The warship itself looked thrice the size of a man of war and resembled the shape too. Except the warship floated in the air instead of on the sea. The hull was built with strong yet lightweight metal and fitted with thirty cannons on a row, and there were five rows of cannons on one side.
The glistening blue light of the half moon reflected on the ship’s silvery hull, making the ship look like a giant gem in the sky. In addition to the massive four masts fitted with golden sails, the ship was equipped with giant propulsors in the back to fly the ship and easily maneuver it in the sky. A statue resembling Tanulia was the figurehead as a wolf head was engraved onto the hull and the sails.
The Warship functioned as Tanulia’s headquarters in the Southern Continent. Aside from its domineering look, the ship had many powerful weapons and functionalities.
For example, the ship was equipped with camouflaging runes. Which was why the ship remained undetected above their heads.
Since there was no arch energy in the atmosphere on the southern continent, specialized runes and devices were designed to draw power from the moonlight and heat produced by burning a ton of coal.
”Get him up!” Peyton shouted at the sky as the ship’s belly opened up, releasing a floor panel attached to ropes. When the wooden panel hit the ground, Peyton grabbed the Dark Lord by his neck and moved him towards the wooden board.
While walking, Peyton twisted the sword more to inflict maximum pain on the Dark lord. But, considering the sword would release a potent paralyzing poison into the bloodstream of its victim, she wasn’t surprised to see Dark Lord moving without struggling.
Peyton and Tanulia were glad to see the sword and the chain of Valhalla working on the Dark Lord. Although they were forged by the best blacksmiths and enhanced by 6-star runemasters of Skyhall, the two had doubts. The last time they managed to catch the Dark Lord, he knocked them out and teleported away.
”Reel us in!” Tanulia shouted as the wooden panel slowly moved upwards.
A couple of minutes later, they finally reached the inside. The interior of the ship was brightly lit with golden chandeliers. Tremendous braziers encompassing several columns lit up every part of the ship and covered the interior in warm silver and dancing shadows. The large mirrors on the embowed ceiling danced in the flickering light while stone effigies and wolves looked down upon the granite floor of this majestic ship.
”Alpha Guardian!”
”Guardian Captain!”
A group of highly trained elites of the hunter guardians was there to escort them to the interrogation room specially built to contain the Dark Lord. The twelve men were clad in silver armor forged with the same metal as the ship’s hull. However, even the elites glinted with fear in their eyes when they saw the Dark Lord in person.
Wasting no time, they escorted the trio through a hallway guarded by more armed soldiers until they reached an eight feet door made of copper. From where they started their journey to the door decorated by banners and lit with golden orbs that illuminated the paintings of elven men and women below them.
Creak!
The three guards leading the escort pushed open the copper door to reveal an empty room surrounded by white walls. There was only an oak table, two chairs on one side, and one metal chair on the opposite side of the table.
Michael was stunned by Peyton’s betrayal. But, more than betrayal, it seemed like a carefully elaborated plan. While watching the interrogation room and the glass on either side of the room reminded him of the interrogation rooms of earth’s law enforcement.
The sword was still stabbed in the guts and Peyton made a habit of twisting the sword every ten seconds.
”Sit your ass down!” Peyton punched the Dark Lord in the face before pushing him down on the metal chair. As soon as he was forced to sit on the chair, the elite guardians entered the room with more golden chains and tied the Dark Lord to the chair as tight as they could. His hands were tied to the back of the chair while his legs were tied to the chair’s legs. Additionally, they put a jade collar around his neck, and the moment the collar touched him, it glistened brightly.
”Leave!” Tanulia ordered the elites as they quickly left the room, leaving Tanulia and Peyton in the room with the Dark Lord.
At last, Peyton let go of the sword’s hilt and went to sit beside Tanulia on the chair facing the Dark Lord. But the sword was still glowing and sticking out of his guts tho.
”Blood bags and retractable dagger,” Tanulia retrieved several pouches drenched in blood out from her cleavage while Peyton stabbed herself with the retractable trick dagger.
