Sao looked at the reports and felt his rage soar. Mia wept silently beside him.
"Well, that Tabibah child is remarkable."
Chennai -- the great dragon said with bright eyes. "To be able to turn an entire Earth kingdom into dust and wreak havoc to the fire temple." he paused for a second and his thin lips raised into a bright smile. "I admire such a person."
Sao So badly, to rip out his lanky throat, but he couldn't. Chennai was the strongest creature existing. Perks of being the last surviving dragon. He had done nothing for them… Except praising Tabibah anytime, she won against them.
All the rulers in the room countenances turned grave, and they felt their intestines twist in regret.
"Alpha Sao!! " A young soldier came running in and everybody's attention turned to him.
He fell to his knees, trembling as he spoke with his head on the ground. "Reports came that the witches wiped out over half of the population of the lower birds clan. "
Melvin, the king of a phoenix, almost fell from his chair. How had she known the birds were involved in the war, he wondered fearfully, no birds had been on the battlefield.
Another soldier came running, making everyone's heartbeat wildly.
"Alpha Sao. " He cried dumbly. "Reports came that the feline ruined the dog clan and crushed the bear tribe. "
*****
The felines were wise creatures. They knew the importance of working together and seamlessly formed a kingdom that gave each tribe their respective role.
Their king, Claud, a tiger, stood behind Tabibah as she stood in front of a mirror that glinted pale blue in the solemn darkness. The only reason they joined this fight was because of the pure hatred they had for the Canines, their kingdom had no problem.
"Tabibah," he said quietly, his eyes filled with slight panic. Tabibah did not need to turn around to see it, its sour smell made her nose itch.
"Our men are hungry," he said carefully. "They seem to block the road to our food supply and want us to starve to death… What is the plan? "
Tabibah lowered her eyes and the light in her eyes visibly dimmed.
***
A wave of uneasiness came over Caasi, and he immediately stopped healing the Feline soldier he was with. His body had never sent him a wrong signal for the past 450 years he had been alive.
Tabibah, he thought suddenly and ran with speed, pushing people out of the way. Tabibah had been learning from Cerci's spellbook which had been forbidden for centuries, she was even training all of them with some spells. He ran towards her domain. She was not there.
"Where is the Chief? " he asked, grabbing a random witch and shaking her, hard.
"River Emorö. " She replied in fright, and Caasi's face paled. He ran towards the river…but he was still too late.
Millions of years ago the gods battled against the Mephistopheles, Though they won, it had been at the cost of their lives. Each of them had dissolved into essence filled with their last divine powers to protect their followers, and River Emorö was Cerci's divine essence.
He found Tabibah in the middle of the river in a long black robe. The river rose above her and poured into the transparent blue barrier that surrounded her continuously, causing him to cover his mouth in horror. What has she done?
He stood there for what seemed like ages as Tabibah sucked the river dry. He was not the only one. The surviving witches and felines gathered with him.
When the river dried, the barrier shattered, and she came out, her aura more terrifying than ever. She raised a hand and plants grew from the ground, bearing fruits immediately.
Everybody's jaw dropped and they all bowed down.
"With me here, my people would never lose. " Her monotone voice drifted in Claud's mind like a light breeze.
That night, the witches had a dance of death and blood.
****
Sao felt the vein in his forehead turned purple as he glared at the laughing Chennai.
They were in his tent. The two forces met on the plains of Sawaf and Tabibah's side was seriously destroying them with no chance to fight back.
"8,000 against 500,000, and they are still winning, hahaha."
The battle had been on for 200 years, and he had to bear Chennai's mockery… every day.
Beside Chennai sat a thin blonde man with a face more delicate than females. He wore a thick green fur over his white robe, and his round eyes glowed green.
"The oracle from the phoenix kingdom said that Tabibah has successfully absorbed Cerci's essence. We can't fight against a person with the goddess of wrath essence flowing in her vein, except…"
Sao almost wanted to pounce on him when he stopped midway. Everyone was desperate, Time was not on their side.
