AEONS: THE GODS ARE DAMNED

Chapter 35

Chase woke up the second morning after a long session of practice with Alinar; Alinar was certainly not saying anything about Allania’s betrayal…yet.
He peeped out of the window and saw that it wasn’t sunrise yet but the horizon was already showing little rays of red.
He had a quick shower and prepared; he could catch the whiff of the cooking downstairs; he opened the door and headed to the inn downstairs; as he got to the end of the stairs he saw Hycis sitting at a table, having silent chats with a man.
She saw him and spoke few words with the man and the man left the inn before Chase could walk up to them.
“Who was that?” He asked as he sat across her.
She took a sip from her cup before speaking, “he owns a ship and is willing to let us travel with them”
“You mean across the sea?”
“Yes, but be warned, he is a pirate and is charging us a lot”
“I’m pretty sure the king will be willing to pay any amount”
“He agreed to keep us at sea till the eclipse passes, after that we will be dropped off at the Westland; then we will have to find our way back to the Midlands”
“Doesn’t sound too bad”
“Yes, but we have to get ready and get out of here before your Kelpas catches up with us, they will leave in an hour” she stood and swung her bow and quiver over her arm. “We should prepare”
Chase nods and stood as well, they both left the inn and walked towards the dock. Chase could see the ship sitting peacefully at the dock; he could already see movements on deck.
As they stepped closer to the ship, Chase felt a presence and stopped; Hycis seemed to have sensed the same because they both stopped at the same time. They turned around and saw Allania; she stood not too far from them and gave them a smirk.
They turned to run both saw that a pack of wolves already stood between them and the ship; Hycis instantly nook an arrow and fired. the arrow found its way into the flesh of a wolf turning it into a statue of ice.
“I don’t think we can kill them all” She said and Chase replied
“Then run!” he shot into an alleyway beside them and Hycis followed; the wolves gave them a hot pursuit.
They both skid to a stop as they encountered another set of wolves; Chase pulled Hycis to the side as one of the wolves jumped for them.
“We have to head to the ship before it is too late”
“And how do we do that with about 10 wolves to bypass?” Hycis definitely did not understand his tactic, yet.
They both took for the ship but stopped as the found Allania standing on the way to the pier; she held a sword in her right hand, a smirk seems to be stuck to her face permanently. Two wolves stood by her sides snarling.
“Where do you think you are going?”
“Allania, this is wrong; this is not you” Chase said in a calming voice
“Aww, how sweet of you to say... get them” the wolves came into pursuit but this time Chase and Hycis stood their ground.
In a flurry of moves and light, the wolves met their end, one by one.
***
One of the wolves jumped at Chase and he rolled out of the way, only to fall into the range of Allania’s sword; she slashed at his arm and he cried out in pain. He quickly parried her sword away with his own conjured one to prevent damage; He quickly moved away from her.
“Allania…”
“Don’t call my name” she struck him and he hardly blocked the attack and he stumbled backwards. With a sad face he launched at her, he swiped downwards so hard that she could hardly defend herself.
Their swords collide again and again, they are both skilled and they were proving it. sh struck him and he hardly blocked the attackt another quickly all into the range of Allania'Their swords spark as she held nothing back as they struck each other; they were now battered and weakened; with a quick movement the Allania twists the swords in an attempt to break the sword lock; the swords moved in a twist on and on as both fighters didn’t want to lose his/her sword; until Allania finally stop the twist by thrusting her sword forward mid-twist; Chase expected it so he improvised; the tip of the sword stopped at his neck, his own sword stopped at her chest; hovering just above the heart. They both stopped, chests heaving.
Allania asked with a smirk, “This is very familiar, don’t you think Chase?”
“Our first battle happened exactly like this, Dejà vu”, Chase replied.
“But I got better” Allania said before stepping backwards and slashing Chase around the wrist; he dropped the sword crouching; she got very close in an attempt to impale him with her sword; an arrow pierced her chest just before she could finish him off. Chase’s eyes went wide, he looked back to see Hycis afar off, she shot the arrow. He couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe, and couldn’t even move for the first few micro seconds before Allania fell to the sandy ground.
He rushed to her side and lifted her head, placing it on his lap gently; her face was filled with sorrow, her body cold as ice; tears rolled down her cheeks and a black mist came out of her mouth, disappearing into the wind. 
“Chase?” her voice was hoarse
“Yes, it’s me…” battling his tears
“I…I did not…”
“I know” he interrupted her, “…I know”
“Am sorry”
“Don’t be, Kelpas will surely pay for this, even if it’s the last thing I do, I promise you”
“I…” she hiccupped as the ice spread across her chest, gnawing away at her life, “…I love…”
“Save your strength, I know” He interrupted her again; he caressed her check just before she turned into a pile of ice in his arms.
The tears rolled down his face, hot as the rage in his heart; he shouted out in pain, one that no physical instrument can inflict.
He stood on his feet and summoned a ball of flames in his palm. They flickered as he found it hard to keep is magic going.
“Hycis!” he shouted and she turned to face him from afar, “run!”
She took towards the pier and all the wolves came after her; as she ran past Chase, he expanded the flames and brought both palms down onto the sandy beach; the flames erupted into a wall of hellish fire, and moved so fast that none of the wolves survived it, or even have the time to escape. The only thing left was the stench of burnt flesh and blood.
“Come on!” Hycis called out to him and they both ran to the ship and took off.
*****************
He stood, resting on the side of the ship; he stared into the sea, drowned in his own thoughts. He didn’t even notice Hycis walking up to him.
She stood beside him and spoke, breaking him out of his thoughts, “I am sorry about Allania, I only did what I had to”, He said nothing, he only rubbed his face and sighed, “If you do not forgive me, I will understand”
After few heartbeats, he finally spoke in a sad voice, “She was controlled… we didn’t know, we thought she betrayed us under her own will”
“I am sorry, Chase…”
“I should have known” he said, clearly hurt. Without any words in her to console him, she said nothing in reply.
At this time, the captain of the ship walked up to them, “I be sorry if be interruptin’ but we need t’ discuss th’ duration we will stay afloat”
“Just keep us on sea till after the eclipse” Hycis answered him
“Aye”
“You used the flintlock quite well, Captain…?” Chase said trailing off
“Greybeard, Cap’n Greybeard, th’ flintlock be very useful… it can brin’ down a target in a single shot… it be th’ best trade I have done yet”
“Am glad you feel that way, Captain Greybeard” Chase said with a small smile.

