by D.E.P.
Sicarius smiled from afar, jumping down the stairs leading to the bland ground. There was much to do, for Magni and Invicta were in their own struggle. She motioned for the king to follow, not waiting for him as she walked towards Proditor’s energized body. He no longer was seen as confused. He only occasionally felt his swollen head, for it throbbed with fresh blood. Sicarius did not wait for him either as she walked right past without even a glare from her vibrant blue eyes. Glacies, on the other hand, only slightly looked at the bold man to her side. Proditor continued staring, not wanting to walk with the small group.
Invicta and Magni knew their elemental twin swords had failed them several times in their odd journey. They merely expected it to fail again and what was expected merely happened. For one thing, the plant’s stem did not fully harden around the fibers it was composed of, it only provided it with a coating of metal—a layer of armory. Invicta stared at Magni with anger; his face turned a slight red as he formed a concentrated frown.
The plant lifted its head upwards, hardly able to be seen from the ground. Plunging downwards, the flower formed into a tight cone. Smoothly, it gained speed, approaching the two bodies below. Invicta only glared at Magni before nodding. They both rolled their bodies to the sides as the thick head of the carnivorous plant dug itself deep into the soft sand. A large crater was made, causing the grey sand to be lifted into the air and cover both Magni and Invicta whom laid sprawled to the sides. They seemed unconscious for they did not move or even blink.
Slowly the flower bud crept, easing forward like a serpent with its mouth agape. The green and red colors seemed mystifying and comforting, but it only acted as a disguise. The sharp teeth on the edges of the coned bud opened with thirst. It reached the middle of both bodies, moving its head to the sides as if deciding which to go for first. Rising up to dig its set of teeth into the nearest body, the plant opened its mouth to the rain of small arrows. Each arrow did not fail in missing the bud of the plant, injecting themselves deep into the bright flesh.
The plant whined, letting out a high-pitched sound of torture. A thick green juice maneuvered outwards, shining with the small amount of light in the thick forestry. Still the plant did ease its wrath. With mouth open, it let out a louder scream, causing the ground to shake as the other buds of the plant came forth.
“Don’t look at me, keep shooting!” yelled Sicarius at Glacies. Sicarius cupped her hands and blew, creating the blue fire she was capable of formulating. Her ring that provided her with swifter movements gleamed back at her. She closed her fists before rapidly opening them before the cluster of arrows positioned on Glacies’s back. Promptly, the arrows brightened with the new element wrapping itself on the sharp forms. The arrows never seemed to disappear. Glacies would use one and the one that was lost seemed to always be replaced. There was no need to retrieve the arrows that had struck her enemies, for the arrows always returned to her with blood dripping from the tips.
Glacies let out a bothersome stare before positioning the burning arrow on her bow. The plant continued screaming, moving its head in a vicious and uncontrollable manner. The enflamed arrows only increased its suffering, causing the other buds to move about in a quicker style. “What next? They only seem to scream, not necessarily die,” stated Glacies as she stared at the thrashing head in front of her.
Sicarius did not respond. She took out her precious weapons while letting out a strong whistle. The hyacinth slowly walked towards Sicarius, its light blue fur swaying with the steady wind. It stared at Sicarius with determined purple eyes, waiting for any command. Sicarius lowered herself, quickly whispering into the ears of the beast while Glacies continued distracting the flower in front. Glacies seemed to grow tired, failing to aim correctly.
The hyacinth leapt into the air with calmness, standing in front of the uncontrollable stem moving only inches away from its nostrils. The two buds had come, slithering about in wickedness. These buds, smaller than the primary bud, were composed of yellow and red colors. Around the exterior, the buds contained a crown of long sharp reddened thorns. The sight seemed degrading, and it was. The hyacinth dug its longer outer fangs into the nearest stem of the smaller buds. Slowly, a green juice squirted out, forming bubbles of thick sap to cover the holes the beast had already made. The bud squirmed with a high pitched sound, throwing its head to the wolf-like beast underneath. The thick spikes failed to inject themselves into the thick body of the hyacinth as the beast jumped over them with a powerful leap.
Sicarius, noticing that Glacies seemed close to fainting, turned around to bestow the ring that had provided her with power. Glacies frowned at the offer, quickly putting it on her left ring finger. As if cold water was poured on her fresh body, Glacies felt a renewed energy throb about her—providing her with new life. Sicarius smiled mysteriously before turning her body in a swift movement as to generate enough force to slash through the giant silver stem. With her dagger, she positioned the point to her chest, waiting for the destined moment to slash at the silver armory. Quickly she rose up, pulling the daggers outwards and gashing the stem on both sides.
