14.Choices

When the lady in black opened her eyes,there was an odd mixture of surprise and mirth on her face.It was true that things hadn’t entirely gone according to plan,but now they were falling in place.A brilliant streak of a plan flashed across her mind and she adjusted her hood,now ready to appear before the trapped men in the cave.

Miroven brandished his knife in his hands and began to move towards the mouth of the cave.

Andrew looked at him once,meeting the determination in his eyes.

“Till the end brother,Till the end.”,he told Miroven gently stroking Princess’s fur.

Tumultous roaring in the background,the two men walked valiantly forward.They weren’t going to cower and hide with fear.

“There!!In the cave!!”,came the yells the moment Miroven and Andrew stepped out.A feathered arrow whizzed past,missing Andrew’s nose by a hair breadth.The two brothers took in how severely outnumbered they were and realized that they would be fighting a losing battle.

Beside them,Princess gave a muffled yelp and collapsed into a heap.She had been struck.

“Princess!!!” both brothers cried out at the same time.Andrew bent down unmindful of the volley of arrows that were now raining down upon them.He gazed lovingly at his companion as she licked his hand tenderly,the light in her eyes fading fast.

No one noticed the ripples that developed in the air.There was an odd shimmer,a haze near the cave and then the air parted,like a curtain of tulle being drawn apart.A slender figure stepped out from it and walked straight at the One Army,seemingly dauntless.

A pale hand rose for a moment and all time stopped.The men who were only a moment ago charging ahead froze altogether,now resembling toy soldiers of some giant kid.Only Miroven was unaffected.

“You!!!!”

“And thus we meet again,my boy.You have been foolish.Very very foolish.Thinking that you could go off defying me and expecting me to do nothing about it..It was a pity though,your wife was a pretty lady..can’t say the same about the children though..it took such a great while to silence the younger one.If only you had accepted my offer,they needn’t have died.You are responsible for their deaths..oh,you just had to join me.And now.Again.Thinking that you could fend off a hundred men single handedly..your recklessness is your Achilles heel,Miroven.

I have to say that initially your refusal to work with me annoyed me to a very great extent.To think that you were as foolish as to choose that rustic woman over me.I have watched you from your childhood.I know you more than anyone else does; to such a great degree have I observed you.Let it not be said that I was not merciful.I am willing to give you a second chance.Do not even for a moment get ideas and think that you can somehow defeat me.The fellow you had with you the other day believed that he could,and ofcourse,I showed him otherwise..how could I have not..”

“So it was you who killed the General?”

“Yes..Smart fellow he must have been.For I observed that you were his captive,all bound up with ropes.But not smart enough.Or perhaps just a little less foolish than you.”

"Never will I ever have anything to do with your evil schemes."

"Oh,don't you be too sure.Perhaps what you need is just a little incentive.You love your brother here very much,don't you?And this shaggy beast of his, lying lifeless next to him?I'll do him a favour and arrange both of them to meet again.Or would you prefer that I choose Laura instead?"

"What do you mean?Laura??My daughter?She's alive??Where's she ?"

Mirōven ran at her,knife in his hand.But as he neared,the weapon crumbled into dust.Still,he charged at her with hate in his eyes.

She side stepped very easily and yawned lazily.

"Don't be so hasty Mirōven.I can take you to your daughter..I can save both of you from your enemies here and grant you empires to rule. The promises of wealth and gifts still hold.I extend to you my offer once again.Share my powers..Let's rule the world."

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