Bride of the Dark Lord

#76 Samhain Night

Finally, Samhain night was here. The night, Randall could Ascend to immortality, if he completed the ritual, and drank the last set of lifeblood from the hearts of newborns.

I took in a deep breath. Touched my signet ring. Till death, will I fight. If this sixth month ends, and I live to see it, then Marjol has been saved too, but if the lands of Marjol was not filled with running kids, and men and women going about their daily duties, then, it means, I died in this battle.

For my mind was resolute about this. If Marjol dies, I die with it. And if she lives...Mother of Light...I'll live too.

Along with everyone else, I stepped down from my horse. We were at the masses' graveyard. Where we believed Randall would be.

Overgrown grasses filled our surroundings. And an eerie silence accompanied it.

We crossed the gates of the graveyard and entered its field. And at once, felt my magic disappear, like spittle on an ocean surface.

Someone is doing sorcery here. Or had done sorcery here!

And I started running. Ashton, Cederic, Duncan and others on my heels.

The blood moon, reflecting more than enough light. If it was any other night, apart from Samhain, this graveyard would be enshrined in darkness, but on Samhain night, the sky never went completely dark. Souls were awake. Spirits, crossing from one realm to the other. Hence, the reason, an immortality ritual, had to be completed on this day. The soul of the individual, if strong enough, would walk across that border of the mortal realm to that of immortality - to live forever.

We sped past the numerous headstones. Racing to the centre of the cemetery. It had to be there, Randall was, for his ritual to feel the 'presence' of every dead soul here.

And before, we reached the centre of the massive graveyard, I could already hear the murmurings. The chanting spells, and mumblings of sorcerers.

"Randall!" I yelled as I reached their meeting point. Panting hard.

Randall, stood in front of a sacrificial tombstone, on it, lay corpses and corpses of babies.

I squeezed my fist. Wanting to kill someone. To kill Randall!

To live forever, multitudes had to die for him?

In Randall's hands, was a golden cup, he was about drinking from. If I was right, that drink completes the immortality ritual, he has been working on, for months. If not years.

And surrounding him, as usual, were his formidable sorcerers.

In this gathering, I was powerless.

On this land, where sorcery has polluted the soil, I could not win them. Could not triumph over Randall!

I needed him on a magic-filled land. In a place, where I would use every last bit of strength I had to Feed on his magic. To Feed on all his Gifts that ever made him powerful! I said, "drop the drink. And let's have a fair fight. If I win, you free Marjol. If I lose, all is gone anyway".

He smirked. And I hated that that look, reminded me so much of Regalis. How could someone, with this level of cruelty, have birthed Regalis? It was hard to believe.

He put the gold cup down gently on another sacrificial table. Looked around, at each one of us that came to battle him. "Where's my son? He let you come alone? What a coward".

"Since you think, you can conquer me" he said. Smiled much more broadly, "let it not be said that I didn't give the lady another chance".

"Meet me at the Outpost".

A field, not far from here. Definitely a magic-filled one!

And before, I could reply, Randall, along with his sorcerers, and the drink of immortality had disappeared.

I gritted my teeth. Randall has not taken in the drink. So, I still had a chance. A huge chance. To defeat him.

His arrogance made him think, I could easily be dealt with, I'd show him. For Marjol. For these dead kids on the sacrificial table.

And for the glorious future that was to come.

I'd show him. That whatever, he thinks he could do. A determined woman could it, twice better!