Aria's back crashed on the ground. Her hands scattered and pushed against the neck of the dog that growled at her. Jerking her head, Aria spotted her dagger a little ways from her. She reached out her arm. Yet, stopped the moment the dog on top of her snapped its jaw closer to her face.

Another dog ran to her side. Knocking the dagger away from her, Aria grunted while leaning her head back. She arched her back and pressed her feet against the beast's belly. With a push, the beast crashed into the other dog. Aria rolled to her side. Taking the dagger into hand she got into a defensive position.

The dogs snarled at her. One charged after her as the crowd of bandits cheered. She pushed her arm against its neck and dug her dagger deep. Carving through, as red stained her arms. She could feel the blood rushing behind her ears. Breathing heavily, she threw the dog to the side as the other one began to run after her. Screaming, she fell down as the dog snapped once more at her, attempting to reach her. Again and again, she stabbed at its neck. Her blade sunk deeper. Pulling the dagger from the flesh, she drove it into the beast's head.

Breathing heavily, she pushed the dog off of her. Red, hot liquid flowed down her hand. She could not hear their cheers. It had been drowned out by her breaths and pounding heart. Rolling to her side, Aria lifted her head.

Bolts of lightning sprang from a crowd of men. The blue light danced around the ceiling. One jumped past her, touching the ground and crashing into the wall behind her. Using her arms, she pushed herself up. When she lifted her head again, she watched as bodies dropped to the floor. William stood with his sword in hand.

Energy licked every corner of his body. His eyes glowed brighter than before. Aria smelt the iron in the air. She could see the blood that soaked his clothes as it dripped from the folds and onto the floor. Men still came for him, attempting to knock him down. As men piled onto him, he continued to run his blade through them, and send waves of lightning through their bodies.

A boot stepped near Aria. Red began to cloud her vision as something took a wave over her. Her grip tightened around the handle of her dagger to the point all she felt was a pain. With a flashing vision of red and white, she dug the blade across the man's ankles. Climbing over him, she raised her dagger and rammed it through his neck. A hand gripped her shoulder.

Keep your rage for me.

A ringing sent through her ears. Pulses of red continued to beat through her. She fell deeper and deeper. Black stains covered her, yet her arms were completely covered. Pulling the arm, she twisted her body and stabbed her dagger into the bandit's side of his ribs. She pushed her body onto him, pulling the dagger out and stabbing it through his eye. His mouth opened, yet she could hear no screams. All she could hear were bells.

Let your anger flow.

The bells echoed louder and louder. Running her hands through over her face crimson smeared. Her heart pounded with the bells. Pressing her hands over her ears she tried to stop the sound. A scream pierced through her. This isn't me!

Drown in your hatred.

Stop!

Slamming her hands against the man under her, she screamed again. Blood dripped down her cheek like a tear. Something consumed her. It bore its carnivorous teeth and began to eat at her insides. She became its feast.

"This is what you are." The words made her lift her head.

A man stood before her, a line of black ran across his neck. He was tall and had a large cloak that ran all the way down to his ankles. With a large build, his square-like face was accompanied by a beard that covered his jaw. His hair was cut short and shaved at the sides. Bags covered the underneath of his eyes. An oversized tunic was tucked into his trousers as a whip was strapped to his waist.

Aria's eyes were focused on the pin that held his cloak. The familiar pin of the gold serpent with jewel-encrusted eyes. Her empty eyes looked at the black line across his neck that clearly dripped like ink.

"You cannot deny it, girl," the man said. "The minute you ran your blade across me you became stained with blood just like us. My son has truly touched your heart, making it as black as his."

"I'm not him!" Aria argued. The man lifted his head, staring her down as darkness leaked from his wound.

"Then why did you kill me?" he asked. She didn't answer. "Why did you stand back as another was killed for the deed you committed? He may have been the one to run this sword through her, but she was your second kill."

