When Souls Awaken

45. Unicus

"I may have taught her how to fight, but she's a natural at stealth," Rixacaeles boasted, "I wonder just what she could have done if the hell dog had chosen her..."

~

"Did you hear that?" Flora whispered to Axis as the voices reached them, and they swiftly hid behind a rock.

"Shh," Axis hissed, and Flora rolled her eyes with her gaze falling to the ground but they widened with a gasp.

Axis's hand clamped down over Flora's mouth before she could scream at the sight. Bodies laid painted in their own blood from their slashed throats. Their complexion was ghostly, and their eyes dull and empty, never to learn of who ended them, but Flora knew.

~

The sky continued to darken as the guards fell one by one to Allura, and she drew closer to the camp's heart where the cage resided. She focused on it, and she furrowed her brows with none of its prisoners appearing to be the teen of the prayer, but she was not far.

In the dancing light of the flames a man in fine armor towered over the teen. None of the others even batted an eye as he looked over the girl with malcontent, they simply enjoyed their rest at the fire.

"What can you even do, runt?" the leader questioned while grabbing the girl's chin to get a better look at her face before growling, "You're a mage aren't you?"

"I have the gift of sight, and I can see your rotting soul," she spat, only to cry out in pain a moment later as his fist collided into her stomach with brute force.

"You know what, maybe I have the gift of sight, but your clothes are just getting in the way," he smirked as he grabbed the front of her tunic, and she started to fight back, only lasting a moment before he struck her down.

"STOP!" Allura's voice broke through the air, announcing her presence with her bow drawn, and the resting men quickly scrambled to her feet, taking up their swords.

~

"What the hell is she doing?!" Axis snapped under his breath, and his flames flickered over him as he watched with Flora from safety. He didn't hesitate to move, but Flora stopped him with a hand on his shoulder before he could alert anyone.

"She knows what she's doing," Flora assured him, but tears filled her eyes while she refused to look up from the ground.

"She knows exactly what she's doing," Rixacaeles confirmed.

"Then why are you crying?" Axis pressed with a snarl.

"I hate when people die," Flora whimpered as she clutched his shoulder tighter, and Rune gently stroked her hair.

~

"And just who are you?" the leader's tone challenged Allura while a smirk played on his lips.

"Just let her go!" Allura's voice pleaded while aiming the bow at him with trembling arms.

"That's right my dear, make them underestimate you," Rixacaeles praised.

"If you lower your weapon, we can have a chat," the leader offered as he opened his arms to Allura, slowly approaching her, and she gritted her teeth, reluctantly lowering her bow to her side. "Now that's a good girl," he grinned with his men circling behind her.

"Just let the kids go!" panic seemed to claim Allura's voice, and the leader broke into a fit of laughter before the three men closed in on her.

A sword swung in from her right, but she ducked beneath, allowing it to lacerate his comrade. The injured stumbled back, clutching the new gash across his chest while Allura drew an arrow. She rammed it through the first attacker's foot, pinning it to the ground before she surged to her feet, landing a heavy blow to his gut. The first crashed to the ground, screaming in pain as the arrow broke off in his foot.