Chapter 11 - Gathering of Contracted Killers (II)
A few hours later, a dozen men with fierce looks in their eyes and stifling auras of ferocity emanating from their powerful-looking, well-built bodies, could be seen standing in a single straight line before Benedict, their highest-paying contractor and his son, Williams who was staring at them with a delighted and pleasant gaze in his eyes.
"I have called you men today to help my son in ruthlessly taking down a wizard who caused him serious embarrassment at the trading ground. However, your task won't be that easy since this wizard seems to be particularly powerful and can possibly shove away all of you with just his words alone that will be heard by no other persons except you guys who are his targets. So, you should be really careful in handling him. Besides, as a wizard, that won't be all the powers that he will possess. He might be able to instantly cast spells with just his eyes alone and cause you wonderful men grievous bodily harm, or worst, death! Therefore, be immensely careful when handling him." Benedict said, solemnly warning the contracted killers of the abilities that could be exhibited by Aerracles.
"It's fine, Master Benedict. This isn't the first time we are murdering highly powerful wizards and witches that have stood in your path to great wealth. So, this man should be a piece of cake for us. However, we will do as you said. There is no harm in being too careful in taking down a new target whose abilities we haven't understood fully yet." One of the dozen contracted killers standing before Benedict and was nicknamed White Slaughter, said with a deep voice that emanated a strong killing intent.
"Good!" Benedict said with the pleased nod of his head.
He then said with the slight wave of his hand, "Carry on. Go find the bastard and bring his severely battered head to my son so I may appease the constantly swelling anger in his heart."
"Okay, Master Benedict." The contracted Killers answered in unison and began to step out of the room that they were in one after to the other and walked to the large garage where their custom-made, high-powered carriages were parked.
Now, they had been given an excellently sketched description of Aerracles's look, body features, dress, and the particular stall that he will be found. And all these were given to them by the embittered, vengeance-driven Williams who painstakingly drew the image of Aerracles branded in his head unto the many scrolls that he could get his hands on.
One thing that Young Master Williams was blessed with apart from his loftiness and exceeding arrogance, was a nice photographic memory and the ability to draw astoundingly well like a professional sketch artist.
So, armed with the scrolls that he gave them, the independent contracted killers who will however work together to take down Aerracles, began to drive at high speeds in their high-powered carriages to the trading ground where they will monitor and stalk Aerracles for sometime. Then when the time was right, and where he was off his guards, they will capture him and tie him up. Then they will blindfold him, gag him, and finally take him away to some abandoned faraway place in the city for long sessions of brutal and highly excruciating torture before finally killing him and leaving with his head. That was actually what they had planned amongst themselves when heading out of the room that they previously held their meeting.
As the contracted killers drove away in their custom-made, high-powered carriages, Young Master Williams who was looking at their carriages that drove into the distance at high speeds, couldn't help but break a dark grin in his face, as he could imagine them torturing Aerracles and eventually killing him before severing his head off and leaving with it.
...
After walking for sometime where she employed her Immortal power to help her cross large distances at once with each step that she gracefully took, Princess Ethena finally arrived at the large trading ground where all sorts of buying and selling was currently going on. Actually, this was where she traced the discordant sounds that she perceived from many miles away to.
Then with a beautiful smile appearing in her face when she figured out what kind of place she had appeared in at the next instant, she began to go round the trading ground, from one stall to the next to see what she could buy. And the one thing that was on her mind to purchase here were gowns, veils, shoes. Those were the kinds of things that she liked. And not long, she had purchased sexy and revealing white gowns, scarlet gowns, purple gowns that will strongly and irresistibly pull both admiring and lustful eyes towards her from every direction.
Aerracles who was busy helping Sharon out with her market, suddenly felt a weird type of sensation in his body. But the sensation stemmed from the fact that a pretty powerful being had appeared at the trading ground.
Sensing the slightly perturbed look in Aerracles's face, Sharon asked with her curiosity invoked, "Aerracles, what's wrong? You have this worried look in your face. Hope there is no problem?"
"Not really." Aerracles said and quickly cleared off the worried expression that previously surfaced in his face.
He then said further with a smile, "Please carry on. I would like to quickly check something out and return."
"Oh. Okay." Sharon said with the approving nod of her head while Aerracles smiled and left their stall to trace the powerful presence that had appeared at the trading ground to wherever it was.
Not quite long, Princess Ethena who was busy going round the stalls to purchase beautiful veils and shoes for herself, could suddenly feel this hidden but powerful, domineering presence on the trading ground. Besides, the presence that was concealed away but couldn't be totally hidden from her as she was a high-level Immortal and could detect it, began to surprisingly approach her.
Then with a look of seriousness immediately appearing in her face, she narrowed her eyes, unleashed her powerful physical senses to the limit and quickly readied herself for battle, as she couldn't really tell whether the quite intimidating presence belonged to a foe or friend.
She stood where she was and waited for the being with that presence to fully approach her. But she didn't have to wait quite long when Aerracles appeared in front of her with a glad shock in his face.
"It's you again, Angel." Princess Ethena said with an inexplicable expression in her face and sighed.
"Yea, it's me, Princess Ethena." Aerracles said.
He then asked while looking at her with adoration and sacredness in his eyes, "If I may ask, what's Princess Ethena doing in this city?"
"It's none of your concern, Angel." Princess Ethena said and turned to face the stall that she wanted to purchase veils from.
"Angel isn't my name. My name's Aerracles. And I would love that you call me that." Aerracles smilingly said as he gazed in admiration at Princess Ethena who could only sigh in helplessness because of Aerracles look.
"Alright Angel." Princess Ethena said with a hint of frustration in her tone while Aerracles only smiled and nodded his head.
"So, what are you getting?" Aerracles asked like he didn't know and walked closer to Princess Ethena who only moved away from where she stood.
"Aerracles, I will ask that you leave here this moment. Or I will lash out at you with my powers. And trust me, you wouldn't like that." Princess Ethena suddenly threatened.
"I don't mind been beaten up by you. Only you other than my Angel Mother, Queen Kassegatt can try it. So, go ahead and do what's in your mind. I won't bite back" Aerracles said and grinned.
"Don't you get it? I have no interest in you. So, please leave me alone and stop appearing everywhere that I will find myself at." Princess Ethena said while Aerracles shook his head in defiance.
"That's impossible for we godly beings. This world, although really large, is too small for us. So, we would always meet again and again until you finally fall for me. I wouldn't give up on you. Never!" Aerracles said with a type of determination that caused Princess Ethena's usually calm heart to seethe.
"Look, nothing of that sort will happen between the two of us. Have you forgotten that it is this same thing that you are after that caused the blown-out hatred between our people. So, please leave me alone and let me be. Besides, I for one will never settle with any male being, no matter how powerful he is as I have got many things to achieve." Princess Ethena said while Aerracles only smiled.
"Well, I won't give up on you until you are mine. I will slowly absorb myself into you until I become the breath, blood and vitality that you can't do without. That's a fact I will like to establish in your heart." Aerracles said with an inextinguishable resolve in his heart and then prepared to walk away to return to Sharon's stall.
But just before he could, a ten kilometer-wide slit suddenly appeared in the sky, giving the feeling that a colossal being had used an enormously-large sword to gash open the sky with the aim of revealing the chillingly-cold, unbounded expanse of the outer, pitch-black void to the people below.