"Hurry if you have a suggestion!! " Sao growled.
The man frowned slightly, blinking slowly before he continued. "Perhaps just like Claudia used the God of Feline's Claw as a crown, we should also use ours? "
"There is a big difference between having a God's essence flowing in you and using it as a weapon!! "Melvin, the Phoenix king interrupted sharply.
"We could try joining all our essence together! " The man said. Not a single drop of anger could be heard from his voice. "Then lead her out and kill her! "
The room was silent. The question on everybody's mind was.
"How can they lure her out? "
But they did join their essence together-- the goddess of Ave golden feather, god of canine fang, goddess of life bow and god, of elements ring-- because they were not confident enough to absorb them, and created the Sword of Agony.
*****
It was a full moon. She knew she should not be out. No matter how powerful she was, she was still a witch and witches were powerless during a full moon. But she could hear Elba's cry for help.
Elba was like a child to her, that was the only reason she was sneaking out of the camp with her sword in the middle of this cursed night.
Elba's band stopped in front of an unfamiliar cave, making her mood darken. All the warning bells were ringing in her head, but she continued when she heard his little groan that seemed to call for her mother. To the things she cared about, she could go through fire for them.
The cave was marked with strange symbols that looked really familiar. She was sure she had seen them… In Cerci's spell book, but she wasn't so sure. She used her hands to trace them lightly trying to make meaning of them, but Elba's soft whines interrupted her.
He was at the middle bond to a sacrificial altar and looked deep in pain. Tabibah clenched her sword and felt reasoning leave her.
"They sneer at sorcery, but here are they pathetically attempting one!! " She sneered and went to the altar.
Elba's watery eyes looked at her sadly.
"Good boy, Mom will get you out of here soon. " She comforted gently and touched the cold stone slab.
She felt her whole body freeze up and her sword fell with a loud clang.
A glowing sword penetrated her chest and she tilted her head at Elba looking at him in disbelief.
"You…you… Betrayed… Me? " She felt confused. It was like her heart had been sliced apart by a thousand knives. Elba was her… Child.
Elba stood up from the altar and turned into a little child, making her scoff. Elf magic.
She smiled sadly and fell on the altar. "You caused this. " she could hear Sao's deep voice before her eyes shut
*****
Sao was silent with slight grief as he looked at the sea of dead people in the unclosed grave. 1000 people. One thousand people choose to commit suicide, killing off an entire race.
Mia's eyes raged with unquenchable anger. "I can't believe they killed themselves. " her voice was hoarse.
How am I supposed to avenge those elementalist they killed off? How am I supposed to avenge my unborn baby who was lost in this war and my womb that turned cold when Tabibah poisoned me with Chaos mountain ice lotus? How? How?
The fresh blood still dripping from their slitted wrist and the thick metallic smell in the air was like a thick metallic smell in the air was like a face slap to them.
"Cover the graves. " Sao's hoarse voice could be heard, with a cold and gloomy undertone that could not be dispersed.
"And the felines? " Elba asked, his eyes as cold as his silver hair contrasting deeply with his childish features. "Should we chase? "
Sao shook his head. Claudia still had his crown. "Don't, we have lost enough men, let's retreat for now. "
*◽◽◽◽◽◽◽◽
Nine hundred forty-eight years, eleven months, and fourteen days.
Tabibah counted silently. Her heart demons tormented her mercilessly day and night due to the sword they thrust into her chest. She didn't die. Not so easily, she had Cerci's essence and fell on Cerci's altar. But being dead was better than this. Better than seeing her tribe dying every day or Mia and Sao living happily.
The pain she felt was so great she simply became numb to it. Her head, her mind, and her heart were clouded with hatred. It curled like a snake around her, diligently waiting for the day she would be set free… So, she can stretch her poisonous claws on those who betrayed her.
Nine hundred forty-eight years, eleven months, and fifteen days.