Maid Marian vs. Velasca

15. Confronting Velasca

We ascended the spiral staircase, each step heavy with the weight of what we knew lay ahead. Krystal, pale and weak, clung to me, her breath shallow, but there was no time to slow down. The air around us grew thicker, charged with dark magic, as we reached the top of the stairs and stood before Velasca's chamber. My heart pounded in my chest, every beat driving the rage deeper into my veins.

Without hesitation, Footman slammed his shoulder into the heavy wooden door. It buckled under the force, crashing open with a deafening thud.

And there she was.

Velasca, draped in her shimmering golden garments, perched on top of what was left of Robin. His once-strong form was a shadow of itself, gaunt and lifeless. His eyes were dull, his chest barely rising and falling as Velasca rode him, draining the last of his strength. At the far end of the room, Alaric was shackled to the wall, his eyes wide and filled with horror as he was forced to watch the scene unfold.

Velasca turned her head as we entered, a wicked smile curling across her lips. "Ah, you've arrived just in time. How wonderful," she purred, her voice dripping with mockery. "I thought you might enjoy witnessing the final moments of your beloved Robin's life as I drain him to the point of death."

My heart clenched with rage, and without thinking, I raised my bow, notching an arrow and releasing it in one swift motion. The arrow flew straight toward her, but with a wave of her hand, it collided with an invisible force field, clattering harmlessly to the floor. Velasca smirked, her eyes glinting with amusement.

"Did you really think it would be that easy?" she taunted, but the effort of raising the shield forced her to dismount Robin, his limp body slumping to the side.

As she stepped away from Robin, Footman's breath hitched. His composure, once so strong, faltered in the presence of Velasca's full, overwhelming power. He stared at her, his lips parting as if to speak, but all that came out was a stammered murmur. "She's... she's so... hot."

Alaric, shackled and helpless, wasn't faring any better. His eyes glazed over as he, too, fell under Velasca's spell, captivated by her seductive presence.

Velasca's wicked laugh echoed through the chamber as she strode toward us. "No man can resist me," she said, her voice smooth and poisonous. "Not Robin, not Alaric, and certainly not your pitiful Footman. They all fall, eventually."

I rushed to Footman's side, grabbing his arm and shaking him, trying to snap him out of his trance. "Footman, focus!" I hissed. "We need you!"

He blinked, his eyes flickering with a brief moment of clarity. "It's the vial," he muttered, his voice strained. "Around her neck. That's where her power comes from. The liquid in the vial."

I glanced at Velasca's neck, where a delicate vial hung on a golden chain. Inside, a glowing liquid shimmered faintly. It was the source of her power, the essence that allowed her to drain men and control them so effortlessly. But how could we get through her shield?

"We have to break the shield," I whispered, looking to Krystal, who was slumped against the wall, barely able to stand.

Krystal's eyes fluttered open, and she nodded weakly, gripping the crystal spear tip with what little strength she had left. "I can... try," she whispered. "But I'm almost out of power."

With trembling hands, she raised the spear tip and aimed it at the invisible barrier surrounding Velasca. There was a moment of tense silence before a faint hum filled the air, and a tiny gap began to form in the force field.

"Now!" I shouted.

Judy, with a burst of speed, darted through the gap, rushing straight at Velasca. She reached for the vial, grabbing the delicate chain and yanking it from Velasca's neck with a swift motion. The force of the pull sent Velasca stumbling back, her eyes wide with shock as she hit the ground.

The vial tumbled to the floor, and in that moment of distraction, I raised my bow once more, releasing an arrow that flew straight into Velasca's shoulder. She let out a cry of pain, clutching at the arrow as blood began to seep from the wound.

But even in defeat, Velasca wasn't finished. Her eyes flashed with anger, and before we could react, she muttered a dark incantation under her breath. A swirl of magic enveloped her, and in an instant, she disappeared from the room, leaving nothing but the faint echo of her mocking laughter behind.

We were left in the eerie silence of the chamber, the battle over but the weight of her presence still lingering in the air.

My gaze shifted to Robin, who lay motionless on the bed, his skin pale and cold. I rushed to his side, my heart sinking at the sight of him. His breathing was shallow, barely there. He was alive, but only just.

Krystal, too, was near her limit. She collapsed to the floor, her body drained of every ounce of energy she had left. I knelt beside her, my hands trembling as I tried to comfort her, but the exhaustion was written all over her face.

Judy and Footman hurried to Alaric, freeing him from his shackles. He stumbled forward, his eyes still glazed, but he managed to pull himself together enough to join us around Robin and Krystal.

We huddled together in the center of the room, our bodies battered, our spirits heavy. Robin was alive, but barely. And Krystal... she had given everything she had to get us this far.

The final confrontation was over, but the cost had been high. Now, all we could do was hope that we hadn't lost too much.