Mekhi welcomed Arya and her companions into the Red Towers. Dax had sent word and asked that he aid them in any way they needed. He showed them preceptor Nyx’s chambers and Arya’s blood had an adverse reaction to being in that room. It felt as if it were trying to claw its way out of her veins to get away.8964 copyright protection253ＰＥＮＡＮＡT0AuBNbTTH 維尼
“Any word from Ihsan?” Arya asked.8964 copyright protection253ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2UoBFskIPw 維尼
“No,” Mekhi shook his head confused. “He never checked in. I have some ideas of where he might be. I’ll let you know if any of them pan out.”8964 copyright protection253ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3tSxdpbAd6 維尼
Arya nodded. She followed the trail of dried blood from Nyx’s bed to the wall on the far side of his room. It disappeared behind the wall. She traced the surface of the wall with her fingers before finding what she was looking for, a loose brick. She pushed it in and a hidden door opened. Rayu, Lumi, Jax, Zahn and Mekhi all followed her into the hidden room beyond. There were wall-to-wall weapons from floor to ceiling and another wooden door leading to a tunnel beneath the Red Towers.8964 copyright protection253ＰＥＮＡＮＡC2I113JVcz 維尼
“Have you ever been in these tunnels?” Arya asked. 8964 copyright protection253ＰＥＮＡＮＡ60x3ZFBgTC 維尼
“No,” Mekhi shook his head. “When Malich bought the place, he bought it as is.”8964 copyright protection253ＰＥＮＡＮＡMxVtSBTF8p 維尼
“So then you would have no clue if something already resided down here.”8964 copyright protection253ＰＥＮＡＮＡ27I1uhCMKN 維尼
Again he shook his head. The tunnel was dark and cold. There were fire lamps along the corridors every fifteen feet or so and they lit each one until they came to a room. It was vast and dark, with crumbling stone pillars holding up the ceiling. The ceiling doubled as the floor of the first level of the Red Towers.8964 copyright protection253ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2BV1jEd3Pv 維尼
A soft whisper filled the room and they all unsheathed their swords. The whispers echoed and Arya could swear the shadows around them were moving. “The shadows,” Arya whispered.8964 copyright protection253ＰＥＮＡＮＡcNV4MnCaNi 維尼
Mekhi followed her gaze and they all watched as the shadows moved about before coming to rest around a tall figure donning a black cloak. He was bald, eyes the color of blood with sharp teeth and he was still covered in preceptor Nyx’s blood. 8964 copyright protection253ＰＥＮＡＮＡR8WiZOtRmQ 維尼
They all spread out, flanking the stranger on all sides and slowly closed in on him. He knelt, whispering to himself. They weren’t sure if he even knew they were there. He didn’t seem to.8964 copyright protection253ＰＥＮＡＮＡpLuXtyqSDf 維尼
It wasn’t until they were a few feet away from him that the whispering stopped. His eyes slowly slid to Arya and he stared at her as if she were the only one in the room. “I can smell your blood,” he hissed. “Seelie Regina, Seelie Regina, Seelie Reginaaa…”8964 copyright protection253ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0n8Ubm0djr 維尼
Arya knew many tongues, but this one was hard to place. “Why did you come here?” She asked. He laughed maniacally then lifted a bony finger and pointed it at her. “What is it that you want and why did you kill my friend?”8964 copyright protection253ＰＥＮＡＮＡXe9zIMR0qk 維尼
“Seelie Regina, Seelie Regina, Seelie Reginaaa…” he sang. It was a very creepy, very disturbing song. “The preceptor’s blood taste like the finest wine.”8964 copyright protection253ＰＥＮＡＮＡNe37WeMd49 維尼
“You still haven’t answered my question. Why are you here?”8964 copyright protection253ＰＥＮＡＮＡGIYKwAXX63 維尼
Again he points his bony finger at Arya, “Lord Balor wants, Balor wants, Balor wantsssss…”8964 copyright protection253ＰＥＮＡＮＡWXSPg4kLPy 維尼
“Balor?” Arya frowned. The name didn’t ring any bells, but Mekhi stiffened. He looked frightened. “Preceptor?”8964 copyright protection253ＰＥＮＡＮＡjeI1dtYXuD 維尼
“Balor is the God of death,” Mekhi informed her.8964 copyright protection253ＰＥＮＡＮＡfZgVUszINz 維尼
“What does the God of death want with me?”8964 copyright protection253ＰＥＮＡＮＡN7MObaiztG 維尼
“Your soul…”8964 copyright protection253ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5JWfROm2CH 維尼
