by D.E.P.
Sicarius slowly lifted up her head, the thoughts quickly racing through her mind. It had only taken a few seconds for her to remember what had happened, what was in the present, and what was certainly to come. She promptly rolled the embalmed body as the hyacinth defended her position with disdain. She drew her blade, dragging it against the multitude of webbing wrapped around the weak and cold body. As she pulled back the white linen, a cold face with petrified wide eyes greeted her with vengeance. No longer did it appear that there was life in the body, for as Sicairus touched the lips of the limp figure, a chilly feeling enwrapped around her flesh. Death was cold itself.
She screamed uncontrollably, pounding the body as if to awaken it. But it was no more, for the last breaths of air had drifted off from her cold mouth. If Sicarius had moved faster, perhaps Glacies would be breathing. Perhaps if she had not brought her along, Glacies would not have died. Or even perhaps if she had not cut the webbing that had been attached to the beast lurking before her, Glacies would have continued feeding on her kill. Immortality was useless. Even without the heart beating profusely, the soul could be taken as swiftly as the heart had been plucked out.
The hyacinth leapt onto the clawing spider with precision, evading the arms that attempted to sink its sharp endings into the fresh flesh on top of her. She screamed with anticipation as the hyacinth continued leaping away from death. Noticing the spider’s weakness, the hyacinth swiftly grabbed onto one of the legs, sinking its own pair of canines into the crisp armory wrapped around the beating meat inside. The fur around the quick legs began to be covered with its own makings. The spider failed to heal itself as several other animals were able to. It only had its stalking children to call upon, many of which had begun racing out of the cave’s mouth.
The king looked upon Invicta’s petrified eyes, feeling slightly uncomfortable at the sight. But he did not feel the stench of death lurking around him as he had on the battle fields against the dark spirits that wandered throughout the land. In those times he would feel a profound coldness grip his arms, digging its chilly nails deep into his versatile flesh. Still he did not feel it. He lowered his body, feeling the two holes in which the fangs of a given spider caused its prey to lay like stone. The deep grooves no longer bled, only thick mucus of nearly dried blood bordered the interior of the tunnels. Then there was a throb, a pulse. No it was much more, the life that had thought lost had returned.
“Magni! Your brother, he breathes!” Fortis yelled over the small noises of agony coming from the small creatures lying upon the ground.
Magni continued stabbing the creatures with great hate shown upon his face. As he stuck his sword into one, his eyes brightened before he motioned the blade of his sword towards his back. He did not turn his body to see his primate die with sufferance put upon it. There was no need, since he already knew what would become. With every step he took, blood did not ease to grasp itself on the bottom of his feet as a last resort to put suffering upon his soul. Pieces of the insects’ body scattered the terrestrial environment. Legs bordered the trees, abdomens dug themselves into the soft ground, and the heads stood out enough for the eyes to be seen from afar. At last the task was accomplished, but was it? For life had no end of misery.
Magni placed his sword to his side as he quickly walked towards the gleaming flames. Each footstep sounded with the puddles of blood lying in his path. “Brother, tell me, how do you feel?” he stated as he approached the outreaching blazes. His figure stood as a shadow before the glow.
“I am doing fine brother. I hope Sicarius did not bite me already!” yelled Invicta at the brink of coughing. His face showed frail, but nevertheless alive than before. His chest beat faster, causing his course breaths to be heard even with the loud shrieks from afar.
“Sicarius!” Magni yelled as he turned in the direction in which the sound rang through the trunks of the trees.
“Go Magni. The Shadow of Death does not lie far. Invicta and I will make our way in that direction. Do the same,” ordered the king as he took hold of Invicta’s shoulders against his mighty chest in an attempt to bring him to his feet. Invicta’s legs throbbed with pain which was clearly shown from his agitated face. Droplets of sweat began rising to the surface of his scalp and skin, sliding downwards with the gravity’s force. The flames began dwindling into the dirt’s depth, causing only smoke to rise.
Magni put his arm around Invicta’s shoulder, “Stay alive won’t you?” he stated before he ran towards the scene of which the loud outcry rang.
Invicta put his arm around the king’s neck in an effort to move his body only one step further. With each slight movement, the pain continued to scorch its way throughout his flesh. Still he attempted to precede, the Shadow of Death almost visible within the light fog. Slowly the king and Invicta meandered through the dark environment, their figurines disappearing in the thin haze.
Sicarius lifted up the body with both her hands, scraping off the excess amount of the spider’s webbing. Disgusted by the tackiness, she brushed her hand onto her armory. Sicarius looked backwards; the hyacinth was weakening along with its enemy. The beast continued to drool in grand amounts, the flow of spit bubbling with vigor, a life no longer seen in the fleecy creature. The small spiders were slowly making their way around their mother, salivating blood from the figure ahead of them. Sicarius knew the battle would be endless, that time came with a price. She ran towards the smaller spiders, running swiftly around the mother. With a loud scream Sicarius called the hyacinth as she stared into the several eyes watching her with eagerness for a taste of her ripe blood.
