Scars that tell a Story, Alice and Leona Pt 2

Alice's heart sank as she reached Oreon and instinctively grabbed his shoulder, pulling him back beneath the cover of the trees. The village, their sanctuary, their second home, was burning. Structures that had stood with quiet elegance for centuries were now charred shells, their graceful arches collapsing in showers of sparks. Smoke choked the air, carrying something far worse beneath it: the sharp, metallic scent of blood.

"No," She whispered, her voice breaking as her eyes frantically scanned the burning settlement. "No, no, no...."

Oreon trembled beneath her grip, his small body rigid with shock. "Alice," he choked out. "Where's Aura? Where's Elder Lyraith?"

Before Alice could answer, movement drew her gaze. Armored figures advanced through the village in disciplined formation; their polished breastplates marked with the Holy Order's sun-and-sword emblem. They swept each home with efficiency, making sure nothing remained standing. Alice pulled Oreon deeper into the shadows and crouched behind a fallen log, pressing a hand over his mouth.

"Shh," She breathed against his ear, her voice barely audible. "Don't make a sound."

Oreon stared in terror, silent tears streaking his face as he nodded against her palm. Through the gaps in the foliage, they watched soldiers drag several elves into the village center—some wounded, others bound in strange glowing shackles that pulsed with an eerie light.

Alice quickly turned Oreon toward her and crouched to his level, gripping his shoulders firmly as she met his terrified eyes. "Oreon, listen to me carefully," she whispered, her voice urgent but steady despite the fear racing through her. "We need to go home right now. We can't let them see us."

Oreon's bottom lip trembled as tears spilled down his cheeks. "But what about the Elves? What about Aura? We have to help them."

Oreon's words twisted Alice's heart, but she forced herself to shake her head and become the voice of reason their mother would have expected.

"The Order soldiers are there. If they find us..." She swallowed hard, not needing to finish the thought. "Mom will know what to do. We need to tell her what's happened."

A sudden crash from the village made them both flinch. Through the trees, a tall Elven structure collapsed in a storm of sparks. The armored men cheered, their joy so cruelly out of place amid the destruction that Alice's stomach twisted. Beside her, Oreon shook with silent sobs.

"We need to go," she whispered, gently turning him away from the horrific scene. "Now." The moment they turned their backs, something shot past Alice's face, slicing a thin scratch across her cheek. She froze as a small rock slammed into a nearby tree and obliterated it. Her body went rigid, the nearness of death stealing the breath from her lungs.

"And what do we have here?" A chilling voice crawled down Alice's spine. Her mouth fell open as the woman's words drifted from the flames consuming the Elven village. "Two little mice scurrying away from the fire." Alice slowly turned to look behind her—and there, through the smoke, she saw the culprit.

A woman in the Holy Order's attire stepped through the smoke, her long burgundy hair flowing behind her and her tanned skin gleaming in the firelight. Her sleeveless arms moved with eerie grace as her tongue slowly traced her lips. Violet eyes settled on the two children, who stood frozen before her in fear.

"In... Inquisitor Cassian..." Alice barely mouthed it in fear.

The woman's lips curled into a predator's smile, her eyes shining with a hunger no ordinary appetite could explain. She glided through the smoke and embers with unnatural grace, each step slow and deliberate. The ornate insignia on her armor set her apart from the common soldiers, marking her as one of the Order's elites: an Inquisitor, hunter of heretics and wielders of forbidden magic.

'I'm flattered that you remember who I am, Alice." She purred, her voice dripping with malice. "Tell me, how's your mother doing?"

Alice's heart pounded as she shoved Oreon behind her and planted herself between him and Cassian. Dread showed plainly on her face, but she fought to hide it as best she could.

"You... it's you..." she breathed, sweat dripping down her face as she stepped back, keeping Oreon behind her. "How a demon like you ever became an inquisitor is beyond me, but you stay the hell away from us," Alice commanded.

