Oh hey, Venix! Long time, no see! *waves frantically*

Lies. Everything he says is a lie.

Venix repeated this to herself as she got up the next day before even the sun woke up, those words repeating in her head until she was sure they were written on her forehead.

A cold breeze kissed her skin as she walked across the desert land to the bathhouse, a robe in one hand. Others were already up, not paying her any attention as she ran her fingers through her hair.

The bathhouse was lit with light and empty, barely lingering with life as the BloodBone set her things down and stripped herself bare. She tossed her clothes aside and walked over to one of the empty bath chambers.

The porcelain tub was halfway filled with water but she decided to drain it and fill it once more with hot water before allowing her body to sink into its warm embrace, the water coming up to her neck. Her toes curled underneath the hot water's comforting embrace, her hair becoming slick with water as it plastered itself to her back and around the curves of her ear.

Serius. Stories lingered around that wretched kingdom and those who dared venture into its deathly lands came back with horrifying stories or never came back all. The thought of Onyx out there - if she was still out there - all alone and searching twisted a sickening feeling inside Venix's stomach, an empty feeling aching in her entrails.

"Onyx, please be alive" the BloodBone whispered to herself, lifting her fingers out of the water and resting them on her lips. "Don't die on me." Her voice cracked on the last few words, feeling her throat tighten with tears.

Distracting herself, she absently stroked her lips. The same lips Lucien had kissed not too long ago. The fresh memories of his scent around her and his arms around her waist were still perplexing inside her mind, not knowing whether she wanted it to happen again or wanted to run if he attempted it again.

Oh hell, he attempted and she let him kiss her. After that first kiss, there were many more that followed on that same day, something desperate growing between them as their kisses became deeper, sensual. Like they were two lovers who had finally found each other.

Something between them sparked, glitched and seemed to merge them together and a headache formed in the BloodBone's head the more she thought about it.

She didn't know what she wanted anymore, her heart being pulled in too many directions for her to decide.

Maybe that was for the best. For now, at least.

Bathing herself quickly, Venix took five minutes before getting out of the tub and drying herself off with her robe, She wrapped the silk fabric around her body and pulled her hair back before walking out of the bathhouse.

Back at her hut, she pulled on black jeans and a midnight blue shirt with sleeves that were decorated with ripped slits, revealing patches of her skin. A black cloak was wrapped around her shoulder, clipped with a sapphire pin and her snow white hair was pulled up in a bun.

Lacing her black boots around her feet, Venix looked at herself in the small antique mirror that hung on the wall, seeing her flushed pink lips and natural pink cheekbones that had turned pastel pink because of the cold wind.

There wasn't much packing to do, only packing her spell books that she never parted with, a few clothes, some weapons including a dagger she had carved herself and a small tube of blood.

BloodBones could survive off regular food of course but a little blood now and then didn't hurt.

As she zipped her bag shut and swung it over her shoulders, there was a knock at her door. She took two steps towards it to open it but she didn't have to. It burst open on its own, nearly falling off its hinges.

Rheynoak and Lucien were standing in the doorway, ready to go. The tribe leader was wearing his usual black cloak and pants although his shirt was a scarlet red. He carried a sword by his side and those deceiving hazel eyes of compulsion. Lucien, on the other hand, wore a dull gray shirt and bland black pants, his hair tumbling over the midnight blue cloak around his shoulders.

A bag was crossed over his shoulder, a sword tucked into his pants. His ice blue eyes held no remorse as he stood there with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face compared to Rheynoak who had a teasing smirk.

"A lovely way to dress for your funeral" the tribe leader commented as the BloodBone neared them. She rolled her eyes, a scoff escaping her lips. "I'm counting down the days until your death Rheynoak" she hissed back at him, raising a brow. "Hopefully, it will be in a few days."

A cock laugh escaped his lips, those eyes flashing once again. "Don't count on that, bloody" he muttered back to her, the nickname he had chose for her rolling off that foul mouth of his like a song.

"I would." Lucien's voice was flat, one dimensional as he spoke. His words, once filled with depths and mystery and his voice once creamy and rich with a hint of an accent now held nothing. Rheynoak looked up to meet his eyes but said nothing, simply shaking his head as he strayed his gaze from the icy stare he was receiving.

Those eyes. Those icy blue eyes of his held empty promises, hollow balls of eyes. They briefly made eye contact, his eyes scanning her face and she could have something in his eyes seem to thaw.

But it was gone before she could blink.

The silence around them didn't last too long, the tribe leader ignoring his right-hand man's sly comment, breaking it as he clapped his hands loudly and said, "Well, we better get going. It takes a week to get to Serius so we might as well start now."

"Or I could cast a spell that can somehow transport all of us to the shores of Serius and we can save ourselves a weekend of being seasick" the BloodBone suggested, crossing her arms. The tribe leader smiled, raising a brow.

"Offering a kind hand I see" he purred at her, crossing his arms over his broad chest. "So odd from a bloody beast" he continued, each word he spoke ricocheting off into her mind.

Everything he says is a lie. Everything he says is a lie.

"I'm feeling diligent today" Venix replied back. "Don't ruin it."

And with that, she pushed her way through them and walked along the tribal grounds. The two men followed her, towering over her on each side. Those who were up stopped and looked around, their eyes not able to stray from them

Rheynoak had announced yesterday at dinner that he would be departing today but it seems as if his message had not reached all of their minds, some simply staring with confused faces while others gossiped in whispers.

Yet the tribe leader reminded them again, stopping in the middle of the ground and clapping his hands to get everyone's' attention. Once all eye were on him, he spoke in a harsh voice, "Today, I will be embarking on a mission with my right-hand man Lucien Northorn and BloodBone Venix Draywin to the kingdom of Serius. The gate will be locked at all times with our magic and we expect you to follow all training orders."

