Chapter 29: Lord And A Black Witch

Chapter 29: Lord And A Black WitchWhile Arlan and Oriana were busy solving ordinary troubles of their lives, unknown troubles were brewing in a distant land outside the Kingdom of Griven to shake their lives.

Two hooded figures in long dark robes were walking through a stone passage that held vestiges of a time long forgotten. One was a handsome man with pale, gloomy features, while the other a stunning woman with ebony black hair, both holding long staffs made of strange wood with a black orb on top.

Only the sounds of their footsteps and the ends of their staff colliding with the floor could be heard echoing in the ancient stone passage.

The man was leading the way, and with each step of his, the torches on the wall would light up on their own.

"Zaria, are you determined?" the man’s voice echoed in that dark deserted pathway. "With your recent failures, I am afraid the Lord would not let you leave this place alive."

"I am aware of the dangers, Norean," the woman replied, her tone light. "There is no gain without risks."

The man said no more; afterall, the woman walking by his side was no naive woman but one of the oldest and most powerful witches alive.

At the end of the stone tunnel, there was nothing but a stone wall. It was a dead end. Norean moved his hand which emitted a dark magic power, causing that stone wall to tremble before parting to the side, allowing them passage.

On the other side of the wall, there was pitch black darkness, and even with their eyesight, nothing could be seen.

The man reached out and the torches inside all lit up, revealing an extremely large grand hall with stone obelisks lining both sides of the hall, stretched out into the distance. The flickering lights and shadows evoked a mysterious atmosphere.

At the end of the hall, there was a raised platform, and behind it were black curtains made of an unknown fabric that gave off an otherworldly aura.

The two walked towards the platform with solemn expressions, climbing the steps until they reached what seemed to be an altar covered in obscured runes. They fell on their knees to the entity hidden by the dark curtains.

"This lowly wizard has brought Zaria Lynx, as per your summons, my Lord."

"Your incompetent servant heeds your call, my Lord."

The next moment, those dark curtains moved as if a tornado appeared out of nowhere. A dark fog billowed from behind the curtains, eventually taking the appearance of a shadowy humanoid figure.

"We welcome the arrival of the Lord!" they called out humbly with their heads lowered.

A low, sinister voice, a sound straight out from the deepest pits of hell, thundered through their ears.

"Have you found her?"

It was but a single ordinary question, but the entire hall shook from the power contained in that shadow’s voice.

"Apologies, my Lord," Zaria replied as she could not dare raise her head in front of the lord.

"Apologies?" came that angry sonorous voice again.

An unfathomably heavy pressure weighed her body, causing her limbs to let out the sounds of cracking bones. Blood escaped her lips and dribbled down her chin.

The shadowy figure continued, "You have failed me yet again, witch. Do not forget: since I can give you that power then I can take that power away as well."

"I do not dare forget your grace, my Lord. I am trying my best to search for her."

"Hundreds of years with no results," the voice sneered. "You deserve death!"

The heavy pressure multiplied along with those words, and black mist seemed to seep out of Zaria’s body. Magic and vitality were quickly leaving her body, and in less than a breath’s time, only a husk of once a beautiful woman would probably be left, a suitable punishment for her failure to execute the Lord’s will.

"My Lord, please don’t kill her yet!" Norian called out, his manner humble. Though the force suppressing her stopped, the magic and vitality she lost did not return, and she slumped on the stone floor in a heap.

Norian did not even look at his companion as he continued.

"My Lord, Zaria Lynx still has her uses. Do you remember a hundred years back, if you had not helped her side with the humans, this Black Witch would have been killed brutally by her own kind? As of the moment, this witch remains the target of the hatred of those supernatural beings. If she must die, please allow my force to use her one last time—taking the lives of their leader along with hers will make her death useful."

"Are you telling me to give her another chance, wizard?"

"No, my Lord. She is not worthy. I only ask that she remains a useful tool to your plans till the end."

An eerie silence followed his words. Only the sound of Zaria’s labored gasps could be heard.

Then, black fog erupted from behind the curtains once more, and the power taken away from the witch returned.

After some time, Zaria staggered back into a kneeling position. "I am thankful for my Lord’s grace. Please give some more time to this incompetent servant of yours. I will find her soon and bring her to you."

"If I was not restricted from entering the mortal world, do you think I would have needed your help, witch?" the voice growled in displeasure.

"I am aware, my Lord."

"That child, seek her as soon as possible," the shadow instructed. "My voice can no longer reach her. I sensed supreme darkness interfering between our connection, just as she was about to heed my call."

"Supreme darkness, my Lord?"

However, the voice did not answer her.

"This is the last opportunity I am giving you, witch. Bring her to me, and I will give you power so great that no one in the mortal world could dare stand in front of you. All that you desire will be but a thought away."

This brightened her eyes as she spoke, "I won’t fail this time..."

"I give you one last chance. If you return with another empty promise, you will become a waste that is neither dead nor alive. You will be left to suffer for eternity, begging for this disgusting life of yours to end."

It made her shiver in fright but she maintained her calm. "I understand, my Lord."

Only when the shadowy figure disappeared did she allow herself to breathe. She collapsed from exhaustion. Meanwhile, Norian stood up and stared down at her pathetic state.

"How much time do I have left to find her?" Zaria asked as she staggered to stand. She wiped the blood on her mouth with her sleeve.

Her casual expression no longer held humility nor terror, as if the terrified witch she portrayed herself as earlier was nothing but an act.

"You already know that Lord merely takes advantage of the gaps on that barrier between two realms to connect with us. So do not worry. Maybe a year, maybe a hundred years. You have enough time till the stars align once more," Norean told her.

Zaria nodded and the two left that enormous hall. Pitch black darkness wrapped the place once more as the wall behind them moved to its original position.

"Shall I give you a hand, Zaria?" he asked with a seemingly kind smile. However, there was never a wizard who had a kind bone in their bodies. Zaria knew this better, more than anyone; afterall, they were cut of the same cloth.

"Do not think I do not know what you are scheming, Norian. We are merely working together for the sake of benefits. I have no interest in meddling with your human affairs."

"You forget: you owe me your life now."

The witch simply scoffed. "Before anything else, I need to find our Queen."

"That Black Witch, the new Queen of Witches born two decades ago?" Norean asked as they walked.

Remembering the humiliation she suffered earlier, her gaze brightened up with determination.

"Once I get my hands on the new queen, I will educate her well," she smiled meaningfully, and in her heart, she added, ’...and make sure to use her as my puppet and rule all the witches—be they black or white. Every single witch in this continent will be forced to obey my will, and when that time comes, finding that woman the Lord sought for would be just a matter of saying a word. The Lord will bestow me great powers, and I will have every supernatural being in the Kingdom of Agartha beg me on their knees. Every single one of them..."

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