Chapter Eleven

Kolo’s Revenge

~N~

Blackstone Castle, 673, few hours until Dawn, 28th, of October.

The vision trapped Princess Sidonia into reliving her past, as it forced her to watch as well as feel the pain, and fear, as though she were there again. Six year old Sidonia walked a bit further into the dark forest of thick trees. She was still counting in her head 64, 65, 66, with her mother until she found a good hiding place and waited.

As Sidonia crouched down, she realized it was too silent, either mother was too far away, or she had broken the rules by not counting aloud to 100. Moving while counting was breaking a rule too. Then the little princess remembered she had not closed her eyes, so she was also guilty of breaking a rule. This silence was more frightening than hearing her. The Princess felt a nervous shiver as she looked about.

She tried to calm herself thinking her mother was just too far away to hear and waited for the sound of breaking twigs or the crunch of dried leaves. The longer Princess Sidonia waited the more she feared her mother hunting her. Then she realized her mother’s visions would tell her where she was the tension of what would happen as she imagined her mother finding her, was worse as the time ticked on and shadows loomed larger.

Her legs grew tired crouched down, so she stood. Certain her mother should have found her by now, Sidonia dared her as she called out, “Mother?” Getting no answer, she called again. Now Sidonia decided to go towards the basket, as she called, “Mother, where are you?” She felt relieved when she came across the picnic basket, yet was uneasy seeing her mother had set it in the middle of the blood red tablecloth.

Then Sidonia shrugged thinking it was logical for her to do it while counting and called out, “Mother, I give up. Where are you? I am hungry and do not want to play anymore.” When there was still no answer, she worried her mother had become lost, and called loudly, “I am here at the picnic basket.” She now feared this would become her fault, as she went in a circle slowly winding away from the tablecloth.

Not wanting to lose sight of the basket, she came back sitting down on the cloth. Sidonia did feel hungry and thought she would have something to eat while she waited. Pulling the basket to her, she realized her mother’s gift would keep her from ever becoming lost. The Princess felt relief that this could not become her own fault.

Just then, she saw drops of blood on her light blue dress and then looked seeing it was coming from the basket. She dropped it and it fell with the lid slightly open. Curiosity had Sidonia slowly coming nearer to lift it and look inside, until she saw a slaughtered bloody rabbit. Princess Sidonia’s eyes went wide in horror as she thrusted the basket from her and froze watching it tumbled to the ground.

Before it rolled to a stop, the bloody head of the rabbit came out of the basket, to stare up at her. Screaming at the sight of her dead pet, Sidonia now ran for the castle and safety of home. Even at that age, she knew this was no accident, and she was in danger. Fear filled her as Sidonia tried to find her way through the unfamiliar darkening forest.

~N~

Donatello was hopeful, as the black turned to ash. Now one small piece came lose floating towards the ground. As it revealed nothing behind it, Donatello’s smile returned and he ran for her. Kolo’s eyes went wide in horror, knowing he was helpless to stop him, he screamed, “No!” As Donatello swung the sword, he answered, “Yes!” Hitting Lola’s ashen form, the blade caused it to explode going toward her brother.

It was like seeing a snowstorm in Hell, as the fiend screamed out in horror, “Fuck!” The ash was scattered over the hundred yards between them. Watching in wonder Donatello saw it left only darkness and no hope that Lola had survived. They both saw her ashes float to the ground and Kolo called out in disbelief, “Lola! Come back to me!” He slowly sunk to his knees as the nearest piece of the ash cloud fell before him.

Then the fiend stood and pointed at Donatello, “You. You have earned yourself a fucking burning death!” Chills went through Donatello at this threat. Yet he was also stunned at the power of the sword, and now guessed as he stared at its blade in awe, ‘It has to be one of the legendary mystical weapons from the Demon War!’ It gave him the courage to stay rather than flee, and he focused on Lola’s brother, running towards him.

