12 Soul-eating Witch (1)

Mira felt her pride being crushed inside her when Lucien ignored her time and again. Along the way, she was trying to make friends but this dark-hearted man only had eyes for the girl beside him.

"Mira, stop pestering them," Valkin tried to haul Mira to the back between Morx and him. If only they didn't need her charm to sell things in the city, they wouldn't bring her with them.

Valkin's eyes also glances time to time at the two's hands along their travel. He was more than aware that these could really be a couple as they have witnessed their closeness these past days. But unlike Mira, he knows his limits.

Nightfall. They set up camp in a forest. They were sitting around the bonfire while discussing their goals for going to the city. Lucien sat quietly while leaning on a tree behind Yllana.

"So you still don't know if you want to be a mage. That doesn't really make sense when your life force just awakened at this age. Wouldn't that be too late?" Valkin curiously gazed at Yllana.

"Maybe it's fate. That's why I want to go and find a seer. I am looking for answers regarding this power awakening inside me."

"Seer Midel was in the Roaring Winds City for some time. I heard that there was a problem in their Young Master's cultivation so he was summoned," Morx displayed a pitiful expression while explaining the situation.

"What happened to their Young Master?" Yllana asked. Problems in cultivation can be life-threatening if not dealt with as soon as possible. In this case, it's not just anybody but the city's Young Master, the City Lord's child.

"The Roaring Winds City's Young Master was ambushed in the Wyvern's Nest. He was travelling lightly with only four guards with him. Somehow, he survived the ambush but a powerful mage from the ambush had suddenly turned him into a good-for-nothing. The young master was a Mid-Legendary Priest." Morx was staring at the night sky the whole time he was explaining. He had a sense of pity to the young master. It was difficult to attain such a level for being a priest and then suddenly turned into a powerless person. This is a great blow to the city lord if the young master would not really be able to cultivate into any class again.

Yllana's fists clenched. She experienced the same event but in the hands of the demon king. Her heart tightened but she still displayed an indifferent face so as not to arouse suspicion. Awakening a power at a later point om life is already pitiful, what more if she told them that she was a Mid-Holy Knight just last month? Wouldn't that be more pitiful and heartbreaking?

Suddenly, Yllana's vision darkened and a force from the back pulled her down into something soft. "Sleep." she heard a cold voice whisper into her ear. This cold domineering mage always bullies her but she already got used to his ways.

She sighed as the hand never left her eyes. Minutes later, she felt her eyelids grew heavy.

Valkin witnessed again that 'sleeping habit' of the two and he smiled coldly. His gaze darkened a little but he reverted back to his normal composure and also lied down to get some sleep.

In the middle of the night, Lucien heard a rustling with his eyes closed, he felt his legs were lighter. 'Yllana!'

He wanted to open his eyes but it felt heavy and the pressure from a powerful source outside his body is suppressing him. His cursed under his breath.

"Leader! What are you doing?! Mira, stop that!" it was Morx' voice. He felt a body falling on his leg and in a split second, he felt the suppression on him waver.

"Wolf Fang Dagger," in a split second, a silver dagger appeared in his hand and he stabbed his leg. Blood gushed out from his wound and the excruciating pain broke him from the trance.

With opened his bloodshot eyes, glaring at the woman who was standing behind Yllana. "Yllana?" he whispered. Morx coughed out blood at his side and pointed at Yllana.

"Save her," he whispered through breaths. Yllana's eyes were vacant and she just stood in front of Lucien, unmoving.

"I'm almost done. Keep him busy." Mira commanded Valkin who was also watching Yllana. He looked at Lucien and the dagger on his thigh. His sneered at him.

"I want Yllana. You can leave her to me, right? She looks so beautiful..." Valkin's voice trailed seemingly enchanted.

Lucien staggered to his feet feeling the pain penetrating through his whole body. He gritted his teeth. "Curse you." He spat the words and looked at Valkin coldly. "Blood Staff."

The cold wind blew. "Hehe... I never thought you'd bring us a treasure. Her soul is special." Mira's voice was even colder with a hint of malice. "Once I'm done eating her soul, I could make her do whatever I wish," her eerie laughter. filled the air. Her hands was on Yllana's shoulders all the time and a faint white mist was slowly dissipating from Yllana.

'A Soul-eating Witch!'

Lucien smiled as his thoughts clear up due to his wound. When Valkin walked over him, he quickly grabbed the dagger from his thigh and summoned his staff on the other.

Soul-eating witches get their life force from other people's souls by absorbing them. Yllana's eyes flittered for a moment, "Lucien... " she whispered and Mira slapped her.

"Bitch! Are you still trying to resist? You don't even have the power to lift a finger!" Mira looked cruelly at Lucien, "She will be the payment for your arrogance and snubbing me. Tch, she's not even that of a beauty and you both have taken a liking on her. Such a pity, she's weak and frail!"

Valkin swayed his sword towards Lucien but got blocked by a dagger. He sneered at Lucien and pushed him back to the tree. Lucien spat a mouthful of blood. He felt his power weakening. But still, he has to do something.

Swoosh!

Blood dripped on Mira's skirt as she looked down. She doesn't feel any pain and there was no wound on her. Then her eyes widened in shock as she felt a hand hold her own hand that was on Yllana's shoulder. Lucien hit Yllana's leg to wake her up with pain!

Valkin cursed and directly stabbed Lucien on aiming for his chest. Clang!

Two metals crashed! Morx held his sword while shivering beside Lucien. He stared at Valkin in disbelief. It was his first time to see his leader being like this. It seems, he really liked Yllana that he even teamed up with the village witch. "Leader, they are innocent...as innocent as Mira's other victims just to maintain her beauty! We can't survive like this! Please wake up!"

"Mira is the nearest to a mage to treat our village from illness and plagues. We-we can't simply... " his voice trailed off as he bent his head. With a loud thud, he fell to the ground. Lucien looked at Morx. His staff was hanging in the air from where Valkin's head was before.

Mira withdrew her hand hastily after realizing that Yllana regained her consciousness. "You... you were weak. How... " she stumbled back and saw in front of her that Morx was still struggling to fight off Valkin even though the former is lying on the ground and wounded.

Yllana gazed icily at Mira and she smiled. There was no trace of warmth in her smile. "Trying to eat my soul, huh? You are so addicted to beauty that you didn't even know that not all men would like something that fades through time."

Yllana pulled the dagger from her thigh not showing any pain on her face. She dashed in front of Mira and cleanly slashed through her throat.