The Devil's Tear

Chapter 30- Obligation

Alexei laid Cytheria’s limp body over the soft flowerbed. The breeze soothed him, and felt invigorating against his sweaty skin. He inhaled deeply, letting his eyes travel over the greenery.

Cytheria stirred slightly. Her eyes fluttered open, and she was immediately in a defensive position. Her body relaxed when she saw that Alexei was the only one near her.

“Where are we?” She asked curtly.

“A few miles from the palace,” Alexei responded without meeting her eyes. “Sorry for-…”

Cytheria raised a hand. “It’s alright. I was impulsive.”

Alexei furrowed his brow. Her actions had been understandable. He wondered what the lady warrior was thinking with little success.

“What did the Queen do to gain your trust?” She inquired quietly. He noted a hint of bitterness in her voice.

“Nothing at all,” he retorted honestly. Cytheria haughtily turned her head away from him.

“If this ends badly,” she glimpsed over her shoulder at the blonde-haired man, “I will blame you.”

Alexei shrugged dismissively. “Do what you want.”

Silence fell upon them. Impatiently, Alexei pulled himself to his feet and started back towards the castle. Cytheria pondered about whether to follow him, but ultimately decided against it.

-

“The atmosphere is heavy,” Arisa whispered under her breath. She breathed softly, her eyes frequently locking on the palace’s swirling tower. Rosy and Irma sat cross-legged, both of them playing with the long blades of grass.

“When do you think they’ll be back?” Rosy broke the silence.

“No one can say,” Arisa replied earnestly. One thing she was quite sure of, was that Alexei was no longer alive. She could plainly see the purplish mist enclosing the area behind the palace, and occasionally, she would hear growls and roaring. The dragon had been extracted from Alexei. She wouldn’t say anything to Rosy or Irma just yet. It would tear them apart. A realization hit Arisa. If this was so, Artemis and Demetri should have returned. Unless… Arisa jumped to her feet, and it felt like a huge stone had been placed on her heart. The pain would be terrible for them if they were injured, even slightly.

“Mama?” Rosy called.

“We must go,” Arisa ordered impatiently. Those two were forbidden to act on their own! Arisa was their mistress. Although she had given them the right to make their own decisions, she had explicitly specified that they were forbidden to make major decisions. They should have at least warned her that they were going to ambush the palace. Of course, all this was a mere guess. Irma and Rosy struggled to keep up with the young necromancer.

“Arisa,” Irma called, “Where are we going?!”

“The palace,” Arisa replied tersely.

“Mama, we can’t go there!” Rosy arrived to a halt. Arisa whirled around in exasperation. Rosy’s eyes were large and glassy.

“The Bahamut is already freed,” Rosy said painfully, “I’ve noticed it, and I’m sure you didn’t want me to know. I-If I go anywhere near the dragon, it’ll go berserk!”

Now, a boulder placed itself on Arisa’s heart. Of course! The dragon was paranoid and defensive of that more powerful than him. And Rosy’s tiny body housed the Devil. If Rosy was exposed to the dragon, the outcome would be disastrous. But she could not abandon Artemis and Demetri either.

“I must go there,” Arisa’s fists were clenched as she uttered those words. “Rosy, Irma, please wait for me here. Please.”

“Arisa, you can’t leave Rosy with me,” Irma intervened, “If the Devil resurfaces, I won’t be able to handle it, or calm her down.”

Arisa stomped her foot on the ground in frustration.

“I won’t be long,” Arisa assured, although her voice was shaky, “Please, Irma, Rosy, I must.”

Irma’s shoulders slumped in surrender, but Rosy was stubborn on her spot. “You can’t. If, like Irma said, the Devil does return, and neither you nor Alexei are present to repress it, Tytania is doomed.”

Worry not, my dear.

Rosy’s heart instantly calmed. “Lady Cornelia…”

Arisa smiled briefly, waving a goodbye. “Lady Cornelia will take care of you, Rosy.”

Rosy nodded quickly, watching as her mother’s figure blurred and vanished.

 Rosy, I want you to follow your mother.

Rosy’s back straightened at the notion. Irma watched her curiously.

Worry not. I will guide you. The palace is not our destination.

“What is it, then?” Rosy asked warily.

Xerxes’s Palace.

A/N: I'm sorry for the lack of uploads. :( Writer's block~ Comment/Vote/Fan~