CHAPTER XV: DARKNESS THROUGH LIGHT
After a week of journey, they were now halfway to the town of Safehaven that could be seen on the distance. They had traveled through the woods and avoided the towns of Livingstone and Winterfield where the plague and famine swiped all over the place. Hesperian soldiers were looking for rebels, potential revolt and threat over Hesperia. The people suffered in great hunger and fear over the Hesperian soldiers. Those people that were accused as rebels were hanged to death. Asmaria seen all those things and it made her reckoned that there were much horrible place than the tower itself. Asmaria was somewhat uplift by the thought that there was still a beautiful town on the Kingdom of Lynabria so as Raven told her of Pendragon. The princess suddenly wonder how her people in Hesperia was. Her eyes turned gloom. That person had grown wicked. If only she could tell everything. The knowledge she knew might be useful but at this rate, all she could do was wait and hope that fate would favor them more in the end.
The mockingbird sang as they passed through the forest. Everything was still and calm but not Sofia. She was thinking about many things: Iris, the book, the lock, Pendragon and him, Chase. She had never seen him after that night so it counts as week. Tristan went near her side. “You’re thinking about him?” Sofia remained in silence. “Do you love him?”
Sofia smiled. “I… Ugh. Perhaps.”
Tristan nodded. Now it was said. He knew it ever since. He stands no chance against that guy. “That man… He’s a fool.” Sofia turned to Tristan who suddenly smiled. “He’s an arrogant fool but you changed him. He never care about anybody around him. To acquire knowledge and skills for his own purposes, that’s what I’ve known of him. Chase… he’s a very mysterious man.”
“But he was your friend,” Sofia said.
Tristan simpered. “Indeed.” The young man turned to her, “Don’t worry anymore. I know he’s just around. He wouldn’t leave you. That’s for sure.” Sofia just smiled and said nothing.
Asmaria, by chance, took a glance on the way where they came from. She saw something glistened and gasped. It was sharp arrows and lots of them, moving to their direction. “Arrows!?!” Asmaria screamed. The princess was not sure if she wants to ask about arrows or want to warn about them. It was just few paces from them and avoiding those was not possible. A moment later, the arrows came to a halt before it had pierced their flesh. Chase appeared before them in speckles of carmine dust. The arrows fell to his feet. They were not in the Dark Fall Mountain anymore. He could now use his magic.
The Hordes of Darkness appeared on the distant, drawing close to the spot where they lay frozen with fright. They hold scythes and black banners on their hands. A skull was depicted on it. Dark Shadows emerges on their aids. Chase smirked. It was going to be a hell of a fight. He turned to Tristan. “Get them out of here.” Raven shifted on his beastly form and lifted the princess into his back. Sofia hesitated to leave the young man behind but Tristan took hold of her hand and immediately leave. Chase took a deep breath and unsheathed the sword on his back. An insolent smile drawn on his face. It was quite a long time since he had fought with a large Horde. He unbind the spell that Kali put on him and prepared himself for a serious duel. He was so tired of hiding his presence from that brainless Skull. Besides, he got someone to protect now.
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