"We need to reach the Oyindar arena and warn your Queen and the Empress. What's about to happen could cause the deaths of hundreds of people... I've never sensed such a strong and menacing presence..." Scarlet didn't hide her thoughts from the two siblings.
There was something different in the air, something dangerous, and the two immediately understood they didn't have much time to warn their Queen and the princess. It would be a race against time... a matter of minutes, perhaps seconds, but it was certain they couldn't stop the destruction The Ravenous One would bring.
***
"Incredible! An unexpected overtake!"
Snow White stared at the nobles discussing the race, then turned toward the group of people she was conversing with, who were standing apart from the rest of the attendees. Enrico, fortunately, had joined other guests, immersing himself in the event, and had given the Queen some room to breathe. She desired nothing more than for him to keep his distance.
"I'm getting bored."
"William!" Adelina looked around, then let her eyes rest on the Queen, who was listening to them, but the latter smiled to reassure them.
Snow White glanced around, then moved even closer to the blonde, feeling a shiver of cold run down her spine and take hold of her body. Grimilde noticed her behavior: "Are you cold?" she asked, with a worried look. She wrapped an arm around her waist, drawing their bodies even closer.
"No... but..."
Grimilde read something in her gaze and suddenly her face grew serious. Her body tensed, and her heart began to beat faster. Alex seemed to have the exact same reaction, reaching them with quick, resolute steps: "We have to leave. Immediately."
The witch wore a strangely dark expression, and this confirmed to the Queen that her feelings were not random and that her body had reacted to a shift in the environment. It was precisely in that moment that the tremors began to spread—initially weak, silent, only to grow stronger and more devastating. They would gradually increase their destructive power, extending beyond the borders of Krussgard and Umgard, bringing death and chaos with them.
The ground began to shake beneath the crowd's feet, and they froze, paralyzed, listening to the destructive force that was about to strike the arena. The Empress was the first to react, ordering the guards to clear the area as quickly as possible, and she took the lead of the group of nobles, ready to guide them through the imminent escape.
Snow White clung to the Queen, wearing a terrified expression, her heart hammering rapidly. She felt she recognized that noise and the chaos that would shortly follow. She had seen it in her nightmares; she had felt it viscerally.
Grimilde tried to control her fear and grabbed the princess's hand. "Let's go," she said firmly, as if she were ready for anything, even though deep down she feared what was about to happen and what she could not control.
"What is going on?" Adelina asked anxiously, but William took her by the arm, following Snow White and the Queen, who were hurrying to leave the area. Grimilde had alerted the rest of the attendees as well, assisting the Empress by barking orders at the servants and nobles.
Just as they began to descend the stairs, the building was hit by a particularly violent tremor: Snow White almost fell to the ground, but Grimilde caught her in her arms. Some of the people present slammed against the walls; others tripped and fell. It was impossible to move, so they stopped and had a chance to witness the panic that had spread among the audience and sparked a carnage: the frightened crowd was running down from the stands, screaming and trampling anyone who stopped. A crush soon formed at the exit, making passage difficult and putting anyone nearby at risk. It was a horrific, chilling sight.
At the second tremor, the roof under which the guests had stood mere minutes before collapsed, and the rubble crashed down into the center of the arena. The building wouldn't hold up much longer: some columns snapped and crumbled, causing the arena to shake with increasing force. The group of nobles was hurrying down the stairs and toward the exit, but it was clear they wouldn't make it in time.
"It won't hold up much longer," Snow White commented, surprising the Queen.
"You... you sense something, don't you?" One look had been enough for her to understand that the princess was sensing beforehand what was about to happen. Death, destruction, and despair were everywhere, and the passage they were in would become their tomb if they didn't act fast.
"Let's hurry," Enrico stated, pushing his way from the back of the group to take the lead alongside Grimilde and the Empress. The man cast a glance at the women present, expecting to see their panic and fear, but he was surprised by the steadiness of their gazes, so he decided to follow them, remaining silent.
Grimilde continued to guide the group down the stairs and through the corridors. Just one more floor and they would reach the ground. Please, do not collapse, the Queen thought. She wasn't going to die in there, and she wouldn't let the earthquake take the lives of those people, but above all, Snow White's. It was the fault of that demon, Golujef, and anyone in cahoots with him. The cracks grew deeper as they passed, and the quake forced them to find handholds to avoid falling and getting hurt.
At a certain point, the ceiling was on the verge of collapsing, but before the stones could detach, roots acted as a glue, holding them together. It was then that Alex took charge of the situation, reassuring those present.
