Richard threw a knife towards Felix and rushed forward, the guard sidestepped the projectile and parried the incoming dagger aiming at his face from above. Richard dropped his dagger from his right hand and catched it with his left, he then aimed at Felix's flanks. To deflect the dagger Felix rotated on himself and threw Richard behind him. He landed on his chest and rolled on the ground to evade Felix who was trying to pierce through him. Each strike was only striking the wooden floor, finally Richard stood up and jumped on a nearby table. For a second he managed to spot his friends in the general chaos, luckily Malik was being helped by the boys against the soldiers but the longer this fight was lasting the less the advantage of the number would help because despite having more allies, the patrons defending the tavern weren't trained soldiers and Richard could already see many of them laying dead on the ground. Felix also jumped on a table near Richard, the two men stared at each other, Felix could not repress his smile which was off putting to Richard.

  " What's so funny? "

  " You don't know it yet but you have already lost. "

  " And how do you know that? "

  " Like I'm going to tell you. "

  " Then shut up and fight! "

  Richard stepped on a stool and a chair to reach Felix, the two of them fought jumping from one table to another, both evading each other strike, engaging in this valse of death. Felix aimed at Richard's right foot. Lifting up his leg and stepping on the blade instantly, he managed to block the sword, he then elbowed Felix right in the face, causing him to fall off the table onto the ground. Before Richard could jump to finish him, another soldier emerged from the fight and tried slashing at his legs. He evaded the blow by putting his hands on the soldier's shoulders and jumping over him, he landed behind him and didn't even look at him when he plunged his dagger in his neck. Focusing on Felix again who was now standing and had taken his sword in hand again, Richard figured speed was his best ally. He crouched and focused his magic into his legs, ready to let it all out in one go. But when he tried releasing it, a sudden headache took over him and he had to put a hand to the ground to not fall completely. " What's happening to me!? I feel sick. Is it poison? ". Seeing his sudden weakness, Felix stepped in to strike, Richard reflexively jumped backwards to evade and stumbled on a body, he fell backwards and landed on his back. The feeling of vertigo was the same as when he overused his magic to break the rune, slowly but surely, soldiers were realising his movement were getting sloppy and more of them were jumping in to strike at him.

  Now Richard was only evading and not attacking, using every ounce of strength he still had, he ducked, rolled, jumped and evaded as much as he could. He painfully dragged his body up the stairs of the inn, thinking he could reduce the flow of enemies coming his way in a smaller space. At the top of the stairs he saw a soldier empale a patron and throw him aside. When he saw Richard he lifted his sword to slash him downward but Richard grabbed his wrist first. He then twisted his arm behind his back and kicked him down the stairs towards the rest of them. He staggered into the halway trying to keep his balance, he leaned on the wall to his left. " When could they have poisoned me? I didn't even get scratched and it could not be in the air because other people would be affected. ". His vision was starting to get blurry, on his right he could see soldiers coming up the stairs, he pushed himself off the wall to evade the sword coming for his head and ducked under it, he then leaned backward enough to evade the following hit. He stepped in and kicked the soldier in the chest to gain some distance between them. " I have to blast them all in one hit. ". Taking a few steps back, Richard held his palm in front of him and focused on it, in his head he pictured a giant fireball forming at the end of it, time slowed down, his breathing changed rhythm. The soldiers were taken aback, wondering what he was up to, Richard could feel the heat in his palm, when he released all the energy from his palm, all of it came back shocking through his body in the form of an excruciating pain. He fell to his hands and knees and threw up. " What's ... happening to me?! ". Even in his current state he rolled to the side to evade another strike, his magic was failing him and he could not understand why. He stood up against the railing and looked backward. Malik was fighting Felix in the room, from where he was standing he could see a soldier coming to strike his friend in the back.

  " Malik!! BEHIND YOU! "

  Malik ducked as a reflex, evading the hit, he then pivoted and slashed the man in the face, he then faced Felix again and blocked the sword coming for an overhead slash. In their struggle the two men locked eyes and Felix smirked at him.

  " You know, I hate fighting with tricks .. "

  He pulled out a dagger from his belt with his left hand and striked Malik in the chest.

  " ... but I hate losing. "

  The dagger entered Malik's chest up to the hilt, Richard felt an intense rage take over him as he was witnessing the scene unfold in front of his eyes, one by one his friends were being subjugated.

