Chapter 279 - The Altar

In the end, when the fight stopped, Ileus was standing with his sword over Emma's neck and his leg was over her thigh, which was bleeding profusely. "Why can't things be simpler?" he said and spat his blood on the ground as he jerked his head back to remove the locks of hair that had fallen on his forehead. "Since you will not take us there, I will have to kill you!" he said and took his sword up in the air holding it with both hands in order to plunge it into her. 

"Only I know the way to that place Ileus," said Emma. "Only I know the way." She panted heavily as she waited for his verdict. "You will never be able to find where Daryn is if you kill me." 

On a second thought, Ileus brought the sword down with a lot of force and Emma shut her eyes. The sword struck the ground right next to her ear. Her face was pale and she held her breath. 

"Then take us there or you won't get a second chance," said Ileus. 

Dawn watched the two of them with awe. Ileus was sounding so sinister that her blood would have curdled had he been her enemy. 

Emma got up and sat down. She looked at Dawn from under her thick eyebrows with hatred. "Don't worry Dawn. You will die over there. It's just a matter of a few more days." 

Ileus took his sword out and pressed it to her neck. "We will see who dies, vampire. Take us there now." 

Emma got up with difficulty. The wife of the evil lord Dorza, the enemy of most of the creatures, was defeated easily by the Ileus—the bad boy of the Lore, and even a worse enemy one could have ever faced. 

"Remember, once you enter that domain, that plane, you would not be able to get out of it. The place is sealed with so many layers of magic and illusions that you would never find your way out. If you even try to escape, you will be bombarded with magic," said Emma trying to scare Ileus. 

"It seems you have forgotten who you are talking with. I am the master of spells." Ileus yanked her upper arm and shoved her ahead. "Just walk and stay quiet. If you speak another word, I will cut your tongue and let you bleed to death," he scorned.

Emma shuddered knowing fully well that Ileus was someone who couldn't be messed with. She winced and became quiet. She started to walk towards the south. Dawn followed them closely, ever thankful to Ileus for saving her life. 

The air rippled once again when they walked out of the perimeter. Ileus flicked his fingers and the magic surrounding the aircraft lifted with a dull crack noise. Emma gritted her teeth. 

'Are you all right?' Quetz asked. 

'Yes, we are. Now we are going south to where Emma claims that Daryn is,' Dawn said. 

'Is Ileus still with you?' 

'Yes!' 

They must have walked about a hundred meters more, when the sun broke the darkness of the night and spread its first golden rays in the sky. The forest was bathed in its natural colors of green and brown and a cacophony of wild blooms of various colors. The jungle only grew thicker until the trio tore through it with limbs getting abraded. They crossed rivulets and uprooted, rotting moss-covered trees. The terrain became tougher. Soon they came to a levee whose steep walls were rife with anacondas and poisonous bushes. The native animals of the jungle had become extra chirpy with the presence of strangers. 

The vampire quickened her steps in order to avoid sun rays falling over her body for the fear of her skin getting burned. 

"Be careful," said Ileus when Dawn snatched a vine before skidding on wet mud. After walking another half an hour, they came to a part of the jungle where the sunlight struggled to enter. The place was surrounded with tall walls, all covered with moss and vines and bushes and wildlife that crawled under them. It was as if they entered in some kind of containment. The red stones that were visible through the growth were stacked one over the other and it seemed as if one push against them and they would crumble down. Emma took them to a small flight of stairs in the center, which led to a raised ground—an altar. 

Dawn shuddered when she noticed skulls strewn across amongst a large number of bones over which vegetation had grown. They three were now standing on what seemed like an altar. Dried leaves of the overhead trees littered the top. The altar was the size of three coffins, and right at the end of it was a thick, broad monolith standing like its sentinel. Even though the monolith was covered profusely with those vines, it was easy to say that it was massive. 

"Where are we?" asked Ileus.

"That's none of your concern," answered the vampire harshly. She walked to the monolith and was about to touch it, when they heard a growl behind them. 

"You touch that and I am going to kill you vampire!" 

Dawn jerked her head along with Ileus and to her utter shock they found Brantley standing at the entrance of the containment. Dawn took a step back as her eyes bulged and her body movement froze. She blinked her eyes rapidly as if to process what she was seeing. Her mouth fell open and she darted a wandering gaze to Ileus who seemed only as bewildered. 

Adrenalin kicked in and seeing the threat she instantly brought her hands forward and magic crackled around her. With a shaky voice she asked, "What are you doing here?" 

Emma closed her eyes and stopped right over there. 

Brantley crossed over to them within a few minutes. He didn't climb the stairs seeing both Ileus and Dawn prepared to fight with him. 

Ileus had drawn his sword that was now lit with fire on both the edges and blue electricity crackled around Dawn's hands. 

Brantley tilted his head and said to Emma, who was still facing her back to him, "If you want to be killed, you will turn that monolith." 

"Are you insane?" Dawn barked at him. "Why have you come here and how did you know that we will be here?" she asked stunned as hell. 

Ileus hissed and took a step towards Brantley. "Answer the woman," he hissed. 

Brantley gritted his teeth. In a stern voice he commanded Emma, "Step back or face my wrath vampire." 

Agitated as hell, Dawn threw a beam of blue light that could arrest his movement towards him. He dodged it with one wave of his hand. "It's nice to know that you are developing your skills," he said, raising an eyebrow. 

Dawn was so irritated by him that fury surged through her heart. This man was responsible for imprisoning them in Ulfric and now he was standing in her way to meet her husband all over again. Gods, how she hated him. "Go away Brantley unless you want me to personally gouge your skin and take that black heart out. This woman here is taking me to my destination." 

Brantley laughed. "You have grown that strong, Dawn that you are threatening me." 

"Consider yourself dead if you take one more step up," Ileus backed Dawn.