"Demon?" Cassian tilted her head, eyes glinting with interest. "I see. Your mother must have been telling you stories about my...Latest escapades." Her tongue slithered out of her mouth once again.

"Damn your escapades, demon..." Alice growled, keeping Oreon close to her.

Cassian's laughter rang through the burning forest, a sound both beautiful and terrible. She moved closer, the air around her seeming to distort slightly, as if reality itself recoiled from her presence.

"Such language from a child," she tutted, her tone laced with mock disappointment. "Leona should have taught you better manners." She sighed theatrically. "But I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Leona always had a soft spot for creatures that should have been put down." Her gaze drifted toward the burning Elven village. "Just like her precious elves."

Alice's blood ran cold when Cassian spoke her mother's name. The casual familiarity in her voice made the threat feel even worse, as if Leona were an old friend instead of a sworn enemy. Behind Alice, Oreon clutched her shirt, his small fingers digging into the fabric.

"Don't you dare speak her name." She hissed, her voice trembling despite her attempt at bravery. "You know nothing about her!"

Cassian's smile widened, revealing teeth just sharp enough to seem inhuman. She stepped closer, and the grass crunched beneath her boots. "Oh, but I do know her, little one. Far better than you realize. Leona the Merciful. Leona the Prodigy. Leona the Holy Knight—the Order's brightest star, before she became a sympathizer. A flaw in our ranks. A witch." Her eyes flicked to Oreon, then returned to Alice.

"But enough about that. How about you both be good little children and come with me. Your mother and I have unfinished business, and you two will make such perfect bait.

Alice's thoughts spun. She had to crush the stone and warn her mother—but that meant letting go of Oreon, even for an instant. And something deep in her gut told her Cassian only needed an instant.

"We're not going anywhere with you," Alice said, her voice steadier than she felt, backing away slowly with Oreon. Her hand inched toward her pocket, fingers seeking the warning stone that her mother had given her. "My mother told me what you really are. What you did to those villages in the north."

Cassian's beautiful face twisted into something inhuman for just a split second, a glimpse of what lurked beneath the surface-before her pleasant mask slipped back into place.

"Did she now? How fascinating. I thought Leona had buried those memories when she abandoned the Order. Those were thrilling times, though. Did she tell you what role she played? How the elves in that village ran to her for safety, only for her to fail them? How she gave them false hope before I crushed their lives beneath my heel." Cassian snickered as she regained control, her eyes settling once more on the two children before her.

She let out a short breath. "Though Leona is powerful, I can see why the purifier fell for her." She placed a hand on her hip. "But I wonder..." Her smirk widened. "Considering the circumstances, have your powers manifested yet, little one? Your mother's bloodline was always...exceptional."

Alice felt Oreon trembling against her back. She needed to distract Cassian, just long enough to activate the stone.

"Leave us alone!" She shouted, summoning every ounce of courage she possessed. "The Order will know what you've done here. This wasn't sanctioned-even they wouldn't approve of massacring an entire village!"

"Oh, sweet child, such an innocent way of thinking. Right and wrong, black and white, good or bad." Cassian spoke. "But you understand so little about the world you live in." Her smile widened, revealing her slightly sharp teeth again. "The Order doesn't care about methods, only results. And these Elves harbored forbidden magic. That makes them complicit." She gestured casually toward the burning village, where screams still echoed through the smoke.

"Besides, this isn't a massacre-it's a cleansing. The world is being purified, one abomination at a time."

Alice's fingers finally closed around the stone in her pocket. She needed just a moment, just one distraction. Beside her, Oreon suddenly stepped forward, his small face contorted with rage and grief.

"You're the monster! Not them!" He shouted, his voice breaking. "They never hurt anyone! You're just a big bully! A big meanie with no heart!" He screamed as tears streamed down his face. "The Elves never hurt anyone, and you came and burned down their home!" He gritted his teeth as the salty tears touched his lips as he balled his tiny fist. "I HATE YOU! I WISHED YOU'D GO AWAY!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, but all it did was shift Cassian's attention to him. Her eyes narrowed with cruel amusement.

