The Devil's Tear

Chapter 15- Living Dead

“Is there a problem, Cytheria?” Vesta inquired.

“What are you thinking?” Cytheria demanded, forgetting completely that she was addressing her queen. “Lady Beatrice and Fortuna will destroy our land again! Why-..”

“They were true royalty, Cytheria,” Vesta interrupted coldly. “Not like Xerxes, who was a plain merchant before he rose to power, or Cornelia, who was an insignificant existence in our land, or even I! I am not royalty. I simply rose to power because my family was greatly favoured!”

“True royalty?” Cytheria scoffed. “That's pathetic reasoning, my Queen.”

“Know your place, Cytheria,” Vesta muttered.

“Do you want Ixeldra to occur again?” Cytheria asked quietly.

“It would be quite a remarkable event,” Vesta admitted. “But no, that is not my aim. I’m not mad to such an extent to want to repeat such an event.”

“Then what is it?”

“We should leave now,” Vesta evaded Cytheria’s question. “Or Alexei shall slip through our fingers.”

Cytheria grunted in annoyance, and suddenly felt a wave of an unknown emotion wash over her. The pain was excruciating, but the pleasure was exhilarating and intoxicating. Her body felt at ease. Cytheria was floating in soft darkness. She had not noticed that her eyes had closed, and in reaction, they fluttered open. Unable to see or hear anything, her heart began racing. A soft but cold hand grabbed Cytheria by her wrist, calming her, and her body collided with another woman. The woman brushed Cytheria’s hair from her ear.

“You will not touch Euphrosyne,” the woman whispered softly. “Nor Alexei.”

“Why not?” Cytheria urged in a soft but smiling voice.

“You do not want Beatrice and Fortuna Exedras to resurrect, do you?” The woman smirked. It seemed like there was a double meaning behind those words that she had uttered with such scepticism.

“Who are you?”

“Allegra. Remember my name, young one,” the woman fizzled to nothingness.

“Cytheria,” Vesta called her name. “Are you coming?”

Vesta leaped off the windowsill, with Cytheria at her tail. The crowd that was still watching them intently with frowns, split in two halves, allowing Cytheria and Vesta to pass. They did not recognize Vesta, or they would have surely hid themselves. Vesta turned to a grey-haired woman with a child in tow. She placed her hand on the woman’s cheek, and turned again with satisfaction. She had probably searched the woman's memories for sight of Alexei.

“North,” Vesta dragged Cytheria’s arm, but she was deep in thought.  She had heard the name Allegra before.

“Of course!” Cytheria cried out involuntarily. She clasped a hand over her mouth, blushing under Vesta’s curious gaze.

“What?” Vesta asked warily.

“A-alexei must be headed to BlackOrs Sanctuary,” Cytheria lied quickly. Vesta nodded with scepticism.

“That is decipherable enough,” Vesta murmured. “Do you know why  that sanctuary was built, Cytheria?”

“N-no,” Cytheria stuttered, still shocked by her own outburst.

“Cornelia built it. Its original name was Devier Sanctuary. Devier in Tytania’s ancient language means Devil,” Vesta wiped her forehead, “That woman was very precautious, and shrewd.”

Cytheria shook off Vesta’s story, and returned to her thoughts about Allegra. She had heard that name before by Demetri. Allegra Lyte was Demetri’s deceased younger sister, whom Artemis had taken the life of. Cytheria finally understood the true meaning behind Allegra’s words.

Like me, Artemis and Demetri are dead. But I am here, aren’t I? They will be there.

Cytheria calmed her nerves, and smiled slowly.

-

Alexei tightened his arm around Rosy, who had not spoken a word for the entirety of the journey. Irma and Alexei had borrowed some horses from the citizens. The wind slapped at his face and blew his hair back. Alexei inhaled the cold air; it was exhilarating.

“Alexei,” Irma said, trotting up beside him. “Where are we going?”

“I don’t know,” Alexei admitted. “Have any ideas, Rosy?”

Rosy shook her head, and her face darkened. “Artemis told me you were the strongest man in Tytania, Alexei. Why can’t we just face my pursuers?”

“Rosy,” Irma said forcefully. “We have no idea of the extent of our enemy’s powers. Our opponent is Queen Vesta, Tytania’s ruler.”

“I know who she is,” Rosy retorted.

“Vesta has many backups,” Alexei explained. “We cannot win. The number of her soldiers will overtake us in a minute.”

“Use Bahamut, then,” Rosy suggested with malice.

“Never,” Alexei rejected angrily, abruptly halting.

“Why?”

“Because… if I release him, Vesta will surely capture him. The Bahamut will not be as strong as he originally was, since his power is limited under a controller.”

Rosy nodded understandingly. “But why would Vesta want the Bahamut?”

“She is a Queen,” Alexei began. “She is wary of those more powerful than her, and would do anything to overtake them.”

“Not only that,” Irma added. “If she can obtain the Bahamut, she will be viewed higher than Cornelia was, since Cornelia never did succeed in capturing the Bahamut.”

“What happened to Demetri?” Irma questioned. “He hasn’t shown himself for a while now…”

“There were rumours at Kriest’s Tavern,” Alexei’s voice had gone low, “That Demetri had been executed by Vesta.”

Euphrosyne’s heart skipped a beat as the leaves beside them rustled.

-

“Artemis!” Allegra exclaimed happily. Artemis opened her arms to hug her friend. They collided with each other, laughing.

“You two were separated for only two days,” Demetri muttered.

Artemis and Allegra flicked Demetri’s black hair simultaneously. Demetri’s mahogany hair had gone black, but his eyes and skin had kept their colour. Artemis had thought it unfair to lose her human features, but recalled that she had died because the devil’s energy had hit her. Such negative energy could suck out the colours from a rainbow. Allegra was the most human of all three, with her rosy skin and dazzling lapis lazuli eyes that matched Demetri’s. Her mahogany hair had kept its colour and volume; it fell down her back in luscious and silky curls.

“Have you warned Cytheria?” Artemis enquired. Allegra nodded. Demetri let out a grunt, “I still don’t see why you took the trouble to warn Cytheria. We could just kill her as well.”

“She is innocent,” Artemis frowned. “And she is quite decent, in my opinion.”

“Brother,” Allegra spoke softly. “Cytheria has intercepted Vesta for a day. It will give enough time for Alexei to take Rosy and Irma far enough, I hope.”

“Why does Vesta not just teleport again?” Artemis asked.

“Because Alexei is on the move,” Demetri explained. “If she teleports, it will give away her energy and alert Alexei.”

“I see,” Artemis and Allegra said.

“Let us see how this turns out,” Demetri relaxed.

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