Before the figure could escape, a crooked staff slammed into his back, then whipped down to knock the vial from his hand.
He groaned and turned, stunned someone had struck him hard enough to slip past his guard. His eyes, the only part that was visible from his masked face, flickered with dread. "Ragnar Crowfield."
He spun to jump down the platform, but his steps halted as a crushing sound filled the air. His eyes widened in horror as he looked down at his chest, only to find a crooked staff piercing out of his chest, his blood dripping slowly from the tip of it.
The moment the stick was retracted back, he dropped to the ground, his body going still. The vial lay just a reach away. But everything turned dark.
"Emperor Ragnar," Federick mused as he stared at his handiwork.
"A thief, how despicable?" Ragnar clicked his tongue in distaste. His long black hair cascaded down his back, his lips were painted black and his eyes looked dark from the black eyeliner. His skin looked paler in contrast to the black paint. His ears were adorned with earring rings.
"Poor fellow. Only if he knew the Emperor of Gravemarch was here." Federick shook sorrowfully as if he really pitied the thief. "Guess you'll need more than shadow magic to steal from a Creowfield."
He stretched his short legs over the thief's lying body, picking up the vial. He held it up, his eyes widened in awe. "You know this is my first time seeing the Oas liquid."
However, Ragnar ignored him, as he made his way back to his seat. His sharp gaze moved back to Dimitri and Aura, who were trying to suppress the attack. A crazy glint flickered across his eyes.
"A legendary mage," Ragnar muttered under his breath, as he watched how the two God-tier mages struggled to handle a mage that was lower than them.
...
Meanwhile, the crowd grew unrest. In their haste to run to safety, some of the people were pushed down the railings, falling to their death.
The man who had commented bad remarks about the Gravemarch earlier during the battle managed to make his way out. His footsteps echoed through the alley, as he dabbed the edge of his sleeve over his face. He felt the wind whooshing past him.
However, when he looked back, there was nothing, and not even a single soul was passing through the alley. He swallowed nervously before turning back to his front.
The red sky and the booming waves made him hasten his steps again, but he halted again in shock by the sudden appearance of a cat, as black as night, crossed his path.
"Stupid cat." He cursed under his breath.
However, as he walked forward, the black transformed into a slim, tall man. His black hair covering the left side of his face, he played with a small sharp dagger as he leisurely walked towards him.
As if the man had a premonition, he turned around, only to find nothing but the empty space, the wind picking up, blowing his golden hair. When he turned around, his gaze flicked in alarm. Before he could blink, a dagger pierced into his throat. The man with black hair smirked at the look of fear crossing his eyes.
"So how does it feel to have your life at the mercy of a BLOODY DEATHMONGER?" he asked, with amusement dancing in the depth of his grey eyes.
The man with golden hair held his hand, which was twisting the dagger in his throat. A gurgle sound echoed through the alley, the man's face contorted with pain. Blood dripped down from the corner of his lips.
The man with black mimicked a pity look, "Does it hurt?"
But the man with golden hair could not say anything, except the sound of him choking on his own blood.
"Don't worry, I'll make use of your body… being my puppet will be one of your greatest gifts…"
Before he could finish his word, the man's eyes glowed gold, his body disintegrated into ashes, as if he wanted to tell the man that he would rather burn himself than become his puppet.
An eerie laugh rumbled through the air. The man with black hair laughed with gleaming eyes as he looked up at the red sky. "He disintegrated himself," he muttered in disbelief. Then, he made a fake sad face, "It would have been nice if you were my puppet."
Then, he turned into a thick ball of black smoke. He flew away from the alley in a zigzag motion in the sky.
"Fear Gravemarch's bloody deathmongers." His words reverberated in the sky.
...…..
(In Agnes's Room)
The space within Agnes's room tore open, a golden whirling energy appeared in the ripped space. Agnes emerged from the energy. Immediately she stepped out of the portal, it disappeared.
Quickly, Agnes placed Kaelith on the bed. As she pulled the blanket away from his face, her throat tightened, as her eyes widened in shock. 'He broke the seal I placed on him. This is impossible. What kind of monster have I brought to the world?'
Her shoulders tensed as she felt the deadly aura becoming more intense. Before she could think of what to do, the door burst open. She snapped to the door with her hand swirling with magic, ready to silence the intruder. Her hand fell to her side when she saw it was Plum.
"Shut the door, and place a restrictive barrier around us," she ordered.
Without any question, Plum turned. With a flick of her finger, the doors and windows sealed shut. "Ecnartne O de wolla," her eyes glowed green, and a blast of energy exuded from her chest, forming a skin-like invisible barrier over the room.
As Plum was busy casting the magic for the barrier, Agnes took a dagger. She swallowed before plunging it into her heart. She winced in silence, she bit her lower lips as she pulled out the dagger from her chest. Blood pooled over her chest, staining her white cloak, a streak of blood dripping from the corner of her lips.
She ignored the pain that shot through her body. "The blood of the heart is the most sacred blood. I, Agnes Flemington Pendragon, the high mage of the Eastern Sancton, offer my blood. Grant me powers, oh universe!"
A loud white blast boomed in the room. Different colours of lifeforce energy began to gather in between her arms. She made a sign with her hand as she directed the flow of the energy. Her black hair flew up, dancing against the wind, her eyes glowed gold.
She widened her hands apart as she levitated up into the air. "Universe, grant me the power to seal this bloodthirsty power, purify his body." The magic swirled around her before rushing towards Kaelith.
The magic stopped just inches away from entering his body. Kaelith's golden eyes turned to meet that of his mother, as a barrier of flame formed around him, blocking his mother's magic.