‘Ruffle~’

The leaves beneath my feet made a sound as I walked over them. The brownish leaves reminded me of my times around the place where I lived and was brought up.

I looked above me and saw the stars twinkling which I felt were comforting.

“Sire,”

One of my subordinates called me in hushed out voice.

“They’re here,”

He informed as he moved the bush away to make my eyesight more clear.

I peeked through the hole in the grass. It was exactly as I had expected. Buzz had betrayed Mortis and Krial. Nikola was trying to claim Mortis’ head, but Maria wasn’t willing to go down without a rebuttal.

In the corner of the image laid in front of me, I could see one of the Herbis brothers.

‘What an idiot!’

I thought as I saw him closely. Chin wasn’t brave, but was stupid enough to fall for anything. Good for him though, because I used him exactly as I wanted to.

I glanced more the area, but couldn’t find Edwin.

“Tsk—He isn’t here,”

One of subordinates remarked as she loaded her quiver. She picked up her bow and then started locating the enemies.

“Do not interfere. Edwin isn’t here; we don’t need to go all out.” I ordered my squad, “Mikhail can handle Nikola and Mortis and others are well prepared as well.”

“So what do we do?”

I scratched my forehead with my finger and tried to think about the best action for this situation.

“Muriel!”

I asked one of my members of the squad.

“Yes?” He stepped in front as soon as his name was called out.

“Pull Buzz out of the battle and Elena…” I said and turned towards my bowman, “Take Chin down and make him immobile. He is just too annoying. Others clear as many men you can.”

Everyone nodded as I delivered my orders.

Just a leaf fell down, the battle began. Avon used his enchanting abilities and set everything ablaze which did became a problem for us, but still everything was going according to the plan.

Muriel pulled out Buzz and Elena shot down Chin, because of the intense battle no one noticed our presence.

Mortis banged his spear down on the ground and invited the unexpected beast.

‘Seriously?’

I thought as there was no way to take down such a beast. They had no chance; even Blood Knights could find it difficult to tame it.

Krial was up fighting alone and we were helping him on the sidelines. He saw the beast and then noticed me.

“Inside the forest…”

I gave him a rough idea about what he should do.

“What?”

As we were having this conversation Mortis was taken out and so now it became a necessity to take the Minotaur away from them.

“Grab his attention and run inside.”

I said aloud.

Krial looked at the beast and then towards Mikhail, launching an arrow towards the beast he grabbed his attention and ran inside the forest.

As Mikhail took off, Maria helped Mortis to get up and they all walked towards the ‘The Lake of Life’

It was now that I walked out of the bushes and saw the scene of bloodbath myself. With tress burning and soil turning dark, the sky which now had clouds of smoke. This reminded me of the time when they were killed in front of me.

I walked down the river of blood. Step by step, I walked slowly till I reached the place where Chin was resting.

With an arrow pierced through his abdomen, he was not in condition yet he struggled to stand and tried making his way behind them.

“Chin, that’s enough.”

I said as I saw him standing up. Hearing my voice he fell down again on the ground and then looked at me.

“Sire?”

He said as he saw me with a face filled with surprise.

“You’re hurt.”

“No sire, I can still make my way. I promise I’ll defeat him.”

I was touched by his devotion and his dedication. So, I crouched down and gave his back my hand as a support.

“You still think that Mortis is evil?”

“Every Darkel is evil—“

He was answering but I interrupted.

“No, you’re wrong.” I said as I tried to clear his mind and punch some sense in him, “This world is wrong, so I don’t blame you.”

“Sire?”

He questioned my words with confusion lingering in his mind and speech.

“You cannot defeat Mortis. Why you ask….because I won’t let you kill him.”

I said with a bold voice.

“And if you still try to kill him….” I removed the hand supporting his back which made him fall, “Then I won’t hesitate to kill you.”

I said with my eyes steep and a grin on my face. It wasn’t a warning, but a fact.

I needed Mortis for what I wanted to achieve.

25 years of Life? This world is a joke. Everything about this world makes me despise the Gods even more.

“Why?”

He asked with his face turning pale every second.

“Revenge”

‘And some inner feeling to help my fellow humans’

I thought as I answered Chin’s question.

“Sire,” Novah called me, “It seems that the Elementus is here.”

He said as he pointed towards a figure levitating down to the ground.

‘Awesome’

“Very well, then this must be the right time for Mortis to remember who he is.”

[Avon’s POV]

I had seen Maria helping Mortis to walk his way through the forest towards Mikhail and Krial. So, I turned around and helped her bring him through.

