This is the second part of the previous chapter, actually I wanted to write it all in one but decided it was more thrilling to write it in two chapters!!!
If you like that I updated, thank Brunuhville! A great music artist, he helped me write this chapter with his music and the ever beautiful 'Sound of Silence' by justin and Johnny Coppolino! (Musicvideo above)
Enjoy.
-Vrykólakas
Avery's POV (along Azalea)
I wondered if there was a way that the prince could notice that I was there as well, I hoped with all I had that not. It was the last thing I wanted to happen now, because I knew he would be mad.
With determined steps Azalea walked to stand beside the Prince facing down the cliff. Without a words both of them stepped over and fell down.
I gasped and would have screamed, but I was mute. Instead of tumbling down like I thought we would, we were gliding down perfectly and in a crouched position they both landed only to stand up and keep walking.
We had gone further from the rest then I had thought.
I kept stealing glances out of the corner of my eye towards the prince, his face would have made the Greek gods bend their knees because he was one himself.
In a motion fast as lightning Azalea was swept off her feet, the wind blew around her in a gush that would have made me hold my breath, another urge to shriek was stopped by my inability of using a body.
The denial of not being able to utter a sound or breath and even feel, if Azalea didn't want me to, was beginning to drive my mind crazy.
Once Azaleas eyes opened, I saw the Prince from an angle I had not before, she was pressed against his chest but only for a moment as he sat her back on her feet, this time on the large boulder Prince Elían had been on when the fight started.
Emotions bit at me when I realized that I had not even felt what his arm had felt like. I tried to hide my emotions that tried to take over my mind.
A sudden surge of power swept across Azaleas body and it was one I felt. A bit to hard.
I would've yelled again if possible as Azalea jumped down the boulder and before her feet touched the ground her fisted hand did. This time I felt it everywhere, it tore from my toes up my legs into my torso up my chest and rushed into my head, the scream of pain that was stuck in my throat sent burning fragments into my mind.
The ground opened up where her fist had landed and tore a broad crack further and further,my eyes followed it, until I saw it ripping the ground open between two people.
The king and Valiria.
Their eyes turned towards Azalea and as the king's widened in surprise Valiria's turned to slits, again I wished I wasn't there; I did not belong here. What had I gotten myself into?
Azalea stepped forward right into the crack but she never fell inside it was as if the ground had never opened, at least not for her.
I tried to focus again on what was happening, even though my mind still buzzed with the pain of Azaleas magic.
It was not until she was right between Valiria and the king that she stopped and looked first at the King. His eyes grew the softest shade I had ever seen them and I quickly looked away, not wanting to see the looks they shared.
But as her eyes passed on to Valiria I felt tremors of anger shaking through Azaleas body. The stare that she received back was of the worst kind.
Valiria's golden eyes intensified as her glare grew deeper, I had no clue what colour eyes Azalea had but I was sure they would be bright with fury.
"However you think you got here, it won't stop me. If I know one thing, it is that your body is where I left it." Valiria spoke slowly and clearly.
"I will make sure to stop you." Again I marveled at Azalea's ability to speak words of ice.
Valirias's smirk only grew, "I'm not stupid sister," she emphasized the word sister, "Wherever you got this body from, it wont last to see the morning.'
Was she right? I had tried to ignore the pain each time Azalea used magic but it had been to strong to do so. Was my human body capable to support hers?
'Don't listen to her Avery.' The whisper startled me and wasn't able to say something before the king spoke.
"What are you doing here?", The kings voice was full of surprise, "I thought you were dead."
"She is interfering like she always does." Valiria snapped.
Not listening to what the black haired witch was saying, the kings eyes were trained on Azalea's.
It was the opportunity that Valiria took to attack. I saw it coming before it happened, out of her hands came lightning bolts directly aimed at the king and Azalea.
Azalea flew backwards along with the king but in different direction, apart from each other. I would have moaned at the pain if I could have for lack of breath to make a stronger sound.
Before she had time to regain her posture and let's not even talk about myself, Valiria sent another bolt towards both of us, but this time Azalea had time to block it halfway with a wall of air and the impact was less vigorous.
Nonetheless I was still wheezing and feeling the pain as if it was my own.
As Azalea prepared to attack back the other witch was suddenly gone, seemingly having vanished from the fighting scene.
