Author's note: Hello, guys! So sorry for the late update. I guess you're doing well. Thanks for all your reviews. I aprreciate them so much. Well, let's get on with the story.
I hope you will enjoy.
Chapter 42
To be not alone
It felt good to be free again. It had been two years since he had had the privillage to be like this. He had been living like a parasite.
Jumping from one body to another. After that unworthy Emrys had defeated him and his three puppets, he had been robbed of his freedom.
But he was the master of manipulation. Millions of people were manipulated to obey his wishes and he always had a plan if something bad had happened to him.
So, he latched himself onto his gullible devotee, Morgana's body and had guided her to cross the ocean towards the kingdom where his ancient army of undead had been inicinerated by dragonfire during the third great war. So, when the time was ripe, he abandoned Morgana's body. He hadn't needed her anymore.
More importantly, she was turning from his path and slowly returning to her old self which disgusted him to no limits. Not to mention, his hold on her was being weakened by two young people's tenacity.
Anyway, King Ludwig was a far better candidate to be the new lord of cinder. He was willing to be the sacrifice to save his son. And as he had suspected, King Ludwig's willingness had strengthened the First flame of Irythil thousandfold.
While the king of Saxony burned in the rekindled flame; the city of Irythil awakened. His once destroyed immortal army awakened.
Now he was bathed in the power of the First flame of Irythil and he had broken free from his host and after two years he had become again a puppetmaster.
And this time, he would defeat and mutilate Emrys.
This time, they would know of the power of Ajajil, the cursed one.
This was the begining of the end.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOO
They were near the capital city of Nemeth. They were supposed be honored royal guests of the kingdom and here they were, staying in a inn like some common peasants.
They were member of the royal family of Nassau, the rulers of greater Germany for crying out loud. But noooo, the prince had to play spy on the royalties of Nemeth and they couldn't do that while being a royal guest.
To make things worse, he had dragged her into this mess. Then again, she might not be able to survive in Nemethian castle without the prince.
After all, living in the castle of the one whom you had once subjugated without protection of a powerful kingdom's prince wouldn't be certainly healthy for herself.
That didn't mean she enjoyed the sleeping arrangement. She was sleeping in the same room with the prince.
THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS.
She thought in anger. They were pretending to be husband and wife to avoid suspiscion. She would've chewed his head out if he hadn't offered the only bed in the room to her.
Even then, she still was having trouble sleeping as of late. Today was not any different. She was lying awake in her bed while her partner in crime was sleeping without even twitching a little bit as if he was unconscious.
Morgana felt envious. This was not fair. She was having so much trouble sleeping while he was sleeping like a baby.
He couldn't. He shouldn't. He mustn't.
She decided to wake him up even if it only meant that she would deprive him of the rest that she had been unable to get.
" Max! Wake up. Quickly! " Morgana said in a low but urgent voice.
Prince Max didn't even move. He remained as he was. Blissfully unaware of his surroundings.
Morgana considered to shake him awake.
But when she jumped down from the bed and got closer to the prince, she saw signs of exhaustion written all over his now peaceful face.
He had been doing all the investigation around Nemethian capital. While she just stayed in the inn either sleeping or doing nothing.
All this running and sneaking must've caught upto him.
Morgana thought and suddenly felt guilty for trying to wake the prince up. It was cruel. Maybe she had enjoyed cruelty in the past.
But after staying with the Nassaus, she had lost much of her past furies and cruelties.
She didn't know how but these past two years had changed her. She wasn't sure whether it was for good or bad but, yes.
Changed, she was.
She went out of the room thinking some fresh air might help her to lighten her head and get some some sleep.
The inn was just beside the beach of Nemeth and night wind was blowing quite strongly. Her black hair began to fly wildly and she felt the sudden urge to touch the sea water illuminated by the full moon.
She left her shoes on the shore and ran towards the water. She began to splash water around her and she suddenly remembered that last time she had done something like this, was at her home in Cornwall.
The sea of Meredor was only a stone's throw away from his father's castle and his father often had taken her there. They had so much fun together. Her father, her mother and herself. She had been happy. She had been free.
She had not been alone.
Like she now was.
She hadn't realized that she was silently crying. But when she did; she wiped away her tears.
There's no good in pondering over the past. She had to look towards the future.
She looked towards the bright silvery moon and she found something odd.
A blue eagle was flying towards her. It was made of bright light and was coming fast.
Morgana's heart began to pound. She knew what it could mean.
And one thing she was sure that the eagle couldn't be the bearer of any good news.
The blue glowing eagle flew past her and went straight towards the inn they were staying.
Morgana was going to follow that eagle but something else caught her eyes.
A glowing red light was descending from the sky. The former high priestess could bet that the red light was anything but normal.
And she was proven right when the red light fully descended on the ground and with a blink of an eye it transformed into a figure of a young man.
The young man looked like in his early twenties and had a skin of reddish colour. His hair was white.
But it was his eyes which freaked Morgana out and scaring her was not an easy job.
His eyes were red as if they were on fire. Morgana had not a single clue who that person might be. The white haired man looked at her with a steely gaze. She was going to ask him about his identity. But before she could realize what was happening, the man began to attack.
Morgana barely had enough time to raise a shield and deflect the purple beams of light thrown towards her.
Then it began. She and the weird man started duelling. Although calling it a duel would be an understatement as all Morgana was doing was fending off her opponent's attacks and dodging.
The white haired man kept whirling weird purple coloured beams at her.