Glacies did not stop, her wrist moved with pronounced quickness as she grabbed the flaming arrows from behind her and aimed with acute eyesight. Sicarius looked up at the plant, knowing it would not fall, for like the beasts of mud, sap would form to provide a protection more hardy than before. “If I remember correctly, the heart is at the base of the stem. We need to run towards it!” yelled Sicarius above the screams of the plant. The stem knocked her over while the bud swiftly moved towards Sicarius. She only smiled, knowing there was not much the plant’s sharp teeth could do to her, for she too was able to live with an injury. The teeth, only an inch away from Sicarius’s face, opened with strings of slobber that stretched from the tip of the canines to the lower ones.
There was little Sicarius could do while on her back. She could not jump, for her head would be quickly bitten off. She could roll to her sides, but the carnivorous flower would only follow her to her death. She lifted her daggers, causing the blue light to glow. Forming a quick X shape once again, Sicarius made a great effort to block the thin teeth that raced towards her. The daggers were much stronger than the canines that inched their way towards her pale face. She pushed the deathly flower from her face, causing it to attack her arm instead. Sicarius groaned with pain as the silver blood dripped from the side of her arm.
Glacies steadied her bow, aiming at the middle portion of the flower. The green and red striped bud quickly squirmed, rising in the air with the other stems. Pushing her feet in the air, Sicarius elevated her body in a standing position. Noticing that Magni and Invicta were slowly coming to their senses, Sicarius turned to Glacies replying, “I will leave you here. The heart needs to be punctured!”
Glacies looked upon Sicarius with a grim face, but nodded, for she knew it was the only approach in such a situation. She and Sicarius had bonded, almost seemingly sisters in a way. But the two had to depart. Sicarius gingerly lifted her body onto the hyacinth, grabbing onto the silvery blue fur. She tightened her grip as the beast hurried towards the base of the stems with rapidity.
After a long and restless walk, Fortis reached Proditor who had stood before the forestry in contempt. “We need to precede Proditor. It is the only way,” said the king.
Proditor only frowned before the king, slightly in anger. “Are we not better off here? Your brother has much power. You think those mud men who fled from here are the last of our troubles? There is much more to come!”
The king frowned all the more with a renewed fury for the man the inhabitants called his brother. “He is not my brother. Not anymore. He knows we will conquer this journey. This is why he fears our return. If we fail in this journey, we let down the inhabitants of the land. Only then would we truly fail!”
Proditor looked upon the ground, not noticing the scabs that bordered the king’s arms. “You’re a great man Fortis, but I fear for what is to come.”
“Then only look at the present,�
�� answered the king.
“Even that fact is degrading.” Nevertheless, Proditor made his way to the starting of the forestry, pushing the small vines to the sides as to not be touched by them. The king did not reply as he walked behind, causing soft noises beneath his feet. His white cloak disappeared into the forestry of multiple colors. They heard multiple noises—the birds with piercing blood-gold eyes, the six legged blue monkeys that jumped from the tree tops, or even the thorny butterflies moving with such swiftness through the several branches making up the strange environment. But the loudest noise of all was the high-pitched scream from afar—the scream of a plant.
Proditor and Fortis quickly moved their bodies around the terrestrial environment, only receiving small scrapes to their armory that reflected the odd plants. Red thorned bushes lined the path, purple bell flowers let out a thin runny sap, and red fruits shaped into a swirl fell onto the ground with a soft splat. The sky could not be see, only the plants within the darkness. As the king and Proditor made their way through the strange precinct, they did not notice that the carnivorous plants were only a few feet away from them.
The loud scream did not fail to soften as Proditor approached. Glacies looked at Proditor and the king with helpful eyes. “You are a siren!” spat Proditor, nonetheless.
Glacies ignored the words, looking onward to aim at the plant’s head with quick movements. Blinking once with annoyance, Glacies spoke, “I was. Now I am not.” She had to prove she was not the monster she had been. Her drive only prevented the buds from nearing, not necessarily killing them. However, the plants were gaining much power, attempting to dig their spikes into the nearest body.
The king lifted up his sword as one of the smaller buds lowered its head with malevolence towards his skull. The tip of the blade caused a loud sound to echo as metal against metal clanged once again. Fortis slowly lowered his body as he tried to contain his weight upward in a failing stance. Instead, his body rolled to the side, only barely evading the blow of the sharp spikes as they struck the ground to create a hole precisely half a foot deep.
Magni and Invicta rose from their sleeping areas, their heads having been upon the small bed of orange and red cloves. They did not notice the stream of arrows coming from the small bow of a siren. They only knew the long stems made a great effort to strike them one time after another. Magni turned his body to the right, striking the small bud as it lowered itself in an attacking position. It hissed with malevolence, opening up to expose the gruesome teeth. Magni was able to cut a sliver of the thin petals composing what seemed to be the lips of the live plant. Nevertheless, the plant did not fail to grow a new set of petals to replace the once that were already partially burning with the small injury.
