Treachery : book 2 of Codex Elysium

Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Present Time: Midgard

"I think I preferred Elysium"

Muttered Cassie darkly as yet another person bumped into her. She gave them a filthy look but the man was so engrossed in his own world he didn't even notice.

"It is odd being back though" said Alexia "Somehow those zombie people in Elysium seemed to have more life than these real ones"

Jason barked out a short laugh. He had been watching these people go mindlessly about their business and had been thinking the same thing. "Perhaps having everything stripped away from you makes you value life more?" Alexia considered this gravely in silence.

Eva walked hand in hand with Jason, she had been silent ever since they returned to this world. It had been over two years since she died and her memories of this world were fuzzy at best. She studied every building they passed. She knew the layout well enough from her skirmishes in Elysium. Glevum was an exact twin of that ruined one but still Eva couldn't quite understand it.

Cassie swore loudly as yet another person bumped into her.

"I think these people are more zombie like than the actual bloody Passus! But still, as long as they don't try and kill us, I'm ok"

Jason came to a halt and turned back to his best friend, he pointed at a poster on the wall.

"It is not the people we need to worry about"

The poster was like countless others they had seen on walls and lampposts. It informed the public to report anyone acting strange or suspected of witchcraft to the Witch Hunters immediately. In big red letters at the bottom was the same motto they kept seeing 02.02.2020 IS COMING! THE WORLD MUST BE CLEANSED AND MADE READY FOR THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT.

Eva looked at the two girls who had visibly paled at the sight. Even Jason looked slightly sick.

"Was it really that bad?"

"YES" chorused the other three. In some ways Eva had been lucky compared to the others. She didn't have to face the torture, interrogation or public executions like they did. She was shoved in front of a car and died long before the Witch hunts started. Still being crushed by a car and left to die slowly in the middle of the road hadn't been a fun way to go. Perhaps it wasn't a good idea to play who has suffered the most?

Jason shuddered at some memory then visibly composed himself.

"I believe the Witch Hunters are humans possessed by demons, they are merciless predators when they hunt and are even more savage if they capture you"

Alexia raised her hand and said "I vote for not being captured again."

"I second that" said Cassie as her hand automatically went to the sword at her hip. She swore violently when her hand found nothing but empty air. "Good job we came unarmed then" she made one last check, confirming that her sword was not there "Still I guess, at least we have enough magic between us to fight them back"

Three pairs of eyebrows rose at Cassie's statement. She frowned back at them "What?"

Out of the four of them, Cassie had been the least willing to even accept the possibility of magic let alone use it to fight with.

"No" said Jason firmly "We are not here to engage. This is strictly recon. How much attention do you think it will draw if we start using magic in the middle of the street? We...."

Jason paused as an old lady shuffled passed, she had looked up at the mention of magic and was glaring at the quartet suspiciously. Cassie glared hard and stared the old woman down until she had moved on.