The Battle of Euangelion: Atonement

Chapter 6: The Artifact

"Oh Pravus, I really can't afford to lose more men. For both our sakes I pray you will start providing some good news. Your lungs won't survive this much longer. Just look how the discoloration has spread over your face!" Diabolus was standing next to Serpens who was tightly coiled around a motionless Pravus.

"M- m' Lord," Pravus forced out in a painful breath.

"I told you to retrieve my prisoner - alive. To return the red-head to his company - bodiless. To relieve Angelo of his Riders Vice General and their griffons. And did I not make myself clear that you were to be held personally accountable if the Prophecy didn't come back in one piece?" he hunched down after pacing about, his yellow eyes vibrating as he scanned Pravus' swollen face. Serpens tightened his grip once more, squeezing a gruff wheeze out of Pravus' mouth.

"Instead - all you managed to do was kill my prisoner and lose the Prophecy," Diabolus stood up and straightened his posture with his eyes still locked on Pravus. "And as if you haven't embarrassed me enough," he sneered while rubbing his eyes, "YOU ALLOWED A WRETCHED HUMAN TO TAKE MY GENERAL'S EYE!" his open hand jerked sideways and an invisible force sent both Pravus and Serpens flying and crashing into the wall across the hall.

After recovering, Serpens quickly unwrapped himself from Pravus and slithered out of sight. Pravus inhaled all the breathable air he could gather among the rubble that now covered him. But when he anchored himself on his arms his body was lifted from the ground and pushed up against the wall that was still intact behind him. His face and body pulled and tensed as if something was choking his throat and fixing him in place, but there was nothing there. Peering anxiously through his remaining eye, Pravus noticed Diabolus across the hall with his arm outstretched and his hand contorted. He frantically tried to pry his Lord's invisible fingers loose but there was nothing to struggle with but air.

"Where did he get the dagger?" Diabolus asked in a deceivingly calm tone.

"He must have had it on him," Pravus coughed.

"You didn't...search them...for weapons?"

"They were so small, my Lord. We didn't think -"

"Argh!" Diabolus' hand jerked once more and Pravus shot through the air onto the balcony and rolled up against the balustrade. Pravus stayed down and gulped air as the invisible chokehold diminished. When he inclined his head, he saw Diabolus striding toward him with his actual hand now reaching for his neck.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't take your other eye as payment for your incompetence!" The Dark Lord's face changed, his beautiful features cracked open to reveal the face of a horribly mutated Turpi underneath. His abnormally white teeth grew longer and started turning a brownish yellow. His round pupil morphed into a vertical elongated slit glaring at Pravus.

"No, please my Lord! I found something!"

"What could you have possibly found that would make up for what you lost?" Diabolus hissed. Pravus' eye pleadingly directed Diabolus' sight to the bag that he left by the hall's arching entrance. Diabolus then released Pravus' neck and slowly stood up while his features defaulted to their usual comely shapes and colors. He raised an eyebrow at Pravus before slowly walking over to the bag.

"I am not sure what it is, but I discovered it among their supplies. When I reached out to touch it, it burned my hand. I have to tell you, my Lord, it reminded me a lot of that drawing you commissioned during those expeditions you kept hidden from the Council back in the day. I've never seen anything else like it." Pravus grabbed hold of the balustrade and pulled himself up to his feet while massaging his throat. Diabolus whipped his head around with a curious expression on his face. "You're lying," he said.

"I wouldn't dare, my Lord."

Diabolus accelerated his pace toward the bag and stooped down to inspect its contents. He removed the cloth-covered object and gently began unwrapping the fabric with his fingertips. His jaw dropped slightly as his yellow eyes danced along the black glass. Almost as a final confirmation, he carefully touched the surface of the artifact, prompting the same electric current that deterred Pravus from grabbing hold to jolt his hand.

"Go see one of the seers about your eye." Diabolus dismissed his General without looking back.