Chapter 26: Come out, Come out, Wherever you are.

A few hours before the attack. 

A dark elf appears in the tent as he kneels bowing his head, "Commander, everything is ready, all assassins are in place and the army is ready to attack the duchy." he looks up at her.

"Excellent." A dark elf woman says, her voice cold, and commanding. "Tell them to begin the attack. We are going to take over this filthy duchy, and burn it to the ground." 

"Yes, Ma'am. In the name of the Darkfangs," The dark elf responds, bowing his head and vanishing into thin air. 

She walks up to her table, "A life for a life, I will make sure you regret taking my uncle's life." She grabs her staff and walks out of the tent.

Aya and Verrin jump onto the roof of the manor, the wind blows fiercely carrying ashes. Aya's eyes are in pure shock, Verrin clenches his fists, a mixture of emotions flowing through his body.

"This cannot be happening," Aya mutters, her heart heavy. "Why? How?" 

"The duchy," Verrin finishes, his eyes full of rage, his fist shaking. "Those damned dark elves," Verrin growls.

They see a sea of fire and destruction, the duchy that was once a proud and beautiful place is now reduced to nothing. Civilians can be seen fleeing, many are burned alive, the buildings are reduced to rubble, and the once-tall walls are now crumbled and broken. 

"All these innocent lives," Aya growls, her eyes filled with sadness, tears rolling down her cheek. "What is this world coming to?"

"Those sons of bitches." Verrin grits his teeth, clenching his fists tightly, his nails digging into his skin, his claws ripping through his palm.

Aya's gaze fell upon the scene below, where five dark elven knights trailed behind a woman. The dark elf woman exuded an air of unwavering confidence, her presence commanding attention. Around her, a palpable aura of cold calculated confidence. Her eyes, a piercing shade of deep green, seemed to hold secrets untold, while her skin, a subtle hue of light greyish-purple, spoke of her heritage. 

Long tresses of flowing black hair danced with the wind, lending her an almost ethereal quality. Each strand moved as if choreographed by the breeze itself, adding to the woman's allure and mystique. A sensual aura also surrounded her, drawing the eye and captivating the senses, yet there was an undeniable edge to her, a reminder that beneath the beauty lay a formidable force.

"Who is that? Strangely, I don't recognize her. I've never seen her before." Aya asks, her eyes glued to the mysterious figure.

"She is the eldest daughter of the Darkfangs, Kira Darkfang, and she has recently became the head of her family because of her magical abilities." Verrin answers, his voice cold, "I have heard that she has been going on a killing spree trying to find someone."

"Is she the one that ordered the attack on us?" Aya asks, turning her head to face him.

"Prob-" Verrin is cut off. 

With a sly grin playing on her lips, Kira interjects, "And what, pray tell, are you filthy mutts conversing about?" Her words carry a teasing undertone, accentuated by the subtle flick of her hair. "I'm well aware of my allure, darling," she quips, "but there's no need to whisper about it."

"You." Verrin growls, glaring at her, his eyes filled with fury. "Aya take the children and get out of here, it is not going to be safe," Verrin whispers moving in front of Aya.

"No." Aya growls, her eyes turning blood-red. "I want to know why, she is the reason behind the death of my people and the lives that were lost."

"Oh, you must be the Fenrir bitch that he always talked about," Kira smirks, she stops in the middle of the road, her knights stopping next to her. "I loved him you know, much more than you ever could." Kira's smirk turns into a scowl, her voice becoming bitter.

"Who?" Aya questions, a bit confused, her eyes still red.

"Don't play dumb, you already know who," Kira says, her voice growing angrier, her hands tightening. "Always going Aya this, Aya that, oh I have children. FUCKING BULLSHIT, he killed my uncle and found freedom. Now, WHERE IS HE!?" she turns her head towards the mansion, and her voice echoes throughout the city.

"KILL THEM ALL!" Kira shouts, a cold tone in her voice, "BRING ME HER HEAD!" she orders her knights, turning around and leaving the scene.

Verrin transforms into this beast form and pushes Aya off the roof, "TAKE THE KIDS AND RUN!" Verrin yells, jumping down, meeting the 5 knights, "Go Aya!"

"VERRIN!" Aya lands on her feet and looks at the kids, she shakes her head, "Selena, Kayden, Leo, Rex, Liliana, we are running. We have to run as fast as we can." Aya transforms.

"What about Father?" Selena asks, her voice quivering.

"Now!" Aya roars, the kids obey, and they follow behind her. They run at top speed into the forest, the children keep up with Aya easily.

Verrin charges the 5 knights. He dodges the first attack, ducks, and punches the knight with the shield but the second one hits him on the side with his shield, making him fly back into the mansion.

Verrin jumps back onto the roof, his clothes torn and tattered, a few wounds can be seen, and the cuts on his face begin to heal. One of the knights rushes towards him, swinging his sword horizontally. Verrin dodges it and kicks him, he stumbles back, but the other knights come. Stabbing him towards the stomach.

"One of you follow that Fenrir mutt, and don't kill her or the children, I want them alive." Kira orders, turning her head towards one of the knights, her voice filled with hatred.

