The Spirit Guardian

Chapter Eight - Captured

"I don't care!" Mulo raged. "What do you mean you're tired?" Three guards in dark grey armoured clothing cowered in front of the king. "Go now! Before I turn you to dust!"

The three men formed into big black crows in a puff of smoke and flew out the large room. The room had red painted walls though the paint was peeling away and dirty wooden floorboards. "Tired, ha!" Mulo was being serious. Although they did need a day to rest soon, he was trying to push all his guards as much as possible. 

Nerida was almost at the Vampire Kings underground castle. It was at least a days travel and she wasn't used to being in the form of a crow, but she understood Conn's urgency. Dark grey clouds were starting to form around Nerida, She hoped she could make it before it started to rain. 

She made it into the cave as the first drops of rain fell, the guards didn't bat an eye and she flew towards the castle windows. She could hear Mulo shouting at someone and followed the sound until she found the room he was in. She perched on a windowsill near an open window stretching her wings.

"Leave now, and bring me a goblet to drink." Mulo yelled at a follower. The follower whispered something back. "I don't care, deer, cow. Something fresh." Mulo replied and the follower quickly scurried out the room. Mulo then turned to face three more guards and his daughter.

"We take the pieces for ourselves, do you hear me? We need this item, for without it, we will be in hiding forever and we don't deserve that. Thea deserves to be immortal." Mulo walked over to his battered wooden desk and pulled open a drawer on the side. Inside was something wrapped in a purple velvet cloth. He placed it on the desk. "Come closer." Mulo ushered to his guards and his daughter. They stepped forward curious. Mulo unfolded the cloth to reveal a small vial. Mulo picked it up with silver skinny fingers. "This will help us. Water from the Well of vitality." The guards cheered in agreement and Thea smiled. 

"Onas will be telling me if there are any developments. So far the child has visited that that airhead of a witch, Aurea. Silly woman. But with one piece down, this means we must act fast. Somehow. I think we need a plan of action." Mulo's men agreed, nodding their heads and mumbling. 

Nerida turned to fly away but as she did, she saw another much larger crow watching her. 

"Don't move!" He screeched. Nerida Whipped down towards the ground as fast as she could, zipping between guards and followers. In the distance she could hear a warning bell chime. 

"Get that crow!" She heard a voice call. Nerida was panicking, How do they know which crow is me! She thought. There were crows everywhere. Crows cawing and shrieking, flapping their wings in a panic, searching for Nerida. 

She saw the tunnel out of the cave and flew as fast as she could without looking back, she could hear shouting behind her. She zipped for the tunnel, avoiding outstretched arms as she flew low to the ground to avoid crows above her. The cave echoed with the chiming of the bells and the cawing of the crows, blackness of the wings scattered in all corners, flapping intensely. 

She took one look behind her and in that second she saw Mulo standing at a window with a huge smug grin on his face. Then, as if by slow motion, Nerida turned and everything went dark. She had been caught in a black cotton bag. 

Mulo sat in his throne, tapping his fingers. He waited impatiently as his men brought in the bag. Inside Nerida wriggled trying to get free but with no luck. He nodded to his men, and they reached their hands inside the bag, grabbing out a tiny Nerida by her arms. Another man came over and wrapped string tightly around her wings and legs. 

"You are trespassing. Who are you?!" Mulo shouted standing and walking over to Nerida. 

"I shall never tell you." She replied loudly. Mulo glared at her.