Lowering itself, the larger bud grabbed Proditor with great force, lifting the body several feet into the air. Jumping over the stems that stealthily attempted to stumble his feet, Invicta began to climb the larger of the stems. “Inhabitants are nothing but fools!” Glacies angrily whispered to herself, her eyes becoming more vibrant as she was forced to aim more precisely than before as to evade plunging the arrows into the flesh of Invicta or Proditor. Glacies looked to the side as she saw golden drops cover her bare shoulders. She looked upward, more determined, wishing that Sicarius had reached the root of the vines.
The hyacinth panted as it ran towards the heart of the plant. While the rest of the forestry seemed tranquil, odd noises continued to awkwardly empower the calmness. Small purple rodents disappeared into the ground, possibly frightened of being trampled by the racing paws before them. The large insects eyeing the scene only flew from branch to branch to gain a broader sight as the base of the stem became slightly more visible than before. The sand elevated with briskness as the footsteps moved with inordinate force, providing a mark on the floating sand.
It seemed a dessert where the plant’s roots stood. As Sicarius reached the remote area in which the plant boldly stood, smaller stems leapt from the base of the carnivorous stationed monster. The long stems could be seen stretched outwards from afar—something that seemed quite odd. The small stems, thin and weak were a last resort to defend the small hill in which the plant’s heart beat. Sicarius scanned the dangerous circumstances, analyzing the situation at hand. Nothing was impossible for her, for she was invincible.
Tugging on the fur, Sicarius motioned the hyacinth to continue moving towards the deathly flowers. Obediently, the hyacinth leapt over several stems lurking around as if they were tentacles of a massive underwater beast. Leaping onto a thick vine, the hyacinth began slowly jumping from moving stem to stem, nearing the vulnerable life source within. “You have served well, away with you!” screamed Sicarius before pushing her body off of the bluish fur as the hyacinth jumped into the air over a violent protruding stem. Sicarius hit the ground with great force before she rolled her body along the thick base that contained the sole root of the lively nature. The caskets and supplies rolled along with her.
The hyacinth looked behind at Sicarius with pleading eyes. Nevertheless, it gained speed as it journeyed through the forest with renowned freedom. Growling loud and clear, the hyacinth disappeared within the strange forestry.
Sicarius’s body did not move for a few seconds, her face seemingly limp and lifeless except for the frowned look. She saw a man that seemed very similar, his dark hair swaying to the sides of his neatly combed beard. A dark red cape flew behind him as he walked down a golden passage with swiftness while an odd serpent clung to his neck. “Do you have the head of my dear brother?” he questioned before a weak shadow. “I have created you. I can also destroy you! You are unworthy in my presence, off with you!” yelled the strange man before a smiling serpent. The serpent lowered its neck, its eyes scanning the breathing figure before it. With a quick snap of the neck, the serpent injected its vital venom into the neck of the figure, causing it to harden with rapidity until the shadow dropped down—never to be seen again.
Sicarius opened her eyes to a small wandering vine that was split into two thin strands. It had gently touched her, feeling the pale softened skin of the silent body. With a rush of adrenaline, Sicarius raised her chest upwards, striking the bothersome life form. The small stem that had once been two strands, became one with thick green mucus covering the surface. Sicarius only stared for a while, breathing heavily before she rose upwards. There was little the stems could do as they attempted to strike her. Their base, connected to the main stem of the plant, prevented them from lowering horizontally to where Sicarius stood. Only able to reach outwards, small buds, the size of fruit, struck the ground to cause the thin dirt to elevate onto the enemy. But it was useless, the small red buds composed of smaller green spikes failed to scare off Sicarius.
Holding her hands against her hips, Sicarius took only one step forward, not fully comprehending what she was destined to do. That step only improved her memory all the more as the ancient dirt composing the small hill failed to lift her weight. Rather quickly, her body fell down below the plant’s base and into what seemed to be a narrow tunnel. Sicarius yelled out only one scream of surprise, not a feminine nor a masculine yell, but one of strong annoyance.
The inside of the tunnel, composed of long circular ripples of purple dirt, continued to what appeared to be an endless jaunt of grief. Random clusters of green splotches created an illuminating glow in the narrow space in which Sicarius easily slid. Down Sicarius went, maneuvering her body with the violent swift turns. He body continued hitting the narrow walls, causing dirt to fall against her blackened head. Moving her head in a swift manner, a cloud of dust flew in the air behind her sliding figure. The tunnel seemed endless, but all tunnels come to an end whether it is the beginning or the end of an end.
The small ripples of dirt became larger, contributing to an uncomfortable end of the tunnel. The basement of the plant was peculiar—similar to the appearance of a small room in which Sicarius was able to stand to her normal height. A small electrifying sound touched the walls in a gentle force
—the beating of a heart. Sicarius scanned the small room with precision, noting the dark walls of dirt surrounding the large stem before her. A strong light seemed to decolorize the thick stem, as a steady light source bonded against the surface from up above.