"Yes, ma'am!" The knight responds, running into the forest.

"NO YOU DON'T." Verrin dodges the stab and pushes the knight away grabs the knight off guard by the arm and breaks his arm, he screams in pain. Verrin stabs him through his thick armor using his hands.

He grabs the second knight's arm and the shield. The knight tries to attack him but he dodges and punches the knight with the shield, and slams him into the ground, his skull shattering blood splatters all over the ground. "YOU ARE NOT GOING TO LAY A HAND ON THEM."

Kira's face filled with annoyance, "Kill him, he is just one fucking mutt."

Verrin charges the three knights. Blinded by rage and anger, he charges, dodging their attacks. He jumps onto the head of the knight and grabs his head. Ripping his head off with ease. The blood splashes onto the other two, they look in horror, as their comrade's head is ripped off.

"Looks like you fools can't kill a mutt." Kira's voice echoed. She places her hand on the ground, and a magic circle appears under the knights.

"You are going to pay for what you have done," Verrin growls, charging towards her, but in an instant, his arm comes clean off. His eyes widen, and the other arm is cut off. He falls to the ground transforming back to his human form.

Before the knight could deal the final blow, they were interrupted. "Hey, don't kill him yet." Kira walks up to him, her eyes glimmering with amusement. Her sinister smile grows larger, "Now, mister mutt, why don't you tell me where he is?"

"What are you talking about?" Verrin coughs, his whole body is bleeding out, and his wounds are not healing.

"Oh, come on. You know who I am talking about." She says, "REN...ZOR" Kira yells his name, the echo reaches through the whole city. She calms herself down, and Verrin's eyes widen hearing her threat. "If you tell me I will make that bitches die quick and keep the children as my slaves, and If you don't tell me, I will make your precious little mutt family pay the price. I will torture them and make them suffer slowly and painfully. You wouldn't want that would you." 

"You will pay for what you have done, bitch." Verrin's eyes flare with rage, "I swear I will kill you."

Kira bursts out laughing "Kill me with what? You have no arms." Kira laughs maniacally, her eyes widen, and her smile grows bigger.

Verrin's scream reverberated through the city, a desperate proclamation of love and regret. "AYA AND KIDS, I LOVE YOU ALL! REMEMBER THIS IS NOT YOUR FAULT, YOU HAVE BEEN THE BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED-"

Before he could finish, Kira's dagger found its mark, plunging into his side with a sickening squelch. He choked on his words, blood bubbling from his lips.

"That is enough," Kira declared, her voice dripping with mockery as she withdrew the blade. "Thank you for that beautiful performance."

As Verrin struggled for breath, Kira turned to her knights, her orders sharp and direct. "Find them, just bring them alive."

"Renzor," Verrin managed to gasp, his strength waning.

"Oh, you're still with us," Kira observed, her eyes dancing with sadistic amusement.

Verrin's smirk was feeble, his voice barely more than a rasp. "If what you say is true, he's not going to be happy about this."

"Shut up," Kira snapped, kicking the knife deeper into his wound. "He left me for that bitch and a bunch of mutts. And for that, I will destroy his happiness. Then I will break him and make him mine. I will make him pay for abandoning me and loving another. I will burn down this world for him."

Kira's smile was twisted, her eyes distant as she lost herself in her vengeful fantasies.

Verrin groaned, his breaths shallow. "You're delusional. Renzor will never love you."

"SHUT UP!" Kira screamed, her temper flaring. She conjured an ice spell, a deadly spike hurtling towards Verrin and impaling his legs.

Once the spike was embedded, Kira took a deep breath, regaining her composure. "Maybe I'm a bit delusional," she admitted, her voice chillingly calm. "But I will win. I will take everything he holds dear, and then he will be mine."

Verrin's groans filled the air, his body mutilated and broken. "You... you are a madwoman," he managed to choke out between coughs.

In the silence that followed, only the screams of the citizens of the duchy and the sound of the blazing sea of fire remained. Verrin's pained gasps remained. Kira's eyes blazed with a fierce intensity as she approached him, her voice trembling with raw emotion. "No, I am not just a woman. I am a woman in love." With each word, her grip tightened on his chin, forcing him to meet her gaze.

"You should be happy," she continued her voice a mixture of desperation and determination. "You and your family's lives are going to have a purpose. Once I find that bitch, I will make him regret the day he chose her over me. And I will make him watch as I take everything from him, starting with her life." 

She leaned in closer, her lips almost touching his ear, her breath sending shivers down his spine. "Your life has served its purpose," she whispered, her tone chillingly calm.

With a sudden burst of magical energy, Kira unleashed a torrent of flames, engulfing his whole body. Verrin's screams pierced the air, echoing throughout the city as his skin and muscle melted away from his bones. 

Kira stood back, watching the inferno consume him with a cold determination. When the flames finally died down, leaving nothing but smouldering remains, she turned and walked away, her voice echoing through the city.

"Renzor, honey, come out, come out wherever you are," she sang, her voice carrying a haunting melody that sent shivers down the spines of those who heard it. Madness and glee danced in her tone, a chilling reminder of the darkness that lurked within her soul.