Kapitel 44: Chapter 44: Lost and Confused
"W-what kind of joke is this?" Kalika questioned, as her voice trembled. she stared at Rhonda in complete shock.
Rakon slipped past Kalika, presenting the frightened Rhonda. "I can assure you. This is no joke."
He grabbed her by the back of the hair, showing Kalika how terrified she looked. "She only has herself to blame. This lousy maid of yours has caused more than enough trouble for the both of us."
"Us!?" An anger flared up in Kalika. "R-Rhonda has served me well. She even put her life on the line for me!"
Rakon snickered, glancing back at the maid. "This maid of yours is a lot sneakier than you'd think. Of course, I'm sure she finds it more convenient that you never remembered the last ten years."
Rakon turned his gaze back to Kalika. "After all I'm sure the old you would've been thrilled to kill her the moment you two were alone."
"What… Do you mean?" Kalika watched as Rhonda's frightened expression became that of immense guilt. "What did she do…?"
Rakon brought himself close to Kalika bringing his lips to her ear, whispering something. "Have You ever wondered why each escape attempt failed?"
Rakon turned his gaze back to Rhonda. "This succubus maid of yours was never loyal to you Kalika. And I'll let you in on a little secret… ever since your first little escape I had this woman under a carefully crafted contract to help me keep a close eye on you."
Kalika's heart started to sink, unsure what to think from what he just said.
"But even under this contract she found a way to report your escape attempts. Becoming the prime informant to the Demon Queen against my very wish. Truly a miraculous feat, One I'm sure she wasn't expecting me to find out about…" He said more openly.
Something within Kalika flared up, an undistinguished rage that even she couldn't understand. Her whole body felt on fire as she trembled, trying to doubt Rakon's words.
"T-that's not true. T-that can't be true." Kalika couldn't take her eyes off of Rhonda. "He's lying Rhonda! Right!??"
Rhonda looked away, guiltily.
Kalika walked steadily to Rhonda, quickly fastening her pace in moments, grabbing the collar of her uniform with both her hands. "Y-you're not going to even defend yourself. Y-you're not going to at least lie!??"
A whirlwind of emotions started to overcome Kalika's senses. It was one unbelievable revelation after another, and she couldn't come to terms with which was worse.
Before she realized, Kalika's grip on Rhonda's uniform tightened as she released her other.
"I…I-I'm sorry…" Rhonda muttered.
"Sorry? Sorry!?"
A hot sensation filled Kalika's hands. She glanced at her hand, finding that the blood blade dagger was already in it. "W-when did I-"
"Are you ready to fight then?" Rakon asked.
Kalika went into a stunned silence, unsure what to feel at that very moment with the bubbling emoting whirling within her. she glanced at Rhonda with her grip still tight on her dress. Everything in her body felt like a confused mess.
"N…. No." Kalika muttered.
Rakon got closer. "Come again. I don't think I heard you."
"N-no." she said aloud. "I-I…I'm not ready…"
"Hmm… Okay." he said.
He looked at the guards alongside Rhonda. "<Take her away.>" he ordered.
On command Rhonda started to be dragged from the arena. She followed at first but quickly turned to Kalika, resisting their pull. "I'm sorry! Kalika I'm sorr-!" She was dragged back with the guards.
Kalika simply watched the desperate maid as she tried to continue to plead for forgiveness. Eventually being dragged through the door until her voice could no longer be heard.
Soon after the prisoners, still around watching from the stands, got escorted away back into the prison. All the while Kalika just stood still staring in the same direction from where Rhonda left.
After some time had passed, even Tilus's body was removed from the arena, leaving just Rakon and Kalika alone.
Rakon finally approached a silent Kalika. "Are you ready to go back now?"
Kalika remained silent for a time before finally responding in the affirmative, finally leaving, with Rakon escorting her back through the dungeon hall.
After some time of being quietly escorted, Kalika's somber gaze turned to her cell, seeing a rectangular reflection by her bed.
"A…A mirror?"
Slowly a view of herself came into view and upon seeing her full reflection, she shook.
"A small reward for correctly guessing your opponent… I hope you'll enjoy it."
She slowly approached the bars of her cell, gluing her eyes to the mirror. Before Kalika stood an image of her past dressing in the brown, ragged and torn prison clothes.
"T-there's no way…" she uttered to herself.
Kalika's gaze quickly turned to her hair, seeing that strands of white hair peeked from between blonde strands. Her trembling hands felt her face, her hair, her nose and even her cheeks.
"W-w-w-why do I look so young?"
Kalika backed away from the cell bar, stunned. she bumps into Rakon who now stood behind her examining his own reflection. She looked back up seeing Rakon's reflection behind her own, looking very proud.
"Heh. Now even you can appreciate your own beauty every day."
Kalika's breath started to hasten; an intense pressure hit her chest. She quickly clutched her chest feeling an overwhelming dread overtaking her.
"No! T-this isn't right! THIS ISN'T NORMAL!!"
