Chapter 214 - Demon Council ( Part 4)

Crystal was changing again.

Thousand different faces appeared in it—faces of merchants and nobles, soldiers and scholars, hunters and healers. He continued to search, hour after hour.

Nothing.

The patience of Lokiar was endless, but he felt how it was running out. The remaining Divine Mark was hidden much better than all other—more successfully than any one of them.

Then…

…one of the images flickered.

Dark Alley with silver light falling from the moon. The silhouette of the hooded person moving on the roofs—quickly, silently, almost impossibly graceful.

Lokiar's gaze narrowed.

"Interesting."

Morgatha approached him. Her dark robes rustled on the stone floor.

The person was jumping from one building to another—movements were quick and dance-like; they clearly showed that he or she had spent years training to evade someone.

Quick. Almost impossibly quick.

Guard was looking up—his eyes were widening, his hand was going toward the sword.

But the person had already vanished.

The image was changing again.

Stolen Artifact—golden chalice decorated with precious stones which was vanishing into the darkness. Locked Treasury—opened doors and everything was untouched except for one missing thing. Nobleman's Mansion—its owner sleeping peacefully while someone mysterious entering it from the window. Royal Vault—defenses were bypassed with ridiculous easiness.

The same hooded person was appearing in every place—always one step ahead, always out of reach.

Lokiar smiled; his mask glimmered in the crimson light.

"A thief."

Morgatha looked unimpressed. Her voice was full of disdain.

"A common criminal?"

"No."

His smile was widening; his form became solid, as if the challenge made him more concentrated.

"Not common."

The person removed the hood.

Hair flowing on the back like waterfall of amethysts. Golden eyes sparkling with mischief and intelligence. Playful smile suggesting that this person was finding the entire world amusing.

Morgatha was staring at her now. Her expression changed—from disdain to interest.

"Name?"

He searched through his information base; fingers were moving in the air, searching the information in the network of spies.

"Rudy Kiss."

Several different pictures appeared in the crystal. Rudy was stealing the things from the nobles, her laughter was echoing in the hall illuminated by the moonlight. Rudy was escaping from the guards—movements were quick and graceful. Rudy was attending the underground auctioneers—her eyes were shining from the thrill of the game. Rudy was surrounded with treasures and was smiling with joy.

Then the image changed again.

Rudy stood in front of the ancient statue; her expression was different—serious, almost nostalgic. The playful thief had disappeared; something else, something older and deeper has appeared.

Morgatha noticed it immediately; her eyes were narrowing.

"Stop."

Image stopped.

"What?"

"Go back."

Lokiar rewound the illusion; the picture was repeating again.

Rudy appeared on the screen again. She was touching the statue; her hand was resting on the ancient symbol carved on it.

Crown of the KingHeart surrounded by seven swords.

Morgatha gasped; her breath caught in her throat.

"That symbol…"

He examined it; his voice was thoughtful.

"KingHeart."

Chamber became silent; the air was thick with meanings.

She slowly approached the crystal; her footsteps echoed in the silence.

"Impossible."

"You know something?" Lokiar looked at her.

Morgatha didn't answer; her gaze was fixed on Rudy's face; she was looking at her, analyzing, looking for something familiar.

Then on the crest.

Then back to Rudy.

"Search ancient records."

Lokiar snapped his fingers. In a matter of moments hundreds of papers appeared within the mirrors. They were ancient royal books, war accounts, genealogies and bloodlines records. Papers hung in the air like autumn leaves being carried away by wind.

They were mostly damaged with their words faded, the pictures blurred. There were papers dating back thousands of years ago; it meant they were preserved thanks to the magic of unimaginable power.

Lokiar started looking through those papers at unbelievable speed.

There was nothing there.

He was looking again and again.

There was nothing.

Finally he found something.

A very old paper, most of the text was ruined – burned, torn apart, faded. Only one word remained there; it was written with special protection against fading away due to the time.

Lisa KingHeart.

Lokiar's body started flickering, as if he was shocked by the findings.

Morgatha noticed it. "What?"

Lokiar slowly turned towards her. His voice was whispering.

"That's impossible."

"Explain."

Lokiar made the document bigger. The ancient text was appearing right in front of them with the letters glowing with golden light.

Lisa KingHeart.

Princess of Seraiya.

Younger sister of Leonis KingHeart.

Disappeared during the Great Demon War.

Expression on Morgatha's face was changing. She was widening her eyes, opening her mouth.

"Leonis..."

Lokiar immediately started searching Rudy's history. His fingers were quickly moving in the air, finding different documents and trying to compare different data.

Dates did not match. History did not match. Name did not match.

Bloodline did.

Very faint golden aura was surrounding Rudy's image – it was the sign of the KingHeart bloodline. It was shining with the same rhythm as Lilia's mark, as if the two were connected by something beyond the blood.

Lokiar stared. His voice sounded empty.

"She's connected."

