The splashing of blood and the smell of decaying corpses forced Soul to grimace and hold back the ugre to vomit,he looked down at his hands to see they were almost completely drained with golden blood and then looked up at the group.
The slaves were all horrified glued here eyes down to the golden blood stained ground and the young slave a wet liquid dripping from his pants slowly turned to look at Soul his eyes haunted and afraid.
Soul turned his attention to the noblewoman who has had half her body covered with the golden blood and the scholar who's laying on the ground,his torso seemingly melted though revealing the contents of his stomach.
Soul eyes widened as he realised the priest is missing but the screams of one of the slaves coursed him to jump frightened and face them.
The slave,his eyes covered by his long hair pointed up at the trees and everyone follower his finger until they saw it.
The priest's remains were infused with the tree,his pale skin now stained with his own golden blood and the remaining skin on his face bubbling against his red skull and yes singular remaining eye staring lifeless at them.
The book still held by his now skinless hand slowly fell from onto the ground but disappeared as soon as it touched the soft blood strained grass.
Then....
A deafening screams come from the priest's mutilated corpse, shaking the trees and the ground before falling into a awkward silence.
Everyone stood horrified unsure whether to speak or to just accept there situation and inevitable death.
Soul looking down at his shaking hands in horror gasps for air as he begins to think about what's reality going on, is this a trial just as Altair had said or....this is his execution.
"We should keep moving or else whatever did that to them will come for us" the noblewoman whispered her trembling voice before turning and plotting here route while wiping the blood from her face.
The chains that had previously bounded the slaves disappeared and the young slave regaining his composure grabs the noblewoman by the collar.
"What in hell was that!?"he growled tightening his grip on the noblewoman collar, his demeanor and intensity screamed rage and frustration while his hands trembled with fear.
The noblewoman licking the priest's blood from her lips shoved the young slave into one of the trees then gave him a disgusted and enraged look.
"Pretending to be brave while pee comes down your legs is just pathetic and what coursed this I have no knowledge about "she growled before looking at the path from were they came.
Pointing at the direction she's looking she glanced at the three remaining slaves her eyes locking on Soul blank and disinterested expression to her this behavior was unusual among humans and her eyebrows raised in suspension.
They began to walk further up the mountain the path surprisingly wide but the temperatures even more chilled then the small forest.Soul shivering and rubbing his shoulders constantly looked around for any sign of a threat while the young Slave and noblewoman gave eachother glares .
The Slave behind Soul marely recited a prayer in a language Soul barely knows but understood,it was a prayer to a long fallen god that once ruled that mountains and offered protected for those who traveled those paths.
Soul glanced back at the Slave his voice was a low whisper compared to the raging weathers and the chartering of teeth from the young slave.
"Do you know what was that back here!?"he questioned while keeping stride but he didn't miss the frightened look of the slave and how his eyes lowered to the floor.
"I...I don't know what it was,I have had from the elders of our camp those lands are cursed"the slave said with a trembling voice before a loud howl filled the sky.
The young slave looking around sneered in frustration then he looked at Soul then grinned.
"We should split up I'll take my comrade and you'll take her"he commanded his confidence masking his fearful tone then without a second thought he and the slave rushed down the mountain.
Soul and the noblewoman staring in disbelief merely narrowed their eyes then with a shrug Soul turned and continued up the mountain.The noblewoman now even more confused turns to follow Soul.
"Where are you going!?"she shouted and hissed with a sneer on her voice then tried to close the direction between them.
Soul not in the any particular mood to talk continued walking.Hid thoughts more on what the young slave was planning,his move of thinking the other Slave deemed a bit rushed and also him choosing to split up.
As he continued to walk he noticed there was less and less bones along the side of the pathway and how the air became more then but also a faint whistling sound.
The noble woman who expression was a mix of annoyance and confusion followed in surprisingly silence expect for her occasional sighs and groans but her eyes widened as she saw Soul stopping and turning his head.
Following his glance she saw it a massive cave that seemed to suck in the air with its shadowy depths then glanced back at Soul who while shivering walked into the cave and gestured for get to follow.
Meanwhile.....
The young slave and his comrade made they way back down the narrow path down the mountain despite his shivering large frame the young slave had a massive grin on his face.
"We did it comrade."he whispered before bursting out into laughter then looking back at his comrade.
The small less imposing slave merely gave him an confused stare then slowly panic and dread creeped into his body.
"What...w... what did you do!?" with a trembling voice before stopping and taking a step back his hands now covering his mouth.
The young slave a sadistic smile appearing on his eyes glances back at the less imposing slave with a feral glow in his eyes before letting out a twisted laugh.
The comrade slave quickly turned to run away his eyes wide with fear,he as seen that look before the look of insanity,of corruption and knows the young slave isn't what he says he is.
He ran as far as his bare feet can carry him hoping to create some distance between himself and the young slave but the path upnthr mountain seemed stretch on infinity then he tripped down,on what not even he himself can explain and fell face first to the ground.
Disorientated he began crawling on the ground but he stopped when he touched that bare feet of the young slave who was now standing infront of him.
His face covered by the shadows of his hair, his muscular frame casted an eerie shadow on the less imposing slave who gasped for air and tried to crawl away.
"What's wrong comrade afraid of your ally or are you also a traitorous pig like the old me"the young slave hissed with a voice smooth like honey as he slowly stalked towards the comrade slave.
A rush of fear and panic filled the comrade slave overriding all sense of reason and he grabbed the first thing he could get his hand on and throw it at the young slave.
With a loud thud the object hit the young slave coursing him to turn his face,his eyes widened in shock as he glanced down at the comrade slave then his smile widenen stretching from ear to ear he slowly opened his mouth.
The comrade slave eyes widening in horror as the Shadow of the young slave morphed and twisted into something inhuman something unholy.
Then everything went dark,the only sound that could be heard was the tearing of flesh,the breaking of bones and deafening screams.
On top of the mountain in the whistling cave
Soul looking at the noble woman and then at the cave entrance hearing faint screams his eyes widening in confusion and worry.
"It's probably the screams of those two morons"the Noblewoman said with a harsh and flat voice before giving Soul a deadpan stare, she crossed her legs waiting for a reply
Soul staring back at the Noblewoman tilted his head to the side and then with an sigh gets to his feet and slowly walked towards the Noblewoman then with one quick movements slaps her across the face shocking her
Her face turned to the side as she grabbed her cheek the string of Soul's slap coursing her hiss in pain then a low growl escaped her throat and her fingers turned into Gray claws
But before she can react
Soul grabbed her by the collar and stared into her glowing red eyes gritting his teeth
"Listen, I don't care who or what you are but you better start showing respect for life or I'll end yours"
The noblewoman sneering then grinning chuckles and grabbed Soul's forearm crashing in as a red spiral glow appeared around her hand
"And here I thought you were nothing but a gutless coward who remained quiet out of pure fear"she hissed then increased the pressure on Soul's firearm
Soul gritting his teeth didn't break eye contact,then the sound of a crackling bones rang though the cave and the noblewoman suddenly released her grip wide eyed she looked further into the cave
Soul rubbing his arm realises it wasn't his bone that broke then slowly followed the noblewoman graze and what he saw was.....