BLOOD AND Lightening

Chapter 3

Far in the woods on a high ground, stood a figure in the middle of fugs, his silvery white hair flowing freely behind him, although half naked he didn't seem to be affected or cared a bit about the cold and chilly climate, he stood with his hands folded behind him overlooking the very ground below him, suddenly the sound of birds chipping from far away came rushing and disrupting the quietness of the forest, they came in groups and flew past him, he looked over at the direction they came from and there comes another bird flying towards his direction, a Black Raven with white collar, the bird perched on the branch of a tree, the fugs surrounding the forest grew thicker, and the wind stronger, the wind back to it normal tempo, another figure finally emerged standing exactly under the tree where the Raven was, a man with physical features as sharp as the tip of an arrow and his garment as blue as the sky on a fine day.

"Eros" The half-naked silver hair called out

"Bravo brother" the red hair clapped before approaching him, "Bravo, I must commend you for your incredible sense of recognition,"

The silver hair threw him a questioning glare

"Am I supposed not to?" he interrogated

"You are indeed a special one Haldir," Eros said smiling while standing a few steps away

"I was put to sleep not wiped off of my memory," Haldir said clearly not amused

"I have come to escort you home, the news of your ressuration has spread like wildfire across the kingdom and even to humans if the information I heard is correct"

"Ressuration? That you said is used for a being that already died and awakened," he said dragging a layer of garment off his friend and covering up his bare skin

"You could have asked nicely, it's time to return brother, those you left behind are falling apart, some in wrong directions, some still with their hopes high waiting for your return, it's time to grace your kind"

"How long have I been gone," Haldir asked

"A Century in the land of humans," Eros said smiling "yet nothing changed" he added

"It's been a while brother," Haldir said looking at Eros with so many unspoken emotions, his face which had been stoned and cold a lot softer, he looked at him fondly as if communicating with his eyes, Eros searched his mind trying to hear his voice maybe a message he couldn't voice out but none was forthcoming just the eyes telling a story, Eros closed the gap between them and went in for an embrace, it ended quickly cause his Raven which had been quiet the whole time began flapping its wings.

"You now communicate with your pet" Haldir said with the intention to poke fun...

"Witches now dwell amongst humans," A maiden said quite audible for Nimai to hear, the news of her parent's death has spread wide and near in ARVERNIEN, and the palace is no exception, as the rumors spread the more fascinating the stories get, with every teller adding their spice and twists to the original story, more than twice the Story has been told to Nimai in a different version by the folks who didn't know she was the famous witch girl in the story, those who knew it was her were divided into two, those who rumor against her back and those who say it to her face with disgust and obvious hatred for her. She had thought the palace would change her life but it did change it for worst, she was being treated like an outcast and like a venom that should be avoided as all cost, her life was turning upside down right in front of her eyes, she was beginning to wish she was really a witch with powers like they said. The King might have saved her from death but he can't seal the people's mouths from talking, some had said she bewitched the king.

It was dusk, she hardly gets to lay with the other maidens, they make sure to give excuses why she shouldn't be sharing a room with them.

"We are so sorry Nimai, but there is no enough space for another"

she would sometimes ignore them and lay down and they would make sure to bug her with the rumors about her till she eventually leaves the room for them, It was becoming almost impossible to survive a day, Nimai was never a weak girl, she would not watch people bully others or poke fun at others and keep quiet but the situation was about her and she has grown helpless...

An excluded part, in the castle, rumored to be hunted by Ghosts and night creatures, it is quite fascinating how the people of ARVERNINE believe in night creatures and even witches but doubts strongly that Bloodsuckers exist, to them it's a made-up tale by their ancestors used in scaring bullheaded wards who would always retire home late at twilight, the stories were scary enough. Even as big as the castle was, and the many people dwelling in it, it's still as quiet as a graveyard, especially at dusk, this excluded place was located on the east coast of the castle, and everyone in the castle knows never to go there, especially at the full moon for the fear of the unknown.

Two figures with long black cloaks stood at the entrance of a weird door covered with plants and strange tree branches that crossed over the door, they stood without fear in this secluded area, one of the two had in his hand a rod which looked normal but suddenly starts glowing, he hit the rod three times on the strange door and finally spread his hands with the rod still in his hands.

"Alaska,! Alaska!, it is I thy faithful servant on which you bestowed the grace to possess your power, please I beseech you to grant me entrance to your powerful shrine"

He repeated this statement twice before going on to rumble a few words to the hearing of him alone, the door finally cracked a sound and the branches began separating, the door finally unlocked and revealed a coven, right in the middle of the room was a glowing matter, the same glow with that of the rod, green, the room was almost like an energy source, the overflowing power which can make a normal person go into a trance.

"Guard the entrance!" the rod bearer ordered and the fellow with a similar cloak as him left for the outside immediately.

He slowly approached the ball-like object and touched it with his rod, the whole room responded, fugs from nowhere with different shades, it was indeed fascinating but not at all pleasing, a coven of darkness, dark magic, and sorcery, A voice finally spoke

"Who is that without fear?" the voice asked in a cold manner

"It is I Gildor your faithful servant, and the new Emperor of ARVERNINE"

"Gildor the 1st prince and least favorite child, you became king" the voice replied, his remark wasn't satisfactory to hear but King Gildor dare not show it, he was after all his master

"You became the Emperor, you are surprisingly, not a bad mistake, now that you are the emperor, we finally have the whole kingdom under our feet, hahaha" the voice laughed and laughed before he eventually stopped, the voice in question was coming from a painting, a legendary painting which has been around from one generation to the other.

"I came with a concern" Emperor Gildor finally announced, he hated every moment of a literal soul making fun of him, this soul was once alive and was his master, Alaska the great sorcerer who lived alone in this secluded coven, it was on his quest for validation did he come across this man and had granted him a dwelling place in his father's castle, where he turned into his coven, Alaska lost his life while cultivating into immortality, a risky and forbidden spell in the world and rules of witches, because of his rebellious nature his soul refused to die and he had Gildor who is his recent student seal his soul in his coven, in the mysterious painting, Gildor is not a natural born wizard which neither was any of his ancestors, he relies solely on his master, he indeed put in a lot of effort in learning sorcery and is now able to cast spells because his master Alaska yet again broke the rules and made him able to cast spells and also gave him a powerful rod, in the sacred book it is boldly written that "one who does not possess a natural power or not chosen by the heavens shouldn't be given the power to do so" the consequences was not fully elaborated but it was a scared rule by the heavens and deities,

Alaska was a horror to witches and humans alike, never up to any good, even as a soul he still hopes on resurrecting his body or finding a body that would match and accept his body, Gildor relies on the coven for his vision and knowledge, he still can't access the coven without summoning and awakening the soul of Alaska, which is a hassle,

"What is your concern?" Alaska's soul questioned

"Am afraid it's against our deal, to let you know, I have come to seek answers from the crystal ball" It was quiet for a while before the young Emperor opened the mystical glowing ball with his rod, he slowly entered and shut the door behind.

If there was anything Alaska hated, it would be one wiser than him, prince Gildor came to him as a young and weak man who lacked affection and needed a master, he took him in with the deal of a dwelling place, and ever since then everything comes with a deal, even accepting to seal his soul came as a deal, he can't wait to finally be free from the painting.

"When will you find my body" was the first question he tossed at Emperor Gildor as he emerged from the glowing matter, Gildor stood with his brows raised not able to hid his dissatisfaction.

"You just don't find covens anywhere, am trying my best"