"I will help you get out of here. Follow me." The witch waited for no one and continued down the path. Grimilde observed her closely, admiring the signs of her power manifesting, like her bright, vivid amber eyes. Perhaps the control she possessed over magic was such that it allowed her to do such extraordinary things without the slightest hint of fatigue.
"Quickly. Do not stop." The Empress hurried after her partner and, passing by Grimilde and Snow White, shot them a quick but clear look. They had much to discuss.
The crowd of nobles and servants finally managed to exit the building thanks to the help of Alex, who had used her powers, with the aid of the surrounding vegetation, to halt the structure's collapse. The audience had also managed to escape thanks to the witch's assistance. Unfortunately, during the movement of the panicked crowd, some people had lost their lives. The witch hadn't been fast enough, and she wasn't strong enough: Golujef had unleashed an unstoppable calamity. Nature could do nothing to stop that disaster.
"Your Majesty!" Derek and Iza arrived on horseback: fortunately, the earthquake hadn't stopped them, despite the difficulties encountered along the way. Their steeds were agitated but unharmed.
When the Queen saw them arrive, she also noticed the presence of Askmon Huskarl and Fromm Kersink, who had seemingly vanished mere moments before the earthquake began. The crowd had dispersed far from the arena, just in time to avoid being crushed by the rubble. The building, in fact, collapsed piece by piece, leaving behind nothing but sad ruins. At the time of its destruction, the crowd was far away, but a few bodies could be seen lying on the ground, soon to be covered by the debris.
Zeyana had no time to think about the deaths of those people. She wore an icy, almost apathetic expression: as soon as her eyes found the two Umgardians she was looking for, she closed the distance with rapid steps, drew her sword, and pointed it at the throat of one of them, while grabbing the other by the collar with her free hand. "You will answer for what you have done." Her tone of voice was brimming with wrath; it was terrifying.
"W-we didn't do anything!" Fromm stammered, trying to beg for his life.
The eyes of everyone present were fixed on the impostors, but no one could foresee the tragic minutes to follow. Askmon managed to break away from the Empress and grabbed Alex, pressing a knife to her throat. Zeyana gritted her teeth but continued to threaten Fromm's life.
"Let her go, or you will die."
Askmon flashed a cruel grin and shifted his eyes to his prey: "We all have to die sooner or later."
Grimilde's eyes widened when the Umgardian soldiers surrounded them with their weapons raised. She drew the weapon she had hidden under her skirt and pulled Snow White behind her, while Derek and Iza flanked them to defend them. Scarlett had hidden somewhere, using her cover to aim her crossbow at the enemies, ready to strike at the right moment.
Five armed soldiers were approaching them, while Askmon threatened to slit Alex's throat, and Zeyana was busy holding Fromm down. The other nobles had already fled; the only ones left were Enrico, William, and Adelina.
"Lower your weapons, or you will start a war." Enrico gripped the hilt of his sword, looking mocking and self-assured.
"And who will deliver the news of your death?"
The situation grew increasingly chaotic.
"Let me go." The witch's words were directed solely at Askmon: since being taken, she hadn't shown the slightest hint of resisting the man's grip. She did not fear her own death.
"Witches like you deserve to burn to death," the man hissed harshly against her ear and tightened his hand around the dagger's hilt. If someone had studied him closely, they would have noticed the signs of his agitation: his hands were trembling, and his pupils were more dilated than normal; he felt the adrenaline coursing through his veins, giving him more courage.
"Oh... you don't actually think you're insulting me with your words? They've already tried to burn me, but you see... flames can do nothing to me."
"What is going on here?" The soldiers let two people through who, up to that point, had remained on the sidelines, unnoticed, watching the tragedy unfold from afar as if it were a show to be enjoyed.
Seorlin and Wandalin had planned everything and had allied to take care of their own problems. Seorlin smirked maliciously and looked around with an almost bored demeanor: "There must be a mistake. Why don't we try to resolve the situation civilly? Even an Empress cannot afford to execute two men who do not belong to her empire without repercussions."
Zeyana didn't seem to listen to him and kept her eyes locked on Askmon, while Grimilde addressed Seorlin, stepping to the front of the group: "What are your intentions?"
The Queen was not so foolish as to believe Seorlin's words and his fake smile. It was clear he had a plan: Grimilde would recognize the sharp eyes of a strategist anywhere, but she still couldn't establish a link between that man and what had happened in the land where she was born. Could her family be behind his appearance?
"My intentions? Are you perhaps accusing me of something?" Seorlin feigned confusion and turned to Wandalin: "Do I look like a man hiding behind a mask?"
