Prey

"Awe, what a surprise to see that you are unaffected by my sleep curse."

"What?"

Sheyken looked at Esiyana's mother who had dropped her like she meant nothing to her on the ground beside her.

"I thought to give it 3 layers so it could not put you to sleep forever. The first was that it needs you to be asleep to work, second, that you could wake up after 5 hours, and lastly, that you could not wake up by any other means until the 5 hours were up."

Sheyken was still getting around the fact that Esiyana's mother was talking like a final villain of a story, and her actions were all so sudden.

"This was so as to make it so potent that it would put everyone, even the adventurers to sleep but not that potent so u boys could not sleep forever or in a way die from it. Unfortunately, it meant I couldn't kill everyone here in one swoop. So, tell me little mouse, how are you still up when the curse was supposed to activate when the two of you boys fell asleep, and well, it did activate since this little thing here is dead asleep."

Sheyken's guard was up as he listened to her and seeing her put a hand on her chin as she went to deep thought when Sheyken did not answer.

"Did I make a mistake somewhere?"

She asked herself.

"Who are you?"

The question from Sheyken stopped her thoughts.

"Awe, you can talk. I was starting to think you were sleepwalking."

She said with a smile.

"Well, you can say I am Bahlena, this little one's mother. You see, that crafty little daughter of that horrible, horrible person, together with Algazuma and Sisilana could see through any disguise that is ranked lower than they are. So, I had to perform a ritual that does not only make me seem like the person I was transforming into, but also become them as I took their skin, eyes, teeth, nails, hair, blood and made them my own."

Sheyken gulped.

'Witches are just...'

He did not want to finish his statement.

"You see, this pretty little thing right here has a secret. She has a Blessing and not even her mother knew of this. I happened to bump into her when they were settling in the tent settlement after you boys destroyed my perfect hiding place. What better place to hide than in plain sight right? Anyways, since I was about to run away, with 'him' being back, I thought to take her with me. So, I had to change my appearance so she could obey me and not blow my cover. I am Sidruline, the Spiting witch. A pleasure to meet you, so-called Young Legend."

She said with a slight bow like how a noble would do. Sheyken just took out Plot Armor.

"Awe, how rude of you, young man. Do not worry, I won't hurt you. You and your brother will have to come with me. You are just too precious to leave behind and me taking this risk is worth it. Plus, we have so many questions to ask you about what happened in your village. The LUMINEXIS invite's you."

To Sheyken it was less of an invitation than a kidnapping. She had reached out her hand to him, gesturing him to take it which Sheyken just looked at.

"Awe, look at this one. So resilient but we have no time to spare. We need...."

She could not finish her sentence. A man come from behind her and when Sheyken saw who it was he smiled.

"Butt Chaser."

He called out. As Butt Chaser came into view, his eyes went wide with shook.

"Sidruline, why are you wasting time? That bitch will be done in no time. We need to move."

Butt Chaser said. The words were not what had surprised Sheyken, but it was what he was carrying that did. In his hands were two heads of his fellow comrades which Sheyken was just on an important mission for all men of Senjira the morning of the day before. They were the head of Laker and Pilalo. Sheyken had just become friends with them that day and seeing their lifeless heads was making his blood boil. The curse that was around the place was not helping in calming him down either.

"Butt Chaser! How could you."

Butt chaser looked at Sheyken with spite.

"Shut up you imbecile. You were also laughing at me the other day. If she did not want to turn you into an Initiate, I would kill you where you stand."

He looked at Sheyken with hate in his eyes.

"What?"

His words confused Sheyken.

"Ever since that day I have been laughed at by everyone in the guild. They even gave me such a name and no girl would even look at me, ashamed for being associated with someone like me. The day I lost my butt was the day I was cursed. That beast cursed me. Only Sidruline never laughed at me and gave me some comfort and promised me that if I did this with her, she would restore my butt."

Sheyken was taken aback. The man seemed at peace with his missing butt the other day. He did not know it was hell for him and that he was pretending all the while he laughed with them.

"These two were the worst of the bunch. They were the ones that started the name. Next is Exzola and Tapona, Sidruline, where are their tents?"

Sidruline pointed to the tents where Sheyken had helped them get into and put them to rest. His heart raced. He did not know what to do as he held Plot Armor tightly, ready to move.

