A Taste of Death

Chapter Fourteen

The dinner was a large assortment of dishes from exotic fruits, various meats and more, the two humans' mouths watering as the king encouraged them to all dig in. "Thank you for this, sir." Amarelis nodded towards the king, who waved it off. "No need, Amarelis, you've all been through so much. It's the least I could do." He turned to Casey and Rosa. "It's nice to meet you two, I'm Arselius, ruler of Ysaeiva." The two humans smiled. "Thank you, Your Majesty, I'm Casey and this is Rosa." Casey greeted. The king held up a hand. "We're all friends and allies here, you don't need to use formalities." He smiled kindly.
However, as they entered a meeting room, the atmosphere seemed to darken, everyone taking a seat as a map was spread out along the oakwood table. "We confronted Kai here." Amarelis pointed at the dark spire that resembled the kingdom of Avense. Arselius looked at Kai, thinking. "Do you think she would have moved?" He asked, Kai shaking his head. "She most likely already knows we're coming back for her, she wouldn't waste time moving." Rosa stood up, hand on the table. "Then we shouldn't waste time sitting here."
"We shouldn't go without a plan." Vesper replied back. "What do we need a plan for?" Rosa shot back. "We go in and kill her." There was silence for a moment, then the king stood. "Alright then. I will send a score of the Akeski along with you and prepare a legion to aid you. Go now and rest, there is a long day ahead of you tomorrow. Sleep well, warriors." Cassiopeia stood as well. "Thank you, father." The meeting adjourned, the group headed to their individual rooms, mentally preparing themselves for the battle ahead.
Elowen sighed, looking in the mirror, a slight smile coming to her lips as the area darkened, and she turned around. "Oh mighty being, what-" The sentence died in her throat as a scepter came to rest under her chin. "What's wrong, Elowen, weren't expecting me?" Before her stood none other than Adelaide herself, grinning with a wicked smile. Elowen glared, knocking the scepter away from her. "How did you get here and what did you do with him?" Adelaide laughed, taking a step back, pointing her chin up and looking down at the seer. "Oh, he can't help you now," she chuckled, "but you'll wish she could. If only you knew the things I am going to do to you and that little group of yours. You know you can't protect them all, I will win this and you will watch as everything you love is taken away. Go on, use that little gift of yours, I want to watch the hope drain from your face."
Elowen sighed, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes and focusing her mind. While all that remained in her vision was darkness, she felt a familiar presence and a small whisper that gave her back her strength. Smiling, she opened her eyes and looked at Adelaide with a newfound confidence in her stance."You're wrong." Adelaide looked offended. "What? No I'm not." Elowen took a step forward, looking the sorceress dead in the eyes. "You know I'm right, and that scares you. I can see the fear in your eyes. We will win, and you will fall." Adelaide appeared disoriented, but quickly hid it and stood up straight. "Very well, we shall see who prevails tomorrow." With that Adelaide disappeared, and Elowen found herself back in the bathroom of her room, looking out at the full moon in the sky. "I really hope you know what you're doing." She whispered, then headed to bed.
The next morning was filled with high energy and lots of movement. "She came in your dreams?" Amarelis addressed Elowen at breakfast, concerned. The seer merely shrugged. "Eh, it was only the usual villain monologue. Y'know, 'you will lose, all your loved ones will die' sort of thing." Casey looked at her with a sort of awe. "You're not worried?" She asked. Elowen set down her fork, taking a sip of water. "I am actually quite worried, but I can't let fear get in the way. The result of everything we've been fighting for and the fate of Vashnaheil rests in our hands. If we fall apart before we even get there, how are we to even save ourselves?" She responded.
"Here are your new uniforms." Sera and a few other Akeski handed them to the group after they had finished eating. "They're made of our finest materials and forged by our best smiths. They may not protect you from everything Adelaide may throw at you but it's better than going unprotected at all." As Rosa and Casey helped each other into their outfits, the two quietly spoke. "We could die today." Rosa looked in the mirror as Casey helped her, peeking around her in the mirror, then somberly nodding. "We could die today." She repeated. Rosa chuckled quietly. "Well, we've always said we wanted to go out with a bang." Casey chuckled as well. "Who knows, maybe we'll survive this." She smiled lightly. "Yeah, maybe." Rosa then turned around, pushing Casey's hair aside to work on the elven corset. "Elowen's been having more day visions lately." Rosa commented, Casey nodding. "I think she's talking to someone, though I've never heard her mention a name before." Rosa hummed. "Who do you think it might be? I mean, all of us are right here." Casey shrugged then giggled. "What if it was the author?" Rosa laughed. "Yeah, like we're in some sort of book? That's hilarious." Rosa responded. "Quite the fourth wall breakage." Casey remarked, the two chuckling at the possibility.
The time drew near as the group boarded a weaponized wagon, armored up. The group themselves were silent, as were the Akeski that surrounded the wagon on horseback. As they traveled to Avense one last time, everyone remained silent, observing the scenery and holding hands. The air around them was both calm and rigid, fearful, yet relaxed, determined, yet unsure of what was to come. Come it did, sooner than they expected, the gates of Avense opening easily, in a welcome that was far from warm. Once inside the castle, the doors slammed shut behind the warriors, causing a few of them to jump in surprise, startled.
