With his gleaming, vermillion eyes fixated on Theo(?), Sam held his katana with both hands and steadied his breath.
“To whom do I speak? Is it the Captain of the Royal Guard or an unnamed puppeteer?” Sam muttered before hearing shuffling from behind him which he presumed to be the Nightingales getting to their feet.
“Puppeteer? What makes you so say that,” Theo(?) retorted.
“Those markings on your neck – we’ve seen it on someone we knew.”
Theo’s(?) brows slowly knitted together as if he was in disbelief at what he just heard. However, his smile soon returned to his face, followed by a sinister-sounding chuckle. “Then, you must be that Edelweiss kid,” the visored man said exuberantly. “And the two behind you…they must be the Nightingales.”
“Wha-? How do you know who we are?” Lucy blurted out.
“How? You three spoke with He Who Resides in the Stone, the Ageless Voice that came down from the heavens a thousand years ago.”
Sam and the siblings exchanged looks with each other, clearly confused by the sudden exposition. Unfortunately, their puzzled expression dissolved as soon as the visored man continued, “Don’t tell me you forgot? Back in the Wailing Forest, didn’t you hear the voices coming out of the Crystal of Birth? And with your own two eyes, witnessed how it made the Mangler do its bidding? The same voice that spoke through the Echo in the Desert of Ashes?”
“How did you…?” Sam spouted; his eyes widened from shock.
“We can see everything, boy. The past, the present…and the futur-,” Theo(?) ducked to the ground as a kama flew over his head, followed by the elderly Nightingale’s mocking laughter.
“He Who Resides in the Stone? The Ageless Voice? Man, what a bunch of bull,” Rupert scoffed. “Long story short, you’re the culprit behind the massacre in the Edge, aren’t you? Not to mention, doing it by using our buddies’ faces – one would say you’re a coward for doing that.”
“A coward? But I’m not the only one who hides behind a mask,” Theo(?) smirked before he casually walked toward his lodged longsword. “Hasn’t it ever occurred to you why the Faceless Order dictates its members to wear masks every time they are out in the field? Or are you too preoccupied with your own selfish quests to even wonder about it?”
“Woah, would you look at that,” Lucy snorted. “It seems we’ve got ourselves another edgy opponent. The only thing I wonder is how many times did you practice those lines in front of the mirror?”
“Not as much as the time you peered over your shoulder to curse the scar on your back.”
Lucy’s azure eyes narrowed; her right hand slowly reached for her sheathed dagger. “You…you know who he is, don’t you? The user of the Black Fire?”
“’Know’ is an understatement, Miss Nightingale,” Theo(?) replied smugly. “Though, if you’re interested, I can tell you where to find him.”
“In exchange for what? Dropping our weapons and joining your ranks? What a joke,” Lucy spat before a tiny smile appeared across her face. “You can take your offer and shove it.”
“That…is truly unfortunate. I was hoping you’d be more reasonable than your parents,” said Theo(?) before pulling his blade out of the tree. Black smoke began to slip out of the wooden cavity and in a blink of an eye, the sturdy trunk split in half. “I must say, the Order is pretty bold to send three novices instead of their more experienced fighters,” the Captain of the Royal Guard commented. “Or should I say, foolish?”
Sam quickly drew his Core Blade – a gesture soon followed by both Rupert and Lucy. The vermillion-eyed man then turned his head left and right, and instantly realized there was only one person who had yet made his appearance. “Where is the prince?” Sam asked.
“Somewhere he’s meant to be,” Theo(?) breathed.
Sam’s head slowly tilted to his right until it hit him. "He's inside the Mausoleum, isn't he?" The Nightingales simultaneously gasped, their gazes shifted toward Theo(?) who was grinning balefully at them - neither denying nor confirming Sam's theory. "Whoever you are and whatever it is you’re scheming; I advise, no, urge you to reconsider your plan. This land has no need for more meaningless deaths, especially the innocent civilians – they have suffered enough.”