"No Alen, the bitch is putting up quite a show over there. She might just get out unscathed. We need to take the boys and go."

A girl in a hood and that had the sleeve of her left hand floating about and torn half way through said to Butt Chaser.

'That is her. I still remember that day when we had finished killing all those Initiates and we went into the guild. She is the one that passed me that time. I remember that hood and she still has the same kind of feeling I felt back then. Is it malice towards me?'

Sheyken thought.

'So, his real name is Alen.'

He thought as he looked at Butt Chaser who did not like what he heard.

"Can I at least kill one more."

Alen asked with a pleading tone.

"No, we have already wasted too much time. I can kill them all with one of my curses after we have taken the boys. Let's move."

Sidruline said.

"Sheyken!"

A familiar voice sound out not that far from where he and Falgur's camp was.

"Lariote."

Sheyken said with relief in his voice. He was thinking of using the curse needle but he did not know how fast their reaction speeds were and what their defenses where like. He then thought of calling for a woman he had thought of not that long ago, but he was thinking it was overkill for just the three in front of him and he needed to save each petal for a situation he had no control over. Seeing Lariote coming to him, he was relieved and thought there was still a chance they could do something since he did have the curse needle and was ready to use it.

"What! You, are you? wait, it is you!"

Two questions followed by him realizing something showed the confusing situation he had stumbled upon.

"You are the playboy I could not kill and who manage to take my forearm. How! All mother must want me to recompense for my failure as I have a chance to finish the job."

The girl with a hood on said as she touched the sleeve which had a missing arm and flapping about.

Lariote smiled as he was thinking the same thing. That he would get to avenge someone he loved so much and who died on the day she finally chose to be with him. His smile turned to a cold stare when he saw what Butt Chaser was holding.

"What did you do Alen!!!"

He screamed at him. Alen just lifted up the hand that was holding the heads of the two, so to make sure he saw them properly.

"You are next."

As angry as he was, Lariote did not like their odds. He had already calculated that whoever the other lady in the middle was, she had something to do with the Initiate's incident and seeing that Sheyken was confronting them, he thought they might be there to kidnap him. He did not remember that it was Esiyana's mother and they had met many time. He went in front of Sheyken with his guard up.

'This is not good. I can take on the girl but Alen is a second-tier mage. This already does not look good for us.'

"Awe, Alen, are you the first to ever betray the Desert guild in all its years of existence?"

A girl's voice sounded out that made Lariote and Sheyken beam with smiles.

"Salina."

Alen said with a bitter smile. Salina slowly came into view from behind Sheyken and Lariote. She stood next to Lariote as she also shielded Sheyken from them.

"I just can't figure out who to kill first. The bitch who killed Alati or the Idiot that believes a Dark witch's word."

She said with spite.

"And who might you be?"

She asked the lady in the middle as she had assumed it not to be Esiyana's mother when she come upon what was going on right after Lariote. She knew her and the sadistic smile she was showing would never belong to her.

"Hahahaha, look at this bitch talk. You two think we have time to just mingle with you. Salina, you were in my calculations of being awake since I do not know how exactly your Blessing woks."

She said with a smile.

"This idiot is irrelevant."

She pointed to Lariote.

"You are not going to fight anyone. I shall obliterate you right now. You still do not get it do you? I am a third circle Dark witch, and you shall not leave through tonight."

Sidruline said as she dropped all pretense of friendliness. The act reminded Sheyken of Flosbris.

"Alen, Swelya, get the boys, it is time to leave. It will take a second to deal with this two."

She said as she stepped forward. She stopped after taking only two steps.

"Ho, ho, ho, ho.

They all did not know whether that was a laugh or a celebration.

"Victicus, you old fool. You did not want to get involved, but as a guild master you had to give direction. I thank you."

A voice sounded out not so far away from them as a man got closer.

"My PREY! I have found you."

Steam come out of the person's nose as the scar on his chest turned red. Everyone present was surprised.

At that moment an explosion sounded out at the far distance, lighting up the night sky and the man who had just joined them.

'Master.'

Salina thought as she was the only one looking at where the explosion come from with everyone else not able to take their eyes off of the scary man who had a vicious smile on his face which was also full of joy.