”The rooms are powered with hundreds of runes that even we haven’t fully comprehended. So don’t bother teleporting or using any spells,” Tanulia snickered,
”The last time we met, I saw you bleed. And you know what we hunter guardians say about that, if it bleeds, we can kill it,”
The elites who were witnessing the interrogation through the window couldn’t feel proud of what they had achieved.
”So it was all an elaborate plan to catch me,” The Dark Lord asked Tanulia and Peyton,
For a moment, Tanulia and Peyton looked at each other. She then patted Peyton on the shoulder,
”She is the one who came up with the plan,”
Never in her entire life had Peyton gone through such a burden as she did to catch the Dark Lord. But at that moment, looking at the Dark Lord on the prisoner’s chair, she felt the pain was worth it.
Tanulia turned her gaze from the Dark Lord to the windows, which were one-way mirrors. They seemed to be a mirror when seen from one side, but like a window when seen from the opposite side. The Alpha guardians used the windows disguised as a mirror for surveillance.
”Bring me the crate,” A few seconds after Tanulia ordered the elites whole were standing on the mirror’s other side, an elite guard entered the room, carrying a wooden crate.
Thud!
The guard quickly put the crate on the table and left the room as fast as he could. It was evident to everyone that despite being the elites, they still trembled at the sight of the Dark Lord.
Tanulia put her hand into it and grabbed something from the crate. When she opened her palm, still tainted with fake blood, Michael saw his Spyders dormant on her palm without moving.
”We know you were watching us. It took us some time you bugged us, but we did and turned it against you,”
After showing him the Spyders, Tanulish closed her fist, crushing the Spyders to dust.
”Tiriana, how is she?”
One would expect Tanulia to lose her calm or act furiously. However, she remained rather calm despite his question and what was happening to Tiriana,
”A necessary sacrifice” When Michael thought the guardians couldn’t stoop any lower, Tanulia surprised him. Tiriana was her best friend, yet she just waved it off saying ‘a necessary sacrifice’ like Tiriana’s life was worth nothing.
”You will pay for what you did to her. I will personally make sure you suffer more than she ever did,” Tanulia coldly exclaimed as the Dark Lord turned his gaze at Peyton,
”You are really a great actor,” The Dark Lord mused. Those who heard him from outside sensed no fear in his tone, which made them terrified of him even more.
”It was not an act,” Peyton said, gritting her teeth.
”In case you’re wondering, we knew about the nightwalkers long before you sent Victor with Peyton and tipped off the Royal news. I have to give it to you, putting the Guardians against the Holy Church and turning the people against us at the same time was a great move,” Tanulia snickered once again as she continued,
”But you forgot one thing” Tanulia leaned forward,
”When we hang you in front of Elon and reveal the real desert eagle operation, we will be hailed as heroes by the people. The future generations will sing songs about us and the sacrifices we made to eradicate you,”
”So you let all those people die just to catch me?” Peyton saw the Dark Lord tilting his head. To be honest, his every move creeped her out. But what she went through to get him made her stronger than ever before.
Bang!
Peyton suddenly stood up from her chair and punched him in the face once again,
”That’s on you!” she raised her voice.
”If you hadn’t exposed the vampires, those would have been alive!”
Bang!
Tanulia let Peyton punch him again and didn’t bother to stop her. As far as Tanulia was concerned, Peyton deserved to torture him because of what she went through to get him. However, a few punches to the face were nowhere closer to what he truly deserved.
”Victor was out man inside the nightwalkers. We were getting so much information about them and how they operate. But, unfortunately, because of you, we lost a valuable asset who could have tipped us about the attack in Idrisal,” Peyton snarled at the Dark Lord. Except for Peyton, Tanulia, and Tiriana, none of them had any idea about Victor’s true origin. He was a Guardian spy, and now Michael had killed him.
Meanwhile, the elites outside saw Xanali strolling toward them. When she arrived at the mirrors, her eyes went wide in shock. Her entire body felt shivers looking at the dark figure sitting opposite Peyton and Tanulia.
”Is that…” Her voice trailed away in utter shock,
”Yes, Guardian Captain. That is the Dark Lord,”