Chapter 112: - Whispers and Wonders: The Final Court Call
Lia only had a second to move as she could feel the hair on the back of her neck stand on end, the same feeling overtaking Rian and Lukali, who had battled many horrendous monsters in their time. But they did not have the same reaction time as Lia, who used her body weight to push the nearest person out of the way, as the sound of a rope snapping echoed across the hall.
Voln, who has been focused solely on getting the door to the bed chambers open, suddenly found himself flung to the side, a heavy and string pressure pushing him away, as he landed on the floor some feet away from Lia, Rian and Lukali, who looked up in horror as a large metal net fell on top of them.
They raised their hands in defense, knowing they would not be able to get out of the way in time, as the metal dug into their skin, the force of the fall knocking them all to the ground with a thud.
Voln, seeing what had happened, scrambled to his feet, calling out for Malkova, who appeared at his side in a flash. However, this also proved to be a mistake, as in the very same moment she appeared in a bright flash of white light, the unknown attackers must have known she was coming, as another sound echoed out through the halls.
Voln only had a moment's time to turn to face the oncoming bolas flew through the air, wrapping itself around Malkova just as quickly as it had flung past him.
(Bolas; a long rope or series of ropes attached to a metal ball or series of metal balls at the end, used for hunting and to tie up your enemies from a distance.)
"Malkova!"
He cried out, twisting his torso back around in order to face her, to help her free herself from the restraints she had found herself in. But as he made the turn around, a large hand, tough and brittle with callouses grabbed onto his arm, causing his feet to slip from the momentum.
Voln lifted his head to see who was holding onto him, and his eyes widened at the sight.
Before him, a tall man, taller than Voln of even Rian, who was the tallest amongst them, draped in white and golden robes, he wore a large helmet with two horizontal slits for the eyes.
His hand, which Voln had mistaken for a rough and full of calluses, was actually a textured metal gauntlet that held onto him like a latch.
From down the hall, four more of these men emerged from around the corners, their robes fluttering behind them as they approached at quick yet silent speeds. Their metal hands reached out for Lia, Rian, and Lukali all together, and though the three tried to resist, the metal net weighed down on them like iron on a sheet of paper.
They couldn't resist. They couldn't do anything.
Even as the four men threw the metal net off of them with ease, with many more similar men dressed in similar robes but with no helmets emerging from around the corners, inside rooms, and behind statues of armor, Lia could do nothing.
Even when her eyes landed on the couple in the corner, huddled together in each others arms, Marcus standing by their side with the same pig-like grin, Lia did nothing.
She felt no strength in her bones.
She let the strength leave her, knowing she would need it soon.
***
They all stood in the large and majestic ballroom, the floor of polished wood glittering like gold in the warped patters. Lia sat on her knees, hunched over staring at the wood as her captor had made it that way, with all her allies and friends lined up beside her, one after another from her, to Rian, to Lukali, with Voln and Malkova making up the last in the line.
All of them had similar captors as she did, the same inhuman looking men holding them down with firm iron grips.
Surrounding them, on all sides of the walls, lined up one by one, several different men and women wearing similar robes as the rest, held spears to their sides, guarding the windows and wall, entryways and doors.
Winslow, who Lia had no idea was captured like ehr, sat on his knees bound in the same way as the rest of them, rope wrapped around their bodies. Lia couldn't see Saul, but she knew he wasn't bound, as he most likely had escaped capture by his loyal guardsmen, who Lia had seen none of the entire time she was bound and being dragged here.
"Thank you sir, oh thank you. I truly can't thank you enough."
Lia could hear the suns of a woman's voice from in front of her, and at once she recognized it as Mrs. Dorrows, who seemed to be thanking someone.
An unknown voice spoke next, ordering the 'prisoners,' meaning Lia and her friends, to face him.
"Show me their heads."
As one, the five men holding each of them down, pulled them upwards to face the owner of this voice. And immediately, Lia hated the sight of him.
Blond hair swaying at his sides as he walked, his silver and iron armor glimmering in the sunlight, while the spear he had in his hand draped across the floor, as if flaunting that he could use it whenever he wished.
