THAGGAR AND AKIRA

Savvy woke up to the sound of her bedroom door opening. She opened her eyes, expecting it to be morning but it was still very dark that she couldn't even identify the person who had entered the room but their silhouette was visible. Though afraid, she decided to sit up to alert the person that she was awake but as if it were a trigger, the person come charging at her. Before she could scream, her mouth was clamped shut by a strong calloused hand while another hand wrapped around her neck. Her cries were muffled and she struggled to try and release herself from the person's grip.

Her consciousness was slipping quickly as tears rolled down her cheeks. She closed her eyes, ready to accept her fate but then there was another noise that seemed to catch the attention of the person and their grip loosened. Savvy used the last of her strength and pushed the person, whom she now confirmed was certainly a man, scrambling away from the bed while coughing. Another figure that had entered through the door lunged at the intruder, series of grunts coming from there and furniture tossed about.

"How dare you." Thaggar's angry growl echoed in the room as he fought the intruder.

"Savvy..."

"Ahhh!" Savvy screamed, frightened to suddenly hear someone speak to her, so close even.

"It's Akira, calm down!"

"Akira?"

Akira nodded and Savvy finally recognized her, her vision becoming a bit clearer. She let Akira help her up and they stood in one corner, looking at the two men fighting. The corridor finally brightened as guards came rushing with lanterns. They burst into the room and first had six men stand in front of Savvy and Akira while the rest, at least ten of them, went to help Thaggar capture the intruder. Akira's eyes fell on the intruder whose eyes caught her attention. They were green just like Thaggar's eye's, but there was something strange. The irises seemed to be swirling around in an almost enchanting motion.

The strange man was standing, clutching his side as Thaggar had dug into his flesh with his bare hands that were covered with blood. He was standing very close to the window, his only obstacle a skinny young guard. Thaggar knew what he planned to do and snarled as if to warn him not to even try.

"Identify yourself." Thaggar ordered enraged, his own features and stance making him look like an animal.

The intruder said nothing for a while and just when Thaggar stepped forward, he seemed to smile, looking straight at Akira. The smile froze everyone as the intruders mouth didn't even move to curve in any way; he just smiled with his eyes. Akira was shaking as to her it seemed like that face transfigured into that of Rai, just for a second. Her knees felt weak but she remained standing staring into the man's eyes. In the next second the man just vanished into thin air.

No one moved, everyone too shocked to make any movement or utter a single word. The silence was disturbed when Tak and Sarika entered the room.

"What happened here?" Sarika asked looking around at everyone, her eyes landing on her son's bloodied hands,"Thaggar?"

"Black magic." Thaggar responded and as if on cue, the red blood smeared on his hands turned black and then became some sort of smoke, exiting through the window.

Sarika gasped and then she looked at the girls who stood with their fearful gazes transfixed in front of them.

"Are you okay, Akira?" Tak asked approaching his sister who didn't respond,"Savvy, are you hurt?"

Savvy finally moved to look at Tak who had never spoken to her before but seemed concerned as he looked at her. She nodded slowly and touched her neck as if she didn't believe it herself.

"Did he touch you?" Tak asked again approaching her and the guards moved away.

She nodded wordlessly making him frown.

"You're okay now so don't worry." He assured her and then his gaze fell on Akira who was finally looking at him,"And you?"

"I'm alright." Akira answered, the blank stare finally leaving her eyes.

She looked at Thaggar who still looked dazed, looking out the window. She had been startled when he woke up saying he smelled blood and she couldn't be prepared for what she saw in the corridor. Dead bodies sprawled all over, the floor crimson with their blood and then all the lit torches went out at once, the one outside Savvy's room being last. He jumped over the bodies, sprinting towards Savvy's room and throwing open the door, disappearing I to a darkness that was for too dark even without a source of light. It was almost palpable, like the room was an entirely different place.

She got there later than him as she was trying to not step on the bodies to show some respect and the fact that it was darker made it harder. When she entered, she could barely make out the two figures fighting in one corner and then she started looking around to see where Savvy could be. Savvy was sitting, hugging her legs in the other corner of the room and Akira approached quietly, praying she wasn't imagining her.

"Akira."

Thaggar's voice drew Akira out of her thoughts and she looked up at him. He was holding Savvy's hand and extending the other towards her. She took it and he led them both out.

"Clean up this mess." Thaggar ordered as he left the room and there was a collective 'yes sire' from the guards.

Savvy gasped when she saw what was in the corridor. She instinctively touched her neck, how close she had been to joining these men in the world of the dead. She swallowed hard as she let herself be led by Thaggar, trying to avert her gaze from the floor but it didn't help. They began their descent down the stairs while Taki, still looking sleepy but alert was coming up. She stopped, horror in her eyes as fresh blood trickled down the stairs.

"Go back down." Thaggar ordered her.

Taki was too shocked to move, her legs suddenly feeling stiff. When they were close enough to Taki, Akira took the girls hand and pulled her along until they were all on the ground floor, Tak and Sarika behind them.

"You all stay here. I need to check every nook and cranny of the castle until I'm sure you'll all be safe." Thaggar said.

By now most of the servants were awake, awaiting their orders and visibly terrified.

"Clean the fourth floor meticulously." Thaggar finally said and the maids scrambled away, gathering clothes, buckets and what not,"You there!"

"My king."

"Assign our best warriors to remain guard here."

"Yes my king!" The man responded then he turned to a younger guard who was standing a distance away, shaking from the cold and from fear,"Gather squad alpha now. Have them come with weapons in tow."

"Y-yes sir!"

Thaggar left immediately, barking orders to tighten security and to clean faster and for messengers to be sent out to inform the council to gather at dawn but not inform them of the reason. Not a single soul slept that night or dared to doze off. It had been two generations already since any cases of black magic had been heard and now it was happening so suddenly and targeting Savvy.