The hyacinth lifted up its hind legs before letting out a loud growl that vibrated every cell of the body. The fur moved steadily with the swift movement of the body as it jumped from the hirsute abdomen of the spider and onto the soft bland ground. Quickly, Sicarius moved her left leg onto the other side of the body, kicking off of the ground as the hyacinth pushed off underneath to avoid the quick shiny fangs before them. The small spider missed, gliding into the air and onto an innocent tree. It bared its fangs into the trees hardened flesh until the bold figure began to limp downwards.
Sicarius looked back only once, her black cloak concealing her shadow. The spiders’ legs quickly raced down the small hill before them, nearing the abrasive breathing underneath. Sicarius withdrew her weapons once again, knowing that hope was over far too quickly. She stared into the many eyes searching for her heart. She did not possess what they wanted, only death if they pleaded for it. She hit both her blades against each other, causing sparks to form at the edges as she balanced herself. It was clear that she was mocking the smaller beasts following her path until one of them reached the hind legs of the hyacinth. Stealthily, Sicarius slashed at the skull, missing it by mere movement. Again she tried, not only cutting the skull, but also the legs that wrapped around it in misery. The body fell, only to be trampled by the livelier of the creatures.
“Test me!” Sicarius screamed through the darkness as more of the creatures raced from odd corners. The Shadow of Death was close enough to breathe the strong stench of carcasses. Slowly, the rather large nostrils of the hyacinth became concentrated with the odor, causing him to growl at the invisible element. Several of the spiders’ carcasses spread across their sides as more of the living insects continued coming.
The fangs of a spider gaped open before Sicarius until the spider leapt upwards. Its eyes thirsted for something much alive. The eyes shown a definite determination to sink its prime weapons into thick flesh to relish the liquid hidden inside. Sicarius widened her eyes in hatred, her pupils brightening in defeat. But defeat was long lost as she jumped backwards from the hyacinth’s back.
“Do not stop,” she whispered before her back fell onto the hard ground, causing a profound amount of dust to be lifted from its settlement. Her hair, moistened by a rush of sweat, lightly brushed the ground as it glistened before the rush of bony legs coming towards her. She looked towards the hyacinth’s shadow, noting the petrified body grasped
to its side. She had never removed the bindings when she had released the hyacinth from her command. They had served a purpose. The two hearts had continued beating once again as they clung to the side. The seed essentially containing the queen’s life was safe even in the darkness.
Sicarius felt her head, moistening her hands as she glared at her blade beneath her rested hand. She rose up, slashing at the skinny legs that attempted to grab her thigh. A thick liquid did not fail from spewing upon her armory. Yet, she did not move. She only heard the immense amount of insects making their way towards her. She rose up, a large amount of chilliness wrapping around the bare parts of her body. The branches to her sides were far higher than she had anticipated. Their thin trunks scorched fury to her chest. She pulled her hair back, pushing the thin strands of blackness with her sharp finger nails.
She could not outrun them. She could not avoid them. Fighting was the only way. She slowly lifted up her head as she saw the multitude slowly moving around the circular patch in which she stood. Sicarius ran the blade through the skull of the nearest spider, splitting the body into two. The legs briskly moved dramatically until they froze in their position. She kicked one as it lifted up its front legs as if pushing her towards a deathly fate. Slowly they squeezed around her, tightening the circle that had once let her breathe.
“Need the help, I see?” a question was asked. It was not clear where the silent, yet strong sound came from. Sicarius did not keep her eyes off the violent figurines as she bore her blade deep into their throats. Their sounds of suffering did not cause the others to end their battle, however. Instead it encouraged them to proceed to a similar fate.
There was only one second for Sicarius to raise her left eyebrow in confusion, for she already knew who it was, but where he was was a mystery on its own. Slowly the thin and sharp legs of a spider dug into her leg in an effort to have her fall ever so brusquely onto the ground contaminated with the gruesome insects. The legs of her dominator were composed of sturdy sharp bristles of bone scraping the inner surface of her flesh.
Sicarius made an effort to crawl from the raging fangs, avoiding the deathly teeth from puncturing her skin. She turned around, knowing she could not move forward. The crowd of spiders only stared around her. They did not move further towards her nor did they gape their fangs at her. They only watched. This was what frightened Sicarius the most.
She briskly turned, slashing at the thin and scrawny leg of a spider. The blood did not splatter around her blade, however. A new weapon was introduced to the scene, the one to which Sicarius clanged her blade against, causing a metallic sound to move through the darkness. Sicarius looked upwards without the slightest emotion on her face. Looking onto the shadow, she smiled with contempt as she saw the face of Magni at her defense.
Her lips pursed, becoming slightly moistened by a new emotion. She frowned. Nevertheless, she stated, “I could have fought them all myself.”
“I do not doubt that. Yet, you cannot say you could not have used the help,” Magni stated boldly, holding her hand in an attempt to lift her body to his side.