Wandalin and Seorlin looked at each other for a moment, then burst out laughing, sparking suspicion among the rest of the group. Enrico advanced toward his sister, looking confused, almost irritated: "What is going on here? Wandalin, give me an explanation!"
Seorlin smiled at the woman, who walked confidently toward her brother. Enrico furrowed his brow and lowered the sword he held in his right hand.
"I have a message for you, brother."
Right as she said it, Wandalin stabbed her brother in the side.
He didn't have time to move away: he could never have foreseen such a betrayal from his sister. Before anyone could act to defend Enrico, the soldiers raised their weapons at them and the conflict began: Derek and Iza leaped in front of the Princess and Queen of Arran, their weapons drawn and ready to strike the adversaries. On the other side of the group, Enrico was trying to push his sister away, clutching his bleeding, aching side.
Fromm tried to fight back, but Zeyana struck him in the head, quickly putting him out of commission, and then turned her attention to the Umgardian soldiers charging from her side. All of this had happened in a matter of seconds. A very brief period in which Alex had shown Askmon that he shouldn't have threatened her without killing her immediately. A nearby tree was moved by a powerful magic, and one of its branches extended, rapidly reaching Askmon, who was skewered: he saw a very thick branch jutting out of his chest and his eyes widened, spitting blood.
"Y-you will die—!" His life ended in that manner, and the witch felt nothing, only disgust for that useless, foolish man.
"Alex," the Empress called to her, as she was dealing with the nearby guards, showing no signs of fatigue or weakness. "Are you alright?"
"Yes. Do I kill them all?" The Archmage said it with dead seriousness: she would truly kill them all if she wanted to.
"No, I want to interrogate them first."
"Grimilde!"
Meanwhile, the princess had thrown herself between the blonde and Seorlin, hoping to stop the man from wounding her with the slender dagger he held in his hands. Seorlin had surely poisoned it. "Why are you doing this?" she asked the man, who had momentarily paused.
Seorlin seemed to regain some of that cold calm that had always characterized him, but the madness in his gaze, his hatred, were a clear sign of just how corrupted by evil he was. No one could have changed his mind; moreover, he had been planning this scheme for years. He had been tasked by important people and would not fail.
"Traitors like her deserve to die," he stated with disgust, then smiled cruelly: "Your vile kingdom will succumb with you as well!"
A guard tried to grab the princess, but Derek disposed of him, snatching the second soldier who had tried to get close: he threw him to the ground, kicking him in the back of the head, then pointed his large sword at Seorlin, silently threatening him. The soldiers weren't thinning out: hearing the sounds of combat and after weathering the seismic waves, more guards had rushed to the vicinity of the arena.
William and Adelina had managed to find cover behind the Empress and the Archmage, who seemed to have no trouble defending themselves against a growing group of enemies. "Empress, to your right!" William looked in terror at a soldier about to attack Zeyana Voklanden from behind, but a bolt struck his neck before he could raise his weapon. Scarlett let out a whistle that informed the Empress backup had arrived.
A groan of pain brought the attention back to Wandalin and Enrico: the brother was on his knees, clutching his side, while the woman held her sword raised and steady near his neck. "I will finally take what is mine. I am tired of pretending to be submissive, brother. The throne will not be yours, you do not deserve it, you are not stronger than me... look at you! On your knees, before me! This is your place, Enrico!"
"Enrico Von Deusk. Do you value your sister's life?" Zeyana asked, turning toward the man. Enrico gritted his teeth and stared at her in resignation.
Wandalin laughed mockingly and prepared to plunge the blade into her brother's neck. A bolt pierced her shoulder, catching her by surprise. The sword dropped, and the man struck her hard in the stomach, making her collapse to the ground, breathless.
"You will bitterly regret this day, sister," his voice was overflowing with anger and disgust. That betrayal, he was certain, would change the lives of the two siblings.
Seorlin, who had witnessed everything, looked around with a crazed look in his eyes: "Do you think anything will change thanks to your resistance? It won't. You will regret not agreeing to surrender... your death will not be as swift when The Ravenous One comes to take you."
Seorlin caught everyone by surprise, immediately launching himself at Derek, knocking him off balance, and nimbly dodging Iza, who had reached him: his objective was clear; he wanted to use his dagger and stain it with the blood of the Princess and the Queen of Arran! Several enemy soldiers were on the ground, dead or exhausted from the fight: the situation was clearly different from what Seorlin had planned, but that didn't change the outcome he would achieve. That being said, he hadn't expected Grimilde to manage to curry favor with Empress Zeyana and the Archmage. This was no small problem. It wouldn't have been so difficult to eliminate her if she had remained alone, without their support... but no matter, he would find a way: after all, he knew her weak point.