On his face he wore a smirk and a smile, the same smile Lia had seen Marcus wear on his face. Arrogance.
He eyed his prisoners before him before turning to glance at Mrs. Dorrow, putting on the most smug accent he could muster.
"No thanks is needed Mrs. Dorrow. After all, this is the least I can do for one of our most devoted attendees."
Mrs. Dorrow seemed to be at awe from his words, Clark standing not so far away, watching Voln with his sad eyes, though Voln did not look back, his own eyes focused on Malkova, worry flashing through him.
Turning back to the prisoners, the man's eyes passed over all of them before he opened his arms wide, addressing them all as one, introducing himself.
"Good morning everyone. My name is Travor, a head priest in charge of the Scholar's Chapel."
As if to mock them, he smiled before adding on.
"I welcome you all."
"Piss off!"
Voln yelled across the room, causing the man to frown as Voln's captor smacked him across the face. From the sound of the captor's voice, they sounded female.
"Show respect to the head priest!"
"It's fine Lucia."
Travor held up a hand, waving Lucia off, to which she obliged, repositioning herself so that she was holding onto Voln more tightly than before, causing him to grimace.
"We don't want our loyal attendees to be given a broken son, now do we?"
He approached Voln, his eyes and smile repulsing to look at. However, it seemed that the feeling Lia had for this man was mutual for Voln, who spit at the man's feet.
"I'm not their son, ***hole!"
"Oh?"
Travor turned to face Mrs. Dorrow, who held her hands close to her chest, his gaze sweeping over her in a quick and suspicious manner.
"Is this true Mrs. Dorrow? Is this man not your son?"
"N-No. No, he is! He is! He's just…I…"
Mrs. Dorrow rushed to Voln, sweeping him in a tight hug around his bound body before he could react, tears flowing from her eyes, while silent sobs echoed throughout the room.
"Voln…Voln I…I was so worried about you. Why? Why did you leave me? Why did you run-"
"Let go of me you f*cking wh*re."
Though his voice did not rise to a yell, his tone was heard by everyone around the room, even some of the guards eyes widened in some shock, just as Lia's did.
Mrs. Dorrow, who had been hugging and sobbing into her son's arms, stopped suddenly, slowly detaching herself from Voln's body.
"You…Voln, I-Its me. Your mother? I...I love you-"
"You don't love me."
He gestured to Mr. Dorrow, who kept his sad and lonely gaze on him, before looking to the floor in shame.
"You love him. You loved him even when my father was in bed, dying from a poison he fed him!!"
As Voln struggled in his bonds, a backlash of his anger, his voice was like a hammer drilling the stake deeper and deeper into her heart, and with everything Lia knew now, she secretly cheered him on from the side. She was glad that he was speaking his mind, showing her the rage she had caused him.
"Voln you…no. No! Don't say such heinous things, I -"
"Don't you dare lecture me about kindness! You left my father for him because of his money! You didn't even show your ugly face when he was on his deathbed, hiding away behind you makeup and fancy clothes, because gods know you can't look like sh*t without them!"
Mrs. Dorrow could hardly take Voln's harsh words, covering her face in her hands, she swiftly stood up before throwing herself in her 'husbands' arms.
Mr. Dorrow turned to face Voln, one arm wrapped around his crying wife. His voice was sad, sadder than Lia believed a human could be, as he struggled to speak his mind.
"Voln…I…I never wanted….I'm sorry."
Even he, the man Lia had believed to be some incarnation of evil after what she had learned about him, shed a single tear as he tore his eyes away from him. But Voln wasn't done with him yet.
Trunking to his mother, Voln cried out even more hurtful things that made her sobbing only increase.
"Why are you in his arms?! He killed my father - your husband! He killed him in cold blood, took you from our family and lied! Why? Why are you -"
"Because she knew."
The room fell silent as Voln's eyes turned to Lia, who had only just realized then that it was her own voice that spoke.
"She knew all along. That's why she's so hurt that you know. She never hoped you'd find out."
