The Caliginous Villainess

Chapter 12

 It was the concluding day of the hunt and if I didn't find something amazing and extra-ordinary, my chances to win would just go down the drain.

   I was thinking deeply on an animal to capture. If there had been a manticore, that would have raised my stakes but I can't just create one, now, can I? No, I might get eaten before I even said hello!

   I was biting my bottom lip with stress and decided to take a stroll outside to clear my mind and think straight. My dark brown hair was straightened and I wore a comfortable shirt and pants on with my waistband holding my most precious double-edged baby, tight.

   A warning horn blared through the environment just as I was about to leave the tent. I glanced around to find a bloody red atmosphere invading the forest.

   Ash clouds had formed in the sky, blocking the light. Huge birds with strong wings were hovering like security drones. I zoomed in a little closer by pinching my eyes and realized that the huge birds were non-other than flying monsters.

   The similar kind, the twins and I met at the edge of the duchy estate. The ash clouds morphed into dangerous shapes and the number of monsters gradually increased. The whole adaptation of the hunt was shook and everyone was panicking.

   I heard a few words that I could barely make out because of the monsters' terrifying echoes. They were so loud that my ears were at bursting point.

   A chilly air invaded the present situation that caused shivers to run down my spine. The royal knights were in war with monsters trying to protect the families attending the hunting contest along with the two duchies' soldiers. The forest was under a monster rampage!

   I saw a familiar figure running through the Erebus environment with a bandaged arm. It was the Duke. Everyone was fighting off the monsters or protecting their tents.

   A smaller but faster monster came at me from behind. I felt its presence beforehand and swung my sword at it. It fell on the ground within a second.

   I glanced up to see the twins swinging their weapons at a few more monsters pouncing down from the huge trees. One of the monsters flying in the sky looked straight into my right eye. I started to feel an unknown energy from them.

    My head formed the frequency waves once again and I smashed one of those stripes at the monsters forehead with practice from before. A green gem morphed on the middle of it. The dark stripe I was mentally controlling touched the gem accidently. The red fiery eyes of the monster transformed to blue.

   The monster was subdued by me. Can my dark attribute control them? Was that why the monsters at the estate looked like they wanted to talk to me? Was I missing something here? 

* scratch scratch*.

   A scream rang through my ear that was impossible to ignore. It was Lady Ameece. My senses kicked in and my legs were taking me to the Eskater duchy's main tent.

   A monster had got in and Lady Ameece was fighting it off by throwing objects like vases and wine glasses at the monster. The monster evaded all her futile attempts and knocked out a table which trapped Lady Ameece with a wall. My thoughts swirled around me.

    They caused my head to ache ten times harder but, one thing became clear to me as day and night. Lady Ameece took care of Rose even if she was half-sane. She gave Rose enough allowance and allowed her to act freely with no abuse.
 
   It wasn't her fault that the original Rose was neglected and her action in the morning of the first day of the hunting competition confirmed her love to me with the handmade-ribbon. I am starting to feel that this teenage body is affecting me mentally as well.

   Since the beginning, I decided not to let the novel's plot control my fate and now I don't want it to hurt Lady Ameece who cared for me, even if it was just a slight push. She is now my mother and for no reason will I ever let anyone hurt her! 

   The monster gave a deafening roar that shook the tent and brought a violent paw towards the Lady that caused my blood to boil. I pushed the chair blocking my path and sprang my sword out in defense and ran towards my mother.