Soon, Morgana was soaked wet from head to toe and was panting heavily. She hadn't even been able to land a single blow. While she was unscathed too, she knew she wouldn't be able to dodge those beams for much longer.
It didn't take much long to prove her right. After a few seconds, her silent enemy began to fire beams more rapidly and Morgana used all her magic to construct her most poweful shield, Rho Alor.
In the end, even the mighty shield of Rho Alor failed and Morgana sank to the ground. All her strength ebbed away. She was totally spent. Now it was only a matter of time that the white haired man would finish her off.
No, this couldn't be.
This couldn't end like this.
The man came closer and he raised his hand, a cruel smile playing on his lips.
No. Please. It couldn't be. Morgana pleaded.
Just before he was going to land the blow, a large lance flew past Morgana and pierced her attacker's chest.
He grunted and fell back a few steps. The lance moved backward and got free from the man's flesh. It then flew back to the direction from where it came from.
Morgana looked back and saw her savior was running towards her with the spear in his hand.
" Get away from her. " Prince Max yelled in fury. He came between Morgana and the attacker.
" Are you alright? " Max asked. His voice was full of concern.
" I think so. But you could've come a little bit earlier. I was almost killed. " Morgana snapped while standing up.
Max didn't say anything but a look of hurt flashed on his face.
Morgana felt guilty immediately but didn't get any chance to say anything as to Morgana's surprise, her attacker rose to his feet. His previous injury was completely healed and his eyes were blazing red with fury.
" Get out of here. " Max yelled and ran towards the white haired man.
Morgana didn't run. Instead, she began to watch the fight.
The man shot several purple beams but Max raised his golden tipped red lance and instantly, it turned into a black greatsword which he weilded with ease and deflected the beams.
Morgana gaped with awe. She was having a hard time fighting with the man but here, Max deflected the beams as if they were nothing.
Then it began. The greatest duel Morgana had ever seen in her entire life.
Both men fought furiously. The white haired man kept hurling beams at him with rapid succesion and Max kept deflecting them with his huge greatsword.
When the attacker realized that his attacks were useless, he conjured a battleaxe from nothing and went head on against the prince.
Max raised his greatsword and then it transformed into a giant scythe. He began to whirl it deadly and soon they were locked in a dance macabre.
They exchanged blows after blows and Morgana just kept on looking.
Then there was a opening for Max and he hurled the schythe across the attacker's throat. The white haired man's severed head and body fell to the seawater with a loud splash.
Max fell on his knees and began to pant.
Morgana came running towards him.
" You're alright? " She asked.
" Yeah. Thanks for asking. I told you to run. " Max said.
" I just can't leave you behind. That would've been an ungrateful and cowarly act "
Max raised his eyebrow. " But you were helpless against him. Your staying didn't make any difference. "
Morgana became angry. How could he say something unsensitive like that. He should've at least said, " Thanks Morgana, for being here for me. " Or something sweet like that.
Wait.
Why is he smiling like that?
Oh God. He had read my thoughts.
Morgana saw red and in anger, she slapped her.
" You pervert, how many times will you read my feelings? Haven't you got enough fun already tormenting me? "
Surprisingly, Max bowed his head as if he was ashamed.
" I am sorry, Morgana. That was not right of me. Anyway, thanks for don't leaving me. " He said in a low tone.
Morgana was going to rage again but...
Suddenly a sword pierced Max's abdomen and he fell to the water.
It happened so quickly that Morgana needed a few seconds to realize what happened.
He, the white haired man was on his feet with his head over his shoulder.
He clenched his fist and Max flew to his feet.
The prince of Saxony rose to his feet slowly while grunting in pain. The attacker didn't take any chance.
He stabbed the prince again with his newly conjured sword and Max fell again. This time, he didn't rise.
His bright red blood making the sea red.
The white haired man laughed in amusement and pointed his palms towards the fallen prince to deliver the final blow.
No.
No.
NO.
I must save him.
Please I need to save him. Morgana thought frantically.
Then, something odd happened.
She began to glow brightly and a bow of snow white colour and a quiver full of black arrows came out of her chest.
After that, she didn't understand what she did or how she did it.
She only remembered grabbing the bow and shoot the white haired man with a black arrow aiming at his head where his brain was.
The attacker screamed and in a second, burst into flame instantly turning into ash.
Morgana didn't give a single look to the slain menace. She ran to the fallen prince and turned him over.
He was still breathing but only just. If she didn't do anytthing soon, he would be dead.
Morgana took a deep breath and began chanting. There was only one thing that could save him now.
She only hoped that it would work.
When she was done chanting, she panicked for a split second fearing it hadn't worked.
Then...
Blood spreading throughout the water stopped flowing out and began to flow in the reverse direction. Inside his body.
Soon all the blood was inside Max again and his wounds in abdomen and chest began to close.
" Come on, Max. Wake up. "
Morgana shook the unconscious prinnce.
" I didn't use my last reserves of magic for nothing. Open your eyes. "
Max began to stir and opened his eyes slowly.
" Morgana? "
" Max, you're alright! " Morgana's voice was tired but full of relief.
" I have to tell you something. "
" What ? " Morgana asked expectantly.
But the question Max asked was not something Morgana ever imagined.
" Will you marry me? "
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
So, that's all for now. Tell me what you think about this chapter in your reviews. They always make my days. Next chapter: A political event in north and three ancient firebreathers.
See you soon. And have a good day ( Or night ). Be safe.
Adios.
- Assassin of Syria.