The midnight-haired Qarinah descended with preternatural speed, the air rippling around her slender frame. Eyes alight with curiosity, she plucked the wan and wilted Chara from the earth. "This injury should have ended you, are you truly human~?" She mused, cradling the girl's fragile form.
Marina, her hair cropped close and black as pitch, drew near to Duvessa with a tempestuous urgency. "Azazel and his band are moving to the south. Should I follow?"
The auburn-haired Duvessa bit her lower lip, suppressing a flicker of frustration as her silken tresses swayed in the turbulent winds.
"That bastard is up to no good. Do not follow, it's a dangerous errand, given his strength."
With an evil cackle, Duvessa signaled to Marina, her eyes glinting like fire. "Follow me."
Duvessa and Marina rose into the sullen skies, their wings beating in tandem as they slowly ascended.
As they reached an elevation that gave a clear view of the kingdom, Duvessa brought her ascent to a halt. Below, Marina also came to a standstill, silently awaiting her leader's words.
Duvessa's eyes turned toward the castle at the kingdom's heart. A finger from her outstretched arm pointed with deadly purpose. "There. That is our new seat of power. Go forth, and make all submit."
"What if they resist?" Marina asked, already guessing the answer.
"Then make sure they breathe no more," Duvessa replied, a sinister smile widening to reveal her sharp canines.
Without a word, Marina took off like a hawk in pursuit of prey, but was halted by Duvessa's shout.
"Wait!"
Marina, obedient, paused and turned, her face expectant.
Duvessa's gaze flitted over the creatures surrounding them, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Take one of these abominations with you."
A grotesque, winged quadruped, an akuji, was the unfortunate recipient of Marina's ire. With practiced agility, she leapt onto the creature's back, seizing the chain shackled around its neck. The akuji reared as Marina pulled back on the chain, her legs tensing against its sides.
With a violent jerk, Marina spurred the akuji forward, streaking toward the castle like a wraith, the demoness hunched over its spine like some unholy rider.
Duvessa then descended slowly and gracefully, landing with a poise that spoke of an otherworldly elegance. The winds began to quiet, almost respectfully acknowledging her arrival, as if the skies themselves obeyed her will.
Approaching her master, Qarinah bore the charred and near-lifeless form of Chara in her arms. "Lady Duvessa, here she is."
Duvessa looked at the pitiful figure of Chara, the whites of her eyes tinged with crimson, her lily-white hair now singed and blackened. She bit the lower part of her palm, drawing blood. With a practiced motion, she raised her arm, looming over Chara's mouth. Crimson drops trickled into the unconscious girl's lips.
Qarinah watched in shocked silence, "Are you sure about this, Lady Duvessa?" Her voice quavered with concern.
Duvessa did not answer, her attention fully focused on the fragile human in her arms. Slowly, the blood trickled down Chara's throat, crimson staining her dry, cracked lips. As if sensing her master's intent, Qarinah remained silent, her eyes filled with questions.
The storm quieted to a whisper, almost reverent, as Duvessa's voice broke through the silence like a cold, clear blade, "Whoever she is, she must be one of the reasons we're here."
Qarinah, her curiosity unabated, pressed once again, "Are you saying she summoned us~?"
Duvessa's patience frayed, her voice edged with irritation, "Learn to think for yourself, Qarinah."
As Chara's scorched lips quivered with the crimson-tinged droplets, her heart stirred within her chest, reclaiming its steady pulse. Her injuries began to knit closed, yet consciousness remained out of reach.