Tale of Lara

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"The old must burn and crumble! All of it!"

Sarah felt a familiar tingle inside of herspine. It was as if she was given a relaxing massage, right after climbing froma steaming hot spring. She was being thrown through yet another wormhole, atear in the fabric of reality, another unstable gateway to who knows where.Quite far from the association that her confused brain produced...

'It's time to finish this, once and for all!'

It was her voice, but it sounded distant, and it was accompanied by a ghostly reverb bouncing up and down along with the noise produced by the magical portal.

'March! For the Empire!'

That was Lanika's voice, but not the gentle, yet firm tone the pale blue dragoness used every so often when she spoke to Sarah. This one was different. Familiar, yet unlike anything Lanika ever used. Sadistic and bloodthirsty craving for total domination and ending everything Ahishiran people represented.

"Empress, Your Majesty." Sarah caught herself smiling with a cocky confidence. "Welcome to the world created in your image."

That was not true, of course. Red Empress was nothing but a shell of a dictator, whose soul shard resided in Sarah's hexagonal charm dangling around her neck. But given what Sarah knew about her, the Empress would love the chaotic reality of the human planet.

Frankly, Sarah didn't have to go far to say that idea was simply an obvious fact. The despot's spirit let itself known by approving of the atrocities HGov committed on everyone, every single day as if it was something thenory-kind deserved simply for just existing. Siccius Devil trained the girl well into one hateful little devil, who learned to despise her own kind so much she turned it into burning pieces, along with the rest of the world...

Sarah focused on the weight of her sheathed sword, hanging down her back. The Sea Pearl's green and blue blade would soon see the light of day after being tucked away for too long. It could be considered a good thing that Peacekeepers didn't dispose of it when Sarah had been captured.

The actual jump from one side of the portal to another took barely a singular second. For Sarah, it seemed like time just stopped out of a sudden.

'You know we are nearing the end of all. You will subdue to my will, fool!'

It was the same voice that took hold of Sarah's consciousness during her spell-crafting effort, back in the tunnel. The Red Empress was growing stronger with the power of increasing chaos, one minute at a time. The memories resurfacing inside of Sarah's mind were simply a byproduct of the demon's tightening grip.

Sarah found herself standing in the middle of a storage room of sorts, or at least the setup reminded her of one. "Right, where was I?" she tried to remind herself of the immediate objective. The escape into her inner world she took confused her beyond belief.

"Are you feeling alright?"

A cold, gloved hand touched Sarah's shoulder. She didn't even have to think twice to know it belonged to Alsius. He was the one who followed her through the portal first, literally glued to her tail tip, but not an inch closer, though. The female didn't refrain from dishing out harsh punishments if he dared to close the gap. Until now...

"Hands off me," Sarah glared back at the demonic dragon, staring into his dark eye sockets with glowing pupils. "The others are watching."

"Afraid I'll embarrass you?" Alsius did let go of the orange reptilian, a small grin lifting his lips up and letting his sharp fangs appear. The toothy smile, despite some considering that motion threatening, was almost warm compared to the treatment Sarah was used to.