Yet, she did not use the hand to push her body upwards in a standing position. Instead, she withdrew her pale strings of flesh, brushing them on her armory before standing up. She did not face her savior; instead, she walked away, having her back face Magni. Magni slightly rolled his eyes, “Women.”
He strolled to the other edge of the circle, pushing his spade through the several bodies that despite the scene, continued exposing their fangs for a new kill. “We need to abort! The king and Invicta are waiting for us at the Shadow of Death. We are nearly there.”
Sicarius turned back, slightly annoyed as she stuffed her blades into the abdomen of a near spider. “If we run away in a cowardice manner, we will only lead the spiders towards the king himself!” she screamed desperately. Only slightly looking up at the small hill she had crossed, Sicarius watched as clumps of dirt dropped at their own disposal. A large shadow rose up, eyeing all that was.
The mother tarantula began moving its thick furry legs down the hillside, causing the branches of the trees to shake before being tossed like twigs towards the sides. “On second thought, we have no choice but to cross the Shadow of Death before the spiders reach it,” Sicarius justified Magni’s decision.
Quickly Magni grabbed Sicarius’s arm, kicking one of the spiders before him as they swiftly ran through the hillside of outreaching arms—the branches overhead. The Shadow of Death was nothing more than a stream, one that was slightly thinner than the one inhabited by the sirens. There were significant differences between both streams. While the stream of the sirens’ hid the truth beneath the slow waves, the Shadow of Death made no attempt to hide the spirits beneath its green surface. It was said that within time the spirits could return to their bodies, only if the time was kept from pacing away. Such things needed to be done delicately.
“Only a few footsteps more,” yelled Magni, though his breaths were raspy.
Sicarius bit her lip, “I have eyes as much as you do!” Sicarius looked back to see the larger of the spiders lingering closer to them. Her offspring followed behind her quick steps, moving to the side as to avoid the crush of her furry legs. A small dark boat slowly moved through the waves ahead of them. Sicarius frowned at the moving figure before her. The skull at the front of the small boat smiled all the more, its red jewels brightening in its eye sockets. Magni and Sicarius stared at each other for only a moment. It was not a look of affection that brought their eyes close together; it was one of horror and dread.
They looked at their surroundings hoping to find the king ready to end their doom. But there was no king there, or Invicta for that matter. Rather large prints bordered the shoreline of the stream, heading towards the right. Sicarius squinted before slightly smiling as she saw the hyacinth moving towards her with three shadows atop it. It seemed rather a lot of weight to bear in one run, but the hyacinth was mighty enough to overcome the burden. Sicarius’s smile turned into one of thought, for she knew that a cold body lay upon the furry figure.
“What is it Sicarius?” Invicta asked slightly agitated.
“The girl. She is dead,” Sicarius stated faintly.
Invicta looked upon the ground. There was nothing to say or do, only wait. It became a race between the spiders and the hyacinth as they both neared the petrified figure, each with their withdrawn weapons. The hyacinth lifted its hind legs in a rapid movement while the larger of the spiders jumped vigorously towards its primate.
It was too obvious that beneath the small cloud of dirt that surrounded the area, the spiders were succeeding. Sicarius spun her daggers to her side, too quick to slice through her own flesh. Invicta held his spade in front of him, his eyes perplexed on the cloud before him. But rather ironically, the obvious was oblivious of what was to happen. Loud screams were heard behind the curtain of dust. Raspy throats yelled for a close revenge where there was not. Invicta relaxed his shoulders, yet he clung to the hilt of his sword for any expectations. Sicarius narrowed her eyes in an attempt to perceive the scene before her.
Large fangs, much more colossal than the curved husks of the tarantula, sunk deep into the flesh of the enemy. The tip of the fangs did not fail to breathe air from the other side of the thick flesh as they curved to puncture the interior of a skull. The long body moved closer towards its prey, while the tongue stabbed the eyes of the large spider. The scales on the savior reflected the faces of Invicta and Sicarius—faces of wonder. It was not quite sure whether the serpent was a friend or merely a dominant figure that lurked for fresh blood. The king and the others were not about to wait to find out.
The king quickly stretched his right foot out to climb over the small boat, slamming his heel onto the sturdy base. They all did the same, staring at the shadow slithering away from the evidence of blood that overlaid the area where the serpent once stood. Long thin strands of webbing bordered the interior of the small boat, wrapping its threads along the arms of the individua
ls who boarded the vessel. Invicta took some time, making an effort to enter.
They were all in except for the hyacinth that paced impatiently at the shoreline. It breathed deeply, causing the dust to disappear and reveal the ancient bones that lined the edge of the stream. Finally the hyacinth moved its body towards the craft. It positioned its front paws on the side of the boat, stretching out its neck before proceeding onto the inside.