'Where is she?' I asked trying to ignore the stabbing pain in my chest or anyways what felt like my chest.
Terrified screams ripped through the air along with the sound and smell of burning flesh. Azalea swiveled around and I saw how a dozen of the kings vampires were consumed by fire.
'Right there she is.' As Azalea spoke the words, I felt how the elements where swirling in her body anticipating to be used.
Before I had time to prepare myself for the force that was going to be used, I felt how the energy coursed out of Azalea's body in form of a fire wall that was sent hurdling towards a group of Valiria's vampires; immediately the screaming began and I shuddered.
With that, the two forces began their attack again. For some reason I cringed much harder when I saw one of King Lathan's people hit the ground then from Valiria's.
I didn't know why because king Lathan was majorly responsible for my misery, and Valiria well she had not done anything to me personally, so why should I care?
Suddenly a dark nothing flashed before my eyes and I realized I knew what it was, I had seen it before, it was the Prince.
I gasped as I saw a pair of red eyes and gleaming fangs flashing towards Azalea's neck but the head was ripped away from its body faster then I could blink, it was the prince's doing. His trademark devilish smirk he sent to his mother reached into the tip of my toes.
It was weird how I felt things in my own body but Azalea didn't seem to feel it.
My thoughts went away after I saw the beheaded body tumbling towards the ground; bile threatened to rise and form a knot in my throat. Quickly I looked away and wondered if Azalea had seen many headless bodies before because she seemed not to mind at all.
I was not prepared for the energy wave that surged out of Azaleas body, the fire ball collided straight into a male witch's chest and he hissed in pain his knees hitting the floor. I saw other witches using the same tactic as Azalea but none of their fire balls drove another witch or vampire straight to the knees; that gave me a little idea of how strong hers were.
I also knew that if she would keep using her magic strongly the pain would become unbearable.
Another flame left her hand and met its fate against a vampire's face, instantly it burned his skin and he screamed a blood curling scream but it didn't stop Azalea from sending another blaze towards his body that engulfed him in flames completely.
Each time that she would us her magic I had more difficulties breathing and seeing without having spots dancing before my eyes.
She hadn't said anything to me in a while and I assumed it meant for me to keep quiet as well. What could I say? I had no option than to bear it for I had offered myself for this.
Azalea used fire more then any other element. It was kind of obvious, it was the easiest to bring harm from weapon.
Her magic slammed left and right into her opponent's sometimes killing them and sometimes hurting them to the point so they begged to be killed.
Some witches that appeared to be older and obviously more experienced seemed to recognized Azalea and I saw the fear that crossed over their faces when they realized they where at the great witch's mercy.
Some fell on their knees and begged, calling her their teacher and instructor, asking her for forgiveness for straying off the right way and giving up on her after she had been defeated.
I realized that many of these witches must have been taught by Azalea but she as much spared them a repellent look and would send her wrath upon them.
Occasionally the Prince would appear in my eye vision but he moved faster than I could ever think and was gone before I could really look at him.
Valiria was only sometimes on the battlefield and it worried me to a large extend, I wanted to know what she was doing and why she was not present at all times.
Suddenly King Lathan was by Azaleas side and swooped her off her feet, the feeling of going as fast so my eyesight blurred into nothing was something I wondered if there was a getting used to.
The king stopped and set her down on top of the large hill where Cybele had drawn her last breath, the remaining heap of smoking ashes confirmed her death.
"I needed a moment alone with you, even if it's in the middle of the most important war that was ever." The king had his head buried in Azaleas neck. "If this is the only time you will show up I will relish it no matter if I lose this damn fight."
Azalea placed her arm around the kings back sighing into his embrace.
If I had ever felt awkward it was right now. I sure had no desire hearing these lover's love for each other.
'Love? Do vampires do love?'
The question lingered in my mind but when the king looked into Azalea's eyes, I reconsidered it.
'None that I have felt though.'
'You're pathetic and weak, an abomination.'
The prince's word pierced my heart like a dagger and I nearly choked in my nonexistent body on the love that poured out of the kings eyes towards his beloved. A tight knot ached in my throat and threatened to cut off my breath but everything turned worse as the king leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.
The only good thing right there was that I was not able to feel it, I was thankful for Azalea to have shut it off.
