Outside everything fell in chaos. Peoples got panic and fear, some trying to save and hide their children, some tried to escape but it was vain while the rest fought back. But against such force they were overwhelmed, both number and power. The chief looked to his village in desperation, his peoples screamed in fear to at last fell in silence. And before he realized a black phantom stood before him, stretched his hand and ready to shot the old man.
But suddenly a boy jumped off behind and cleave the troop with shovel. “Volk Tribe rather dies than flee from the battle!” said Aska to the fallen enemy.
Behind him Eorin also fought the Raider with bat on her hand. Both of them fought with whatever they got. Alas it wasn’t for long, Eorin fall first by the green flash while Aska raised both hand as the Raider put their claws on his neck.
“Volk Tribe also thinks it's better to give up and fought another day.” said Aska smirked.
Those Raiders would kill that young Volk here and now if they weren’t commanded only to bring those villagers. With the claws on his neck, suddenly a phantom shot him till he fell unconscious.
***
It almost an hour they have running in the pale red tunnel, Scarlett led their way with blue flare in her hand. They kept running and running in the endless darkness, no dead swarm found on their last halfway but the smell more horrible as they go forward till forced Scarlett put her mask on.
“Where are we going actually?”
“Its mouth of course, there we shall be teleported into the surface.” said Scarlett, “But if you want to teleported through the discrete tunnel I won’t stop you.”
“No, thank you.”
They still kept running, pain they don’t felt and tired they don’t heed, for the only one they care about was to get out of here immediately. Realized or not, Rey was running relentlessly ever since he met with Iceberg on the train while he couldn’t even made ten laps of running in the school yard. His spirit to survive has made him pass his limits.
Suddenly their path blocked by cluster of rocks, horn-shaped and taller than all of them.
“What is this?” said Rey rubbed the rocks. It was bit soft, more like dirty huge ivory than rock.
“Teeth.” answered Morran, Rey removed his hand immediately when heard what it was.
They walked through it until they found themselves at the dead end. Dark and wrinkled wall halted them with mound of dirt rose before them into the darkness that couldn’t reach by the blue light. And now they have no longer stepped on the pale flesh but slimy ground.
Scarlett enhances her magic so the blue light on her hand grew brighter and the darkness fled away. Now stretched before them and on either side was a vast cavernous hall, dark and soiled as the dirt covered all over the place. Behind them a row of big teeth suddenly grew in countless number and lined circular from bottom to top. And the mound before them loomed into knoll which led into an orifice. For a moment they were amazed and stunned to see how gigantic this creature was.
They climbed the knoll, about third floor or less it was. And when they reached the peak they met dirt wall within the orifice, dark and filled with stones. Rey thrust the dirt wall before him with his stone blade, so Scarlett and Morran touched his shoulder.
“Are you ready?” asked Rey.
No answer came from peoples behind, for tenseness of waiting muted them. Rey then used the Silverhare Sphere and at once he felt like there was an open space stretched far above him with the structure stood all over it as if he could touch it. Then he felt a shape of human above there, but strange, that person wandering alone among many houses.
Rey took deep breath and heave a sigh. “Now or never.” said him.
In the blink of eyes they’re vanished, leaving the blue light alone to fade in the darkness.
Chapter 21
The Soul Stealer
They’re got themselves somewhere unknown, none of them knowing what have happened or where they are now since they have teleported. They couldn’t see anything but darkness and suddenly they heard sound of clinking metals.
“Who’s there? Scarlett?! Morran?!” called Rey.
“I’m here.” said Scarlett, the sound seemed next to him. Then Scarlett cast blue light once again but when she lit up the darkness, suddenly they were surprised and screamed as they look sinister old face grinning above the light.
“Hey it’s me.” said Morran.
“Sorry I thought …”
“Whatever.” said Morran.
“Where are we now? Don’t say that we back to the first place again.” asked Rey.
“I don’t think so. This is not the old kitchen where we had earlier. Take a look! This kitchen quite arranged and the dish is too clean, I doubt that they have been buried for millennia.” replied Scarlett.
“And the bread was still good enough to eat, no doubt that it was never buried in millennia.” said Morran, as he ate greedily at a piece of bread and then continued with any food in the vicinity. Even as his wrinkled cheeks bulging like a balloon still he continued to eat everything he can put into his mouth.
In amazement they looked at Morran and then laughing as if this is the best moment they ever had on their live. Then Rey jumps for joy and shouting like a mad, “We did it! We've get out! We’re here! Melody wait for me, I will fought for your love.”
Alas his joys weren’t last long, for then he realizes that he is still in another world called Spheria, where the girl he dreamed of wasn’t at anywhere in this world. Well, at least he’s very happy to ever breathing a fresh air once again and free from the nightmare of buried inside a giant worm for indeterminable nights.
Another thing that made him not less surprised was the sword on his hand. He looked in wonder at the sword that has been returned to the form when he first found it, the broken blade. It was their fortune that the sword has turned back as they managed to get out of there. If the stone blade transform back into something useless before they couldn’t get out as Scarlett said, they might have to wait in the darkness little longer, or maybe forever.