  " MALIIIIIIK NOOOOOOO! "

  He turned around and the soldier in front of him kicked him hard enough that he broke the railing and fell down onto a table, he landed heavily on his back and heard multiple cracks resonate in his body. He was being surrounded by soldiers pointing their swords at him, he tried standing up but had no strength left. All he could do was cough and crawl, he fell from the table onto the ground. A sudden and sharp pain coming from his leg made him scream at the top of his lungs. He looked back and saw Felix pulling his sword out of his thigh.

  " I'm sorry, did that hurt? Let me try again. "

  Once again, Felix plunged his sword into Richard's leg, the room was now filled with the sounds of Richard's screams of agony and Felix's maniacal laugh as he kept on stabbing the leg. Pinned on the ground and unable to help, Konnor and Izi could only witness this act of barbarism. Felix finally stopped stabbing him and sheathed his sword.

  " Pick him up, we got what we wanted, we will find the redhead later, she will surely come to enjoy the show. "

  Two men raised Richard on his feet, he struggled a bit with them but one of them started punching him in his probably cracked ribs which threw him back in a fit of coughing. Before exiting the building, Felix pointed at Helen.

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  " Bring her too, if any of you follows us, she dies. "

  Under her screams and cries, the soldiers restrained her and brought her outside. Silence fell inside of the inn. The fight may have seemed long but the chaos lasted less than ten minutes during which many lost their lives. As soon as they were free to move, Konnor, Izi and Jessamine rushed over to Malik. Jess kneeled and hugged him with tears in her eyes.

  " Please, may the creator save him, oh no no no this can't happen now! "

  " It's alright Jess, it doesn't hurt, to be honest I don't feel much of my body right now .. "

  " Please keep your strength, we are going to do what we can! "

  Both Izi and Konnor stood there, completely shocked by what had just happened.

  " What happened here? "

  They all turned their heads to discover Isabella entering the tavern.

  " Why are there dead guards ... ? "

  Konnor walked towards her and tried to keep control of his already shaky voice.

  " Guards came in looking for you, Malik tried stalling for time, they attacked us and and - and then Richard came and .. he got got stab in the leg, again again and again fuck.. " Tears of frustration were starting to appear at the corner of his eyes. " And they took him and that fucker stabbed Malik in the chest and we couldn't do fucking anything, dammit dammit DAMMIT!! "

  Isabella pulled him in and hugged him.

  " Shh shh it's alright calm down, you are alright. "

  " I'm sorry ... I couldn't help at all, I felt so useless. "

  She pushed him back slightly and took his face in her hands.

  " Hey hey, look at me, you are alright. It's not your fault so don't blame yourself for it, you did your best alright? I need to tend to Malik, I need you to be strong for all of us here too, you can do that? "

  The young man simply nodded and wiped his tears. Bella let him go and walked towards Malik, she kneeled next to him and he smiled as he saw her.

  " Hey sis in law. "

  " Hey Malik. "

  " Nice dress. "

  " Malik, it's not the time to make jokes .. "

  " What? Did I not sound genuine? It really is a good dress *cough**cough*! "

  " Malik please .. "

  " I can't even leave this world while being the funny guy? Ahah argh "

  His laugh was interrupted by a yet another of cough.

  " Aww that shit hurts, Bella I have something to tell you, listen closely, Rich' .. was worried the duchess wanted to hurt you. I think she decided to come and get you but luckily you weren't there, so they took him *cough**cough* shit. I know you love him but, you need to leave the city, for your safety, I'm pretty sure they are going to try to get you by putting him as a bait. I would love for you to save him but *cough* *cough* *cough*.. I know he would not want to see you in this situation, promise me, you won't go after him *cough*!"

  " Malik I- "

  " Promise me ! "

  " ... "

  " I understand how hard and selfish it feels. "

  Malik turned his head towards Jess and reached his hand to touch her face, she grabbed his hand and squeezed it as hard as she could.

  " I have no regrets, I know I can leave in peace because I had the chance to meet and love such a wonderful woman in my life*cough*. When you think about me in the future, please don't cry, but smile, remind yourself of all the times where I was funny and by that I mean all the time. "

  " I love you Malik, don't say that! Isabella can probably heal you! Right Bella? "

  The herborist simply looked her in the eyes and Jess knew what it meant. Malik kept on talking.