"And the little mouse has teeth. How adorable." Cassian bent closer, studying him with the amused curiosity of a girl admiring a puppy. Then she straightened, looming over both children. "However," She took one step forward—and in the blink of an eye, she was in front of them. Alice barely had time to gasp before Cassian's hand flashed out, backhanding her into a tree. The impact drove the air from Alice's lungs and sent her crumpling to the ground, the warning stone slipping from her fingers. Cassian seized Oreon by the front of his shirt and lifted him effortlessly into the air.

"I've never been particularly fond of children who don't know their place." Oreon kicked and squirmed in Cassian's grip, clawing helplessly at her armored wrist as she held him aloft with ease. His face flushed with effort and fear, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Let him go!" Alice gasped, struggling to her feet despite the pain radiating through her body from the impact. Blood trickled from a cut on her forehead, running into her eye.

Cassian regarded Oreon with clinical detachment as if examining an insect pinned to a board. Her violet eyes narrowed slightly, her head tilting in curiosity.

"Interesting," she murmured, bringing him closer to her face. "I can sense it in you, child—raw, untapped potential. Your mother's blood runs strong in your veins...I wonder." With her free hand, she traced a symbol in the air, her fingertip leaving a trail of sickly purple light. The rune hung suspended between them for a moment before she pressed it against Oreon's chest.

The boy screamed in pure agony, the sound cutting through Alice like a blade. His small body convulsed as dark veins spread from the point of contact, pulsing across his skin with an unnatural glow. His eyes rolled back until only white remained, and his screams broke into strangled gasps.

"Stop it!" Alice shrieked, lunging forward despite her injuries. "You're killing him!"

Cassian's expression remained unchanged, almost bored, as she continued the magical probing. The air around them grew heavy, charged with power that made Alice's skin crawl.

"Fascinating," Cassian said again. "The potential is there, but dormant. Not like you, girl." Her gaze shifted to Alice, suddenly intense and hungry. "Yours are already awakening. I can taste it." Without warning, she tossed Oreon aside like discarded trash. The boy's small body hit the ground with a sickening thud, where he lay motionless except for the shallow rise and fall of his chest.

"Perhaps I've been focusing on the wrong sibling." Cassian purred again, turning her full attention to Alice. "Let's see what you're capable of, daughter of Leona." Cassian smiled wildly as she reached her hand out toward the terrified teenager, whose eyes only widened in terror as she looked up at the female monster before her.

Before Cassian's hand could reach her, a woman's fist slammed into the side of the Inquisitor's jaw. Cassian's face buckled from the impact as her body shot backward like a bullet, tearing through a line of trees before crashing into the burning Elven buildings. Alice stared in stunned silence as a woman stepped into view. Green hair flowed down her back, and she wore a plain white top that exposed her midriff, black shorts, black-and-green boots, and delicate silver ornaments around her wrists.

Alice couldn't help but feel the weight of the world lift off her shoulders as her eyes fell upon her savior. "Au...Aura."

Aura planted herself before Alice like a living shield, her tall, lithe frame radiating power. Her hair whipped around her as if caught in an unseen storm, and her emerald eyes blazed with magic. A small green barrier formed around the three of them, pulsing gently as Alice and Oreon began to glow with the same healing light.

Alice slowly sat up, her wounds now magically gone. Oreon did the same thing as they both realized that Aura was healing them without facing them.

"Alice, listen to me and do exactly as I say," Aura stated calmly, but anger was evident in her voice. "Take your brother and run home; do not look back; no matter what you hear." She instructed. "Tell your mother that the day we both feared has come...The cleansing has begun."

Alice stared up at Aura's back, mesmerized by the faint shimmer of protective magic emanating from the elf's form.

"But Aura," Alice protested, her voice trembling. "She's the Inquisitor-she's too strong! You can't face her alone!"