The ship was small, yet it seemed to have stretched itself to accommodate the new guests. Sicarius quickly walked towards the one she had befriended. Kneeling down on her left leg, she unbinded the stoned body. “You have done well. Go if you must,” whispered Sicarius in the hyacinth’s ear as she cut the last strand of binding. But the hyacinth did not move; it stood emotionless as if saddened by Sicarius’s wording. Nevertheless, it walked towards the end of the boat, curling up to rest. Sicarius too found a seat on the interior side the long boat, letting the motionless body fall onto her legs.
“What now, my king?” asked Magni after he overlooked the rigid land. From the thin fog, it could be noted that long moving objects produced mystifying shadows underneath. Birds with bat-like wings croaked a deathly tune in the branches of the skeleton trees that rose from the sides of the stream. All in all, the place seemed dirty in appearance, a thick green muck rising to the surface of the water.
“Ok, listen to me good, all of you!” the king yelled, “Once we touch the head of the skull, the boat will move its way in the direction we seek. However, the movement of this boat will cause the spirits underneath to stir. They will reach out their meddling arms towards the boat in search of a body to accommodate them. Do not reach towards them, for they are neither human nor beast. They know not what they do, for they are asleep,” the king stated with great emphasis. If such thing were to happen, a zombie would be reborn.
“But where must we go?” questioned Sicarius with her head high above.
“Knowing time is rather precious, we must go towards the path of the foretellers. It is the only way to reach Sapientem in time,” stated the king. “Let me make it clear that you should not desire to go forward, for your mind will see great things, but they will be nothing more than your imagination luring you towards death.”
No one spoke. No one thought. And no one moved. They stayed emotionless before Invicta slowly raised his hand towards the skull. “Must we begin?” Invicta questioned, not waiting for a response before he massaged the surface of the white skull.
It seemed as if the quick movement of the hand had no meaningful effect on such an odd object. The eyes continued to stare at the new arrivals, feeding off their emotions until it brightened its ruby eyes with vengeance. The white skull moved its head to get a better view of its surrounding until it spoke to those that had boarded his ship.
“I am death itself, having several known appearances. Yet this is my dwelling where you may choose to jump off of to seek death in a closer time than expected. You my king, have always looked rather young despite the years you have gone through. It wouldn’t make a difference if you only touched the surface of the stream. Or you my dear Sicarius, would you not want to meet those you have slain? Nevertheless, you must choose whether you seek life or death. I am fair to all people, the rich, the poor, the beautiful, and the ugly,” stated the skull as it moved its ‘head’ from side to side with each meaningful word. The voice was raspy, as if feeding off the souls in the boat as it moved from side to side with the waters. The smile widened with thirst.
“We wish to go towards the path of the foretellers,” stated the king.
“Of course you do. What is this they foretell? A death aboard my ship?” the skull snickered. “I know you have a girl that is most definitely mine. Perhaps you believe she is not within your grasp. Yet she is closer than you think. Catch her quick and she will be yours. Fail to do so and I will have not one, but two souls as my prize,” stated the skull most diligently.
“Where must she be? I solemnly swear to take you on your most generous offer,” stated Sicarius as she rose upwards to look onto the red beating eyes of the skull.
“Patience, my dear. You always seek to finish your task so quickly. You may see her once I awaken the souls in my grasp,” stated the skull.
Slowly the boat broke through the green muck that had formed around the vessel. It moved towards the right side of the stream, awakening the souls underneath. Sicarius impatiently looked over the boat’s side in search of Glacies’s soul. A define brightness from underneath gave way to the forms of the spirits as they moved towards the water’s surface. Slowly they broke outward, facing the faces that stared upon them. Most of the souls seemed old, their wrinkles clearly seen within the soul’s green transparent bodies. They reached their arms towards the sides of the boat in a great attempt to only slightly touch the living bodies above.
“Death, what happens if they do touch our bodies?” questioned Sicarius with a disgusted look upon her face.
“It is life you should feel disgusted by. I really do pity the living. To answer your question, a touch will only bring them closer to you. You may certainly dive in my waters. However, the souls, greedy as they are, will attempt to lodge their soul into your body. First the souls will push your body deep into the waters, causing you to search for the death you knew you would find. You see, I win either way. The souls only fight with each other, none of them able to live as they once did,” laughed the skull silently to itself.
Sicarius bit her lip in thought. Slowly smiling to herself, she reached into the bag that had once been along the side of the hyacinth. The beating heart of the beast pumped strongly, pulsating the blood along its massive body. Sicarius withdrew the several vials, making sure the skull did not see; she hid the scene with her cloak.
“What is that you have there, my dear?” questioned the skull with a sudden concern.
Sicarius lifted up one of the chests that contained a silent heart. “The heart of Glacies,” she stated boldly, hiding the emotions of victory.
“Ah yes. Many say vampires have no soul without their hearts. They are wrong I tell you! A soul can always separate from a body at death. These things must be done most delicately,” spoke the skull once again, turning its head to face what was before it.
Sicarius took advantage of the situation, feeding the palm of her hand with several intriguing capsules. She quickly returned the vials into the sack as she closed her hand around her own dark magic. She had only a few to feed on.
