Chapter 168: Family Feud
"Bell... What are you doing? It’s dead, you can cool off now. Everything is fine." Saige muttered nervously as he slowly walked backwards, keeping his distance as Belladonna slowly stalked towards him. Everyone held their breath as the two siblings moved in sync, one moving with fear whilst the other moved with hunger.
No one wanted to interject, not just because they didn’t know what was going on, but also because they weren’t even sure that they would be able to do anything to stop her if they did get in her way.
This girl had been tossing the dragon around like a rag doll after all, so how could they do much of anything? At least... when she was not fully distracted. If she happened to leave herself open when she turned on her own team mates, then really was it the other players fault for taking advantage?
Absolutely not. Nothing wrong with that, right?
Opportunistic as always, the players watched with wide eyes as Belladonna drew closer to the retreating Saige, until finally he stumbled. It was just a little dip in the grass, caused by any number of the attacks that had been flying around. But it was enough to put him off balance, make him stumble a few steps and most importantly, break eye contact with Belladonna to look down at his feet.
It was only for a second, maybe even less, as he glanced down before quickly looking back up, but in that time everything changed.
Belladonna had crossed the distance between them in an instant, her twisted face and blood-soaked teeth mere inches away from Saige’s delicate and adorable face, as they were separated by a translucent shield formed of golden energy.
Her wicked claws were already dug into that shield, as it had formed around them, as those claws pointed directly at Saige’s throat. If it was not for the shield, he would have been dead, without even realising what had happened.
She screeched as she stabbed her other hand into the shield, plunging her claws through the dense energy, and started to pull her hands apart. With the sound of a blunt knife dragging across a latex balloon, the energy shield was slowly pulled apart.
Belladonna’s arms shook and strained, but no matter how much the shield tried to keep its composition, a hole was torn into it slowly and surely. First the size of a finger, then the size of a fist, until finally it was big enough for her to put her head through.
A size that needed no reference, as that was exactly what she did. She forced her head through the gap, her jaw unhinging as her mouth opened wide enough to bite Saige’s head clean off, however all she got to eat was a knuckle sandwich.
Lilith’s fist slammed into Belladonna’s nose, whipping her head back through the hole and throwing her off of the shield, which snapped closed once again.
Belladonna bounced a few times, before rolling in the air and landing on all fours like a crouching tiger for what should have been her next bounce. A low, rumbling growl escaped her throat as her pitch black eyes analysed the sight before her.
The grand and imposing Hellion Lilith, standing between the golden shield and her delicious prize, Saige. It was a sight that she saw not just once, but over a dozen times, as it was replicated all around her with illusions.
She whipped her head between them, searching the illusions for any hint of error. The breathing, the shifting of their clothes in the wind, the droplets of sweat dripping down their exhausted and nervous foreheads.
It all looked exactly the same. Down to the very last detail. But that was just looks.
Reaching up to her face, Belladonna cracked her nose back into place and snorted out the blood that had built up in her nostrils, before inhaling deeply. Her nose twitching as it eagerly inhaled that sweet scent, before her head whipped towards the real version amongst the illusions.
"I CAN SMELL YOU!" She screeched, before letting out a maniacal laugh. She threw her head back, letting out a triumphant and feral screech as if she was making clear her absolute power, when an arrow thunked into her chest.
Her eyes narrowed, her gaze lowering to the wooden shaft sticking out of her chest, before she staggered. Her hands lifted to pull it out of her, but a moment later they fell limp by her side as she stumbled drunkenly.
She turned to Saige, the real one, and let out a weak screech before charging forwards. However she barely made it three steps before she fell face first into the dirt and skidded to a halt.
Everyone watching blinked in disbelief, unable to process what they had just seen. Was... that it? Was she down just like that? Had they missed their chance?
It was a thought that went through many of their minds, and quickly a panic began to set in. A few of them thought that perhaps she was just clinging on, and they could kill steal by getting the last hit to finish her off.
But before any of them could move, a commanding voice echoed through the air from above.
"IN THE NAME OF THE CROWN, NO ONE MOVE!"
A moment later, a winged beast descended from the sky. It had a long body covered completely in pure white feathers, four legs that ended in talons, powerful wings letting it soar through the air and the head of what looked like an eagle.
It was a creature that looked as if someone had been trying to create a Pegasus, but added far too much bird into the equation and not nearly enough horse.
This beast wore a gorgeous, and incredibly expensive looking, saddle in which sat a man wearing an even more expensive looking set of armour. A cape, embroidered with the crest of a noble house, draped from his shoulders and billowed dramatically behind him.
Very few of the players recognised the crest on his cape, and even less were able to relate it to the identity of this individual. But the hushed whispers of those few who did quickly spread, as his identity became clear as day by the time his regal mount touched down onto the ground.
This man was a Duke.