The two muggers who had heard the sound of a horse had assumed it might be a carriage headed toward the Swansons' estate. They had quickly schemed to block its path, intending to rob and kill the passengers.
But what they least expected was the sight of a macho man and a beast galloping toward them at full speed — so much like a warrior charging into a battle, ready to slay his enemies. The man, riding a sinfully black stallion, looked massive, strong, and terrifyingly foreboding.
The muggers gulped at the sight, their confidence had turned into fear because the man on the horseback was none other than the ruthless Arcardian Lord himself.
In general the Trueborn demons are much stronger than any other creatures and they possessed special abilities. But the Lord here was a Tertium generation Trueborn demon while both the muggers were merely ordinary Falseborn demons.
Both the men knew that they would never be able to stand a chance and face him. Attempting to kill him, would be like burning themselves with fire and they weren't that foolish enough to risk their lives challenging the lord. Dropping the unconscious woman on the ground, they started running away.
Lord Theodore, who had been on his way to visit his cousin, had heard a woman's high-pitched scream calling for help. Out of curiosity, he had nudged his horse, Edurado, to speed up in the direction of the sound.
Soon, he came across two men trying to kidnap a young woman, who appeared to be unconscious. The moment the thieves saw him, they panicked, left the girl behind, and fled.
"Cowards," muttered the Arcardian Lord, watching the two rats scurry away in fear.
Theodore didn't even need to get down from his horse. He simply sat there, watching the muggers flee for their lives, an amused expression playing on his lips.
He waited until the men disappeared from view, letting them believe they were being spared. Once he was out of their sight, they began to slow down, thinking they had successfully escaped.
Still seated on his stallion, the Lord smiled arrogantly, then snapped his fingers twice. In an instant, both muggers caught fire.
The falseborn demons screamed in agony, writhing in a desperate attempt to extinguish the flames, but within a matter of minutes their bodies had turned into ashes, leaving no trace of their existence behind.
"Garbage burns," the Lord chuckled before dismounting.
Walking over to the unconscious woman on the ground, he kneeled down and checked her pulse. Grabbing her upper arms with both his hands, he carefully raised her and placed her head on one of his thighs before inspecting the wound on her forehead.
Theodore stared at the young insensible woman in his arms. Trailing his finger on her flawless face, swiping away a stray strand of hair, he then smiled.
"Myra.. " he muttered more to himself.
After studying her for a second more, he lifted her up effortlessly and carried her to his horse. Holding her waist tightly, cradling her in his arms. He clutched the reins in one hand firmly before kicking Edurado on the side and the horse lurched forward, galloping off again.
.
.
.
Amyra fluttered her eyes open; but Instantly shut them, again. Her head was pounding terribly and the glaring brightness engulfing her didn't help. she let out a tired groan and blinked a couple of times to get used to the light.
Where am I? Myra wondered, sitting up.
She glanced around, trying to make sense of her surroundings. She was lying on a
large, luxurious four poster bed that had golden coloured silk-like curtains twirled around the posts.
To her left, she saw the orangish blue sky through the large window and noted that the Chamber she was in was enormous, beautifully designed with white and gold.
The bed was as soft as goose feather beneath her, and her body was covered with the softest blanket she ever had the pleasure to touch. Everything around here was posh and soo unfamiliar.
Her head was aching and she groaned clutching it with both her hands. Then, slowly and painfully, began to remember about her being in terracotta, the Arcardian capital.
Stressing her mind to think further; she then, remembered the Hutton's, her search for a new job and her heading towards the Swanson's. She remembered the two thugs following her and them striking her head with a branch.
Amyra's breathing became short and she started panicking. Her head reeling with all kinds of possibilities. It didn't seem like she was in a slave organization neither was it her old room in her Uncle's house.
Her eyes widened in realization. "Am I dead?" she whispered, staring at the grand architecture of the room. Considering everything that had happened, she wondered if she was in heaven.
Just then, a knock sounded at the door, followed by the click of the knob turning. Someone entered without waiting for a response.
A man in a neat black suit entered, pushing a three-tier trolley carrying food. He bowed his head slightly and smiled.
"My Lady, your dinner is here" he said politely.
The food smelled divine, enough to make her mouth water. Her stomach growled, and a new thought popped into her mind.
Do dead people get hungry?
Wanting to confirm her suspicions, she asked cautiously, "Um… where am I?"
The man, who had begun arranging dishes on a round mahogany table, paused and straightened up.
"You're at the Warburton Mansion, my lady," he replied.
Warburton Mansion? she thought. The name sounded oddly familiar, but she couldn't recall where she'd heard it before.
"And who are you?" she asked out of curiosity.
The man gave a slight bow again. "I am Alvin, the butler of this house."
Butler? she blinked. "Which land is this, exactly?"
Alvin looked momentarily confused but quickly regained his composure.
"You are in Arcardian Land, my lady," he answered.
Now Myra was truly confused.
What?! So… I'm not dead then?