But the base of the stem was what drew Sicarius’s attention from above, for a large pod exposed a bright purple light. As if it were beating, the purple light darkened and then became brighter in a rhythmic manner. Taking her blade out, Sicarius moved her body around the large pod with a wicked stance. She eyed it as a thick and ghastly liquid moved throughout the heart of the plant. Ironically as it was, the plant waited for its death as Sicarius quickly stabbed the pod with both of her sharp weapons. The thick membrane was cut in half, the mucus inside now pouring out and causing the horizontal opening to widen. The liquid spread across the dark floor, providing a sea of purple infamy. The pod, now clear and empty, caused a great scream from afar as the plant slowly became a dying figure.
Glacies looked upwards, continuing to steady her bow and send countless of arrows at the immortal stems above her. Proditor’s body was elevated in the air, thick holes forming to his sides. His body seemed lifeless, as his arms slowly became a lifeless string. The plant continued holding the dying figure, not yet consuming it before attacking the other individuals. The spikes continued racing past the others, in an attempt to scrape them of their armory. But Magni and Invicta were far too quick for the racing stems. Glacies seemed a motionless body except for the quick movements of her arms. “Only a few feet more!” yelled Magni desperately as Invicta neared Proditor’s shaking body. The bud on which Invicta climbed upon moved around with harshness. The thin spikes gleamed with a tone of death, endeavoring to puncture a piece of flesh.
Proditor slowly awakened despite the blood that continued to cover every side of his body once more. The green mucus continued to fall onto his weak face. He cringed his nose in disgust, moving his head as to shake the green liquid from his eyes. The movement of his body only caused the thin teeth of the bud to dig deeper into the left side of his body while his eyes widened in renewed suffering.
Invicta leapt from the thin stem, crashing violently against the other that held Proditor in its clenched mouth. Wrapping his arm around the moving figure, Invicta grabbed his sword with the other and struck the bud above him. The mucus, red this time, poured down below, causing Glacies’s arrow to soar further upwards than anticipated, disappearing into the strange branches above. Still the plant survived, the mucus quickly binding onto the surface as a shield. The smaller bud relaxed its grasp on Proditor’s figure, causing his body to slip from the opening mouth.
The buds let out a sudden yell of grief, causing Magni to tremble with confusion. The stems moved more violently, thrashing with odd movements against the thin trees to the sides. Small twigs from the trees did not fail in snapping from the trunks. Magni quickly looked to his side where part of the long stem of the plant was seen. As if a disease had been sparked, the base of the plant slowly transformed into a dry lifeless figure.
Proditor’s body fell down below with great intensity before the screaming of the plant’s last seconds of life. Slowly, the roots of the stems composing the buds turned into a splinted and deathly form of what was. The buds shriveled, falling down to the side. Invicta quickly jumped off the vine, evading crashing against the hardness of the trees. Pushing her arms back, Glacies succeeded in flipping her body backwards to avoid a falling stem above. It crashed against the area she had been, elevating the small leaves into the bright air.
While it seemed dark still, it was by far not as dark as it had once been. Sure there was a small amount of perspiration in the air, possibly fog, but nevertheless the area was slightly lighted. Proditor lay on the ground in his puddle of blood, his mouth gaping with overfilled golden liquid—a goblet of gold liquor.
The tunnel had been rather long. Sicarius decided to instead climb the death stem that rose above. The stem seamed close to collapsing, the large fibers unstitching themselves from the body that had once been. Sicarius lifted her blades, slashing through the stem with great swiftness—this time only a drip of the green sap seeped out, nothing more. A thin grey smoke floated in the air of the small dirt-filled room. The fibers slowly unearthed the hole above. Capable of jumping a high distances when fully energized, Sicarius leapt into the open air around 10 feet in height. Pushing off the edges of the small upwards tunnel, Sicarius succeeded in escaping the hole’s presence. She noted the stem that had provided a loud sound as it collapsed down the small hill. A small arrow, fully implanted into the ground as the deathly flower had been, flickered with a blue light before disappearing.
The environment seemed silent, but there was a powerful presence. Sicarius quickly ran towards the movement in the trees to where her companions would be. But they no longer were there. The small piles of flowers and leaves laid stepped upon, etching themselves onto the thin bland dirt. Slowly stepping over the now shriveled greyish stem, Sicarius moved along the gleaming path composed of golden drips.
She formed a frown, fearing she was in a trap. But still she proceeded, scanning the strange small green creatures climbing up above. Their feet, much like a frogs, grasped the tall trunks of the trees. A small soft crest protruded from the side of the reptile-like heads as the creatures stared with penetrating eyes. Sicarius continued moving through the forestry until a bush blocked her path. Nearing the purple bush, Sicarius grabbed her blades as a shadow jumped out of the small leaves with bow in hand.
“It’s me. Do you always have to be pointing a blade to those you trust?” questioned Glacies with a frown.
Sicarius moved around the figure, “I have learned not to trust a soul.” Sicarius pushed the weapons into the sides of her armory. She moved into the leafy bush, causing a small amount of the strange shaped leaves to fall to the ground. Much like snowflakes, each leaf was composed of a different expurgated design. Before her lied a dying scene. Proditor, sprawled on the ground, lay coughing large amounts of blood. Dropping the cluster of the leaves that she had caught between her fingers, Sicarius quickly raced towards the man of her blood. Fortis moved aside to give room to Sicarius.
