RETURN OF THE HYBRID (Book III)

Chapter 19

***Clive stone kingdom 1823***

With his quiver and arrows deepened in gasoline Leon was setting the skeletons on fire to pave away for his horse Don. They were being controlled by Ariella and she was using them to buy herself time to get to king Rhode. The good thing was they were slow. He could outrun them and the bad thing was they were a plethora of them. Don the horse had to ride himself the whole way since most of the time Leon had to turn around and shoot an arrow or two.

"Hold on buddy we are almost there!" Leon said supporting his legs around the Horse's neck, hanging upside down like a baboon in the Congo rainforest he send a flaming arrow to a bunch of dry leaves closer to the skeleton-bodied army of the dead.

They caught fire but continued charging towards him.

"This suckers don't die, let's get the witches"

Leon shifted his attention to avoiding them instead of trying to kill them. He was riding toward Cassandra's castle. He was hoping the girls would have kept them busy and give him a window to escape and get Rhodes blood. Just a drop of it is what he needed. On the way he met people running away. There was smoke everywhere and by the road side a woman and her daughter were being maliciously battered and almost getting molested. Don the horse just stopped.

"Really dude, you're an animal how can you be emotional?" He asked trying to force him to move, "Come on we can't save everyone let's move!"

The horse just neighed jumping up and down. Leon was holding on this tightly until he couldn't anymore. He loosened his grip and fell down.

"You are a sellout, now am angry" Leon said dusting himself.

He moved in super speed and grabbed one of the men. He morphed immediately, the poor man screamed trying to break free from Leon’s grip.

"Too late!" He said and send his teeth on his neck.

The other man rushed with a club in his hand and hit Leon on the head. Nothing happened. Not what he expected. Based on how hard he hit him any normal human being would not have survived that. Leon dropped his friend. He was dead. He bit him to kill not to turn him.

"Seriously am this mad and all you can do is hit me with a club?" He asked mockingly.

The helpless woman and her daughter were also scared holding each other with no might to run. The man tried to run but he was not fast enough like he thought. Leon ripped his spine out.

"Sorry about that mess, go be safe!" He said to the mother.

They bowed and left.

"You drop me one more time am feeding from your vein" He threatened the horse.

He just released a soft neigh. Leon got on top and they continued with their journey. From far he could see a burning remains of what used to be Cassandras castle. There was no sign of life there as he knocked down partially burned door.

"Hello!" He called out just in case anyone was buried in the rock debris.

There was no one besides he was not capturing any scent except for Ariella's soldiers who were coming in. Leon got an idea. He used his super speed to hide his horse first and then led the army to him. He also got some gasoline and spread it all over the empty house. They followed him like a bunch of zombies. Well they were zombies but with no flesh.

"Come on boys!" He teased going upstairs.

Leon jumped through the window and locked it before he rushed to lock the door and lit up the castle once again.

As he rode away a big cloud of smoke was behind him.

*****

Ariella and the girls arrived at king Rhode’s palace. It was dead quiet and surrounded by her army of the undead. They behaved as through they could talk to her, they bowed. The man that was riding the chariot respectfully opened the door for them. Ariella emerged with her ring around her waist followed by Dahlia and Helen.

"Thank you, what’s your name?" Ariella asked the man.

"Alcott mum"

"Alcott you are now the butler of the palace from this point, girls follow me we got a body to burn" she said leading the way holding the ring.

Dahlia lagged behind a bit. Helen realized. She was getting cold feet about their decision to join Ariella. They did it willingly under the assumption that siding with her was going to give them a survival chance. What they didn't think of was the price. What price were they going to pay? Poor witches. They knew even magic, every spell had a price. And the price for siding with her was their magic.

"Come on it's too late to turn back we just burned down our castle" Helen said.

"I feel different, so powerless"

"She said it's just a short term side effect of the spell and ..."

"You believe her?" Dahlia asked surprised and confused at the same time.

"What option do we have you heard her let's go burn the royals" Helen said confidently marching to the palace.

Scared Dahlia had to follow her. She really wished she wouldn't have followed them but like Helen said it was too late, Cassandra would have never forgiven them. They had got there. To the point of no return. It was scary.

"Ariella glad to see you!" Rhode said happily.

He was tied on a chair, his hands behind his back with a dozen of Ariella's soldiers surrounding him.

"What's happening? Why are this skeletons all over and where is my Aliya please..."

Ariella dropped the ring and mumbled a spell that sealed Rhodes mouth. He kept his eyes on her. They were bulging almost popping out of their sockets. Poor Rhode had no idea he was speaking with the enemy.

"I wish I was glad to see you too, he talks a lot" she said to Alcott.

"Ye-yes mum"

"Don't be afraid I won't harm you, get the girls...oh they are here never mind"

"Who are we burning?" Helen asked confidently.

Rhodes eyes shifted to Helen. He recognized her as one of Cassandra's girls and there she was talking about burning someone when there was no one else there who was in a burning position. He tried his best to talk without his mouth but all that came out was a hum or something like that as he struggled to break free from the ropes. Seated there he regretted not listening to Herman. It was too late for the king too.

"King Rhode, the hybrid Leon needs the blood of the five kings to unlock the sword of ice and fire"

"You mean it's not a myth?" Helen asked sounding and looking surprised.

