Chapter 222 - Unleashing the Undead

{Author's Words: After much consideration with my health, time, financial needs, and for my supportive readers, I decided to end this book, but I'll be making a summary for the entire events. This will be the second to the last chapter.}

The fight we're fierce on both sides. After many fights on the formless beast's will, Ming got tired. So, he thought of convincing the animal to take his side, but the beast spoke to him, telling him it didn't want to be in anyone's control, nor it wanted to be under the black-clad commander's control. It hoped to be set free. Thus, it would rather die than to be anyone's slave again.

Ming made a bargain and told it that if it would take Ming's side, he would set it free in the condition that it would help him get rid of the Platanna's calvary men. The beast went silent but later rejected his offer. Rather, it asked if they would allow it to become the Sorceress' pet, it would stop attacking anyone.

It surprised Ming that it knew about Xinyi, but he didn't hesitate longer. He asked Nianshi to call Xinyi to join them. Nianshi contacted Xinyi and the formless beast asked her if she was willing to accept it as her sidekick. She wasn't ready for this and unsure of the beast's loyalty. Mostly after hearing from Nianshi of its acidic drool. 

But Nianshi reminded her of the Hutyuns, of her hesitance, of accepting the position as their queen. This beast could be more lethal than the Hutyuns. 

Thus, Xinyi asked the being why it wanted to become her sidekick. The formless beast told her it knew her mother back in Platanna. She was still little and got lost in the dark abyss forest. She met the formless beast there, but she was not afraid of the beasts despite its horrendous figure. And her mother treated the beast's illness because she was gifted in healing. 

The beast took a liking to her kind mother, but it didn't know where she went after the king's troops rescued her. As it searched for her, humans captured it and it started its agonizing slave's life. It also told Xinyi that she had the same aura as its first master, a lover of the beasts, even to one like him. Yet, after the person died, someone took him and made it slaughter innocent people. It wanted to escape, but it was under a potent spell that controlled it.

Xinyi asked it to show her its true figure. It agreed. As it transformed, it was three feet in height, with head, two hands and feet, and boneless being with acidic slimes dripping from its true body. Its eyes roamed around its body. One could be scared just watching it walk toward a person. She was afraid too, but when she looked at its lonely eyes, she was touched. It melted her fears away.

She asked how to make the blood pact with it. The formless beast only said that it would give Xinyi a part of itself, a slimy thing from its chest, and that she had to keep it as she promised to look after the beast. 

As this went on, the black-clad commander felt the beast had chosen another master, willingly. He knew his hold on it was based on a spell, and if it chose a master not by force, he couldn't do anything to stop it. So, he painfully let go and commanded his men to change formation. They scattered away after their breaking the shield. 

Nianshi and Meirga followed, burning the trees where they went into flames. They believed the enemy was losing and escaping for their lives. Out of a sudden, a vast net made of red light fell from the sky and enclosed them, including Ming, Shijian, and Xinyi. The dragons fell from the sky, took the human form, and became weak. It happened they made the net of Wag stone dust.

Thankfully, Xinyi was there and molded the Wag stone dust into one. The net disappeared in no time. 

The commander and his men saw this and understood who she was. They got weary of her presence, mostly she already had a pact with the formless beast. These black men quickly yelled something and their backs grew wings. In swift movements, they flew up to the sky toward the prince. They were quick that they vanished in seconds from Ming's sight. Although Nianshi and Meirga could see their movements, they were too late because the black men had reached the vine net right away.

The black men cut the vines with power the plant Chiangdas couldn't resist. It was a power only the Platanna people had. The power to dispel any existing powers of the enemy, but for a brief span of time. They hurriedly flew the weakening prince away from there. But the fire Chiangdas sent their flames up to stop them from escaping. However, they swiftly flew up, gathered together in mid-air and disappeared. Those in the former Platanna camp: the green, blue, and red-clad people threw their weapons and knelt down with their hands above their heads. It was a sign of surrender.

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While these things happened earlier, Lady Seliah had reached the black-clad men who were fighting against Ming. But she stayed far from the attack zone as not to get burned by the dragons' white flames.

She also saw when Xinyi came and how she took the Wag stone net like it was a piece of cake. Lady Seliah realized Xinyi could be Chiji's Chief Guardian. Moreover, she also witnessed the prince being carried away to safety by his greatest warriors. These soldiers wouldn't do such a move if things were not that hard or the life of the prince was not in danger.

Thinking these boiled her blood to anger. She hated Xinyi for putting the prince, her husband, in that situation, and wished nothing else but to kill Xinyi and her cohorts. So, with no further thoughts or consideration of the outcome of her next actions, she would unleash the only and banned power she had. 

Lady Seliah took the black crystal knife from her waist and plunged it to her unicorn's head, killing the animal in an instant. The tame animal cried in pain but gave in as the power of the knife had a numbing effect on the poor unicorn. She chanted a spell and with a twist of her hand; she pulled out the horn, lifted it. 

With that simple gesture, thunder and lightning filled the skies. Sudden darkness covered the morning light. Xian Lang, Ming, Xinyi, and others saw it and were stunned by the abrupt change of the weather.

Before they could think about what had happened, the ground shook. Lady Seliah fiercely pierced the unicorn horn to the ground. As if it had life, the horn turned. After a time, it rotated at rapid speed, digging its way to the ground.

Prince Zelmer, still carried by the black-clad men flying in the sky, was followed by Nianshi and Meirga. They used their lightning speed. Yet, the black-dressed warriors met their swiftness at an equal rate. The dragons were in awe of these men. Indeed, if they were in their full-strength, with no restraints of their powers because they were in a different world, the dragons might have fallen in their hands easy.

