The smell of the hot tea lingered inside Keir's throat. He felt like he didn't want to drink it anymore. He'd been like this whenever he encountered something that could trouble his mind. Overthinking and losing interest in everything, to name a few.
Keir had been standing here in front of the room, stuck between knocking right away or thinking first before knocking. To be honest, he didn't have any idea on how to approach the prince. His pride had been brutally lowered on his own will. Now that he had changed his mind, it would totally cost it a total lose.
Later, Keir just found himself knocking with his free hand.
"Come in!" Prince Zaeius answered inside.
Keir walked in with a tray of hot tea and teacups and rice cakes. He put it on the little table beside Méah's bed. She's still asleep.
"What took you so long?" the prince asked, suiting himself with a cup of tea.
Keir went quiet. To be honest, he didn't know how to approach him after what he found.
"Do you really want to send her to the shelter?" he finally gathered his voice.
Prince Zaeius almost burst out the tea off his mouth. He quickly wiped it with the back of his hand and put the tea cup down. If it was in a different situation, Keir would've laughed his lungs out.
"Why do you ask now?" Prince Zaeius couldn't believe what he just heard from him. It felt like awhile ago, he wanted to throw her out.
'Think, Keir. Think!'
"I think we should at least—uhm, you know, uh...wait for her to get well before we send her off." Keir looked away, hiding his embarrassment. "The shelter's attention might not be always on her. You know, she needed an extra care."
'Damn, Keir. What did you just said?'
Prince Zaeius was even more confused now. However, he couldn't help but feel relieved. It's just so unusual for Keir having a sudden change of mind.
"Do you have a fever?" the prince asked him, sarcastically.
'Right. He's still upset with me. I knew it. What were you expecting, Keir?'
Even though the prince sounded like he was joking, it still struck Keir.
'I was trying to make it up for him.'
But seeing how his face lightened with what he said made him think that everything was worth it. And he was right. It was because of her. Well, he wouldn't just take random strangers under his attention right?But the problem is...
"My grandfather. How are we going to ask him? You know that he's against me in following his footsteps. He said that he don't want to see me again after he knew I was pursuing his thing." Keir took in a mouthful sip of the tea. Now, he felt like he's going to finish everything in the tray.
"Alright. What if I will be the one to ask him? I am from the royal family. I'm pretty sure he won't refuse me." Prince Zaeius nodded while holding his chin."Okay then. We'll set out now while the sun's still up," in the end, Keir agreed.
They journeyed to Keir's grandfather's house through the shortcut in the forest of the town. The house was still the same except for some small cracks on its brick walls and some wild vines growing on its rusty roof. The trees had grown too tall especially the ones that Keir used to play with under, when he was just a little boy. The feeling was just so nostalgic for Keir. They were delighted to see that the door was open, only to get it shut into their faces as soon as they got nearer.
"Grandpa! This is me! Your grandson, Keir. Grandpa, are you there?" Keir knocked and knocked.
"Grandpa? His highness wants to see you. Isn't it too rude to—" Before he could finish lecturing his outside, the door swung open.
"Greetings, your highness. What can I do for you?" Bo greeted the prince, enthusiastically.
"Grandpa, just drop the formalities. His majesty's not here. You can talk normally." Prince Zaeius casually talked like he's not a royal.
"My little grandson, you didn't changed at all. Come in first. Let's talk inside." Bo guided the prince to the living room.
Keir followed the two of them with a disfigured face. He didn't expect his grandfather would threw him such treatment.
"Grandpa, I'm your grandson, not him. God, why am I always neglected like this." Keir sulked and Prince Zaeius smirked at him. Bo just shook his head when he saw Keir's tantrums.
"Nevermind him." Bo whispered to the prince and winked a bit. "So what can I do for you, my grandson?" he asked him.
"Actually, we came here to ask for your help. I know you're knowledgeable on this thing," Prince Zaeius started. "and we highly believe in your skills."
"No, problem, grandson. Spill it. Come on," Bo said while leaning closer to the prince. He always loved it whenever he's praised, not to mention that it was the prince himself.
While the two of them were busy talking, Keir felt so out of place so he just wandered around the house—from the kitchen, to his mom's room when she was a little, to his grandfather's room and lastly to his study room. He's never been there eversince. Bo had forbade him to stay away from his study room. But as a person who has developed this 'curiosity sickness' , he defied his words and broke in.
