Warhammer Divine Throne

The stench of vampires and the acrid burning smell from the tree-men penetrated her nostrils, and Mogiana barely managed to wake up.

An overwhelming weakness enveloped Mogiana, and the Lake God Witch felt that even opening her eyes was a tremendous effort.

She simply kept her eyes closed.

Mogiana felt her hands were bound behind her back, and tendrils of branches were wrapped around her ankles, imbued with powerful magic energy. She was tied onto a frame and being dragged along by something.

Sensing the magic within her, the Lake God Witch felt her mana was completely congested within her body. The deep magic power she once had now became a heavy burden. She tentatively tried to mobilize her magic, but it wouldn’t obey her commands at all.

The Lake God Witch felt a twinge of regret. She realized she had put too much trust in the tree spirits.

These malevolent creatures indeed had a pact of mutual aid with Brittania, but Mogiana recalled her actions were too rash. She shouldn’t have come here alone.

Just out of habit, Mogiana had always acted alone, so much so that when the king needed to find her, he often had to dispatch numerous knights to conduct a thorough search.

If only she had agreed to bring Laine along!

”The Lake God Witch is the first divine chosen and mortal representative of the Lake Pseudo-God. Are they really safe? Could a few tendrils really bind her?” Vampire Manfred’s voice came from one side: ”Perhaps I could cut off her hands?”

”Ancient tree spirit liquid can paralyze a forest giant dragon. We’ve injected over three times the amount into the Fairy Witch. She won’t be able to use magic or function normally for months, maybe even years,” Branch Shadow Soul Desha laughed shrilly.

”Not that long, just a few days, and I suppose the Lake Pseudo-God will need to find a new representative for herself, if she even has the energy,” Manfred rasped.

Mogiana’s heart started to sink into an icy abyss. The Lake God Witch tried to struggle, but in despair, she found that even with all her strength, her wrists couldn’t move even a centimeter. Her entire body was filled with an inescapable, crushing fatigue. Just breathing seemed to expend all her energy.

She attempted to open her eyes, but instead of blinding light, a new moon hung in the sky. She was being carried forward by a group of Zoya tree spirits.

The golden waistband was gone, and the longsword blessed by the Lake Fairy was gone. Mogiana strained to observe her surroundings; the dark forest environment showed that they hadn’t left Charon Forest.

What to do? What to do? The Lake God Witch wearily pondered how to rescue herself.

The communication gemstone was destroyed, the Potion Chalice taken by the vampire; now she was unarmed, without magic, without strength, unable to send out a signal for help.

So Mogiana tried to pray.

It was useless, something was blocking, and without the abundant magic she once had, Mogiana couldn’t contact the Lake Fairy. Manfred seemed to have used some sort of restriction on her.

Deep despair.

Mogiana could only pretend to still be unconscious, letting herself be handled, waiting for a chance to escape. There were, after all, occasional hunters or bandits in Charon Forest, and sometimes Expedition Knights, since they would come to ”Lily Flower Island” in Charon Forest for a pilgrimage, where the original Holy Grail Knights had once met with the Lake Fairy.

This was the only escape chance the Lake God Witch reckoned for herself after some thought. She was too weak; on her own, she could not escape.

Reality disappointed her. In several hours of travel, the group encountered no humans.

On the contrary, the place was reached, and Mogiana felt herself being rudely thrown to the ground, coughing and gasping loudly. She struggled to get up, and a hand grabbed her collar, lifting her high.

”Cough cough cough~” Mogiana breathed painfully, her hands drooping, her neck tilted back, revealing her swan-like neck.

”We need to perform a ritual. I hope you can cooperate, dear Her Highness the Lake Witch.” Manfred smiled, revealing a mouthful of pale teeth, the cursed blade reflecting moonlight.

”Despicable midnight scum... wanting to... I have only one answer, never...” Mogiana struggled hard, but only her fingertips could tremble slightly.

”A perfect ritual, dear Her Highness the Lake Witch, you will join us, become one of us, and you will experience the joy of bloodsucking.” Manfred’s bald head shone under the moonlight, the cold moonlight glaring, and the Vampire Count’s words pierced the Lake God Witch’s heart like the sharpest long spear.

”...No, you can’t do this!” Mogiana showed obvious hesitation. For the always lofty Lake God Witch, if she fell from the first divine chosen of the Lake Fairy to a vampire living by bloodsucking, what shame and collapse of faith would it be?

Manfred released his hand, and Mogiana fell directly before him. The Vampire Count didn’t care and said to Branch Shadow Soul Desha, ”We’re here, you may leave.”

”...Understood.” The female tree spirit looked at Mogiana lying on the ground, glanced at the Zoya tree spirits with her, nodded to indicate understanding. Indeed, her agreement with the vampires ended here, and she had to leave with the tree spirits.