He stopped in the middle of his words, his eyes scanning over the crowd. Hazel orbs stopped, landing on a familiar face before the curve of a smile appeared on his face. "But just to make sure."

Quick as lightning, he rushed over to his victim and pulled her out of the crowd. Those stone gray eyes and dark, short hair revealed it to be Iresil, her frightened figure shaking in the morning breeze. "Rheynoak, don't you dare" Lucien spoke up in an edgy tone, taking a step forward.

But the tribe leader turned back and whispered, "Take one more step and I will snap her neck into two." That stopped him.

Turning his attention back to Iresil, he grasped her throat by his hands and whispered to her in a soothing voice, "There, there Iresil. My dear Elementalists with a huge heart, You will make a fantastic temporary leader." Dark pupils dilated over his hazel eyes as he used his compulsion on the poor girl, petting her hair softly.

"Please, d-don't do this. I don't want this" she begged, her words shaking slightly. Yet the tribe leader showed her no mercy, only gripping her throat tighter as he hissed, "I never asked for this life either."

"You will be under my control until I return. Make sure they follow orders and if they don't, punish them" he instructed her. As soon as he said that, a red mark with lines and ancient symbols appeared around Iresil's ears, her gray eyes darkening slightly.

The mark of a Hell Siphon's control. Slowly, the Elementalists regained her posture as he let go of her throat, pursing her lips together as she bowed. "Yes, master" she simply said before turning around.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Bathe and go straight to training!" she instructed in a harsh voice, gritty and low as she clapped her hands. The others nodded in fear, scribbling away with gossip on their lips.

"You disgust me" Venix muttered, reaching into her unzipped bag and pulling out a wooden bowl. "Don't speak so ill about yourself, BloodBone" he insulted her back through locked teeth.

Venix ignored him, snapping her fingers at his sword, beckoning for it. "Trying to kill me I see," Rheynoak said even as he drew out his sword. Violet eyes flashed and she gripped the sword away from him. "Give me your bloody sword and stop giving me ideas."

He let go and the two men watched as she set the wooden bowl down, holding out her hand. Without hesitation, she cut a thin line across her palm, allowing a pool of blood to slip from her skin and into the bowl until there was enough.

"Sanguinem miscere animi nostri et nos in unum." She repeated those words over and over again as she took the tribe leader's hand and Lucien's hand and cut them as well, letting a decent amount of their blood fill the bowl.

"Sanguinem miscere animi nostri et nos in unum." Giving Rheynoak his sword back, she picked up the bowl, whispering the words close to the rim as she allowed their blood to mix together. Dipping her hand in the bowl, her fingers were covered with blood when they emerged.

The two men followed her lead, their fingers also covered in blood. The rest of the blood ended up being poured around their feet in a circular motion. "Now clear your mind and think of the sandy beaches of Serius. Think of nothing but that."

Closing her eyes, she held their hands in hers as she uttered the spell over and over on her lips. "Sanguinem miscere animi nostri et nos in unum. Sanguinem miscere animi nostri et nos in unum. Sanguinem miscere animi nostri et nos in unum."

A tingling sensation rippled through her body, twisting her bones in pain as the spell took place. The world seemed to shake and turn upside down, everything becoming too loud and too chaotic and too bright.

Their bodies lurched forward, everything spiraling until their visions became nothing but darkness and they fell together into an endless abyss.

The distant sound of waves crashing rang in Venix's ears as she opened her eyes to bright sunlight burning her gaze. A pain shackled her entire body, a groan falling from her lips.

Cursing underneath her lips, she reached overhead and sunk her nails into a rock, using it as leverage and pulling herself up so she could sit on the rock beds. Her gaze traveled over to Lucien and Rheynoak who were pulling themselves up as well, slower than usual but they were getting there.

Salt lingered in the air, landing on her lips as the ocean in front of her waved hello, powerful waves kissing the sand of the shores. Behind her were mighty emerald forests, creatures and dangerous beings of all kinds lingering in the shadows.

The rocks were cutting into her skin and her body ached with a pain she couldn't explain but the BloodBone felt more comfortable than she was used to. Maybe it was something in the air or the fact that she was dizzy from the loss of blood she had given up for the spell but there was something in this kingdom, something that was calling to her.

And she couldn't help but acknowledge it. Maybe it was the birds calling to her or the songs of the birds flying above calling her.

Or maybe it was the sound of death. Oh, what a lovely sound she thought to herself. The sound of death and despair.

She watched with narrow eyes as Lucien and Rheynoak finally took hesitating steps in the grainy sand. holding their hands out for balance. A curse escaped their lips, hissing in pain.

But the BloodBone paid them no mind.

Whatever spirit was lingering on this kingdom was calling to her and Venix wasn't sure whether to embrace it or run away from it. 

A/N: And that is the end of another chapter!

Eleven more chapters to go! Don't be sad, that only means the second book - The Septic Curse - is one step closer from being published. Their adventure is long from over people. 

I updated quickly today! Double update! *pats herself on her shoulder* I was excited for the next chapter because the gang will all be in Serius and you know some serious shit will go down and enemies will bump into each other and blood and chaos and all that shizazz.

Ahh..lovely XD

Okay, the fact that this is normal in my head now says a lot XD I am starting the novellas so hopefully, those will be out soon. 

Thank you guys for all your constant support. It means so much to me that you enjoy this book. I enjoy writing it and to hear your feedback always makes my day!

So tell me what your thoughts are on this chapter and don't forget to comment down below and vote if you liked it.

Until next time Lovelies!

With love, May