The Broken Sigil

Chapter 9: The Mark

The sun rose above the land, dawn came and all the bad things that have happened during the night were there in plain sight, Celvin was burning as Isidora stood atop the highest tower and laughed at the tragedy, this was just the begging for her, and when she has the Sigil, she would burn down every world. The White City soldiers had the prisoners lined up in the courtyard, those who were still useful Isidora will convert them to her cause, but those who weren’t she would execute them fast and without suffering, some of the other soldiers were still searching the castle counting how many have died from the White City and if any of them could still be alive. There was one, but he wasn’t from the White City. Frederic opened his eyes instantly gasping for breath.

“No…” he rose up, but every bone in his body hurt, he forgot that he fell from the walls of the castle, luckily nothing was broken but his soul, he’s lost a lot of blood from the wound that he had on the shoulder, he could barely stand, he grabbed his sword for support and screamed as he was standing up, first he got up on one knee clenching the sword as hard as he could and then finally standing up on his two feet.

“Well, well, well,” Raoulin approached him slowly with his hands crossed behind his back. “The prince heir of Celvin,” spoke Raoulin taunting him.

“You bastard…” Frederic shook, blood coming from everywhere and his face dirty with blood and mud. “I’ll kill you!” he picked up the sword and tried charging at him, but as soon as he took the first step he overestimated himself and his strength, he stumbled on the ground with the sword flying away from his hand and in front of Raoulin’s feet. He crouched down to the sword as he picked it up.

“Nice sword, I think I might keep it,” he inspected the royal sword, as Frederic grunted and slowly tried to crawl to him. “But what to do with you!?” Raoulin placed the tip of the blade on his beard, ready whenever to take his life.

“Raoulin!” a woman’s voice called out. “What is going on here?” Isidora approached.

“Empress, look what I have got for you,” he still had the blade pressed on his throat, as Frederic couldn’t even make a move.

“Oh… Lovely,” Isidora blushed and just slightly opened her mouth in excitement.

JJJ

Lucius got off the horse and looked around with a grim look on his face, he inhaled the air, smelling of burning incense, and looked around the gray sky nothing out of the normal for the Ashen Fields, a place that he and his fellows knew very well. He walked towards the wooden walls where a guard on the watchtower noticed him and sounded the horn.

“I do have to say that I wasn’t expecting you sister,” spoke Cristopher as he led them to the mark after exchanging the various pleasantries, with hugging and catching up, the fact that the world was coming to an end can wait since they haven’t seen each other in a long time, after all, they are family and Lucius and Cristopher, they’ve been friends for a long time. “And I do have to say, I expected you to come much sooner,” said Cristopher.

“We’ve had a delay on the road,” Lucius looked at Katrina reminding her of the detour they took to the White City.

“It was important,” she defended herself.

“It doesn’t matter, you are here now,” Cristopher looked at them who were behind him following. He led them to the mark that has been glowing stronger than ever. Lucius and Cristopher being familiar with the mark knew that it shouldn’t be this way and knew that something was up.

“Echo was just a vessel for the Sigil, and he was killed, he can’t be back,” Lucius looked at Cristopher.

“He can’t be unless something revives him,” nodded Cristopher.

“But his body is not in the mark, who knows where it is, hopefully, incinerated down to the very last particle,” Lucius looked at him again.

“No it’s not, but you know what’s in the mark," Cristopher looked at him.