There was not much to see, only the souls that crept upwards in an attempt to border the ship. They looked much like the ancient zombies from a distant land. Yet, they did not seek blood, only a body to dwell in.
Invicta looked upon his blade, eyeing the reflection of a profound green glow. “And what do you do with these souls anyways?” questioned Invicta.
“If you must ask, this is nothing more than a storage room for the dead. Something more will come to release them to another place. But now is most definitely not the time, for death of a prime one is needed,” smiled the skull wickedly.
“Tell me, is my time near?” asked Invicta. He seemed to have become accustomed to the skull. To make it clear, the skull was not more of a friend than it was an enemy. It was neutral as death was.
The skull’s eyes brightened as it thought, “As I am not a fortune teller, I cannot tell you exactly when or how your life will end. However, I do not smell the stench of death for you anytime soon.”
Invicta neither smiled nor widened his eyes. He only nodded with discomfort. As he looked towards the distance he saw marvelous objects an inhabitant could only dream of. That was just the thing; the objects were merely a formation of the mind. Still, Invicta pointed towards what he saw as a golden statue of himself. The statue of himself stood bold and tall with an arm outstretched exposing his mighty golden sword. Even with the fog, it shined, motioning Invicta to come forth.
“Over there, what is it?” questioned Invicta even though he knew it was a statue of
himself.
The skull gave a raspy laugh, narrowing its eyes in a foul manner, “That, my young soul, is what you wish it to be. I feel you want me to guide you in that direction?”
Invicta did not reply, he only nodded in the skulls presence. “Invicta! Whatever you see is not real! Do you not see the sharp rocks in the distance? They will surely puncture the boat and lead us to be dragged with the other souls, you fool!” yelled Magni. With the hilt of his sword, Magni pushed it towards his brother’s skull. Invicta knew what was to come, he grabbed the hilt, turning so the sword was no longer in Magni’s grasp but in his.
“I am not blind, brother! If it were solely my imagination I would know it! Look here, I bite myself, yet my statue is still there. I am beginning to believe that the skull’s warnings are only a means to lead us away from what we desire!” yelled Invicta as he threatened his brother to take a seat in front of him.
“Invicta, it is not so. I am sorry,” stated the king, as he stretched his hand towards Invicta’s shoulder. Invicta believed it was only a movement of sadness. This was where he was wrong. As the king moved his fingers through the bones of Invicta’s shoulders, he pushed hard, causing Invicta to slowly fall against the side of the boat. The spade he held fell towards the ground in defeat as his back slid down the seat.
“Well that was well taken care of!” yelled Sicarius as she spun her daggers and returned them to her sides.
“I see death is not as near as it seems,” stated the skull as he turned his eyes towards Sicarius, “As for you, you have a soul to catch. Look on and you will see your sister at your midst.” Instead of the boat heading towards the sharp rocks to their side, it quickly moved away from it, evading the crash by only a whisper. The king had searched drastically for a soul pertaining to the queen; but such a soul did not exist, for he knew she could only be alive.
Sicarius slowly moved her head towards the water’s surface, eyeing a wandering soul heading towards the base of the boat. It seemed as if it were the body of Glacies gliding through the mucky stream. Yet, she did not seem the same, for her face did not show the same child-like appearance as before.
Sicarius frowned in disbelief, quickly turning her head towards the greedy skull. “You deceive me! The girl is no longer as young as she once looked,” yelled Sicarius with disgust in her throat.
“That you are true. The waters do cause children to age rather dramatically. Save her now and she will retain her appearance. If not, her soul may become much weaker. If I must say, she seems the same age as yourself,” asserted the skull.
“Sicarius, do not do this! All the skull wants is your life,” stated Magni as he attempted to hold her hand.
Sicarius tightened her eyes in a threatening manner as she brushed the hand off. “Calling me old? Perhaps you have not seen my true appearance,” stated Sicarius as she let her back drop backwards. Her cloak flew behind her, hiding her stealthy hands as they moved their way into her mouth. Her tongue quickly yielded to the capsules, moving them deep along her throat. At a last resort before falling into the waters, Sicarius moved her tongue along the sharp fangs she bore.
“Sicarius!” was the last sound Sicarius heard from above as her body and cloak quickly took the appearance of the waters. She moved her hands in a spreading manner in an attempt to find the soul of Glacies. She had seen it not far from the boat, yet the soul had wandered from her grasp. She tightened her face with impatience, for only a small amount of time remained. Strange plants sprouted from the ground. Dark emerald flowers bloomed with sharp spikes bordering its star-shaped corners. Velvet vines stretched their thin stems along the water bed, coiling their sharp bodies with ambivalence. As Sicarius looked forward, she saw skeletons of frogs and fish alike swimming through the ghostly waters of death itself. It was how life was to end.
The souls around Sicarius collided with her chest, appearing on the other side as they made their way towards the boat in search of a body to contain their soul. Sicarius was invisible to their deathly stare. Their faces shown greedily as their mouths gaped, their tongues protruded, and their eyes became aglow. Then she saw her; Glacies’s body moved slowly around the base of the boat as if considering the situation.