"Which kind of witches are you?" Ariella asked.

They did not realize Dahlia joining them.

"Those without magic, you siphoned our magic" she said angrily.

Helen tried to shush her even though the damage was already done.

"Let her speak" Ariella said.

"I thought we were a team you just wanted to use us and when the time is right kill us" Dahlia said.

"Exactly" Ariella said followed by a hysteric laughter.

It started to sink in Helens head.

"So you are going to burn us?" Helen asked with traces of anger, worry combined with regret in her voice.

"No silly, were you even listening to what I was saying?"

"Something with the hybrid Leon needing the blood of the five kings?"

"Who is Leon?" Dahlia asked innocently.

"Before that, what is a hybrid?" Helen inquired.

"Ooh God! Alcott get me a chair seems like we need to go back to a history class before we finish this"

Alcott went to fetch a chair as she asked and placed it in the middle of the magic ring. She couldn't feel Zeli trying to possess her anymore neither could she figure out how all this of a sudden he could posses her when he was unable to do it for a very long time. Besides she had buried Aliya alive, his only link to the year 1823.

"Leon or as you know him prince Adonis" they gasped, Rhode continued humming like a dumb person," is a special supernatural, one of his kind, the first actually half beast half monster we call it hybrid back in...You won't understand anyway he is after this weapon the sword of fire and ice, life and death that he can use to kill me and to do that he needs the blood of five kings, heirs to the original kings who locked up the wizard Allen with the help of a witch named Phoebe"

They were even more confused. Lucky for them she had left some crucial points like Phoebe was her mother.

"Any questions? Alcott go check outside I can feel him" Ariella said.

"How can beast and monster exist in one body?" Dahlia asked, she was not angry at her anymore it was the wages of sin. Being powerless was better than being dead.

"I made it happen"

"So this is some kind of family scuffle?" Helen asked rudely.

"Yes that you are part of already, it's time" Ariella said getting up.

Standing in the middle of her grass thatched magical hoop she made another circle by displacing the dust on the floor and using it to form the circle, the chair she was sitting on bounced on the wall. She closed her eyes, there was a strong howling wind that closed the doors and windows tight as she chanted then as though she was talking to her undead friends via a werewolf mind link they all stood guard at the door and windows. She started chanting. Another circle formed around the perplexed king Rhode as he struggled to break free with little chance of surviving the flames that were coming his way, his ring was made of a raging fire. The heat was burning hair off his body already and the smell of barbecue was filling the room.

Meanwhile Leon was trying his best to break through the door as Rhodes clothes caught on fire. Dahlia and Helen were holding each other in fear. Never had they ever seen something like that or close to it. Rhode continued burning, the fire became more intense. By the time Leon managed to get in he was already a heap of ashes. He had Alcott's head in his hands.

"You lose again old friend" Ariella said.

He just glared at her and dropped Alcott's head then looked at the girls. Ariella looked at them too. Leon was already aware the hoop was protecting her. He did not bother to attack her instead he went for the girls. Ariella not ready to let them die tried to cast a spell but she did not do it quick. He already had their hearts in the both of his hands.

"You lose" Leon said dropping the two actively pumping hearts.

He walked around the hoop stalking her like the mighty Lion in the savanna grasslands.

"You have become so fast" Ariella complemented.

"You think?"

"What do you want Leon? Death? I can give you a quick one you know" she said.

It was a free space to talk, although not that free the remaining of her army was ready to attack him on her command but even the two powerful supernatural nemesis obeyed the laws of engagement. It was truce time even though Leon did not trust a single word that came out of her mouth. In other words Ariella did not give a rat’s ass about truce time.

"How about I extend the same favor to you?"

"I would have said yes but you can't kill me, am like a god to you. I gave you life and purpose besides you don't have weapon that can kill me" she bragged smiling.

Leon shook his head flashing his typical disappointed smile. Ariella was right. He had no leverage over her. Unless he found King Rhodes descendant he was never getting out of 1823 and that also meant he was never fulfilling his promise to Lydia. The hoop protected her from anything supernatural, Leon could feel its energy as he walked around it.

He moved closer to her, looking in her eyes,

"Poor Ariella reduced to a servant doing your brothers bidding" he mocked their eyes meeting, it was not compulsion but he wished it was. Ariella seemed agitated basically he was calling her a slave and she didn't come second to anyone," Tell me is he the reason you have that bogus hoop? Don't answer that I know he is. What else scares you if not me?"

"Truce time is over, tell me how you want to die" she said her hands blazing with fire without actually burning.

Leon smiled again. That sick smile he always had annoyed her. Having known him so well she could easily decipher what the smile was abnout. It meant he was one step ahead. One thing that had not changed despite time was their connection. What happened to Leon had an impact on her. He drew his claws smiling at her.

"We are still connected aren't we? I mean we have to be since we are back in time. This means I haven't broken it yet"

"Don't you dare, if that’s the case why are you still a hybrid?"

"Who am I to know but tell you what, it ends on my terms, and until I find another way we are both going to sleep..."

"Don't you dare do...?”

"Nighty night" Leon said burying his claws through his ribcage to his heart.

He stopped his own heart. They both dropped on the ground, lucky for her, the head was in the circle only a small portion of her body was out.