Donatello saw Kolo’s burns forced him into wearing the least attractive form of the third male, a hunched middle aged man, large pointy nose, with creepy brown beady eyes. He felt this theory was right that the fiend was too weak to be the first middle aged, grey haired, stocky male, nor the second tall, gaunt, red haired, younger male. This pathetic looking one was likely his true form, which might help him learn more of who the fiend was.

Kolo limped coming slowly. Getting closer Donatello also saw that his dull brown eyes were the same in each form he took, which could be useful if he somehow got away, yet he hoped to end this tonight. Kolo’s thinning hair flew with the breeze exposing his receding hairline. As Kolo neared, his eyes focused on the sword Donatello held and it caused him to halt. Donatello kept coming, enjoying the fear he saw in Kolo.

The fiend would be unable to avoid the sword, nor did he have one of his own, as he bet Kolo was unskilled at using any blade. Donatello now raised the sword and the Evil One brought flames to his palms. Donatello’s own fear was nothing compared with the panicked he saw in Kolo, when it sizzled out.

~N~

Sidonia struggled to leave the vision, as her mind tortured her with this haunting of her past. Young Princess Sidonia did not realize that she was running west not south. Tears began to fall as she tried to hurry home, before it was too dark to see. She was no longer calling her mother, knowing the dead rabbit in the basket was no mistake.

The rough bark of the dark and barren branches were catching her gown and her hair. She tried to avoid them, hoping she was nearing the castle, until she came to a stream. Sidonia knew they had not crossed one, and now knew she had gone the wrong way. There was a movement in the shadows of the trees, across the water. Wanting to be brave, she heard her own whimper of fear as she turned and began running southeast.

The chill of the evening air bit at her skin and Sidonia thought this was the worst of it, until she heard the first howl. Her eyes went wide as she now knew what had been in the shadows and gasped, “Wolf!” Going faster as she heard it howl again. After the third time, the princess cried out, “Father!” It was the only hope she had, that somehow her father would know she needed him. Needing to see her tears had stopped.

Holding back her cries of tear, as she ran to where she had no breath to spare. Then the wolf in the west howled again, when she heard another answer from the north, it brought her scream, “Father, help me!”

~N~

Weak Kolo cried out with the effort to bring his fire back, and managed before Donatello was close enough to swing. Kolo desperately threw his flames only able to manage a shorter stream Donatello saw his success and quickly turned as the fire hit his back. He dropped to the ground rolling in the dirt away from the fiend’s fire, he managed put the flames out, and saw the power had left Kolo again.

Hurrying Kolo backed away, as the flame died. He tried and yet felt he no longer had the strength to bring it back. Donatello got to his feet in spite of his painful burns. The fiend screamed in fear at the Day Guards commanding them, “Charge him you idiots!” Three came running out from behind Kolo, blocking him before Donatello got to him. Kolo continued to yell at the rest, “Keep him from me until I get my fire back.”

Continuing his charge, Donatello swung the sword into the chest, and was shocked when it not only cut through his metal vest it sent the man flying. Donatello accepted if they attacked him, he would do what he needed to live and went for the next who blocked him getting to Kolo. The fiend was attempting to limp away as Donatello swung knocking the second man’s sword from his hand, causing the guard to flee after it.

Donatello went after Kolo; he was swinging towards the fiend, when two guards came from behind him throwing a net over Donatello. The net encompassed him as he attempted to fling it off, they came at his back shoving him, and he stumbled forward. Donatello’s feet caught the net, as he got his balance and started to become mist. Too late, as the two guards who had tossed the net, thrust their daggers in his back.

The first one hit into the metal squares of his protective vest. The second guard’s knife cut the leather binding, puncturing Donatello’s flesh. This brought him back solid, for some reason he could not mist, and worried his wound was more deadly than he thought. He cried out as he felt himself falling again. Trying once more to become mist, he failed.

