"Natalie! Open your eyes!" a woman's voice screams at the scene.
It's as if a fire is burning through her body, and she is disoriented from the pain. Her vision becomes hazy again as she looks around, wildly darting her ruby eyes looking mindlessly. A cold hand brushes against her cheek, asking her to stay awake. It's a chaotic situation, and she can't hear anything but this woman's voice.
How did she get to this point? Her thoughts wander to a recent event.
After completing the observation, four figures regroup at dawn. Some horses at the house would aid them in their escape. Lord Apollo, an expert in long-distance attacks, will act as an observer and support the trio when they are in trouble. He went back to the motel, getting his bow ready, before finding the best spot for him to launch a surprise attack.
The dawn is approaching, and enemies will switch shifts in the next thirty minutes. The adversaries walk around the house before sitting down, resting after guarding for a while. A rustling noise comes from the bush, which the two men mistook for a small animal. Perhaps a rabbit. However, the sounds become more audible, and another man becomes intrigued.
So he goes over to the bushes, hoping to find something else. The other man sees his friend walking towards the scrubs but can't make out anything because it's too dark. Possibly because the house is so close to the woods. What is even weirder, his friend no longer makes any noise, but the rustling continues.
He became uneasy about it and decided to return to the bushes as if something bugging him to go there. The rustling and the crisp leaves' noise grow louder, and he keeps his swords ready, just in case. As he prepares to swing his swords, another figure appears behind him, reaching out and snapping his neck like a twig.
The Duchesses emerge from the bushes and give Hector a nod. Then, they repeat the trick for the next guard. After some time, two more men emerge from the house, looking for the men, bewildered when the one that greets them is the silence in the woods rather than them.
"Where are Harry and Gavin?" asked one of the men.
"What a jerk. They've been sleeping all night!" as he sat down on the chair, the other said.
"We'll inform Devon this morning," his face etched at the thought as his voice glimpsed in a fury.
Natalie continues to shake the bushes, drawing both men there. The men exchange glances with each other, talking in their minds. Finally, they nod and start walking towards the bushes. The men slowly hold their swords and attempt to swing them like the previous man.
Medea emerges from the bushes, prompting the men to smile as they slowly let go of their swords.
"What's a beautiful lady like you doing in the bushes?" the man asks, evilly smirking.
It is, however, not as evil as Medea's smiles. She approaches the men, and their lustful gazes follow her. Lord Apollo simply prepared in case they did something unexpected. The men smirk even wider at Medea, watching her in front of them.
It feels so disgusting when she looks them directly in the eye. The men approached her without feeling any fear, blinded by their obnoxious desire and lust. If only they know who is in front of them. One of the men pulls out his hand, trying to touch the beauty in front of him. The ruby eyes glowering at the scene behold in front of her. Before Natalie could even process the situation, the men had fallen to the ground with a thud.
Blood is spilling on the ground as she peeps through the bushes. She then stands up, only to find Medea looking down at the bodies. The Duchess turns around to look at Aurora, and some blood spills on Medea's clothes, forming red spots. The blonde woman could only gulp at the situation, feeling too struck by it.
She approaches Medea and gazes at the corpses. Medea only targets their vital points, the neck and heart. They didn't even make a sound when she stabbed them, moving at a frightening speed. Aurora felt herself becoming nauseous at the sight. She dashes over to the bushes and pukes, feeling her stomach twisted.
The three figures could only look at the blonde woman, slightly taken aback by it. But, of course, it's understandable for a first-timer. So it's no surprise Duchess Natalie appears tense when they're torturing the man at Veronica's.
Regardless, the blonde stated, "I am fine," as all eyes turned to her.
She wipes her mouth as she passes over the two figures, Medea and Hector, reaching out her hand at the lifeless body. She struggles to drag one of the men's bodies as she looks at the Duchess and Marquess.
"Will your staring help me to get rid of these bodies?" Duchess Natalie asks in a sarcastic tone, raising one of her eyebrows.
