"My lord, these people are not just regular people. They are very strong and I witnessed them fight with various warriors outside. They are heading this way and they are led by a woman," the guard said, panting and trembling.
"A woman? What does she look like?" lord Hoself asked, his eyes narrowing.
"She's beautiful and slightly dressed, however, her beauty couldn't hide her mischievousness. There are writings all over her body written in a strange language and on her shoulder was a skull attached," the guard said as he tried to remember every detail.
"Are the people just men and did they look controlled?" lord Hoself asked.
"My lord, yes. They are just men and they look controlled," the guard said.
"The deceptor," lord Hoself said as he gritted his teeth.
"The one that steals the souls of men which makes them turn to her slaves and she becomes stronger?" prince Ivive asked.
"Yes," lord Hoself said.
Lord Hoself turned to elley, "where is the box Teri brought?"
"My chamber," elley said.
"Quick! elley, melovine and prince Ivive follow me. The guards will guard this chamber," lord Hoself said as he walked out of the chamber and they followed him.
"You are prince Ivive?" lady melovine asked as they walked hurriedly.
"Yes," prince Ivive said.
They heard noises nearby in the manor. The deceptor and her army of soulless men were already in the manor. They could see the flames and smoke rising from the windows and hear the screams and clashes of swords.
"Father, I will go outside to check it out," lady melovine said as she ran away.
"Melovine!" lord Hoself yelled.
"I'll follow her," prince Ivive said as he was about to run behind her but lord Hoself gripped his hand.
"No, instead follow me, there's something you need to give her," lord Hoself said.
They reached elley's chamber and elley brought the box out from the wardrobe. It was a wooden box with intricate carvings and a lock.
Lord Hoself swiftly drew his dagger from his belt and slashed elley's right arm, making her blood spatter on the box. The box glowed and the lock clicked open.
Prince Ivive's eyes widened as he looked at lord Hoself.
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The guards in the manor arranged themselves to attack as they faced the deceptor and her soulless men. They wore leather clothing and held swords. They looked nervous and alert.
Lady melovine ran and joined them. She wore a red dress that showed off her curves and a leather belt that held a long whip.
"The male guards should avoid eye contact with her or staring at her for long or else you will become soulless!" she warned them.
"Yes, my lady!" they yelled.
"I just came to retrieve something of mine. As ladies, we don't need to fight each other," the deceptor said softly with a mischievous smile.
She was a stunning woman with pale skin and black hair. She wore a black dress that barely covered her body and had strange writings all over her skin. On her shoulder was a skull attached with a chain. She had a seductive and sinister aura that made men fall under her spell.
"Well, you have to forgive me. I'm itching for a fight!" lady melovine said with a fierce look as she unleashed her whip that was on her waist. It was a long and flexible whip that could cut through flesh.
A smile appeared at the end of the deceptor's lips. "Your...loss."
The soulless men began to attack the guards and lady melovine ran towards the deceptor as she swung her whip at her. The deceptor used her hand to block it and ran towards melovine.
Lady melovine saw her coming and was about to use her leg to hit her, however, the deceptor caught her foot.
Lady melovine didn't fall, instead she bent backwards, slammed her palm on the ground and flipped over the deceptor, planning to flip the deceptor down.
Her plan failed as the deceptor released her foot and kicked her while she was in the air.
Lady melovine felt the impact and her chest hurt. The deceptor was about to kick her again as she was coming down, but she used her whip to tie the deceptor's foot and landed while she released her whip from the deceptor's foot and swung it at her as she turned to her.
The deceptor swirled in the air, avoiding lady melovine's whip with a sly smile. She ran towards melovine and hit her chest with her palm before melovine could react.
Melovine felt the impact as it pushed her and she tumbled on the air to the ground and coughed blood.
Before she could stand, the deceptor was already running towards her.
Melovine saw her and widened her eyes as she immediately slammed her palm on the ground to stand as she swung her whip with strong force.
It hit the deceptor and she flew backward. Her head hit the ground and she started bleeding from there.
The deceptor glared at melovine. "You!,how dare you!, Who are you?!"
Melovine wiped the blood from her mouth as she smiled at her. "Melovine, but people know me as the bad temper lady on red."
The deceptor smirked. "Well, bad temper lady in red, prepare to die!"
Melovine heard sounds of people running towards her and she turned her head. She saw fourteen soulless men running towards her without swords. They had blank expressions and scars on their faces. They were the deceptor's slaves, who had lost their will and souls to her.
Lady melovine spat out blood and swung her whip on the ground and it cut through blades of grass.
She was about to attack, surprisingly they started to be hit by arrows one by one.
Lady melovine turned and saw elley on the roof holding her bow and arrow while her arm was recently dressed.
"I thought the bad temper lady on red might need assistance," elley said with a smile.
Elley lowered her bow and held the red whip that was on the roof as she jumped down.
She reached melovine and stretched the whip to her as she panted. "This is one of the weapons inside the box my father gave to Teri. Lord Hoself said it's for you. If you're the owner, you will feel its power."
Lady melovine took the whip from elley and immediately she felt an attachment with the red whip.
The red whip glowed red and she felt its power.
"Let's see how this works," she said with a smile as she swung her whip at some of the soulless men running towards her and their upper and lower body dismembered.
Her eyes widened as she looked at the whip on her hand and glanced at the dead men.
"You can handle it, I'm going back to the rooftop," elley said as she ran away.
"Now, where is that deceptor? Come on out!" lady melovine yelled.
**************************"*"*""*****
Elley, on the other hand, was attacking from on top of the roof, aiming her arrows at the soulless men. She had a clear view of the courtyard, where the battle was raging. She saw the flames, the blood, and the bodies. She felt a mix of fear and excitement.
She heard a sound on the roof and she looked over her shoulder. She saw a soulless man as she turned. He wasn't with any weapons, but he had a menacing look on his face. He was one of the deceptor's slaves, who had lost his will and soul to her.
She placed her bow and arrows behind her as it was strapped across her back. Using archery was not the best choice given the situation. She needed to fight him hand to hand.
"Should I use my sword or combat?" she thought to herself.
She posed, ready for combat, as the soulless man ran towards her to attack her.
She blocked his punch with her right palm. Not only was he stronger, but the pain on her arm was still there due to the cut. She felt the blood dripping from her wound.
She fell from the rooftop and hit her back on the ground. She grimaced in pain. She struggled to get back on her feet as the soulless man jumped down.
"Then I'll go with the next choice," she said as she sheathed her sword and used her index and middle finger to trace the sword to its tip. She thrusted her sword towards the soulless man.
***********************************
The bright and peaceful day suddenly turned to a bad day. The people in the manor fought against the soulless men at different parts of the manor and the deceptor was nowhere to be seen. The sky was dark and cloudy, and the air was filled with smoke and dust. The sound of swords clashing, arrows flying, and screams echoing was deafening.
Some guards guarded lady darlene in her chamber. She was surprisingly calm.
Teri and mizak were still unconscious and prince Ivive was the only one guarding the door.
He held something short but made of iron with a pointy head. It was the extendable spear that was inside Teri's box. It was a special weapon that could extend and retract with a flick of the wrist.
Suddenly, a strong force hit the door from inside, breaking the door and it fell on prince Ivive before he could react. Prince Ivive struggled to stand as his eyes widened. "A strong murderous aura," he said and checked the chamber, but mizak and Teri were still safe.