Chapter 65 – Vol.2 Prologue
In the dark forest, lit only by the bright full moon above, a woman in black clothes sat on the tree stump in a nervous state, jerking her head to the side, from time to time, as if she noticed something in the darkness. Her right leg was shaking in a neurotic tic showing her agitation.
"Hello, sister." Said another woman's voice from the shadows of the forest startling the nervous woman, making her jump to her feet.
"You have come." Said the nervous woman looking around.
"I did have doubts about coming here and I still do. However my investigation shows no presence in this immediate area, so I will give you a chance to speak, just because Selena was like a sister to me in the past. You said she was killed?"
"Yes. We had a mission in this region. It went wrong. Horribly wrong." Said the woman looking around.
"I still do not see a reason for your attempt in contacting me."
"I…I need help. To cover my failure. If the Holy Lady finds out what we did behind her back…"
"Do not speak of her in my presence. I am not here to be reminded of that bitch's face. Speak what you need and I will judge whether to trust you or not."
The nervous woman spoke. Spoke how she and her partner came to the Greenville town for an investigation of a Demon that pushed back the Holy Lady's divination skill. Spoke of their findings and a prime suspect they have traced this event to. Spoke of how they acted outside the mission and attacked the suspect potentially creating conflict between Moonstar Kingdom and The Central Church. Spoke how they broke the rules and used forbidden mind magic on him trying to destroy his mind and steal his skills, defiling the god given gift of the system with the demonic skill, which was considered a greater sin than simple murder.
Had they succeeded they would have made it look like there was indeed a demon hiding among humans and what they did would have been painted white if presented as stealing useful skill from a demon and enriching humanity with a rare skill.
However they have failed. Failed horribly. Resulting in Selena's death. Even now she remembered that moment with such clarity it brought her cold shivers just like the moment she saw Selena's skill going wrong. Very very wrong.
Black mana, as if roots of a demonic plant, started to spread through Selena's mana on the hand that she held the tamer boy's head with. Selena tried to let go. But as if they were unbreakable chains they held her locked in place. She struggled for some time watching how the black roots entered her skin and spread through her arm. She tried to help Selena but nothing helped. Selena screamed to cut her hand off and she reacted immediately without hesitation taking out her knife, but then she noticed something else.
It was not just Selena's hand. Selena sat on top of him and looked at the hand so this is where she noticed the roots. However they were invading her from other places on his body too. As if trying to be unseen, these roots silently and unnoticed creeped through her legs to her spine and almost got through Selena to herself trying to invade her as well. She jumped away from Selena, seeing a scared and betrayed look in her partner's eyes before roots reached her head. Making her scream like mad.
Selena grabbed the knife that was stabbed into the boy's shoulder with her other hand and then did the unthinkable. She slit her own throat right in front of her partner's eyes.
Once the boy laying on the ground was released, black mana covered his entire body in a split second and he vanished from the spot as if he never was there in the first place, leaving no trace of spatial magic or any kind of other magic that she could sense at all.
"I see. It grieves me to find out my old friend has succumbed in such a horrible manner. What is it that you want from me?" Said the woman's voice from the shadows.
"Selena was under scrutiny after your defection from the order. Her life hung on a thread. I was put as her new partner after you. But I was also her overseer. However we became very close. She became to me, in a sense, what you were to her. A sister. I know that even after what you did and after what she was through because of you, she never hated you. She still considered you her sister."
The woman in the shadows did not say a word, listening to the woman standing in the darkness of the forest.
"I have nowhere else to turn to. It's been a few days since Selena's death and I have not contacted the order at all in this time. Without doubt they will send a squad to investigate. When they find me, I will be most likely banished."
"Banishment is a better choice than an execution for treason." Said the voice from the shadow.
"I don't want to lose my powers. To become no one. I spend my whole life training for this. I sacrificed my own system for this. Better death than…than being a piece of trash thrown away by the order. I have seen the banished. I don't want to live that life."
"If I help you. This is not a favor for a favor. If I help you, you will be mine. You will work for me. Do what I tell you and when I tell you."
"I…understand."
"Good. Go back to the inn and contact the order. Tell them you were attacked by the dark society's people mid fight with a demon that helped him. Selena was killed in a fight and you were heavily wounded and barely escaped after her death."
"The squad will…"
"I will take care of the rest. I've been in the order long before many of them have even started on their path to join it. I know secrets to the art you have not even dreamed of. I will cover traces and make it look so that it paints you in a positive light. Presenting Selena's body with a knife wound will give them enough proof. Best way to lie is to cover lies in half truths. We will mix truth and lies to make up a story. Then you will return to the Order and will be my eyes and ears within it."
The nervous woman nodded her head. Then she felt that the presence in the shadows had disappeared leaving her alone. Suddenly she felt very very alone in the dark forest. And shivered as if from the cold. She grabbed her left forearm with her right hand and started to walk away. Slowly plodding through the dark forests lush while nervously looking around shaking her head to disperse the voices and whispers in her head.
There was something she did not tell the shadow woman. Something that made her so jumpy and psychotic, was not her partner's death and fear of Orders punishment that might come for her. It was the dark presence she felt and heard in her head ever since the black root that creeped through Selena's back stung her making her jump away before it could grab her and hold in place just like it did with Selena.
Ever since then she felt some kind of presence every time she dispersed in the shadows. Something was there. Watching her.
She walked through the forest not noticing the black root like mana that slowly creeped through her eyeballs for a few seconds and then disappeared.
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"Why have you not destroyed it yet?" Asked a woman in the elegant long black dress that hugged her mesmerizing figure tightly.
"It did not show any aggression." Said the second woman in a dress that was more intricate and stylish making the first woman throw a few jealous glances at it even while they spoke on the serious topic.
The second woman looked in front of herself as if she did not notice the occasional glance of the first woman, but a slight smug smile on her lips spoke otherwise.
"We both know the reason it is here." Said the first woman turning her eyes at the window they stood by.
"There is something curious about it." Said the second woman watching through the dirty window at the small shed that was in the corner of the dilapidated garden. "I am curious."
"This curiosity may bring harm to you and yours." Said the first woman.
"It may or it may not." Said the second woman thoughtfully.
"We don't even know what this is. How can you be so careless? It is better to destroy it while it is still weak." Said the first woman with an irritated voice.
The second woman did not answer but simply stood watching through the window.
"Suit yourself. Priscilla and Brianna will be at my place until you finally decide what to do with it. I am not letting them stay near it."
"Well, going out for a time may even bring good for them. They have been sitting between four walls too long. They should get away and have some fun with an aunty." Said the second woman calmly. "I actually need a rest from them as well." She added looking with a smile at the first woman.
"Fine. Do as you like." Said the first woman and stomped away with an unladylike manner.
"Girls! Girls!" She screamed walking out of the room. "Get your things ready. You are going to your aunt's place for some time."
"YEAAAAYYY!" Screamed two elated voices somewhere from the second floor and then scrambling and stomping noise started to sound from there as if a whole cavalry ran around above.
Two women looked at each other and smiled, shaking their heads.
"I will go check what they are packing." Said the first woman and the second woman nodded in reply, turning back to the window and peering out the window. She closed her eyes and moved her senses toward that shed. Surrounding with her senses the thing that was hiding there for some time now.