Aria looked down at her legs. Floods of crimson liquid burst onto the floor, some seeping through the ground. Streams fell from the ceilings as the sounds of rushing liquid filled the room as well as the toll of the bells.

"Perhaps if you say my son is to die then the woman who brought him to the throne he sits upon should be killed as well." Drawing his sword, the man moved closer to her. Each step was slow. It pained her.

The cold steel of his sword kissed the underneath of her jaw. She lifted her head, as she looked up with eyes devoid of emotion. Behind her back, her dagger rested within the palm of her hand. It was wide awake and ready to sink its teeth in his skin.

As he went to swing the sword across her neck, she clashed her steel against his. With her teeth gritted, she looked him in the eyes. The sword began to move, pushing against her. She used her other hand. Pain erupted. Her muscles felt like fire was eating at her. Her palms became taught.

Suyi walked through the archway, drawing the eyes of Aria and the man. Her eyes brightly burned a violet hue. Stretching her hands, Aria saw the symbols on her palms. Suyi placed her hands against the floor. Aria's body jerked away, as well did the man's. Their backs hit the walls on opposite sides, and the shadows wrapped around them. Aria noticed how the bells had silenced. The pulse of red had ceased. The man had slowly revealed the mist eyes and raven hair of William.

With the wave of Suyi's arms, a man was pulled from the upper steps of the fort. The heel of her boot pressed against his neck, and Aria began to notice his features. The man had a type of piercing through his nose. Wrinkles covered the corners of his eyes and forehead. While his hair was brown it was sprinkled with multiple sections of gray. The man lifted his head and Aria noticed the violet eyes similar to Suyi's.

"You're strong," Suyi said. "I could smell the hint of your magic just a little ways away."

"I thought I smelt you as well," the man growled. "But, I thought you were just passing by."

Suyi pressed her hands to his necks while pushing her knee against his chest. The man stiffened as he sunk just slightly beneath the ground. Aria noticed the symbols on his palms, although they were not the same as Suyi's while hers were more hexagonal shapes his were more circles.

"That's where you were wrong. My maudra told me about your kind and how you like to tap into people's darkest fears and guilts and use it against them. You were about to have my friend and meal provider kill each other," Suyi said while she raised her body up. Using her foot, she kicked up her staff to her hand.

She knocked his head and pulled his body from the shadows. Holding up her palms she took a deep breath and slowly lowered them. Aria felt the shadows loosen their wrappings. The squeezing embrace faded away and melted into the floor. William looked at Aria then drifted his gaze to Suyi. Dark circles encompassed the underneath of his eyes. He walked over to Suyi who beamed at the two.

"I believe that awards me with another meal, Eqos," Suyi said as she patted William's shoulder. Aria watched as he rolled his eyes, although he nodded his head. "I'm glad you agree because I saved both your asses and got you a bandit to speak for you in your court or whatever it is you Ralians do."

"He's not dead?" Aria asked as she knelt down to him.

"No, I just hit his empty head hard enough to knock him out," Suyi laughed.

The two watched as William lowered to his knees, searching the man's body. Suyi and Aria made eye contact. Lifting her arms, Suyi shrugged her shoulders. William moved his clothes, lifting fabric and examining the man's skin. He pushed up the man's shirt, exposing Venom's tattoo on his stomach. Hovering his hand over it, William's eyes began to glow. The man's eyes shot open as William sent waves of electricity through his tattoo. As he was about to thrash, Aria jumped down and pinned his arms down. Suyi grabbed his legs and pushed them down into the shadows. When William removed his hand, all that was left was a patch of damaged skin. It was red with bits of dark crust from the points that had the most contact with the lightning. Aria hit his head with the hilt of her dagger, knocking him out again.

"What was that about?" Suyi asked as she pulled his legs out from the shadow.

William placed his hands on his knees, lifting himself up. He turned to Suyi. Rubbing his hand, Aria noticed how the circles had grown darker. He appeared paler, like the snow of winter had just touched him.

