Chapter 855

Chapter 855: Elendor [19]

Back against a cracked wall, Raine bled, consciousness barely present, he gasped for air, pled for mercy – an army of guards invaded the hallway, guns were drawn at Xen’s head. Bystanders watched in utter horror, Maria had her face to the ground crying at the pain of losing someone close. The Duke of Cophe, a square-faced man on which laid a sightly curved nose, tiny eye sockets overshadowed by a square temple, “-arrest him!” he ordered, the guards ran to surround Xen, who gasped and threw glances left and right.

“Let the boy go,” mediated the captain of the guard, “-Xen, it’s not worth the trouble.”

“Oh it will be worth every penny,” cried the duke, “-a commoner dares lay his filthy hands on a prince. You’ll be lucky to receive death by hanging, I’ll make sure you suffer.”

“Look at me,” he glared, “-Duke of Cophe, I hold in my hands your son’s life. A simple push and I’ll snap his neck, shoot my head or any vital spot, I swear, I’ll kill him before I die, an absolute fact,” from the wall, he held the prince by the neck and placed him before Xen and the duke, “-what will it be, Duke, do I snuff his life at this instant or will you back down.”

A disturbed Maria wept and clambered into the hallway, “-Xen,” she sniffled, “-for me,” her eyes wrote vengeance, “-I beg,” she gritted, “-KILL HIM!”

“XEN, DON’T!” screamed the guard leader.

“Captain of the royal guard,” he smiled, “-it’s been a pleasure knowing you and this country,” he squeezed, the windpipe crushed in a stomach-churning cry, eyes escaped the boy’s pale blue sockets – what remains left fell onto the floor, the crowd gave a collective gasp, “-WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!” cried the duke,” -SHOOT HIM!” Triggers pulled; a sudden pulse flung the bystanders a few steps back – bullets hovered.

.....

“Pitiful humans,” wings sprawled and stretched, “-you dare threatened me?” he flew, grabbed the noble’s neck and slammed him across the hall, “-look at me,” he glared, “-doth thee wish death?” the feathers shook as did the palace. Before the duke rose Death, he wailed and cried, nothing, all watched with a dumbfounded stare, “-I guess not,” he smirked, a feature snapped at the duke’s head, instantly killing the man – the stain created a line against the wall. Xen turned with sharpened canines and an aura of an otherworldly being. No words exchanged, the crowd begged for mercy, the mouths opened to naught. A single glance at Maria had her walk to his side, “-Xen,” tears flowed perpetually, “-take Flasie... she deserves a respectful burial. Leave this to me,” she leaned and grabbed a knife, “-don’t worry,” she smiled woefully, “-I’ll handle it, just go.”

“Not possible,” the wings rested, “-we’re escaping together.” A fighter resisted the mild paralysis and called backup.

“Xen,” gasped the Captain of the Guard, “-there’s no time to wait,” he breathed, “-the special unit will be here any minute. Take Maria and go,” he leaned against the door with hands on his shoulder, “-if this reaches the church, there won’t be any escaping.”

“Let the church come at me,” Flasie peacefully rested in Igna’s arm, “-I’ve defeated their god, what’s the harm in completing the job.”

The palace went in full panic, an observant Dyu, invitee for said night’s gathering, received dire messages, ‘-Igna killed a duke and his son,’ he cringed, ‘-he’s not suitable for undercover work. This sucks,’ he leaned from the first floor, locked onto the queen, a special team of armored ladies swarmed in a circle, they drew weapons and kept their monarch safe. In that instant, the message traveled overseas to éclair.

*Ding, ding,* sat in a casual meeting between friends at the castle, “-take the call,” suggested Johna.

“Right, excuse me,” he rose and headed to a discreet place, ‘-Igna killed a duke, we’re moving up the operation. Have the pilot be ready to takeoff,’ wrote across, “-WHAT?” he blinked, “-for the love of-” a press sent relevant information to key people.

