As Priscilla took to the unknown city the warmth of the starlight hanging overhead blanketed her face with a powerful dry heat, she covered her eyes with her hand as she walked in further. It was akin to a new world, the blinding heat pushing her away, almost forcing her to turn around and leave. She shrugged it off and gazed upon the divine city, adorned with colossal columns that encroached upon the heavens as they depicted scenes of battle and prosperity, not unlike the gates themselves. The craftsmanship of the city on full display as the main road was paved with the sweat and blood of countless souls. Her eyes passed the etchings taking them all in, she could see through their eyes the magnificent battles they told. A never ending conflict as the righteous and damned battled for their beliefs and culture. She walked the path towards the center unhurried, soaking in everything the city had to offer, it was strange and quiet. Almost a tad unnerving, as she walked not a soul stirred. In such a large place life seemed almost desolate.
It wasn't until she got halfway, when the sprawling palaces and temples filled the horizon that she saw masses of people, they prostrated on the ground with their heads bowed to the starlight, they yearned for the freedom of the star. Men in strange attire walked in between the masses spraying them with water as they repeatedly lifted and lowered their heads to the bright star hanging overhead. She could see the emotions plastered across their pallid faces and the fear in their hollow eyes. These people were terrified and unwilling. She didn't know what it was that scared them so, but not a single man, woman, or child turned towards her as she walked. Previously when Rin manifested people they would still react or try to interact with her in some form, but these ones were so focused that it seemed strange. She wondered if it was a cultural aspect, or was it something else.
She approached one group of people near her. ''Hello?'' she asked warily. But she was ignored, her voice fading into the ether as none gave it the time of day. It made her curious, enough so that she stepped out in front of one man, blocking his sight and enthralling him in the shadow her body caused. As the partial darkness struck his flesh he shivered and slammed his head against the sandy earth. ''Mercy! Have mercy Star-ah!'' he muttered on repeat while his forehead bled. Priscilla stepped back after seeing his maddened state, as her body moved and the lingering daylight revealed itself again, the man wept blood from his hollow eyes, returning to his prayers.
''What the...'' she muttered. Looking at the people with a complicated expression filled with confusion.
She turned away from them, it seemed pointless to communicate with these people, they were mindless puppets to some greater power it seemed. Maybe a part of Zae-Rin's trial, or something more sinister. She didn't know, but she'd have to figure it out eventually. She focused more on the carvings of the city's architecture instead, while making her way towards the centermost area. The battles depicted on them were vast and epic, they told stories of simple men on horseback wielding their trusted weapons. They rode against the wind, pursuing the most cruel and foul demons in front of them. Their women and children danced around bonfires, twirling their delicate linen garments dazzled in gemstones. They sang praise to the Divine, blessed their husbands, fathers, brothers, and sons. For prosperity and for survival. The nation was a noble one, they considered themselves people of divine descent, bled from the Warrior Deity himself.
Priscilla found their way of life and culture fascinating, even the way they put so many emotions into simple carvings, seeing them she could see and feel everything they wanted her to see and feel. Their desires emanated from their stories, the righteousness and justice in their bones was vast, as a people— they had faith. In themselves, in their divinity, and in their culture. But as she continued, the feeling seemed to shift. Was their belief truly eternal? It seemed less and less likely— as she got closer and closer to the center, the carvings became far more brutal and bleak. The battles were ruthless as they pursued all of the evils in the world, but that in turn seemed to become their sin. The more they pursued the evils, the more evil wanted to pursue them back.
And pursue them it did. The carvings began to transform into ones of misery and strife, plagues struck them like wildfire as insects desecrated their people and villages. Food became a scarcity and water became a treasure finer than the most exquisite wines. Demons flapped their wings high up in the sky bringing rains of fiery brimstone upon the lands.
Tyranny. It did not take long until she was the source of strife.— Tyrant King. The earth quaked with every step he took, he brought ruin upon the city, with a swipe of his halberd buildings and people vanished into crumbling debris of history. He towered above the city's people, his three heads rife with expressions of arrogance and righteous indignation. He was a beast— a pure machination of violence and the essence of evil. Yes— evil. One unlike anything they'd ever seen before, he annihilated the dissident voices and enslaved the masses after proclaiming himself ruler of the land.
Seeing the final carvings, Priscilla came to a realization. Why the people were so strange, so terrified. That thing— still remained.
''Damn... Rin, are you that confident in me?'' Priscilla muttered, chuckling softly as she thought about it. Did she really have to face off a beast that brought an entire flourishing nation to ruin? It genuinely did seem like it. ''Alright then! Since you trust me so much, I'll just have to prove you right.'' She should've felt scared, a trepidation under her skin with every step she took, but she didn't. The time for her being scared of everything seemed to be history, she had enough of it all. The pain, the betrayal, the fear. Compared to the sensation of her flesh being burnt alive while her family scoffs and jeers, the endless days of torment and memories flooding her psyche as those beasts gnawed on her flesh. No, this truly was nothing in comparison. She was no longer a hapless child forced to sulk and wallow in helplessness. She smiled as she took large confident strides. She was nearly at the palace, she felt confident and eager.
The streets in front of Priscilla began to fill with people, they amassed thousands as they all keeled over on the ground. Their chanting became a haunting melody in her ears the closer she came towards the Palace. ''Azzi Dahka! Azzi Dahka! AZZI DAHKA!'' the chanting propelled into a shout that shook the land beneath her feet. Blood poured down the corners of their mouths, they were like starved animals foaming at the mouth, as the power of the name weighed down on their souls. Yet despite it they continued, their shriveled bodies permeating with the final shreds of vitality. ''AZZI DAHKA! AZZI DAHKA! FOR THE KING'S GLORY!''
