TW// Blood, vomit, violence
The cold air was stinging his lungs. He knew that if he would run any further, his lungs would give in. It hurt. The freezing air hurt his lungs, but he didn't stop. Elias quickened his pace, making the pain even worse.
He still didn't stop.
Elias couldn't shake off the images of decaying bodies, the smell of blood and rot still present. He ran from the basement straight out into the rain and vomited. Cornelis had killed millions just so she could live. She had murdered innocent children! His breathing was uneven, and his vision kept blurring. Violet ran out to him. Elias looked up and met her eyes.
"Tivon's in danger." Violet slowly nodded. "I need to find him."
Violet pointed towards the forest. Elias followed her look and saw a massive blizzard of snow raging on the mountain.
"Are you sure, he's there?" Violet nodded in return. "You should get back to Aramore, if my ship is still there, get on it. Nick will recognize you."
Her eyes widened in surprise at the mention of his name. Elias reached for the horse's reins and put them in Violet's hand. She immediately pushed them back to him, shaking her head. She pointed at the mountain and nudged the rains to him.
"How will you get back?"
Violet only smiled gently, and her expression told Elias, that she would find a way to get back. Her smile quickly faded away as she put the horse's reins in Elias hands.
Be careful, she mouthed.
Elias had left the horse behind as the snow got thick and it only slowed him down. He could barely see through the blizzard, his eyelashes freezing as the wind blew around him. Luana's words kept creeping into his mind.
The witch is not who you think she is.
He needed to get to Tivon.
Elias yelled, out of pain and panic. He shouted himself hoarse, letting the cold air into his lungs. It burnt, it burnt so much, yet he screamed again. He screamed for him. Elias screamed for his lover.
And then his screams became one with Tivon's.
No.
As he got closer to the top of the mountain, they grew louder and louder, drowning out Elias' screams.
No. No.
Elias ran faster till he came to the threshold of the cave, light and screams coming out of it. Without thinking he grabbed his swords and ran in. His eyes flew immediately on Tivon, his body as pale as the snow falling down outside the cave. Tivon was still screaming, trashing against the stone table. Every wail and cry that came out of him felt like a dagger penetrating Elias' heart.
"You keep coming back." Elias finally acknowledged her. He thought she would look different, changed. But she was still the same Cornelis, her hair messily put up in a bun, except her eyes were glowing. "You simply won't stay away."
"Should've known it was you that cursed me."
"It would work perfectly," She smiled as she gestured to Tivon. "If it wasn't for his stubbornness."
Tivon's cries have subsided as Cornelis was focused on Elias.
"Let him go." He said, voice low.
"I'm not done." She hissed and raised a hand back to Tivon. "Qyr ruy qybur atypib uyt aog."
Elias gripped his swords, his body now shaking with rage. "Leave. Him. Alone."
He launched at her, his swords in front of him. Elias saw her smile as she suddenly grabbed a knife she had attached to her belt and swinging it towards Elias' face. Elias could only manage to move it to the left, her knife still slicing the side of his cheek, one of his swords dropping to the ground. Elias moved behind her, this time not giving her time to surprise him. He pointed his sword towards her torso and hesitated.
"Afraid you'll hurt me?" She laughed. "Too bad." Cornelis moved the knife in her hand and quicker than Elias expected turned around slicing his left arm.
She lifted her other hand. I need to move. She can't grab my heart if I move. Elias pushed himself to his feet, trying to escape Cornelis' grip. Every few times he glanced at Tivon, his body twitching from the pain. He looked back at the witch. His eyes went to the wound on her shoulder. He launched towards her, this time stabbing her through the wound.
She screamed and the knife fell out of her hand. Elias pulled his sword out and stepped away. Over Cornelis' shoulder, he met Tivon's eyes and maybe he just imagined it, but he saw the slightest shook of his head.
"You!"
Cornelis clenched her shoulder, blood dripping down her body. Before she could say another word Elias swung the sword at her. She stopped it with one hand. Elias' eyes widened with surprise. Cornelis grasped the blade tightly, drawing blood.
"I'll kill you." She hissed as she broke his sword in half. The impact of it pushed Elias towards the wall. His head hit the stone and he could taste blood on his tongue. "I warned you about The Rose Sparrow curse and you still killed him."
Cornelis lifted her hand, grabbing Elias' heart. She had done this to him once, but the pain of it still startled Elias. "At first I felt sorry for you, but the curse on you proved to be useful." She cocked her head and smiled. "A shame The Rose Sparrow will lose its Captain yet again."
This was it, Elias thought as he couldn't feel heartbeat in his veins. His vision began to darken.
"N-no." Tivon's weak voice spoke. "Cornelis d-don't. P-please."
The beating came back, and Elias dropped to the ground gasping for air. His heart was now beating uncontrollably as if it needed to learn how to beat again. Tivon's screams filled his ears once again. He looked up and saw Cornelis' continuing her work, the stone opposite her melting away, revealing a dark skinned girl, her hair white as snow raging outside. The black serpent at her feet started to move.
She'll kill Tivon at this point.
Elias clenched his fists. No, I won't allow it. I won't see Tivon die again. He spat out the blood gathered in his mouth and reached for his other sword and barraged towards Cornelis. He sliced her back, so she fell to the ground. Elias dropped the sword and reached for his pistol. He pulled Tivon in his arms and pointed a gun towards the woman now half freed from the stone, her lower half still melting away.
"Move and I kill her."
He held Tivon tightly in his arm. Cold. He was so cold. For once Cornelis looked afraid.
"E-Elias?"
"It's okay Tivon." He whispered to him.
"You don't know what you're doing Elias." Said Cornelis. "Drop the pistol and let go of Tivon."
"Like I'll listen to your words, which." He spat.
Cornelis considered for a moment and then said. "Fine."
She lifted her hand and Elias could feel Tivon's body beginning to twitch again. Elias shot without thinking, dropping the pistol to hold Tivon.
"No!" Screamed Cornelis as she ran to her sister, her body now fully out of stone. She caught her, realizing Elias hadn't hit her. Before she could turn around Elias swooped Tivon up in his arms and ran into the blizzard.
He heard angry shouts and curses before the howling of the wind was all he could hear.
________________________________________________________________________________
Cornelis' language
"Qyr ruy qybur atypib uyt aog." "Let the light bring her back."