His eyes were greeted with a gigantic bookshelf in the middle of the room and an averaged height ones on every corner of the room. The smell of books made him nauseated. He felt like puking and his head was spinning.
"Right, I forgot I'm allergic to the smell of books," he said, holding his stomach tightly.
Though, it didn't stop him from noticing something sparkling on the top of the giant bookshelf. Upon eyeing a ladder standing next to it, he almost crawled on his way up. As soon as he got nearer, the sparkling went brighter and wider. It shone the compartment were it was in, only to find out that it was a brown book covered with dust and it was alone in there. He also noticed that there were chiseled marks surrounding it, as if it was forced to be taken away.
"Weird. Why does it have to be chiseled when it was just a book and not a diamond or something?" Keir asked himself.
Just when he was about to touch it, a rat jumped unto his hand and crawled down to his back. He was startled and out balanced himself down together with the ladder. His body made a loud thud.
"Ouch!" he groaned underneath the wooden ladder, "I think I broke my back," he slowly spoke, trying his best to sit down while massaging his right pelvis.
Keir haven't recovered himself yet when he heard noises above the shelf. When he looked up, something fell on his face. And another one followed and then followed another one. The touch of it made him quiver. Soon, it was like these creatures were raining on him.
"Rats! Help! Rats! Shoo! Shoo!" He cried and quickly ran out of the room after shutting the door.
"So, you're taking in a random stranger you found in the middle of the forbidden forest?" Bo asked the prince.
"What else can I do? She seemed hopeless. I couldn't just leave someone dying out there," he explained to Bo.
The prince noticed the sudden change of Bo's expression. However, he couldn't tell if it was worry, fear or shock or all of it. "Is there something wrong, grandpa?" he asked him.
"Ah, no. Forget it. Just some random thoughts." Bo assured him. "Actually, I'm really busy today, your highness. My apologies. I have to go." Bo started walking towards his room.
"Grandpa, wait!" Prince Zaeius called him, "There's something else that I wanted to tell you."
Bo stopped on his way, putting both of his hands folded behind his back, "What is it?" he asked.
"Her wounds...some of it just disappeared without a trace," the prince said in a low tone.
Bo automatically looked back at him with a grim expression and half opened mouth as if he was about to say something, but then closed it and slowly went on his way. Prince Zaeius was left hopeless.
"Rats! Help! Grandpa! Rats!" Keir came into the scene, startled.
He automatically hid behind Bo whom he met on his way, their backs facing each other. But then Keir turned to face his grandfather's back and held both of his arms from the back.
"What on earth did you do?" Bo asked with disappointment in his tone.
"Rats...too many of them. They chased me!" Keir answered while his hands were trembling. He turned to face Bo's back and took a peek above his shoulder to see if there were rats following him.
"Get your hands off," Bo warned him.
But Keir didn't listen to him and was busy watching the way. Prince Zaeius just watched the whole scene, forgetting about how Bo immediately changed his mind after promising to help him.
"Look! There's still another one! Grandpa, help!" Keir yelled and unknowingly clutched Bo's shoulder tightly.
Prince Zaeius couldn't stand Keir's fearful cries and quickly grabbed the empty tray and throw it on the rat. In a split second, the helpless rat laid lifeless on the stone floor.
"It's dead. Now get off or I'll chop your hands off," Bo angrily said and shrugged Keir's hands off. He calmed down the moment he heard Bo's tone.
"I'm sorry, grandpa. I... I'm really scared of rats," Keir sincerely apologized.
"Get out and leave now! Both of you! Never show your silly faces here again!" Bo's anger eventually aroused but his voice was kind of shaky that he could barely speak.
Before the two of them could react, he rushed to his room leaving the two young men dumbfounded. He was holding his right arm where Keir had grasped on. Before he disappeared from their sight, they witnessed a red stain slowly forming on his long flowy sleeve, right on the area where he's holding. Soon, it trailed to his palm down to his finger tips, leaving drops of it on the floor.