Proditor lay wide awake, staring at the pale woman’s saddened face. Not a tear dropped from her frowning face. Sicarius knelt down before him, holding his bloody hand in her own. She lowered her head only an inch before Proditor stopped her with his croaking voice. “Don’t. It is not worth it. I wish to die as I am now.”
Sicarius elevated her head, disappointed by the man’s quick remark. It was only a bite for a new life. She did not quite understand. “You are one of my blood. How could I not?”
Proditor opened his hands, letting the black hair of Sicarius wrap around his weak fingers. “I have had a well life. My life needs to end. If you bite me, I would never be able to live an endless life. Please don’t allow my life to be more sufferable,” Proditor managed to form the words. His breathing became more violent, his chest moving upwards far more rapidly. Still he contained his life, lying still on the floor with only his eyes scanning the blurred environment.
He motioned with his right hand until Sicarius slowly moved her ear besides his mouth. “Listen to me. There is much to tell you. I have gained much knowledge than what I thought I was capable of. There is no doubt that Malum will gain an effortless power once again. He may have died but his life still lives in curse! I tell you the truth, with a spark of enchantment, his body will be renewed to how it once was. Beat my heart once, I have seen you save time in the battles fought times ago.”
Sicarius removed the two pieces of armory providing protection to Proditor’s chest. Small indents lined the outskirts like craters in a dark environment as they glistened with the slightest touch. Proditor tightened his eyes with deep misery. He tightened his grip on Sicarius’s arm before relaxing the grasp as the armory was quickly removed. Digging into the pouch she had removed from the hyacinth before falling onto the ground, Sicarius grabbed a small
vile containing small pain relieving pills. The king had hid the red velvet sack in the silver pouch of the hyacinth. Looking back at Proditor, a grimaced face shown upon Sicarius as she slipped the pills into his salivated mouth.
Proditor’s body relaxed for the given moment as the capsule was slowly consumed. With a silent stance, Sicarius slipped her blade from her side. Holding it tightly, yet shakingly, Sicarius cut a horizontal gash on the exposed chest. A small amount of golden blood slipped from the muscular chest, not that there was enough blood to begin with. The king looked towards Proditor with a grim face. He had known the man well, yet he had forgotten him, occasionally drinking in the highest balcony with him. Yet, even the man he had called a friend had defied him. He knew his brother’s power exceeded what he had thought.
Slowly, Sicarius felt underneath the skin until touching a sluggishly beating heart slowly ending its beats of life. Proditor’s chest pumped upwards as his eyes closed before his dying face. Sicarius, determined not to lose her cousin, tightened her face with frustration as she tightened her grip on his heart. Releasing her grip, the heart began beating on its own, faster than it had been before. Sicarius knew there was little time, a few minutes to hours. It was all she could do, all that Proditor wanted done.
Proditor’s sight began to become renewed as he stared upon the pale face of Sicarius. “You save my life once again,” he whispered.
Sicarius looked upwards to her surroundings. It seemed silent except for the steady blue fire to her side and the staring faces from afar. The king knew she wanted peace. He motioned the others to move aside. Glacies and the others disappeared behind the brushes around the small vacant environment.
“Not this time,” stated Sicarius sadly. Her heart beat with anxiety. She knew only one bite would save him. It was so close. His heart beat continued beating profoundly, a time bomb of what was.
Suddenly laughing, Proditor looked upon Sicarius’s eyes, “I feel your teeth growing with apprehension. Bite me after I die. This I will allow,”
Sicarius shook her head slowly until becoming more violent than before as she realized that there was no point in Proditor’s decision. “I do not bite everyone I see. I have controlled that years ago,” she stated rather angrily while holding her head with her tender hands. She stood up, turning her back on her cousin.
“It is the knowledge I want passed onto you. Only then will you know almost all, for I contain Malum’s memories from times ago.”
Sicarius looked startled, not knowing whether Proditor spoke in respect to his damaged head. She only frowned all the more, forming deep creases onto her startled face. “I do not know what you speak of.”
“Only listen. There is much to know. I feel my heart weakening. There is not much you can do that you already have done. I only ask that you bite me after I die, only then will you understand.” His eyes urged to stay open but a profound weakness began to overcome them.
“Your father was like one to me. Now I will go to where he relies,” Proditor stated weakly. His voice slightly croaked in a dreamlike stance.
“Tell him I miss him dearly. I do not understand most of the wisdom he has bestowed me,” Sicarius stated sadly.
“He has invented a plethora of meaningless things in hopes that some of them will become beneficial. The metal box contains the knowledge of plenty. The time is very near where the blue spirits will allow you to open it,” stated Proditor before his vision was no more and his body relaxed in its dream-like stance. His slim body laid motionless beside the screaming Sicarius. Only a tear found itself on the outskirts of her cheeks, rolling downwards to combine with the golden sap bordering the cuts and scratches of the body underneath.
