sacrifice on protecting you be in vain by wasting it. " She pinched Anthony's both cheeks and ruffled his hair. Anthony could feel his energy dissipated as he sat on the floor.
The woman smiled again and turned his back on him. She signaled Vin to bring Aegir to her, which in turn, Vin, hurriedly compelled.
Now that he's slowly regaining his mind, Anthony realized that the woman was familiar. He had seen her before.
He blinked countless times and tried to remember until a memory flashed in his mind.
The woman from the other night!
"You're that... " he heard the woman laugh. A tarot card was tossed in front of him, a familiar card of colorful strings with "wheel of fortune" below it.
-
Anthony could find himself sitting on a chair beside Aegir's bed. He's still unconscious but his colors have already returned, his heartbeat is now also stable. He picked Aegir's hand and held it close to his cheek. He could feel his tears threatening to fall.
"Please wake up now, you silly cat. I promise I will be better and we'll go to places that you like. The pet store, right? Toys for you and those two rascals. Please... " he felt his tears fall. He still has a lot of questions from before but now he just wanted Aegir to be well and start to berate him. He'd rather see him sassy and well than this.
He continued to cry his heart out, not minding the opening of the door and the presence of the woman who healed Aegir there.
"Don't worry, child. He'll be okay. The corruption didn't spread on his body. His soul was spared. " He heard her voice, unlike the usual sultry tone, she now sounds calm and almost nurturing.
He wiped away his tears and faced the woman. "I... I have many questions. Them... those creatures. Aegir...Vin... You... What are you? What happened to me... I don't know... I feel so overwhelmed. " Anthony put his hands on his head and shook his head in pure confusion.
The woman didn't move an inch from the door and replied in a sad and serious tone. "There's four guardians guiding this world. They have their own offspring: The deities, the nymphs, the underworld creatures like vampires and humans. The guardian who protects humanity made a rule: not to tarnish his creation's blood with another blood of a guardian. Someone broke their pact never to mate with humans and from that guardian bore the bizarre creatures, the Eredasès just like Aegir and Vin. A war broke out turning the once united world into chaos and the guardian of humanity cursing the offsprings of his kin and beloved humans to their animal-like forms of today. " As she told the tale, she waved her hand and an image of a dead creature lying on an inverted star made of blood showed itself.
A sad smile etched on her lips. "Those creatures are creating havoc in this city... They believed that if they killed humans and Eredasè's... They'll be freed from the curse. They believe that the dead souls can be an elixir to cure them and they are the one deserving to survive more than the others. " Her expression turned sour, gone her usual expression. Anthony could feel that she's angry inside.
She crumpled her fists. "The dead... they weren't at peace. They're tormenting them too. And you... " Her sad smile returned.
Anthony could feel himself getting nervous. "He already saw you. He saw you as a threat... you are not ordinary. You can command and free the souls of the dead. For too long, he's making sure to target people he sees that will spoil his plans just like what he did to Aimee... who can bring someone from the dead to life. "
Anthony felt like a bomb had been thrown to his face. Especially the mentioning of Aimee... the name of his sister who left him years ago.