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She could see the life drain from them as many fell over, their lifeless shells crumpling into the sand. Men stood atop columns as they tossed hooked chains that dug into the deceased bodies, lifting them up and tossing them to the side, so others could take their spot. It was a vile act, the viciousness of an evil being
Priscilla took a deep breath as she walked past the insanity and tyrannical oppression of the people, as she reached the end of the stone path, she stood in front of a large archway that led to a series of wide steps that extended towards the peak, atop it stood the palaces of the olden nation standing aloof and apart from the common world. Luminescent gems adorned every stone illuminating the intricate carvings that put the previous ones to shame. The palaces themselves were magnificently carved painstakingly into the side of a mountain, shielding its back from the preying hand of evil. The nation was built on the backbreaking effort of its people, a monumental achievement and testament of the people's devout belief. Alas for them, all that remained was a kingdom of ruin, plagued by the very demons that ruined them. She walked up the wide steps, feeling the pressure of the Tyrant King weighing down upon her. The chanting of the masses died down, stirring the silence akin to a flock of flustered ghosts shivering in a well. Every step strained her, made her feel like she was trekking through a murky swamp that had a hold on her feet.
She struggled and grimaced, but she broke free of that strained hold that had her at its mercy, as she finally reached the peak and took her final step an eerie wind blew, slapping her across the face. Fog roiled angrily consuming the palace grounds under its might, a haunting display of sinister intentions and a pitiful attempt at frightening Priscilla.
‘‘Foreigner, you are not one of mine.’’ a hoarse voice echoed from the inner palace, like the clash of steel against stone, it scraped past her ears violently.
‘‘Worship this King, kneel before him and submit. That is the only way for you to escape punishment.’’ it added on relentlessly, deeming it unnecessary to give her a chance to respond, despite its hoarse voice, it contained a certain authority and dignity to it.
‘‘KNEEL. SUBMIT. OBEY.’’ it’s voice came again, it didn't give Priscilla a chance to even acknowledge it before its fury stormed out like the raging sea. The egoism of its existence prevalent, it believed everyone and everything inferior. It demanded irrevocable obedience, if not, it was a personal offense worthy of killing for.
‘‘You inferior creature! You dare disobey! This King shall lop off your head and have it roll down the steps to hell!’’ the hoarse voiced man roared with a venomous tongue.
A thundering quake sent rubble rolling down the mountainous slope. His footsteps weighed on the ground like a black star surging with force. From the palace he emerged— a beast of a man, more beast than man. His three heads had faces full of wrathful indignation as he walked towards Priscilla. He had six arms, two of which were placed together in a praying position, resting against his chest. Two wielded halberds of steel, and two, maces covered in lacquered spikes that left venomous drops behind them. It bared its serrated fangs, snarling at the lone woman.
‘‘Will you kneel? Or will you face your punishment?’’ it spat through its fierce grin.
‘‘You talk too much.’’ Priscilla said with a grin of her own. She conjured the marks around her body one after the other, forming thin barriers around her body. Blades of flame settled in her hands as she readied herself for the battle. Wind swirled around her, billowing her hair back.
‘‘KNAVE. HOW DARE YOU! THIS KING OFFERS YOU AMNESTY AND YOU REJECT HIS KINDNESS!'' one of his heads spat with increased agitation. The other two looked down upon her as if they were looking at a mongrel on the street. He slammed down both of his halberds, hitting the butt of them against the ground. The force of his thrust caused the ground to crack as it formed a slight crater beneath the weapons. His palpable fury was clear— a viscous bloodthirst that filled the air. He lunged towards Priscilla, slicing with the head of one of his halberds towards her neck. She twisted her body back avoiding the tip of it narrowly as she pressed her hand against the ground, she kicked off striking the halberd with her leg. Her kick was powerful but against the creature’s weight it barely pushed the halberd away, she quickly redirected her other leg twirling it out towards one of the creature’s faces, but it deflected it with its free hand, catching her foot in it. It grinned with arrogance as it held Priscilla up, dangling her in front of it. The woman couldn't accept the provocation as she manifested a spear of flames that stretched towards the creature’s solar plexus.
The Tyrant King grimaced as he threw Priscilla forcefully down onto the ground, grabbing his stomach with his free hand. He roared angrily before slamming both of his halberds down at the woman. She rolled on the ground kicking up a frenzy of dust as the blades cut into the earth where she previously lay. The beast slowed down, it felt the searing pain in its midsection as it bared its teeth at the audacious woman that dared to strike it. It could not stand the insult, he lashed out in a berserk frenzy slamming his halberds crazily, when he thought she was distracted it would strike with its mace. The ground became quickly peppered with small craters and toxic puddles. Priscilla dodged and weaved through his attacks, dancing beautifully along the wind that carried her. She brought out a blade of flame once more after losing it previously in the scuffle, she slashed at the beasts legs, chipping away at his patience.
She was not in a rush, she was not the naive girl she had been. She could see the agitation in the creature's mentality, no matter how strong he may have been once, here he was merely a figment of Zae-Rin's manifestations. He was only as frightening as one believed him to be. They continued striking at one another without halt, their attacks caused rubble from the palace grounds to shatter and fly in all directions. Priscilla maintained a confident expression as she thought about the trial and Zae-Rin's expectations; she had to defeat the beast convincingly, enough so to reassure the woman. She continued pulling out everything she was accustomed to, fire and ice clashed repeatedly against the creature's weapons, sending fragments and sparks flying through the air. She pulled earthen clumps, bombarding the beast with them, no matter how much of a hulking monster the King may be, she knew if she persisted she would stop him.