101. Virulence of Retaliation

Back in the throne room of the Ice Castle, the royal guards came rushing one after another to inform the White Queen about the disaster happening in the kingdom.
"My Queen, The Forbidden Tower, was under attack."
"Your highness, they've got the forbidden object."
"My Queen, the Dark Knight, perished in defending the forbidden object."
"Your majesty, a pack of werewolves sneaked into the castle gate."
Mirabella, the white queen, was loaded with shocking news, ragged in anger, and wanted to do those things as quickly as possible.
The White Queen rose from her throne and commanded, "Summon the Crown Prince, court ministers, and our army generals."
Within a minute or two, all the dragon court ministers flew to the throne hall and bowed before the queen. Nora also arrived at the throne hall and bowed to the queen. The only people missing were the Crown Prince and Ivan Shirk, the exiled general.
Suddenly, the icy windows in the throne hall were smashed with a fireball. The fireball whizzed and rolled down the floor of the throne hall until it finally reached the feet of the Queen.
The fireball boomed with a hoarse sound, and black smoke emerged from it. Soon the throne hall was filled with black smoke. The people gathered in the throne hall inhaled the smoke and ended up coughing. The only person immune to that smoke was the White Queen.
The White Queen was very much familiar with the anonymous fireball, and the white queen freed her hands and jinxed them by articulating some words in an unknown language. The White Queen gathered the black smoke and tried her hardest to seal it onto the ball itself.
The black smoke materialised to pick up the form of the black witch, and she turned to laugh in a horrific voice.
The smoke spoke, "How are you, Mira...? Hope you are dry."
The white queen asked, "What do you want...?"
The smoke replied, "Ha... What do I want? I crave an act of revenge. I preferred to destroy everything you possessed. I want to wind everything into ashes. I want to see your tears like I was moaning about it for years."
The White Queen replied, "I don’t want to sacrifice innocent souls."
The smoke suggested, whirling in the air, "Well, let us war in person to end this now. By the end of the day, either you live or I live."
All of the court members, including Nora, indicated to the white queen that they would not agree to the fight. Mirabella thought for a while and replied, "If this brings peace and harmony to my kingdom, I will agree to this. Don’t blame me for your losses this time."
"There is no words for lost, failing, hiding in my grimoire. only found, rise and win. " Nicoria’s shadow laughed maniacally and soon vanished into thin air with her laughter echoed against the icy walls.
*****
In the Forbidden Tower,
When Dev stood heartbroken, a dragon solider informed him about the disaster that happened in the forbidden tower. Every sound around Dev became inaudible to him, and his eyes were still fixed on the entrance, where he saw the last glimpse of Akshara.
Nora spoke inaudibly to Dev, and when she realised he was not in clear mind, she shook him, "Dev, Dev, what’s happening to you?"
He walked away from her like a dead log, and some of his soldiers followed him. He opened his wings and flew towards the forbidden tower, randomly wiping his tears which was the perfect outcome of his lover’s separation from him.
Dev landed on the Forbidden Tower and explored it to check the possibility of any life there. Unfortunately, he had found no life left. He saw his friend, Ivan, was holding his father in his hand.
He rushed to his friend and asked what had happened exactly. The red-flanned angry eyes of Ivan showed he wanted revenge.
Ivan trembled from head to toe and told Dev, with stammered words, "Dev... my father... Igikran."
Dev caressed his friend too close to his heart and consoled himself for his inevitable loss. A few minutes later, Ivan dodged his friend Dev, and Dev pleaded with him, "Ivan, why is it that no one gets to know me?"
"Because you aren’t worth it." Ivan told him with a strong voice and carried his father in his hands. Dev hurried to stop him, "Ivy, are you leaving too."
Ivan stopped to say something to him; Dev moved closer to him. Ivan asked him, "What’s meant by ‘too’?"
Ivan knitted his eyebrows and his eyes turned red to show his anger, "What have you done to my sister?"
Dev sighed, "Your sister did everything. I'm attempting to balance the messed-up situation by any means possible."
"If you are talking about my biological sister, I know what she turned into and she is long lost and isn’t coming back without making enough disaster." Ivan told him.