Sicarius pushed her feet off the nearest rock, propelling her body towards the soul she longed for. It was the only person who was close to her own blood.
The soul turned its face towards Sicarius, its hair gliding around her mature body. Her feet shown straight and vertical as she touched the base of the dark boat above her. A few minutes more would cost her her own life. Sicarius reached the arm of the figure, pulling it with great anticipation. But her hand never grasped the soul’s arm; it merely went through it like thin air. Time was ticking.
Magni walked towards the skull with a menacing expression. The king held his hand outwards in an attempt to stop him, “Magni, this was what Sicarius wished to do. She will succeed, always has.”
The skull laughed in a far more wicked manner. His eyes narrowed in dominance, “That is where you are wrong. She was a fool believing the prime soul would abide to her simple gesture! Why, the soul will be like air as long as she is within my grasp. There is one thing that I will give you in return for something quite precious. The net in the treasure chest you see to your side will enable you to capture only one soul you seek. Add more souls and it will break. But hurry, I hear the breaths of the young lady nearing their end.”
Magni shook his head in contempt, “You are not fair to all!” Quickly, he attempted to open the chest that seamed meaningless until this time. Pushing away the webbing that wrapped around the ancient treasure chest, he was able to successfully open it. There at the base of the chest laid a golden net, its glowing threads wrapping around each other. He wrapped his fingers between the holes of the net, pulling it upwards and throwing it down below in a violent manner. Droplets of water rose upwards, providing the emerald fog to unsettle around the ripples.
“These things must be done delicately. Do not tell me what fair is. After all, she did trick me with her magic capsules. Little does she know magic from her mouth has little effect in my waters. Did you not almost end up my sleeve? I created what you call a disease! I am the lord of the vampires, giving life to those that seek it!” the skull shrieked harshly until there was no effort to avoid the covering of one’s ears.
“I am forever in your hands,” stated Magni indignantly.
“That you are. I never said it was a wise gift of mine,” the skull croaked once again, “All end up at my dwelling at one time or another.”
Sicarius felt a branch, a twig, a plant’s leaf brushing against her scalp. Turning, she found a golden trap afloat. She knew it was nothing more than a net. But for who? As she moved away, the net did not follow. Its glowing appearance continued descending towards the musty ground until it floated no more. Slowly Sicarius approached the netting that spread across the floor, engraving itself onto the hardened dirt. She lowered her fingers, slightly intimidated by the prize given to her. One touch did not bring the net afloat once again. She made an effort to bring her fingers around the threads of the netting. Looking back, she made sure Glacies’s soul had not abandoned her. Swiftly, the net was released from within the dirt’s grasp, causing a cloud of the odd green substance to float around her.
Looking around desperately, Sicarius saw that she could no longer see through the shadows of the green. She knew the soul was behind her and moved her arms in that same direction. The boat was not difficult to find, for its dark shadow floated above. As her vision cleared, Sicarius saw the immense crowd of souls anticipating a body to fall in their midst. Sicarius moved her eyes frustratingly around the boat in search of a familiar figure. Yet she did not see it. Tracing the base of the boat with her hands, she felt the moss that had embedded itself on the grooves. Then she saw it—the soul of Glacies floated like a ghost above. Glacies turned around, staring directly at Sicarius. With threatening eyes, Glacies made an effort to swim towards her savior. Yet, her
expression shown one of greediness for the only body in her domain.
Sicarius shook her head in dismay. She had no more capsules, and it appeared that her invisibility was nothing more than a flicker. Her cloak only slightly camouflaged her body except for her face—the most distinct part of her figure. Desperately, Sicarius rapidly moved the net over her head as the soul dived into it. The golden netting spread outwards to bind the soul in its place. The soul did not stop there, however. Moving its body like the sliced tail of a lizard, she squirmed in stubbornness. With her teeth exposed, she dug her fangs into the strings in an effort to unbind the bindings around her transparent form.
Sicarius was far more stronger, however. Quickly she pulled the golden net upwards towards the base of the ship. She stopped her body with her other hand, slowly looking towards her side to find the numerous souls attached to the sides of the boat. They had seen her. Her slow and silent movement was all that was needed to capture their attention away from the prime target. Quickly they seemed to fly towards her, the water incapable of slowing their rapid pace. Sicarius knew she was defenseless even with her weapons. Yet, she pulled one of the daggers out as it shined even through the polluted environment.
The souls began to stir, grabbing her arm to pull her downward. The magic she had spoken to keep her breathing underwater was dispensed. She spoke the same words again, only to have her breaths silenced once again by the touch of another soul. She stabbed at the arms of those that held her, striking them until their souls seemed to tear before her. Her dagger seemed to have worked a miracle as she found the opportunity to push herself upwards towards the defenseless ship. But then she remembered, Malum had used the same trick on his own soul. He had sliced his body and soul, soul and body, until sinking his fragments into flesh. She clenched her mouth in terror. With great might, she pulled the net above her, having it rise into the interior of the vessel. She grabbed hold of the sides, hurriedly pulling her body upwards.