Remembering Proditor’s words, Sicarius spread her arms across her face before lowering herself to the cold neck below. Exposing her ripened fangs, she closed her eyes as her jaws clenched against the lifeless neck. She reacted bitterly to the coldness of the body but bit all the more. The little blood that remained in the body slowly rose to her patient mouth. The blood encircled her teeth and her tongue until slowly making its way into the throat within. Believing it was enough to create the power Proditor spoke of, Sicarius removed her mouth from the neck. She let the petrified head slowly fall onto the ground, closing the open eyes with a slow movement of her hand.
A bite enabled her to witness the basic memories entrapped in the victim as so to speak. When biting Glacies, she had quickly known of her short life and how she was created. The images were slightly blurred, but nevertheless visible. Glacies was the daughter of a familiar face, a face she knew too well to overthink what she saw. She continued keeping the brief memories to herself, not wanting Glacies to taste the edge of a sword.
This was all the same with Proditor’s memories, yet more dramatic. A thin fog blocked her view from what was. The world around her disappeared, as if she were transported into another era, another dimension, another world. It was so, the memories provided the setting as it was—an illusion of wonder. Quickly the memories began to transition. Wars began to appear, most of which her face was clearly seen. The ground began to shake, causing large holes to form and lava to spread its body onto the sands that bared the wandering warriors. She had remembered the days after that had proceeded those of Malum, terrible days that had transformed her awakening life.
She continued seeing the images around her until they quickly changed into images far more dramatic. Images of Malum cutting himself at the wrist to provide droplets into a clear sphere of water fluttered through her mind. Quickly motioning the water in a circular pattern, the water transformed into a black round object, deathly in appearance. The images transitioned into the creatures of mud that had drank the puddle of golden blood sprawled on the floor before the shattered black glass.
More dramatic the images flew around her, exposing her mind to the terrifying aspects and memories contained in Malem. Images of suffering and despair, of children dying in the ruthless of ways. Images of skulls lining the paths to the castle. Images of men’s faces becoming distorted until becoming no more than a pile of raw powder. These images of disaster provided a deathly feeling to Sicarius, feelings she had thought had been long lost. But still the images spread around her. She screamed with great might, knowing that the images would only become even more of a nuisance. Then she saw it, the soul of Malum before her, the mask of deception nearing her. The forestry was much like the one she had already past except for the trees being tall and black. The long branches seemed like claws scratching the wind in the most susceptible of places.
The beating eyes behind the metallic mask walked closer, as if floating within the air. Sicarius lifted her weapons, only knowing it was nothing more than a powerful memory. Still she held the weapons in a defenseless stance. Malum walked towards her nonetheless, his dark red cloak moving behind his black armory. Sicarius waited as Malum slowly walked through her, the image flickering with smoke as it reappeared in front of her. Bringing a vile towards his face, he peered in the seemingly empty solution. But there was far more to what lurked inside. He crushed the vile with his pale hands, ignoring the small pieces of glass sinking into his flesh. A sudden chilliness filled the air, as a white smoke appeared before Sicarius.
Stating a few words aloud, Malum opened his mouth. A seemingly clear force leapt out of him, causing his body to stumble before a clear soul. “What is that?” questioned Sicarius with beating eyes. She walked closer towards the floating dead body until the eyes opened with a flash. The body disintegrated before her, leaving the mask to float on top of the small burning pile. The spirit above seemed to not be, for the body seemed invisible except for the blood red eyes that seemed to kill life with a simple stare.
Suddenly the armory that had covered Malum beforehand appeared around his body as his spirit motioned with his hand towards the pile of blackened ash. The armory of his hand formed long metallic nails of death as they pointed at his own lifeless body, or what was left of it. A small course voice was heard,
words that seemed meaningless to the staring Sicarius. Relaxing her grip on her daggers, Sicarius watched as a strong gust of wind filled the gaps between the tall wicked trees. The branches moved about, as if attempting to scrape Sicarius from her flesh.
Still Malum spoke. He lifted his hand upwards, causing the ashes to become a swirl of black magic. Not yet fully visible, a body began to immerge. It was a wicked power indeed, for the man before the spirit of Malum did not contain a mask to hide his deathly stare. With a muscular body and a smooth face, he seemed to be a statue in a castle. But it was the eyes that caused death within. The eyes sparkled with malevolence as the body bowed down to its master.
The spirit above smiled, his mouth clearly shown where the mask did not cover him. Slightly confused, Sicarius only marginally lifted her blade to her forehead to degrade the force of the wind against her face. Each time the wind’s power was felt, small wisps of smoke clashed against her face. Then the spirit spoke in a familiar language, the ancient language of the land. “Surgere Rise!” he yelled through the silent night, causing the winds to ease.
