Sanguine Halo

Chapter Six: Hidden Portal

Estrilda, Lumiere's National Hero fought battles along with the Thane and the King's men. Their long struggle with the hypogeans already existed from the past.

As the first light of day shone upon the castle Rayne, Fawkes and Mirael explored the castle walls. The castle had been made into a museum to preserve the history hidden in every corner.
They explored the castle because Mirael thought that it'd be a good opportunity to learn about the heroes' history and what made their battle ever glorious in the past.

"First time coming here?"
Fawkes asked.

"It maybe my first time here in Castle Rayne but there was one national hero that I really wanted to see."

She looked at him and Fawkes already knew what hero she was thinking of. "Come with me. I'll show you something." He took her by the hand and ran across the hallways until they arrived at a big statue of a woman riding her horse with a statue of a man holding a sword in his hand.

This monument are raised by the honor of Thane and Estrilda, heroes of Lumiere.

"You knew who my favorite hero was?"
Fawkes just keep quiet and after a short while...
"I read it somewhere."

"YOU WERE GOING THROUGH MY PERSONAL STUFF?"

Flames bursted out from her hands and eyes. She's angry as hell because she learned that there was no way Fawkes could have read that but through her diary.

"What other things did you found out!? Did you found out my favorite food? My favorite song? My---"
Fawkes cut out what Mirael would've just said as she was throwing fireballs at him.

"Your... crush?"

She squealed in anger and threw more fireballs at him. She doesn't want him to know yet. She doesn't want him to find out by himself. She wants to confess with him personally....

"You're such an idiot Fawkes!!! Why would you go through my personal stuff like that?"

Fawkes stopped dodging her fireballs and walked straight towards her with head held high.
"Don't come closer! I'll burn you to bits!" Mirael raised her right hand with a fireball in it but Fawkes just let off a crazy smile and continued to approach her more.

When his arms wrapped on her body, she clenched her fist and withdrawn the fireball.

"It'd end even the same. Even if you confessed or not, I'm still crazily in love with you."

After what he said, her cheeks blushed like full bloom roses in spring. Fawkes held her close and was about to kiss her when they heard clanks of hooves approaching closer to them.

"Do you hear something?" Mirael said as she pushed Fawkes away from her a little.

"I hear lovebirds outside making love that's it. Let's kiss."

"No... No... Listen..."

The sound of hooves sounded much more closer.

"Move out of the way!!!"
They heard a voice of a woman shouting to move out of the way. The horse was about to hit them both but Fawkes acted immediately and grabbed Mirael's waist dodging the horse.

"Whew that was close. I was about to lose my future wife back there." He said with a smile on his face. Mirael's eyebrows crossed but still he helped her get up from being thrown into a fountain.

The woman got off of her horse and went back to check on them.
"Are you alright?" She said as she walked right up to them.

Mirael noticed her armor, her joust and a flag on her horse.
The horse also has an armor.
She looked at the statue and shouted....

"SHE'S THE NATIONAL HERO! HOW DID SHE GET HERE?"

Mirael and Fawkes looked like they had seen a ghost. It's a very big question where she had came from since the statue stated additional details of her birth and her death. She died in a battlefield defending the king and the country.

"I know you are befuddled and have many questions in you head but time is running out... A big war is coming and for that, we need to form an alliance with the Wilders, Graveborns and Maulers."

Estrilda then led both of them inside a big room where there are many utensils and cooking materials. Big ovens are all over the place.

"This is the royal kitchen." Fawkes said as he removed his hat and scratched his head. It's still unclear where Estrilda came from.

"I came from over there." Estrilda pointed over a big oven.

"And why would you come from the oven? Are you baked or what?" Mirael also showed confusion on her face.

"You don't believe me? Let's wait here. Thane is retrieving our surviving men and will be with us for a short moment."

The three agreed to wait in front of the big oven which Mirael thought to be a ridiculous idea since no theory couldn't even prove that people actually come out from the oven.
Moments had passed and a bright light flashed coming from the oven. The three covered their eyes and when the light had vanished Thane was there helping three of Estrilda's wounded men.

"Thane! What happened? Where are the others?" Estrilda shouted as she helped Thane and his men up on their feet. The three are wounds are too deep but Thane's wounds isn't that great.

"Estrilda, our men are all dead. Only three of us had escaped from the devil's claw itself."

Estrilda's tears fell down from her eyes.

"No.... I'm going to save them! If you can't save them, I will!" Estrilda held her hand on the oven but Thane blocked her from making another move.

"Estrilda... You can't save them anymore... They... They are all dead!"

Estrilda couldn't take it anymore. She fell on the floor crying. A proud warrior cries at the sight or his men being slaughtered? Sometimes a lion growls when it's wounded...

Thane shook his head. There was nothing that they could do but to save their remaining men.

Mirael couldn't do anything either but watch. Fawkes tended the men with wounds.

Then Mirael noticed something odd with Estrilda's remaining men.

Their wounds are great but blood just covered the surface of the wound. A black substance formed on it and seems to suck up the blood from the outside.
They're slowly....

"Fawkes! Stay away from them! They're not human anymore!"

Fawkes looked back at the wounded warrior...

The man was disfigured and let out a strange and evil squeal...