“Sicarius!” Magni yelled, rising up to help her into the boat. But it was useless as her body slipped back towards her doom. Only a slight splash was heard as the hands of a soul grabbed a hold of her body. The hyacinth stood up from its relaxed position, not failing to recognize danger. Without an order, he leapt over the side of the boat and into the ripples preceding Sicarius’s abduction. With a loud growl he hit the chilly water; his image was quickly clouded as he swam deeper underneath.
Sicarius moved her head side to side in confusion as small bubbles lifted upwards around her. Several souls grabbed hold of her arms, holding her against a giant emerald rock. She attempted to kick the figurines with little victory. Her feet simply went through the bodies. The spirits allowed only their own bodies to act like flesh and bone. The smiling faces were not comforting to see, for each possessed a different emotion of wickedness. Pushing her hand closer to her side, Sicarius’s face began to beat with frustration and discomfort, for air was scarce. Her hair flowed around her as she slightly touched the hilt of her blade. A distinct blue glow brightened at her side, but not before a shadow lurked towards her.
She widened at the sight of the shadow—an enormous black fish with a skeleton atop it swam near. The skeleton moved its hands steadily, controlling the creature towards Sicarius. The fish, blacker than the darkness around Sicarius, contained a large snout with sharp orange whiskers protruding from its upper thick lip. The skeleton pointed its skinny finger towards Sicarius as Sicarius lifted up her dagger to strike it. The fish stirred uncontrollably as it endeavored to take Sicarius into its own body. The souls had drifted away, allowing their master to finish her off. The staff on the other arm of the skeleton glowed with a profound lava-like color with a large opaque black pigment in the center, much like an eyeball moving around in a mystical manner.
Yet there was another shadow, one that moved oddly overhead. It was the last sight that Sicarius saw as she let her hand drop towards her side and her body to drift further down to the ground.
The hyacinth moved faster, growling loudly even underwater. Its nostril pulsated with annoyance as small fragments of green muck found its way into the small holes of his nose. As Sicarius continued falling, the hyacinth opened its large jaws, biting only the metal collar of his dreamy savior. He pulled the body upwards, turning quickly to avoid the fish’s tail that only attempted to uphold him. The souls did not follow, for it was not an animal they wished to dominate. Quicker the hyacinth paddled until its head protruded the surface of the water to the side of the slow-moving boat. The growl, starting from its throat, echoed throughout the habitat as it alarmed those above him.
“Help, my king! The hyacinth has her by the jaws!” yelled Magni as he grabbed hold of Sicarius’s tender hand. He pulled her upwards quickly as the king helped the hyacinth aboard. The dark shadow underneath had not surrendered, however, as it moved with great force towards the hands that held its prize possession. The hyacinth kicked off the side of the boat, falling into it in a drastic manner. It breathed deeply as it rested on its side, not able to walk on its legs to pull Sicarius from within the grasp of the fish.
“It’s a fish!” yelled Magni, desperately attempting to slay the snout of the beast. It was useless, however, since the fish’s snout lay far from the surface of the water. Its thick lips easily sucked at the thin legs of a motionless Sicarius. Magni pulled her arms higher, frantically trying to keep her head above the splashes of water. His face showed wrinkles where the edges of his cheeks tightened with frustration. It was well known that the fish would certainly take hold of the body if the fish was not slain. He looked behind him for the net, but it was already empty of the green soul of Glacies.
Glacies stood upwards, containing her bow on one hand and retrieving a perfect arrow with the other. Quickly, she ran to the side of the boat, feeling the frantic emotions of Magni unravel. “Glacies, your bow. Can it travel within the waters?” the king asked.
Glacies looked towards the king, “It was made in the waters. Of course all weapons must move swiftly through this mucky stream.” She pulled back her string, releasing the silver arrow into the water where the fish’s red eyes moved uncontrollably. Swiftly, the arrow divided the current, not failing to inject itself into its prime target. The fish moved drastically, its head splashing out of the water before diving down towards its safe haven in the misty underworld.
Glacies opened her mouth, narrowing her eyes with confusion as she recalled the many events that had occurred. The several memories combined. Her eyes brightened as flashbacks began to form. However, it did not change what it seemed had occurred.
“What is this?” questioned the skull, smiling all the more.
Sicarius’s body lay wet on the base of the boat, the droplets slipping from atop her. She did not cough, nor did she move a whisper.
“Well do something!” the king yelled, frowning as he pointed at the body, “You always wanted to kiss that woman, it is time!” The king did not form any expression of snickering, for his face shown wrinkles depicting that he was quite serious about his demands.