The man, known as Malum’s life form, rose up to his full height. His body was bare before the chilliness of the wind. Still the steady wind did not pierce his body. The wicked spirit lifted his arms, lifting up two blades that seemed oddly similar to that of Sicarius’s. She quickly scanned her own set of blades—not that she hadn’t seen them before. Looking upwards, Sicarius promptly realized that the blades the spirit of Malum bore were in fact identical to hers.
In anticipation, Sicarius watched as the soul swiftly glided towards its body with great force. The head seemed a skull-like appearance before the racing and raggedy cloak. With a quick swipe, Malum’s soul sliced through the man’s flesh. As if necessary, blood began pouring down the strongly formed chest where the slash marks gleamed. Again the spirit flew towards the body, continuing to slash the body into several smaller pieces. Sicarius stared in utter disgust as the body before her was no more; it fell bitterly to the ground in not one, but several gruesome pieces in a large puddle of deep red blood.
Sicarius had seen blood sprawled across faces, many of which were her friend’s. She had never, however, seen blood as red as the wet patch that moved towards her trembling feet. The blood quickly wrapped around the legs where she stood, forming small clouds of deathly reddened smoke along the exterior. Not failing to stare at the atrocious scene, she formed a trembling frown as her eyes grew wider and her emotions turned into that of destine horror. The small pieces of the body continued moving up and down as if the fragments contained the power to breathe. The eyeballs floated above the bloody skull in deep regret.
Again Malum’s spirit glided towards the murder scene, positioning his body in a walking position above the shimmering red sea. Rapidly, Malum’s soul walked over the red carpet with high power, crushing the skull in a brusque manner. He seemed to enjoy the scene, salivating for far more. Lowering his daggers and body towards the ground, Malum watched with great interest as a small cloud of smoke slowly inserted itself into the prime weapons, casing a destine blue glow to appear along the blade’s powerful stones. His cloak was filled with his own hateful blood as it dripped downwards before a standing body. “Sunt non eadem Are you not the same.?”
Sicarius cringed her nose, continuing to stare at the figure. The image began to flicker, darkening in the precise moment as the spirit stabbed the closest reptile form—a two headed figure. The head slowly turned towards Sicarius with gleaming eyes and a deathly smile of profound wickedness. She tried to comprehend the matter, knowing that Malum’s spirit had divided itself but for what? Was it that Malum was composed of two spirits? The questions were left unanswered.
Sicarius screamed with great might, holding her head with both her hands. The scene had been too much to intake, her head bleeding profoundly with the silver blood she was made up with. Her eyes tightened with potency, causing a light bruise to form around the edges of the agitated spheres of sight. Her body trembled intensely as a deep surge of blood filled her ears, causing her neck to throb violently. “I am not! I am not! I am not!” screamed Sicarius deeply. Her jaws clenched in a trembling stance. Her voice screamed out once again, far more loudly than before as small tears dropped from her tightly closed eyes of dread.
“Sicarius! Listen to me! We are here!” yelled the king all the more, gripping Sicarius’s arms rather tightly in an attempt to cause the daggers to fall to the ground. As they fell, a light sizzling sound enwrapped the hilts. A light mist arose from them, as heat wrapped around the edges in a simmering stance.
“No! Go away! Go away! Now!” Sicarius continued to scream in suffering as her arms flew around her sides in a desperate manner. She pushed at the armory that formed along Magni’s chest, causing her eyes to open before a blurred image. Yet the red eyes were there! They were everywhere she looked, where she peered, and especially where she stared. Was death all the same?
Magni wrapped his arms around the trembling figure, tightening his grip all the more. “It’s me Magni. All is well,” Magni stated, trying to comfort the already distressed Sicarius.
Sicarius slowly opened her eyes once again, as if frightened to see who was before her. Magni relaxed his grasp around the sides of her slender body. Thin drops of sweat lined her face, or perhaps it was tears that gleamed a new hope. She looked upwards towards Magni, tightening her arms around him in a relieved manner. “I saw him,” she stated softly. Her eyes gleamed with a new feeling of tranquility and courage. Slightly embarrassed by her recent behavior, she brushed the sides of her black armory and walked towards the blue flames. She left the body that had caused her great pain and suffering.
“How may we remove the body?” questioned Invicta to the king in a low manner as to not cause Sicarius any more suffering.
The king looked towards Invicta and in a discrete manner he whispered back, “I do not believe he would like to be buried in the land he so much fought against. However, it is also a long ways towards the castle of Sapientem, the only closest of kings. I do not know how to answer your question. I will let Sicarius to decide when she is stronger than now.”
“We don’t have much time, my lord! How do you expect us to fight off your brother when we have to take time to decide about the body that just so happened to ‘arrive’!” whispered Invicta in an agitated manner. His voice was loud enough to hear from where Sicarius stood peering at the dancing flames in front of her. The king motioned for Invicta to lower his voice, but it was far too late. Invicta’s face shown red with anger as he turned to the shadow in front.
