THE UNTOUCHABLE [COMPLETED]

CHAPTER 8: IMMORA

Arran froze at the mention of his mother—a woman he never knew. He was just a baby when she died.

"I promise to keep you safe here, thus I have let you drink the immortality potion when you reach adulthood, so you can remain here. To be a part of the Order of the Guardians of the Abyss. However, you are also a young man, you need to see the world out there or you'd die of boredom here with only your warrior training, or your books, or your plants."

Arran nodded.

"Your mother loved you with her life, with all her beautiful soul. Let's hope it is ... enough ... to keep you away from darkness," Sylve's quivering fingers traced the sun pendant one more time.

The sorceress coughed, and wheezed, "Let us leave now. The human beings are in grave danger!"

Sylve took her walking cane and walked outside with Arran following a few steps behind.

Arran was somber, there was only Charlotte in his mind. A shot of worry had hit him like never before when he heard that the human beings, Charlotte and her people, were in trouble with Nerra. He had lost his composure for a moment there.

Then he thought about Evinia, a mother he never knew well.

He thought about his difficult relation with Sylve, his grandmother—yes, he had a grandmother, but strange how he never felt like he had any family. He was not allowed to call Sylve grandmother. Of course he understood why Sylve was always cold and distant toward him. He did not blame her for it. He was, afterall, a taboo. The untouchable.

Now his task began.

This was his redemption, his journey to prove that he was of value to humanity. He stared ahead with full conviction, though bad premonitions began to gnaw on him.

<<<>>>

Ellie, who called herself Nerra, kneeled in front of the open metal box now.

"Ellie, what-what is going on?" Charlotte quivered as she spoke.

"I am not Ellie. I am Nerra!" Ellie shot her a look that sent chills down her spine. Ellie's warm eyes had turned so icy cold, devoid of any emotion recognizable by human. Her lips seemed to open in perpetual ugly grin and snide.

"What is immora?" Charlotte pulled Emily closer to her.

Nerra did not answer, her hands reached into the box, and took out something wrapped in tattered black cloth. In a very careful, full of deference movement, she took away the tattered cloth, and lifted something out from the wrap.

A dagger. An all-black dagger that had black wisps of smoke emanated from it.

"Immora. Rogh, my master, my king, I have this for you. Your weapon, half your soul, shall return to your mighty hands soon!" Nerra lifted the dagger high.

Charlotte could see it clearly. It was not a big dagger. The blade, the hilt, all was black. The blade was maybe only about 20cm, and the hilt was just slightly shorter. The tip of the black blade was curved.

It was a simple, plain looking dagger, but the vibe that it brought was what scared Charlotte. Hopelessness, fear, desperation, even anger seemed to be released from it and permeated the air. Heaviness took hold of Charlotte and her tears began to flow. A jumbled mix of emotions engulfed her—all negative emotions that she could not even describe the why and the what. She just felt bad. Extremely bad.

Emily sobbed harder to the point she was shrieking.

"Stop crying, you stupid girl!" Nerra in the form of Ellie stood up and yelled while pointing immora at Emily. Emily cried even harder.