“Suffered?” Theo(?) giggled. “They have no idea what the word even means. Not yet.”
All of a sudden, a pair of ashen hands popped out of the darkness; grabbing Lucy by the shoulder. "What the-!" the ponytailed woman yelped, seconds before she was yanked into the shadows.
"LUCIA!" Rupert exclaimed but his sister had already disappeared without a trace. The elder Nightingale instantaneously brandished his kama and turned toward Theo(?), spouting, "You piece of shit! Where did you take her!? Where!?"
Before Rupert could charge toward the visored man, Sam stepped in between the two men, telling the male Nightingale to calm down. “No, Rupe! Don’t let him get into your head! This is exactly what he wants!”
“But-!”
“Have faith, my friend. Your sister will be alright. She’s strong, and you know it.”
As soon as he saw Rupert reluctantly nodding his head, Sam let out a sigh of relief.
“Fascinating,” Theo(?) commented from out of the blue, prompting the two Faceless to turn toward the latter. “It seems the tale I heard was true – you do have a way with the unruly siblings.”
“And what of it?” Sam said defiantly.
“Nothing in particular,” Theo(?) beamed. “Well then gentlemen, shall we begin?”
qs ********************************************
||| THE PATH OF THE DELUGE: LUCIA |||
[Meanwhile…]
"Ugh!" Lucy yelped as she crashed to the ground with a terrific thud. She could see stars flashing before her eyes along with the earthy taste of the soil at the tip of her tongue. The female Nightingale promptly spat out the dirt that managed to cling to her lips before complaining, “Why do they always love tossing people around?” Then, her heart sunk a little as soon as she saw her mask on the ground, split in half. “Great, off to a great start,” Lucy exhaled.
As she slowly got to her feet, Lucy noticed the eerie grey moon on the nightly sky, its ghostly light somewhat calmed down despite her current situation. ‘At least, it’s not full yet,’ she thought. But even then, she knew it would be foolish to underestimate the princess of the Opal Sun Kingdom.
“What are you thinking?”
Lucy fidgeted after hearing a distorted female voice whispering into her right ear. “What the…!” the female Nightingale spun around but found nothing except for the rows of shady pine trees and bushes. Then, she felt it – a gentle tap on her shoulder.
“You sure move a lot, don’t you?” said Aria(?) playfully as she stood on Lucy’s left shoulder with one leg. The princess’s blood-red eyes scrutinized the female Nightingale up and down, which soon prompted her to say, “Hm, I thought you’d be taller.”
Aria(?) swiftly leaped away from Lucy after concluding her sentence and settled gracefully on one of the tree branches. With a smile across her face, the Opal Sun Princess drew her saber before carefully resting the blunt edge against her left palm. “I was hoping for the Subsumer to finish you off, but I guess that’ll be too easy.”
“So, that was your guys’ doing? Figures,” Lucy huffed. “So, what now? Are you gonna kill me or not?”
“That depends. Tell me, what fears you the most?”
Lucy could feel her heart palpitating and a sense of impending doom soon crept up on her. ‘Of course, now I remember,’ the ponytailed woman quietly recalled. The Pale Huntress thrived on her enemies’ fears; using them to instill panic and terror in her opponents – an ability similar to the Night Terror.
“What makes you think I’ll tell you?” Lucy retorted.
“Nothing. It’s just my favorite question, or at least, this person's favorite question,” Aria(?) giggled. The lone princess then brushed her fingertips along the blade, causing a translucent white veil to manifest in her hand. “And thus, the night is mine, for I am the Pale Huntress, the Heiress of the Moonlight,” the princess uttered before throwing the thin piece of cloth to the sky.
Lucy immediately shifted into her fighting pose and watched as the veil expanded, shrouding the entire vicinity like a giant quilt. Shortly after, the curtain-like object vanished into thin air like it was never there in the first place. “What did you do?” Lucy inquired, but Aria(?) only responded to the question with a mischievous smile. Seconds later, she smelled something in the air – the sweet and alluring scent of plum blossoms.