Hector and Medea exchange glances before proceeding to assist the blonde woman. It's amusing to consider what occurred, but she acts as if nothing happened with the puke. Then they move on to the next plan while waiting for the other to become alert.
Devon comes out to find the men aren't there.
"Those guys!" he yells at them.
"Gavin, Harry, Francis, and Karl!" he calls out all of the men's names, alerting the men inside.
"What's the problem?" one of the men inquires.
"They have not yet entered guard. Look inside!" anger flooded his veins.
"I noticed Francis and Karl getting ready to guard a few moments ago. Are you certain they aren't on the lookout?" the other man questions Devon about it.
Devon becomes quiet for a while before he talks in a hushed tone with another six men. The other figures could not make out what they had said. But, it seems they suspected something had happened to the other four men. Then, Devon, with another two men, goes inside. Meanwhile, the other four practically stick with each other, guarding the houses.
An arrow strikes one of the men's heads as they walk around the house together. The body immediately collapses, forewarning the other men inside and outside.
"We have an intruder!" they shout.
They are immediately in defence mode, hiding in the blind spot to avoid getting shot. The trio then sneak on quietly at them, launching a surprise attack. Aurora's hands are practically shaking because she is not used to this, but she cannot talk about it all without being found out.
But, it is not the time doubt, and she is just following the best fighters in the Empire behind. Medea signals them in a hushed tone, ordering them to execute them quietly as possible. Then, they heard the door creak at the back with Isis screaming and asking for help. The men turn around, only to find swords stabbing directly at their vital point, except for one.
Aurora cannot move because she is hesitant to kill the man. The man closes his eyes and screams, expecting an attack that never comes. But, being fast, Hector does not hesitate to kill the man immediately, slaying him to the ground. On the other hand, Devon has already been alerted to their presence and is on the run with Isis.
Hector and Medea look at Duchess Smith, who is still staring at the bodies.
"We must follow Devon before we lose Isis. Now!" Medea said, jolting everyone out of their reverie.
The trio is now pursuing Devon and the men on the run. Natalie has difficulty catching up with them since Hector and Medea are far too quick! She would not be able to keep up with them if it weren't for her practice! As they approach, Isis is bound to her hands and mouth.
They are all aware that Devon is currently missing. However, Isis' safety is their top priority.
"Do not get any closer!" the man warned, slightly pushing the blade down towards Isis' neck.
Isis widens her eyes and grunts slightly in pain, forcing Medea's side all halt, not wanting to further irritate the man.
"Oh, I was just taking a close look at your brain because you seem don't have one," Duchess Natalie said straight-faced, causing anger to well up in his chest.
"Is she fooling?" he watches the Duchess in disbelief, his nose flaring in flame for getting insulted.
"I wish I am, but I am not," the Duchess replies, stifling her laughter while she is nerve-wracking inside.
Then, Aurora feels her skulls burn from Medea's gaze to her side for not taking how to deteriorate the situation. However, Aurora has this nasty habit that never stays serious in a neck-tight condition. Sarcasm is something that comes out of her, something that forces her to think faster and be calm. But yes, Aurora admits it is her fault for increasing the men's anger level and jeopardising Isis' safety.
"But, I hate to agree that you indeed have one if you let her go," Duchess Smith grins at the men.
"What happens if I don't?" the man keeps bringing the sword closer to Isis' neck until she can feel the cold metal against her skin.
"If you don't, I sympathise with your mother for carrying you for nine months, only to find that you are brainless. If I were you, I would hand her to us. So choose wisely," the blonde grits her teeth, snarling at the men with another witty comeback.
If Isis died, she would die as well. So it's pointless if Isis won't survive in this situation, and Hera is far away. She can't heal the Crown Princess over such a long distance.
Aurora takes a deep breath, attempting to calm herself while refraining from giving another sarcastic remark.
Medea interrupts, inserting her in the conversation by provoking the men even more, "It's such a shame that your boss leaves you guys alone with her; I wonder if he's running away to save his own life now."