It was simple deduction for Lia, who realized it the minute Voln told her the truth of who killed his father, as she watched as Mrs. Dorrow barely flinched, moved, or showed any signs of shock. Even if it was due to her emotional state, she then threw herself in her husband's arms, the same man who murder Daniel Green.
The evidence was too much for Voln to bear however, as he turned to his mother with wide eyes filled with anger and hatred.
"You?! You knew?"
His breathing became rapid, his voice broke and stuttered, as Lia could see both Rian and Lukali turn their heads away from the scene, as Voln desperately struggled against the bonds in a burst of anger.
"How could you!? You b*tch! How could you!?"
His screaming was cut short as the tip of a spear pointing itself at his neck, threatening to end his voice. Travor turned to face the Dorrows, clearly not caring much for what was just said.
"Fear not Mrs. Dorrow, I'm certain your son's just in an emotional state caused by his rowdy summons. Getting her back under control will bring back your loving son."
Travor smiled a wicked grin as his eyes passed over Malkova, his spear slowly switching places from Voln to his summons, though the former desperately struggled against his bonds, he could do nothing but watch.
Mrs. Dorrow, who was wiping her tears now, nodded her head, eating up the lies that Travor was telling her, clearly not ready to accept the conclusion that her son just hated her.
"Yes…Yes it has to be her."
Facing her son, her eyes relaxed into a comforting gaze, a loving gaze that all mothers show their children.
"Voln…this is going to hurt for a little bit, but it will all be over soon. Then you can come and be our son again. Forget all about our past, forget all about our mistakes. Just come be our son again."
Voln looked as though he was about to burst in anger, his face red with hatred. Though he had many things to say, he could only find two words to match his current emotional state.
"Shut up."
Mrs. Dorrow ignored his words, looking to Travor with a comforting gaze.
"Do it. Bring me back my son."
"As you wish."
The spear tip neared Malkova's neck and, though she struggled against the bonds, she seemed to almost accept the fact that she was about to die, giving Voln one final look filled with all her love in her eyes.
"No- No! Mom, stop! Malkova!"
Voln struggled more and more against his captor, but with one harsh hit to the head, Voln reeled over, the room spinning before his own eyes.
But just as the spear pricked Malkova's neck, a single drop of blood running down her pale skin, a voice spoke, shattering the tense atmosphere.
"I never thought the Scholar's Chapel were such cowards. No wonder there are all those nasty rumors about them."
Travor stopped, his eyes turning towards the direction of a single woman on her knees, sitting at the end of the line with her head down, facing the floor.
"What?"
The tone in his voice said it all for everyone listening. He was not happy, even more so with such a preposterous and damning insult.
"Isn't it obvious? I mean, I don't know much about the Scholar's Chapel, after all why would I? Everyone says it's just a dumb building full of dumb people who prance around like they own the world."
Having fun with these insults, Lia decided she would throw one more in the mix, just to see how things would work.
"Oh, and don't even get me started on high priests-"
-Clang!
The image of a spear head will forever be embedded in Lia's mind as the same spear head that now so vividly painted her memories filled her vision, having been thrown and embedded itself deep within the polished wooden floor.
The sound of a smooth, rhythmic pattern of footsteps filled the empty hall like the beating of a heart, the same heart that seemed to be somewhat calm in the face of this near death experience, as Lia watched as the spear was ripped from the ground.
"You really like to talk don't you?"
Using the spear head, Travor titled Lia's head upwards to face him, his once arrogant face now replaced by a frown of pure disgust.
"You Hunters disgust me. Hired by coin to do the most heinous tasks and all you have to show for it is -"
"Well, I mean, we do kill monsters a lot, which in turn does defend your sorry a** from being eaten, now doesn't it?"
Lia's captor was flabbergasted that the woman he was holding had dared to interrupt the head priest, and even see herself as better than him. However, surprisingly, the priest took the habit.
"Ha! You think yourself better than us? We could kill monsters like that with our eyes closed."
"Then why don't you?"
