8. Denial.

The brothers watched as the view before them disappeared, or rather, changed into a whole new scenery. They were gone.

***

"What happened?" Ciara jumped up, terrifying poor Gavil.

"They found me. They found me!" He sat still, crying in fear.

"Hey, hey, it's okay." August tried his best to comfort him, though his best was as if it were nothing.

Ciara had the advantage and so she made use of it. Petting him nicely after she'd sat down with him, she began talking to him foretelling that everything would be alright. Ciara brought her head up to Zuri, "What do we do?"

"Ciara, you're doing a great job. August, you come with me." With an authoritative voice, Zuri commanded, and August followed immediately.

Ciara could only watch with an angry face as they both stepped away.

A few feet further apart, Zuri and August began to initiate a plan.

"Who were they?" Asked August.

"Do they matter? They're not good people, that's what you should concern yourself with."

"No need to get cranky about that." August shot her a big frown, but Zuri wasn't moved. "Now, what do you suggest we-"

"-just kill them." Out of the blue, Ciara's voice replied from behind, startling them both.

"Ciara, you should stay with the boy," in a hushed tone, August said to Ciara who only ignored.

"He's right," Zuri added.

"He will be fine," replied Ciara crisply. "Now, kill those people."

"Shut up, woman." Zuri hushed with delicate disdain.

With an exaggerated sigh, Ciara coldly replied, "If you're as powerful as people say, you will do something right now."

Almost instantly, a hot slap landed on Ciara's rosy cheek. Surprised by the terror that had suddenly victimized her face, her palm caressed her cheeks and in that split second, when she was still figuring out what to do next, Zuri walked past her and commanded August to follow behind. Ciara had on her a mixed feeling of a flush of immediate anger, and a moment of shock. Whereas her intellect was telling her there were better ways to handle the situation, she was ready to march down to Zuri, and feed her a dose of her own medicine.

"... Alright." Ciara heard August's voice, then Zuri's, like they'd just silently made an agreement and she hadn't been invited.

"Tell her to stay far away from me." Warned Zuri, revealing a set of angry eyes at August who instantly nodded in reply.

Ciara only watched from afar, calming herself down till they at least got out of the situation at hand.

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"Hello, brothers of hell," Zuri called from behind, startling both brothers who instantly turned in the direction of her voice. "Although, brothers from hell would have sounded rather nicely."

The younger one of them, Pacifier, observed from one eye, and almost couldn't believe his eye, observing her now that she was up close. Zuri was barely eight back then when their master had ordered for her abduction. A mere frightened little girl with beautiful long and silky black hair, a tiny voice, and a dazzling piece of expensive jewelry around her neck. Now, before him was a full-grown woman with intimidating eyes and a roguish attitude. The confidence she wore almost made him run back home. "Hello, little one." He replied, coating his voice with courage. "We've missed you,"he flashed brown neatly arranged teeth at her, "it's been a while." He let an object dangle freely in his hand; the same necklace he'd snatched from her neck fourteen years ago.

When Zuri's eyes sighted the necklace, all of her anxiety came tumbling back. Her eyes darkened with worry as a deep sense of uneasiness held me rigid. That necklace should had been destroyed years ago. The mad man kept it with him all those while. It was expensive, which was the more reason he should had sold it, but there it was, still in good condition.

"Shut up, you moron!" Yelled the other one, Captain Thomas.

The brothers hadn't even changed a bit it, making fourteen years seem like nothing on them. Thomas hadn't added in height, and his grumpy mood never seemed to have cooled down. Although, where bald head used to be was now unkempt shaggy brown hair. His face was plastered with thick bushy beards. In his hands, his sword was firmly gripped tight.

His brother on the other hand, was still tall and handsome. His dark long hair was tied to a bun, and his eyes glowed radiantly beautiful to compensate his fair skin.

He was the one that shot Gavil, and as Zuri instantly noticed, a wave of helpless anger simmering inside her. "I see you now have one eye," she decided to divert her anger into sarcasm. For her plan, she needed their attention. All that she could get.

"You witch!" A fiery exclamation of wrath and disdain instantly worked its way up to his face. "You caused this."

"Aww, did I?" said Zuri with a heavy mockery.

"Why are we wasting our time? Let's kill her already!" Yelled Thomas, and his brother followed in his step. With anger glazed in his eyes, Thomas unshielded his sword, the tip of the blade glittering in menacing horror.

Pulsifer brought out his poisonous bow and arrow and set his aim nicely at her head. In just half a second, she would be on a ride straight to her grave.

"Wait!" She stretched out her palm, halting them to a pause. Only for a while, they did listen.

"What? Scared of death, Dark One?" Teased Pulsifer.

"Yes, I'm scared. I don't want to die!" Admitted Zuri, partially because she was right. Other part, she needed some more time.

"Oh really?" Frowned Thomas.

August appeared from behind the two brothers, ready to administer his actions. He gave Zuri a slight nod, and she too responded.

"Now. " She muffled out in a whispering tone, and both brothers exchanged confused glances. But she wasn't talking to them. Or even August.

She was talking to herself.

Immediately, she ran to the next tree beside her, and crouched low behind to hide herself from the rest of them.

August on the other hand, fought like hell. But his skills were nothing compared to both brothers. It didn't take long before he became defenseless. The sharp tip of Thomas's blade pointed towards August's neck, ready to rip it off from his body. "Is this your big plan, Dark One?" Yelled Thomas.

Pulsifer roared in mockery, amused by the quick incident that had just happened. With August on his knees, moments away from death, he murmured silently under his breath a prayer. That moment must not be his last.

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