The air thinned by the essence of the reanimated corpses altered the nature of the environment, causing the birds that were huddled between the branches to come out flapping their wings frantically.
With each step that small regiment took on the ground, the ominous feeling of emptiness in their bodies spread dangerously, while they raised their swords against the enemy that came to face them.
" Infernal Sphaerae " – Incandescent orbs like small suns formed in a halo behind the silhouette of Ignis , who just by extending his arm projected them like cannonballs that hit the chest of the dead through them.
Leading the vanguard, Enoch bowed his head stopping short before raising his jaws and releasing a howl that split the earth under the feet of the fallen soldiers. Making the young hurie 's attacks hit squarely on the flanks they kept as defenses.
" Ignis , don't relax. These puppets are far from being defeated by such simple attacks, we must concentrate on cutting the strings of whoever is controlling them" – Growling without turning his back on the enemy, Enoch felt in his beast body that those unnatural beings must be being controlled by an experienced elementalist .
Eris, the spirit of the void, was an entity that bestowed her gifts on creatures indiscriminately. Unlike the first spirits that gave life to the hufiras , that entity had contempt for all existing forms of life. Sowing chaos and destruction on everything he laid his eyes on.
Those who came to form contracts with her paid a high price to obtain her blessing, allowing her to feed on their desires and deeper dark feelings. Thus shortening their life expectancy.
To keep so many reanimated corpses moving, the consumption of life energy took a heavy toll on the caster's body. Making the strands of spiritual connection visible at times.
-" Ignis I can see the threads, shoot at his eyes"
-" ! Tondendas you come !" – Clasping his hands as if holding a disk, Ignis projected gusts of wind that cut the eyes of all the corpses that were still standing. While Enoch for his part, conjured a song that made the roots of the trees grow through their bodies until they were destroyed.
The regiment of fallen soldiers had been exterminated before the astonished look of Princess Sofia, who felt like the sword she held in her right hand was heavy. Not only for the fact that these men had been citizens of Tigris, with families and a life made. But rather , by the mere idea that he was powerless against an enemy of such magnitude.
"Princess, are you alright?" – Ignis 's friendly face smiled carelessly at Sofia, who for a moment was grateful that the man was not her enemy. If only things had been different at the moment she threatened him, the one who would be in pieces would be her and not the reanimated corpses.
"What were those things? Why did they suddenly appear here? – Addressing Ignis recklessly, Carlota had no qualms about questioning the hurie who kindly answered her questions.
"Those were corpses reanimated by arcane arts, under a spell of control of the dead. Casting such a spell requires an elementalist who has made a contract with the spirit of the void, the one who rules on the fringes of life and death.
The caster often takes people in their dying state, just before death, when their desires and emotions are out of control, making them easier to manipulate.
When the soul is extinguished when the heart stops, the spirit that should return to the flow of Gaia is tied to the flesh in an unnatural way, making it possible for the body to move fueled by the desires that the dying person had in life.
Ignis 's voice timbre was so calm while he said those words, making Carlota feel a cold that ran through her body. from head to toe.
The very thought of taking innocent soldiers who had just died on the battlefield just to enslave them was a stomach -churning idea for the former mercenary, who had seen and experienced so many times the horrors that death brings. bitter farewell to combat.
"Who is the abomination that did such a thing to these men?" – With an expression full of anger in her eyes, Carlota felt her blood boil in her veins, wanting to cut off the head of the person behind that macabre act.
"Any human could be Eris's contractor, but only a hufira he would be able to handle so much spiritual load that spell entails without turning to ashes" – Enoch intervened in the conversation looking at Ignis with an air of concern. While Carlota could not understand what they meant by hufira .
"A hufira looks like this" – Removing his earrings with an enchantment, Ignis turned his long black hair a red color as vivid as blood. Making Elena get up from the ground and with her head bowed, she gritted her teeth while her heartbeat accelerated.
"I know where is a person similar to you" – With her eyes slightly reddened by tears, Elena pronounced the name of Queen Berenice, causing the astonishment of the people who were gathered.
-" Ignis , do you know the consequences of what you just did?"
-" I know it very well Enoch, I know it perfectly" – Bringing his hand to his mouth to contain the spasm, Ignis began to spit blood on his knees to the ground, struggling to draw air into his lungs.
Upon displaying his hufira form , the fact that he had previously manifested his powers in public began to take its toll on him. But thanks to the contract he had made in his youth with Enoch, the hurie had partially bypassed the curse that fell on his race.
" Listen well sons of men, when a hurie reveals his magic to eyes outside his kind, the curse of oblivion begins to corrode his physical body. The gems Ignis was wearing allowed him to use arcane magic even in front of you.
But the damage was still latent, that's why they see it now in such a regrettable way" – Frowning his snout showing his teeth a little, Enoch's expression was one that reflected affliction for the man he had served for years.
"If revealing your true form was lethal to you! Because you did?" – Sofia approached Ignis , putting herself at his level, resting her hands on his shoulders, shaking him violently in search of an answer .