However Scarlett herself shows different expression than others. Indeed the same joy does look on her, but her eyes and ears searching for something as if there was something strange in the room.
“What’s wrong?” asked Rey.
“No, but usually if you yelled like that someone in this house would come with shovel or anything they hold to knock and kick us out.” answered Scarlett.
“Maybe they have good sleep.”
“Owwh weeyhi heey huuh eefuuuf.” said Morran with full mouth.
“I guess not, have you heard anything?” asked Scarlett, her ears trying to search among the quietness of the room and faintly she found sobs, so muted as if restrained by fear.
“No, I just heard Morran eating.” answered Rey, yet a moment later he heard sudden sobs not far from him, instead the sound seemed comes from this room. Soon he looking around the room, there was nothing that drew his attention more than the cupboard below.
“You think the same with me?”
Rey walked over into the cupboard, the wooden floor got creaky even as he slowly stepped on it. For a second he heard the sound of sobbing as he got closer but instantly turned into muffled murmur. Rey peeking at the little gap of the cupboard, nothing he saw but blackness and when he opened it suddenly a rolling pin swung from it and hit his head.
“Run!" yelled a little boy.
Then out of the shadow of the cupboard a little girl ran out quickly. The boy trying to catch her up but Rey caught him first, so was Scarlett, she have held the little girl before she get into the door. The little boy was so insisted to escape but as he saw an old sinister face of Morran who like evil wizard, the boy was screaming in horror and fell with a limp.
“It’s okay. Don’t be afraid, we will not hurt you.” said Rey, gentle smile spreads beside the blood which flows from his temple then he hug him “It is okay. You’re safe now.”
The boy low
ered his hand and let off the rolling pin on his hand. Scarlett let off the little girl and she immediately ran into his brother.
“May I know your name?” asked Rey.
"Cello." answered the boy.
“That was cute name.” said Rey “Why you hiding Cello?”
The little boy gave no answer but bow his head with fear.
“Is it a boogeyman?”
They boy looked at him with curiosity.
“You don’t know about boogeyman?”
They boy shake his head.
“Well it was tall and grim and living in my house, so when I was a little kid I always hide in the cupboard like you. You know, I scared like you but my grandpa always there, take care of me and protect me. So I am not fear anymore.” said Rey. “We’re here to take care of you so you don’t need to fear anymore.”
“But she one of them.” said the boy pointing at Scarlett.
“Me?”
“Why you think she’s one of them?” asked Rey.
“Because she wear black like them.” answered the boy.
“Can you tell me about them?”
“Mom put us on the bed and when he tells the story of the Gingerbeard suddenly …”
They boy was so fearful that he was told the story haltingly but fast, even Morran the craziest among them did not understand what was told by the kid. But at least they could catch the headline, someone attacked this village and all the villagers were taken.
***
All eyes in Khatar looked up wonderingly, for two of four great cannon at the Gun Tower have lowered. One pointed to the mountain on the north and one to the west, aimed at the hills and forests outskirt the city. And there on the cannon to the west stood an old man. He was a man of short stature with short neat hair and grayish mustache. He stood straight and watching sparkling city beneath him as if he was the guardian of the city.
Suddenly he heard the sound of footsteps behind and as he turned, he saw Grunt walked over toward him.
“What’s the news?”
“Marius, he found them sir.”
“This soon?” said the old man wondered. “How did he found them?”
“Tonight they’re attacking another village and Marius was there.” said Grunt. “After the attack, he traced them and found their hideout. It was old Illitean castle, northwest here.”
“Any casualties?” asked the old man.
“So far he reported zero. But all the villagers have being taken.”
“Are they still alive?”
“Pardon me sir?”
“Those villager, are they still alive when being taken?” asked the old man with high tone.
“It seems so.” said Grunt with a gulp.
“Then listen to my orders! Gather the troops and prepare the Air Ship!”
“But sir, don’t we need to…”
“What?! You need them dead first then act?” exclaimed the old man. “Gather all the forces now! I want them ready in half hour.”
“Yes sir.”
The old man took a deep breath and looked at the night. The cold winds stormed and the shadows at the edge of his sight seemed crawling as if ready to cover his city with the darkness. But he has set the flame to fight against it.
***
Scarlett goes to look around the village along with Morran who walked aimlessly behind her, he babbling and chattering with the night sky above which he missed so much and without he realized he parted with Scarlett. Not once he said ‘hey ancient maid, where are you?’ to call her, but no one answered him except rustling leaf whispered by the night winds.
Scarlett surveyed the ground, an orb of blue light was on her hand and she scanned every trail in the village. Many footprints scattered on the ground and when she looked at it, the chaos seemed happens before her eyes and she felt that she could hear their scream, echoed inside her mind.
She continued to walk but then she stopped, stood and looked up at the sky. The night has opened once again for her and the moons shining brightly as if greeted her with joy with the stars celebrated her coming. This is the most wonderful night in her lifetime and felt much more beautiful than thousands of night she had ever passed. The air seemed fresher in her breath so she took a long deep breath as if he wanted to grab all the air in this world, never she felt so alive like this as if she’s being reborn.
