Cryptic Asunder [Ver. 3 outdated]

23: Insignia of Death

Oumi- Much like an omen, it is a type of sign that either presumes good or bad fortune.

Tethalia- Another word for the sun in the hiki language.

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 Chapter twenty-three: Insignia of Death

Reina can sense her body and consciousness being separate entities. Her thoughts do not match up with her actions. She has no movement. A touch of her wrist brings her closer to existing.

"There you are, I've been wondering where you've disappeared to." The deep voice sounds familiar, but she can't recall from where or how. "Come now Reina, it's time to wake from this coma of yours." That speech pattern, it's grossly annoying, yet, oddly charming.

She can feel herself being pulled by the wrist, but still can't see. A hand gently touches the back of her head and brings a chilling pulse throughout her body. Reina's eyes finally open to meet the last person she wants to see. "V-Vensen?" Her mouth is full of distaste from saying his name. She then notices that she's floating in the same darkness where they first met.

"Oh good, you still have some of your memories, at least, anything associated with what your last thoughts were before dying."

"Where's Vila you scum-bag!? What have you done with her!?" Reina tries to pounce on Vensen with rage, but he takes a few steps back just out of her reach as she levitates and flails around.

"My, if I knew you would be so hyperactive, I would have put chains on you first."

"You stay away from me, Beldorian!"

Vensen looks to the man that came with him from Vila's room with a puzzled face, then back to her. "Beldorian?"

She becomes full of acrimony. "Don't play dumb with me! It's obvious that you follow the teachings of Beldor! How else would you be able to perform all those stunts you've been dishing out!? You even called yourself a sorcerer!"

Vensen surveys all over the place with his vision whilst reciting the memory in his head and silently rephrasing the name on his lips. His face shows his remembrance as he stares back at her. "Ah yes, Beldor, he was a servant of mine. He proved to be disloyal-so I-devoured him." He then gives her another devious grin and adds, "He was quite delicious."

The realization hits Reina mercilessly as it slowly seeps into her cognition. "Your-servant?"

"Yes dear, although, the locals called me by a different name at the time." Vensen glances around some more to retrieve the memory and back to Reina again. "I believe it was, Vindelos." He notices her laconic response and decides to say more, "It's a good oumi* that we made a deal when we did, I was in need of another drudge."

"Deal?" Reina's anamneses are still a jumbled mess.

He cocks his head in a motherly fashion and looks over to his servant. Vensen gazes at her and replies, "Dear-sweet-Reina; try to extract the moment from your mind, I'm sure it's in there."

It doesn't take long for her to retrieve it. "What about it?"

"Remember when I placed that mark on your hand?"

Reina stares at the exact palm that now bears the ink of a hallow square as Vensen lengthens his talk.

"That symbol is actually used to chattel whoever holds it to the person who gives it to them, basically, I enslaved your soul by trickery."