"You have no idea! Devon's life is more important than this bitch's," he barks at Duchess Valimos, staring at the frozen amethyst ice.
"Aww, how sweet of you. You'd even give your life for him. But is he willing to die for you? Given the situation, it appears he does not," Medea lets out a scornful laugh at the men.
The men exchange glances as if trying to communicate in silence. An arrow strikes the man holding onto Isis as they relax their guard for a moment. The pain accelerated throughout his shoulder, forcing him to grunt in pain, losing his grip on Princess Isis. Isis seizes the opportunity to rush to Natalie's aid. The men are ready to launch another counterattack, knowing their lives are in danger from the hidden archer.
However, Medea and Hector are quick to act. Medea strikes one of the men with a sword, knocking him down quickly. Meanwhile, Hector charges at the other man, dodging his attack and slamming his sword into his body. The thud sounds are heard once more as the body hits the ground.
In the meantime, Natalie is helping to free Isis from her shackles. As soon as she finished, the Crown Princess embraced her without hesitation. But, because Isis is taller than Natalie, she is being squeezed by the Crown Princess' chest.
Duchess Smith stiffens for a moment before patting her back awkwardly and saying, "Cannot breathe."
Isis lets her go, smiling apologetically. Then, she turns around to find the intimidating figures, particularly the Duchess, staring right into her soul. The Crown Princess had never seen Medea in action before, but she's frightening right now, with blood on her face. But Isis couldn't care less because she was finally safe and sound, expressing her gratitude to the trio for their efforts. Then, Lord Apollo appears from behind, and Isis does the same.
"We should head back now," Medea said, turning her back and leaving them.
Hector immediately follows, and those left behind are perplexed by their actions.
"She has such a bad temper," Aurora thought of the Duchess.
When Isis is about to hug Natalie again, an arrow nearly pierces her ear, brushing lightly underneath the earlobe.
"A surprise attack! Run!" Lord Apollo spoke as Medea and Hector returned to them.
Aurora's body reacts on its own, shielding the Crown Princess with her body. However, another arrow flew by and struck her, and the stabbing pain went straight to her mind.
That is precisely what happens at the beginning.
Medea notices Devon hiding in a tree and attempting to flee after hitting his strike. She immediately directs both men to apprehend him.
"I want him alive," she said, feeling a wave of fury crash into her.
The order is immediately carried out by Marquess Hector and Lord Apollo. Lord Apollo sprints as fast as he can, desperate to avenge the man, paying for what he did. Duchess Valimos walks over to the Duchess of Light, almost knocking Isis down, still holding her.
"Move!" Medea shoves the Crown Princess aside and scoops the Duchess of Light into her arms, practically running full speed at the horses saddling at the house.
Princess Isis is taken aback by her behaviour, but it is unimportant now.
Aurora, or Natalie or whatever her name is on the verge of death, and Medea starts to gallop the horse while bringing the blonde woman to the physician in the town. She does not know anything about it, but she has to make it to the townlet to save her. As two horses gallop through the town in hassle, they thankfully find their way to the physician at the infirmary.
Now, they are both waiting on the outside. The Duchess is pacing around, her belly cramped, anxiously waiting for the result. Princess Isis is also the same, noticing how this cold woman suddenly changes. Then, finally, the raven-haired beauty approached the Duchess, putting her hand on her back as a gesture to comfort.
Medea turns back to face the person, realising Isis had been with her all along. The red eyes make her think of a certain blonde still being treated on the inside. She does not expect Isis to grab her and hug the Duchess without saying anything. She, like Natalie, is a little stiff on sudden movement but quickly relaxes because she can't deny that everything is overwhelming.
Thus, the women hold each other for a while as they both think about the Duchess of Light.
After what feels like hours, the physician goes out with an unreadable face. Then, finally, he speaks, "It is bad."
At that point, both women feel as if their world is ending because the surroundings have become so deafening.