Dev understood his friend and replied, "She is gone. (Dev’s lips trembled) She is gone. You remember about Wolf Boy, her pet bird mentioned?"
Ivan exhaled deeply, "How?"
Dev replied with moist eyes, "She got her memories back."
Ivan looked at Dev for a while and said his final words, "Dev, you don’t need to explain to me anything about your doings. I will stand by you, no matter what. But..."
Ivan changed to his red dragon form and carried his father’s body with him while Dev stood speechless, watching his friend too walk away from him. Dev looked around and walked towards the chamber where the wings of the black witch were sealed.
He looked around for a while and found a partial amulet with a weird symbol in it. Dev held it in his hands and flew to the top of the forbidden tower. With open wings, he scanned every direction for the source of damage to the energy shield, which he had rebuilt by himself.
Dev’s heart and brain left him all alone at the same time, and yet he was still thinking of the ideologies to bring everything back to normal again. But all he could see was darkness. The darkness consumed almost every corner, and Dev opened his wings to fly to the throne room.
On his way, Ivan’s final words echoed in his mind, "Dev, there is no redemption for you in Akshara’s heart. You have to work a lot harder to convince her. I have no idea how you are going to do that. But my sisters are hurt by the person they love deeply. You have to win your siren back, even if it takes your life, reborn again to win her back. You are a born healer. Heal her wounds. You are a wizard by birth. Do some magic to reconcile with my sister. But, Dev, listen to me carefully. She is the one who knows how to handle you. If you ever want to hurt my sister, your siren again, you can count on me knocking on your chamber’s door for revenge."
When Dev returned to the castle, they informed him that the white queen had gone to combat with the black witch. "What?" Without a second thought, Dev hurried to find his mother. "I am not losing any. I’m done."
*****
In the middle of the Black Iris forest
The Alpha Alabruz and his pack gathered around the forest where Akshara and Karen were conversing. On the other side, Nuraz arrived at the same place with his wife and daughter.
Alabruz rushed to hug Akshara, "Darling... Are you safe?"
Akshara hugged him back while Alabruz whispered in her ears, "I know you are a survivor."
Akshara nodded and said to him back in his ears, "Uncle Bruz, I am fine with some truth unbound".
Everyone was puzzled, including Alabruz. Even Nuraz and Deniza found something odd in the tone of Akshara.
Azile asked her, "Axe, I found some changes in your tone. What changed you?"
Karen tends to reply all in voice to Akshara, "The exposure to the outside world changed her."
"Change for the good is necessary to live my life with supernatural beasts." Akshara mentioned, and Karen arched his brows and warned her, "Axe, I know you are living among us, but be careful with the words you address us..."
Before Karen could finish, Alabruz stopped him. "It's fine, Karen, what she said is true. We are all beasts with glowing eyes and claws. Her palace is filled with ravens and dragons that keep her as captive." Alabruz explained her words. "What do you expect a human girl to address us?"
Karen maintained his silence since his father is in charge of taking decisions. Alabruz smiled at Akshara, "Darling... I sense you have gone through many sufferings. It’s fine. You got us. Nothing to be worried about..."
Ignoring Alabruz’s defence, Akshara asked him, "One thing is still left to be worried about, Uncle Bruz."
Nuraz came close to Akshara and patted her head, "Axe, we know, not exactly in detail, but can relate to your hard times with dragons. But you don’t have to be like that anymore. Don’t puzzle around, and shoot it."
Akshara turned towards Alabruz, "I know what happened in your past."
"My past?" Alabruz was even more puzzled and everyone had the one question on their mind, "How did she know?"
Akshara nodded and told him, "I know how you regained your shape back and healed in the cave. But I wanted to know who killed my parents."
Everyone is gripped by nervousness as a result of Akshara's question.Everyone rolled their eyes at each other and Alabruz replied, "Witch."
*****
After an exhausting search along the shore of the river, Fairy Tears, Dev discovered his mother was brutally attacked by the Black Witch in the Crystal Forest, which was exactly opposite to the Black Iris forest in location and significance.Dev got her in his arms and flew to the ice castle of Ayruzglow.