"You- why you-"
"Let me guess, It's because you're better than us? Well, since you can clearly do the same job as us, and since clearly the only thing you have 'going for you' is your fancy robes, I guess you could call us the same-"
Lia didn't get a moment to finish, as the butt of the spear slammed against the side of her skull, causing a splintering pain to shoot throughout her body. She could hardly feel the left side of her face any longer, as her eyes fell to the floor.
Travor however, wasn't done. Having been angered so greatly and insulted by this lowly Hunter in his eyes, he had much to say about it.
"You pathetic mongrel! You know, the Dorrows asked us to get rid of you as well, seeing as you tried to kill them, manipulating their son like this. I had planned on waiting until after I was done with Voln over there…"
He raised his spear with two hands, the head lined up directly with Lia's.
"...But I suppose I can start with you!"
Rian and Lukali struggled against their bonds, their captors having a tough time keeping them steady, as they made their concern known.
"Lia!"
"Don't do it you bastard!"
However, to all their surprise and shock, the sound of laughter was the thing that stopped Travor from bringing the spear down. In fact, though the laughter started off small, quiet and slow, he could still hear it. He even found his spear fall loosly to his side as he looked down at the shivering Lia, who began laughing more loudly now, as if mad.
"Haha…hahaha! Hahaha!"
Her laugh was beautiful, filling the ears of any who listened to it, however, for Travor, it only served to disgust him, as he revealed the reason she was laughing.
Using the tip of his spear, he pushed away her left sleeve, revealing the rune circle on the back of her palm, clear for all those in front of her to see.
"Is this why you laugh before me?"
He grabbed a fist full of her hair, bringing her face close to his, practically spitting in disgust.
"Because you think your summons will come to help you?"
"Haha…haha…no - no I don't."
"What?"
As Travor and Lia were speaking, Mrs. Dorrow turned to face her husband, a look of worry in her eyes.
"I didn't know she was a summoner?"
But before Mr. Dorrow could say anything to comfort her, Lia spoke once again, silencing the room.
"So that's why he was so quiet. I had been wondering where he was this whole time. He was off getting 'that.'"
"Excuse me?"
Travor shook Lia's head once, keeping her steady in his hand.
"You…In all your so called 'wisdom,' you never once saw it happen did you?"
"What did you just say?"
"You never even asked me where my summons was…"
Lia smiled as the look of arrogance on Travor's face disappeared, a chilling feeling overcoming him. In fact, it wasn't just him, the feeling of fear began setting in everyone's hearts as they all desperately began looking around, worried someone would come from the darkness and swallow them whole. The fear they felt covering them all like a cloak of endless darkness, their eyes wide as they froze from the petrified feeling that came over them.
Even Lia found it hard to keep her body steady, as the fear set in, rooting deep within her bones as it did for all of them. It was then that they heard it.
-Thump!
The sound of a single footstep echoing throughout the deathly silent room, filling everyone with an even deeper understanding of what the word fear meant.
Their bodies felt like stone, their blood ran cold. Their eyes widened in fear. Yet none of them could move.
-Thump! -Thump! -Thump! -Thump!
Like a rhythm, Travor followed the beat to the footsteps, slowly building up the courage to turn around. But he couldn't move. He could hardly breath, as he knew the case was the same for everyone else.
Fear.
-Thump! -Thump! -Thump…!
Suddenly, the footsteps ended, sending another spike of fear coursing through their veins, like a spike of adrenaline, giving Travor the courage to turn around at once in a swift and single motion, his spear already pointing towards the open ballroom doors, the hall cloaked in a wall of darkness.
His eyes widened, his heart began a rapid beat. The feeling of fear he had felt until now, was only a drop of a vaster ocean.
There, in the center of the doorway, half cloaked in darkness so that only half his face and body were seen, stood a man.
A man whose eyes glowed crimson red, leaving vapor trails floating up into the darkness, dissipating in the shadows.
Lia's voice was like a cold reminder of what Travor feared most in this world.
"Meet my summons."
The tower of his power, crumbling down to the ground.
"Cain."
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone