The Priestess Legacy
Shorter chapter, but the next one is extra-awesome to make up for it.
Chapter 13
A Fateful Decision
The sun peaked over the dunes of Egypt, sending rays of light over the sand. The light traveled up the dark walls of the palace and into a lone window with two iron bars running across it. The wooden door opened, and Roslyn raised her head to look up at the impassive face of Darek. Otogi and him walked inside, hauling Roslyn to her feet, ready to grab their Millennium Items. As it was, Peimune followed them as they led Roslyn to the courtyard, the Millennium Eye sealing Roslyn's diadianhk.
The massive gates of the palace opened, and Roslyn was led outside. Téa, Kujaku and the other apprentices, Shizuka and Mariku, waited with the other nobles. A grinding wheel was being spun rapidly on the other end of the line of people, an axe blade dug into it. Roslyn caught side of the blade and froze, and Darek and Otogi simply lifted her by his elbows and carried her the rest of the way. The axeman stopped his work and picked up the blade, blowing it off and walking to the flat, smooth stone nearby.
Téa looked up as they passed. Roslyn's face was set in a look of sheer terror as Darek and Otogi brought her to the stone and pushed her to her knees.
"If it is any comfort, you will not feel it." Darek growled. He brought a fist to the back of Roslyn's head, and she slumped forward on the ground. Otogi took her shoulders and moved her head onto the stone. They stepped back, Peimune releasing his spell, and the three priests took their places in the line, all bowing their heads. Except for one. Téa stared at Roslyn's limp form as the axeman gripped his axe and raised it above his head. The blade glinted in the newfound sunlight, and with a grunt, he brought it down.
"No." The axeman's swing stopped as a hand wrapped around his wrist, the axeblade stopping less than an inch from the back of Roslyn's neck. The priests looked up as Téa jerked his axe away.
"Lady Teana, what are you doing?" He cried.
"I can't let this happen." Téa whispered. "I'd rather see my own head on that stone."
"Lady Teana, stand down, this must come to pass! She had betrayed us." Darek urged.
"Everyone makes mistakes!" Téa shot back. "Believe me when I say I know better than any of you what happened to her! She was tempted and fell victim to a madman. It's not her fault she was manipulated."
"I agree. That honor is mine!" The priests gasped as Barakhan ripped the axe from Teana's hands, wrapping an arm around her neck and using the other hand to slam the axe into the back of the axeman.
"You." Téa gasped. Barakhan wrenched the axe back from the axeman's body and held it aloft as he backed up from them.
"Barakhan, you bastard! Let her go." Otogi snapped.
"And why on earth would I do that?" He sneered. "Throw down your diadianhks or she dies. Millennium Items too." The people assembled glared at him, as one by one golden relics clanged on the ground. "And this is why the so-called good are fools. Had any of you had the nerve to risk her fate you would have attempted to strike me down. But instead of having her blood on your hands, now, I shall have yours on mine." Barakhan let out a roar of triumph, and the palace gates exploded.
The priests spun around as black-robed creatures on horseback rode into the palace, swords held high. Each priests drew their own weapon as the apprentices scrambled for their diadianhks.
"Makyura!" Mariku cried. The bladed warrior appeared and dove, slashing and knocking two of the robed men to the ground. They hit the ground and burst into puffs of black smoke, their horses following suit.
"Lady Panther Warrior!" The female feline let out a yowl and flung its pike forward, skewering another horseman. Barakhan looked down at Téa and grabbed her waist.
"I'll take that." He sneered, snatching the Millennium Rod. That done, he flung Téa to the ground and grabbed Roslyn by her robe. The thief threw her over his shoulder and climbed onto another black horse the rose from the sand.
"I think I'm finished here for now." He sneered. "But I can assure that our business is far from done!" He lashed the rains of the horse, sprinting out of the palace with Roslyn over his shoulder. Téa sat up and watched them go. As Barakhan vanished from sight at the outskirts of the village, the black horseman turned to smoke and vanished.
"Apprentices." Tea called. "As of now you are all conscripted into the royal guard. Otogi, go the village and bring back anyone of above average strength. The rest of you, order away all in the palace except for the apprentices and the guards." The priests nodded and went about their tasks as Téa led the apprentices inside.
"Barakhan and probably Roslyn will be back." Téa called. "And we can't afford to be caught off guard this time."
- - - - - - - - - -
"What have I done?" Roslyn whimpered, looking down at the black diadianhk.
"You took control of your destiny." Barakhan hissed. "And now we are almost complete. I have three Items now, and I only need the final four. And seeing as how I saved your life from the blade back there, we have one last debt to settle." Roslyn clenched her eyes shut, remembering the bows heads that showed no mercy to her.
"Anything." She replied. Barakhan nodded.
"Unfortunately, you are currently too weak to defeat the priests. But I have a way to change that." He smiled. It all came to this. The disgrace, the failure, the shame, all of it came to a head now. After all the hardships he had forced on her, both directly and indirectly, the darkness in her heart would be deep and black enough to match his own.
"It is time to see what kind of dark power you can really handle." He whispered, laying a hand on her head. The Millennium Ring glowed, and Roslyn's eyes followed suit with the golden light. A black aura spread along Roslyn's body, and Barakhan smiled.
"Ah, there you are…" He hissed, stepping back. Roslyn's eyes glowed brighter, the glow shifting to a dark yellow, then black, as a cruel scowl slid across her face.