Dev took his mother to her chamber and placed her in her bed. Dev gathered all of his powers and used his blood to resurrect his mother.Upon draining half of his power, he finally succeeds in reviving his mother.
After two days, the white queen regained consciousness and looked around. She found that she was lying in her bed and found Dev was lying near her, holding the hands of his mother.
He asked her, "Mother... why did you choose to combat alone?"
The White Queen replied with tears, "To end the real war which is to happen."
Dev told her, "The real war will surely take place, and I will kill the black witch with my hands and bring my father from her captivation."
The white queen told him with a trembling voice, "Dev... No... You don’t know about my past?"
Dev nodded and replied, "The black witch is to be executed for the sin of Sororicide."
The White Queen replied to him, "But... what you are doing is parenticide. She is my sister."
Dev replied, "Never mind... I called her for the war. She too agreed. She must consider you as her sister before combating with you."
The White Queen opened her mouth, "Dev...!"
Dev holds his mother’s hands and vowed, "I will avenge the black witch for captivating my father, hurting my mother, and for the damage of lives caused in the Forbidden Tower."
*****
In the middle of the Black Iris forest, Akshara explained her plan to fight the Black witch.
Azile asked Akshara, "Axe...? Are you mad? We just recently escaped from that hell. Why do you want to return to the same hell again?"
Akshara replied in a monotonous tone, "I know what I am doing. Those who have got guts, follow me. Cowards leave."
Azile came close to her and yelled at her, "Are you out of your mind?"
Akshara moved even closer to her and told her in her ears, "You want me to vanish? Then follow me."
Azile was puzzled and scared that Akshara might reveal that she was the one who advised her to leave her palace, and that’s when dragons found her.
Karen heard and told her, "I am with you."
Alabruz joined the team of Akshara, "I and my pack werewolves at your command."
Akshara looked at Azile. Azile too, joined with unwillingness. Akshara had some plans in her mind and wanted them to be executed.
Akshara stepped forward and turned back to address everyone. The sight mesmerised her; she knew the King of Ukada and his army of werewolves were on her side and felt pride in executing her plan.
Akshara told Karen, "Karen, I want a sharp and powerful sword. Can you arrange it?"
Alabruz told her, "Darling... why do you want a sharp one? You may hurt yourself."
Zohan brought dual swords and handed them to Karen. Karen got one and handed one sword to Akshara.
Alabruz cried with fatherly concern to her, "Be careful, my darling..."
Akshara held the sword like a professional, and she called Karen, "Karen... Do you dare?"
Her posture was indeed wondered at by Karen and she replied to her, "I don’t want to be hard on you..."
Karen approached her with the sword; Akshara defended him and attacked back. The attack from Akshara was unexpected by Karen, who missed some gravity under his feet.
Karen cried, "Axe...!"
Akshara tore some pieces of cloth from her dress and tied them around her eyes. Alabruz warned her and informed Karen to be easy on her. The ears of Akshara were sharp to receive and predict the attack of Karen and defend him.
Karen was fascinated by her moves and wanted to bring out more of her. So, he attacked Akshara with an increase in his speed and switched to his attacking mode.
The blindfolded Akshara sharpened her ears and the voice inside her mind echoed, "FOCUS." Akshara could recognise the voice. It was Dev’s voice.
She attacked and defended all the attacks of Karen with great speed and quick wit, and with a great thrust she took over the sword of Karen from his hand.
Everyone was startled to see Akshara in warrior mode and wondered whether she was the same one they had known before.
Akshara unfolded her eyes and looked at everyone, "How am I? Am I fortified enough to chief the army of Ukada?"
Alabruz asked her, but still hadn’t recovered from his amazement of Akshara’s sword skills, "Who is your master, Darling?"
Akshara replied to him with pride, "Crown Prince of Ayruzglow"
Everyone was shocked by her reply. Azile noticed a weird amulet on her neck and questioned her, "Why do you wear such things as the black witch does?"
Everyone looked at the amulet of Akshara. But only Nuraz and Deniza could understand the whole story of the amulet and the reason for Akshara’s change of behaviour.
Akshara opened her mouth to utter while holding the amulet in her hands, "It’s a token of... love!"