Chapter 107: Chapter 107

Langrion bolted from the bed, wide awake after his encounter with Danry and the Ancient Evil himself in the ring’s consciousness.

Langrion cannot believe it! That blasted god – did he really remove his curse? Was he really from the evil powers that had haunted him since the day he was born and had branded him as the would-be Demon King?

If so, he should be rejoicing by now! This was the moment he had prayed for to the gods all his life! And yet, he knew what turning curseless would actually mean for his Shia.

“What happened? Did you succeed?” It was Gavil who spoke beside him. He stood guard alongside of him when he started his journey of tapping into Danry’s consciousness.

“We’ve got to leave now! Shia and Khailis are in danger. That god is going to do something diabolical soon, I can feel it!”

Gavil nodded, and he proceeded to clasp a dagger in his belt. They moved quickly, securing the weapons they needed for their present quest.

“Chibi, where are you,” Langrion muttered quietly. He now knew that Chibi can sense him, and he can obey him as his familiar. He would have never known this if Templar had not enlightened him about the relationships of masters and familiars. He never knew that the gods typically place familiars near human royalties like him, serving as a guide and bridge between the mortals and the gods.

Chibi was not only his familiar but also Danterion’s familiar, and when he told him about their plan to leave immediately, he nodded his head in agreement. So why now was he missing now?

While still in the middle of donning their armors, a small rap at the door disturbed their peace. Who could it be?

“Prince Langrion, it’s me...”

Langrion knew that shrill voice of a child. He opened the door as quickly but noiselessly as he can, and sure enough, he found Marmie standing in the hallway alongside Chibi.

“Please take me with you,” she said in a low tone.

“Get in,” he whispered.

The two got inside the chamber. Langrion continued to don his armor while Marme stepped inside of the room and secured the door shut.

“Take me with you tonight. I can be of help!”

“Who else knew?”

“Who else?”

“Who else knew we were leaving tonight?”

Marmie’s eyes grew wide. “Your highness, I didn’t know you were leaving. I thought it will be tomorrow, but seeing you like this means it’ll be sooner, right?”

“No. The two of us will be leaving tonight, and the rest will leave tomorrow. Stay with God Templar until then, and be careful. Also, no matter what, don’t tell anyone what we are about to do” Langrion said, giving her some final instructions, to which Marmie protested.

“No, Prince Langrion! I’m going with you right now.”

Langrion and Gavil both stopped what they were doing. They looked at each other.

“If you want me to shut up tonight, take me with you! I can’t stay until tomorrow here! I want to be of help!”

It was a sensible offer. Although Marmie was still far too young, he knew she was capable based on how she had seen her fight, but would it really do good to send a child like this to a battle with the Ancient Evil?

“Listen, Marmie, I really wanted you to stay put here for the time being, but if you don’t want to, it’s better to go to with an army that could protect you. I certainly can’t guarantee your safety tonight.”

“Prince Langrion, I could help you! I am not a child anymore. I am eighteen, and I know what I am doing!”

Langrion’s brows furrowed. He cannot believe that this small child was already as old as his wife. He thought all along that she was only thirteen or fourteen due to her small stature and body physique. He was sorrowfully reminded that Shia’s birthday was on their wedding day, the day he had last seen her, and four days after she was taken away from him.

Once everything was over, he would make it up to her for all the sufferings she had to endure because of him...

“Alright, if that’s what you’ve decided to do. Come with us. We are leaving straight for the Capitol now.”

He hoped in his heart that Shia was alright, or he would turn the blasted place into an actual hell for her!

******************

“Are you even trying,” Eily asked Gilyan irritably.

“I am, but it’s not working...” Beads of sweat were forming at his forehead, and some had already generously poured down from his face. He was mentally and physically exhausted. He wanted to sleep, but he dared not to. Just one look at Lady Khailis’ face and the thought that she was of child made him desperate enough to stay awake.

Gilyan had been trying his best to summon his powers from the grounds above. He could control people, their actions, thoughts, and temperaments, but he could only do so in a limited distance. Right now, they might be at least ten feet or more underground. It seemed that that was his limit when it comes to the reach of his powers.

“You can do it, Gilyan! Just focus on yourself. Don’t mind us,” Lady Khailis said.

Gilyan remembered his mom again. Her voice sounded so motherly that he wanted to cry. He was afraid he was failing her.

“Focus, kid. You can do it. The Ancient Evil would not have surely trusted you if he didn’t know the extent of your capabilities,” the commander said.

This is something Gilyan knew to be true. His Darkness has a good eye on people. He selects only the best and discards useless ones... But wasn’t he part of his discarded slaves just now? If he wasn’t, why did he leave him there too?...

Gilyan shook his head in the dark, and he was glad for no one can see the panic in his face. They agreed to put out the light so that he could concentrate on his mission to possess people to dig them through. Now, he felt he was letting them down... Maybe they really are going to die.

To Die....Dead... The dead... Right, why didn’t he think of that?

Gilyan knew he could definitely control the living, but how about the dead? Can he try to control them? There must be plenty of dead bodies beneath the earth that surrounded them, right?...

With this thought, he closed his eyes once more. He focused his attention to the earth. The land around them shook slightly, and somewhere near him, he felt the rattling of old bones...

******************

“Damn you, where are you taking me,” Shia demanded to know. Her fists were trembling in fright, but she controlled her fear. Even at the very end, she would not give Sirion the satisfaction of seeing her break down and cry.

“Don’t be afraid, love. The flames would only hurt you for a moment. Once you shed your mortal flesh, you’ll be a free. Don’t you want to see what you really looked like? Aren’t you curious what your goddess form is like?”

“You’re crazy! You are willing to kill me just for that?”

Sirion stopped in his tracks and laughed hysterically in front of her. Shia had been dragged by two of Sirion’s soldiers since they snatched her away from the cell. Now, they were taking her into the open courtyard where thousands of cursed ones had perished before her.

“Love, I had been killing you a thousand times already before today. All those other bodies of yours had meant nothing to me... All of them had to die and be discarded away so that they can pave the way for the real you. It’s a purification process – painful but necessary!”

There was an insane look in Sirion’s eyes. For the first time, Shia was seeing how diabolical the God of Darkness really was.

“Then it’s true... You have never loved me at all!”

“Shhh... Love, why would you say that, hmm? Don’t say such things. You knew I love you. I loved you the most above everyone else. Even before those puny gods, I have loved you the best!”

“No amount of love could make someone wish for their beloved to suffer horribly like this!”

His face turned into a grimace as if he was dearly hurt by Shia’s accusations. “The amount of love I have for you is immeasurable, that’s why I was willing to do this... When this is all over, you’ll thank me, I guarantee it!”

In the distance, at the very heart of the open courtyard, a great fire was already burning. Shia’s heart crumbled in fright.

This was no laughing matter. In a few minutes, she will die if she could not do something!