Magni frowned, shaking his head at first, but knowing that perhaps a breath could give life. After all, he did lust for such a thing in the past. Time was scarce. He swiftly lowered his body by his savior’s side, pulling her short black hair away from her plump reddened lips that posed as if destined for the occasion. His lips met hers. The threads that made both lips combined into one, as he produced four quick breaths into her body. With time being scarce, he untightened the bindings of her armory. Slowly running his arms towards her breathing region, he pressed hard several times. It seemed useless, as the body showed no signs of recuperating its life.
Glacies walked towards the net, hoping to retrieve it to fish Sicarius’s soul from beneath the boat as Sicarius had done for her. But the net was no longer there; it disappeared as she gave the slightest touch on an upright thread. “What is done is done,” stated the skull, “I am terribly sorry that you went through this dilemma in attempting to breath
e life in a living body. Such disgust! I have merely frozen her life, for every deal has a price. Bring me the skeleton finger from the witch’s domain in return for your princess’s life!” yelled the skull with rapidity. He narrowed the holes of his reddened eyes in a threatening manner before relaxing them to their common figure.
Magni, slightly embarrassed, walked away as Glacies went down on her knees to clothe her half-sister. She felt rather different. Perhaps she was slightly taller. But how could this be? She looked upon her long fingers, the ones that had been slightly sliced by the bow’s string. Her fingers that were once small had easily moved through the bow with swiftness. Now her large fingers had to be moved to the side in order to avoid the quick movement of the string as it released the arrow. Her hair seemed thicker as well, moving gracefully behind her with the wind’s rhythm. She frowned in thought as she tightened the last string of the armory, failing to see her reflection upon it.
“Confused?” questioned a voice behind her. Glacies looked about the darkness, until spotting the skull in front of her. “Do not be afraid,” it said, “Such thing has not routinely happened before, ever since that dreadful war! So many lives dwell in my underworld, but no more return.”
“I keep forgetting that skulls speak,” Glacies widened her eyes from their stressful stance.
“Ah yes. My figure, not quite pleasing, is it?” it questioned with frustration, “The witches in the huts close by have cursed me! No longer do I go about the land pushing my staff onto the hard floor to produce no other than the cries of death!”
“You still wonder why you have been cursed? You kill all in your path, my skull!” Glacies yelled back as her fingers tightened on the ground.
“If you had the power I had, would you not do the same? To end the suffering? Pity the living, not the dead! Why, I myself ended the life of Malum years ago,” it stated in a whisper. But the secrets within Malum’s soul lied as misty as the waters.
Glacies frowned once again, “It can’t be that easy, can it? A flick of your stick and they lie dead before a sound is heard?”
“Of course not, or you would all be dead,” croaked the skull, smiling slightly wickedly, “You see, every person goes through a situation where death is close by. Perhaps due to an illness you lie in bed in misery. I come in to end the misery, providing comfort to the individual. Yet, they search for more life when they know little about such things,” answered the skull.
“You only kill when death is already near?” questioned Glacies as she began to stand upwards.
“Of course, daughter of the waters! You should be fond of me,” the skull tightened its smile, “We have arrived.” The skull brightened its ruby eyes as the boat slowly clashed against a nearly eroded wooden dock. The black wood sparkled with the small droplets of water as each warrior stepped upon it. Invicta slowly opened his eyes, lifting his spade with rapidity in front of the shadow before him. His lips tightened as he moistened them with his tongue in discomfort. Glacies frowned, pulling her head back with her fingers to diminish the awkwardness.
“Who are you? You seem oddly familiar,” Invicta questioned, his lips showing no signs of a snicker.
“You have to be joking. You seem you’ve seen a ghost!” she screamed, yet rethinking about what she had said. She bit her lip before restating, “Well perhaps I am a bit of a ghost. However, I’m still the same Glacies for that matter,” she stated as she posed her arms around her waist.
“My, your beauty is much more divine as an older figure,” he stated dreamily in the dark setting.
Glacies wrinkled her nose, lifting her right hand to slap the sweating face of Invicta. “Shame on you for thinking such things!” she yelled as she formed a disgusted emotion with her eyes, “I am quite young!” She walked away quickly, pushing her leg over the side of the boat only to splash into the shallow green waters. She lifted her face in dismay and embarrassment as she rolled her eyes in annoyance. Looking upon the ripples, she saw a distorted face of herself, not quite seeing her true figurine until the ripples steadied.
“Now you see?” questioned Invicta as he posed his shoulders along the side of the small boat as he looked upon her confused eyes.
“How or why did this happen?” she questioned as her face shown a sign of astonishment.
The skull croaked, listening to her words, “My waters cause your bodies to age when in contact with your souls. You are quite fortunate wrinkles have not formed on your smooth face.” The skull smiled as Invicta held his arm outwards for Glacies to take hold of.
“You know, love always ends in the end. No point to such pathetic things!” yelled the skull as Invicta quickly brushed his hand to his side in embarrassment. Glacies walked to the side of the king as Invicta quickly strode by his brother’s side as they moved their way through the eroding black huts around them.
Chapter 18
Here Lies Death