The Reaper's Wicked Obsession

Chapter 12: The Abyss Of Brookcrest

Chapter 12: The Abyss Of Brookcrest

This was literal suicide.

Isadora was already condemned to travel with two outlaws and now walking right into the Abyss was the height of it, a beacon of insanity ready to detonate in their faces.

Her pending dread became rooted when they arrived at the entrance of the Abyss. It was noon but the mist obscuring the entire area made it hard to tell, the sunlight could not penetrate causing a supernatural division.

It felt like spiders crawled on Isadora's skin, she'd never been to this place and only heard of it in stories but she could tell something unnatural lay here. It wasn't just a folktale to the locals of Brookcrest.

"Are you scared, love?" Kraven whispered behind, scrutinizing her frigid posture. The fear leaking off her was enough to describe the situation, for a girl who spent most of her life in a brothel she seemed to be aware of this place.

Isadora shook her head in a hard no, stubborn to give Kraven any satisfaction. This earned a chuckle from him, amused by how hard she tried to hide it. The quavers gave her away.

"Don't worry love, I'll protect you"

Isadora glanced at Kraven, his words more mocking than reassurance to her poor heart. She scowled and tried to move away but he took her arm to keep her beside him.

"Don't you trust me?" he teased.

"No" she replied sternly, she would rather die than trust him.

"In this condition" he whispered, dragging her along with him. "I suggest you should"

"The fog keeps getting thicker" Rav announced, it was becoming difficult to navigate through.

"We'll keep moving," Kraven said, tired of Isadora floundering. "Do you want to get lost?!" he snapped, his patience cracking. "It's either that or behave"

Isadora didn't listen as she kept trying to remove his iron hold, she didn't want him touching her and more importantly, she couldn't be in this place.

"Rope"

"Are you sure?" Rav asked skeptically.

Kraven glared. "Do you prefer she gets lost?"

Rav weighed his options before complying, pulling a rope from his bag and tossing it to Kraven.

In a brisk move, Kraven tied her hands and Isadora paused with wide eyes. He winked and tightened the rope until it dug into her skin hard, being ignorant of her obvious discomfort.

"And did you see their faces?"

She shook her head. "They wore a mask made of a black skull concealing their features, they fought like demons"

"Indeed" Aric acknowledged taking a drink from his ale.

It was not today's news about the skillful techniques of those outlaws, their physical abilities were labeled demonic.

"I know of that already, news spread fast in Brookcrest, tell me something I don't know" he said.

Serena gulped. "T-They killed the Jarlas"

"Ah, yes, I know that too,'' he dropped the cup and leaned away from his seat. "Is it true they took the mannfae rumored to be a skin weaver?" he asked but it was merely a test. Her lies were as smooth as silk and he must applaud her.

Aric already had the opportunity to know this after possessing the body of one of his men.

He'd been hunting for the Reaper for five winters after he resurfaced into the world and not once had such a peculiar thing happened—like kidnapping a girl.

Seeing the Reaper with a mannfae was very suspicious and he needed answers to that.

"Y-Yes, but I don't know why" Serena replied, her nerves spiking. He was talking about Isadora and she knew what this meant for her.

The Serpents were known as bounty hunters and asking for info about Isadora meant she's been marked by them.

"Tell me about this mannfae I want to know everything"

"I know only her name. Dashwell the previous owner kept her secluded, I only saw her when she came down from the tower"

"Hmm," Aric made a sound, rubbing his forehead. "Isadora" he murmured before rising to his feet. "Thank you for your cooperation, I'll make sure Isadora is safe from those outlaws"

"I'd want nothing more," She replied.

Aric took her jaw prompting her eyes to meet his soulless ones, he offered her a soft reassuring smile. "Say your last prayers to Lifara"

Serena's lips quivered and she closed her eyes, the tears streaming down her cheeks.

He kissed her tears before he declared "For you greet Daudi tonight" he drew his blade.