He came out of the darkness, shrouded in what looked like a midnight cloak. Edda could not explain what she was seeing, he looked like a man merged with shadow and then he looked like a man blanketed with darkness. One eye socket was empty and trailed a dark fluid down his cheek and the other eye was a sky blue that peered at her with something she could only translate as... Need.
Leba Vigon did not step into the ring of light provided by the fire, and Master Kissit made the move he'd repeated every time he was in the presence of a Binorian threat, with a deft flick of the wrist, a dagger appeared in his hand. Together with Daduts, the pair moved to flank Edda on either side, a slight tremble to Kissit's hands unnerved Edda, for the Master never lost composure. Yet in the span of a few days, he'd been made witness to the existence of the divine, and here stood a man who was clearly touched by something, something unusual.
Leba Vigon did not venture into the light of the fire, but he stared at it with the same need he'd stared at Edda with. There was a deep melancholy etched upon the remaining features of the Prince of Binoria. A certain lust for a past life he could not afford to return to.
Leba Vigon raised his head to Edda. "Alietsi was here," He spoke casually as if talking of the weather the weather. "Have you drunk from the crystal cup?" The empty eye socket seemed not to be empty at all, there was something lurking in there, something that sent chills up Edda's spine. "It doesn't seem like you have."
"I have." Edda lied.
"My, my, my," Leba started a slow strut, cresting the light of the fire, moving towards Edda's direction. The trio purposefully mimicked Leba, moving in the other direction, away from him. "Lies, lies are a part of Sin." Leba said, coming to a stop directly from Edda and her company. "There are no Rad es Maalas here, none who can play with Sin or dragons."
"I'm not lying." Edda lied again. That's the thing about lies, you have to fight to defend them, whilst when it came to truth, the words themselves fought to be understood. "She gave me the cup and now I can control Leviathans and the sea."
Leba Vigon titled his head back and laughed. "You're a fool, Edda, you were a fool when I took you out of the dungeons to grace you with a glimpse of the sun, you are a fool now as you teeter beyond reach with the aid of stupid, puny lies."
"Look at yourself." Edda answered. "You look like a corpse that's still alive." The words didn't make sense yet they captured in great detail what Edda knew to be true.
"A corpse that's still alive." Leba said, pondering over the words. "That's a silly analogy."
"Well, I am a fool as you claim me to be." Edda retorted.
"Why not come closer then, I just want to chat." Leba answered. Reaching out with his hands and drawing them back the minute they entered the brightest part bathed by the fire.
"I'm not that big a fool." Edda said, then she relaxed her shoulders. The tension easing out of her, beside her she could feel Kissit and Daduts do the same. As long as the flames roared, Leba could be held back until dawn. She had a feeling he cannot stand in the sun if a mere flame could keep him at bay. "What happened to you Leba?"
"I made a bargain." Leba Vigon said.
"Was it worth it?"
"Yes."
Time, time, time. She needed to buy them time, she wasn't worried about herself. But Daduts and Kissit might be in grave danger, sure they could be adept at the forms of combat but something told her that they could not face Leba. That doing so would spell their doom that—
Leba Vigon flung himself back, into the darkness, one swift motion and he was gone. Edda opened her mouth to—
Leba Vigon appeared behind them, Kissit and Edda allowed their sixth sense to drive them into a forward roll, closer to the fire, but Daduts was too slow. Hands like stone grabbed Daduts and pulled her out of the ring of light afforded by the fire. Daduts screamed and Kissit made to rush to her aid but Edda wouldn't let him, there, beside the fire, Edda held down her Master. His limbs felt feeble, easy to break. His torso felt soft, easy to cave. Edda held Master Kissit down and there, outside the fire, Leba did the same to Daduts only with a different motive in mind.
Edda watched as Leba started working on Daduts, first he placed two fingers beneath her jaw and yanked her lower jaw free of her face. He moved to her eyes, tearing them free of their sockets. Then he held her dangling tongue and yanked it free of her throat. Next he moved to her limbs and for some reason Daduts was not dying, Leba slowly, meticulously broke each of her fingers, then he broke her wrists then her ankles. Her femurs, the bones between her shoulder and elbow. It was like watching a craftsman at work. Kissit screamed all the while, screamed and screamed until his throat became raw and all that could escape him was a weak squeal. Edda did not let him go, she held him back and wept at the pain being inflicted on her Master and the woman who was his partner.
Pain. That was the symbol Leba represented in her life now, pain and torture. And the Prince of Binoria had a smile on his face as he worked, as if he was pleased with himself at what he'd accomplished. And still, Daduts did not die. With one fling Leba flung whatever that was left of Daduts into the ring of light afforded by the fire. The thing that was once Daduts wheezed and just lay there, a grotesque sight. None of the cheer and abrupt change in expression that Daduts once held. All of it had been transformed into a thing of sorrow.
"A night will come when there will be no fire for you to cower close to, it is then when I'll claim your life." Leba said, and flung himself backwards. It was as if the gloom of the night opened up for him like a gate would and took him away from sight.
Edda let go of Master Kissit who shoved her away and crawled to Daduts, he held her mangled form in his arms and wept.
XXXXXX
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