54 Dwellers
In the depths of the dungeon lies a secret chamber. Save from the dim light from the core which held a bejeweled dagger, the entire place was shrouded in semi-darkness.
A pair of long pointed ears suddenly perked up as if picking up sounds. The creature opened its round green eyes and cast its gaze towards the huge locked doors.
"Someone seemed to have infiltrated in our turf again." She muttered lazily while stretching her arms and unfolding her four pairs of incandescent gossamer wings.
As she did so, the room was gradually engulfed with white light. As the room grew bright, the creature got up from her bed of heather.
Her long silken gown almost flowed like water as she sauntered towards her gilded seat.
"Sylvia!" she called out while making herself comfortable.
As response to her call, a beautiful young woman with long, golden hair emerged in a flurry of light.
Her three pairs of gossamer wings signified that her status is a level lower than than former.
The summoned one pinched the skirt of her long silken gown and gave a curtsy. "I am here, Lady Persia."
"We have intruders again and this time, they had managed to move around without our traps activating. They are almost near the sacred grounds." Persia informed the other fae.
she asked in addition. "would you mind finding out what is going on?"
"I don't mind. I will do as you will, my lady." Sylvia replied before turning to leave.
But before could she move away, Persia stopped her. "Sylvia, if you have anything else to say, say it."
Sylvia turned towards her superior, bowed and imparted her thoughts.
"My lady, I think these people who infiltrate the sacred ground won't simply stop coming. Someone must have been pulling the strings and kept on sending us such filthy creatures."
"Did they think they will win our lady's favor if they offer such unclean creatures as sacrifice?" A childish voice joined in the conversation.
Unlike the two ethereal adults, this newcomer had a guise of a child with a pair of butterfly-like wings.
"Such creatures do not deserve our lady's blessings!" the child ranted while fluttering towards Persia.
"Persetta." The fae said while welcoming the child with open arms. "there… there… calm down."
"We don't suck blood like vampires. We don't need slaughtered children as sacrifices. Why do those things kept straying here?" she pouted before getting herself comfortable and pampered in Persia's embrace.
After the little one had calmed down, Persia turned towards Sylvia and asked. "How many do we have today?"
"It seems we have two…my lady." Sylvia provided while unveiling the mirror which hanged neatly on the wall.
Persia allow Persetta to sit on her bed and made her way near the looking glass.
The ornate mirror adorned with precious stones had shown the image of two intruders.
One was a handsome young man who looked to be a prince and the other, a cold beauty who seemed to be a maid.
"It is less than the ones they have sent for the past few months." Sylvia added while observing the intruders. "They are adults not like the children whose blood they have spilled here."
"Oh… these two are a bit unusual." Persia nodded while paying attention at the two intruders.
"It is just the two of them but their mana is quite strong. It felt like it is resonating." Persia added while savoring the leaking mana from the two.
Closing her eyes and casting a spell, she continued. "I see… so these two…they seemed to be members of the Enclave's descendants …"
"That woman in particular has a familiar countenance. She is reminding me so much of the person whom we had blessed a few thousand years ago." Persia muttered as her eyes followed the woman in the mirror. "How nostalgic."
"So what do we do, my lady?" Sylvia asked after a while. .
"Kill them?" Persetta suggested while flying towards the two.
"Perse, please stop butting in an adult's conversation." Sylvia admonished the child.
The little one pouted in retaliation but said nothing, so Sylvia continued. "If they are the ones we are waiting for, then it would be a waste to kill them."
"If they are the ones we are waiting for, then they are destined to come here and finally set our plans in motion." Persia added while keeping an eye on the pair shown in the mirror.
A slight smile graced Persia's lips while thinking of the future.
They were momentarily distracted when the jewel laden dagger at the core shone brightly as if it was rejoicing.
"Oh my! This is a first in almost a millennium!" Persia exclaimed as she felt the dagger throb in excitement.
"Fada de Luz, Lumina seemed happy. It meant that one of those two might be the chosen one." Sylvia remarked as she gave the dagger an endearing gaze.
"Whatever obstacles they must face; they shall be able to overcome. One of them must fulfill what was destined." Persia said as she took her seat near the core. "I hope that the fated person will be able to fully awaken Lumina from her slumber. It had been a millennia."
"Then, we should give them a bit of a test to see which of them is the one destined." Sylvia suggested with a twinkle of her eyes.
Persia thought for a while before asking. "We still have the ones who had been sent here before, right?"
When Sylvia nodded and answered, "yes we have those children and the other odd ones as well."
Persia continued with a smile. "maybe, we can use these two to eliminate those impurities left by those people."
Before Sylvia could reply, Persetta incised. "Can I come and play with them?"
Sylvia was about to lose patience, but decided not to reprimand the annoying brat.
Persia, on the other hand, did not reply. They both knew how mischievous Persetta could be.
"Sylvia could give the test to one and I can deal with the other." The child suggested while giving the two ladies her puppy eyes.
"But…" Sylvia would have protested. She knew that Persetta would only and most likely play around.
However, Persia gave her decision. "I think it will be good idea to allow Persetta to join you."
Persetta's peals of laughter resounded as she was given permission.
Sighing in resignation, Sylvia curtseyed. "Very well, my lady."
Taking Persetta with her, they both vanished in the darkness.
Meanwhile…
"Did you hear that?" Atropa stopped and asked the prince while they were walking.
The two have already entered what seemed to be the inner chamber judging from the architectural design of the dungeon.
"What's wrong?" Briar asked when he noticed her listlessness.
"I thought I heard a child's laughter." She answered with a frown.
Briar stopped to listen to the sound, but all he could hear is the occasional dripping of water from some parts of the dungeon.
There were no other sounds except their own footsteps and probably the flapping of bats' wings.
"I don't hear any laughter." He said.
"Must be my imagination." She shrugged before they continued their adventure.
As Atropa and Briar rounded the corner, the images on the walls had changed into sinister scenes of carnage.
"Atrocious! What are these?" Briar exclaimed as he scrutinized the paintings.
There were hooded figures who had slain what looked like villagers. Dead bodies strewn and blood spread on the ground.
"Blood sacrifice." Atropa muttered in a low voice. Her hand shook while trying to hold the pendant to illuminate the place.
They both continued looking at the paintings, until Atropa blurted out. "Oh no… Your highness… this part depicts the ritual of sacrifice. The same ones that had been happening in Azalea and Marjoram."
The same hooded figures were depicted offering cadavers to a dark figure. In the next few paintings, there were legions of undead taking over.
"No way! Is the culprit trying to repeat the events from history?" Briar asked in disbelief.
"They are trying to resurrect the dead?!" Atropa gasped.
"If that is what the paintings have depicted, then it would make sense. Because so far as the investigations go, the same pattern and ritual with the missing children were used." Briar said while his eyes travelled the murals.
"But why would they want to bring the dead to life?" he further queried.
"We won't know unless we catch him." Atropa answered but stopped and looked around.
"what's wrong?" the prince asked.
"That laughter again." She answered.
Unfortunately, Briar could not hear any noise… But instead a strong stench assaulted his senses.
Atropa seemed to have been affected by the stench too, so the both of them covered their noses. As the odor became stronger, groaning sounds were heard.
"is that the same sound, you have been hearing?" he asked.
Atropa shook her head. "No. what I had been hearing was a child's laughter."
As the stench grew stronger and the shuffling and groaning became louder, Briar readied his sword. "this is weird... I could sense no presence…but my instincts kept telling me something dangerous is coming."