Without warning Kalika ran.
"Oh…?" Rakon watched on, as Kalika raced off into the booby-trapped corridor of the dungeon.
Kalika ran, dodged and jumped through all the traps she remembered. All the while the sight of Rakon never left her vision. Even closing her eyes, she could hear his voice.
"Where are you going Kalika?" Rakon questioned. "I thought you gave up on escape."
She opened her eyes, finding Rakon in front of her "Or was that a lie?" he said in a more mocking tone.
She turns down another hall evading another trap.
Rakon's voice couldn't escape Kalika as she expertly weaved through all the traps. Her breath got faster and faster as her heart pounded ever harder. Eventually she found an unguarded staircase and ran up without hesitation.
Suddenly, she was captured into a pool of blood. Rakon's head stretched out from the pool that held Kalika, shocking her.
"Where do you think you're going?" he asked.
Kalika gritted her teeth. "L…Leave me alone!!"
She forcefully ripped herself away from the blood that encased her. She stumbled out and continued her escape. guards on patrol noticed her and began their pursuit, with spears in hand ready for action.
"Get out of my way!"
The first guard attacked but missed Kalika. She quickly ran up the side of the wall, hopping over the demons. They continued their chase, until…
"<STOP!>"
They all stopped hearing Rakon's voices.
"<I'll handle this.>" he continued to watch as she ran through the dungeon hall.
After some time, she eventually found her way to the second floor of the dungeon, running to the only exit she knew of.
She ran hard down the hall with the light at the end until eventually she found herself on the very same cliff overlooking the forest and mountains ahead. She felt out of breath, breathing heavily as she looked beyond the mountains where magnificent sunset presented itself.
Despite the beautiful scenery however, the one thing she hated most stood before her. Rakon wore that same cocky smile as he moved to the side of the doorway.
Kalika ignored him, walking to the edge of the cliff in front of her. She looked at the scenery before her, then down into the rocky and grassy fields below. Not long after she sat down.
any and all urges to run away or to escape. suddenly vanished. replaced by uncertainty.
"Leave me alone" she said solemnly.
"You're not going to jump down? You've been avoiding me so far, so why stop now."
"I said 'Leave me alone'."
Rakon kneeled over by Kalika's side overlooking the same horizon. "You know, I always wondered why you always sat here. Even during the harsh frost season, you would sit here in the bitter cold. You could've stayed nice and cozy inside but… you refused."
Kalika scowled. "I-I…"
A burning sensation emanated throughout her entire body until a blistering cold could be felt. She closed eyes from the pain.
But upon opening her eyes she found herself now in a snowy landscape. everything she once saw in the sunset was covered with the frost and ice of the world itself.
The crunching of snow from behind. "Out here again? Are you sure you want to sit here, Kalika?"
Glancing behind, she found Ek standing, wearing a huge fur coat. She turned back saying nothing with her same sour look.
'Let me guess, you fought with that old guy again, didn't you?" Ek surmised.
"Why does it matter to you!" she interjected. "It's not like it matters. None of this matters… So don't act like you care."
Suddenly, Ek drooped his fur coat over Kalika. Soon after he began to leave as she could only look at the coat in surprise.
"W…Why?"
"The Queen will be upset if her 'Toy' froze to death out here." He stops. "Besides… I already know you won't be escaping anytime soon."
Kalika cringed. "So… You know about that too…"
"Are you really surprised?" Ek sighed, turning back around with his arms crossed. "If it makes you feel better, I still don't understand why you just sit there on that cliff doing nothing."
"Is it cause you're waiting for some miracle to happen?"
"Or is it that you're praying to actually die?"
Kalika brought her head down, almost disappointed in the Eks speculations.
She brought her head back up, speaking slowly and decisively. "Has it ever occurred to you that sometimes, I just want to enjoy this view?" she asked. "If you really want to know, I'll tell you."
Kalika looked back at the scene before her, gazing upon the snowy peaks of the two mountains Lillian once talked so fondly of.
"When I feel lost or unsure of something… Sometimes I just like to watch the flowers and the trees, feel the breeze of the wind… It's the only thing that comforts me sometimes and helps me clear my head…"
Ek simply listened. seeing her just look on at the frosted wonderland. a world bitterly cold and yet peaceful.
"But in a way… It feels so sickening too. seeing that nothing has changed." she said in unison. Past clashing with present.
Rakon looked a little surprised by her sudden confession.
Kalika realized she was back into the present, looking back into the sunset.
"Looking at it now, it feels so pointless to run away, and even if I did, there's no one that would help me. Or even support me."
"Heck, even the most powerful humans in the world couldn't save me from this place. They died trying to save me… to save me!" Kalika teary eyed seemingly began to relax herself looking over the horizon. She watched as the sunset continued its course.
"When I look over this cliff, onto the land I was born… it reminds me how unchanging these lands can be... and that infuriates me!"
"And why is that?" Rakon asked.
