While not many had the luck to encounter the creation of a sigil before, especially in the lower continents which were home to the weaker beast bloodlines, most cultivators and even some mortals knew a little about them.
A sigil was the sign of a primordial beast or elemental that had gained the bloodline of a particular element. A monarch-like existence that had transcended its natural bloodline and become a terrifyingly dangerous and unpredictable existence.
This was a notion that shook the hearts and minds of those watching, knowing that their small, somewhat insignificant kingdom, had birthed such a heaven-defying existence.
What made it worse, was that the most widely known fact concerning sigils was the more complicated it appeared to be, the higher it's standing, both regarding elemental ranking and strength.
In that respect, none of those gazing into the sky had heard of, let alone seen, a more complex sigil than what was rapidly forming before their very eyes.
Two triangles, one inside the other, with what appeared to be a crescent moon on its side at its tip had been created out of what could only be thought of as pure darkness. Upturned, feather-like protrusions fell down the two sides, starting from just under the moon, while at the bottom, what appeared to be a crow with outstretched wings, lay in a dignified, almost majestic manner.
The majority of the surviving soldiers, most having been injured when the mysterious attackers exploded just before the tribulations in the sky began, that had been rushing towards the scene all stopped and stared with confused, somewhat fearful expressions as the sigil took is final form and started to shrink as it descended towards its host.
There were a few, who had been within a few blocks of Nyx when the ten bolts of lightning had struck, who sprawled on the ground or sitting awkwardly against the walls of nearby shops as they tried to stabilise the energy raging within them.
After a few minutes, when the sigil had disappeared below the rooftops, the eerie silence that had descended upon the city started to lift and a few dogs started to howl into the dark, foreboding sky, Granny staggered from a side alley, surprising the recovering soldiers.
Blood dripped from the corners of her mouth as Granny carried the unconscious Harrold with a slight limp. "What are you fool's doing? Don't you see the Prince is in a critical condition? Get him to the Royal Hospital before we lose two royals to this tragedy."
The soldiers, dressed in dull, silver amour, nowhere near as advanced as powerful as the royal knights, almost jumped in shock as they saw the well-known figure in the old woman's arms.
Even though they were heavily injured themselves, they instantly jumped to their feet and swarmed forward, a few rushing into nearby shops, whether they were open or not, to get something they could carry the Prince without causing further injury.
Within thirty seconds, they had constructed a makeshift stretcher, made of two shelves and a multitude of different clothing, that could bear the Prince's weight and started rushing off, in a disorganised but well-defended column.
Seeing that Harold was in safe hands, and heading in the right direction, Granny couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of congealing blood before turning around and shakily wiping her mouth. Her mind battling whether she should attempt to strike now and capture Nyx before reinforcements arrive or wait for her sect members.
Suddenly, Granny felt a chill creep down her spine as her cultivation seemed to slightly drop.
Looking down, she was horrified to discover a small wisp of dark, shadow-like essence escaping her body and falling to the floor, merging with other similar energy that had been unknowingly passing her as they snaked their way towards the direction she had just fled.
Taking a few steps back, not realising that a small heart demon had developed in regards to Nyx and the strange happenings, Granny sat on the floor and took a few pills out of a hidden pocket before swallowing them and making an excuse. "I haven't lived to be this old by being the first to stick my hand into the fire. I'll wait for the others to get here before I act."
Meanwhile, in the cover of the shadows created by the tall buildings and stormy weather, more and more tendrils of dark essence started merging together, twisting through the rubble and destruction caused by the tribulations as they quickly approached Nyx's charred, smouldering body.
The guardians had vanished the moment the tribulation was over, and after the deaths of the surrounding knights, not a living being was within earshot to make even the slightest noise, causing the small, cracking sounds emanating each time Nyx's chest slightly rose and fell to be deafening in the unnatural silence.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
The snake-like shadows finally reached Nyx's body, flowing onto, and then inside, the gaping hole in her chest.
Within Nyx's chest, where her heart used to be, was now a pitch-black, gem-like stone releasing a slow but powerful beat. The sound emanating from it was similar to that of a heart, but the gem did not change shape or warp in any way. Black, wire-like arteries and veins connected this black stone to the rest of Nyx's body, that would create an alien, unnatural sensation in any who saw it.
With each small, unbearably painful breath Nyx took, she circled the essence around the body causing the approaching shadows to speed up, rapidly entering her chest and, in yet another heaven defying occurrence, Nyx's body started to heal.
