"After almost a thousand years, I set my two eyes on a Skull. But I must say, this skull doesn't seem to impress." Akotal's melted face had a look of awe as he muttered.
Kylian could feel his skin crawl as he gazed at the terrifying eyes of Akotal's. Even his dead heart, which did not beat, banged against his chest the more he gazed at Akotal.
On the other hand, Hector could barely hold his ground, his legs were visibly shaking. His entire body seemed to be on fire with the immense pressure he's feeling as he gazed at Akotal.
However,
Kylian's eyes moved from Akotal and diverted to the body laid on the altar, Christa. His eyes flashed viciously as he took a weak step forward. He growled. "Give her to me!"
"Your overwhelming helplessness turning to rage, isn't that opposite to what a skull truly is?" Akotal had a humourless grin as he said, sarcasm dripping off his words.
Kylian took another step forward. His forehead ripped with thick veins as the rage he's feeling rose the more.
"If you are a skull, then you should have experienced a lot of dark juicy pain."
Kylian suddenly gasped. His chest felt like rippling apart and his eyes went wide. Dark veins slowly began to appear on his cheeks, causing him to open his mouth to scream, but no sound came as the pain was too immense.
"The Ostagian curse. Ha, ah! There it is, even after a thousand years, it's still as potent as though it was casted a day ago." Akotal nodded to himself as he added. "Truly worthy of being a dark curse. Now the pain comes in at large."
Kylian clutched his head hard as he yelped in pain. His veins burned like hot lava is being bubbled through it and his yelp went more terrifying.
Hector had to close his eyes and move back a few steps when the sight was becoming unbearable for him.
However, Akotal chortled as he gazed at Kylian with his red eyes.
Kylian roared, yelped, and screamed while his body burned on the inside like hell flames were being unleashed on him. His body is already covered in the dark veins and soon his eyes transformed into a void black socket that looked like a black hole if one stared at it.
Hector watched with wide eyes as the curse came into effect on Kylian, bringing overwhelming pain along with it. Instead of feeling pity or sympathy, what he felt was fear.
Fear of what Kylian would become after the pain is gone.
Of course, no one would experience such pain and still have a sane mind afterwards. Being mindless and ruthless would be the least of what the person would be.
After about five minutes of shrieking in agony, Kylian finally went silent and collapsed to his knee, with his head bent downward, in dead silence.
"You boys, killed my vampire armies, your comrades killed my beloved vampire and my army of warthogs too. Impressive." Akotal commended. His crimson eyes flashed with cunning as he muttered. "These armies have been my accomplice from the very start but today you kids ended them all."
Akotal took a few steps closer to the altar and stopped right in front of it. His eyes gazed at the floor, just before his leather sandaled feets as he contemplated. "What can I do to repay you all?"
"Give us the girl and we will be out of here. If you don't, you will be joining your armies in hell too."
A growl dipping with venom emanated throughout the circular altar room.
Hector's eyes widened. He couldn't believe his ears.
Akotal raised a brow in confusion as he muttered. "I thought you should be mindless by now."
Kylian slowly raised his head. His void black eyes simmered strangely as he stood at his feets with a grimace.
"After surviving the curse for over 800 years, maybe I'm getting accustomed to it." Kylian grinned with zero humour.
"Hmph! That's supposed to be a joke." Akotal frowned hard. Then his face constricted into a grim look. "The Ostagian curse isn't something to be mastered. It's an essence. It feeds on your pain, your misery, your sanity, your madness. If it doesn't see anything to feed on, then it'll create one for you and feed on it." Akotal's eyes were glittering as he added. "You can't master it, it will kill you instead."
Kylian had a painful look on his face when he heard this. His soul doused in perplexity at the thought of the fact that Akotal just made clear.
But then, in a split second, all the emotions disappeared like it was never there. His eyes glinted as he said. "Thanks for the information. Give her to me."
Akotal gazed at Kylian for several seconds, his crimson eyes watching Kylian, keenly, in silence. After exactly a minute, he turned his gaze to Christa's body on the altar and raised his brows as he said, "It's time."
Kylian's heart went wild when he heard that. He growled menacingly and his claws and fangs which were now dark gave a slight radiance as he saw Akotal moving closer to the altar.
Three women in dark cloaks appeared from thin air and surrounded the altar.
However Kylian's growl made the stop.
Akotal chuckled. "I almost forgot, you wouldn't be able to watch me pull out the heart of your mate and suck her blood dry. But no worries, I will give you something to do."
With that, Akotal turned away and continued walking closer to the altar.
Graaaaaa!
Kylian growled loudly and lunged at Akotal whose back was turned at him.
However,
Bang!
Kylian's body was sent flying across the room and-
Bam!
He slammed against the wall and dropped face flat to the ground.
Hector gawked. He had barely seen Kylian move with such a high agility which is clearly more than before, the juice brought along by the dark veins. But despite moving with such speed, someone's still able to kick his ass that hard.
Hector gulped his saliva as he thought. 'Terrifying!'
Soon the doer came into light.
A figure appeared before Akotal, the entirety of its structure was covered under a deep colored cloak but there's one thing familiar about him.
There's a staff with a wooden three-eyed bat on the top. The symbol of the Tribunals.
The figure, manly but vampire, shrugged off the cloak revealing a not-so-impressive structure. The fangs protruding from his lips and the claws on his hands spoke volumes of what he is. But apart from all this, his body reeked with a dark energy that chilled the surrounding air. It made even the ants, crawling in the holes on the wall of the room, run for their lives.
"Adama, keep them busy." Akotal said over his shoulder.
Kylian winced as he got to his feets. When he saw the vampire, Adama, his face contorted as a pang of recognition hit him.
Adama was the one staring at Hector and Kylian when they saw a pair of burning red eyes staring at them from the dark just before the army of vampires appeared earlier.
The pain in his shattered ribs bit at his sanity the more as he met Hector's gaze which was fearful.
It's natural to feel fear, sometimes. There are some situations where no matter how strong-headed you are, you'll feel fear. Right now is the time for Hector and Kylian.
Kylian growled, not in dominance but in despair as he flexed his claws.
He could feel his skin crawling, every hairs on his body standing on edge and his soul screaming danger but he couldn't bring himself to leave or run. The strong bond of soulmating between him and Christa held on to him so much that he would rather die than leave or surrender.
But what's even the essence if he surrenders. After all the suffering he and his friends had endured since they entered the castle. Will it all go in vain?
Even if he, Kylian and his friends surrender now, Akotal will surely not spare them. Not after they had challenged him.
By now, Hector had retreated behind Kylian as he sweated hard. Feeling imminent death and still standing there isn't something everyone can handle. The fact that he still stayed is already a sign of his unrequited bravery.
"Kylian, what's happening to me?" Hector struggled to ask, his face drenched in sweat emphasized how immense the fear he's feeling right now.
"I don't know." Kylian murmured. He growled again. Despair glinted in his tone as he did it this time.
"That's the suppressing aura of a vampire turned by a Primordial in its prime." Akotal grinned with pleasure as he turned to the witches. "Begin."
The witches, already surrounding the altar, closed their eyes and began to mutter words inaudibly as the air churned with dark energy.
Kylian growled again, now unable to hold his gaze on the vampire, Adama. His lips parted as he said with bitterness. "I would rather die here."
Graaaaaa!
Kylian growled out, pouring out all his fear.
Hector braced himself, with great effort. Then, slowly, his lips parted as he did the same.
Graaaaaa!
Adama flexed his deadly claws.
That was all Kylian and Hector could see him do. The rest was a blur.
BANG!
*************