‘-So much for using Hamer’s Inc as cover to sneak away from the queen. Guess we’re doing it the old fashion way,’ displays rose above the office desk.

Tension ran high, nobles screamed and ran for cover, King Juvey and Queen Ela were taken to a secluded room, “-stay put, majesty.”

“What’s happening?” he demanded answers, “-I need to know!”

“Duke Cophe and his son have been killed,” reported another, “-seems Xen was responsible for the deaths.”

“XEN?” he fell onto a lonesome chair, ‘-why did he...’

Bullet flew left and right, Igna barely dodged the incoming projectiles – none but himself – a volley of spells returned at the attackers, a preference to the ice-element rose paths and killed painlessly.

*Huff, puff,* the dance-floor stood before them, *snap,* *XEN!” screamed Irene, “-DID YOU LIE?” bullets rained, a simple raise of the palm stopped the bullets.

“Irene,” he blinked and raised his head, “-what is done, is done. Seems we stand on opposite sides,” a twirl flung the bullets her way, “-don’t make me kill you.”

“The wings,” she ducked, “-are they angelic?”

“No, they’re the wings of a fallen,” he turned and made for the exit, “-Flasie is due a proper burial,” the main entrance buckled into an array of flashlights and officers, “-XEN, ON CRIMES AGAINST THE CROWN, YOU’RE UNDER ARREST!” helicopters circled, officers and soldiers joined forces, “-surrender, else thee dies,” Maria stayed in his shadow, he rose a hand, *puff,* a smoke screen hid part of the area, “-IGNA, COME,” whispered Dyu – *OPEN FIRE!* echoed outside, bullets rained indiscriminately, the trio hurdled behind a fallen speaker.

“Dyu, why are you here?”

“Long story,” he looked at Flasie and Maria, “-she was murdered and you took revenge, am I correct?”

“Yeah.”

“Ok, well, it was a bad idea,” he erratically looked about – an advance force of five approached, *snap,* feathers detached from his wings and locked onto the targets, muffled grunts ended in heavy drops, “-wow,” he blinked, “-an army on your own,” part of Dyu cheered. “-How long can you last?”

“I wager another few hours?”

“Perfect,” he handed an earpiece, “-take this, it connects to éclair and Yui. My car’s outside, I’ll make sure Maria and Flasie reach the transit safely.”

“Hello, hello?” the earpiece buzzed, “-master, are you there?” inquired a soft-voiced éclair.

“Hey, didn’t expect-”

“MASTER!” he screamed, “-PLEASE TELL ME YOU DIDN’T.”

“We’ll talk about it later, besides, influential members of the Elendorian Court and King Juvey’s entourage are here.”

“Right,” a list suddenly lit across Dyu’s phone, “-here are the people who need to die. Might kill them long as the chaos persists. The rescue of Queen Ela will be thy responsibility, and please, don’t kill anyone save those on my list. The King is to remain free.”

“I get it,” he looked at Dyu, “-there’s a girl at the hospice, her name’s Claury...”

“Yeah, I’ve already asked my team to handle her evacuation. A helicopter should be on its way to the airfield. Time is of the essence,” the footsteps amplified, more and more soldiers arrived. Plan in the head, they split and left Dyu to deal with the evacuation of two maids, “-here,” he wrapped a piece of cloth around Maria’s head, “-let me do all the talking.” A massive explosion destroyed the wall and pillars, the trio snuck to the side and made towards the gallows, a garrison guarded the bridge.

“Medic,” he panted, “-I NEED A MEDIC!” he cried, “-they were attacked by Xen.”

“Dyu, is that you?” narrowed a fighter.

“Carl, I need help,” he dropped to one knee, “-we need medics.”

“Can’t help, brother,” the head shook, “-I saw your car, the only option is to take them to a hospital. Go,” the line cleared – the tenseness had the heart racing, “-HEY!”

The heart sank, “-Dyu, any idea where Xen’s headed?”

“No, we were attacked trying to escape.”