"Report!" a voice echoed throughout the royal hall. "Your majesty! The southern part of Belkoln Town is under attack! We need more men to defend it and its people." An exhausted soldier hurriedly came in. "Alright. I will send aid right away," King Astius answered without hesitation. "Yes, your majesty." The soldier bowed and left. The royal adviser beat the cup-sized bell with an iron rod. After it echoed everywhere, a sound of a ringing bell answered from afar. It came nearer and nearer. At last, a blue-eyed, black owl with a small bell hanging on its neck came in flying. It landed at the back of the caller's hand then left after a rolled piece of paper was put on its claws. Just as the king was about to leave
'Could I at least get a more sensible one?'Keir let out a deep, shaky breath as he slowly closed his eyes, forgetting about how will he be able to defend themselves. If this was really going to be his end, then he didn't have the strength to look how it's going to happen. After all, how could a coward like him stand a chance against this monster?The ground roared as it swiftly closed the gap between the helpless healer. Everything on its way were torn into pieces. He could feel the thick dust that accompanied the devastating force from afar powdered his damp skin. An ear-splitting crash towards him made him feel like his soul would leave him anytime.'One...two...three...' Keir whispered in the air while shutting his eyes tightly. His hands felt numb but his shoulders could feel that they were shaking uncontrollably.Unexpectedly, the supposed to be horrendous scene that Keir had imagined to happen was replaced by a moment of silence. He c
"Why, hello there little pup! Are you lost by any chance?" a dark-skinned man covered with tattoos and piercings mocked the stranger. The rest of them laughed maniacally. The stranger remained silent, wearing an expressionless face. He's just standing there with an unusual posture. It was like he would fall to the ground any second soon as half of his body seemed to drag him down. A soft breeze blew the loose strands of messed hair into his pale face, waving in front of his blank eyes. "I said leave him alone." His cracked lips slightly raised forming into a mischievous smirk. "You're not kidding us, right?" the tallest one with a braided hair forwarded towards the stranger. Another set of annoying laughters followed. "Come on! Let's dance, b
By the time she spat those words out, the woman already knew something's wrong with Méah. And her thoughts of earning big benefits through her was replaced by full disappointment. 'Useless crap.' Unlocking Méah's arms around her, she left the room with no words, banging the door heavily from the outside. "Wait! Where are you going? Let us play!" Méah blurted out. Tears started forming on her eyes, she started throwing tantrums. 'I just wanted to play with her! Why did she left me? Did she hate me?' "Blonde Fairy! Don't leave yet! I want to play with you!" she squealed between her heavy "Hmm..."
Along the steep trails through the misty forest, a mile away from the graveyard, three silhouettes traipsed. Daylight created irregular patterns of shadows and sharp glows from the leaves that waved to and fro, hanging from the towering trees above them. The cool caress of the fresh breeze beneath the forest gave them chills instead. If not because of the hair-raising, lingering mist that had been there for they don't even know how long, they would have appreciated the relaxing ambience that nature provided. "Man, why would Lady Shiah want some crappies for the ceremony?! I'm sure no one's alive after being disposed in that damned place!" the youngest one taunted, diverting the fear that had slowy engulfed his mind. They never wanted to step on that rotten place. None of them. Considering that they're not a
'Don't cry, Méah' a cold, deep voice echoed in her head. Another bolt of vivid images flashed like a lightning strike before her eyes. There were voices screaming....people...hands dripping with blood...all pointing at her! 'Méah! You're a monster!' 'You don't deserve to live!' 'You're a demon's daughter! You must die!' 'You'll pay for everything!' 'You brought disasters to this town, Méah!' 'Monster!' 'Unfortunate orphan!'
"Good heavens!" Bek exclaimed as soon as the horrible image of Méah's wound on her back, flashed before his eyes. It took a long time removing the cloth that had glued itself above it, like a bandage on a wound that had been left unattended for weeks. The stinking smell of a rotten flesh made the old man cough for several times. Ferlah who was on her other side to assist, immediately looked away, not saying anything. Undeniably, there were something tiny wriggling on it, lively playing through the holes of the dead flesh. The wound had grown these filthy parasites the time it got infected, slowing down its healing process. Some would even flick themselves out, causing them to fall to the ground, as though rebelling about what happened to their shelter. Above all, of course, Méah suffered
A month and four days had passed and everything was settled perfectly. Tomorrow night, they will breath no more squalid air and this unhabitable place will claim its peace back, again. For a long time, they had caused enough disturbance here. "Are you sure that man you saw was with me before?" Méah asked Bek. Bek nodded. "Absolutely," he shortly replied, inhaling a smoke from the pipe on his mouth and then released it on his nose. "But how can you be so sure? Are you telling me this so that I would agree that you'd bring him out with us tomorrow?" She narrowed her eyes. What if this man would be a burden to them? She alone is too much of a burden already, the reason why she's trying her best to recover faster. Though it turned quite the opposite. There was barely no progre