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With stumbling steps, she found her rhythm and started running. From her view, it was a mile or more to the edge of the floating island. It was all wooded land, and she was banking on the trees hiding her from other’s view. It was her only chance of preventing the two twisted Tier 35s from being able to rush over in a flash.
Her feet were unable to find a pattern, and she tripped more than once. Her long captivity and breakthrough to a new Tier made it hard to manipulate her own body. Still, with the pleasure from her injuries pumping power into her limbs, she quickly found the light at the end of the trees.
Without proper motor control, she was unable to stop, and tumbled out over the edge of the floating island. For what felt like an eternity, she fell.
The wind rushed around her and caressed her remaining limbs.
As Camilla fell, she laughed at herself for thinking there was any chance for her to survive her escape attempt.
They’ll probably just find a splat on the ground, and not pin anything on the duke.
She twisted in the air.
She’d watch the end approach. At least this was on her own terms.
As she crossed the halfway mark, she screamed out, “f**k you. You are f*****g sick, twisted bastard.”
Anger and hate coursed through Camilla’s blood.
At least I got out.
That was a comforting thought, and the one she expected to be her last, when she was caught up in what felt like a cloud that turned into a swimming pool. She was floating in the air, but it felt like she was in a pool.
Next to her, a man formed out of the water that she hadn’t seen coalesce. He was large, almost seven feet tall if her guess was correct. He had piercing blue eyes that seemed to get darker the closer they got to his pupils. His hair was so blue, it was only possible after Tier 15, where the mind had control of the body. There was a long scar under his lip that reached down to his chin.
She knew this man.
Everyone knew this man.
Duke Waters.
Horror that he was a part of this churned her stomach.
“I’d ask if you’re okay, but the answer is pretty apparent. Who did this to you?”
With that, healing energy rushed into her, and she felt the pleasure retreat and the power fade. Her arm was still missing, but it no longer felt good and empowered her.
She wasn’t comforted. Healing always proceeded more torture.
The large man’s eyes went to the collar around her neck, and wetness covered her throat. Suddenly, her AI was working after two years of being blocked.
Camilla did the only thing she could think of at the time and sent the hero of the Empire every recording she had. She had kept every moment saved, just in case of a situation like this.
Now it’s up to him. Is he as good as they say?
Camilla didn’t dare to hope, but she had been raised on tales of this man’s exploits and heroism. He protected the Empire. Would he protect her?
His face went as cold as his namesake, and after he looked up once they rocketed up.
Camilla wanted to weep. She had bet, and once again been wrong. He was going to return her. Maybe he’d even join in.
The thought made her shudder.
That was, until the Tier 31 next to her waved a hand, and a tidal wave that covered the sky crashed into Duke Cumulus’s floating island. Camilla didn’t expect anything to come of it. Duke Cumulus had boasted about how strong the defenses of his island were when he was pressing upon her the hopelessness of her situation, after his wife’s sick gambit.
Contrary to her expectations, the wave popped the shield, and never even slowed down. In less time than a heartbeat, the island was gone.
Destroyed in a churning maelstrom of water and dirt.
Horror racked through her. How many did he kill in that attack? She didn’t care about anyone, but the other four women that she knew were in the dungeon.
Once again, proving her wrong, people began surfacing, floating in a sea that was now hovering in the air. People were all that remained. All the stone and any other material that wasn’t alive was simply gone. Ground away by the furious sea that raged before her.
Camilla saw four other women being pulled near them and noticed the familiar collars on their necks. She only recognized one of them but could guess who the others were.
Duke Waters made all the water vanish with a wave, and with its disappearance, all the people were gone.
She expected movement, but the man was still for a moment. Then, he looked up at a smaller floating island. With a roar that distorted reality, he called out, “CUMULUS!”
As the scream vibrated through the air, she would have sworn she was miles below the water. It only lasted a moment, and suddenly they were moving so fast that the world screamed. But their target was steady as they approached.
As they approached the smallest island, she expected the enraged duke to fly equal with it and enter. Instead, he simply pointed a finger, and a jet of water cut a hole in the island.
They flew through it, and when they entered, she looked up and saw a large hall. They were surrounded by dozens of men and women that put pressure on her spirit just from being in their presence. The Tier 3 thought that she was going to suffocate, before the air shimmered around her.
She saw Duke Cumulus and his wife standing there, watching her and the man next to her.
She wanted to laugh. The horror on their faces didn’t make up for even a thousandth of the torment they inflicted on her, but it felt good to see. She reveled in their shock and let it seem into her.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a large wall mirror, and found that her face was covered with a water mask that was ink black.
Duke Waters glared at the two, and before he could say anything, one of the other men called out, “What are you doing? This is an official meeting! You can break in here. And did you break Duke Cumulus’ island?”
The man next to her didn’t look at the speaker, and just said, “Duke Cumulus and his wife are guilty of k********g and torture. All compounded on doing this on a person weaker than themselves. Below Tier 15 even. Their crimes are certain beyond any reasonable proof, and they must be dealt with immediately.”
The two guilty parties turned in different directions and tried to run, but Duke Waters caught them in shimmering distortions in the air. They clutched at their throats, as if they were drowning, but that didn’t make any sense to Camilla.
They were over Tier 15. They didn’t need to breathe.
Camilla glanced at the duke next to her and shuffled closer, everyone was looking at her, and he was her only protector.
The same man from before called for Duke Waters to stop. After the man stepped forward as if to make him stop, Duke Waters finally took his eyes off the pair who hurt her. Duke Water’s eyes were the only thing that moved but whatever look he gave the speaker made them step back twice and look away.
- Writer