THUD!
Aria(?) landed in front of Lucy; her saber raised. The female Nightingale briskly took a few steps back to dodge the incoming attack – until she felt a sharp pain on her left arm.
“Ow!” Lucy hissed before noticing a silver glint in the corner of her eyes. Her reflex instantly kicked in, causing her right arm to jerk upward – blocking the princess’s saber. Lucy’s eyes widened at the sight of Aria’s(?) hand peering out of the darkness. “Wait, if that’s her, then who is…?!”
The female Nightingale glanced to where the princess was prior, only to discover the lone monarch was no longer there. Moreover, she noticed a spot of crimson on her left sleeve and a shallow laceration on her arm, which despite its appearance, stung tremendously.
“Surely, you should already know what I can do before coming here,” said Aria(?) as her face emerged from the shadows. “Or am I under the impression that the Order sent you here on a whim?”
Refusing to answer Aria’s(?) question, Lucy shoved the princess away before swinging her dagger, intently aiming at her foe’s lower limbs. The short blade easily dug into Aria’s(?) left thigh, much to the female Nightingale’s astonishment, but she soon found out why. Right in front of her eyes, the princess’s lower limb melted like a candle, followed by her entire body.
“What the-! What kind of trickery is this?” Lucy blurted out as she scowled at the red waxy substance enveloping her weapon.
SWOOSH!
A snow-white arrow flew out from out of nowhere and brushed against Lucy’s waist. “Shit!” the female Nightingale cursed out loud. It felt like she was experiencing an ice burn, and to make matters worse, the sensation intensified with each passing second.
SWOOSH!
Another arrow shot out of the darkness – only this time, Lucy saw it coming. With her dagger finally broken free from the thick red slime, the female Nightingale waved her blade vertically and sliced the arrow right in the middle. In that instant, the broken projectile dispersed into thousands of white, bright orbs before disappearing into the night. Lucy could hear a familiar gasp somewhere in the darkness – one that was usually expressed due to an unprecedented outcome.
“That got your intention, huh?” Lucy remarked. “I must say, controlling the Empyreans is quite an impressive feat, but…” The female Nightingale swiftly turned around, just in time to parry Aria’s(?) sword. “Your habit, however, is a whole other story.”
“You-ACK!” Aria(?) yelped after Lucy gave her a solid kick in the stomach, toppling the princess to the ground. “Wha…?! Don’t you realize that you’re hurting your friend!?”
“Oh please, the Aria I know is made of sturdier stuff. So, you can stop pulling that ‘I am your friend’ card,” Lucy stated before she was suddenly struck with light-headedness. She groggily distanced herself from the princess until she felt her back bump into the tree trunk.
“Feeling a bit sleepy, are we?” taunted Aria(?) who was already on her feet.
“What…what did you do?” Lucy panted as her entire body grew heavier with each breath she took. Then, she sensed something warm running down her left arm. The female Nightingale’s eyes darted at her left sleeve which was drenched with blood. Furthermore, she also noticed the wound Aria(?) gave her earlier – it was now a deep, long gash. “This…but, how?” Lucy was rendered speechless.
“How you asked?” Aria(?) sneered. “I slice your arm with my saber – that’s how.”
“That’s impossible. Your blade…it barely cut into the flesh.”
“Well, that’s what you think you saw.”
Lucy squinted at the princess, wondering what the latter was talking about. But shortly after, the image of the white veil sprung into her mind and she finally pieced it together. “That thing you threw in the air – it was not just for show, was it?”
“No. It is an ability created by this naïve girl,” Aria(?) began. “She called it Glamour; a veil of illusion that enchants anyone trapped within its radius. I can make it seem as if I could teleport in a blink of an eye, produce a copy of myself – or, disguise the severity of one’s injury until he or she bled out.” After finishing her explanation, the princess gently placed her saber against Lucy’s throat. “But that will take way too long, and unfortunately, patience is not one of my greatest virtues.”
||| THE END OF THE PATH OF THE DELUGE |||