"The last bandit we left unattended was killed by that tattoo magic," William stated. "And then that tattoo went and tagged Aria. I'm making sure that doesn't happen again."

Suyi looked as if she was about to say something, but bit back her words. She turned towards the door, and with the wave of her fingers, the man began to move from the shadows below him. William followed behind them while Aria looked at the bodies painted on the floor. She closed her eyes and turned her body towards the main door as well. When she left she looked around at the fort, seeing as it had become empty of life besides them.

Her eyes burned at William's back. She ran closer to him, although his long legs made that difficult to not be obvious. She remembered the words he told her before the group showed up. While a small part knawed at her, none were intended hate. A war went through her head. Thoughts battled with one another. What words should she say? Or what action should she take?

When she glanced up at him out of the corner of her eye. She saw his eyes fixed upon the man being dragged by Suyi. As she stared at him for a moment, he never moved his stare. Aria reached out for him. Her hand touched the side of his arm, causing him to stop and jerk his head to look down at her arm.

He clicked his tongue as he glanced at her. With the tug of his arm, he pulled away from her. He shook his head but did not say a word. Aria felt a distance between them, one she didn't realize she didn't want. When did I start to care? She stopped in her tracks. Watching as the others left, she looked back at the fort in the distance. She rubbed her shoulder, looking down at her boots that were caked with blood. An image of the man before flashed in her mind, causing her heart to drop.

"Aria," Suyi called out. Aria jerked her body back as the sight of Suyi's hand came into play. "You must have seen something terrible. You look scared when I first came into the building. That man was playing with you two."

"I know," Aria said as she walked past Suyi. "I heard you speak about that to him. I want to know how he knew things about my past that others do not."

"Your fears told him." Suyi's words made Aria jump. "Fears are strong, like insects that nibble from the inside. His magic is dangerous as it also corrupts the mind and the stronger it grows the more maddening someone becomes, for sometimes that magic overflows and disrupts its user's fears. It is the work of darkness, and will bring darkness out of others."

Suyi and Aria made it to the small pound. William was at the water, splashing it over his face and hair as dried blood dripped from him. Aria reached to her face, feeling the crust that had formed on her skin. Biting at her lower lip, she walked next to William and dropped to her knees. She cupped the water into her palm and brought the cool water to her face. 

Silence hung in the air. No words were spoken from the three. Aria cleaned her face and hair along with William, as Suyi petted the horses. The dripping of water droplets filled Aria's ears, as well as the sigh that had left William's lips.

"We almost killed each other," William said with a pitiful laugh. "Do you understand the gravity of that?"

Aria looked at him. The paleness of his skin and the darkness of his eyes grew a worry in her heart like a weed. He pinched the bridge of his nose and threw his head back. 

"No," Aria said. "Aldrich would have never let me killed so easily. He would have had me kill you."

William paused for a brief moment, before raising himself to his feet. He walked over to the horses. Pulling out a piece of cloth, he dabbed at his face while humming a tune to himself. Aria looked out at the pound, peering into the shadows of the trees. She expected to see the eyes of beasts staring back at her.

Aria felt cloth placed on top of her head. She looked up slightly, seeing William before he pushed her head forward. His hands rubbed the cloth through her hair, pulling at the strands as he moved towards the end of her hair. Aria stared forward, refusing to look behind her. However, she remembered the sight of the bags beneath his eyes and the paleness of his skin.

"I could do it myself," Aria said. 

He stopped for a brief moment. It felt like an eternity, causing her thoughts to swarm. She reached behind her neck before he continued again. His movement caused her to pull her hand away and return it to her side.

"I used to do this to my sisters when I was younger," William laughed. "I find some strange comfort when doing stuff like this. You look stressed, and you look like you're ready to blame yourself if anything was to happen back there. I didn't think about it until you said anything, but I think I understand why he would have had you kill me. If you killed a noble, you would not have been able to return and it would be easier for you to fall back into his grasp."

