TRA: A Scarlett Tale

Chapter 8

Cassandra

Cassandra cursed as her sword twirled through the air and landed on the stones with a loud clattering sound. She had thought she was getting better at holding her sword but every now and again brief glimpses of that monster flash through her mind and her hand begins to tremble. Fear had gripped her heart and brought her to her knees begging to be let free and that same fear now plagues her mind day and night.

Will I ever be free from these waking horrors? Cassandra thought as she knelt down and clutched her sword's hilt. No. I don't think I ever will be. I may die while constantly in fear of his return, but I refuse to allow my fears to carry me into the future and control my actions.

Cassandra lifted the sword up and with one swift downward stroke, cut the dummy in half. For the first time since Grall's death, Cassandra felt like her old self. Smiling to herself, Cassandra sheathed her sword and turned towards her room.

Something caught Cassandra's eye and she stared for a moment at the steps leading to her room. She thought she had seen a girl sitting there watching her, but no one was around. Shaking her head as if to rid herself of an unpleasant memory, Cassandra stepped forward, making sure to give the spot she saw Her a wide berth.

Sakurako

Sakurako watched as Cassandra walked past her, her mouth gaped. Has Cassandra finally seen her? Was she becoming more like her old self? Questions raced through Sakurako's mind but stopped as she noticed tears falling to the ground as Cassandra wept.

Grodak

Grodak cursed Imp under his breath, swearing to commit unspeakable atrocities towards him the next time they met. Grunting his annoyance, Grodak reached out to touch the shadow world only to find a power greater than his own preventing him.

"... guess I'll just have to beat everything to death with my bare hands." Grodak didn't speak to anyone in particular, he spoke only to break the silence that he found himself in. Heaving a heavy sigh, he begrudgingly started forward, his eyes scanning the area.

As he walked, hours passed, he encountered no resistance from the inhabitants, not even the slightest peep came from them. Anytime Grodak thought he caught sight of a demon in the distance, it quickly disappeared.

"I don't like this." He said as he kicked a nearby rock sending it flying through the air and splashing into a pool of magma some yards away. Grodak, angered by this blatant sign of what he could only assume was an ambush, yelled into the air. "If you wish for battle, then come face me you miserable piles of-" Grodaks voice trailed off as he heard what sounded like moans coming from the magma he had kicked the rock into earlier.

Smiling, Grodak turned and approached the pool, expecting to find a lava demon or something equally terrifying, what he didn't expect to find was Tyril half submerged into the lava pit, his only saving grace was the rock that had landed mere inches from Tyrils head. Tyril had clung to the rock as magma splashed onto his body, burning through his clothes and skin.

If this was any other man, Grodak would have sworn he was dead, yet he had seen Tyril survive worse. Reaching his arm into the pit, Grodak grabbed Tyrils arm that clung to the rock and dragged both him and the rock out of the pit. Everything below Tyrils waist was gone, taken by the heat of the magma, yet he made no sounds indicating pain or discomfort.

To Grodak, these were signs of a dying man and at this moment, he wholeheartedly believed that Tyril was about to breathe his last. "Damn." Grodak's voice came out barely even a whisper as he allowed his body to fall back onto the ground. "I'm sorry old friend, I should have come sooner."

Grodak sat for a moment pondering what to do next. He feared returning to the mortal realm and telling Queen Villinae about Tyrils death, the thought of what she could do to him caused shivers to run up and down his spine.