“There is no need to whisper to my side and wish that I may not listen. I am here and so is my now dead cousin. There is nothing more we can do about that. Considering the circumstances as the king stated, there is nothing more we can do than to leave the body where it stands. After all, my cousin always believed he would die in the land he had so bitterly fought against. Let this be a tribute to all he has done!” spoke Sicarius with strong wordings. Her cloak elevated as she spoke these words. She lowered her stance, grabbing the weapons that had so keenly dropped from her hands. “And don’t ever take my prime weaponry from my clutches!” she threatened as she turned away.
“What is it you saw? I see red eyes in the midst. Is this what the inhabitants call Malum? But why? Or should I say how did this Malum come to be?” questioned the young girl. With profound grace, Glacies walked towards the group while moving her hands along the sides of her clothing.
“Nothing has occurred. Only a depraved memory from the past has haunted me. Nothing more,” Sicarius stated with a menacing smile. She began to walk towards the bushes that bordered the small encampment.
“I too felt a great pain surge through me. While I did not see, I felt,” stated Magni as he held his chest. Invicta slightly rolled his eyes as he stared at the ground in annoyance. He despised what his brother had become. Was it the powers he now contained? Blasphemy, he did not account with beasts he was destined to
kill, to loathe, to prey upon. He and the king were surrounded by not the beasts that roamed through the trees, but the inhabitants they called ‘friends.’ He cringed his nose in deep disgust as he looked upon the ground in agony.
Sicarius stopped in her tracts, leaving a trail of aesthetic prints behind her. The armory around her slender thighs seemed nothing more than a thin shiny cloth. Yet, even the flames did not attempt to spring at the sudden movement. Sicarius turned around, her black hair gripping the darkness as she stared threateningly towards those around her. “I do not wish to speak of what I saw just now. But yes, it is true. Malum is much near. I did not believe all these years of fighting would bring us where we had left off!” yelled Sicarius loud enough for the small insects that carefully crawled along the long branches to silence their slight steady sounds.
The king moved towards Sicarius. “It is alright. This land will benefit from what you have seen. Perhaps if we stop my brother, we will achieve victory.”
“That is not the case,” stated Sicarius, “for Malum lives off of fragments of his spirit. I did not want to say, but there is no time to relax a single muscle. Fragments of his spirit have gone into a two-headed creature. I could not quite distinguish the shadow, for the darkness was exceedingly profound.”
“It appears that Malum has achieved the power of spirisectis. It is not quite surprising in a way,” stated the king as he frowned in deep thought.
Sicarius only merely nodded, her teeth fully exposed in a snarl. Sicarius threw her cloak on the ground before walking behind the brushes bordering the small area. Glacies followed in hopes that Sicarius would not notice her stalking stance.
Fortis, Magni, and Invicta were left alone. Not even the fire seemed to provide a sound to limit the awkwardness of the surroundings. Perhaps what seemed more awkward was the fact that a body glistened from in front. A motionless body at that, one of a recently deceased man with eyes newly opened.
Slowly moving his head towards the motionless figure, Magni realized they were left to bury the body without even the man’s relative’s help. “We should do with the body. How should we come about this?” Magni questioned.
Invicta’s eyes bore more inferiority than before; a slight goldness surrounded the eye of sight. “Why don’t you bite him too?” he asked, his throat throbbing with great anger.
Noticing his brother’s anger, Magni turned back. “Because I can control it! You should control your anger too! You look at what I have become physically and fail to realize how agitated you are. Are you not the true monster? Your hateful eyes speak for themselves,” screamed Magni with a loud, yet calm, voice.
Knowing the brothers would be destined to fight against one another, Fortis closed his eyes while holding his hands steady towards the ground. A sudden spark of green flame ignited from his hand. Opening his eyes, he saw the flames gleaming to both his sides, preventing the destruction of the brothers. “Stop at once!” yelled the king far more profoundly than that of both man’s voice, “Magni is the same as all. He is your brother, do not forget that.”
Still the king heard the sword begin to come out. Quickly, Fortis turned his body, pushing Invicta at his chest. Invicta’s hand slowly released the sword as he slowly crashed onto the ground, his eyes tightening with defeat. Fortis walked towards Invicta, the green flames following his every move. He held his hand out, offering peace with his most trusted of warriors. Invicta glanced at the king, not knowing whether to take the hand or push it off. Realizing the king only seeked prevention of more bloodshed, Invicta grabbed a hold of the hand to rise to the king’s level.
Magni ignored the scene, feeling more comfortable with a dead body than his own brother. He felt like a disgusting figure to the inhabitants. What would become of him? In some parts they killed the kind he so recently became. Is this what he wanted? Or was it merely something he dreaded? He felt a strong chemistry between himself and Sicarius, a surge of electrical current wrapping what had been his heart. But he also felt the need for the taste of fresh blood…
Chapter 14
A Newly Found Life