Chapter Thirty-Five
"Some souls are connected by an ancient calling beyond worlds"
…
"How long before it gets dark?" Horst asks he turns in his saddle frowning at the dimming light of the sun.
"Less than an hour general," answers Matthias. "I believe it would be a close run to darkness if we plan to arrive at the ruins of Lesscanna's main castle,"
Horst simply humms in silence as he urges the massive battlehorse he is riding increasing the speed of their steady canter a little on the darkening path. While both of them hope to arrive early and rescue Silvanna, the unsaid thought however lingers on the two Arendellians not wishing to face whatever it is that is strong and sneaky enough to kill five Rangers without alerting anyone in the middle of the night. The only reason that they are plucking their courage and riding through the night is the unbearable thought of the Knightess being subjected even longer to that creature's desires the more they tarry.
The plan of the two actually is quite simple. The two of them will face the creature head on with no complex tactics involved. It is just putting trust on their skills as riders and hope fervently that they take their enemy by surprise. Armed with weapons they practiced with hundreds of hours, they are more than content to deal with the issue with their shields, helmets and armour of mail, chain shirt and greaves.
Still that doesn't mean any sort of backup plan is unwelcome. Ripping the personal banner at the top of his lance, the General of Arendelle throws it at the side of the road earning him a raised eyebrow from the Winged Hussar at his side.
"If the thing bests the two of us, it would be best if our reinforcements know the way we came instead of floundering in the countryside without an idea where to go," grunts Horse hefting his lance back at his arm.
The Winged Hussar captain simply grunts in silent affirmation. Both of them are veterans of many battles and understands enough the reality that no matter how skilled you are, someone is always better than you. Something tells them that the enemy that they are about to face is going to fit that bill perfectly.
As the two continues their ride, the afternoon sun soon dips behind them turning the world a dark orange with the shadows starting to creep in. Deep inside the forests shadows starts to lengthen as the eaves of the wood turns the once vibrant green into a dampened colour of grey that would have been beautiful if not for the ruins that suddenly come into view.
The two riders take a moment to pause and observe the former city of Lescanna, turned to ruin by the ravages of Nogrod.
"I've been here twice," Horst's voice almost seems loud despite the low whisper volume it is spoken. "I remember the paved streets, the houses filled with people laughing and smiling. I remember these small stalls being pushed on carts serving food of every kind you can think of. There are meats and vegetables of every shape and sizes. Lescanna, the capital of food in this part of the sea, turned to ruin because of the demands of a greedy man hell bent for power,"
"But none of that matters now," says Matthias at his side.
"No," Horst shakes his head wittingly looking at the abandoned streets that had once been filled with life and laughter. "It doesn't matter now. Come, light the torches. It would be easy to get lost on these winding streets and our enemy will see and hear us mounted as we are anyway,"
It's another ten minutes of riding when out of nowhere a piercing scream of a familiar voice makes both horses buckle in panic at the sound.
"Good heavens! I know that voice. That's Silvanna!" exclaims Matthias looking at the direction of the ruined castle ahead of them.
"Come Matthias! We ride, we ride now!" commands Horst throwing the torch he is holding at the side before pulling the lance from his scabbard at the side of his horse before urging his horse in a gallop. Matthias is only half a second behind the Arendellian general.
The battlehorses which have been skittish the whole day simply due to the steady canter now thunders at the boost of demand. The last few yards between the castle and the city are bridged in less than a minute and both riders paused at the sight that awaits them at the castle courtyard.
A fire is burning between the stones making it invisible from anyone observing from afar thus the reason why the both of them did not see it. A small camp seems to have been made of the area. Bits and pieces here and there that requires life to give a modicum of comfort while at the same time easy enough to be packed in a moment's notice. It is not the camp however that catches their attention but rather the two figures behind the pillar. One is the very naked form of Arendelle's knightess bent in a ninety degree angle with her hands tied on around the pillar and her rear deliciously displayed in her bent form. The other is the figure of a being also naked but covered in chitin like an insect with only his chest and half-face being human while the rest of him are monstrous to behold.
Judging from the pause of the two, he and Matthias caught the both of them off guard if the surprised face of the monster and the hopeful tear-covered face of Silvanna is any indication. The thing is apparently in the middle of taking his liberties on the Knightess' ass when the two of them arrive.
"BASTARD!" the booming voice of Matthias sounds without warning and Horst is a second behind him as the two of them levels their lances at the monster who pulls out of the Knightess' rear and faces them with a hiss not even bothering to jump at the side to dodge.