“Right, carry on then,” the guard detail returned to watching the side exit. A sports car laid in wait, Flasie’s body was placed in the backseat, the engine toggled, after which they drove out the guarded perimeter and sped to the city.

“Notify master,” he spoke via the general channel, “-we can’t stay around the palace.”

“Understood,” said éclair, “-the helicopter’s still on way to the hospital. Head there, we’ll evacuate the maids in tow.”

Meanwhile, at the castle, sirens and constant explosions rattled the air. *Stab,* knife to a lady’s heart, ‘-last one on the hit list,’ the hands carried crimson apples, ‘-guess I take the queen and escape,’ he wandered into a relatively untouched part of the palace, an empty room of fallen chairs and portraits, “Xen?”

“Lessie?” he narrowed, “-is that you?”

“Yeah,” she sat with a broken leg, “-long story,” she smiled, “-wait,” the wings caught her off-guard, “-are those?”

“Yes, wings,” he knelt, opened a rift in reality, took a high-tier healing potion, and splashed it onto her wound, it healed easily.

“Who are you?”

“Someone not of this realm,” he held a hand, “-Lessie, as someone who helped in a foreign land, will you escape or remain shackled?”

“I don’t even want to know what or how this happened,” she took his hand, “-we’re friends, let’s escape,” past the room laid another set of corridors, he moved until a blank canvas, a white hallow passage into thick metal doors. Guards lined the way, ‘-could you wait here?’

“Sure?” she peeped around the corner, Xen rushed out and ran for the door – crystal daggers split from a semi-transparent bloodied halo – slash upon slash, strokes of red painted the white, *Blood-Arts: Crimson Threads,* round their necks, he pulled, heads rolled.

‘Demon,’ she hurled, ‘-how can someone,’ tears blurred her vision – no matter the weapon or person, a simple gesture delivered a soul to the Hall of rebirth. *Kick,* the metallic protection blasted open – Juvey and Ela sat a fair distance from one another.

“Xen,” gulped Juvey, “-TRAITOR!” he lashed out before a curved wall lined by windows covered by curtains.

“No,” he rose an index, “-I would have kept my mouth shut. The way the maids were treated, the only people who helped me through YOUR genocide... one got brutally murdered and the other, abducted on YOUR orders.”

“Xen,” he crossed his legs, “-look,” he pointed to the right at a maid, “-remember Sawdia?” he laughed, “-she was a spy all along. The maids you tried to protect, guess what,” he leaned forward, “-they’re nothing but puppets answering to my whim,” *clap,* Sawdia’s heart glowed bright yellow and exploded, “-quite the show, don’t you think, Xen?”

“Juvey...”

“What’s there left?” a team of special forces burst through the windows and aimed guns, “-see the mark of Lucifer on their forehead? No magic nor special ability is going to affect their weapons. Anti-Magic, weapons grounded in reality.”

A message simultaneously passed his earpiece, “-master Igna, I apologize,” whimpered Dyu, “-I barely escaped... Maria and Flasie... they self-destructed,” he bit his lips in pain, “-got hurt badly. Was a good journey,” he laid face up to foliage, “-my undercover mission comes to an end, éclair, I told you... just know, I told you.”

Face to Juvey, an array of soldiers had their weapons at him, ‘-I need time,’ he narrowed, ‘-if only it could stop for a few seconds.’

“Right, soldiers,” they propped their rifles, “-death to traitors, FIRE!” bullets rained, Lessie ran for the room to no avail, “-XEN,” she exclaimed.

The symbol of Kronos, the sandglass within the Shadow Realm rumbled, a greenish beamed fired into the skies, he took off the glasses, “-by the name of Igna Haggard,” projections of Origin, Time, and Death, harmonized with his voice, “-and on the honor of Alfred,” he clenched his fist, “-STOP, PASSAGE OF TIME,” a gray bubble swallowed the palace, everything froze, the flow of mana and life force pulsed in lines, the true sight showed points of weakness in the slowed movement of those present, ‘-what happened?’