Quoted By:
<span class="mu-b"><span class="mu-i"><span class="mu-s">“Tear out your heart, ply open your flesh, dwindling in youth…!”</span></span></span>
<span class="mu-b">“Hey! I’m not that old-”</span>
Sophie didn’t get a chance to finish her reply, as she suddenly found herself levitating to meet Sarah at eye level.
<span class="mu-b">“Whoa!”</span>
<span class="mu-b"><span class="mu-i"><span class="mu-s">“Bare your soul, and reveal to me the truth…!”</span></span></span>
The Terrible Eye began feverishly muttering a series of incantations that used languages you weren’t even sure existed, but they appeared to have a visible effect on the symbols around the bar. One by one, they lit up, lifted off of the wood and began flying around the room.
Sophie’s mouth opened in a soundless scream, her face contorted in agony! You wanted to stop it, but both Elsa and Ana held their hands up to stop you. Green flame flew out from the corners of the room, spiraled into a thin, needle-like point and plunged into Sophie's open mouth. Her body spasmed uncontrollably, and her eyes rolled up into the back of her head.
All the while, the Terrible Eye never stopped speaking. Even Elsa was joining in the incantation, reading from a thick, dusty book she’d pulled out from somewhere. This went on for another three to four minutes, but it felt like an eternity. When it was finally over, the ghastly green substance withdrew itself from Sophie’s body and she floated back down to the ground, now unconscious.
Her descent was far more graceful than that of the Terrible Eye’s, however, as the sorceress dropped to the ground like a sack of potatoes. Elsa ran over to check on her, and she was groaning and muttering curses in a language that you could finally understand.
<span class="mu-b">“Damn. That was…intense.”</span>
She pushed herself up and removed her mask, revealing dull gray eyes. They were far kinder than the ones in her mask, and it almost made you forget the things she’d said and done before and after the ritual began. You suspected that this was “Sarah”, and not the “Terrible Eye”.
<span class="mu-r">“Well? Did you find out anything?”</span>
She accepted Elsa’s help in pulling her to her feet and took a moment to dust off her robes.
<span class="mu-b">“I read over the contract. It was hard to do it without tipping off the owner, but I’m pretty sure I pulled it off.”</span>
This version of the sorceress was a lot more soft spoken and normal-sounding than she had been a moment ago. She almost seemed pleasant.
<span class="mu-g">“And?”</span>
She glanced at Ana and blinked at her for a few seconds. She almost looked surprised to see how many people were in the room with her.
<span class="mu-b">“It’s airtight. Mostly airtight. There are contingencies and clauses as far as the eye can see, and even if we killed the owner, the debt would just pass to another entity.”</span>
Frustrated groans and sighs flew around the room, but Sarah held up a hand to stall any exaggerated reactions.
<span class="mu-b">“But…I think I may have found a loophole.”</span>
Everyone leaned in to listen.
(Cont.)