The two battlehorses thunder across the free space of the castle courtyard in a manner of seconds. The abomination takes the lances point blank at the chitin part of its chest one after the other.
"It should have been dead," Horst thinks to himself as the weight and strength of the abomination seems to put into challenge of the charge of the battlehorses. Confused and terrified, the two horses slow down from their charge and rears back on their haunches even as both of their riders lean back and smash forward once more the tips of their lances at their target to drive the sharp points home. The sharp points penetrate, smashing through the hard exoskeleton. The force of the charge drives the figure off its feet and sends it flying backwards past the flames to the gloom ahead.
"What the devil is that?" Matthias asks looking at the gloom where the thing was thrown.
"I don't know, but we need to cut Silvanna loose now. Calm the horses Matthias," orders Horst as he disembarks from the saddle and throwing the reins at the Winged Hussar who deftly catches it.
"My lady!" Horst calls out to the Knightess who is slumping on the pillar on which her hands are bound at. Pulling off the hunting knife from the scabbard at his leg, he deftly cuts the ropes with a single stroke of the blade catching the beautiful woman just as she is about to fall.
"Matthias, throw me your spare cloak and blanket. She's freezing!" barks Horst noticing the unclothed form of Silvanna. Normally any sane man in Arendelle would have called himself lucky for getting an eyeful view of the most beautiful woman in this part of the world. However Horst is not a normal man. He is a professional soldier and married. The earth would sooner break and the skies fall before the general be tempted to be looking at another woman than his wife, Lady Sandra.
"Here general," Matthias approaches the two of them handing the requested items. Horst wastes no time wrapping up the young woman like a snug baby with the cloth hiding her nakedness form the world.
"My lady! My lady!" Horst calls out slapping the cheeks of Silvanna who groans sickly as glazed eyes open looking at them in recognition.
"I-I'm not….dreaming, am….i?" the voice of the Knightess sounds more like a croak rather than its confident and sarcastic tone that is usually filled with humour.
"No, my lady, me and Captain Matthias are here. We've come to bring you home," answers Horst relieved that the Knightess seems to be coherent even in her current state. That's a good sign.
"Captain? Matthias….promoted?" her tone has a questioning edge on it.
"Yes my lady," chuckles the Winged Hussar. "I believe I might get another one once word hear gets out of me being involved in your rescue and getting rid of a pesky monster the second time,"
"Who are you calling monster?" both men jump out of their skins as they turn at the sound of the voice.
Horst can feel his blood draining as he sees the monster standing there looking none the worse for wear even after being pierced by their lances. He smirks pointing a claw at the croaking figure of the Knightess who is trying to make herself as small as possible beneath the covers of the blankets and cloak.
"You have something that belongs to me!" it simply states before charging them.
…
Anna remains silent as she rides beside Alucard alongside an escort of five Winged Hussars. Long story short, she had "attempted" to deliver the message to the main camp of Arendelle. Unfortunately for Anna, she stumbled upon the outer camp of the Winged Hussars. A couple of words then at the sentry about what she found and the entire Winged Hussar camp are ready to go in less than three minutes. They have ridden hard with the seventy-man team after leaving a messenger for the other commanders to explain the situation to them. Of course with Anna being the only one who knows the way the best, she had been unwillingly recruited into the cavalry as their guide. Some are even half-dressed and are attempting to put on their armour even while riding on their horses simply to save time.
Anna in simpler terms feels surreal. She had ridden with the Winged Hussars many times in incognito as one of them. Now she is riding as Anna and she can't help but feel the difference. The Winged Hussars with their comrades are a jolly lot. None of that stuck up noble pride that the main army thinks they have. With her revealing as a princess, Anna is treated with respect instead of the usual casual banter from before.
Even now Anna is still trying and failing to wrap her head about the members of the Winged Hussars. She recognizes a lot of their faces after all. When she's younger, her father used to sit her with the nursery alongside the other children of the nobles. They are stuck up then even in their younger ages due to their station and that's the reason why Anna knows them since she hates the damned gatherings before. She knows their names very well, there is Grenn, the hot-head, Pyp, the coward, Samwell, the former chubby son of a lord, Edd short for Edward, a troublemaker and Jon, a bastard of his family with depression issues. Before they are all these, but since becoming a Winged Hussar they are now men of honor and integrity with self-control. Worse, Anna knows that they are the same age as her and they accomplished so much already.
