"It's too risky, we can't do it," a council member objected.
"This is my mom we're talking about, your Queen," Vanessa said.
"We know but we can't risk Hecrydos breaking free," another council member said.
"I say we vote," Matthew said and Vanessa glanced at him, glaring hard.
"Vote or not, my decision stands, Author is going to open the portal to the void." Vanessa said.
"I guess you're really going to live up to the name the people call you," Matthew said.
"What's that?" Vanessa asked.
"Vandreina, the stone Queen"
"If the people call me so, then let it be known that I am the Queen of death," Vanessa said coldly
*. *. *.
"I can't do it unless I know where your mother is exactly," Author said.
"Why?" Vanessa asked.
"It will zap my energy and if I open it to the wrong place, I won't be able to open another one for four hours," Author said.
"I can help with that," Mr Harper said.
"I don't know why you're all making this easier for her." Matthew hissed.
"Cause I'm doing the right thing," Vanessa folded her arms d nodded to Harper.
"I could use my abilities to connect you to where she is while in contact with you," Mr Harper said.
"Brilliant!" Rafi said.
"Then what are we waiting for?" Vanessa said.
Mr Harper held Author's left arm as Author closed his eyes.
Author's hand then began to glow purple as he stretched his hand out.
A purple- black portal began to open slowly and as it opened halfway, Mr Harper began to convulse rapidly.
"Author pull out right now, stop!" Matthew shouted.
"Just a little bit more," Vanessa said.
As the portal opened completely, Mr Harper fell to the ground.
"Harper!" Matthew said as he rushed to Mr Harper who was lying unconscious on the floor.
Suddenly Patricia jumped out through the portal.
"Hungh, hungh, hungh," she panted.
"Quick, run, Hecrydos is on his way here," Patricia continued.
Author then stretched out his hands and opened another portal.
"Quick, get in!" Author shouted and they all began to run in.
"Harper," Matthew said and ran back to carry him on his back, entering the portal.
"Finally I'm free!" Hecrydos said as he came out of the portal holding a large battle axe.
Hecrydos then spotted the other portal they had used to escape and ran towards it.
"Quick, close it!" Patricia yelled.
As Hecrydos hand went through the portal, Author stretched out his hands and closed the portal making Hecrydos' hand cut off and fall to the ground.
"Mom!" Vanessa said and ran towards Patricia, hugging her.
*. *. *.
"According to the royals, he passed here," Eugeus said wearing a dark crimson cloak over his combat clothes to avoid drawing attention to himself.
"Blood," Vinson, Eugeus' new assistant said and Eugeus looked forward to see dried blood on the floor. He bent down studied the leaves around.
"Blood splash on the leaves, it was a sword clash, obviously the best move for a human who is a knight," Eugeus said.
"He confronted them before being finally overpowered," Vinson added.
"They went this way," Eugeus said, studying the footprints on the floor.
As they followed the footprints, they began to hear voices approaching.
"Quick, hide in the bushes" Eugeus said softly and they both sneaked into the bushes.
"That's Toshiba," Eugeus said as lot of guards passed by with one dragging a chain binding Toshiba's hands together.
As they all passed by, Eugeus plucked a leave and rolled it. He cut two twigs off a poisonous plant and inserted them into the rolled leaves and blew it, sending it whizzing through the air and lodging itself in the necks of the two guards behind.
Quickly, Vinson crept forward and dragged both of them into the bushes.
"Put on their uniforms, we join them," Eugeus said.
*. *. *.
"He's waking up," Rafi said sitting by Mr Harper who laid on a bed made out of straws.
Matthew stood up from where he sat by the fire and walked towards the bed on which Mr Harper laid.
"What happened to you then?" Matthew asked.
"I had a power surge," Mr Harper said.
"Vanessa, you could have killed him," Matthew said. He was visibly annoyed.
"Well he didn't," Vanessa said returning the stern glare he was giving her.
"You murder your people without mercy, you give irrational decisions and now you're the cause of the current threat to the end of the world, I'm beginning to think Jace's death has really gotten into your head," Matthew said pointing his index finger on his right hand to his head.
"Don't you dare talk to me like that," Vanessa said, now furious
.
" What will you do? Once the news of what caused the present situation spreads, what do you think the people will think of their selfish queen, their Queen of death?!" Matthew yelled
"I'll...."