At this moment, Prince Zelmer also saw the oddness of the weather and the outcome of the unexpected earthquake. He looked down if this was Xinyi's doing. But it surprised him to see Lady Seliah there and was the source of this weird turn of events. 

He had heard of her powers to summon great and untamed beasts which gave her the title as the third powerful woman in their nation. But the one she showed now was beyond his knowledge. What kind of beast was she summoning now to use such atmospheric difference? He thought. 

He was also astonished that she could use her powers here in Chiji as usual, like it did not affect her at all. The prince believed he underestimated this new wife and would consider her later, for the title of princess. Momentarily, he was glad she came to their rescue.

Xian Lang, the Chiangdas, Tyriece, and Lofey, and the ordinary citizens feared the unforeseen blackness and the horrible lightning erupting from the once blue skies. Mostly when the lightning struck the dead on the ground. 

The prime minister did not for the outcome and called everyone out for shelter. If possible, they would leave the place and run for their lives to the mountains. He had a bad feeling about this. And thought of Xinyi. He thought something happened to Ming, and her mind cracked in anger. 

In the infirmary, Lifen, An, and her brothers saw and heard the furious thunders and flashes of lightning. Their thoughts were one, the same as what Xian Lang thought. Ming met a tragedy. Lifen quickly ran out and thought of looking for Xinyi, but Zhai held her and told her that there was powerful outside. If these people couldn't do anything to stop the Sorceress, how much more with her who was just a normal person?

Lifen was hesitant but listened in the end. They prayed that what they thought was not the exact cause.

Lady Seliah stood, looking at the horrendous skies. This was the first she used and witness this hidden power passed down from her family. She never expected to use it here in Chiji, but she refused to think more. With this, she thought of no one else but the acknowledgment of the prince. He would understand why I'm using this, she brooded in her heart.

However, she undermined this dark magic, believing she could still control it. She actually did not know the real consequence for using this - her life. 

The dark skies opened, and a blinding light streamed down. The unicorn horn suddenly flew out from the ground and met the enormous light. As they touched each other, it floated in mid-air, and the light scattered into small currents, sending it to the struck dead. Those bloody, unbreathing bodies, and stood up.

Their still living comrades and enemies were stunned stupid watching these dead people greeted them with gritted teeth. And plunged their hands and teeth to the necks of the living. The latter fought for their lives by striking on the living dead. They cut some dead heads down and tumbled like a ball to the ground. BUT, something unseen power pulled the heads and attached themselves back to their bodies.

It sneered by showing their bloodied teeth, jumped on the living humans, and bit them. They attached to the living people and wouldn't let go unless their victim was dead. 

The Chiangdas and Platanna soldiers looked at each other and had a tacit agreement to work together to stop these undead. Some team up or went solo, fighting against these undead soldiers. But they cut or sliced, some they minced using the huge hammers of the Platanna soldiers. Yet, these undeads' flesh melded back together and recreated the bodies. Somehow, they were not perfectly sewn back as to how it looked before, but they continued to move harshly and had one motive: Kill every living person they passed.

More men died tragically in the hands of these undead. The horrendous thing was those who newly died stood up and became part of the undead soldiers. The living men forgot about fighting against these undead and ran for their survival.

Everything on sight was in utter chaos. Xian Lang, Tyriece, and Lofey's hairs stood on ends watching the undead slaughtering everyone.

Prince Zelmer saw this from afar and realized this was the evil witch's powers he heard of. He asked his men to bring him down beside Lady Seliah, who was now in a panic when she saw the undead walking like a dizzy person toward her. She tried to summon her beasts but brought out only small animals that scampered away as they came to life.

Then she jumped up when a hand touched her shoulders and looked back. It was the prince. Her hands were fast to embrace the prince as relief filled her chest. She cried in the prince's arms, but the prince pushed her away. He shouted at her to stop this sinful spell. The lady whimpered as she told him she didn't know how to stop it. She explained she did it for him, to save him. But her explanation did not impress or move him in the least. Rather, he scolded her for using such vile power. Instead of saving them, this could be the source of their death and of the Chiji people. He told her.

He also told her the reality of her death once they reached home in Platanna, by hanging her above the smoldering lavas in a volcano, giving her a slow and painful death. The total punishment of such a crime.

She argued she was only doing it for him, for her love, for him. But she could never fool the prince. He knew no one of his wives ever loved him. They wanted nothing but his status and wealth. He also knew those wives who declared their love to him had their men behind his back. How could he love any of them with this knowledge? His mind went to Lifen, and a bothersome thought came to mind. He was thinking of giving up his status, same as his sister gave up her royal status, marry Lifen, and stay here in Chiji for the rest of his life. He shook his head and disregard such thoughts. How could he ever let his world die for love?

Somehow, plans they had had to wait. It would only happen if they survived this onslaught. Without looking back, he pushed Lady Seliah to one of the black-clad warriors and told the man to bring the lady back to their headquarters and imprisoned her there. Lady Seliah fought back and tried to reason with him, but he wouldn't listen. They carried her away like a crying pig with her hands and feet tied.

For now, the prince's concerns were his people and Lifen. Now, looking at the undead, he admitted in his heart that he cared for Xinyi too. But she had powers, while Lifen had none. She could surely take care of herself. He had to find a way for his people to escape and probably leave Chiji empty-handed, but with only Lifen with him.

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