The white haired villain, currently levitating above the ground, lowered, her red dress pooling like blood around her ankles, her dark eyes scanning the group. Before she could speak, the Akeski and their captain, as well as the heroes ran forward to take her down, but they never got the chance as a burst of energy threw them back. "Now, you didn't think it'd be that easy, did you?" Adelaide chuckled, a blue flame coming to life in her palm. Kai got back up, walking towards her. "You will pay for everything you did! For your crimes against Avense, against the Void Order and against Vashnaheil." Adelaide turned to him, chuckling. "Oh, will I? You fell under my spell once, and you will once again!" She blew the blue flame at Kai, the flames striking him and causing him to fall.
"Kai!" Neveah ran to him, hugging him to her. "Come on, fight it!" Adelaide laughed, turning to the others, the area darkening as yellow flames spread across the courtroom and the battle begun. "Akeski, charge!" Sera ordered, the female warriors shouting in reply and dashing forward. Cassiopeia and Sera nodded towards each other, the purple magic enhancing the Akeski and the two human's weaponry, the two women side by side as they fought. Elowen and Amarelis shielded Neveah and Kai while the fairy princess helped the prince, the two getting back on their feet and launching back into battle, Amarelis and Elowen following just behind, Rosa and Casey besides the Akeski, Vesper using his vines to lash at Adelaide's protective shield.
"Enough!" Another surge of power sent the heroes back, Adelaide visibly angry. "It's time to end this." Her eyes blazed, a pang of pain shooting through everyone's mind as visions and nightmares began tormenting them. Waylon felt a cold breeze down his spine, everything in his mind turning to darkness. "Who's- who's there?" He called out. Adelaide chuckled, appearing behind him, hands on his shoulders. "Well, well, what do we have here? Why aren't you fighting, hmm?" Adelaide teased. "Go away." He turned to face her and glared. "Even the humans, who are powerless, fight for their lives. Surely you have something to contribute. What's your power, young one?" Waylon hesitated then sighed. "I'm just a healer. I can't fight well." Adelaide nodded, taking his hands. "They don't know your worth, darling. But I do."
While the others struggled with the illusions, Elowen caught sight of Waylon, looking as if in a trance. "No..." She coughed, yelling to the others. "She's trying to turn Waylon! Keep fighting it!" She looked back at Waylon, grimacing as she tried to focus. "Hold on...I'm coming." Adelaide hummed lightly. "They really think I'm worthless?" Waylon frowned, upset. "I'm sorry, darling. It's cruel but what did you expect? Healers have no place in a battle and all of them are so powerful, they don't need you. But, if you joined me, I would give you twenty fold the power you wield and you will rise above them and show them your worth." She cooed, comforting him.
"Waylon! Don't listen to her! She's lying!" Elowen called out, appearing and fighting through the fog in Waylon's mind. The fae gasped and turned while Adelaide scowled. "Elowen...?" He called back. Elowen smiled. "Yes, Waylon." She assured him. "That's a fake." Adelaide turned Waylon back to face her. "Choose. Now. Remain worthless, or prove yourself." The sorceress pressured. "Waylon, you're not worthless. We care so much about you, and no matter what anyone says, you're one of us! Please, don't throw that away!" Elowen pleaded.
"But I'm just a healer. I'm not as strong as the rest of you." Waylon looked at Elowen, his eyes dull. Elowen took a few steps closer, a hurt look crossing her face. "She told you that?" Elowen glared at Adelaide, who glared back. "Waylon, you have a rare gift and one of the strongest I've ever seen! You're not just a healer, Waylon, you're something more." Adelaide growled. "She lies!" Waylon looked between the two women, then stepped towards Elowen. "What do you mean, I'm something more?" He asked, skeptical. Elowen smiled, taking few more steps and gently placing a hand on his shoulder. "You have the power to give life, to heal souls." She calmly spoke, voice softening to a whisper. "And the power to take it away."
As Waylon's eyes widened, Adelaide screamed in rage, magic throwing Elowen back. "You little-" She huffed, her magic surrounding her, hissing. Waylon looked horrified, then turned to face Adelaide, shock turning to anger. Elowen looked up from the ground, slowly getting up, her form fading. "Use it." Waylon walked towards Adelaide, the golden energy of healing turning to a darker hue. "Get out of my head." He yelled, snapping back out of the trance and seeing Adelaide hit the wall behind her, the other's sighing in relief as the mental torment stopped, the group putting themselves back together. Adelaide rightened herself and let out a whistle as the Council members appeared in the courtroom. "The Council was corrupted too?!" Sera gasped. "Yeah, we had quite the tangle getting his Highness out of trouble." Cassiopeia grimaced. "This just got a lot harder." Rosa frowned.
A loud bang caught everyone's attention as the doors of the castle shuddered, then splintered open, reinforcements from Ysaeiva pouring in. Sera smirked. "Right on time, Cerulean." She called to the captain. At the same time, three amethyst portals opened up, Nova's parents and a group of thirty various people stepping onto the grounds, causing Rosa and Casey's mouth to drop open. "Looks like we got here just in time." Trisha Scott smiled, the other humans spreading out. "Hmph, so these are Vonyaheil's magic users? I expected more." Adelaide rolled her eyes. Elowen chuckled. "You'd be surprised what they can do, especially with the power of Vashnaheil now running through their veins." Adelaide hissed. "Is that a threat, Seer?" Elowen stood up straight, readying her crossbow. "No," She replied, looking the villainess in the eyes. "It's a promise."