With hushed whispers and pained cries, yet another body was carried to be buried. The Raven family alongside the pirate crew silently prayed for their unfortunate souls to be at peace. Magnus placed a single white flower on the closed casket before walking back to his crew. Malia watched ahead with distant eyes.
The Helios she once knew was missing and she wanted him to come back. Mortale watched her for a split second longer, trying to decipher her feelings before Elvia chopped him in his side.
With a groan followed by a whimper, he glared at the fairy. He could hear Malia snicker. When Magnus and the Raven parents reached them, they all left.
Malia split from the group, her backpack gently placed on her back. "Have fun at school!" Her mother yelled at her daughter's retreating body.
Malia waved back.
The crew noticed the large dark academia building and pointed it out to her parents.
"It's Soul Academy. An academic facility that teaches magic."
The way she dumbed down her words didn't sit right with the crew but they let it slide. They were very much capable of absorbing information.
"Well, I guess we're going to stay at an Inn." Magnus loudly proposed.
"But you can continue staying with us," Aten argued.
"I think the inn would be the best choice." The idea of being crammed up on one bed scared the red-haired boy.
"I think that's for the best." Thali added.
____________________
Shattered stainless glass and broken wood were found all over the ice-cold floor. The desolate feeling spread far and wide within his soul. Helios sat there with empty bottles of wine.
His eyes were mad. Forehead covered in sweat, and the feeling of absolute despair consuming him. The sound of a maniacal laugh coursed through his mind. It intensified when his hatred intensified. "You can't get rid of me." The voice cackled even harder.
"Alanzor, my dearest. Please leave my body and let me rest." The creature cackled. "Well, you knew the consequences of signing such a pact, and now you have to deal with them." His maniacal laughter only continued. Helios couldn't help the tears falling down his face. He was trapped in this endless cycle of madness and hunger.
He heard the door open and he looked up. His eyes showed a sense of relief and terror. Malia stood at the end of the dark room with saddened eyes. Her right hand rubbed her left arm in an attempt to soothe herself.
"How are you feeling?"
"You shouldn't be here. You're meant to be at the academy. If your par-" She walked up to him and held his face up. He was a mess. She remembered the young boy from five years ago.
Excited to take the responsibility of being a count. The young boy was now lost, a scared young man now replacing him. "I've met some people. I truly believe they can help you." Helios' mind went back to the crew he had completely annihilated.
Groaning in embarrassment that he had once again attacked people walking the street. Malia let his face go and picked up the sheet music sprawled across the ground.
She knew about his troubles.
The deal he made with a low-class demon to bring her back. She was responsible for this and she would do anything to make it right again.
The count sensed the heavy aura emitting from the blonde girl.
He got up and hugged her from behind. "I would have done anything to bring you back. You're my best friend. The single person that made ruling over Morte fun."
Malia grabbed his hand and gently rubbed it.
She was going to do everything in her power to make sure he was back to his old self. She would stop at nothing to make sure of it.
-------------------
"Weren't we called out here?" Thali announced. The sound of piano playing interrupted her. As the crew went on alert,
Malia came out of the shadows, causing the crew to once again drop their guard. All of a sudden she disappeared, appearing before
Mortale with her scythe swinging down.
He was quick to draw his own weapon and block her attack.
He stared into her gold eyes with shocked purple eyes.
She brought her scythe up and flipped backwards. She then twirled her scythe and pointed it at Mortale. Her eyes fixed on him and no one but him.
Mortale pointed his sword toward her in a fencing pose. His face morphed into an expression of ice-cold nothingness.
The rain got heavier and the mud in the cemetery got thicker. Magnus situated himself on one of the tombstones, Thali and Elvia by his side watching.
They weren't going to interfere. Mortale was going to win. Mortale and Malia stood for a second longer before disappearing and reappearing in the middle. The clashing of steel filled the air.
Malia's skill with the scythe was something to behold. She danced with it as one, and her fighting style reminded Magnus of a ballerina.
Mortale wasn't really struggling. He dodged the blows with effortless finesse. He could tell that Malia wasn't giving it her all and that something was weighing heavily on her mind.
She twirled the scythe and placed it behind her with the blade facing down and the handle facing up.
"Heavy Soul." Mortale then noticed the cut on his leg and his body weight getting heavier, whilst his mind became fuzzy and lighter.
Magnus got up to help but stopped when Mortale placed his hands up.
"I'm good. I'll beat her. You just sit tight, captain." Magnus's eyes gleamed with being called a captain before he was teased by the girls.
Malia watched with longing eyes, remembering the times when she would laugh at the top of her lungs alongside Helios. Mortale noticed her guard was down and appeared in front of her, punching her square in the jaw.
He didn't let up the attacks and made sure she couldn't pick up the scythe that fell far from her reach. He kicked her in the stomach before grabbing her arm and kneeing her in the face.
The trio near the tombstones winced at Mortale's wicked ways. Malia coughed out blood and she was finally able to get away from him.
She picked it up and swung it down to the ground with a frustrated yell. Angered and frustrated, she wiped the blood and mud off her face. Mortale dropped to his knee, his weight almost crushing.
She swung her scythe up, ready to slash Mortale in his state, before dropping it. She dropped to her knees. With wet hair and desperate attempts of reasoning, she grabbed
Mortale's shoulder and cried into it.
"Please help him." Mortale looked at her in shock and so did the rest of the crew. He then put two and two together, and noticed that she was talking about the count.
"Save the guy that beat the shit of us. Get real." This was the most emotion Mortale has ever projected other than the time with Ivankov.
"I know what he did, but he didn't have a choice."
"That seems like complete bullcrap. Ya liar!" Magnus yelled from his spot.
"I'll explain everything." She pleaded.
"Then why attack me?" Mortale asked, perplexed. She could've just asked for their help without causing such a mess.
The crew looked at each other, then looked at her.
"I'm sorry. Just please save him."
"Then explain everything." Magnus ordered.