I closed my eyes feeling Azaleas contentment, and wondered how she felt being shut off for so many years and now suddenly kissing her lover again.
The kiss broke off and the king buried his face in her neck and groaned. I could feel Azaleas smile and as well the aching pain she had felt during her absence.
"I missed you so much, I thought I was going to lose my mind." King Lathan breathed close to her ears. "He was a crazy young man but ever since you have been gone Elían has become a...." He trailed off not finishing his sentence.
"Has become a what?", Azalea spoke softly.
"A monster.", King Lathan whispered.
My heart jolted at his response, but how right he was. I couldn't say though that I had thought much less about the King himself.
"Don't say that Lathan but you're right I noticed the way he fought his way through the people, he is ruthless." Azalea spoke a sadness in her voice. "He has become so powerful."
I wasn't sure if it counted as eavesdropping what I was doing but it sure felt as if I was listening to something that wouldn't do me any good.
"Is Athena not helping him?" I cringed at Azalea's choice of witch.
"At first yes then after a while it seemed as if he didn't care about anyone, now I think they're on their way of being together again." King Lathan answered her looking down with a smile.
A deadly pain attacked my chest as my brain registered his words.
'On their way of being together again?'
Those must have been one of the vilest words I had ever heard and to add to it I had no clue why. Maybe because whenever the Prince was close it was hard to breath and my heart beat ten times faster. Or maybe because he was a devilishly handsome vampire.
"I wonder when he will choose her as his mate, I'm sure that would calm him down." For some reason Azalea said all the wrong things right now.
Hell I would rather have him as a wild beast instead of mated to that witch.
"Talking about me are you?" I was startled about the sudden velvet voice presence but the king and Azalea seemed to have known he would come.
"We were only considering possibilities." Azalea sounded cheerful.
The prince's lips lifted in a slight smile " You don't need to worry about me." He took Azalea's hand and pressed a kiss on top of it.
I secretly wished it had been something that I could feel this time, but maybe it was for the best that not.
His eyes became the same shade of soft as the king's while looking at his mother. I could've drowned in the deep black abyss that was his orbs.
I would have swallowed dryly if possible, but now all I could do was feel an ache that I had no explanation for.
"Valiria is popping in and out off the fight, we need to know what she is up to." The prince said after that.
So he had noticed as well, of course he had he was a vampire. Not that I needed to remind myself about what he was.
"Yes she is, I assume she's trying to find out a way to defeat our cousins because if she kills Lathan, which she won't, then she will have their wrath upon her." Azalea said. She hadn't talked to me in so long that I wondered if she had forgotten about me.
Not even the times when I nearly had a break down because of her using magic, I still felt the anticipation of pain shaking in my bones.
Suddenly the air I wasn't even breathing, seemed to clog in my lungs and cut off any kind of pass way to get out, it was choking me.
In my mind my head began to trash from one side to the other fighting for the next breath.
'Avery, what is with you? Do you really have to disturb the little time I have with my family?' Even though her words stung greatly I wasn't capable to focus on them.
'I...can't....breath.' I wheezed the thoughts into her own.
"Azzy are you alright, you dont look well." Despite my breathing problem I noticed the kings nickname for her.
"I'm fine, just felt a shift in the air." She quickly covered up.
I couldn't forget the way she had snapped at me, and felt bitter tears stinging in my eyes.
"Azzy why are you crying?" The king was obviously worried now.
"Its nothing, I'm just a little emotional to see you again." The king's eyes softened again at her words.
'Avery stop your little stunt right now I don't have time for this.' She hissed the words in an angry thought towards me.
Her words only added to my current misery.
"I will be on my way to find Valiria", the prince said observing his mother closely.
"There won't be any need for that, I'm right here." Everybody swiveled around to see Valiria come out of the thick bushes and trees that covered the hill. "What a cute little family reunion you got here." Her smirk was telling how much she enjoyed herself. She came up to where we were standing.
"Hello Lathan," she looked at him with a smile on her face. "Eían, I wonder if you have reconsidered my offer." Her eyes traveled up and down on him and she slightly winked.
Despise ran up and down my spine.
"Azalea, I hadn't seen you in a long time." She underlined the word long. "Didn't know I would so soon."
