Have Mercy

Have Mercy
Vaelora's POV

“Your scent?” Elder Ryder's brows pressed tightly together at my words. “You have a scent?”

I breathed shakily and unconcealed my scent. His brows freed as his eyes closed, his head tilting sideways.

“Hmmm.” He sniffed, turning around slowly towards Margaret's direction. The expression on her face shifted as she took multiple steps back away from Ryder.

She was almost sticking to the wall.

“Oh?” Ryder muttered, slowly placing his hand down. He walked towards her, his grey robe sweeping the floor.

“P-please… do not believe anything that comes out of that girl's mouth.” She shook her head frantically, her left hand pointing at me.

Ryder didn't answer, closing the distance between them, and when he was close enough, his left hand stretched forward and grabbed her neck.

“Um!” She squealed in fear, shaking violently, her eyes widening in terror. Ryder bent down deliberately to her neck and she froze like a statue.

A deep inhale sounded in the quiet room, and I watched as Ryder's hand tightened around the katana.

“You.” His voice came out guttural and cold.

“I-I'm sorry. I-i didn't know what came over me… ah!” Her lips trembled violently, droplets of tears falling from her eyes, but before she could finish, her body rose midair and was flung around the room.

Crash!

“Ouhhhh!” She screamed, rolling on her tummy. Her head lifted up, but when she saw Ryder moving towards her, she scrambled on her knees, crawling away from him.

“I beg of you! Have mercy! Please!” Her voice broke as she kept crawling back. “It was a mistake. I will never do such a thing again. Please!”

“I do not show mercy,” Ryder said coldly. “Only a coward shows mercy to betrayal.”

Ryder grabbed her hair, the strands filling his fingers, and her eyes lifted from the end, and I could see the red in them. She winced from the pain, but because of the pressure on her scalp, she couldn't move.

“You harmed a child… and its mother because of what?” He demanded. “You're too foolish to work for someone, which only means this is all your doing to satisfy your personal revenge.”

“N-no that's not true.” Margaret's hands pressed tightly, rubbing as she begged. “I've never thought about getting revenge against you. You saved me-”

“You were nothing but a gift to me after your pack got raided because of your foolish father,” he said. “Looks like foolishness is the crown of the family. It runs through your blood. You should have ended your life because you would have saved yourself from what you will go through from now on.”

“Vaelora!” He boomed and I flinched. “What do you say about this gift? Where should I open first? Its eyes? Nose? Or…” He released her hair to grab her jaw, forcing her mouth open.

Her eyes shook frantically as he lifted the katana, placing it at the entrance of her mouth, “...mouth?”

That will kill her.

“Pwesse!” Margaret begged, spit dripping down the corner of her lips, tears falling from her swollen eyes.

“Answer me,” he reminded.

“I am a mere maid… I will never understand your loss as I have never shared such an experience before.” I cautiously answered. “So it is unwise for me to give a reply.”

At this moment, Ryder's head had turned towards me, and I saw his eyes gaze at me.

“Good answer. A nice way of avoiding any troubles,” he commented. His hand let go of her jaw and she collapsed on the floor trembling.

“I've made up my mind. I'll go for the eyes,” he said before she could breathe in relief.

“No! No! Please! Please!” She screamed, getting up to run away from him.

Ryder's jaw locked tightly as he grabbed her neck, lifted the katana, and slowly pierced through her eyes.

“Ahhhhhhh!!!!” Her screams bounced off the room, cracking in between, and I feared her throat might burst.

I shut my eyes from the gruesome scene and only heard squishy sounds before a heavy thud sounded after.

My eyes slowly opened and caught Margaret unconscious on the floor with blood spurting from her two eyes.

I glanced at Ryder and saw him gripping his hair, staring at the body. He threw the katana on the floor, his head turning towards me to reveal the craziness in his eyes.

He's finally lost it.

“Where is she? Where is my Aerila?”

. . . .

Aeron's POV

“Tadah!” I removed my hands from Naeris's face and stepped away from behind her.

“Woah!” She gasped in bewilderment. “It's so beautiful… I didn't know there is a sea in this place.”

She spread her arms wide, inhaling the fresh air. “So peaceful and quiet. I can live here for a long long long time.”

I chuckled at her remark and turned sideways, seeing some maids hiding behind a huge stone far from us. I gave them a signal and they quickly moved towards the ocean.

Naeris's eyes were still closed so she didn't see them. They poured something into the water and rushed back to their hiding spot.

The sea waves crashed softly towards us and, as if triggered, the sea started glowing.

“Naeris, open your eyes.” I stepped forward, feigning shock at the scene. “Look! The sea is glowing!”

“Oh my goodness! You're right!” She squealed, clapping her hands. “Is it safe to go in there?”

“I'll go first, then you come in if nothing happens to me,” I answered, already walking closer to it, but her fingers wrapped around my arm, stopping me.

“No… let's go together. You can't be the one to have the first experience. It's not fun that way.” She pouted her rosy lips, her glossy hair gently following the wind. A light sparkled in her eyes, maybe from the sea.

“So beautiful,” I blurted without thinking, then shook my head, blinking rapidly and looking away. I hoped she didn't hear that.

“I'm beautiful? This is the first time you called me that! Haha!” She laughed, and I turned to see her holding her belly while laughing.

She's happy.

Naeris is finally laughing again.