Chapter 323: Threats (1/2)

Some say there's nothing more joyous to the heart than watching the ocean emerge under the golden shimmer of the morning sun. As the big orange ball slowly rises from below the depth reaching towards the highest of the peaks… It's the symbol of the ultimate achievement one can reach, the highest of the highs, the peak of perfection.

This morning was akin to that feeling. Standing at the ledges of a clearing overlooking the sandy beach, a stoic, muscular woman wearing an attire made out of a greyish-brown animal's bushy fur looked at the azure blue ocean as it sent its rhythmical currents towards the shore.

She was deep in thought, her dark brown eyes were plastered towards the distant horizon. She was still, unmoving, standing there like a statue. With the tall, ornate spear she was holding, she resembled a warrior goddess, a protector of the seas, giving warning to the sailors to be wary of her wrath.

”M-my queen…” A meek voice came from behind her. A woman, similar in physique knelt on one knee behind her. She dared not to gaze at her leader's majestic presence lest she would stain it. She was focused on the emerald grass below.

”M-my queen…” She repeated seeing as her lord have not responded or reacted in any way. ”W-what would we do now? I-is she… Is your… Is Sister Naybeah alright? Should we go after her and bring her back home?”

Though afraid of voicing the thoughts of nearly every guard present and becoming the object of venting her frustrations, she still decided to speak up and ask her about the next steps.

The stoic-looking leader remained stoic, unmoving. She had a complex, unreadable expression on her face as her eyes that were squinted into tiny slits kept scanning the distance, seemingly looking for something.

For a while longer she remained like this, whilst her head guard kept her kneeling posture awaiting her words. Eventually, she sighed, slowly begrudgingly pulling away from the sight of the calm ocean surface and turning around to look at her accompaniment of guards before looking down at the kneeling head guard.

”No. There is no need. She is alright, just spent.” She answered calmly, as she helped her stand back up. ”Let's go back, there's no more point in standing here…. I need some rest myself…” She spoke, whilst slowly walking back from the ledge she kept 'guarding' for the last 10 hours…

”

Although her pace was steady, and she looked majestic, a bonafide royalty, if one would have looked closer, she would have seen the slightly shaking hands, the wobbling of her knees, or the beads of sweat glistening against the heavy sun.

But who would dare to look at her and try to scrutinize her? Who would be that foolish, that tired of life? She was the leader of this fearsome race of women, a being above the rest… For she was, Queen Klemeia, the leader of the Amazons… and the big sister of that battle-hungry crazy of one particular blonde amazon whose current state was unknown…

As she walked back, towards the settlement, she kept clenching her fisted right hand. A look of fury passed through her eyes as she muttered into the wind…

”If she is hurt… You WILL feel my wrath… Dragonling…”

—

Inside a mansion in the Noble District in Higrove a robed, elderly figure with a bald head and a long shining white beard were sitting in a large throne-like chair at the center of his study.

With a broad, wide smile his eyes were resting on the four small vials of dark, viscous liquid atop the desk.

Four kneeling figures garbed in leather armors were kneeling. All four were wearing a lower-half face mask covering their mouths. They were all looking towards this Master with empty, vacant looks in their dark eyes.

The robed elder callously flicked his right hand in the air. From this motion, four tiny, barely perceptible puffs of black smoke appeared and shot towards the four kneeling men. The smoke entered their bodies without any visible resistance, vanishing in a fraction of a second.

At the next moment, all four of the previously calm figures groaned and fell to the ground. Their bodies convulsed, they groveled and rolled on the floor, clearly going through unimaginable torture.

Their torment continued on for several minutes, which the old men seemed to be either oblivious of, or just didn't care in the slightest.

Eventually, the pain stopped, and with their previously vacant, empty eyes regained a newfound vigor, their colorful brown, green and blue irises all changed colors into that of the black as the night.