Elemental Empires

{Chapter 33}

After hours of walking, climbing, crawling- and in Kira's case, whining- they stood before the entrance to Venom's palace. Two bulky soldiers guarded the gates while another lounged lazily on the bell tower.

"Let's go in from the back door- the one we escaped from," Kira whispered as they hid behind some bushes.

"They must have boarded up that door when they realized that two prisoners have escaped, also there are too many guards there. This way is slightly less dangerous," Mia said and chewed her lip," the question is how can we sneak inside without being caught?".

Kira's bright eyes lit up at once and a coy smile graced her lips.

"Listen closely".

"Aye Missies?! Where d'ya think yer going huh?", the guard on the bell tower bellowed as the three girls sashayed towards the gates.

"Greetings kind sir. We were summoned yesterday to be of service to the Royal Family. Migrated from Almondella just to please the Prince and to be of service to him," Kira said in a cloying, honeyed voice.

"Eh?", the guards raised his eyebrow in question.

Kira sighed,"Maids, kind sir. We are maids," she batted her long eyelashes at him.

"Wut maids? We dint call no maids".

"Oh of course you didn't. Someone else did but I bet he wasn't as handsome as you," Kira flashed a flirty smile and they saw the guard straighten. Cathy and Mia tried hard to keep straight faces.

"What with you lean, muscled body," Kira continued as the guard fell for her charm.

Pot-bellied figure of a gnome.

"And your shiny hair.."

Oily, greasy. The amount could alone provide for the whole of Almondella.

"Why Tank you kind ma'am," he sucked in his belly and flattened his hair.

"Oh anytime," Kira smiled," May we go in now?", she twirled a lock of her hair between her fingers.

"Course yeah! Aye- Crack em open!", the guard smiled at Kira who smiled back. The gates creaked open.

"Thank you," Kira winked at him before all three ran inside the palace and burst into laughter.

"I've found the perfect husband for you Darlin," Mia teased the blushing Kira.

"Real charmer ain't ya?", Cathy winked and Kira smiled shyly

Such an idiot, didn't even ask for the password!

You're a real charmer ain't ya?", Cathy teased her and she blushed.

"Stop it, you guys," Kira hissed and poked Mia's ribs.

They rushed full-speed towards their destination. Often hiding behind pillars and curtains to avoid the marching guards. They went back to the shifting wall and through the caving passage.

Treading, carefully down the steps- Mia remembered the cursed missing ones- they finally reached the room with the orb. Kira exhaled in excitement as she saw the hoards of books and took long breaths to inhale their musty scent, stroking their spines.

Mia approached the orb, careful not to touch it. It was prettier than ever, more beautiful than spring flowers in bloom and the incandescent feathers of a peacock. She extended her hand to smash it but quickly retracted it.

"I have to smash it but how?", she wondered out loud, Kira took out some fat hardbacks and began skimming them while Cathy observed the liquids.

Then Mia saw the table and using her hands, began shaking the table violently, the orb wobbled but didn't fall. She shook harder and a dull thud echoed as the orb rolled off the stand, just as it reached the edge of the table, the door flew open and in strode a terrifying figure.

"I always wanted to meet you Princess," a male voice rasped," get your autograph, meet your now dead parents," his voice was deep and menacing.

Mia clenched her teeth as she turned around. A tall figure clad in a Black ensemble towered above them. His viper-like eyes shone as he spoke.

"Thank you for giving me the knowledge of their whereabouts dear darling sister," Venom grinned and held out his palm to Cathy. 

Mia swallowed and glanced at Cathy who reluctantly took his hand and crossed over to his side." Anytime brother".

"Traitor", Mia spat as Kira neared Mia, book still in hand, mouth wide in shock.

"Uh uh," Venom wagged a finger at her," Don't be disrespectful. Don't your parents teach you manners? Oh wait they are dead!", he announced.

Mia balled up her fists as anger shone in her eyes.

"Thanks to Cath. I even know the secret weapon of your late Mother. Now get away from the orb and hand over the charm," Venom pointed, myriads of onyx rings glinted on his fingers.

"Never," Mia shook her head.

"Okay let's skip the chit-char. I don't wanna do any typical villain speeches and chuckle like immature idiots. You give me what I ask and you walk away, even if you don't it doesn't matter, I have absorbed some of the powers. But it's a choice. You go home. Unharmed. My word on that," Venom proposed and raised an eyebrow." No revenge, once in a life time opportunity- Royals only. Whaddya say Princess? Deal?".

"I'd rather die," Mia said through gritted teeth and yanked the table cloth from under the orb as it flew off the table. Venom ran to catch it but the orb smashed on the ground to a million shining fragments and released a whirlpool of screaming colours which faded into the air.

"You--you Moron!", Venom spat as rage enveloped him." I'll destroy you!", he snarled and raised his palms towards Mia  and drenched her with pressured water. Mia stumbled backwards but Kira reacted quickly, threw the book at Venom's head and changed the water to powdery snow.

"Okay?," she asked Mia as she nodded. Venom stood up and aimed his palms at Mia again as Cathy transformed into a vulture to attack and distract Kira. Mia stood unarmed.

The battle began.