The force of their hits caused Donatello to fall roughly to the ground knocking the sword from his grip. Suddenly he felt the sword had sheathed itself, as he managed to get to his knees. Donatello reached behind him grabbing the knife; it burned his hand as he pulled it from his lower back. In the confinement of the net, the dagger was easier to untangle than using the sword, as he finally brought it in front of him.

Donatello found it was as he suspected. The dagger was iron, which had kept him from becoming mist. He impaled it in the dirt and hoped with the iron dagger removed he could now mist away, and tried. Still he failed, as he felt weaker Donatello suspected between the burn, and bleeding it was no longer an option. Quickly he grabbed the dagger, ignoring the burn as he cut the net from his knee down.

Rushing to stand as Donatello lifted the net up to his chest, just as the guards rushed about him, this time with a rope. Unable to get it over his head as the rope now bound Donatello about the waist and legs confining him in the net. As he was trying to cut at it, the one who had successfully stabbed him came to yell taunts into his face, “Give up!” Donatello sunk the knife into the Day Guard’s gut replying, “Never.”

Donatello watched him fall and felt no guilt over killing that human. The next guard’s cowardly shove from behind toppled Donatello and he hit the ground hard. Now the guards tied the rope about his ankles and they used it to drag him, south towards the river where Kolo waited. Bound tightly Donatello could do nothing to stop them. He heard the fiend demand, “Stand him up, so I can look him in the eyes.”

The right side of Kolo was bright red and charred looking, as he limped to stand before him. Donatello fought his fear as he mocked, “You still smell crispy.” Kolo flinched then smugly retorted, “It seems you were demanding to see me just the other day. Here I am!”

~N~

A third wolf’s howl answered the first two coming from the east, Sidonia turn south as she heard a few distant ones responding in the north. As much as she tried to be quiet, the wolves were slowly sounding closer, as they also seemed to be coming from all sides, but the one direction in which she was now running. Sidonia intended to climb a tree, as she kept her eyes looking for one with a branch she could reach as she ran.

When the nearest wolf got so close that Sidonia could hear the twigs snapping behind her, she found herself screaming as she fled. She panicked at not having time to turn to see how close it was, and she started to doubt she could get up a tree before the wolves got to her. Feeling doomed, Sidonia finally saw a smaller tree and ran for it, jumping she rushed up, quickly climbing higher, still too close to the ground.

Then Princess Sidonia felt truly hopeless, as the wolf arrived and launched up at her and its teeth grabbed onto her dress, nearly getting her leg with it. Sidonia started to slide downward with its weight and managed to cling tightly to the trunk, and hung on even though the tree’s bark was tearing into her arms. She succeeded in stopping her fall, hanging on with all her might as the wolf nearly pulled her down by its teeth.

As her grip began to fail, at the last moment the fabric tore away from her dress dropping the wolf to the ground and it kept her from being at the wolf’s mercy. Shaking, Sidonia quickly tried to climb higher as she wound up the tree by reaching her foot to the next branch. The wolf jumped again, this time getting the back of her ankle boot. The princess nearly toppled off the branch before the wolf’s teeth slid off the leather.

Hurrying she stepped to the next branch, taking her a little higher from the ground, and hoped that the wolf’s fall had killed it. She was dismayed to find the wolf alive and snarling up at her, as though she had done something to anger it. Then the wolf proved it was well enough to try again. This time she was out of its reach. As she kept going, ducking between branches while still putting her foot out to get the next one.

There was a larger gap to her next limb, and Sidonia nearly fell off the branch she was on when the foot she put out, slid off due to the next limb being too far. Hoping this was far enough; she looked for the wolf. Just then, it jumped and Sidonia saw she was not safe yet, as the wolf landed on the lowest branch and went for the next above it.

Out of desperation, Sidonia scooted up the trunk until she could reached the branch and climb up on to it, the wolf then tumbled off with his next leap, howling in pain as it hit the lower branch and then the ground. The movement nearly caused Princess Sidonia to fall, just in time her hands grasped and held tightly about the trunk. She held still a moment getting her breath and wished the wolf was injured enough to leave.