"I wish that I could be someone other than being a troublemaker," Anna murmurs to herself as she returns her focus on leading the horsemen deeper into the woods.
…..
If there is anyone in the world who has such dedication to self-control as if their very life depends on it, it is Elsa. However not even all her strength of will can stave off the small yawn that escapes her lips as she listens on what seems to be the hundredth report of the day by Lord Spinach in front of her.
"And the plumbers are protesting about the new improvements of the bath houses for…," Elsa fervently tunes him off as he continues his rant. For the life of her, Elsa does not know how Silvanna survives this day in and day out in her tenure as Steward of Arendelle.
"That is enough my lord. We will finish here for today," the firm but youthful voice of Jonathan Johnson stopping the narration of vegetables from the list the other lord is holding.
"But my lord prime minister! I haven't finished yet and this is important," protests the Councillor waving the scroll containing the list in front of him like a flag.
"I am well aware of that my lord, but as you can see, our dear Princess is already tired from holding court the entire day. Please pass the necessary scrolls to the main office where I'm sure our princess would take the time to review for them later,"
Elsa doesn't need to see the stare that the Prime Minister directs at her to sigh as she smiles at the other noble. "Yes my lord. I will take a look at it tonight when I am feeling better. My apologies by the way for I am feeling under the weather today,"
"Of course princess; we serve under your leisure," the Councillor bows handing the scrolls he had been reading to a nearby scribe before heading off outside the main hall leaving Elsa and the Prime Minster inside along with the guards.
"Princess Elsa my apologies for being blunt about it, but there's a good reason as to why we are holding these meetings. I know you're bored out of your mind but it is these things that keep Arendelle going. At least give the impression that you're paying attention to avoid offending the nobles especially with Arendelle recovering and needing all the support it can get out of everyone,"
"I know, I know," Elsa sighs tiredly. "I've just got a lot on my mind right now and it doesn't help that these meetings practically tire me to death and there is no word yet of our search for Silvanna. How do you even pay all attention all these details without your mind going numb Prime Minister?"
"With a lot of practice in repetition and endurance I'm afraid," the man simply replies putting the last of the scrolls to the arms of a nearby scribe. Elsa watches as he turns his attention to her, his eyes turning a lot softer than before. "And don't worry your Highness. I'm sure that General Horst and the others will soon find our Lady Steward and bring her back here to celebrate the victory with us,"
Elsa smiles faintly at the words of comfort of the man, her eyes going misty. "I hope so Prime Minister, I hope so,"
…
Everything has been a blur for Silvanna ever since the last week or so. Things have been one horrifying nightmare after the other ever since she was abducted by the thing calling himself her "brother". She has been doing nothing but sleep, eat and sex day after day without pause other than bathing. The thing for Silvanna won't dare call it a man, seems to never tire of her, never cease wanting her and never stopped, not even once to break the monotone. Every waking moment is that of pleasure and pain in a haze that seems to go on and on. She had fainted so many times during the past few days that Silvanna is having trouble finding the difference between reality and dreams. In a way she prefers falling into the world of dreams than in reality. In the dreams at least she is free whereas reality is one moment of horror after another. If she's going to be honest with herself, she had lost count of the days due to her frequent fainting spells. As for the thing, it seems to want her for sex, nothing more and Silvanna for the thousandth time cursed her looks in this world. Other than having Elsa and the trust of the people of Arendelle, this part of her seems nothing more than trouble.
That is why Silvanna did not react at the appearance of Horst and Matthias out of the gloom. For her it has been a cruel joke, another dream of fantasy where someone came to rescue her. She had long lost hope when it comes to the belief of someone coming to her rescue when the thing first devirginized her ass. She cried, begged and wailed to whatever gods there were to rescue her and hear her plea. All to no avail. Either the gods do not exist, or they do not care for what's happening to her. Silvanna just wants to see Elsa one more time, and in reality before she loses the last of her senses. She had seen the beautiful Ice Princess many times during her dreams after she fainted, but she's always in a distance, a figment of her imagination.
It is this hope of seeing the one she loves and cares for most of all in this word that makes Silvanna awake once more to the world. This is what makes her recognize that the rescue of Horst and Matthias is not a dream and a figment of her imagination. This is what makes her respond to them; snapping out of the haze that she drowned herself upon to keep herself safe. Unfortunately the sudden appearance of her "brother" awakens the terror anew, as the fear of the things that he would do to her if he gets his hands on her once more.