Aria raised her head up, looking back at him. While she noticed his soft smile, she could not overlook the circles that had grown worse. She turned her body. His hands fell from her hair, as she moved away from his grasp. Raising her hand, she touched the side of his face and felt the warmth of his body.

"You're burning." Aria's words caused William to flinch. He pushed her hand away. Aria gritted her teeth at his actions and raised to her feet. "Let me help you."

"I'm fine," William began before Suyi suddenly snapped at him.

"Quit being a giant child and realize she's just concerned. She doesn't even need my sense of smell to tell your magic levels are fluctuating." Aria turned to Suyi who was standing next to the knight from earlier. William grunted as he walked over to a tree. He leaned against it as he blew at his hair.

"What does that mean for him?" Aria asked. Suyi placed her hands on her hips, tapping her foot as her eyes were fixed to the ground. 

"He used so much of his energy that it's affecting his body to the point he's hurting his health. I'm sure he's running a fever and very tired right now," Suyi said.

Gripping at the sleeve of the tunic, Aria ripped the seams and tore the sleeve off. Collecting the fabric into a bundle, she dipped it into the pond. The cool water chilled her hands as it dripped down her arms while she rung out the fabric.

"That's my tunic!" The sound of William's voice paid no mind to Aria. She walked over to him, placing the cloth over his forehead. As she lightly pressed his forehead, she took notice of his irregular breathing.

"You helped me when I was sick," Aria said as she continued to pat the cloth against his head. "Now let me return what you've done for me. I'm not entirely hopeless."

"I never thought you were," William mumbled underneath his breath

Aria picked up his hand, turning his wrist, and placed her fingers against it. She counted each beat she felt. Her other hand sketched in the dirt, making a specific shape as she kept track of the beats out loud. William pulled the cloth from his head and looked at Aria as she finished counting. After she finished, she turned back to him, pushing the cloth back to his forehead.

"So love birds," Suyi called out while placing her hands on her hips.

"I'm engaged to a different woman," William interrupted.

"Okay that's not the point," Suyi said while waving her hand. "What exactly is the plan? We're going to leave to go to Lukosea, but what happens after that?"

William pulled Aria's hand down, taking the rag into his hand. With his other hand, he pushed the wet strands of his bangs back, making his features visible from the hidden forest of his bangs. He pressed the rag over his forehead before looking at Aria and moving his finger in a coming motion.

"Thank you, but I can take it from here. I just need rest now," he whispered into her ears. Nodding her head, she pulled back.

When he parted from Aria, he turned to Suyi. He rubbed his eyes. Aria rose to her feet, walking away from his side and next to Exodus. She took the waterskin from his saddle and took a drink.

"Once the sun rises again, we'll set for Lukosea, and then I'll try to get an audience with my cousin so that he can hear what I have to say." Suyi nodded her head as William spoke. There was a brief moment where she raised her eyebrows and part her lips but it quickly passed.

"Is your cousin the king?" Suyi asked. William nodded his head. "Does that mean you're..."

"Inline for the throne? Yes, but a lot of people would have to die before I ever sit upon it. If I ever sit upon it I mean." William changed the way he was sitting, pulling his leg up and resting his arm against his knee. "I never had a desire for the throne. I believe Ike handles it well."

"You Ralians have strange traditions and family trees," Suyi said as she placed her fingers under her chin. "What happens after you get an audience?"

William lowered his head, looking at his hand as his fingers tapped against his knee. Aria watched but didn't say a word. She waited. They both did, but they weren't sure what words were about to emerge.

"Then he will listen to what I say," William said. "And he'll decide if this means we will go to war."

I have finally updated! This took forever, and mostly just my fault. I hope you guys enjoyed reading this chapter and don't be afraid to let me know in the comments below. Thank you so much for taking your time to read! Have a wonderful day!