The Blood Witch

3: Soulless

~ Mithra Solheart, light elf ~

Mithra is carried by the dragon up into a small mountainous area, where it drops her into a huge cave, then flies away. Confused, she rubs her shoulders, which is where the beast had fixed its claws into her, in order to carry her. They are bleeding a bit, and hurting bad. But as Mithra steps up to the edge of the cave mouth, looking down at the huge forest below, she wonders if she could maybe get out of here. Especially if she could do so before that damned dragon came back.

But then, a voice speaks from behind her.

"Please, don't jump."

Mithra yelps, turning around. A man with rich brown skin stands before her, his messy and curly black hair curling into blindingly bright blue eyes. He wears a black and white suit, and as he steps closer to Mithra, who's still on the edge of the cave mouth, he stops and sighs.

"Sorry if I scared you," he says. "My name is Rhialdir."

Horror sluices throughout Mithra's heart. He is the God of Beasts. He sighs again, but this time, he sounds genuinely upset or sad.

"So you know that name," he says.

It isn't said as a question. But she nods slowly.  "What do you want?" Her mouth is dry, and she licks her chapped lips. Mithra is genuinely afraid of this man, this god. He smirks and shrugs.

"Ah, you know," he says.  "I'm going to make the most out of this little meeting between you and I."

Mithra ignores the dread in her very soul. She shakes her head, defiant in the face of this monster in mortal form. The god tilts his head, smirking at her. "Oh? You think you can defy me?"

"I do not think so. I know I can. You need me. But I will not help you, nor die at your hand."

Rhialdir laughs, the sound cruel and truly corrupted by his dark personality and power. He steps closer to her, but this time, Mithra does not back away. Instead, she stands her ground.

She briefly considers leaping from the edge of this cave, tumbling down the mountainside. She wonders if that would kill her. If that would fulfill or defeat the purpose of this place. She thinks of Kai, the strange boy who had promised her he'd make sure she survived.

Mithra does not know Kai, but a part of her knows, deep down, that she cannot let him down. Not like this. Yet, she stands her ground and faces off against the demonic god.

"You will not convince me to aid you," Mithra snarls. "I am free of you and your influence."

Rhialdir laughs again. "Of course you are, and of course you won't. You are free, for now." He winks. Then, the god snaps his fingers. In a flash, Kai appears, kneeling beside the god.

Mithra gasps, inching toward him. "Kai ...."

But Rhialdir grabs Kai by his black hair, pulling him upright. Kai yelps, and Rhialdir growls.  He slams Kai against the wall, fist around the boy's throat. Kai struggles in his grip, trying to fight back. Trying to get free of Rhialdir, however, the dark god grips him tighter.

Mithra snarls, then lunges at him. But with a flick of his other hand, she is thrown back against the other wall. The breath whooshes out of her lungs, and she nearly blacks out. Kai calls her name, as best he can through lungs starved of oxygen. But Kai cannot reach her as she collapses to the floor of the cave.

She looks up as Rhialdir speaks.

"Here is my bargain with you two," he says.  "Work with me, and I will spare you. Both of you. Mithra, work for me, and Kai here lives. Kai, work for me, and Mithra lives. Decline, and you will both die. Right here. Right now."

Mithra laughs. "That's some proposal, demon god."

"You do not think I am serious?" He throws Kai to the ground. She starts toward him, crawling on her hands and knees toward Kai. But a cold, stifling energy locks her in place. Kai freezes in place, too. But they both are staring, horrified, at each other.

Rhialdir steps between them, hatred pulsing off him in waves of power that cause both of them to tremble. "You need convincing of my power? Of my seriousness here? Very well, I shall show you."

He raises his hand, making a fist. Kai screams. He can move again, and he curls up on his side, sobbing as his face gets flushed red from pain. Kai tosses his head back, screaming.

"Kai! No, no, Rhialdir, stop!"

Mithra cannot explain it. She barely knows him.... but now that she knows him .... there is something powerful between them. There is something that she can feel, and so can he, which is obvious, too. Mithra watches Kai, but Rhialdir just laughs, watching as a stream of silver light is ripped from Kai's body.

"Kai, what's happening?! Kai! No, Rhialdir, stop!"

Rhialdir turns his head to look at her.  "Oh, you want me to stop? Hmm. Perhaps I should.... or shouldnt."

He turns back to Kai and, with a sharp ripping motion, Kai goes still. Horror surges through Mithra's heart, and her jaw drops. She stares at Kai, but his chest does not rise, or fall. He just... lays there.

"Kai..." Mithra turns her gaze to the silver light, which Rhialdir places into a vial. He then snaps his fingers, and a thin, black rope coils around the vial. He then walks over to her, placing it around her neck.

"This? This is Kai's soul," he says.  Mithra looks up at him.

"You killed him!?"

"Ah, sort of. His body is in a special form of stasis, and he is indeed between life and death .... " Rhialdir leans closer to her.  "And now, follow me, girl. Or he will die, and it will be your fault."