DEVIANT

The Serpent Moon (3)

“Death Rose?”   Avina asked in wonder.  

But to the other five, they immediately stepped back.  Death Rose is a legend. A legendary assassin who showed up three years ago.  All that they knew of Death Rose is that they would leave a single rose on the body of the dead person.  No other evidence could be found.

“How is this possible?”  Inez asked as she questioned the woman in front of her.  “You can’t be Death Rose. You’ve never left Ceco. How could you kill all those people without leaving Ceco?”  

Emmy smiled as  she made her move.  The moment they stepped into the field of camellias, they have stepped onto a trap.  It would become their burial grave. Large vines quickly and tightly wrapped themselves around the seven of them, causing them to become immobile.  With the inability to move they could only squirm like worms to free themselves. If they had a weapon on them, they could have cut the vine, but with nothing on them, they could only struggle.  

Emmy walked forward to Inez and stared into Inez’s dark brown eyes.  It held fear in it, but she was trying so hard not to show anything on her face.  

“Be a good girl and stay still.”  Emmy said as she repeated the word Inez said to her back to Inez. “Wildfire Inez… 28 years old, fire elemental mage.  Correct?”

Inez’s eyes became cold as Emmy began to recite her past.  “Fire elemental mage, who woke up to a burning village, where you set the fire yourself when you came into your powers.  They call you Wildfire, because you have too much elemental power inside of you, but not enough discipline to control the fire magic.  Once you unleash your fire, you cannot control it nor can you stop it. Making everything around you burn into ashes. So the only time you use your powers, is when you and your teammates have no other choice.  You are the ace up their sleeve. The fire elemental who will give them a chance to escape should The Serpent Moon ever be in a difficult position.”

Emmy caressed Inez’s cheek lovingly as if saying goodbye to a lover.

“Remember, you had your chance to leave with no retribution, but none of you took it.”  

Inez could only scream with surprise as the vines pulled her down.  The ground opened up and closed right afterward as the last scream of Inez was suddenly cut off as the ground closed itself up.

Everyone could only stare with horror as Inez was buried alive.  A single rose suddenly appeared where Inez once stood.

Emmy picked up the red rose and smelled it as if it was the sweetest flower she ever smelled.  A slight smile was on her face as she swung around and looked at the mercenary group.

“Who’s next?”  Emmy asked as she pointed at the men one at a time with the rose in her hand.  “You? You? You? You?”

Each time she pointed to one of the men, they shivered with fear.  They have never seen such a strong earth elemental mage before where they immediately buried a person alive.

“You evil woman!”  Jay shouted. “If I don’t destroy you today, you will bring death to everyone!”  

The winds began to pick up as the clouds suddenly covered the sky.  The once bright day became cloudy as it covered the sun. Thunder began to clap loudly as a whirlwind began to pick up stronger and stronger.  

“Deathbringer Jay, thunder elemental mage.  Lawless Melvin, wind elemental mage.” Emmy said as her smile became bigger.  It was exhilarating to feel their powers in use. It was as if she could feel their magic as they use them.  “Brothers forcefully separated. One born from the legal wife. The other born from a concubine. It should have been that the two of you, should hate each other, but actually there was no hate.  The older one took care of the younger one. A little too much don’t you think?”

Jay and Melvin struggled harder as they listened to Emmy.  No one knew their secret. No one but them. Should anyone know of their secret, that person would die by their hands.  Their love was forbidden. And when their family found out, they were separated for 10 years. One lived with the family, while the other one was sent to live in the mountains.  For 10 years they endured separation and pretend that what happened between them were just foolish boys fooling around.

On the day of Jay’s wedding, Melvin was brought back and together, they destroyed their family and ran away together.  They became mercenaries to make a living. They are brothers, but their love knew no limit. To them, it was the world that was wrong, not them.  

The thunder clapped loudly again as lightning began to form in the clouds, the wind blew harder as a tornado began to form

Emmy smiled as Melvin began to scream louder.  The vines that wrapped around him began to grow thorns.  It began to squeeze him tighter and tighter, causing him to lose his breath.  Blood dripped down his body, drop by drop, casuing the camellia's under him to dye red. The once strong wind died down as the tornado disappeared completely. Had Emmy let the tornado touch the ground, the citizen’s of Ceco would lose their homes and lives in the damage.  

“You bitch!”  Jay cried out louder.  “You stop hurting him! I’ll kill you if he dies!”  

“Do not blame yourself old man.”  Emmy said back to Jay, throwing his words back to him.  “It’s just the order of life. The weak dies and the strong live.”  

Blood splattered across the camellia field as the vines ripped Melvin into pieces.  Avina and Kestro scream out in horror as the gory scene play out in front of them.