chsdbacks Chapter 352 Shiyani's Past
Chapter 352 Shiyani's Past
Lucius stood silently in the doorway to the Varris Estate ballroom. The smell of scorched flesh and blood violated Lucius' sensitive nostrils. In his hand was the head of Indarel Varris. The elf's eyes widened in realization of his own demise while his body slumped to the ground in a pile of flesh and clothes bereft of control. Lucius grimaced as he tossed Indarel's head toward the other nobles gathered at the back of the room.
Several women screamed in response to the wet thud of their lord suddenly rolling to a stop before them. Already cowering as far away from Lucius as they could, the nobles somehow squeezed together even tighter. However, he was not sure if they were afraid of him, or the warrior who actually killed Indarel.
"I was talking to him." Lucius growled, slowly turning to face the Haeddan elf. He resisted the tremble threatening to break into his voice as he hid his surprise. It wasn't until Indarel's death that Lucius even realized the man was present.
He possesses it. Lucius. Take it. Take it from him! Lucius winced at a sudden pressure in his skull and left hand. Grimm was getting desparate from him. He carries with him poison. Avoid it. Take the Fragment of the Abyss and nothing else!
Alongside the stress and panic, there was something else hidden. Was that... hope?
"He knew nothing." The elf responded. "You waste your time prattling about with nothings. Your destiny much greater than theirs. However, I am not here only for your destiny. I am here for things much more important to my liege."
The elf's muscles tensed. Faster than Lucius could blink, the elf closed the distance, ramming him into a wall. He could feel his stomach attempt to relieve itself of its contents. He had faced a Master Rank before—General Pana, back in Alorek—but this man was in a whole other league. Lucius was plainly aware of the gaps between people in the same rank. Even barring his own situation, simply having a rank did not make you an instant equal to others within it.
Lucius gasped for breath, his lungs screamed for oxygen, but no matter how deeply he breathed, it simply was not enough.
The elf held Lucius to the wall with a single hand placed on his chest. Using his remaining hand he reached into the folds of the robes around his waist and pulled free a letter with a familiar symbol pressed into the envelope.@@@@
"This letter arrived to my lord by way of an extensive network of couriers. People who somehow knew how to get this document to Haedda. Our people who act as our eyes outside of the mist-covered mountains that protect our borders are secretive beyond measure. Yet someone knew who to look for and when. Do you know this symbol?"
"Black hair, amber eyes, long, elven ears and pale skin. I will never forget her face for as long as I live. My turn to ask you a question: why do you search for her?" Lucius calmly tried to prolong the conversation. He built mana under the surface, using an equal amount to try and suppress it. If the elf could use Mana Manipulation, he needed to be careful. One slip-up and he could detect what Lucius was planning. For the first time in a while, he could not brute-force his way through this situation.
"Lady Shiyani is the only daughter of Archduke Actha and engaged to his majesty Zestharin din Haedda, first of his name, king of the great elven nation of Haedda. Lord of the Mist and bearer of the Holy Sigil of the Covenant. It is by his will and his power that I am here today. She will return to our lands and wed his majesty as originally intended."
Lucius suppressed a snort, thankfully unnoticed by the elf. To think of that bitch as a noble lady set to be queen of a nation? Simply laughable.
The elf was about to continue, but then cocked his head to the side. "Are you sure? But sire! He had said... such an affront to the Actha daughter is surely... by your decree."
"What..."
The elf finally opened his eyes. They were milky white. Where pupils and an iris would have been, there was simply a demonic symbol that Lucius did not recognize. "His majesty says your destiny is too strong to be killed. Instead, he wills you to receive a gift. You seek a prize within these walls, but you will not have it. I shall exchange it for something else."
Lucius... Run!
Lucius, take it...
Grimm and Luz spoke to him at once. One calm and collected, the other panicked. The elf produced a small ring with a sky-blue gemstone set into it. "You shall receive this for your troubles. However."
The elf paused, the rage from earlier returned to his face. "Though his majesty wishes you to live, he did not forbid me from harming you. I will break every bone in your measly body and when I am done, I will do the same to your darling wife."