-" There is a limit to what I can do in my veiled form. If I kept hiding my true appearance, I wouldn't be able to face what's to come."
-" What do you mean? What is to come ?" –The sound of a great number of footsteps on the lands of the margin of Arabella, was made to sound through the air with vibrations that stunned the soul of the people who were on the side of Tigris.
"The little regiment was only an outpost, but the biggest of our problems is that. An army of immortals" – The overwhelming image of rows of countless undead soldiers stationed on the banks of the river, could extend from one end to the other on the riverbank.
Fearless, stripped of any emotion that might make them take a step back, that army rose imposingly with a single voice that made the roar of many waters.
" Groaaaaar " – Like the growl of a beast from hell, the army that knew no death, began its unstoppable march over the turbulent waters of the river with the firmness of a rock.
-" Son of Gaia, we must do it now"
-" That's right Enoch, we don't have much time left. We must finish off the elementalist " – Getting to his feet with great difficulty, Ignis took a few steps to where he could see a clearing where the grass did not grow. Taking a rod from the ground drawing two circles with engravings in inscription of dead language.
Enoch walked into the center of one, while the young hurie perched on the other, extending his hand to the small group.
"Daughter of Sabina, please you and your men enter the circle where Enoch is. The others enter mine without wasting time." – Doing as Ignis asked them, the group divided in disbelief at the request.
-" Enoch, take the princess to where her troops are. I will take these to where the contractor is." – A halo of light surrounded the circles engraved on the ground, enveloping the two groups in a mass of energy that glowed blue. While Ignis sang the chants of the ritual with his hands intertwining his fingers, Vanessa's eyes went to where Enoch was.
Who gave the girl a pitiful look, as if she felt existence slipping away from her like drops of water in a broken bowl.
"Girl, take good care of that fool" - As if it were the reflection of a person's ghost, Enoch's true form was revealed only to Vanesa's eyes, who could see the spirit smile at her with an expression full of nostalgia.
-" See you soon Enoch"
-" So be it, my old friend" – Said those words, the energy that surrounded the circles made a strong explosion of light, leaving soot marks on the ground where they were standing.
Miles away marching over the sands at a redoubled pace, the soldiers of the rebel army saw a pillar of light descend from the sky impacting the surface, kicking up a cloud of dust that blinded them for a moment.
Approaching the point of impact, the soldiers saw Princess Sofia come out of the light accompanied by the men who made up the rescue patrol, as well as a person completely unknown to them.
-" My lady! What kind of sorcery is this? Who is the woman behind you?
-" Woman? Elena! Weren't you in the circle with Ignis ?" – When she turned around looking for him, Sofia could see that the woman behind her was not Elena, much less Carlota.
Dressed in a robe engraved in archaic language, her silver hair and dark skin gave her the impression of a forgotten deity. The irises of his eyes were a shade of red like blood that rested on a sclera as black as night.
-" Ignis asked me to protect you and lend my strength. For this you have to respond to the contract"
-Contract ?" - Imposing as the waves of the raging sea, Enoch walked to Sofia giving her a kiss on the lips, sinking his fangs until he let a few drops of blood flow.
"This will be enough for me to serve you" - Cleaning with his fingers the blood that still flowed from the lips of the princess, Enoch took them to his mouth licking each drop as if it were a precious elixir.
-" What do you think you are doing to our queen, you damned witch?"
-" Silence!" – With his voice causing a rumble in the plain, Enoch subdued the soldiers making them fall to the ground as if they were subjugated.
Rebuking the spirit for his behavior, Sofia did not hide the concern and anger she felt when seeing how her men were belittled by Enoch. Who only clicked his tongue giving a snap of his fingers, freeing the soldiers from the invisible ties that had them subjected.
"If I were you, I wouldn't waste my time on minor concerns and I would tell them to get ready" -Walking a little to get away from the crowd, Enoch stared thoughtfully at the horizon in the direction of the river delta.
-" My lady!"
-" Commander, prepare your men and get ready to arms immediately! We must advance against the city walls and take them as soon as possible"
-" But my queen, the incursion is scheduled for within a week. How do you ask me to make the men march now?
-" If we don't march right now, in a week there will be no army or soul that can face what is coming!" – Having witnessed the incredible power of the army of immortals, Sofia had her pupils dilated while holding her subordinate by the collar of his shirt. Who swallowed saliva in dismay at the visceral reaction of his general.
At the other end of the continent just outside the royal palace of Antioch , another pillar of light crashed to the ground, destroying the slab by sending debris flying and impacting against the castle walls.
"! Argh , my head! I don't know how Enoch can withstand this kind of spells" – Rubbing his sore neck, Ignis contemplated the magnificence of that palace in front of him. While Elena, Vanesa and Carlota remained on the ground still stunned by the displacement magic.
"Guards, there are intruders at the main entrance of the palace!" – The main butler, seeing that scene, gave the alert voice to the officers who were still serving in the castle.
-" Everyone stop! Can't they recognize their own princess?
-" Princess Elena! But how is it possible? – Lowering their weapons at His Highness's order, the officers fell to their knees as a sign of respect.
