26 : Sacrifice

"What the bloody hell do you mean by the 'Horses ran away'?" Cassius asked angrily and Stephen looked down with his lips sealed tight.

"We had stopped the carriage because we decided that the horses need rest and went to . . . Walk in the woods. When we returned, there were no horses."

Cassius was angry.

Without knowingly, he raised his hand to slap his brother but didn't. His hand was frozen in the air. He could not hit his own brother.

He was better than this. His unyielding promise to revive his nation was dragging him through the toughest of choices.

Slowly, Cassius opened palm turned into a fist and he brought the fist down slowly. Stephen was surprised at his brother's patience and control.

Stephen thought of his brother as a monster at times, the occasional fights between them were nothing serious but at this moment he didn't think it was just an occasional bicker.

"Witches. It has to be." Cassius stated and looked around, "Where the bloody hell is Xena?" Cassius asked and Stephen looked around as well.

"I - I don't know, she was here just a minute ago."

"Well shit," Cassius muttered and they both tried to find the lost Princess.

While Xena struggled in the woman's arms. It was the same woman she had seen in the woods earlier.

Did she follow her?

"Let me go!" Xena exclaimed but she got no reply except the long nails that were pressed more tightly in her arm. Xena groaned and struggled more.

"Who are you!?" Xena questioned, again and again, she got no reply.

Xena still squirmed but stopped when she took in the sight in front of her. Witches, a lot of them.

They stood in a line, watching her carefully. When Xena got a peek behind them, she wanted to scream.

There were cages filled with people. Her people. One of the faces she recognized was Killian. How did he get there?

The same Killian that had come with problems to the council and straight out humiliated everyone.

"Princess." He mouthed when he caught sight of her. No.

"What are you doing?" Xena finally asked once she was pushed forward and on to her knees.

A woman walked out of the many women and knelt in front of Xena. The woman was dressed in torn clothes and had piercing grey eyes. They both stared in each other's eyes with the same intensity.

"We are doing a ritual to keep ourselves from those creatures you are with. You will be our sacrifice." The woman muttered in her own broken language and Xena's jaw dropped.

They were going to kill her.

Xena screamed loudly but soon, hands grabbed her and she drifted into the darkness.

Killian's eyes were wide. He had to get out and save the Princess with him. Where was that winged creature anyway? Killian had come to the king like a normal citizen but it definitely didn't mean that he won't save a person from his kingdom from a different kind.

Killian had this sense of unity that most other citizens of his community lacked.

Meanwhile, Cassius and Stephen heard a scream that was merely a second long and they both ran in that direction.

"I lost her smell," Cassius mumbled and groaned. Stephen watched his brother carefully.

Stephen knew that Cassius wanted to get to his destination soon and also wanted to find Xena and if Stephen said anything wrong, Cassius would throw a fit.

The necklace Cassius had given Xena still had a strong smell but Cassius whenever looked in the direction where the smell was coming from, there was nothing. He couldn't sense or see.

For the first time, he felt almost helpless.

"How?"

"Probably a spell by those damn witches!" Cassius cursed but kept walking towards an unknown direction.

"Wait! You go to the castle - complete your task without any of us hindering you. Don't stop when your destination is infront of you, I will find her." Stephen stated. He wanted to help but it only made Cassius more worried.

"Bu-" Cassius started but Stephen Interrupted rudely,

"You don't care for her anyway so let me." Stephen was wrong. Cassius did care but he didn't want his brother to know that.

Cassius wanted to say something but dismissed his thoughts.

"Fine. But I will be back soon." And with that, Cassius opened his giant wings and with one powerful swish, lifted himself and info the clouds. He looked around and spotted the place they were supposed to go to.

With another swish and Cassius was cutting through clouds and towards the large castle tower that now stood only a few feet away.

His body went away from Stephen who also had started walking so that he could find the Princess possibly kidnapped by the witches.

He was surprised when he found nothing.

"Damn it!" Stephen cursed. He did curse but just not in front of people who held respect in his eyes.

"Princess Xena!" Stephen called out and walked deeper into the forest and suddenly, a bang went against his head and he was on the ground - passed out.

The two witches who stood above him laughed, mocking him.

"He weak. He no wings." They say to each other and break into a fit of laughter again.

"He looks good." One of the Witch appreciated and her sister slapped her on her head.

"Karen! No boys! No, this creature." Karen's sister spoke in her usual broken English. Karen nodded and they both lifted Stephen up and took him through their barrier which was invisible to everyone else except witches.

Cassius lowered himself on the ground of the palace and walked towards the gates with authority rolling off of him in waves. His wings opened wide behind him and everyone around him quivered.

"Gates," Cassius muttered but no one made a move to open them and Cassius tilted his head in amusement.

He looked around and stopped his gaze on a guard, "You! I will eat you for lunch." Cassius pointed and the guards' eyes widened.

He was ready to cry but Cassius did not care. With a strong swish of his wings, the large oak gates that held the entrance of the castle flew open and fell down off their hinges.

Cassius walked in with his canines popped out, ready to puncture Xena's uncle's skin.

"You! Better not come in my line of sight or I'll eat you, run along now." Cassius pointed towards the guards and they all ran away, leaving the gates unprotected.

Cassius smirked even more and trudged into the room after pushing the large gates open.

This was going to be fun.

....
Oh, it is going to be fun alright.
Dated: 13 July 2020
Don't know when I will post this.
P R O Q U E E N