Meanwhile Rey was out of the house and walked in the middle of the village. The soft orange glow of the streetlight glimmered on the pathway much less remind him of home. Everything calm and still there but that little boy’s story gave him a feeling of horror on that place. He even felt there's a hiding shadow behind the woods and leaves peeking at him.
Suddenly he sniffed and as he turned around he found an old grim face grinning above the light to scare him.
“Oh you.” said Rey, he doesn’t look scared or even surprised at all when looked at Morran.
“You’re not afraid?” asked Morran.
“Well, your ‘perfume’ already told that you’re here.”
“What perfume? I don’t use perfume. So we had ‘talking-perfume’ now? Who’s invented it?”
Suddenly Scarlett appeared among them and he asked to Rey. “What about those kids?”
“They look comfort on their bed. But I could not imagine what will happen once they woke up and found all people they knew gone.” said Rey.
“Let me see!” Suddenly Scarlett holds his head and strokes his hair to check his wound “Strong little kid, but you’ll be fine in 2-3 days.”
“What’s going on here actually?” asked Rey.
“I don’t know. But like that kid said a group of people attacked this village and like you saw all the peoples minus those kids were taken away.”
“Are they bandit or something?” asked Morran
“They’re not too greedy for bandit or trafficker no riches have been stolen or looted. They even didn’t try to break anything except doors.” answered Scarlett. “After all they had same footprint, for a group of bandits they’re all too well-suited.”
“Do you think they were …” Rey trying to remember that name “… Azgalor army?”
“The Federation did this?”
“I don’t think so. I had spent seasons with them in Silent War so I knew their works. They were rude bastard, this village would be done by flame and smoke if deal with them. No, this is not them, this is someone different.” said Scarlett “The real question isn’t about who they are but where they came from. All trail spread only inside the village, no trail of in and out as if they came from nowhere. Maybe if your Volk friend was here he could track them.”
“I’m afraid that young Volk will be good for nothing.” said the deep voice, who suddenly out of the shadow of the trees. “That Volk youngling would trace as far as you could see the footprints.”
“Marcus?!” called Rey.
“Marius.” stated him. “Oh and both your friend has been taken away by them along with other villagers.”
“What?!” said Rey shocked.
“Calm down. They’re okay, at least for now.” said Marius. “It seemed our enemies need them alive. They use some sleep magic, most likely Kethurron from the flash of the green light, then took them away.”
“How?” asked Scarlett.
“Raider, the Serpent Gate, an ultimate magic of Nehebu, one of legendary Spheres belong to those wicked kin. It could bring you from one gate to wherever the pair-gate placed just in a second, like your teleportation but farther. Volk tribe ever told that the Raider could reach the Sacred Forest from their burrows, it’s about Khatar to here.”
“It’s not make sense? It’s not their nature to do all of this or even took part on this.”
“I think the same way too. Their nature as scavenger and their creed on the death was the reason why we erased them on the list. They shall have politic or contract to no one, choose no side but to themselves and their currency was the death’s good, no common money or common gold could made t
hem sign a contract. And now they took part on some kind of bandit ruckus.” said Marius. “Isn’t that worried you? The only reason why they did all of this is because there’s a great power calling them.”
“But they will not heed to any call, not even from the Dark Lord. They only bowed to the Witch Queen Astarte and maybe you had missed the class to know that the Queen had dead millennia ago.” said Scarlett. “Doesn’t matter what motivated them what is matter now is do you know where they have been taken?”
“Use this and you will find out.” said Marius, as he tossing a Sphere to Scarlett.
Scarlett caught the Sphere. She was frowned unexpectedly and a look of dismay was on her face when she looked at the creature inside the Sphere, it was like midget in hooded-robe with livid and wrinkled face like it was melting wax and its eyes like hollow on fire. Strongly she pressed her hand when grasped it as if she wants to crush it.
“What is that?” asked Rey.
“Charon, the soul stealer.” answered Scarlett. “With this Sphere you can control someone just by made them wearing a ‘possession’.”
“Possession?”
“An object which possessed the power of this Sphere, mostly precious one, ring, necklace or anything that will be wore on your body, willingly. When they wore that object you can command them whatever you want. People with lack of intelligence or with heart burdened were easy to control with this.”
“Looking at your face it seems more evil than that.”
“It wasn’t called Soul Stealer for nothing. To create a ‘possession’ you must take someone’s life and it wasn’t usual murder but horrible one. By killing them you wickedly stealing their soul and after death the soul will not rest but dwells in the object which you made as ‘possession’, being slave to the one who hold the Sphere, or one who murdered them.” said Scarlett then he turned to Marius with look of dismay on her face. “I never know if you keep such wicked Sphere on your gauntlet.”
“I took it from Flamberg, the dragon rider attacking our train.” said Marius. “Seemed he killed one of our Dragon Rider and stole his steed. But stealing a dragon wasn’t same as stealing a horse, that’s why he needs this to control that Wyvern.”
“Even so I will not have this wicked Sphere attached on me.”
“Wicked or not that was the only way to find those kids. They weren’t included on my mission, so I will not unsheathe my blade for them.”