My Slave King

26 : Sacrifice

26 : Sacrifice

"What the bloody hell do you mean by the 'Horses ran away'?" Cassius asked angrily and Stephen looked down with his lips sealed tight.

"We had stopped the carriage because we decided that the horses need rest and went to . . . Walk in the woods. When we returned, there were no horses."

Cassius was angry.

Without knowingly, he raised his hand to slap his brother but didn't. His hand was frozen in the air. He could not hit his own brother.

He was better than this. His unyielding promise to revive his nation was dragging him through the toughest of choices.

Slowly, Cassius opened palm turned into a fist and he brought the fist down slowly. Stephen was surprised at his brother's patience and control.

Stephen thought of his brother as a monster at times, the occasional fights between them were nothing serious but at this moment he didn't think it was just an occasional bicker.

"Witches. It has to be." Cassius stated and looked around, "Where the bloody hell is Xena?" Cassius asked and Stephen looked around as well.

"I - I don't know, she was here just a minute ago."

"Well shit," Cassius muttered and they both tried to find the lost Princess.

While Xena struggled in the woman's arms. It was the same woman she had seen in the woods earlier.

Did she follow her?

"Let me go!" Xena exclaimed but she got no reply except the long nails that were pressed more tightly in her arm. Xena groaned and struggled more.

"Who are you!?" Xena questioned, again and again, she got no reply.

Xena still squirmed but stopped when she took in the sight in front of her. Witches, a lot of them.

They stood in a line, watching her carefully. When Xena got a peek behind them, she wanted to scream.

There were cages filled with people. Her people. One of the faces she recognized was Killian. How did he get there?

The same Killian that had come with problems to the council and straight out humiliated everyone.

"Princess." He mouthed when he caught sight of her. No.

"What are you doing?" Xena finally asked once she was pushed forward and on to her knees.

A woman walked out of the many women and knelt in front of Xena. The woman was dressed in torn clothes and had piercing grey eyes. They both stared in each other's eyes with the same intensity.

"We are doing a ritual to keep ourselves from those creatures you are with. You will be our sacrifice." The woman muttered in her own broken language and Xena's jaw dropped.

They were going to kill her.

Xena screamed loudly but soon, hands grabbed her and she drifted into the darkness.

Killian's eyes were wide. He had to get out and save the Princess with him. Where was that winged creature anyway? Killian had come to the king like a normal citizen but it definitely didn't mean that he won't save a person from his kingdom from a different kind.