“Another one?” the woman asked sadly.

“Yes Cahildya,” Cahldor confirmed.

The latter’s skin had an unusual purple hue, much lighter than normal, and similar to that of the woman who had spoken earlier. After all, they were siblings.

“It is the third death in a month, and we have no clue,” a third one regretted.

He looked tired. He had covered his face for a moment with the palms of his hands, covering also his eyes. Then, his hands had gone up to the two horns on his forehead, stretching them tightly, trying to vent his frustration.

None of the nearly twenty Council members knew what to do. It was an unprecedented situation. They were used to facing enemies head-on, without fear of dying in battle. But not a mysterious enemy who was attacking from the shadows, and who could only be one of their own.

The existence of a traitor was unimaginable in their people. Occasionally, there had been members who weren’t comfortable with their way of life, and had left, looking for adventure, looking for new experiences. Some had returned over the years. About the others, little was known. But no one had ever turned against their own.

“I’ll find him!” Cahldor assured, showing complete self-confidence.

The rest nodded. If anyone could do it, it was him.

Cahildya looked out the window with a heavy heart, holding back tears.

“It’s only a short excursion to familiarize themselves with the forest, nothing will happen to Menxilya. Calm down, with Menxolor, she’ll be safe” her friend encouraged her.

“Yes, it’s true, but it’s the first time…”

Her friend smiled at her and poured her a hot tea-like drink, although she used very different herbs. She understood her perfectly. When her son had gone out on his first excursion, she had been as or more nervous than Cahildya. For that very reason, she had come to see her, to keep her company.

What she didn’t know was that Cahildya’s concern was much deeper. She knew that she wouldn’t see her daughter and her husband for a long time. She may never see them again. If her assumptions were true, she would need to make a drastic decision, the only one that could save her people. In that case, her daughter and the group that had gone with her would be their only hope.

She sighed, something her friend though that was about the concern of a mother who sees how her children go out for the first time. It was a common occurrence among the parents of their race. Some concealed it better and others worse, but few were those who didn’t carry anxiety in their hearts. If she knew the truth, she would have been terrified.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Cahildya sat down and took a sip of that aromatic drink, allowing herself to relax and enjoy the company of her friend, hiding her anxiety and fear. She had nothing to do until night, and it could be the last chance to just chat innocently, to savor the peaceful daily life for the last time.

“Are you sure there will be no problems?” asked one of the figures hidden behind black cloaks.

Their bodies and faces were merging with the shadows of the night, as they entered the sacred building.

“Menxolor has gone with his daughter. And the Custodian has also gone with them. And even if they did appear, they don’t have the power to stop us, not anymore. We even have the escape spell, although it’s an unnecessary precaution,” assured another of the figures.

“Don’t worry so much and listen to the boss. Nothing can go wrong. Now we are stronger than any of them. And we’ll be even more,” she boasted.

“I can’t wait to suck the blood off the bastard who stole Fily from me. She’ll see who is the strongest,” another one threatened.

None of them said anything about it, they didn’t even care. That “Fily” hadn’t even been his partner’s girlfriend, just an object of desire. Jealousy, obsession, and the lust for power had been enough for him to join them. And, of course, they would let him do whatever he wanted.

They all had their own obsessions, the weak points through which the “boss” had tempted them with greater power, with the power to achieve those obsessions rather than overcome them. He needed them to accomplish his own plans, plans that would be fulfilled tonight.

They walked through the building, easily breaching any security barrier. After all, they had placed most of them themselves, all except the last ones. These were much more difficult to break, despite the fact that their strength had increased considerably through the sacrifice of their own people, by consuming their blood to gain a part of their power. A “necessary” sacrifice.

But they had not only accumulated power, they had extracted information directly from the dying brains, information to cross those barriers. However, when they finally reached the center of the temple, they were all petrified.

“Where is it!?”

“What’s going on!?”

Suddenly, another figure appeared. She wore a white suit, which was glowing softly, illuminating the room. Her eyes were slightly moistened. Her expression was one of extreme sadness.

“So it really was you. I didn’t want to believe it…” she lamented.

“Sister, where is the gem?” asked the “boss”, with a threatening tone.

“Safe,” the woman smiled bitterly, then used a much harder tone. “Don’t ever call me ‘sister’ again. You are no longer my brother.”

A look of disgust appeared on Cahldor’s face. He hadn’t expected that his plans had been exposed.

“You can’t stop us. Even if you all come at once, we are stronger, and we grow stronger with each victory. Surrender and hand over the gem,” he growled.

“I know. I never imagined that you would fall so low, that you would sell your soul, that you would sell your people.”

Furious at the pity that flowed from Cahildya’s words, he attacked her, but his attack was stopped by a powerful force field.

“That won’t protect you for long! Everyone! Attack!”

“It’ll be enough. We won’t allow you to take the Heart of the Eternal Flame. Neither our blood,” she announced in a solemn tone.

At that moment, an intricate magic circle appeared under her feet, spreading throughout the city, and bathing it with a powerful spell.

“Noooooo!” Cahldor yelled.

But it was too late. Right before his eyes, Cahildya became a statue of a practically indestructible material. And the same thing happened to the rest of her people, protecting them from Cahldor for all eternity.

The traitors used the spell to escape, camping outside a city that was now sealed. Everyone was furious and frustrated, and didn’t know very well what to do. Although it wasn’t something that would worry them for long. After all, that night, they all became involuntary sacrifices to make Cahldor a little stronger.