In the distance, rubble shifted and crashed as Cassian began to emerge from the wreckage. The air grew heavy with malevolent energy, and the flames around them seemed to bend unnaturally, as if drawn toward the rising Inquisitor.

Aura's shoulders tensed, but she didn't turn. Her voice remained steady, though Alice could hear the underlying strain.

"This isn't a debate, child. I've sworn to protect you both, and that means ensuring you reach safety. So please, be a good girl as your mother asked of you and listen to me." Aura turned her head to glance back at the children, only to find Oreon rushing toward her and wrapping his arms around her leg.

For a moment, Aura's expression softened as she looked down at Oreon clinging to her leg. She rested a gentle hand on his head, her fingers briefly tangling in his hair. The tenderness stood in sharp contrast to the tension in her body, and for one fragile heartbeat, the fear of what was coming showed plainly in her eyes.

"Brave little one," Aura said, her Elven accent thick with emotion. "Now is not the time for tears." She knelt to meet his tearful gaze, then removed one silver cuff from her wrist and fastened it around Oreon's small arm. The bracelet immediately shrank to fit him. "This will hide you from her sight until you reach home. Be strong, my brave little warrior—for your sister, your mother... and for me." She gently ruffled his hair. Oreon looked up at her, nodded, and wiped his tears away as Aura turned to Alice.

"Alice." Her tone changed slightly. "I know what's happening now is a lot, and I'm sorry that I didn't get to train you more for something like this." Aura stood up and walked, taking a few steps towards her. She placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "It may be scary at first, but it's time to embrace who you are; the real power lying dormant in you. The time may come when you may take a life to save the ones you care about. But don't be afraid. Now, go; run home and warn your mother. I'll hold them off here.

Alice held Aura's gaze and saw the same wisdom and strength she had always known, now magnified beyond belief. The elf's hand burned warm against her shoulder, magic flowing between them like a silent current. For a heartbeat, something deep within Alice stirred, like water shifting beneath a sheet of ice.

"I-I understand," She whispered, her voice steadier than before. She reached out and took Oreon's hand, pulling him gently away from Aura. "But you have to promise me you won't lose to her." She gritted her teeth. "Promise me!" Alice exclaimed as Aura gave her a gentle smile.

"I've been challenged by better," Aura said to her as Alice and Oreon gave her a weak smile, which Aura returned as they quickly turned their backs to her, making their way back the way they came.

"I believe I've been more than patient, Elven witch," Cassian said, advancing on Aura. Aura sighed, then turned back to face her, standing just slightly taller than the Inquisitor. "Watching an elf parade around with her human pets makes me sick. I should have known Leona would keep one of your kind as a guard dog."

"Cassian," Aura said, her voice turning cold and lethal. "Although I do appreciate your patience, I'm afraid I'll have to repay it with unrestrained violence. You destroyed my village. You attacked two precious children I hold dear. "Her eyes narrowed." For that, a knight of the Order's inner circle dies today."

Cassian's eyes narrowed, a flicker of genuine surprise crossing her face before it was replaced by cruel amusement. She brushed debris from her shoulder with exaggerated casualness.

"An elf threatening an Inquisitor of the Order? How...quaint?" Her violet eyes gleamed with malice as she materialized a black and purple javelin in her hand. Its metal glowed with unnatural runes. "I've slaughtered dozens of your kind. What makes you think you'll fare any better than the last elves that fell at my feet?"

Aura's posture shifted subtly, her body coiling like a predator about to strike. The air around her shimmered with barely contained power as she extended her arm, palm facing outward.

"Because unlike them," Aura replied, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "I've been preparing for a moment such as this for a very long time. I'm not like the Elves that were unfortunate enough to meet your gaze, Cassian. However, your simple tricks won't work on me." She taunted. "You, like every other high-ranking soldier, will fall all the same...To an Elf." Green energy is now forming around her hands.