Burning Soul

On the other side of the forest, a few shadows were gathering.

“So which one we are taking back home?” It was Archelaus who threw both the tied up girls on the ground while talking to Ersa,

“Handle them with care boy, they are of quite the value!” Ersa then turned to face the other shadow approaching, “Although we have helped you this time, I’m sure they’ll come to get them!

Are you sure you can handle them like this? They sound handful to me. Especially after what we all did!” Ersa continued while the shadow kept closing in!

“Of course that won’t be a problem.

Besides, I wish to see their true colours! Ah! How beautiful the fight will be!

I can hardly contain it, it’s so exciting my blood is boiling up!” The creepy voice was undoubted of Belphegor.

“It must have been her wish we met, now…” He let out a burst of creepy laughter and suddenly went silent before continuing, “As per promised, I’d take one of them for out use!

I should satisfy him too or we won’t achieve our desires!”

Ersa looked at him in a disgusting look, “If you fail you know she won’t show you any more love!”

Hearing her Belphegor stood in silence, “She won’t!

No, no no no no no no nooooo, I can’t allow another failure!

That kid escaped last time from us! I can’t allow it again.” He pulled his hairs as he let out his wailing.

“He’s creepy, why did you side with him Ersa, I can’t follow!” Arch looked at the scene while narrowing his eyes.

“I didn’t and besides…” She then taps her finger on his head “You shouldn’t talk back to me so easy!”

Her nudge gave him a burst of pain as he fell to his knees, “Don’t forget your place dear!” her smile was looking just as fake.

‘Damn, that strength is no joke!’ He thought to himself

“We’ll be taking that other girl with the necklace on. She seems interesting to me!” She pointed towards Vivian, later she turned to face the person who retrieved her, “She had it on her right? A jade Dagger!”

The person nodded in agreement, “With this, you’ve fulfilled your contract, you can have this!” She threw an odd-looking bottle to that person.

It was the same girl that was with Arlo earlier, she looked at the bottle closely, “I won’t deceive you girl.

The golden blood you seek! I surely won’t go cheap to fake it! Tell him with this we are on our ways now!” It was the golden blood that she traded for the girls, “Oye! Is it fine to let them have it! Isn’t it like the super rare item?” Archelaus understood its value.

Even he had a hard time asking for the item and only after a long time, he got one.

“Yeah! I’m sure besides it was mutual!

Now that we have dealt with one of the contracts, let’s see what we have here!” She let out a sigh, they had travelled a fairly long way to get to Arnor to avoid blowing up the cover.

“Come out of there, your stealth ain’t helping you here Clarke!” She called out for Clarke who was hiding in the bushes nearby out of habit,

“I should have not in the first place after all it was half your contract. Though I failed to bring the client back safely, I must apologize for that!” He bowed to show his respect.

“No worries!” She walked towards him with a smile on her face, the contract he talked about was the one regarding the massacre in that village!

“You don’t need to worry about that, the client was a decoy to protect us. He performed well.

Mother must have shown mercy to him once he was relieved off from the mortal realm.

They must not know who was behind the contract this early!” She showed a hint of a smirk on her face,

“But they made that huge magic circle and the mess they left will not go unnoticed!

What if they deciphered it?” Archelaus put forth his question to Ersa.

“Don’t worry about it they will not be able to, that circle was an ancient magic spell!

For now, let’s not worry about that, here have this!” Ersa handed the jade daggers to the Clarke that were on Vivian.

“What are these?” Clarke couldn’t peek in the details,

“Is it any good?”

“You’ll know!” She didn’t say much more than that.

The entire thing was confusing to Archelaus, Ersa has always been a mysterious girl to him, all her plans seem to him as last-minute plans but instead, she would plan everything beforehand.

“Now for your last contract from me would be assisting that kid who helped us most, get to him and aid him for the time being!” Hearing Ersa he bowed for one last time before leaving.

“Do you think he’ll be fine?

Isn’t Herald after him?” Archelaus understood right away what she assigned Clarke with

“Yeah, it could be a difficult task, but Xenos is known for their track record. Even if he fails we’ll have weakened up Arnor enough for what’s coming!”

As she said a gust of wind blew by making her hair loosely sway with the flow.

“Let’s head home, we mustn’t let everyone wait long!” She turned and gave a pat on the back of Archelaus,

“Who are we talking home?” He asked about the girls “The one with that weird necklace is our prey!

Belphegor, you can have the other one.”

She got on her knee and touched the necklace on Vivian’s, it was the one that Theo got as a gift.

Earlier before he left the cathedral, Theo had handed the Necklace to Yvaine so that she could give it to Vivian, which she did. He had given it to her as a good luck charm for recovery.

“Then, I shall hand the other girl to Glatius, it’ll be his reward after dealing with the hurdles!” Belphegor showed a smirk as he tried not to drool.

‘Creepy’ Archelaus squinted to his expression.

“Even if he fails, he must take down at least one of the hurdles or it’ll not be beneficial!” Ersa reminded him,

“Ah don’t worry, he’s all ready to play along and we have an unaccounted aid too, I’m sure we’ll do just fine!

Ah! I can’t wait to see the despair of the face of them,

I wonder if they’ll bring that little dragon, They must, they should, they have to or it won’t be fun, no no no no no no noooooo, they must!” He pulled on to his hairs and sat on his knees while Ersa got up and walked away with Vivian tied up still unconscious being carried by Archelaus.

“Play well and she’ll like it that way!” Ersa then continued to talk to Arch, “They won’t make a move in the night so these guys have some time, the chaos really did set them back a lot!”

.

.

…

Just a bit further from where they stood opened a long-range teleport array startling everyone,

“You coming home missy or we gotta wait even longer?

That old man is really pissed waiting!” A short guy walked out of it,

“No need to wait any longer dear, let’s go, Arch!” She waled in the portal first and behind her, the short guy walked after throwing a glare at Arch making him a bit uncomfortable,

“I can never read his mood! Damn these chronicles are scarier than those plane guardians!” He was sweating as he walked in. As he went through the portal closed up.

“Shall we take her?” One of the followers of Glatius stood behind Belphegor,

“Yeah! But let’s not hurry up, let him play nicely before we hand her over! He might need her in desperate times!” he showed an evil expression.

All this happened while Yvaine acted as if she was unconscious!