Everyone stood their places in silence. Someone who was killed is now standing in front of them. Without any help from a saintess, someone was resurrected from the dead.
She grinned at us. "Did you really believe you lot could kill me? Me, Claudina? Oh you are a thousand years too early for that."
Then she cackled as if she was mocking us. Considering her personality, she just may be.
"Oh but enough pleasantries." Here her voice turned cruel. "It hurt a lot when I was decapitated. Shouldn't I pay you back for it?"
She snapped her flingers. A rumbling sensation came from underneath my feet. Pebbles vibrated up and down on the floor. The rumbling shook the entire palace, causing dust debris to fall. Michel almost lost his balance during this time. Then all was quite.
Was this it? No this must be the clam before the storm.
I was right. A few seconds later, huge sharp pincers tore open through the stone floor. Followed by the pincers were large scaly bodies that pulled themselves up by six more legs. At last surrounding Claudina were a dozen spider monsters.
The spiders were at least ten feet tall. Large bodies covered in grey scales with green mold growing in between. Their six eyes glistened blue in the dim light. Their weight was supported by six legs and two pincers like legs in front of their fanged mouth. The six legs at the back had black hooves. There was a peculiar blue and crimson mark on their mark. Other then the mark I could tell that these were 'Heider Spiders' a monster species that lived underground or old ruins and hunted in packs. If they are compared to tier list of monsters they are in the 'S rank' due to their high kill count. They are aggressive around other monsters and prey on humans.
But aren't these monsters unusually docile around Claudina? The higher the rank the more prideful and intelligent the monsters were. So why are they obedient?
"These last ten years that I was exiled has allowed me to gather friends. Friends," Claudina said while glaring at everyone but me "friends that believe me; friends that won't betray me."
Everyone fell silent at her words. However I knew that the last sentence was solely reserved for me.
"Your sure know how to hold a grudge for long don't ya?" Syrus voiced the general feeling.
Claudina's eye twitched. "I don't recall giving a riff-raff permission to speak. But then again a bastard child can never act anything sort of nobility. So the best they can do is imitating the riff-raff they were borne by."
Oh no.
No, no, no, no.
Why did she have to say that?
Syrus had always hated being looked by nobles for being a bastard child, even more so if his mother is involved. This insult was coming from the purest of the nobles. Only Blue Blood ran through her veins.
Vines popped out from Syrus' head. He raised his claymore, slivery aura burning around the edges. "You're dead, rat!"
"Syrus stop!" Lucian yelled out. But it was too late. Syrus ran towards Claudina and hurled past the monsters. He aimed for her head. I could see Claudina's unhinged glee.
"That fool!" Michel hissed. "Someone raise a barrier!"
I quickly did it as Melany was still recovering her charms from fighting off and cleansing the mind from the entrancement and Michel's barrier is powerless against monsters.
What happened next was a blur. One moment Syrus had almost snapped her in half and in another moment a monster pinned him down with its foot. Another monster had his pried off shot sword hanging out on web stuck to his mouth.
The monsters are helping her... but why?
Syrus groaned in pain. He tried to push the clawed leg off him while Claudina leered down at him. "So weak," she tutted.
That's even worse of a thing to say to him!
I don't know what happened in the few moments that Syrus lied there unmoving but Claudina must have thought he gave up because she started to make her way to us. But that is a mistake from the ever perfect Claudina.
Syrus groaned and huffed as he collected his entire aura around his hand. He lifted the leg but was instantly met with resistance. I could see his vines bulging out off his arms. With a terrible cry he lifted the leg and tore it off. The monster gave a shriek alerting the others.
Claudina looked back and was surprised to see Syrus tearing open the monsters with his bare hands.
I was surprised as well. I never thought Syrus would use his monster strength again. The last time was during Claudina's banishment. Claudina stood there shell shocked. She must have thought Syrus had already used up his powers.
This is an opportunity. I nodded to the others. They understood my signal. Quietly we prepared for our attack inside the barrier. It is easy to leave it but difficult to enter.
Michel charged Lucian, Orion and Noelle's swords with lighting and fire magic. I granted protection and casted holy magic on the now charged swords. Holy magic had always been effective against monsters and someone who uses the Forbidden magic like Claudina. By now Melany recovered most of her charms. She opened her mouth to whisper lethal curses. Michel handed me the bows and quiver of arrows that he had kept away for me. I placed holy magic on them as well and handed one bow to Melany while Michel readied an arsenal of ice spears.