However, the portions of Nyx's lung, as well as the surrounding flesh and muscle that had been damaged were not returning to their previous state. Instead, the repaired tissue and bone appeared to be pitch black. Yet if one were to look at them closely, they would find that it almost seemed as if they were filled with a black, continually moving, gas.
Small, silver dots twinkled in this mysterious gas, making it seem like it was actually the depiction of a clear, night sky and not the bones and flesh of a living organism.
Just as the approaching shadows started to thin, the pure, dark essence in the surrounding area being completely exhausted, Nyx's chest had finally been restored, a large, black spot on her sternum and left breast representing where it had been smashed in. However, even this slowly vanished as it started returning to its natural colour.
Nyx's crispy hands twitched, the burnt shell cracking as her chest convulsed for a few breaths before, as if she were a snake shedding its skin, it started to flake away.
Without warning, Nyx suddenly took a gasp of air, as if she were taking a breath for the first time, and rolled onto her front, trying to get to her feet as quickly as possible.
Her thoughts were still jumbled, her soul in disarray after her experience with the strange, unknown entities, yet her instincts were screaming at her that she was incredibly weak and preditors were closing in.
That she needed to find somewhere safe to recover before it was too late.
However, as she attempted to push herself up, Nyx discovered she was weaker than she had expected and ended up face planting the ruined floor below as her arms gave way.
While carrying out these movements, the cracked, burnt skin started falling away at a rapid rate, revealing snow-white skin. If it weren't for the black lines crisscrossing Nyx's body, the veins under the surface, it would look like a beautiful, pure, white-skinned, fairy-like existence was emerging from an ugly shell.
Those who had seen Nyx's body before would have been lost for words. Not only was her body much more slender and toned, now giving the impression of a feral, predatory animal ready to strike, but there wasn't even the faintest trace of the horrific scars that had littered Nyx's body.
However, even though her fall had helped Nyx removed most of the burnt skin, which was slightly restricting her movements, it had left her in a somewhat embarrassing position.
Her white, perky rear was high in the air, her legs slightly spread to support her weight as her arms were sprayed outwards while her face was planted into the ground.
While she felt that no one was in the area to see her current predicament, this position triggered a certain memory and ignited a roaring rage inside Nyx.
A fat man's face, as well as a sickening, revulsive feeling quickly bubbled up from the depths for Nyx's soul, causing her to snap her legs closed and push herself up with every ounce of strength she could muster while revealing a beast-like snarl.
After what felt like an immense struggle, Nyx stood shakily as a cold, biting wind blew down the street. The breeze removed the last few burnt remains of her previous skin and shockingly, freed Nyx's shoulder-length, pitch-black hair, which surprisingly hadn't been burnt away or damaged by the tribulations.
As Nyx shivered, feeling extremely cold, vulnerable and exposed, the sound of metallic footsteps on cobblestone, so faint due to the distance that only a Gem ranked expert should be able to hear it, caused Nyx' head to snap towards the south.
Glowing, light blue eyes, matching the colour of the guardian's lightning bodies, a faint, white lightening constantly flickering across her irises, locked onto the direction of the sound with incredible ferocity.
While her mind had cleared somewhat and some of her memories had returned, Nyx's instincts seemed to be supercharged, and she quickly recognised the sensation of danger and decided to act.
Nyx's body suddenly bent slightly as she started staggering in the opposite direction of the sound.
However, with each step Nyx took, she seemed to regain more of her balance and strength, and within twenty breaths of time, she was sprinting away, heading towards a dimly lit side street in the distance.
As Nyx turned and disappeared down the street, a tired, depressed sigh could be heard emanating from the ruins of a nearby building.
Another voice, aged and raspy soon joined it. "Your majesty, are you really going to let her go? She is no longer your daughter bu-"
"Give her five more minutes then notify the relevant organisations," responded the voice that had sighed. "And make sure to inform them that, no matter what international laws exist for the acquisition of primordial beasts, if they even contemplate capturing her and I find out about it, they will be hung, drawn and quartered alongside their families."
"Sire," responded the old voice, the sound vanishing as if he had moved away at an incredible speed.
A few moments later, the original voice spoke once again but this time, the grief and pain were impossible to miss. "Goodbye Camilia, my lovely daughter. I swear on my very soul that I will dig out those that are responsible for this and make them pay. No matter how many years it takes."