They walked through the black curtain of rain for what seemed to her a long time. Iris was already dreading crossing over to Ellora. She looked to her right, but she couldn't see or hear much. The pattering sound of rain falling around them drowned everything else. It was good timing. They couldn't see or hear the creatures, which meant the shikari couldn't see them either. The only thing that stood out was Dakran's towering stature. He led the way to the lake. Ian still held her hand. Although she had wanted him to stay behind, she was happy that he was there with her. She squeezed his hand, and he squeezed it back, and he felt her eyes sting again. Fuck! Better find a way to keep them alive. She couldn't bare the thought of not being able to see him again, kiss his soft lips, hear his voice, and drown in his loving embrace.
Dakran halted his steps, and they all stopped, waiting to see what was happening. He turned and looked at each of them.
" The lake is just up ahead. Walk straight, and you will see the gate!" Dakran shouted to make himself heard over the sound of the rain.
Ian nodded and reached his hand to Dakran, who took his hand and pulled him in for a hug.
"Farewell, my friend!" Dakran said and let go of him. Ian nodded and looked at Iris.
Dakran opened his arms and pulled her in for a hug, which she didn't return. It was a bit awkward, him hugging her. Friends of circumstance, she thought, not because they enjoyed each other's company. He let her go, patted her on the shoulder, looked at the others and walked away.
Ian looked at her from behind his hood. He fucking smiled again and tugged on her hand. Azra took her other hand in his while the three stooges walked in front, leading the way. She trusted them as far as she could throw Dakran, and it wasn't far.
A faint white light shined through the thick curtain of rain, she couldn't tell how far it was, but she knew they were close enough to see it. Iris looked down. With the rivers of black water running at her feet, she couldn't tell whether they had reached the damn lake.
She was soaking wet. The cold rain numbed her bones, so much so that she didn't even feel it anymore.
Water splashed at her feet, and she looked up. The faint light that she had seen earlier burned brighter now. They had reached the lake. The gate was in the middle of the fucking lake. Figures! It is never a fucking easy one! She looked up at Ian, and he leaned in " Can you swim? And we never did it in the rain!" he pulled away fucking, smiling again. What the hell? Does he know something that she didn't?
Iris gave him a questioning look. She pushed herself on her toes " We are going to die, and that's all you have to say?" she lowered herself to the flat of her feet.
Ian nodded, looked at the gate and tilted his head towards it, tugged on her hand, walking in the shallower waters of the lake.
As they walked, the water got deeper and deeper with each step they took, and when it reached their chin, they suddenly fell, and everything turned dark. They weren't in the water anymore.
They crashed onto the hot black ground, and she was greeted with an all too familiar sight. Ellora, the place she had seen when she almost died after she birthed Azra. It was empty, void of any life. Even the shikari was gone. Ian pushed himself off the ground and looked at her, and then looked around. The three stooges looked as if they'd seen a fucking wandering spirit.
" Welcome home!" a woman's voice rang in the air, but they couldn't see anyone.
" I've been waiting for you!" she laughed scornfully.
Iris pushed herself off the ground, and so did Azra. Azra took his gloves off and threw them on the ground.
In the distance, a figure casually strode, hands clasped behind her back, wearing military clothing. The witch, she was in this place. Of course, she was. She wanted Arkathira just as much as Ettrick wanted it. As she approached, her appearance became clearer. The smog wasn't as thick as last time. It must have poured into the Seven Seas realm as the shikari crossed from one realm to another.
Iris pushed the wet hair stuck to her face and let go of Ian's hand " I'm here! She flapped her hands to the side.
" Do your best!" Iris challenged, and the witch halted her steps.
" You brought company!" the witch chuckled " I did too!" she unclasped her hands from behind her back and raised one hand to the side. Black smoke began to swirl in the air, red sparks appeared within the smoke cloud, and a small portal began to form in front of their eyes.
Ettrick stepped through the portal, followed by a boney thing wearing a black leather cloak carrying sïthe. A soul collector.
Iris glanced at Ian and pointed at the boney man " That would've been you if you'd have completed the ritual!" Iris grumbled, frowning
Ian hummed " I don't see the sword !" he said, observing the soul collector.
" That is the sword. It turns into a sïthe when you complete the ritual!" Iris explained, and Ian frowned.
" I should've kept it! This would've been much easier!" he mumbled, and Iris elbowed him in the ribs. He grunted and fucking smiled at her again.
" What? At least we would've had some advantage!" he shrugged with a smile. With a smile, she scoffed.
" Enough with small talk!" the witch barked and waved Ettrick to follow her.
Ettrick hadn't said anything since he stepped out of the portal. He just observed. What was soul collector even doing here in the first place
Ettrick was more than capable of doing the job himself. He did last time, anyway. He was getting weaker. She shrugged at her thoughts.
" We can talk about something else if this is not your liking!" Iris stepped forward, and so did the witch
" After all, we have much to talk about. You've been hunting me for gods know how long! Now that we finally meet face to face, we can have a heart-to-heart conversation! Maybe we can solve this in a friendly way" Iris smiled, crossed her arms and gave the witch an I don't give a shit about you look.
The witch scoffed " Really! You're making jokes! You're about to meet your maker, and you're making jokes. Unbelievable!" she snorted and shook her head.
" Ettrick!" she barked, waved her hand at him, and the man stood there like a statue for a moment. When he didn't move, the witch turned to look at him, and Ettrick signalled the soul collector with his rotten fingers.
The soul collector moved in front of the witch, lifted the sïthe, and swung it in the air over his head in a full circle, turned halfway and rode it again and the witch's head fell on the ground with a thud.
" She was getting on my nerves!" Ettrick finally spoke in an all too familiar tone. Impassive, just as his rotten expression. Ian didn't know if Ettrick had facial expressions, but if he did, probably right now, it would have been joy. He was happy one down, one more to go.