I strung an arrow on the bow and pulled it back towards me. I took a deep breath.
I let fly the arrow. Three swordsman, spears and curses swished past me. All of them were aimed for Claudina. I repeatedly shoot arrow after arrow.
We used up all our energy in this final attack. We needed at least a few hours to recover from all this.
Claudina only raised her hand, back still turned to us. Immediately a smooth stone wall rose up acting as a shield against the attack. All the attacks got stuck on the wall. The three swords were lodged in so deep it was almost impossible to pull them out. The curses in green smoke slammed onto the wall and dispersed away.
The wall completely divided us from Syrus and Claudina. It rose up all the way to the caved in ceiling and blocked of any possible exit. Even the main exit was behind the wall. Lucian tired one last time to pull his sword before giving up.
I thought about removing the holy barrier for them but Orion went against it. Should I let it down now? I won't be able to make a new one with my low mana. So we waited for Claudina's next movement.
It was quite behind the wall other than Syrus' yell while he tore the monsters in half. All was quiet for a moment. Claudina shrieked and there were more rumbling. I heard Syrus cursing before once more I could hear monsters' screeches followed by low panting.
Everything stopped. Nothing was heard anymore other than a few bats scurrying away.
Suddenly Syrus screamed, agonized. His screams were accompanied by loud thuds. He screamed again. In pain, anger or sadness I couldn't make it out. After the loud thuds were the sounds of crushing something. What was she doing to him? Syrus' screams filled the dark cavern.
At long last the wall crumbled away. As it did so the swords were also buried along with them.
Only Claudina was standing while the other monsters were all brutally killed. And Syrus... what has she done to him?!
Syrus...was dead. She killed him so savagely. Large patches of skin were torn from his body. His intestine was pulled out from a rip in his stomach before it was tied around his waist like a bloody corset. His heart was pulled and priced by his sword and his eyeballs were on Claudina's hands. She let them drop and crushed them under her heel.
I puked.
It's painful seeing. My entire being hurt.
I could not stand it anymore. As the saintess I would need to resurrect humans so I should be used to it. But no. I had always done it while blindfolded.
The stench is somewhat tolerable not the sight of blood.
I am not fit to see such bloodshed. I never was able to. Not now, not fourteen years ago, not ever.
I felt someone pulling my arm. I turned weakly to my side. Noelle was pulling me.
The barrier had been forcibly broken and everyone was rushing to a side exit.
I let her drag me across the room.
Claudina shrieked and more monsters like 'Stager Bees', 'Heider Spider' and 'Goral Wolves' appeared. All of them had shared the peculiar blue and crimson mark on their backs. Looking closely I could make out that the mark was shaped like a butterfly. A very familiar one at that. I recognized what it was.
The same blue and crimson butterfly Claudina was named after.
Immediately I understood what that meant. Why high ranking monsters were so obedient towards her. The mark was a sign of ownership after being defeated.
Then that means she was stronger than literal man eating monsters! She killed Syrus with that demon strength!
The monsters chased after us.
I think we were separated because when I found my inhabitations I was inside a wooden crate with Melany. She quickly informed that the others went to hid and look for weapons. They left us here since without our magic power we were the weakest when it came to psychical strength. Giving us weapons is akin to surrendering.
I pulled out two 'scent cloggers.' It was shaped like a long roll that was equally flexible. It almost resembled a scarf expect it wasn't as warm as one nor was it made of any cloth like material. It was made out of a mineral that monsters avoided. I handed one to Melany. She looked quizzically at it.
I forgot that Melany grew up in Nyxrif. Magical tools aren't imported there.
"You use it block your scent. Those monsters can track our scent."
Without a word she took it from me. I wrapped it around my neck and she copied my example.
While it was stuffy in the crate it was better than to run around in the open while our mana restored. I thought back to Syrus lying there lifeless in the throne room.
Maybe Melany knew what I was thinking because she took hold of my hands. She gave it a squeeze to let me know even if I wanted to I would not be able to help him. No one could.
I was grateful for it. I am sure I can resurrect Syrus. If there is only one strand of hair left, I would still be able to.
I am sure it would take a while for Claudina to find us. In the mean time we would at least be able to retreat.
The waiting game has begun.