Instead, the wolf jumped making the lower branch again. Sidonia saw it tried for the next and now made it too. It was forcing her to go higher, and as she got to the next branch, once she was standing on the branch, it bowed under her weight, and she grasped holding onto the trunk fearing it would break. Slowly she lowered herself until she was sitting on it, and from there reached her foot out to get back to the lower branch.

As her toes kept missing it, she now realized she did not think she could get down. Sitting still as she held to the trunk, the scrapes from the bark against her arms were bleeding and started to burn with pain. Her limbs were shaking with the efforts and fear. Sidonia gave into the terror screaming, “Father! Wolf!” Panic filled her, as she held tight to the trunk unable to go any higher as the branches were too small to hold her.

The tree swayed again with the leap of the wolf. It caused Sidonia’s branch to wobble, and then creaked as though it would break. The princess now heard the snapping of twigs, and even hoped it was her mother coming to help. Sidonia looked below her and became dizzy. It added to her terror when she saw it was the other wolves were arriving. Then the first wolf’s next leap landed him onto the next upper branch.

Stunned Sidonia had tears falling as she looked up again, and knew she would fall to her death if she tried to put her weight on the upper branches. She had nowhere to go. The wolf snarled up at her, as if it sensed her fear, and then tried for the next branch and to her great horror, the wolf made it. With only a few more branches between them Princess Sidonia screamed for her life, “Father! Wolves! Father, please help me!”

~N~

The barrier burned the guards who tried to tie him to the gate, Donatello’s form nearly toppled onto the fiend as they lost hold of him. Kolo stepped back as he hissed not caring about their pain as he ordered the guards, “Get him tied to the fucking gate, now!” As they tried, two of them fell down dead; the third had severe burns before they could secure Donatello in place. Now they slowly moved away from Donatello.

Kolo limped over to glare into Donatello’s eyes as he spit, “Sidonia is fucking mine, she always has been. I do not care if you think you love her; know that your sacrifice is in vain. You will die knowing that she will be with me!” Donatello saw how much it bothered the Evil One, to think that Sidonia might care. Donatello seethed, “You are a creep and do not deserve her.”

Kolo laughed, “You do not know anything about her and never should have tried to keep her from me. She is fated to be with me. I have heard it from more than one Oracle, that she is destined to be mine.” Donatello huffed, regardless of the pain of the barrier burning at his back he mocked, “How pathetic that you must force anyone. I do not believe in fate. I trust she will make her own destiny, and it will not be with you!”

He saw the Evil One was bothered by his comment of needing to force anyone, so Donatello added, “You will never truly be loved, incapable of earning the trust of one like Sidonia. Even if I failed to stop you; I vow that one day you will get what you truly deserve, a death so lasting and horrid, you will recall all the pain you have caused.”

He saw fear in Kolo’s eyes and felt it meant he had killed many females. Now the fiend stumbled a bit, finding it exhausting to stand. He called a guard over, and bit into his forearm, draining him until he fell. Donatello saw the fear in the other guards, and sensed they could not leave. Yet also saw that many had managed to fight his control and had not harmed him. Now Kolo held his balance and tried to bring his fire.

After each failure, he would command another guard to him and drained them. It took three times before he brought and kept the blue flames in his palms. Then he stood closer, even though Kolo knew it was dangerous, he found a certain excitement as he felt the heat of his flames pushing back from Donatello’s form.

The head of the Dragon on Anthony’s sword curled over biting into Donatello’s flesh as he was about to feel the pain of Kolo’s fire. Instead, as the powerful poison went through he felt nothing.

Donatello still saw and could smell the burning of his own flesh. Kolo found because his flame was weaker, he relished watching Donatello die slowly. Infuriated that he was not screaming loudly, Kolo cackled, “Scream for Lola!” Now the Dragon cried, and it was a horrid haunting scream as it vowed vengeance.

~N~