Ava

12 - A Black Shard

“Oh, please. Please no.” A woman’s voice whimpered.

Her husband had gone mad and was now threatening to kill her. He pinned her body and gripped her by the neck, pointing a knife on her throat. A commotion had started around them as people started murmuring. Some were worried and shocked, some were terrified but many others were just looking at them like it was just a normal situation. The man holding the knife eventually started laughing devilishly. He truly doesn’t want to hurt his beloved wife but he can’t stop the voice inside him. Ever since their child had died, he keeps hearing these voices and have eventually lost his mind. He then thought that it’s much better for them to die now than suffer longer.

That was when Ava came and saw what’s going on, sniffing further, she eventually confirmed that the magical scent was coming from that direction. He must be the one they were looking for. It must be him as the smell reeks so strong. She immediately looked around for any signs of Black or Casix but failed. She earnestly hoped deep inside then that they’d come soon.

A few moments later, a group of soldiers came to view. 

“Drop your knife and come with us now. We can all settle this in a peaceful way.” One of the soldiers said. “This time, your family will be the priority.” 

An evil laughter broke out from the man in question again. 

“You think I will fall again and believe your lies?” The man declared and Ava felt some dark aura oozing from his side. 

This is it. Magic. There will be an uproar for sure. Ava thought. 

“We’ve been here for many months now!!! I gave you everything I have!!! I gave you, soldiers, all of my money just to let us pass!!! But you all lied and made us stay!!!!” The man screamed loudly and angrily.

“He’s gone mad.” A bystander from her side commented to another. 

“Poor soul.” Another one commented. 

“Why?” Ava asked, can’t help herself but to butt in. 

“His child was sick and was told of a good doctor who lives in the north. And so he sold everything he has and brought his wife and child with him so they can go and have the child treated.  But they got stuck here in the camps. It was a week ago when their child had passed away, not because of his sickness, but because of extreme hunger.” The bystander replied.

Ava then looked at the man, pity enveloped her. The dark aura that she’s felt grew stronger by the second. Ever since the purge, she’s only heard a very few stories about magical creatures and have rarely seen one. Except for the past few weeks where she encountered many of them.

With this powerful aura emanating from him, what kind of magical creature would he be? She thought.

“You all are liars!!! You all are-“ The man cried loudly but he never got the chance to finish his sentence. 

Because in a flash, someone who looked like a higher ranking officer leapt forward and buried a dagger in the man’s neck in just one swift movement. Ava’s eyes grew wide as she saw the man’s body crumpling to the ground. The crowd gasped in shock and some have started running back to their own tents, not wanting to be killed next by these ruthless soldiers. The officer then just reluctantly bent his neck from side to side and wiped his dagger on his pants like what he did was nothing.

“Ahhhhh…that man made us look for him all night. Tsk!” He scoffed and nodded at his soldiers to clean the body.

Ava’s rage surged and wanted to speak up but then she suddenly noticed a wave of dark aura coming from the man’s wife who fell to the ground as well. Her hair was sprawled all over her face and her shoulders were shaking up and down. She was laughing soundlessly. 

The scent. The dark aura. It wasn’t him. Ava thought as her eyes laid on the dead man then it trailed to the woman. It is her.

“Just because you were given some power. You really think you are above everyone else?!” The woman spoke at she looked up and angrily gazed at the office who just killed her husband. 

“And who the hell are you to even talk back to me?” The officer questioned authoritatively and moved to kill the woman but she ducked and swiftly pounced into the officer, landing on top of him. 

“ALL HAIL THE DEMON GOD!!!” She yelled before growing a fang and biting at the officer’s neck, tearing it the head from his body. Her nails had also gone sharp and long 

“AHHHHH!!!!” People all around screamed in terror and run.

“MONSTER!!!!” They yelled. 

What the hell is she? Ava thought as she also moved backwards and found a hiding place. She couldn’t risk getting bitten. 

The soldiers who were smirking earlier stayed frozen as their eyes were transfixed at the woman who was madly tearing the officer apart. They couldn’t believe their eyes because the officer was one of the best soldiers there is. But after the crowd had dispersed, they also started cramming.

“Peekaboo!” The woman exclaimed as she leaped on one of the soldiers and pinned it on the ground before biting him until he took his last breath. The other one beside him tried to help his fellow soldier and yielded his sword but the woman ducked and twisted before jammed her fingers straight into the attacker’s heart. Pulling his heart out, the woman laughed evilly as she eyed the dead body of her victim. Hot blood sprayed out, painting the ground red.

How? Ava thought as she knew those chest plates worn by the soldiers were hard metal plates. 

Bones snapped. 

The soldiers screamed before it was dead silent.

It was over in an instant. She’d kill them all in just a few minutes. 

