The most powerful she had ever felt since she accepted the deal between her and Ryker. “What do you want to do now?” the demon’s voice lingered in her ear. Reda continued trimming the leaves off her plant. “I want to see what exactly you can do.” Reda stood up and marched into her brothers main chambers without permission.
She entered a greatly furnished room painted in gold, in the middle of the room was a velvet bed, draped with red material hanging around it, and on the bed sat her brother, sitting lavishly on the bed with his concubines surrounding him.
“What the fuck do you want Reda? I’m clearly busy!” the two women surrounding him were not ashamed of their nakedness or how bare they were. Reda glared at them and boomed:
“Get out!” her voice was enough to get them running out of the room without their clothes.
“There goes my entertainment, now this better be important!” he said while caressing his head.
“I challenge you to a duel!” she said, her eyes got darker as she said those words.
“A half-blood wants to challenge a full blood?!” Draken mused.
“Yes!” Reda said boldly. Draken got up instantly “Courtyard now!” he grabbed his robe without even bothering to wear much clothes.
He marched confidently with Reda following behind; her lips were contorted into a devilish smile.
The courtyard was an empty space, suitable for fighting, this was her favorite place in the kingdom, all the times she had been alone when she was considered an outcast, she spent them here. She so wanted to make a mark on her brother’s face so he could always remember her greatness.
Draken was shirtless, no weapon in hand but everyone knew all dragon blood have special powers, there were a rack full of dangerous weapons and all Draken had to do was to pick one.
He picked the blood sword. “Show me what you got!” She said to Ryker. Ryker on the other hand was overwhelmed with joy it’s been so long since his last taste of blood.
***
The rain fell heavily on the troupe that followed Luke. They were drenched and their horses were sick because of the cold. They had been riding a little over 2 days now and the forest became quiet. It was very unusual and V knew it, V was leading the group, her head held high and her sword tight against her sash.
They approach a foreign land and soon enough the Gudre was sniffed out a scent. They had to turn back.
“Why is the route different?” Aliyah asked V.
“If we take the longer route our horses may die, and so shall we. We have no other choice.” V responded all in one breath.
Her horse was grunting as they approached. Clearly there was something off about the place. Ino checked his map countless times as they approached, V did not fail to take notice of his movement.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“It’s very strange sir, this place is uncharted and unmapped!” Ino said unbelievably.
V thought to herself for a couple of seconds, stroking her chin gently.
“Everyone, follow me!” Luke and his horse were the first to enter.
As they entered the place it was far different from the lush green forest they were previously in. it was deserted and all past forms of civilization was destroyed, buildings went down, houses were burnt and there was mud everywhere.
V demounted her horse and touched the ground.
“Flood.” She murmured to herself.
Ino, Luke and Aliyah followed suit and got off their horse.
“What do you mean ‘flood’?” Luke asked.
“The whole village was flooded” V said once more. Aliyah stared at the ground for a while.
“Let’s keep moving!” Aliyah said impatiently, stepping on something in the process.
“Princess What is that?” Ino asked. The object in question was a purple gem glowing on the floor. Aliyah picked it up and put it in her bag.
“Maybe it’s a clue? We’ll have to check more about it when we go back to the kingdom!” Aliyah said.
They all mounted their horses and rode. They got to a particular place where all the chaos seemed to stop.
It was the only building that couldn’t be confused with destruction, it was a tiny hut with windows, possibly just one or two people lived there. Aliyah summoned up courage; to the group it was no longer V leading them but Aliyah was.
The hut had beads that once you pass through it shakes. Aliyah was the first to enter, she left her horse behind and took her bag with her; she converted her flowing hair into a ponytail. “Hello?” she said into nothingness, the darkness engulfed the room and the only light that came in was the afternoon light that passed through the windows. The only sound she heard was the chirping of birds in the forest and she could hear the breeze howling quietly.
V followed shortly and everything seemed to stop. V was frozen in place, the birds stopped chirping, and the breeze stopped blowing. Aliyah panicked, she looked outside but everything was frozen.
Luke was still by his horse not moving and not breathing, Ino on the other hand was not moving. The birds migrating were frozen in place. She took Luke’s sword out of his hand and she went back into the hut, slightly shifting V from her original position. Aliyah took out the sword in a defensive position.
“Who’s here?!” she screamed at the top of her lungs. A small cry of a child filled the room, Aliyah was scared and the voice slowly converted into a sickening laugh.
Aliyah’s fingers trembled in fear.
“What are you?” she said with fear overpowering her voice.