They both skid to a stop as they encountered another set of wolves; Chase pulled Hycis to the side as one of the wolves jumped for them.
“We have to head to the ship before it is too late”
“And how do we do that with about 10 wolves to bypass?” Hycis definitely did not understand his tactic, yet.
They both took for the ship but stopped as the found Allania standing on the way to the pier; she held a sword in her right hand, a smirk seems to be stuck to her face permanently. Two wolves stood by her sides snarling.
“Where do you think you are going?”
“Allania, this is wrong; this is not you” Chase said in a calming voice
“Aww, how sweet of you to say... get them” the wolves came into pursuit but this time Chase and Hycis stood their ground.
In a flurry of moves and light, the wolves met their end, one by one.
***
One of the wolves jumped at Chase and he rolled out of the way, only to fall into the range of Allania’s sword; she slashed at his arm and he cried out in pain. He quickly parried her sword away with his own conjured one to prevent damage; He quickly moved away from her.
“Allania…”
“Don’t call my name” she struck him and he hardly blocked the attack and he stumbled backwards. With a sad face he launched at her, he swiped downwards so hard that she could hardly defend herself.
Their swords collide again and again, they are both skilled and they were proving it. sh struck him and he hardly blocked the attackt another quickly all into the range of Allania'Their swords spark as she held nothing back as they struck each other; they were now battered and weakened; with a quick movement the Allania twists the swords in an attempt to break the sword lock; the swords moved in a twist on and on as both fighters didn’t want to lose his/her sword; until Allania finally stop the twist by thrusting her sword forward mid-twist; Chase expected it so he improvised; the tip of the sword stopped at his neck, his own sword stopped at her chest; hovering just above the heart. They both stopped, chests heaving.
Allania asked with a smirk, “This is very familiar, don’t you think Chase?”
“Our first battle happened exactly like this, Dejà vu”, Chase replied.
“But I got better” Allania said before stepping backwards and slashing Chase around the wrist; he dropped the sword crouching; she got very close in an attempt to impale him with her sword; an arrow pierced her chest just before she could finish him off. Chase’s eyes went wide, he looked back to see Hycis afar off, she shot the arrow. He couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe, and couldn’t even move for the first few micro seconds before Allania fell to the sandy ground.
He rushed to her side and lifted her head, placing it on his lap gently; her face was filled with sorrow, her body cold as ice; tears rolled down her cheeks and a black mist came out of her mouth, disappearing into the wind. 
“Chase?” her voice was hoarse
“Yes, it’s me…” battling his tears
“I…I did not…”
“I know” he interrupted her, “…I know”
“Am sorry”
“Don’t be, Kelpas will surely pay for this, even if it’s the last thing I do, I promise you”
“I…” she hiccupped as the ice spread across her chest, gnawing away at her life, “…I love…”
“Save your strength, I know” He interrupted her again; he caressed her check just before she turned into a pile of ice in his arms.
The tears rolled down his face, hot as the rage in his heart; he shouted out in pain, one that no physical instrument can inflict.
He stood on his feet and summoned a ball of flames in his palm. They flickered as he found it hard to keep is magic going.
“Hycis!” he shouted and she turned to face him from afar, “run!”
She took towards the pier and all the wolves came after her; as she ran past Chase, he expanded the flames and brought both palms down onto the sandy beach; the flames erupted into a wall of hellish fire, and moved so fast that none of the wolves survived it, or even have the time to escape. The only thing left was the stench of burnt flesh and blood.
“Come on!” Hycis called out to him and they both ran to the ship and took off.
*****************
He stood, resting on the side of the ship; he stared into the sea, drowned in his own thoughts. He didn’t even notice Hycis walking up to him.
She stood beside him and spoke, breaking him out of his thoughts, “I am sorry about Allania, I only did what I had to”, He said nothing, he only rubbed his face and sighed, “If you do not forgive me, I will understand”
After few heartbeats, he finally spoke in a sad voice, “She was controlled… we didn’t know, we thought she betrayed us under her own will”
“I am sorry, Chase…”
“I should have known” he said, clearly hurt. Without any words in her to console him, she said nothing in reply.
At this time, the captain of the ship walked up to them, “I be sorry if be interruptin’ but we need t’ discuss th’ duration we will stay afloat”
“Just keep us on sea till after the eclipse” Hycis answered him
“Aye”
“You used the flintlock quite well, Captain…?” Chase said trailing off
“Greybeard, Cap’n Greybeard, th’ flintlock be very useful… it can brin’ down a target in a single shot… it be th’ best trade I have done yet”
“Am glad you feel that way, Captain Greybeard” Chase said with a small smile.