"Why else? I tried to be the perfect daughter, but it never seemed to matter… Lillian was always his favorite! and how couldn't she!? I was just some girl he found in a village. A nobody. Another child ready to be slaughtered just like everyone else!"
Kalika seethed from the memories of her childhood. One devoid of a father that seemed to care. Slowly she began to be surrounded by people who took interest in her and her. They slowly but surely began to fill her with doubts and fears. And even when Lillian tried to talk or play with her, Kalika slowly became more distant as an envy grew.
She grimaced at her own past thoughts and actions, looking back in hindsight. "I couldn't stand it. I thought if I could usurp the title, to become Lord… That I…"
Kalika stopped.
"Was… Was that what I really wanted?" Kalika grabbed tight onto her prisoner pants. "I-I really don't want to believe Tilus… I-I really don't! But I can't help but believe every word he said."
"The more I think about it the more I'm questioning if I was ever free at all, or if I was just some 'thing' to be molded... It sickens me! How do I know what choice was mines, and which was some else, who wanted something from me!?"
Rakon watched as Kalika started to tear up before him in a rare moment of weakness.
"It looks like the mask has finally fallen…" He said with a frown.
Out of nowhere, Rakon gave her a pat on the head. "You poor little thing. But I can't help but feel the irony from this sentiment coming from the girl who broke destiny itself."
Kalika winced painfully. "Sh…Shut up."
"It's thanks to you, my kin were able to invade these lands."
"Shut up."
"And it's also thanks to you that the Heroes of Prophecy are no longer an obstacle for us."
"Shut up!"
Rakon suddenly stood in front of Kalika, his face painted with a newly amused grin. "And here I thought you'd never give up. Makes me wonder what happened to those strong and defiant eyes you had."
Kalika clenched her teeth, hearing his words and he continued.
"You've already killed a traitorous General and a dying old man. So, tell me. Why is it that a lousy maid like her, makes your poor heart waiver. Does your freedom mean nothing to you?"
"Besides, I thought you hated demons." Rakon teased with a chuckle. "Or perhaps… you secretly yearn to be enslaved and locked up forever."
An anger flared up, hearing each work carefully picked and driven at her. Her hands trembled violently, and she couldn't control herself. "Y-you-!"
Before she could even realize it, Kalika found herself stabbing Rakon in his stomach with her dagger. She dared not to look up at Rakon, stunned by her sudden flash of intense anger.
To her surprise, Rakon suddenly burst into laughter.
Her knees became weak. And her grasp pulled away from the handle of her dagger.
Rakon smiled, pulling the blade from himself revealing the inside of the hollow shell of his blood clone.
He dropped the blade before Kalika, amused by her reaction.
"I-I didn't mean-"
"Don't lie," he interrupted, putting her in a stunned silence.
Rakon placed his fingers just under Kalika's chin, lifting her gaze to him. "I'll allow it…But only because I like you."
Kalika continued to look on in confusion, unable to process anything that was just said.
"Even in this state, you're very cute…" he said.
"H-huh?"
With Kalika oriented once more, Rakon took his hand away. "But you'll want to pull yourself together. After all, trying to go back on the contract now will only end in your enslavement, forced to bend to my own will… I'm sure you wouldn't want that."
"N…N-no… I-I just… I just need some time..." Kalika felt at a loss for words. Seeing the colors slowly shift, she turned her attention back to see hues of purple starting to settle in from the sunset sky.
Surprisingly Rakon suddenly offered a handkerchief. "Here."
Kalika slowly and reluctantly grabbed it and put it to use. "Th… Thank you?"
Shortly after, Rakon got out of the way, allowing Kalika to get a better view of the scene. "I have high expectations for you Kalika. After all it'll be a shame to see you linger in this prison as my slave. Especially when there's so much potential, so much more you can achieve that can help change this sorry excuse of a world."
She couldn't wrap her head around Rakon, looking at the now wet handkerchief. "It… It doesn't matter what I do… As far as he's concerned, I'm just some pawn to him… to be used… and..." frustration started to settle back in.
"You can stay up here for now, but when the sun finishes setting, let's go back in. I'll just wait here."
"I envy you." Kalika suddenly said. Rakon stopped, listening intently to her words. "I envy you, my sister, even your brother, the Demon King... It must feel good knowing that you can do whatever you want… whenever you want. free any constraints..."
"You envy me?" Rakon blurted a chuckle. He gave a quick glance to Kalika. "My life isn't forever Kalika. Just like my brother and that sister of yours, our lives are still mortal. We may live ten times longer than any human, but that doesn't stop us from dying of old age or on the battlefield. Unlike you it seems"
Rakon leaned himself on the cliffside beside the dungeon entrance. "For all we know, you may never die of old age either. living to see the fruits of our labor, generations into the future and beyond is something I think is much more enviable in my opinion."
Kalika, at a loss for words, looked up into the sky somberly. feeling the breeze and trying to clear her mind. However, she soon found herself becoming more lost.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein