Bound Evil

Blood exploded out of Emily as hundreds of crimson teeth bit down on her skin and wrapped around her as a titanic mantle. When all this began, the number of people part of the return expedition was around sixty. From the looks of things, no more than fifteen people had turned to defend her, and of those remaining, only about six were still standing.

The remaining forty-five individuals had turned at I'llva's command and attacked. Almost as though they had planned it. After turning on them, Sol had tried to get them under control, but they seemed to ignore his orders. Which was why Emily was certain this was an attempt on her life. Her defenders had fought hard and had managed to fend off their attackers, taking some of their lives as well, but they were severely outnumbered.

Where Emily's defenders had lost ten people, I'llva's forces had only lost eight. Half of those were to Sol, but it didn't make a difference when their forces were so overwhelming and had gotten the jump on them. People, Sol thought were his allies had turned on him.

Emily couldn't begin to imagine the pain he was feeling, but she could certainly try to make the enemy understand.

Blood shot out in all directions as whipping tendrils, grabbing onto anything they could get a purchase on.

She grabbed onto weapons and appendages, breaking bone and wood alike. Before pulling them into her mass of blood and ending their lives.

In her initial assault, she managed to take out eight people of her own, pulling in their life force, but that still left thirty.

And as strong as Emily was, she couldn't contend with that many experienced warriors at once; she needed to divide and conquer.

Spears were launched at her with incredible accuracy, only to be blocked by a wall of hardened red. Their attackers were surrounding them, and she had to keep her head on a swivel to block at the first sign of trouble. Every weapon she got hold of, she broke to avoid it being collected and reused. Unfortunately, they were more than prepared, pulling out back-ups and changing their tactics to avoid losing their weapons.

"All of you move with me! We're sitting ducks!" she shouted to those nearby.

That was all the warning Emily gave before she dashed toward one particular side. Alex and Sol followed with impressive reactions, as did the rest. Mo and Ra, pulling the slower members along.

But their attackers were obviously well-trained individuals because the moment Emily moved, so did they. Keeping them straight in the middle of the kill zone.

Realizing she wouldn't be able to escape like this, Emily grabbed for I'llva because she had made sure to head in the treacherous Shaman's direction.

Unfortunately, the hand she formed out of blood was blocked by four Ashvali who interposed themselves. Splattering the attack across the sands with defensive skills.

Air hissed out of Emily's gritted teeth. Knowing she couldn't let them manage her like this, Emily began trying to pick them off one by one. Attacking in truly devious ways, like aiming for an attacker behind her while her full attention was forward. Or plunging a blood tentacle through the sands and grabbing hold of an unsuspecting ankle.

But as many tricks as Emly pulled out, they seemed to counter with equally aggressive tactics. She managed to kill five of their men, I'llva got through her defenses and killed two more of theirs.

At this point, it was just Alex, Sol, Mo, and Ra that remained. I'llva had a smug grin on her face as she continued to send spells to her men, enhancing them.

At this rate, they would be worn down by numbers before they could do anything. Emily may have had a lot of power still to spare, but that didn't mean they would give her a chance to use it.

Every stab of the spear was lethal and took her full concentration to block. Drawing them into a stalemate. One that Emily would have been able to win if she were on her own, but the others were here. If she were alone, she could've simply played for time, letting her endurance wear them down. But every second dragged her allies closer to collapse—and for the first time in a long while, she didn't want to leave them behind. Not yet.

Cursing at the stale mate she saw Sol must have come to the same conclusion because he called out to her.

"Shaman," he said with an unwavering voice. "I'll make you an opening, use it."

Emily wanted to shout how bad of an idea that was, but then he did something Emily would take years to accept.

Source drifted through the air, and heat trailed off his body as he turned and plunged into the enemy line. Leaving her defensive reach and cutting into the enemy with abandon. He easily took out two of their fighters and injured four more, making a gap before they returned the favour and speared him through the chest.

The entire maneuver lasted only seconds, but an opening was made, and Emily wasn't about to let it go to waste.

I'llva screamed at the top of her lungs to close the rift and not let them escape, but it was too late. Emily brought them out of the encirclement, but instead of fleeing, she turned on them. Gouging out their flanks as she sent sickles of blood at her enemies. The unexpected nature of the attack saw that half a dozen of them were killed and more were injured. Drinking in all the vibrant life around Emily sent her mind into bliss.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Wanting to press her attack, she grabbed her three remaining charges and launched them backwards into the dunes.

Alex cursed her as he went tumbling out of their encirclement, but Emily didn't want him to see what was going to happen next, so she covered the battlefield in a mantle of blood.

Spreading it out above like a screen and allowing shadow to descend over this small space of the desert with a huge pulse of life source.

She used the sudden disarray to kill five more men, bringing the total number down to eleven fighters.

They were still a large threat as they regrouped, but Emily couldn't help herself; her voice bounced through the enclosed space.

"Your numbers are getting rather small, aren't they. I hope it was worth dying out here I'llva"

Only the dull red of the sun leaked through the screen of crimson, leaching away hope and hiding Emily's form.

She couldn't help the euphoric smile that came over her face as they regrouped, fear evident.

"How about this? The first one of you to make it out of here, I will guarantee your life. I won't kill you unless you want me to," she said, her voice lifting at the end.

The Ashvali people were warriors who faced extinction every day, but it wasn't easy to remain strong in the face of an intelligent foe.

They mostly fought the deserts; they weren't used to unrestrained malevolence. It showed in how their men glanced at one another with both fear and suspicion. Would their ally take the offer?

Their loose encirclement around I'llva made it easy for Emily to snake a cord of blood around one of the less alert fighters and yank him off his feet. He hit the sand hard, his weapon flying from his grasp, and let out a scream as she dragged him away. His fingers clawed furrows into the sand, trying—and failing—to catch on anything that might stop his momentum.

His scream was cut short by the sound of him gurgling on his blood.

I'llva and her men heard everything. Emily made sure of it.

The Shaman tried to reassert some semblance of control, but the men were in full-blown panic now.

One by one, they broke from the group, and Emily took care of each one until only I'llva and her four guards remained.

Even though they weren't as much of a threat now, she took her time wearing them down. Emily wasn't foolish enough to confront them head-on until she was certain she'd worn them down enough. Sending blood bullets infrequently and killing I'llva's guards one by one.

Minutes later, only I'llva herself remained.

"Damn, looks like you're the last one," Emily said with a mocking lilt.

"Don't toy with me, you foul creature!" I'llva screamed. "You're an outsider, you're not one of us!"

She screeched, slick with the gore of her allies, a feral light burning in her eyes.

Emily watched the crazy woman without a hint of pity. With a stretch of her will, Emily created a blood figure that looked human and walked it towards the woman.

It was clear that though I'llva was a pathetic individual, she was a half-decent Shaman, because she gathered the sands in one terrifying attack. Rending the blood figure into hundreds of pieces and tearing a huge hole in the blood screen Emily had set up.

Light flooded back into the space, revealing the triumphant expression on her face, which was made much sweeter when it turned to despair.

Emily stepped forward gently, appearing behind the woman and pulling her into an embrace. At the same time, hundreds of needles shot from Emily's skin and stabbed into the woman's body. I'llva groaned in pain, but this was just the beginning. The attack was never meant to kill her, just incapacitate her

Whatever spell I'llva had been holding slipped from her control.

"Don't worry, you won't die. I promised you, remember?" Now tell me, did Hermes order this?"

Emily already had a hunch it was him, but she wanted confirmation.

"You have…no right to ask," she struggled out.

There was nothing kind about Emily's smile, just teeth and intent.

"Rights? There's no such thing… And when we're done, you will understand that down to your bones," she said coyly.

Then Emily did something she usually avoided: she began pushing her blood into the woman's body. The effects were immediate as more and more blood entered her system. The groaning turned into full-blown screaming as Emily pushed aside blood, replacing what was naturally there.

I'llva's own blood leaked from every orifice as tears ran down her cheeks, ears, and mouth. Emily carefully controlled the flow to avoid killing the woman as she continued the conversation. She struggled, but it was short-lived as Emily took absolute control of her body. Muscles, ligaments, bones, and even organs seized.

She'd done this once to help Alex, but never to this extent, and she had no intention of helping this woman.

I'llva was slowly robbed of her moment and control until even her breathing was at Emily's will.

"You know where I'm from, people wouldn't agree with what I'm about to do. They say it gives inaccurate results, and I'm inclined to agree."

Emily lifted I'llva off her feet and into the air with nothing but the weight of her blood holding her aloft. She couldn't even scream at this point.

"I'm glad to say I've never had those sick desires unprompted. But what you did back there is making me feel like I might want to give it a try, you know?" Emily said, unconcerned that she didn't get a response.

I'llva's eyes were the only part of her that Emily allowed to move, and they were begging her to die.

"Ah-uh, please remain present," she said, snapping her fingers in front of the woman's face.

"Now, we could do the back and forth—I hurt you, you tell me to go fuck myself—but I think I'd rather skip that. So... I'm going to hurt you. A lot. Then I'll give you one chance to speak. If you don't, or can't, I'll make it worse. If you tell me what I want to hear, I'll let you move on. Ready?" she asked, her voice flat and lifeless.

The next few minutes were filled with the sound of twisting sinew and the rending of bone. When she finally stopped, every limb was twisted and wrung out like a cloth.

"There… now I'm going to give you back your chest and enough air to say one thing. Do not disappoint me." Emily said with finality.

I'llva's body was involuntarily trembling, and when she got some of her movement back, she could breathe and move her chest

"...Her…mes…"

Emily pressed her lips together and nodded, flicking her fingers and ending the woman's life.

She was certain the woman had gotten what she deserved, but an annoying revulsion sat in her stomach.

At this point, Emily looked around the battlefield. Alex had arrived with Mo and Ra on his tail to see Emily end the last combatant's life. He wore a firm look on his face, but it did not contain the disgust she expected. There was almost a grim understanding in his eyes.

Instead of heading in her direction, Alex made a beeline for Sol.

Only then did Emily remember the man. The tides of battle had turned because of him, so she moved over to the fallen warrior.

Alex was already kneeling in the sand as he took his final breath, and a single sentence came from his mouth.

"...Tell Kaelan he was right…But I still wouldn't change my mind…"

Whatever else he wanted to say died with the man. Emily clenched her jaw. She couldn't even attempt to save him. The spears had all destroyed his heart, and his body wouldn't accept nearly enough life force to heal it.

Over all they had won this fight, but for the first time, Emily only felt empty at her victory.

Blood points: 725