The Undead Princess

Because Of This Bastard Called Richie

My mouth is slightly ajar. It feels like everything is in slow motion as Richie manhandles the red dagger that callously enters the back of Elisabeta. I shudder in terror as I hear the sound of flesh being ripped open right in front of me. I want to scream at her to turn around and dodge his attack. However, all I can do is maintain my horrified facial expression. I try to move my feet but it feels like they have suddenly become bricks. All I can do is be an audience to this terrible crime that is being committed. I can't even run up to Richie and snatch the dagger out of his hands. The only thing that comes out of me is the shrill screaming of my voice. Even with that, I struggle because my throat feels dry and slightly tight. 

Once the dagger fully enters the back of Elisabeta, she drops to her knees and lets out a visceral scream of her own. The leaves are trembling in fear from how loud and painful her scream is. Even I flinch back from the shock of how loud she is and lose my footing.

"Wow, I have not felt that much pain in a while." she winces, "When I get my hands on you, you fiend, I--" 

She does not get to finish that thought because she screams in agony. Henri's face has a smirk plastered all over it. It seems like he feels that he has won this battle. Henri walks closer to the injured woman who is collapsed on the ground and gets down to her level.

"Well, well. Who would have thought," he taunts, "You've just been deadly injured by someone of the likes of me. No even worse, by a puny human with an Orion blade. Does that make your cold blood boil? Do you still feel they should be equals to us?" 

What is an Orion blade?

His voice is ripping through the tense air like lighting. At that moment, Elisabeta looks up to Henri. I cannot see what face she bears because she has tilted it in a way so that she makes full eye contact with him and lets out a deep growl.

Me and Richie both look at each other with terror. Although Elisabeta is the one injured on the ground, it somehow feels like the power dynamics have shifted.

I can barely contain my mouth from dropping to the ground as she gets up and with a staggered walk reaches a somehow paler-faced Henri.

"Wha-- How? You have violet?" Henri widens his eyes as he takes a couple of steps away from Elizabeta. "Richie you bastard. You've got us killed."

Then, I feel a strong gust of wind pass by me. Even my skirts fluttered by how sudden this wind was, and when I looked at where Henri was supposed to be -- he was gone. Even that backstabbing Richie was somehow gone. I looked around and noticed that Richie's horse was still here. What cruel bastard leaves their steed abandoned?

I do not have time to process what happened because once they're gone, I hear a loud thud hit the hard floor of this forest. Elisabeta has fallen back down again. I see her eyes roll back. At that moment, I make the executive decision to bring her home with me. It is crucial I bring her to Zephyr. We're nearly there anyway. Hopefully, Mema can help me fix whatever damage that blade did to her.

-.-

I had struggled for what felt like an eternity to get Elisabeta on top of Richie's horse. Having to grab this long woman by the waist and try to hoist her up onto the horse seemed like a nearly impossible task for me. But, I thank the goddess that I was able to somehow get her up there. We reached Mema's cottage without any more unexpected hiccups, and after a lot of explaining to Mema, I was able to give Elizabeta bedding and some medicine.

Now she is lying chest down on my small bed with a cool cloth on her head. My bedroom smells of bark and eucalyptus. Mema claimed that the incense had a healing property to it. She told me that it was made to help people gain mental clarity or something of that sort. But, knowing my Mema, she probably lit it up so the smell of dirt and blood could decrease within the cottage.