Everybody was quiet and it was now only Valiria against the other three. I had long stopped counting myself in, because not even Azalea held me for something.
I dared a glance down the hill and saw that everybody had stopped fighting and where waiting for a command from either leader.
"I want to know what the brother's are doing here?", Valiria cut straight the point.
"They came to visit." I was surprised at the king's response, well then again it would make him sound weak that they came because of me, a human.
"The brothers don't visit anyone." she spat. "As much as they are not fighting in this war, they did not come to visit you, so why did they come?"
'They are not fighting.' Then what were they doing?
Would they tell her about me? But then again Azalea could not risk having her know about me.
"And why did you know I was coming, both of the times?", The words she uttered where pure controlled rage.
"The question is, why are you here, what do you want?" It was king Lathan who talked back.
I remembered what 'he' had said that she wanted to take over the kingdom and rule it on her own and if possible along humankind.
I was preparing to tell Azalea what I knew about Valiria but quickly decided against it. The silence between us was much to awkward since she had just scolded me for the 'stunt' I had pulled according to her words.
I could finally breath again, although I still felt shaken.
Valiria turned towards Azalea and I nearly winced at the intensity of her yellow eyes.
"And why did you know about Cybele." It came out as a whisper but one full of wrath.
All her questions pointed towards me and the dreams I had dreamt.
"It was quite obvious the shift in the air she was pulling, did you forget that Cybele's training began with me?" Azalea obviously had mastered to white lie her way around.
Suddenly three witches came walking out of the bushes to stand behind Valiria, two females and a male. Soon after, her 'puppet' came with large steps to stand beside Valiria herself. It was the man who 'he' had called the devil.
Next I felt that someone was behind Azalea and soon I knew who. It was Sir Castor along with the three witches Athena, Ivy and Flora. Rayne was nowhere in sight though.
Everybody looked ready to murder and I knew just that was going to happen.
***
The attack began faster than I anticipated.
Magic filled the air. Fang's flashed and red eyes gleamed.
I knew that if I had felt pain while Azalea used her magic, now it would probably kill me. It was powerful witch against powerful witch sister.
Could it get any worse?
The first lightning bolt that shot out of Valiria's hand was aimed straight for Azalea's heart. Luckily her walls of air were up and protected herself from the hit.
It was enough for the others to come at each other as well, vampire against vampire, witch against witch or vampire against witch, however it was a kind of fight where no human would have survived and I was not sure if I was going to.
I shrieked as a big piece of rock came flying towards Azalea's head. It never collided with it but therefore she had jumped down the hill, Valiria and the rest had followed. Soon I knew why, the hill was now nearly half the size then what it had been.
'Avery I told you to trust me you can't go about yelling in my head like that.' Azalea's words where short tempered.
I didn't know what I had done to deserve her anger towards me, since she had been so nice ever since I met her. It hurt more then I liked to admit for I weirdly had grown to her.
Suddenly an odd wind picked up and sent large tree branches flying across the air. Azalea hummed a weird chant and I realized it was her calling out to earth for its assistance. The branches met its victims sending witch and vampire alike to their knees allowing their opponents to get the upper hand.
I only got the hang of half of what what was going on. The fighters were moving much to fast, my human eyes only saw the things that happened much slower and even those were terrifying enough to scare me out of my own skin.
Limps where torn apart, vampire hearts ripped out, and witches choked to death by magic.
Azalea and Athena both got busy sending fire bolts towards Valiria who equally shot her lightning bolts back. They all bounced of by each others protection walls. It was a trait that each witch carried to her or his advantage.
Each time magic was released from Azalea's body it felt as if I was being torn apart, my body ached in every way possible and I knew I could not stand it much longer but Azalea kept going never asking if I was alright.
The stronger witch would be able to crack the wall and like that have access to bring the sent out magic home. A vampire would use either his ability of mind control, a special ability or his speed to to break the wall of protection around each witch.
I tried to follow the movement of these three witched fighting but even they moved to fast for me to follow.
'His' words began to circle around in the back of my mind.
'Don't do it little girl. Foolish.'
Had he been right? Should I have not allowed Azalea to use me?
Another lightning bolt came zooming towards Azalea, she got out of the way but not completely, it grazed her left hip and she grunted in pain; well we can all imagine what I did, I wanted to get the hell away from there and not lose the little life I had left to a psychic witch.
