Realm Wars

"Give me all the items that halfbreed acquired in this cave and considered this Seal of Promise fulfilled."

.. .

.. .

Cecily and the others looked at each other and then focused their eyes on Ryu.

"That is the only item I acquired," Ryu said without batting an eyelid.

".. ." The Owner snapped his fan. "Then you leave me no choice."

The parchment of paper glowed brightly as the Owner said, "As the holder of this Seal, I demand that the debt be paid with all the items that Cecily's servant, Ryu, acquired in this cave."

The map in Cecily's hand disappeared, and before anyone knew what was going on, the map emerged in the Owners palms, and with it, the Seal of Promise broke into tiny particles.

".. ."

".. ."

Silence descended, thick and heavy, for it was already a minute and only the map appeared before the Owner. That meant that Ryu wasn't lying.

The cave didn't contain the Lost Jewel of Tethyt. It only had an old useless piece of map that was not even complete!

Argh! 

The Owner gnashed his teeth, and his face was swallowed by despair as he went on his knees. "H-how. .. how could this be?"

The Owner couldn't afford this reality. All the sacrifices. All the money and items that he burned just to acquire the lost Jewel. .. everything. .. all of it amounts to nothing. Nothing!

In his despair, the Owner didn't notice Lucian's group was sneaking glances at each other. And before the Owner, Athen and Athena could react, Lucian grabbed the piece of map, and Rosa cast a spell.

[Fog]

Water vapors surrounded the area, and visibility turned zero.

"Run!"

At Lucian's voice, everyone sprinted towards the exit.

In truth, Lucian planned this from the very beginning. If they did find the Jewel, they would pretend to hand the Jewel so the Owner would break the Seal. 

After the Seal was broken, Cecily was free, and they could just snatch back the Jewel and make a run for it. 

Their goal was to free Cecily from the Owner's clutches. And since the Owner and the others already made a Seal of Promise not to disclose any information about them in any form, nothing stopped them from their plans.

Though it was not the Jewel, it might be something that Skull could decipher, and they could have leverage over her.

"Those sneaky. . ." The Owner smashed his fist against the rocks, and rubbles flew everywhere. 

"After them! Don't let them get away!" the Owner shouted at Athen and Athena.

The two nodded and disappeared, leaving after images in their wake.

"You've crossed the wrong person, children." The Owner hid behind the shadows. The smile on his face was sinister as the glint in his eyes.

"Everyone, into the woods! Hurry!" Lucian didn't want to fight the Owner and his two bodyguards.

The Ancient Hydra could move anytime soon, and he didn't want to waste any more time on the island. The soonest they resumed into the Nightmare Sea, the better.

Lucian and Cecily led the escape while Rosa was hovering mid-air because it was much faster than running since she didn't excel in physical stuff.

Within minutes they reached the exit of the cave, and everyone held their breath, eyes on the monsters that were frozen by time. 

But to everyone's surprised, the Ancient Hydra was gone!

Lucian and the others didn't have time to wonder why as this was not the time. They should be glad that the Ancient Hydra disappeared. They could only wish that it continued to disappear.

"Don't stop!"

They doubled their speed just in case the Ancient Hydra decided to surprise them with an ambush.

"They're gaining on us!" Kai howled when he sensed Athen and Athena behind them.

Into the forest, they reached the swamp, and Rosa's eyes twinkled when she saw a Stinkeye from the marches.

"I have an idea!" Rosa flew midways and pummeled the Stinkeye on its Skull when they went past it.

NGH! 

The Stinkeye raged, and it cast sickness on every person it saw, including Athen and Athena.

Rosa immediately cast purify on Lucian and the others while Athen and Athena fell on the march because of the curse.

"Nice!" Kai gave a thumbs-up at Rosa, but she just flipped her hair and ignored him.

"Don't celebrate yet!"

Everyone was shocked when the Owner appeared just meters behind them.

"Eek!" Kai cried when the Owner was almost next to him. The kind and amiable man was nowhere as the Owner's wrinkles lined his twisting face.

"Come here!"

"Agh! Get away!" Kai screamed when the Owner reached his hands to grab him.

Fortunately, Ryu snatched the scattered Stingbulbs on the ground and threw them onto the Owner's face.

Boom!

Boom!

"Gagh!"

The Owner was totally unprepared at the sudden burst of acid, and Kai shivered when the Owner's skin melted from the burn. He looked hideous! More so than the Rusalkas.

Kai then doubled his speed and cast simple heal at his burnt skin when the Stingbulb exploded. 

"Thanks, man," Kai said in tears in Ryu's direction. He'd rather be chased by Rusalkas than the Owner. He was ten times scarier when mad. It was like he became a lunatic. And Kai didn't want to think what would happen to him if he got caught by the Owner.

He'd rather be turned into a Myrmen than suffer unknown tortures.

"I can see the ocean!" Cecily breathed a big breath. Finally! They'd finally leave this hell hole!

The faster their hopes went up, the quicker it went down and shattered when they couldn't find Mother Skull's Ship.

"That ugly double-crossing hag!" Rosa spat and kicked the sand.

"N-now what?" Fifi's body flickered here and there. 

Ryu looked over the horizon, searching for their boat while Ferris was giving her all not to fall asleep.

"End of the line!"

Everyone turned to face the Owner, who was just fifty meters behind them, with Athen and Athena running not far.

"Shit." Kai cursed.

Lucian stepped forward. His face serious. He didn't want to start a pointless fight. He would avoid it if he could. But since they were pressed this far. . .

Lucian drew his sword. "I suggest that you let us go if you don't want your life to end here."