To their credit, the two soldiers did not waste any more time monologuing to their enemy as one would see in the movies. Silvanna watches partly in horror and partly in astonishment as the general of Arendelle draws a large hand and a half sword out of his saddle, rushing her brother head-on.
Armed with nothing, the thing moves insanely fast as it parries the sword humming for its neck before dodging the follow up swipe that should have been a killing stroke. Crouching to avoid another decapitating move, it charges forward and cuts its talons through the old man's exposed chest with its clawed fingers. The chain mail rips like paper and Horst coughs in pain and disbelief as the force of the blow throws him off his feet, sending him flying and crashing a meter away. At his chest is five large gouges oozing blood.
He would have been seeing the Maker early if not for Matthias charging in at the thing's unguarded side. Wielding a large broadaxe as if it's a simple sword, Matthias roars and slams two-handed the massive weapon at the arm of Dyroth with all his weight behind it.
The hard chitin protects the monster in human form but the attack staggers him as it forces Silvanna's brother to back away from the fallen form of Horst. His face looks to almost have an expression of surprise and admiration as he stares at the cracked chitin on his arm then back at Matthias who is standing protectively over her and Horst. Then the two moves together with a charge without a word. The Winged Hussar raises his broadsword once more for another crushing blow.
Faster than the armoured human could ever move, Dyroth slides past his guard and before Matthias could register the speed of his enemy, a crushing uppercut blow at his chin sends the Winged Hussar to Hypnos realm as he is thrown airborne for a second or two before crashing into the ground with a clunking thud. He would have been finished properly if not for the sudden spear suddenly thudding in front of Dyroth.
"So it has come to this," his head swivels to the direction of the Knightess who is holding the golden spear of Arendelle. When the monster is busy finishing off the two men, Silvanna has not been idle. She knows of course that they won't be a match for her brother whose body is fuelled by magic like her. Thus even with her battered and bruised form, she had crawled her way to the harness of Horst's horse who for some reason contains her spear.
"I will kill you where you stand, monster," Silvanna attempts to hiss but comes out as a pained croak due to her sore throat.
"I've foreseen this," her brother simply says facing her. "This battle between the two of us, a conflict as old as time. Diversity at its finest. Light versus Darkness, Good against Evil, White against Black, Fire against Ice. This had been foretold long before,"
"I don't care, I-I will not let you kill my people. I won't!" Silvanna speaks out even with her damaged vocal chords.
"Even now you protect them," a faint smirk seems to appear on the thing's face. "You are the very exact opposite of me. Even after I broke you in every way, you still stand on your feet to fight. Well, wobbly feet if I might add," his chuckles send tingles of fear at the back of the Knightess' spine.
In a way he is right. Silvanna might be standing and at a ready form but her stance is weak and clumsy. She has been eating little for god only knows how long. Her muscles are wobbly due to lack of exercise and simply lying on the mattress and not to mention that she is still feeling horribly oversexed if the soreness of her entire body is to be taken into account. Not to be mention that she feels feverish and cold in her unclothed state as the cold air of Lescanna takes it toll.
Without warning Dyrotch charges at her arms swiping over her head. Silvanna barely manages to call upon her own magic to fuel her body as she blocks with the spear barely. The blow literally jars her entire right arm. The impact force is like a sledgehammer and it is all that Silvanna could do to not drop her weapon. With her magic fuelling her, she notices the other arm making another swipe at her. Twisting the middle of her spear, Silvanna grits her teeth for another crushing blow only to widen her eyes as a smirk appears on the monster's face before something slams into her gut making Silvanna gasp as she hears some of her ribs break forcing her to a knee. The attack is a feint and Silvanna in her tired state misses the knee attack on her gut.
"Pathetic, I could kill you here and now without batting an eye," her brother sneers looking down at her kneeling form. Silvanna attempts to retort only for a pained wheeze instead to come out for her mouth due to some of the bones of her ribs piercing her lungs. If she's a normal person she'd be dead already. As it is, her magic is working in overdrive to heal her body. Still, it's not enough and Silvanna remains kneeling as even staying awake is taking an effort.
"You know, you could just surrender to me to be my plaything. This would end the feud and bring a victor of my nature against yours. This week with you as my slave had been….satisfying to say the least. I could grant you your life in exchange for your service," the thing offers making Silvanna snarl as she grits her teeth begging her body to move as she feels claws stroke the bare skin of her back going lower to her derriere.