“Why?”8964 copyright protection253ＰＥＮＡＮＡCTBJHOaAy9 維尼
“It belongs to him,” the creature hissed.8964 copyright protection253ＰＥＮＡＮＡhUJQzalDc9 維尼
“I beg to differ,” Arya replied. “If he wanted my soul so badly, he should’ve held onto it when he had the chance.”8964 copyright protection253ＰＥＮＡＮＡDs5CqagcFH 維尼
The creature roared, flinging itself at Arya, disappearing into the shadows and reappearing as she could. One minute it was all over…everywhere, and then it was nowhere. It appeared and drew blood with fingernails like razors before disappearing again.8964 copyright protection253ＰＥＮＡＮＡKuWBrzR4i3 維尼
“Holy Gods!” Zahn gasped.8964 copyright protection253ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8boEfsLEWJ 維尼
“I need light!” Arya shouted.8964 copyright protection253ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4QF8bCuzNp 維尼
Lumi tried to light a sconce and was thrown across the room at the same time Jax was flung into a pillar. Whatever this creature was, he was far more powerful than Arya expected. Objects moved and crashed into them, razor fingers slashed, sharp teeth tore flesh and shadows tugged at their feet, holding them in place.8964 copyright protection253ＰＥＮＡＮＡWutv4qQ47q 維尼
Just when Arya thought it couldn’t get any worse, the damn thing multiplied. There was thousandsof him. “It was nice knowing you all,” Zahn laughed. They knew this would probably be a death sentence, but they never expected this. This was far beyond anyone’s imagination.8964 copyright protection253ＰＥＮＡＮＡuCXhSCDiSo 維尼
They braced for whatever came when a bright light erupted in the room, eating away at all of the shadows until only one remained. Arya used her hand to shield herself from the light. She could make out several figures, but she couldn’t see them clearly. 8964 copyright protection253ＰＥＮＡＮＡe5zlufEq4R 維尼
One of the figures tossed something around the creature’s neck and he roared in pain. The light dimmed but it took a moment for Arya’s eyes to adjust before she could see again. Soldiers dressed from head to toe in white, armed to the teeth, had the creature in chains. “Who are you?” Arya asked.8964 copyright protection253ＰＥＮＡＮＡJnBRpoMKoC 維尼
“Part of the royal army of the Seelie Court,” one of the soldiers replied. “I am General Evander Kale.”8964 copyright protection253ＰＥＮＡＮＡLQGWDjF1a9 維尼
“We are in your debt general, but where is the rest of your army? This creature has killed many.”8964 copyright protection253ＰＥＮＡＮＡeAFaQobXkz 維尼
“This creatureis not alone. There are others and the rest of my army is scattered I presume. Or dead.”8964 copyright protection253ＰＥＮＡＮＡTErzyCd179 維尼
“I beg your pardon, but did you say Seelie Court?” Lumi asked. The General nodded. “Arya, isn’t that where your family is from?”8964 copyright protection253ＰＥＮＡＮＡHJIfZFfnYS 維尼
The General’s head whipped to Arya. “You’re from the Seelie Court?”8964 copyright protection253ＰＥＮＡＮＡKJOHNIm8JX 維尼
“I’ve been told, yes, but the source isn’t exactly reliable since she slit my throat and left me for dead.”8964 copyright protection253ＰＥＮＡＮＡZOAzzmnMHT 維尼
Evander eyed Arya carefully, before motioning for one of his men to take the creature away. “For hundreds of years these creatures have been locked away, their God Balor banished to the plane of lost souls. If these creatures have returned then their God isn’t far. We should move.”8964 copyright protection253ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7np9s8SOj9 維尼
“The creature told me Balor wants my soul,” Arya confided. “He kept saying Seelie Regina. Do you know what that means or what language that is?”8964 copyright protection253ＰＥＮＡＮＡGmDmUixGwV 維尼
“I’m sorry, I can’t place it, but if Balor wants your soul then he won’t stop until he collects it.”8964 copyright protection253ＰＥＮＡＮＡx54lLzrUwi 維尼
“Would you happen to know whyhe’d want my soul by any chance?”8964 copyright protection253ＰＥＮＡＮＡUtxbd8qDyN 維尼
“Your guess is as good as mine,” Evander shrugged. “Would one of you mind pointing me in the direction of Malich Jarrah?” Everyone looked to Arya who gave a terribly curtsey. She’d work on that later. “You know him?”8964 copyright protection253ＰＥＮＡＮＡrlX4TMgsvY 維尼
“Knowhim?” Arya huffed a laugh, “I’m his betrothed General.”8964 copyright protection253ＰＥＮＡＮＡggsNXx9Ph5 維尼
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