Treasures of Andalia Chronicles: Ring of Flames

Chapter Seventeen: The Valiant Heart of a Loyal Subject

KATYA

The high priestess made me wear the armor while she acted as the prisoner. Since she holds a high position both in the temple and council, she'll be a useful bait. Though I still feel uncomfortable wearing a dead man's clothes, I should do my best to see that this plan is a success.

I folded my clothes and kept it on the bundled clothes along with my other things. The high priestess ripped her skirt more and covered herself with the corpse's blood. Her skin was so pale that every bruise she had on her body would catch anyone's attention right away. Then I wondered. "High priestess, if I may ask...how will the soldiers recognize you if you were always wearing a veil?"

"Ravalorian soldiers know that the high priestess has a mark in her upper right arm." She lifted her sleeves and showed a magic circle that was engraved on her skin. "So, you should wear a Ravalorian soldier's armor."

The magic circle was small but it had a complex design. Ancient writings were surrounding the outer layer of the circle. A few squares were overlapping each other, forming a star. The right side of the innermost part was occupied by rays of the sun while the left side was occupied by a crescent moon. Between the sun and moon was a small clock but without its hands. There were a few more intricate details but I wasn't able to see it clearly because the high priestess covered her arms with her sleeves. And just like before, she was showing no emotion. As if she doesn't feel anything. Her eyes look empty despite shining like a golden gem. She looked distant and cold.

I shrugged my shoulders. 

The armor was too big for me so I put my things inside to stop the armor from grinding and letting out that creaking sound. I was able to fit into the metallic boots after some time but the metal was cold against my skin. It felt even colder with the wind entering the small holes in the armor. Then, I grabbed the helmet from the head of the soldier and rubbed off the blood. When I put it on, I gagged at the smell. It was unpleasant. The smell of blood, sweat, and something rotten mixed together. I immediately felt repulsed when I was reminded yet again that this armor belonged to a dead man.

But I held it in.

I would gladly do anything and everything for Princess Aleiah. Even if it meant knocking on the red door of death.

"Are you ready?" the high priestess asked.

"Yes."

"We need to do it before the next midnight comes."

I looked at her, baffled. "Why? Won't having powers make it a lot easier to infiltrate the dungeons?"

"You should have noticed it by now," she said with a grim voice. "The Tellurians have somehow obtained a way to use magic, and they're currently building a barrier around the kingdom even though it's Lunar Fest." She removed the bandages she had on her arms. The wounds she had were still bleeding. The cuts were deep and wide. It's a miracle she was able to endure the pain this long. She stared at her palm as she continued, "no matter how strong our magic is, the magic they used counters ours. We will be trapped inside if we fail to escape now."

I was stunned.

"How could that be? That's impossible!"

"I thought so, too, but look." She pointed towards the sky. I squinted because the light was a bit dim. But when my eyes were able to adjust, I saw something glimmering against the night sky, like a prism shining against the faint light. But when I took a closer look, I saw a dark violet and black miasma surrounding the barrier.

That's corrupted magic.

All I've known about it was that it was a whole new source of magic. However, due to its strong and mysterious properties, a lot of mages died brutally, consumed by the overflowing corrupted magic that the user's body emits. Our body acts as a vessel for the magical properties that roamed freely in the air but it couldn't contain the boundless power from darkness.