“Please. We will let you cross the border. Just don’t kill me.” The last surviving soldier pleaded, holding up his hands as he looked at the b****y woman. 

The woman just stepped towards the crying soldier who was begging for his life, silent as the grave. Her eyes pierced through him as she moved, leaving b****y footprints behind.

“ALL HAIL TO THE DEMON GOD!!!” She cried once more before she rushed towards the man’s neck, biting it. The soldier shuddered and tried to open his mouth, only to choke on his final words as blood flowed freely out of him. His body went limp as soon as life fled from his eyes. 

What is she? Ava asked herself as she observed the woman.

She let go of the dead soldier and stoop up slowly. Blood covered her mouth, her hands and her whole body. She looked up and stared into the sky.

“Today is the perfect day to kill. I will show them. I will punish them all!!!” The woman declared and laughed evilly as she looked around and saw how she painted the camps red. “ALL HAIL THE DEMON GOD!!!”

Without wasting anymore time, her killing spree continued even after killing all the soldiers. She has started attacking her fellow refugees. Opening their tents and killing them one by one.

No. Ava thought before finally moving out of her hiding spot, holding on her dagger tightly. “STOP!!!” 

The immediately turned to her as her scream had caught attention. 

“Killing the innocent makes you no different from that officer who killed your husband and those soldiers you slaughtered!!!” Ava yelled bravely. 

The woman’s lips twitched upwards. “You dare defy the Demon God’s orders???”

“Whatever. Just don’t hurt those people. They’re innocent!” Ava replied. 

“No one’s innocent!!!” The woman snarled before she swiftly reached behind her and grabbed a handful of her backside hair. 

“You’re mad!!!” Ava replied with a mocking smile and she dodged her dagger towards the woman but she was fast to duck to the side. In return, she shoved her to the ground. 

Ava sucked in her breath as she moved fast even before the woman can pounce at her. She was about to stand up when the woman grabbed her and pinned her down. “Peekaboo!” 

The woman was now about to bite her when a muscular arm pulled her away from Ava, throwing the woman to the sides with a loud thud. Relief washed over Ava’s face when she saw Casix who just shifted back to his real form. 

“Useless Centaur!!!” The woman hissed before she was about to pounced on the centaur when she was shoved by a cloud of black smoke.

Black emerges and swiftly took Ava’s dagger that fell on the ground and threw it to the woman. The woman winced as the dagger struck her in the chest. She was too late. That man was faster than her. The blade had already entered her flesh and her blood had started flowing.

“The Demon God will never forgive you for this!!!” The woman yelled as her gaze met Blacks eyes.

“Then let him come to me and we’ll see!!!” Black yelled back.

“AHHHHHHH!!!!” She screamed loudly. Her voice echoed all over the place.

The ground then had started to shake creating a big c***k which moved rapidly up to the border walls. Scream were heard from everywhere as the c***k started swallowing up most of the tents in the camp. Dust and dirt have blurred the whole are when the border began to crumble, unable to support itself any longer. Wall by wall, the structure toppled into the ground below. Massive stones struck the ground as more of the structure collapsed.

“Run!!! Move!!!” Casix yelled over the chaos, urging the people to run for their safety. He was holding onto Ava whilst he run from the collapsing walls as well.

The shaking had stopped after a while and the dust have started to clear.

“Ugh.” Casix grunt as he moved. He used his whole body to cover Ava from all the falling debris. 

“You’re hurt.” Ava said worriedly as soon as she saw his wounds.

“I’m fine.” Casix just said and helped her to stand. “I’ll deal with it later.”

“Okay.” She nodded. 

Looking around, Ava immediately searched for Black and was so relieved to see him at a distance with Alvis. Then her eyes fell on the woman who just caused the borders to collapse. Her breathing was now unsteady and have surely lost a lot of blood. Running towards her, Ava saw that her fangs were gone and that her nails were back to normal. 

“Save her.” Ava said as she looked at Black.

“She’s gone.” Black replied.

True to his words, the woman stopped breathing with her eyes wide open. To their surprise, a black smoke had started to consume her whole body until she eventually turned into ashes.

“What was she?” Ava asked as she turned to Casix who also looked perplexed.

The wind suddenly blew strongly as the sky darkened and eerie coldness spread all over the place.

“Peace Keepers.” Ava said right away.

“Let’s go.” Casix then said and readied himself.

“Wait.” Ava said as her eyes got fixated on a shiny material from the ashes of the woman. Immediately, she went to pick it up. It was a small piece of black shard that she wasn’t sure about.

 What is this?

“My lady. We’re out of time.” Casix said urgently. “The Peace Keepers will be here any moment from now. We have to move now.”

Ava then placed it securely on the pocket of her pants inside her dress and nodded. She and Alvis rode over Casix back as the centaur started running towards the ruined borders. And Black followed them as a cloud of smoke.

***