Surprise Child's

Chapter 29 The Ritual of Resurrection

The temperature in the room dropped dramatically, slowly every object covered in thin ice like glass. The flames of the candles swayed though there was no wind, dancing left and right without the accompaniment of music.

Right in the middle of the room had been ten minutes Ursula sat down, closing her eyes while letting out a thin white smoke from her mouth.

Although the air around is thinning with freezing cold levels but his own body is hot to give off sweat.

Right now he was trying to perform the strongest magic he had ever been taught, it was magic that was able to make him enter one's subconscious and make him obey orders.

The purpose of this magic is Ursula's desire to carry out the Rider's ritual immediately, not knowing where Sophia is and because the girl insists on refusing, there is no choice but to make her a puppet.

Unfortunately, this magic has a risk that is quite detrimental to the user, if he fails his soul will be trapped in the darkness so as to make him insane.

If he succeeds there is still a risk that he must take, that is where half his age is cut off. This means that he has a vulnerable age of normal humans where he has now entered the age of fifty so prone to old death.

Armed with a name and a memory of Sophia's likeness is easy to find where she is, but it is quite difficult to poison her mind if she is conscious.

Therefore Ursula chose the time of night, where it could be ascertained he was asleep. Entering through the girl's dream she uses Albert's appearance, blabbering indistinctly to captivate Sophia's curiosity.

Naturally, it was slowly in the dark that Sophia approached Albert who was turning her back. Patting his shoulders lightly Albert quickly turned his head, showing his red, puffy eyes.

"Your fault! your fault! it's all your fault! you took away my parents' love! you took my place! you took my Damien! you're ruining my life!".

Shouts for the sake of screaming continued to make Sophia feel pain in the ears and throbbing her head, shaking her head she tried to dismiss all the accusations but Albert did not want to stop.

Satisfied using the look of Albert Ursula changed into the daughter of Agrarta, smiling at her like a loving mother.

"Sophie.... Sophia... Why would you hurt Albert? I gave you everything, didn't I? why are you so happy?" the voice softly but sharply pierced his heart.

Sophia's eyes became wet because of it, she wanted to defend herself but no words could be spoken.

Now Ursula was turned into the prince of Thodor, with a stare full of accusations he said "If I knew you were the Rider then that day I would not save you from dying of war, it was in vain that I raised you in the palace with a rich treasure. Now you will destroy us all!."

"No. "for the first time the sound came out of Sophia's throat.

He fell down, bowing his head, letting tears flood his clothes.

"Sophia." now Ursula became Damien, calling him in a soft voice.

"Damien?" sahut Sophia.

"Why are you lying? you're not my surprise child, you're nothing to me, you don't matter."

"No! Damien "call Sophia as Damien's form slowly fades away.

"If you knew that no one would accept you in this world but your own people" said Ursula now in her true form.

Sophia turned around, looked at Ursula and got up.

"Come to me Sophia.take my hand.with us live happily in the world we want," Ursula asked as she extended her hand.

Sophia hesitated, her gaze fixed on Ursula's bare hands while weighing.

"Nobody here blames you, nobody hates you, we're all your real family" Ursula said.

"To. outside the." said Sophia slowly.

Ursula nodded, extending her hand even more. Sophia's pupils narrowed, her gaze started to wistfully empty. In the end he reached out to welcome Ursula's hand, when Ursula managed to hold her hand Sophia woke up but only her body.

Amidst the darkness of the forest he walked without looking right left, even without a soul like an undead. While in the courtyard Ursula opened her eyes, the surrounding air started to normal which made her able to breathe free air.

Smiling, she waited for Sophia to arrive.

......................

Finding traces of Albert is no longer wrong that the Elves who have kidnapped him, this makes Damien more worried because the mark on Sophia's forehead began to appear which means he was getting closer to the manifestation of the Rider.

"We have to rescue her immediately, my gut feeling is not good about this" he told Alessa and Yarren.

After the attack of that time the possibility of guarding around the palace of Ursula will be increasingly tight, therefore he needs the help of magic Alessa to enter the palace without being discovered.

Agreeing on one plan they embark on a journey to the Maseress palace where Albert is held captive.