"So if you are a princess?" – With expressive eyes full of astonishment, Vanesa looked at Elena once more, with the ingenuity typical of a girl of her age. Being carried in the arms of the princess, who was escorted by Ignis and Carlota in the direction of Queen Berenice's chambers.
Keeping her hand on the doorknob to turn the knob, Carlotta was violently pushed away by Ignis , as a gust of air tore through the thick wooden door like a sheet of paper.
" Filthy hurie , are you so eager to meet death that you come looking for a fight?" – The voice of the spirit Eolus echoed in the walls of the corridor, almost to the point of deafening everyone present.
"Stop beating around the bush! I can't believe that a wind spirit like you has allied with Eris; stand aside right now, you are no match for my arcane arts. I have come to put an end to the machinations of your contractor" – With his hands ready to conjure his attack spells, Ignis stood hunched over with his vision blurred due to the debris floating in the air.
Just as he was about to throw the first blow, Elena's arms wrapped around him from behind, begging him to stop right away.
-" What's wrong with you, woman? Why are you stopping me?
-" Look carefully at the bed!" – Hesitating for a few seconds before Elena's call, Ignis was taken violently by Eoulus hitting him against the floor of the room a few steps away from the bed.
"But what is this?" – Surrounded by an emerald green spiritual essence, Berenice remained prostrate motionless on the bed as if she were in a deep sleep. The complexion of his body and the features of his face seemed disjointed, as if he had gone for a long period without tasting any food.
"Machinations? Ally with that trash Eris? I think you know absolutely nothing of what you say, son of Gaia" – With a calmer tone of voice, as if he were weakened by having used a large amount of power, Eoulos took the form of a bird and prostrated himself to a side of his wife's bedside table.
"During the five years that I have served this little creature, I have witnessed the immense value of his heart. Despite having power that could rival that of the Hufiras of ages past, he never allowed himself to be consumed by it or misuse it. Quite the contrary" – Eolus told him how the queen had used her powers relentlessly, ensuring the well-being of the commoners.
Secretly using healing spells on the poor who couldn't afford a doctor, or helping with the crops for orphanages and nursing homes. Like the previous queen, Berenice used her power and influence to mitigate the suffering of the oppressed classes, earning the contempt of the nobles who saw them as nothing more than a plague.
Hearing these words, Elena felt as if her heart would break in half as she recalled the memories of years ago while accompanying her mother on her visits to the most disadvantaged.
Whoever was called in social circles as the ice princess, had shown in those five years that that heart was far from being a cold piece of ice incapable of being reached by human warmth.
When Eolus ceased his words, Ignis stood in stoic silence at the side of the bed, contemplating the vulnerable woman who lay on it. Unable to move or hear what was happening around her.
Placing the tips of his fingers on his forehead, the young hurie closed his eyes and submerged himself in the subconscious where the soul of the queen remained captive. Swimming in complete darkness, Ignis moved in all directions trying to find any trace of Berenice's spiritual strength.
"This way" - A light whisper like the whistling of the wind through the leaves of the trees, reached Ignis 's ears unexpectedly, making him move in the direction of its source. Swimming with all his strength through the thick darkness that grew denser with each stroke he took.
"I'm here" - Distant nestled in the darkness, a tiny point of light almost extinguished was snatched with force like the flame of a candle that is about to leave its light in the world. Taking it gently in both hands, Ignis felt warmth flood the center of his being, like a mother's caress on an infant's head.
The small light floated from the hands of the young hurie , to settle in front of him, spreading out in the form of two female silhouettes. One of them was unequivocally belonging to Queen Berenice, while the other wore a form that was familiar to Ignis , not quite knowing who it was.
-" My sister, daughter of Gaia. Your hands are not like mine that are stained with blood and in your soul there is not an iota of darkness. Let me release you from this prison, I can return you if I…"
-" How? Sacrificing you? Would you give your life for a complete stranger to you?
-" Yes, I would without hesitation! My time in this world had already ended years ago, were it not for the contract with Enoch, my soul would have left this existence on that day."
– " Then give this soul the opportunity that you offer me. My father took everything from her and in my selfishness I did nothing to stop him" – As if his eyes had been opened before the immensity of daylight, Ignis began to see the memories and memories that enveloped the essence of the woman's soul that Berenice held in her arms.
-" So she is?"
-" As you saw it, she is the mother of that girl you rescued on the Tigris riverbank. Her soul was about to disappear from this world when I found her here in the middle of the void, trapped and fearful, crying for her baby" – Biting his lips helplessly, Ignis understood Berenice's firm will. No matter how hard she tried to convince him, the ice princess would be firm in her character without wavering for a second.
Just a few moments before Princess Elena and her group arrived at the palace, Queen Berenice had felt how the life force of her little Adela had left that world behind, dying at the hands of the cruel Karina.
"Please?"
"IT'S OK, I'LL DO IT!" – Giving a piercing scream, Ignis took the hand of Julia's soul, while Berenice released her to dissolve into the darkness with tears in her eyes and a smile full of sadness.