It felt like I had been cut with a sharp knife deep in my hip.
Suddenly Athena screamed an ear piercing scream, her wall at been torn down and a lightning bolt had rammed right into her chest, which was now coloring red rapidly.
The king was now furiously attacking Valiria along with Sir Castor. The vampires moves blurred before my eyes.
The prince was kneeling beside Athena but just as quickly lifted her and motioned for Azalea to follow him. They stopped further away from the feud.
Athena was wheezing and clutching her chest that was by now covered in blood.
"Mother," The prince panted, "you have to do something."
His fingers where pressed against her carotid artery and his other hand on her chest against the bleeding wound. His face was filled with worry and concern, the emotionless facade was gone.
'When he will choose her as his mate.' The words nagged me at this moment worse then I thought possible.
Azalea stepped closer and kneeled down the other side of Athena.
"Please....help me." Athena's voice was small and weak, I stared at her with mixed feelings.
"Hey, its okay, you will be fine," Prince Elían's words nearly drove me down on my knees if I had had any.
"Don't worry darling, I got you, you will be alright." Azalea spoke softly.
The prince intertwined his finger with Athena's and she smiled slightly.
'Avery I need to take from your energy to heal her.' I was momentarily speechless because she was talking to me.
'My energy?' I asked not sure what she meant.
'Yes I mean as in a bit of your life or energy in change to save hers, it will only weaken you and after a few days you will be fine again.' The words she spoke settled into my mind the wrong way because my whole being screamed a large no.
'I already have no life left.' The thought sounded obnoxious.
'Weaken me? I am the weakest person alive.'
'I will take it now Avery.'
I never had a choice. I heard as she began to chant a spell and felt how a force was tugging at my inner being, it became stronger and stronger until it was painful to the point where I wanted to scream on top of my lungs. I felt a piece of myself parting from me, tearing a deep gash in my insides, drowning me in pain and utter exhaustion.
It was a kind of magic that sent goosebumps across my not there body. Because as I was thrown into the instability of survival Athena's cheeks began to regain color and her wound healed before my eyes.
My eyes closed and opened slow. Oh so slow but they never missed it. They never missed how the prince's handsome features broke into a large smile and pulled Athena into an embrace.
My heart crumbled into a million pieces right there and then. My eyesight was dancing between black and white, colors where out of question by now.
Had I not gotten enough by now? Apparently not because just as I thought it could not get any worse Valiria showed up with a deadly expression.
She was hurt, bleeding gashes running down her arm, a few on her cheek and a bite mark on her neck but now she looked ready to kill.
"Azzy, don't think I don't know where you got your body from." Her voice was ice.
Her words slammed straight into my fuzzy mind.
'Shit'
"That's what you do now? Taking advantage of the weaker?" Secretly I agreed with Valiria. "You even got mad at her because she was having a hard time breathing when I messed with the air around her circle."
Everybody froze and listened to what she had to say.
"Why don't we go and visit her?" The words came out of Valiria's mouth to my utter horror.
Faster then you or me can say 'Holy witch' Valiria was by Azalea's side and threw her arm around her. The words that came out of her mouth were greek and there we was, teleported straight to the place I had feared anybody to come. Azalea's garden.
The king and prince including Sir Castor, Rayne and the kings three witches had followed.
Valiria stepped forward through large hanging plants and there I was.
Flora gasped at the sight of me laying in the burning circle.
"What the hell?" It was the prince and my heart stung bittersweetly.
My eyes widened at the sight of myself. I was paler then the moon a deep gash on my left hip, scrapes covered my body and it seemed as if Athena's large chest wound had embedded itself straight from her body into mine.
'Oh god Avery, what have I done?' Azalea shrieked in my head.
Valiria smirked slightly and turned towards Azalea.
"A human really? And what in the world is that bite mark doing on her neck?"
The king growled and lunged toward the yellow eyed witch.
She maneuvered out of his kicks although not without getting some off. I heard her grunt and hiss in pain.
The prince took his turn and came off sinking his fangs into Valiria's neck but she was capable of sending him away with a lighting bolt to his shoulder which healed fast before my eyes.
Eyes that no longer wanted to see but had to focus again as Valiria turned towards the circle and tried to enter it.
