Taming the Dark Lord - Chapter 39

Chapter 39 – The Strange Man in the Woods (1)

Just as Amelia turned back, a swift brandishing of pointed metal sliced her skin, catching her off guard as she gasped in bated breath. Sharp, overwhelming pain zippered through her arm from where she was knifed, and only then did Amelia realize that she was attacked.

Her breath caught in her throat. She reflexively drew out her magic wand tied on her waist and pointed it towards her attacker, a Light blade forming on the tip of her wand.

The attacker swung her knife in response, blocking the Light blade as the weapons clashed together mid-air.

As if time suddenly went in slow motion, Amelia turned her head back and saw her attacker’s face clearly.

The woman had a pale complexion. Her face was packed with wrinkles, and her hands looked thin and boney as her fingers clutched on the long knife, looking as if it were a pair of chicken’s feet. Veins protruded from her frail hands that stood out against her white skin.

“Who are you?! You’re mad, woman!” The knights called out as they harshly took the woman by the arms. They drew out their weapons and stood in front of Amelia, guarding her as she nursed her bloody arm.

“Who am I?” The woman hissed venomously, “It is I, the person you’re looking for.”

The woman lifted her gaze and stared at Amelia with eyes full of murderous intent. She was eyeing her as if she wanted to scrape her skin off with a blunt knife.

Amelia straightened her stance, trying to keep the fear out of her voice and asked frowningly, “Are you a witch?”

The witch waved her hand, and the possessed woman who was squirming on the ground suddenly rose up, and zoomed towards her. The witch positioned the woman behind her, shielding her from the Light cult. “I am the one who killed the Bishop, not her. She’s innocent. Catch me if you can, you dogs.”

“You!” The knight commander muttered angrily. He tilted his spear and rushed towards the witch at an alarming speed, about to pierce the witch right on her chest.

The witch stood rooted on her spot, and tilted her head to the side with a sinister smile plastered on her face. She was completely unfazed at the oncoming attack, her eyes drifting to Amelia who was standing behind the knights. The witch stared at her in mocking, snickering as if she was waiting for this to happen.

Looking at the witch’s disturbing expression, a sense of dread washed over Amelia as realization hit her: Something was wrong.

Her heart skipped a beat as she forced herself through the crowd, pushing the knights out of her way and screamed warningly. “Don’t get close to her—!”

The knight heard Amelia’s warning. He was alarmed, and he wanted to retreat, but it was already too late. With the speed he was in, the gap between them grew smaller by the second.

The spear passed through the witch’s body, hitting the ground with a loud, reverberating clang. However, invisible to them, she had surrounded herself with in a globe of magic which could electrocute. An electric current immediately caught the spear’s metal tip as the wave snaked upwards the shaft towards the knight’s body, electrocuting him as he fell to the ground with a soft thud.

“In three days time, I will come back and kill all of you demons disguised in human skin. I will return, you’ll see.” The witch said. Her body suddenly flickered like a dying light bulb before disappearing into thin air, bringing the possessed woman with her. All of that was left of her was the clear, ominous message.

“She’s gone!” A knight exclaimed, stating the obvious as he turned around to look at Amelia, helplessly waiting for her instructions.

The door behind them suddenly burst open. Debra and Rita rushed out with a group of people behind them. “What happened?” They asked in unison.

“It was the witch who killed the bishop. She came and attacked me.” Amelia said, still clutching her wounded arm. Blood dripped down from her fingertips, staining the white jade floor scarlet. It looked as if she had been seriously injured. Fortunately, it was just a cut that sliced her skin.

Rita reacted in panic upon seeing Amelia’s wounded arm. She neared closer to the saint and fussed over her. “Does it hurt? Lift up your sleeve so I could help you.”

Rita used her magic to tend to the bloody mess. A sheer substance enveloped the gaping wound, making the opened flesh stitch by itself as it healed in a matter of just a few seconds.

Debra on the other hand, asked the knights what transpired minutes before they barged out of the door. She was entirely pissed as she approached Amelia, disappointment lacing her voice. “Amelia! How did this happen? The witch was so close to you and she still managed to get away!”

Amelia matched the latter’s piercing gaze. She was about to tell Debra off when Rita beat her to it. “How about try it yourself since you’re so brave? Can’t you see Amelia was hurt? Your scolding is uncalled for.”

“Uncalled for?” Debra repeated, “Not only did the witch escape, one of our knights was killed too. Amelia was there the whole time but look at what happened?”

Rita stepped closer to Debra, standing face to face. “Stop causing a scene. I know that you’re onto something. I bet you’re being like this just so you could get your hands on the chief position. How pathetic.”

Amelia placed herself between the two saints and pushed them away from each other. “Stop it you two!” She turned her head towards the knight that was lying on the ground, and said. “He’s not dead. The electric current just knocked him unconscious.”

Amelia wiped her wand that was covered in blood with her handkerchief, and glanced at Debra. “I take full accountability. I will not run away from it. You can report me to the Pope as soon as we get back. Now, let’s focus on the situation at hand, shall we? Her knife was smeared with my blood, and we can trace her by using that to our advantage. If you aren’t convinced, you can go after her by yourself.”

Amelia was standing beneath the glaring sunlight. Her blonde locks and the contours of her face glowed even more brightly under the halo of light, emphasizing her beauty to the onlookers. She always had a good temper, matching her soft, angelic appearance.

Debra looked at Amelia’s profile. She was thinking of a rebuttal to say to Amelia, but after a long silence, she decided to snap her mouth shut and left wordlessly.