The moment Nicholas heard the words of Nubeous, he couldn"t believe it. First the death of Morpheous had shocked him, even though he had instrumental role in it, but when he saw the condition of Damianos, he lost all hopes of saving Balthazaar.
He was a mortal man and there was no way that he could get him out of the dungeon without the help of Damianos and Morpheous. He was here only for the sake of Balthazaar, but hearing those words of Nubeous, he couldn"t resist.
Coming out from the hiding, he pulled his dagger out from the scabbard. "I may not be able to save Balthazaar, but I have to save this old man," thought Nicholas after seeing the plight of the angel who was about to me mercilessly whipped to death infront of a callous crowd.
But his body froze seeing the sight infront of him. He couldn"t move an inch ahead and his mouth opened in awe. Even the soldier was surprised... "What is wrong with the whip?" he thought and turned back to get the shock of his life.
The man who had been declared dead, the man whose body had been mercilessly tied with shackles of iron, was holding the end of the whiplash with his left hand with a grip so strong that the soldier couldn"t move it an inch.
The rustling of the leaves had stopped and so did the wind. Sensing that acute silence, Nubeous, who was marching away with a smug look on his face turned back.
But it was then that he opened his eyes, all amber but with a hint of blue and got up. Off came the iron shackles like twigs of hay. The rasp of the rattling metal filled the palace ground.
"Hail Morpheous!", mumbled Damianos and smiled looking at his G.o.dson who had been resurrected from death. Even though he could feel that his body was giving away, he had a new sense of hope that kept the flicker of life alive. This situation was all that he wanted.
Even though Balthazaar had moved back time, destiny had it"s own way. Now all that was needed was the bolt of death to be casted upon.
Damianos could sense that it was the time for a new beginning and heavens knew that it was.
The true heir of the soul realm had woken up!
"This is not possible!" exclaimed the royal physician as he saw the dead body coming back to life.
"Chain him back!", thundered Nubeous but seeing the aura of Morpheous, they were scared. Scared not just because he came back from the dead, but because now they had started to belive that he was indeed the man who had single handedly silenced their men to death.
"I said chain him back!", yelled Nubeous and stormed back. He couldn"t belive how coward his men were but his strides were halted to see that flicker in his eyes as Morpheous walked forward.
He s.n.a.t.c.hed the whip from the hands of the soldier and lashed out on the bare ground and roared,
"Move!"
Then turning around and looking at the ring of soldiers around him, he said,
"No one shall dare to touch a hair of my G.o.dfather! No one shall dare to set a foot ahead because I swear in the name of heavens I will spare none."
His words echoed like a prophecy and no one dared too move an inch and that was unacceptable by Nubeous. He couldn"t bear the fact that his soldiers defied him, his order. Gritting his teeth in anger, he waved his hands and flung the soldiers away, as if he was striking away the p.a.w.ns in the game of chess and then looking at Morpheous he asked,
"Was it you who dared to kill my soldiers?"
His eyes looked bloodshot red in anger that was spewing within him. That anger slowly turned into a storm of rage as the man didn"t reply. He bent down instead to support his G.o.dfather.
"I command you to reply!" yelled Nubeous, giving the last chance of redemption to Morpheous, but that went in vain. So closing his eyes, he extended his right palm to the front as if he was sucking life out of someone.
He was expecting Morpheous to be pulled in an instant towards him as he wanted to make that uncouth man to kneel down, but what he met was an equal resistance and that too when Morpheous was doing nothing.
As he held the head of Damianos in his lap, Morpheous calmed down a bit. His rage was replaced by concern and he asked,
"What has happened to you? What can I do for you?"
Counting his last breath, Damianos held the arm of Morpheous and said,
"Promise me that you will take the throne. Promise me today that you will rise. Promise me today that you will make the bolt of death appear in the sky tonight. That is all that wish for!"
But before he could answer or ask any question, Morpheous saw that Nubeous had raised his hand again. But this time it wasn"t directed towards him, but Damianos.
In a second Damianos was pulled towards Nubeous, who kept his foot over his chest and looking towards Morpheous he said,
"Maybe you are strong enough, but is he?" and he slowly increased the pressure of his foot on Damianos"s chest.
Morpheous paced ahead in anger but Nubeous raised his hand and said,
"I wouldn"t have done that if I were you."
Then with a devilish grin on his face, for he had caught the weak nerve of the man in front, Nubeous commanded,
"Now you reply!"
Morpheous looked at those pitiful yet peaceful eyes of Damianos and replied, "Yes, I killed your men but he didn"t. If you have a beef with me then I dare you to talk with me."
"Dare!" exclaimed Nubeous and then said," Your life line is lying under the mercy of my foot, yet you are asking about dare."
"Morpheous the bolt of death", said Damianos cutting in between after gathering up the left over courage that he possessed.
Focussing his attention away from Nubeous, Morpheous asked him using his mind, without speaking a word,
"But how?"
"Make him kill you!"