"You are beautiful my sister, the most beautiful woman in the land and you will have your life if you surrender all to me. Why serve the humans here anyway when we are better than them? We have seen it, both of us the darkness of the human condition in this life and the life before. The darkness of the soul. I know you had seen it. These humans, they suck each other dry to fill their own bellies. Loved ones unable to convey their feelings smite one another. The selfish neglect their responsibilities and lose themselves in vice. Honourable men lose themselves when confronted by monetary gain. And finally the weak willed are too eager to be consumed by their lust. Humans pretend to be moral creatures but are driven by their base instincts. Don't you agree…..sister? Why be with them when you can be with me? Gold, honour, glory, respect, pleasure, I can give you all of that and more. With both of us, we can shape this world into our own image,"
Silvanna tries not to gasp as she feels a clawed hand trail inside her through her rear. Pain blossoms at her bare ass and she grits her teeth even as tears fall. In a way the offer of her "brother" is tempting. What had Silvanna been doing but making a life here of peace and plenty after all? She had done her best to be respected, to be loved by the people of Arendelle. She personally made time to visit and greet her soldiers to gain their loyalty and she slept with Amelia and Siora to feel comfort. Though she has been tortured and abused the entire time under her "brother" she can't help but feel in some twisted way that it might be pleasurable at the same time. Her "brother" does make sense. She is more powerful and wiser than the people here due to her magic and previous life experience. Compared to her, they're like natives building huts.
"You know, I trust you Silvanna, always. If choosing between you and Arendelle, I would choose you," like a light in the dark cloud Silvanna snaps out of the haze of thoughts clouding her mind.
Elsa, Elsa is waiting for her. Tears fell like small waterfalls from her eyes. She remembers; out there Elsa is waiting for her to come back home. She would be afraid, alone without her. The princess might put a strong façade but Silvanna knows her. If she dies, Elsa will not survive. She lost so much already and it is a blessed miracle that she manages to open up to Silvanna. She needs to get back to her at all cost and their little Kaldita. Without her, Kaldita and Elsa would be unprotected. Kai and Anna are not enough to protect her secrets. If word ever gets out that they can wield magic and are different, they would stoned or burned. Silvanna does not wish that, she cannot allow that. She must be alive to protect them.
"You know….you are wrong," Silvanna pants as she uses the last of her strength to pick up the spear shifting the pointy end at the direction of her chest.
"Really, how so?" her "brother" chuckles.
"I am….the opposite of you. You see I don't look at the world as it is. I never had. I….always look at it at what it could be. There…is a word for that. It's called….hope. And it is something that you will never understand. That is why….I decline your offer to be your personal sex slave,"
"So, you have chosen…..death?"
"Not exactly," Silvanna smirks before plunging the spear to her right chest with all her strength right through her to her brother's chest where she knows that violet glowing thing at the middle is located.
She knows she cannot beat it at a straight up fight. Sure if she is at her prime and facing it in equal grounds, she might be confident to say that she can. However in her current state of being unbalanced, weak and wobbly that a drunk have better balance, there's not a chance she would be able to fight it, much less beat it. Thus as the old saying goes, if you can't beat it, outwit it.
A piercing wail suddenly sounds behind her and Silvanna nearly stumbles as she face plants on the ground, the spear still lodged in her. She can hear something stumbling and crashing behind her and she smiles at that. Her thrust is true and precise. She just hopes that it finally did the trick. She doesn't want to imagine what hellish torture her "brother" will subject her to if he survives this. As it is, Silvanna tries not to black out as she lies there on the cold floor of Lescana's royal palace watching everything slowly black out. Her magic is attempting to repair the worst of her injuries and a spear at the chest is specifically the synonym of a critical injury.
Before she blacks out fully, Silvanna hears it, a small chuckle near her.
"Well done…sister. Victory… is yours. But…I will always be…a part of you, for your body….is mine,"
Silvanna only lets a small tear fall for that. Not for her brother dying, no. It is the simple fact that what he said is true. Victorious she may be today, but the scars would remain to her dying day. And what scars it were. Letting darkness envelope her, Silvanna surrenders herself finally to oblivion.
…
Author's Note:
Heyyy so finally the last Personal Mission Arc of Silvanna is done. No more dark chapters filled with torture and such for the next three chaps. It would be more love and fun with Elsa and dealing with Anna's issues. After that, the last arc before the end.
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