Chapter 10: A valuable chalice

Zhalia repeatedly called Dante's name. But Dante was not responding. His face was pale and smeared with blood, on his right chest was emblazoned a black hole and on his lips was a smile. Zhalia wept bitterly. She held him in her arms. How could he do that? Why he had used the magic? Zhalia did not believe that he was dead. Just as Lok and Sophie. They fought back tears. They had lost their mentor, adviser and friend. Rassimov stood there grinning, waiting for the next step, because he knew Zhalia would take revenge for Dante. Zhalia stressed once more across Dante's face before she laid his head carefully on the cold floor. She clenched her hands into fists and walked toward Rassimov. She looked at him with hateful eyes. She wanted to beat him once and for all his grin off his face.

"What's going on, Zhalia? Angry? Sad? Or just weak? "Rassimov said with a devilish undertone. Zhalia squeezed her hands tightly together. Her finger bones emerged and were all white.

"You're so pathetic Rassimov." She said. "You do not even know what is anger or sadness. Let alone love. "Zhalia began to grin. "I can only sympathize with you." She said finally, and turned around. Rassimov could not believe it. This reaction, he did not expect. He thought Zhalia would attack him, but that she would do something like that he never imagined. And suddenly his old feelings arose again. Because Zhalia was wrong. He knew the feeling to feel anger or sadness or love. And all these emotions together were to blame, that he was now so as he was. Evil and heartless. Many hundreds of years, his once great love was killed by soldiers of the Casterwill family. His deep grief turned into hate. Hate against the Casterwill family. Hate against the world. And since more than 500 years ago, he tried to get revenge for the death of the most important thing in his life. Zhalia was wrong. Rassimov had feelings and soon she will get to feel. Enraged Rassimov shot a spell on Zhalia, but thanks to her still highly developed sense of hearing, she noticed the magic soon enough to ward it off. She quickly turned around and used Amorbrand. She looked at Rassimov and saw his wild facial expressions. His hatred.

"What's going on, Rassimov? Angry? Sad? Or just weak? "She asked as she grinned at him. Rassimovs anger rose. Again he attacked her. But Zhalia jumped over his head and stood behind him. But Rassimovs reaction was so fast and unexpectedly for her. He turned quickly and grabbed her neck. He lifted her up. Zhalia could not breathe. She tried in vain to break free from the grip.

"You do not know what true feelings are." She heard Rassimov say, when he suddenly hurled her to the side. Zhalia landed with her head on Dante's belly. She tried to rattle on and looked into his dead face. Again her tears came into her face. She looked at Lok and Sophie. The two looked at her as well.

"Help me." Zhalia whispered so that only they could hear it. The two nodded. Zhalia got up and ran to Rassimov. The fight between them started. Zhalia must win. For Dante. She could not leave, without get revenge for his death. Lok and Sophie take their chance and freed themselves from the grips of the guards. While they defeated one after the other guard, Zhalia had already happened Rassimov a few injuries. She felt that he was weaker with each attack.

Lok and Sophie took the opportunity and ran out of the room, they had to do something. But they did not got far out, because Shauna and Wind blocked them.

"Not so fast, kids." Shauna said, and stood with her brother in their way.

"Children? What is your child, you old granny. "Lok said, grinning. Shauna was angry and attacked him. But Lok responded quickly. He jumped to the side.

Lok and Sophie tried to beat Shauna and Wind, as the two suddenly stopped. In their eyes was evident fear. Lok and Sophie did not know what happened, when suddenly Wind's dragon flew through the window. The window shattered and shards went flying through the air. Lok and Sophie crouched protectively. Shauna and Wind leapt on the dragon and disappeared. Lok and Sophie looked after them.

"What was that?" Sophie asked irritated.

"No idea. Maybe they realized that we are better than they?" Lok said, grinning. Sophie looked at him with a You-are-so stupid-look.

"Come on. We have to do something else. "Said Sophie, and the two ran off.

Shortly before

Zhalia and Rassimov still fought against each other. Zhalia went running out of tricks and she was also weaker and slower. But she also had the feeling that Rassimov was too. Suddenly she felt a deep pain in her back and head. Rassimov had thrown her against a wall. The pain was so intense that her tears were running down her cheeks. She knelt on the ground and clenched her fists again.

"Already tired?" She heard Rassimovs voice. She looked up. But her eyes fell not on Rassimov, instead of the swords behind him. It was perfect. That was her only chance. And she would take it now.

"Never." She said with a grin and jumped up. She ran as fast as possible to him. Rassimov did not know how happened, when she suddenly ran past him, jumped up the wall and grabbed one of the swords. Zhalia turned back while she ripped the sword from its sheath and pushed herself from the wall. She jumped on him and rammed Rassimov the sword through his heart.

"This is for Dante." Zhalia said and turned around the sword and rammed it still deeper. She let go of the handle of the sword. Rassimov staggered backwards. Black blood ran from the wound. He fell to his knees and tried to pull out the sword, but he wasn't successful. He tilted to the side. Under his body formed a pool of blood.

It was over. Rassimov was dead.

For a while Zhalia was just standing there. But then she went to Dante, and sank to her knees. She laid her head on his chest and began to cry. As long until she could not cry anymore.. She closed her eyes.

After a very very long time she heard someone calling her name. She opened her eyes and lifted her head a little. Sophie was sitting on the other side of Dante's dead body. Zhalia looked at her with red wept eyes. Lok was sitting beside her. She began to cry again.

"Shh ...", said Sophie and wiped the tears from her face. "We have a solution." Zhalia looked into Sophies eyes and realized she was smiling.

"What do you mean?" Asked Zhalia irritated.

"How to get Dante back."

Zhalia was too tired to be responded to. Therefore, Sophie went on speaking.

"This cup here." Sophie showed up the chalice, which they should steal more than a month from the blood spiral. "The cup of the resurrection. It can only be used once every 100 years to bring a loved one back to life. "Sophie said, smiling.

"But how do you know?" Asked Zhalia tired.

"Please. Do you take me for really so crazy that I tell Dante a spell which kill him without knowing one way to bring him back. I beg you. "Sophie said a little bit insulting. Zhalia began to smile.

"Sophie? You're awesome. "

"Tell me something new.", She replied with a grin and took out a vial with green liquid of Lok's shoulder bag. This she toppled into the cup.

"And now the most important." She said. "The tears of a loved one." Sophie gave the cup to Zhalia's cheek and after a few minutes a tear dripped into it. The mixture changed color to a warm orange. Sophie let gently drip the liquid into Dante's mouth. The three looked eager to Dante. And soon they saw the black hole disappeared into Dante's chest, and instead formed a scar. Suddenly they saw like Dante sigh of relief. Zhalia looked from his chest to his face and saw his eyes blinked. She began to smile.

"He's alive." She said joyfully. Even Lok and Sophie began to laugh.

He's alive.

PiaNor and MissParkerFan