  " I love you too Jess. This reminds me of a joke .. " Malik looked upwards. Blood was slowling dripping from his mouth and the wound in his chest " .. it's the story of a dying man in a bar ... and he was drinking his pain away until... until .. a frog ...jumped in his glass, he took the frog away and ... " Malik paused, his eyes fixed on nothing. " .. I forgot the rest but damn it was the best joke ever. "

  He laughed as he had done all his life, he laughed remembering the village where he grew up and his parents, remembering how lucky he was to have met Richard, he laughed thinking how it was completely different than how he envisionned his end, eventually he stopped laughing, his face, frozen in a cheerful expression.

  Richard woke up in a dark room barely lit, he had both knees on the ground and his hands were held up by chains going to the walls. His ankles were chained too, he looked up and saw a familiar figure looking at him. He squinted and could see a woman in a dress.

  " Bella ... "

  " No it's me, the mother of your child. "

  The voice of the duchess resonated in the dark room. He then heard the clicks of a key turning inside of a lock, she entered the small room and looked down on him. She grabbed his chin and made him raise his face.

  " Awn, they roughed you up my darling, I didn't want to do it but you forced my hand. "

  " You are crazy.. "

  " Crazy in love. That I was until you decided to trample all over my feelings, I opened my chest and showed you my heart and what did you do? YOU TOOK IT AND CRUSHED IT !! "

  " That's not what happ- "

  A series of powerful slaps interrupted him mid sentence, her rings against his face opened his lower lip. She took his face again and licked the blood from his lip.

  " You taste so good. "

  Richard looked at her and could not recognize this woman. " She has completely lost her mind, I need to find a way out of here and rescue Helen. " The duchess stood up and started walking around him.

  " Tomorrow, I will hold a public execution in the middle of the city, you will die and I hope your little herborist joins and tries to rescue you, so I can get her in here and play with her. "

  " LEAVE HER ALONE!! "

  " I will do as I please!! You should have thought about it before rejecting me, if I can't have you, no one can. "

  " So you are going to kill me because you hate me now!? "

  She froze and looked at him, she then laughed like he had said the funniest joke.

  " Of course not. " She walked up to him and whispered in his ear. " I love you so much that I'm willing to remove you from this world so that no one else can love you like I do. "

  " Isabella truly loves me, not you. "

  " After I'm done with her, she will say yes to any man and say they love them, I can already picture it, your lovely herborist covered in shit and piss waiting to be fucked like a whore, who knows maybe I will allow peasants to try her too. "

  " NOOO!! "

  Despite his injury, Richard stood up and charged the duchess, she stood still as he was stopped an inch away from her by his chains. He was screaming at her face like an enraged beast. She turned away from him and started walking towards the outside of the cell with a devilish smirk on her face. Enraged he tried focusing his magic in his hands to melt the chain but once again a sickening sensation took over him and nothing happened. He fell to his knees and coughed blood. Noticing, Olivia had a chuckle.

  " Are you having some performance issues? "

  He looked at her with surprise.

  " What do you mean? "

  " Feeling sick? Nauseous? How is the head? "

  " What did you do to me ...? "

  " Me ? Nothing. Just asked someone who knows more than me about magic on how to restrain a magic user and make them like any other human. "

  Richard stood there dumbfounded for a few seconds. " How does she know that I can do magic? ". She started walking away but Richard was not done yet.

  " What have you done with Helen?! "

  " Hmm? Who? "

  " The girl your thugs kidnapped!!! "

  " Ohhh this girl. "

  She clapped and steps could be heard on the cold stone of the prison, Helen appeared and stood next to the duchess. Richard let out a sigh of relief.

  " Oh by the creator I'm glad you are alright Helen, did they do anything to you? "

  " No I'm fine Richard it's just that I - "

  " Shh it's alright, I'll rescue you from here I swear. "

  " No Richard you don't get it ... "

  Helen looked deeply disturbed and sad at the sight of him, he then noticed a detail.

  " Helen, why .. why don't you have shackles ...? "

  " That's what I wanted to tell you, I'm sorry ..."

  " What did you .. "

  Before he could finish his sentence, her short brown hair turned blonde and her hazel eyes turned purple. The duchess smirked at Richard.

  " Richard, meet Eliza. "