"Wait...wait ...Ughkk... My Prince... Wait"
Tiernan begged, still on foot while both Arthur and Joan now hovering in the air. The flame around them grew hotter, the closer they are from the center piece of the show. Arthur golden spear and armor were shining, like sun. Becoming a beacon in the middle of hell that spawned in the plane.
And that means, Arthur get closer then ever.
"My Prince, follow the scream"
Joan added, as he kicked an invisible floor. He's onto something, right until now Arthur was following the heat. But Joan's suggestion, made sense. Especially when the dome was announcing a new name every time the high pitched voice rang.
"Ughkkk.... Wa..."
"Shut up, Tiernan"
He couldn't stand it anymore.
"Just follow, or I'll tell Joan to leash you like a dog"
That made him silence, only cough remains. Until a few
"Akhhhhh"
That scream, Arthur swing to the left. His eyes scanned, looking for any trail that could lead him to the culprit.
Savira... Death by Burning
There it was, same case happening again. Right now it was the game of chase, he got hound - Joan. Yet, the situation forced to nulling any contribution. The smoke was too thick for him to detect. Unfortunate.
He can only rely on ears
"Ahkkkkk"
Torman... Death by Stabbing
Again, but stab ?
Does he use a sword? A spear, maybe?
Was it matter? NO. It Doesn't Matter
'To make things right'
That sentence, never left the back of his head - chiming like bell as he took every step.
Thakk
"Akhh"
An ache in his face. He glanced, a huge fire raining down. He swung, heat biting his skin as he frowned, What happened to my Armor?
Then scream.
"Akhhhh"
Again.... how many
Slova... Death by Burning
Could that thing even be stopped ?
"MY PRINCE"
Then a force, hit him square. An explosion and splintered wood cracking, sending him to a tree. Followed by a threat of pink.
Pink ?
"Ughkkk"
Athur choked, tongue coated with salted liquid. He clawed, trying to find his spear. But nihil. Damn. He spawned a spear, it quivered - light flickering erratically. Weak...but enough.
Joan Creed... Death by Stabbing
How ?
Tiernan ? What about him ?
"TIERNAN"
No Answer, and the dome stay silent
"Ughkkk"
He bent, back shredded by burn.
"Well... well... what have we here Violet? An audience - and a big one at that. Nice catch"
That Voice
Arthur's chest flared, hotter than the flame
"You..."
Arthur tried to look, one eye forced to open; the other refused to budge.
Dark hair, Red eyes, Coat... and the pink haired girl
"TIERNAN!"
"Oh... what a good man he is"
The voice...it was male. Each word pinched his ears like needle
"Look Violet, he tries to bring his friends"
"Ughkkk"
Arthur gripped - hard, 'CRASH', gone was his magic spear
Damn it
"Oh.. oh... Pardon me, Crown Prince. My theatrical tendencies... sometimes leak"
The man in coat bowed, What now?
"You..."
"Yes. Again... me. Pardon me"
Arthur lay still. He wanted to at least move his hand, but the searing pain...
Damn it
Damn it - Damn it
Did he lose? Just like that?
"Oh... don't worry, my prince. We can wait - for the purge I mean. You promise... remember? to make things right. Well... don't worry, we have no intent to divide you from your oath... so sit still, my prince. While we hunt for Tiernan"
Then the man was gone
'Just like wind'
Arthur murmured. Head fell, right by his shoulder. His senses... bled away, bit by bit.
Claremont... he finally remember
Then - Blank. He was gone, and somehow the heat; also gone
---
What Tiernan remembered was a pink streak, crashing down like shooting star in front of him. And just after a second, he lost the crown prince - nowhere to be seen.
It was beautiful that pink streak, the only thing that stuck in his memory.
"My Prince.. ughkk... My Prince ?"
"Where are...Ughk... you ? Crown Prince ?"
"My Prince ?"
He paced, holding his shield as if it could protect him from the flare. Well, it does... at some point. The slab weight diminished, as he brought it along the search.
Until he found a lead, the guy was there - Altaris - standing behind Violet like an owner to a slave. His coat kept clean, sparkling red like a demon in his little kingdom of hell and that blood colored eyes, threw him back to two months ago when they entered the academy.
He would never forget that look, still haunt him on his dreams
'Arthur was right... Violet was indeed under his schemes'
The notion, plus Altaris fuel him like a feast to a bull - flared his spirit, enhancing his spell casting.
He could wield the soil, like an extension of his limbs.
Was this his chance for redemption, to rescue his love from the clutch of evildoer?
"Altaris..."
"Tiernan? You really Tiernan? You've changed. Is good to see you here!"
Hmmm !
What... what was this? Why he talks like this?
And Violet... that strained face. He really was a demon, her demon.
"Altaris... release Violet this once, or..."
"Wait, what are you talking about, Tiernan. It pains me to see you like this!"
"Altaris... I warned you"
Tiernan raised his shield, throat swallowing inexistence lump of coal. He need to ponder, to find the best method of saving Violet from this... abomination.
"We don't need to fight... Tiernan. Please..."
Altaris dropped, one knee on the ground. He pressed both hand - making a prayer-like posture. Like a prisoner asking for leeway from the judge, but that smirk... why was he smirking? was he mocking me? Again after all this?
Tiernan wanted to erase it, to color it with wounds and bruises
Damn the scenario, or whatever Arthur planned for. To save her, he could do this much, right?
So he charged, shield in front. A wall of fire crashed into him, yet he held - coating it with as much soil he could muster. He didn't stop, hot wind tickling his skin as a - CRACK... shards of wood sprayed everywhere, lodging into his skin.
He grimaced, one tree down
and Altaris - where was he?