In the hidden Valley of Karoonah, the Sorceress paces back and forth as she eats her favorite tuna. Her brows were furrowed and her glasses hung on the bridge of her nose. She stays up day and night, wondering why the spell that rewinds — she cannot seem to impose. She hummed and then she sighed. She looks at the table again where the Black Blade lies. Mayari Tabbu stomped her feet, and felt a great sense of dismay. For she forgot the spell, causing her a great deal of delay. “Where did I place that stinky old book!” She screamed as she stomped her feet. “I’ve looked everywhere! Every cranny, every nook!” With a loud groan she grabbed the glasses and threw them on the floor. The glasses bounced and landed close to the door. The rats from the shelf ran and paced, fearing that the great Sorceress would number their days. For she was fuming with anger, every animal inside the hut felt their lives were in danger. Even the two birds were getting scared for their life. For Mayari Tabbu
Luntian hummed as she hugged the weaved basket full of fruits and vegetables. But when she came back to the campfire where she left Accashia and Calleb, she witnessed something unexpected. The two were staring at each other’s eyes. And from the looks of it, it was something intense, but not the good kind. She heard Calleb screaming, and soon Accashia was crying. “You think you’re the only one who’s in constant pain?!” Calleb screamed as the young lady in front of him fidgeted and became silent. The old shaman hugged the basket tighter, as she lowered her head. She had always known what Calleb felt towards his parents and their demise. He was always holding it in and was trying to stay strong for he wanted to reclaim what was rightfully his. Somehow, the old Shaman felt responsible. She was so busy keeping Calleb alive and healthy during his youth that she had forgotten what he needed the most during his younger years. Warmth. And then she heard Calleb screaming again. “I don’t eve
At first he thought it was all a fluke. The Witch trusts him, she does and his soul believed it with all of his heart. The promise she made, that one day — if Katalka does what she told — his soul will be released peacefully. Not to the underworld, but to the Spirit world. And for years, the leader of the Shadows believed that lie. It's not like the Shadows to concern themselves with things that aren't related to the Witch, Calleb or the old Shaman, and yet when the leader of the Shadows saw Luther — a part of him knows that the soul inside the rotting corpse’s soul was darker than his. While his soul chose that very moment to stage a mutiny, the spell that binds his soul to Ursula stopped the Leader from doing so. And yet it was an idea that he had been tempted to execute a couple of times. Another Shadow bumped against his shoulder as he paved the way against hundreds of boney creatures as they marched towards the nearest Village. The Shadow — a lot smaller than Katalka bowed his
“Are you sure about this, Mayari Tabbu?” The Gatekeeper asked, fixing his stance. “Are you sure that what you’ve seen is all true?” The Sorceress frowned and groaned and rolled her eyes. She even let out a frustrated sigh. “As much as I wish it wasn’t true, I saw it with my own eyes! You and I are practically the same person — you came from my thighs! You and I, we can never lie! So why would I?!” It’s an epiphany, of sorts, a step so logical and illogical. She’s amazed she didn’t realize it sooner. Calleb and Accashia. Luntian and Ursula. The bad and the good. Anger and mercy. Hatred and empathy. Love and obsession. Why didn’t she think of it sooner? ‘Here goes nothing’, Mayari Tabbu thinks, and waits for the instinctive recoil, the psychological and physiological equivalent of the natural exchange. And then she begins the transportation spell, to send the Gatekeeper straight to wherever Luntian, Calleb and Accashia dwell. She sprinkled feathers and dust at the feet of the gateke
Luntian wasn’t so sure what to make of this. It must be written all over her face, for the Gatekeeper was giving her an incredulous and ridiculous looking smile. A smile that’s so reassuring yet damaging at the same time. It makes Luntian more nervous than she already was, and the nameless Gatekeeper tries not to make a face at how Luntian’s face looks so sour and dire. The Gatekeeper just told the old Shaman the truth. About her sister — Ursula whom she thought was just a Phantom in her mind and was dead. But now, she believes that her twister sister might actually be alive. But where is she? Luntian swears she can almost see that damn smug smile on her sister’s face. “You know, I didn’t believe it at first, for the rewinding spell could be a blessing and a curse. But since it’s Mayari Tabbu whose visions and spells are always true, then your sister — the Shaman named Ursula was the maker of the Blade, and she sold her soul to the Devils from Cassis and requested for their aid.” T
Since he told the things he needed to tell, the Gatekeeper raised his hands and said a big farewell. Accashia, Calleb and Luntian, they’re about to leave too. Yet, when they tried to leave and go their own separate ways they felt the ground shake beneath their feet. Calleb and the Gatekeeper’s eyes widened at the roaring sound that’s a few meters away. Both stood their ground and straightened their backs, feeling like something terrible was an understatement — for something diabolical had happened and will now shower upon them. The four of the staggered and lost balance as a soft quake rattled their feet off the ground. And Calleb had to jump when a humongous tree trunk had been thrown towards their direction. As he arched his neck and tried to catch the scent of the perpetrator — the young man gritted his teeth from the familiar stench in the air. “It’s the monster.” He said through a harsh whisper. “He’s here.” “What monster?” Accashia asked as she began to fidget nervously. The
Calleb took off his shirt and wrapped it around his hand and knuckles. He’s been fighting the monster for hours and he’s losing more and more energy as they continue to spar. The monster opened his mouth and roared aloud. Spewing maggots and worms on the ground. The young man took a few steps back to avoid the maggots, knowing what it can do to him once it enters the body. Calleb frowned in disgust, throwing a few rocks towards Luther to deter the monster from attacking. “ACCASHIA!” Luther screamed. “Give me Accashia!” Calleb grits his teeth. “I won’t let you have her. You have to stand on my grave first before you get to her!” He balled his fist tightly and punched Luther again and again. He used his monstrous power and hoisted Luther up to his feet by clutching on his thigh — making the monster lose balance and fall on the ground. The young man tried his best to recall where the soul stills on the body. And yet when he was about to direct a strong hit on the middle of Luther’s ch
There were times that Accashia’s thoughts would render her motionless and they were more frequent now. Accashia felt the silence and while it became her, it also undid her. There were a thousand ways they could have done things differently, a thousand words that she wouldn't mind taking back. If she did, the hurt and the pain she had felt wouldn't be so amplified in that case. Almost a month had passed after the death of the Villagers of Walakya, the Arrawae people and still, she can still imagine the humble Village. Her mother. The children and how the sun rises every time. She’s still facing an inner battle of her own. And now, this… another riddle has been added to her already hazy and riddled mind. The Black Blade turned into the sword, and she couldn’t ask herself, “Why?” Calleb was as baffled as Accashia was. He was able to use the blade and it was heavy on his hand, and yet the young lady could wave and use it effortlessly. And Luntian, the old Shaman, felt the same. “How co