After travelling some distance, I saw the beast running around like a madman. I looked closely and found an arrow and sword wedged in its eyes. I concurred that it was their work and they had successfully dealt with the beast.

But the beast wasn’t a problem anymore, because after a few seconds I saw something which my mother always had told me to be away from.

“Nikola. Oh! Nikola…. I really wonder why Edwin takes so much interest in you.”

I saw a figure levitating downwards.

It was Lord Soli, one of the five Elementus. I had previously read about him in my mother’s digest. He was one of the people I didn’t want to run into, but it seems trouble had already found its way towards me.

“You really can’t do anything without his help, can you?”

He said with a boasting voice as he brought back Nikola in front of us by sliding rocks beneath him which carried him on their way.

He was wearing a white robe with brown strips; around his waist he wore a black belt. His right fingers had five rings, a ring for each finger. With black long hair which was tied behind. He stopped coming downwards and levitated two or three feet above the ground.

Nikola had a disgusted look on his face as he saw Soli coming down.

“Humans,” he said as he addressed, “You piglets should feel grateful to get a vision of this holy land.”

‘Piglets?’

I thought and stood next to Krial and Mikhail. Maria alone was now handling Mortis as I had to be ready for anything now.

“You have committed several crimes and for that I, Elementus Lord Soli shall execute you.”

“I have done nothing wrong.”

Mortis screamed. He couldn’t stand, with his face still down he screamed on the top of his lungs.

“I have done nothing wrong. Why do I have to go through this? I didn’t even knew I was a Darkel. I didn’t…”

“That doesn’t matter, does it?” Soli replied.

“It does.” Maria stepped in front, “He didn’t harm anyone—“

“My word is the judgment. I have the authority to govern the world. You mere humans have no right to against me.”

Soli interrupted and replied in a flash.

“I thought Gods were supposed to help us….You are not a God. You are just a fake.”

Mortis said as he lifted his head. It was his rage, his sorrow speaking. He seemed tired of running and it wasn’t a lie that Soli was a fake. He was indeed a fake, but saying this to him…directly could be a dangerous.

“Fake?”

Soli said rage, his eyes were stiffened and his hands clenched.

“First you go against me and now you question my authority?”

He raised his fist and opened his palm. I looked at my right and some rocks were getting lined up, creating a circular structure. The center looked dark and pale first, it looked more like a void, but suddenly a city was reflected inside the circular structure.

Upon close inspection, I concluded that it was the town of Kayo and in an instant I was racked by what was going to happen now.

“You see this?”

He said and made Mortis look straight into the structure by moving it in front of him.

“You said I was fake? I wasn’t a God?” Soli said with his fumed tone, “This is your punishment.”

He said as he clenched his fist again and the image of Kayo inside the structure started crumbling and wobbling. Houses tumbled as land separated and villagers were squashed under rocks falling on the ground. In the corner of the image was Silvester’s house in which we were staying. Rocks were covered the whole house and it was destroyed immediately. The dust was cleared after some seconds and now the whole town was just a scrapland. With no human in sight, everything was destroyed. Nothing intact and nothing alive.

“Ishi?”

Mortis said as he fell down on his knees. With his palms covering his face, tears flowed down his face.

“Why?”

He screamed and kept screaming. Everyone was at a loss of words. Mikhail seemed enraged and Krial confused. I looked at Soli as he started walking away and turned his back against us.

“Futile resistance is the only thing humans are capable of…” he said, “You shouldn’t get ahead of yourselves. This is your punishment.”

‘Punishment? This is mass murder.’

“Nikola kill them now. They aren’t in their right mind….should be easy to finish.”

“Yes, my lord.”

Nikola answered with an appalled face.

“Tsk—“

He removed his sword again and looked at us.

No one could remove their sights over what had happened. No one uttered a single word. Maria walked towards Mortis with her hands sweating, but stopped in tracks as Nikola now walked towards us.

“By the order of the council. I hereby, finish you for committing crimes—“

He was about to complete the sentence, but was interrupted by Mortis.

“Futile, huh?” He said which made Soli turn his back, “Futile resistance?”

Lighting flashed from above the ground and the waves from lake roared. Wind blew as if it had a goal to uproot every tree in its path. I covered my eyes to protect myself from sand.

I examined the dark essence gathering around him, but couldn’t believe myself as the essence was strong that it was visible to the naked eye.

‘It’s impossible.’

‘I’ve found him?’

‘Is it him?’

Mortis removed his hands of his face, with eyes which beamed straight towards Soli.

“Do you really believe that, Soli?....”