The red haze cluttering the sky dispersed, replaced by the dark-blue clouds of a standard spring night.
In the royal palace, Cassandra and Vel'Asha stared into the distance, both looking in the direction of the Astalon domain.
"It's over." As all the memories and events related to the crown prince vanished from her mind, the Queen Mother whispered, aware that somehow, Cassandra's group had managed to derail her plans.
Because of a boy she'd yet to meet face to face, centuries of planning had gone up in flames.
Vel'Asha's fists trembled in frustration, her nails digging through her flesh as she lowered her head and gasped with a deflated look.
"You should kill me while you still have the chance to. You won't get another opportunity." Still unable to move due to the internal damages she'd suffered from the Red God's divine flames, the Queen Mother said, facing Cassandra with provocative eyes.
The Astalon matriarch didn't answer, raising her boot off Gaiseric's neck and walking past Vel'Asha with a series of leisurely steps.
"If divine flames can't kill you, there's no way I can either. No worries though, Queen Mother, I am not here to pick a fight. Quite the contrary, in fact. My beloved godson wants me to help you," Cassandra said with a sidelong glance, and stretched out her hands, causing two flaming swords to appear within.
Watching Cassandra adopt a battle stance, the Queen Mother's eyes widened in a mix of shock and fear. The moment next, violent vibrations rocked the royal palace upside down, growing more intense as a column of scarlet light shot out from the royal garden, piercing through the sky.
A large earthen trunk emerged from the light column, firing a flurry of sweeping vines and pole-sized branches in all directions.
A green-skinned demon dressed with a large golden crown, gold inlaid pants, and sparkling jewels lay on the trunk, tied by coiling branches.
"Grrr..." The 1.6-m-tall creature growled at Cassandra—drooling as its gaze shifted between the barbecued Gaiseric and Cassandra.
"So that's what you were hiding here, Yaksha demons? I can't believe it. Mithras was right. The royal family has been making deals with demons and got screwed over eventually.
"Why do you think Elektra agreed to marry Gaiseric? Do you really think your emotionless goddess of a sister fell for my son's charms? Come on. It's such a mismatch. Elektra was just looking for an opportunity to save or avenge Lyssandra—preferably both.
But now she won't get it, because your people have destroyed our last connection to the Yaksha Preceptor. Gaiseric and the previous king are doomed too," Vel'Asha said in a matter-of-fact tone, but as she expected Cassandra to break down at the news..."
"Thank you, Queen Mother," the Astalon Matriarch didn't seem bothered, casually stepping into the air as she walked towards the Yaksha Tree.
Vel'Asha wasn't optimistic. The Yaksha Tree was a demon at the 12th level of the Golden Palace and a level one Sage. The Dark Preceptor had so much faith in it that it even allowed it to bring a servant, carry out deals and collect souls on its behalf. Vel'Asha at her best would have been able to suppress it.
But a mere Cassandra clearly couldn't...
[Pyretic Hell]
"Crawk—gah, gah!"
Blinding flames lit up the royal palace's sky, and as Vel'Asha looked over her shoulder, she was shocked to see Cassandra standing over the bisected corpses of the Yaksha demons—both choking on their own blood.
Wrathful God flames coiled up Cassandra's body, a boon from her godson dearest.
"You can't be serious." Vel'Asha couldn't believe it, and yet these were the facts.
Cassandra made a grasping motion, collecting dozens of souls that had formed pacts with that demonic tree. This included Honoria, royal guards, and other palace ladies' souls.
"House Astalon will send you the bill for this clean-up job tomorrow. Don't be stingy. Mithras loves money. So if you wish to impress him, you better empty that bank account.
Do your best while the fees are still within your pay grade. You won't regret it." Drenched from head to toe in the blood of her victims, Cassandra said, walking past a dumbstruck Vel'Asha and vanishing from the scene.