"To the KingHeart bloodline?"

"Yes."

Morgatha stepped forward. Her eyes were fixed on Rudy's image.

"How close?"

Lokiar's expression became very serious. His voice was heavy with meaning.

"Too close."

Suddenly the image of Rudy changed.

For a brief moment... her eyes were glowing golden. Not the gold of usual sunlight, but something older, more powerful.

Second image appeared behind her.

It was a young man with a sword in his hand. His hair was silvery, his eyes were golden, his presence was shining with the power beyond mortality.

Leonis.

Then the vision disappeared.

Morgatha stepped backwards. Her face became pale, her hands were shaking.

"She isn't just a descendant."

Lokiar looked at her. "What are you saying?"

Morgatha whispered, her voice full of fear and amazement.

"Her soul carries something ancient."

Lokiar's smile was disappearing. His body was getting firm, as if this revelation took away all the pretenses.

"Then the fifth target isn't what we thought."

"No."

Morgatha looked towards Noctis. Her voice was steady, but her eyes betrayed her fears.

"She is something much older."

The doors opened.

Noctis entered.

Seventh Demon General was entering with quiet confidence of the ruler of millenniums. His dark armor was absorbing the light around, his crimson eyes glowing from the helmet. He wasn't just powerful, he was the power itself, the embodiment of it.

Behind him followed Draven, the Black Warlord. His huge body was filling the doorframe, the axe of his in the red light. His eyes were hungry, eager to start violence.

Azrael stayed a few steps behind. The expression of the Silent Observer was unreadable, but his eyes were quietly observing the images.

Noctis looked towards the crystal.

First, he saw Lilia. The Queen was standing near the balcony, her golden hair sparkling in the sunlight, her Divine Mark glowing with her sovereign powers.

Rudy was the next. Thief was standing on the rooftop under the moonlight, her hair flowing, her eyes glowing with mysteries.

Two remaining Divine Marks. Two pieces missing. Keys to the Demon Emperor's awakening.

Morgatha bowed. Her voice was full of respect, almost reverence.

"We have identified them."

Noctis remained silent. His silence was more commanding than any words.

Morgatha pointed at Lilia.

"Lilia KingHeart. Queen of Seraiya. Sovereign of Dominion."

Noctis looked at the picture. His crimson eyes were following the contours of her face, crown, glowing mark.

Then Morgatha pointed at Rudy.

"And Rudy Kiss."

Lokiar's gaze still remained on her. Something flickered in his eyes – recognition, perhaps, curiosity.

Lokiar spoke. His voice was cautious, careful.

"Her identity is unusual."

Draven laughed. The sound was harsh, dismissive.

"Another human?"

Lokiar shook his head. "No."

He looked at Rudy's image.

"She is connected to the ancient KingHeart bloodline."

Draven's smile was fading. His eyes were narrowing.

"The KingHeart family again?"

Morgatha nodded. "Much more importantly, her soul seems to be carrying the ancient resonance."

Azrael was staring at Rudy. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes – eyes could have betrayed something.

Her presence felt somehow familiar. How she was moving. How she was holding herself. How her golden eyes could see through the veil of the reality.

But he could not explain it.

Noctis finally spoke. His voice was icy – cold as the space between the stars, cold as the darkness that had existed before the creation.

"Alive."

Morgatha looked at him. "Both?"

"Both."

His voice was absolute. Unrelenting.

"Do not kill them."

Grin spread on the face of Draven. His eyes were glowing with the anticipation.

"Understood."

Noctis was looking at the image of Lilia now. His gaze was analytical, calculating.

"Take the Queen."

Then his gaze turned to Rudy. His eyes were lingering on her image, analyzing it.

"Take the thief."

Lokiar bowed. "And if they resist?"

Noctis' eyes were glowing under the helmet. The crimson light was intensifying, filling the hall with its radiance.

"Break their armies."

A short pause.

"But not them."

The crystal flickered.

Lilia stood below the royal banners of Seraiya. Golden hair was blowing, and Divine Mark radiated power. Behind her were thousands of soldiers standing in attention, their armor glinting in the sun rays.

Rudy stood on a roof below the moon. Wind was blowing her hair, and her sparkling eyes looked full of fun. Behind her were moving shadows—the secret brotherhood of robbers that obeyed nobody.

Two women. Two Divine Marks. Two parts of one bloodline.

And deep down under the Demon Citadel...

Seal broke again. The chains holding Zuko cracked, and whispered voice passed through the darkness—a voice, that hadn't been heard for a thousand years.

"Lisa..."

Azrael's eyes widened in horror. Body was tense, and a hand moved automatically to a place where a weapon should be.

Voice reached him. For the first time in a thousand years... Demon Emperor said a name, coming from the depths of history.

A name of the princess, that vanished somewhere during the Great Demon War.

Name of the girl, who should have been dead long ago.

Name of Leonis's sister.

And the search for the last two Legendary Divine Marks began.