At night when they reached Damien first lurked around from the top of the tree, strangely he saw all the Elves gathered right in the palace courtyard.

However as his guarding estimates were pretty tight all the posts, Damien immediately reported what he saw to Alessa and Yarren.

"Maybe the ritual has already begun?" guess Alessa.

"Have you seen Albert or Sophia?" ask Yarren.

"I know it's not good to be prejudiced, but looking at the situation we really have to have a plan" Alessa said.

Damien understood Alessa's intentions so they began to set up a strategy.

•••••••••••••••••••••••

Staring at his people from the balcony of Ursula smiling triumphantly, he knew his sacrifice would never be in vain. Especially when Cheet this afternoon reported that Sophia had arrived, still her doll Sophia was immediately prepared for the ritual.

"My Master, the Rider is ready" Cheet told reporters.

Soon Ursula left, making sure Sophia was ready. In a room saw the servants standing behind Sophia who was already wearing a dress complete with makeup, smiling at the empty eyes Sophia Ursula gestured to her servant.

A servant came forward to offer a crown, Ursula took it and placed it on Sophia's head.

"You look great and perfect" said Ursula staring in admiration.

"My eyes, the mark is still faint. Wouldn't that be a problem?" ask Cheet to worry.

At one time the mark on the forehead that has not been perfect means that the Rider is not fully ready for the ritual, he is worried that if forced everything will fail considering Sophia rejects her destiny.

"That's why I locked her soul, otherwise we do now they will hunt Sophia down and finish her off so that we lose our chance" Ursula said.

Cheet nodded, knowing full well the anxiety that had plagued his Queen. He retreats to prepare Albert, who is still in a cup in the basement, while Ursula immediately guides Sophia to meet her race.

As they stood on the balcony clapping and cheers greeted them, Ursula waved like a star and smiled cheerfully.

Satisfied with the reception he took Sophia to the altar where apparently Albert was already there in a bound state, although his clothes had been replaced with clean ones but it did not cover all the wounds he had received from Cheet.

"Wake up!" exclaim Cheet while pulling Albert's hair to look up.

His limp feet began to move until he was able to support his body leaning against a pole, slowly opening his eyes he found himself in a circle of worship.

"Sophia." called her soft on the girl standing right in front of her.

"The ritual is about to begin, "the general Ursula.

The elders began to use their face-covering hoods, lined up neatly behind Albert waiting for his next command.

While Cheet and the other bodyguards retreated to watch around, making sure nothing interfered during the ritual process.

Candles begin to be added around Albert so that he can feel the heat, while Sophia is led to stand closer to Albert.

Ursula began her ritual by carrying a large red candle to the balcony, facing her people she exclaimed.

"The ritual will begin soon! put your eyes and ears together to witness this sacred ritual."

The speech was still going on while Albert who still had enough energy paid close attention to Sophia.

"Sophia." called her now in half a whisper.

Surprisingly Sophia did not reply, even she did not express herself at all.

"Sophia.. Do you remember me? what happened to you?" tanyakanya.

"Just for nothing, he won't say anything" Cheet said suddenly.

"What did you guys do to him?" ask Albert.

"Just emptying her soul, right now she's just an empty doll that Queen Ursula used to resurrect the Rider. It's a pretty rough way but there's no other choice" he said.

"How come you guys are," hardened Albert.

Unfortunately no matter how angry it is it will not change anything.

Ursula had finished her long speech, returning to the altar she placed the large candle under Albert's feet. Then a prepared knife he gave Sophia while whispering "The time has come."

Grasping a knife in her right hand Sophia walked up to Albert, making him start to get scared because of the terrible shadows of what Sophia would do to him.

"To awaken the Rider the most needed element is sacrifice, the blood of the enemy that awakens the Rider from his old slumber. It was the blood of the Meseress royal bloodline!" exciting Ursula.

Uuuu.....

Echoes of the elders' exclamations marking the ritual ready, a smile develops on Ursula's face when the knife in Sophia's hand has reached Albert's neck.

"Sophia realize! you said you didn't want to be the Rider, you said you were the Sophia of Meseress not the Elf race let alone the Rider! Sophia!" albert exclaimed as much as possible.

But Sophia had completely lost her soul.