She was sent back as the fire rose higher before her.
"Whoever she is, as soon as you will leave her spirit, she is going to die." Valiria said the words as if speaking about what she had for lunch.
I was taken back by the urge that came over me to be myself, to get back into my own skin.
Valiria attacked again with lighting bolts that where aimed at Azalea. She dodged them all exempt for one that grazed her legs and I screamed in pain.
Wide eyed everyone watched as a gash formed on my leg.
My eyes that had been dancing between black and white where now only dancing between black and gray.
"I cannot kill you dear sister because you are here only in spirit, but I can surely kill your body provider. So tell me what does she matter to you?" Valiria boldly spoke.
'Nothing at all, I matter nothing.'
Tears where pouring out of the eyes of my motionless body.
The pain was great and I felt weaker than I ever had.
"I'm assuming she can hear me right? Well do you know what's passing through her mind right now?" Valiria's words brought no comfort even thought she sounded as if she might feel for me.
'Nobody cares what I feel.'
'Don't say that dear.' I had accidently spoken the words in my mind instead of thinking them. Azaleas words didn't mean a thing to me, she had just shown how much she cared.
Valiria attacked again this time at everyone, some of her people had followed as well and the fight broke loose once again.
As Azalea unconsciously drew her magic up again in order to protect herself I knew that I had had enough.
My eyes slipped behind my eyelids and my mind was preparing to shut down.
Azalea noticed that I was leaving her.
"Elìan," she wheezed to the prince who had rushed to her side as he noticed that she was stumbling "She's leaving me and I'm gonna be without a body, protect her, she saved us all."
I began to fade, the prince said something but I didn't catch it. Who was he to protect me?
My body was calling me back and I had to go to it, when I died it had to be in my own body.
Once last time my eyes opened and I would have yelled if I could have.
I saw as the king's suddenly at hand sword sank down on Valiria's neck parting her head from her body.
My faint breath got stuck. They had made it. The war was won.
But I well, I had given my life for it.
My spirit dislodged itself from the temporarily made body and I felt myself slip back into my own but only for a moment because I began to fade....fade.....fade.
It was then that a deafening thunder boomed in the sky.
***
Third person's POV
The sky was dark, whereas the sun had been shining a few moments ago it was now covered in black angry clouds. Lighting zig zagged across the sky followed by booming thunder.
Everyone was alert and didn't know what was going on. Valiria had been killed and her remaining living people had been captured but none of that was of interest now. It would have been time for celebration but an deadly premonition lingered in the air.
The circle of flames around Avery's body had stopped burning but she stayed motionless. Her tattered body bloody from all the attacks it had endured.
Another thunder boomed closely.
Suddenly the prince clutched his chest, "NOOO," he grunted bending over in pain. "She's dead, she's dead...." he repeated the words over and over. Prince Elían ran to her side and knelt down pressing his ear to her chest listening for a single heartbeat, but there was none.
Everybody else around was speechless including the three brothers that had come to see the strange ordeal that had been going on.
The king stood with mixed emotions wondering what was happening with the raging sky and his son.
Suddenly the wind picked up in speed and lightning came down one bolt after another.
The prince was still kneeling by Avery's side not knowing why her being gone should affect him but he didn't care now, all he wanted was to stare into her azure eyes again.
As the wind increased more, the witches began to shuffle uncomfortably around feeling that something was not right at all. It was an imbalance in nature. Something that should not be even in the supernatural world. But none of them knew what it was.
A bright light began to shine in the north and yet it had so much darkness it was everybody urge to run from it.
It drew closer and closer until the bright darkness was so close that everybody had to look away.
And there it was, a silhouette that let itself down right in front of the platform. The ground vibrated as it touched the ground.
The wind tore at the trees and the lighting never slowed down.
The King's and the brother's faces where set to stone and The Prince looked up his eyes turned to slits in confusion.
The darkness swirled around the silhouette like tentacles of protection.
Everybody's face was on the ground including the three brother's; there was no way that someone could stand to look at something like that.
It emitted pure raw power.
"I am highly disappointed."
The silhouette spoke, and it was velvet.
TO BE CONTINUED. ......
Oh my goodness, oh...my goodness what is it?
Not even I'm sure I know;)
Longest chapter ever, wanna know how many words? Take a guess.