"Will you two just stop already" Patricia shouted, stopping Vanessa.
Richie then tightened his grip on Raymelle's hand and rested his head sideways on Raymelle's shoulder having a mixed look of worry and confusion.
*. *. *.
Hecrydos walked through the dungeon, he had killed everyone he had met in the castle. The cleaners, maidens, guards, cooks and chefs.
As he walked through the dungeon, he suddenly faced sideways, looking at the cell where Valentine was.
"My old friend" Valentine said, surprised at seeing Hecrydos.
"We finally defeated them," Valentine said.
"No we didn't, you were always unworthy to be my master," Hecrydos said and suddenly sent his axe in between the cell's bars right into Valentine's heart. Valentine gasped and opened his mouth in shock and pain, falling to the ground as Hecrydos withdrew his axe.
"Blood, I love blood" Hecrydos said with a bleak smile as he looked at the tip of his battle axe.
He kept walking through the dungeon until he got to the end where a green light illuminated the dungeon from an infrared green magical shield, Eudora sitting behind it.
Hecrydos hit the force field with his axe and suddenly, thin black lines like cracks began to run through it before finally shattering and withering away.
Eudora stood up from where she sat. She was shocked to see Hecrydos and she looked very pale and weak, the shield had drained her of every power in her.
"Let's go rule the world, but for the meantime, let's get you your long lost aura " Hecrydos said and placed two of his fingers on her forehead, his index and middle fingers to be specific immediately restoring brightness and a vibrant aura to her.
*. *. *
.
"What is this place?" Vinson whispered to Eugeus as they approached a building in the construct of a warehouse.
As they approached, a guard at the entrance rolled up the gate and they all entered. As Eugeus and Vinson were about to enter, the guard stopped them.
"Where were you two assigned to?" he asked.
"We haven't been assigned anywhere.," Eugeus said instantly, seeming to have anticipated the question.
"Okay they are two spaces left at vault two, go there," he said and Vinson sighed in relief as he and Eugeus walked in.
"Wait, where are your boots?" The guard asked and they both looked down at their legs. They had forgotten to change their boots to those of the rebels.
"We must have forgotten it in the hurry" Eugeus said.
"The rebels are never in a hurry, traitors!" the guard said and he was about to hit cymbal to alarm the others when Eugeus withdrew a blade from his sleeves and tossed it, sending it lodging itself into the jugular vein of the guard.
As they turned around and continued walking, they heard a cymbal ring out from behind with a guard standing at the entrance, holding a rod.
"Oh no," Eugeus said as rebels began to troop in, in dozens.
Vinson withdrew his swords but Eugeus signaled to him to drop his weapons as he also did the same.
*. *. *
.
"Don't be annoyed," Mr Harper said as he sat by Vanessa.
"You know what Matthew said is right," Vanessa said.
"You did what you had to do," Mr Harper said.
"The convulsions, it was a strong vision I was having," Mr Harper said.
"You lied, why?" Vanessa asked.
"I wanted to relay the vision to you only," Mr Harper said and stood up.
"Let's take a walk, I'll explain it to you," Mr Harper said and Vanessa stood up, following him.
"You shouldn't be angry at Vanessa," Author said to Matthew.
"She jeopardized the safety of the world," Matthew said.
"She did what she thought was the right thing to do," Author said.
" I wouldn't blame you, you've let your feelings for her cloud your judgement." Matthew said.
"You don't know that!" Author said defensively.
"It's pretty obvious" Raymelle said.
"What would you do if you were told it required sacrificing a single person to purify the world?" Mr Harper asked Vanessa as they both walked down the forest path.
"I would do it," Vanessa said.
"Well, it seems to me that you think otherwise," Mr Harper said.
"What do you mean?" Vanessa asked.
"Freeing your mom, she was the sacrifice but you refused to let go of her," Mr Harper said.
"You're beginning to sound like Matthew" Vanessa said.
"No I'm beginning to sound like a revolutionary" Mr Harper said as he secretly brought out a syringe from his back pocket and injected it into Vanessa's neck.
"You just had to push me to the darkness," Mr Harper said as Vanessa closed her eyes, unconscious and fell into Mr Harper's arms.