The third guard charged, bringing his sword from the left angle, and aiming for Ginika’s belly. Ginika jumped back and spanned to the right, just in time to get away from the fourth guard, who had sliced his sword horizontally.
He didn’t wait for them to recover from the surprise, which covered their face as a result of his speed. Instead, he jammed the free end of his staff into the rib of the fourth guard, just where his armor was loosed.
The man let out a yell, before his body had crushed to the ground.
Pain flooded Ginika from his right thigh as the sharp end of the third guard’s sword sliced them. Regardless of the pain, he could not stop and get caught.
The selection of Vesslers still continues. From this point in the balcony, they could still see the children as they meander on both sides of the street until they were lost somewhere in the distance.It’s been about forty years now, yet she still remembers how they had picked her; she could still see the wall of the white wall. All the trainings, the battles, the killings… She always could not forget those as if they just happen recently. “Do you ever think life would have been different?” Balak asked as he gave her dark glare, but ironed his expression with a small frown. Vera frowned, confused about what he wanted to say, “What do you mean?” She asked.
“Don’t joke around!” Balak yelled as he held the rail and stared out into the city. The way he clinched the rail was a testimony to the anger that was boiling inside of him.Vera did not waver at this and continued softly, “He is perfect Bal, you are just blinded by his statues.” For her, Balak was currently acting just like the rest, and though she did not like it, she also could not blame him. “Blinded?” Balak let out a small laugh, “If anyone is blinded, then I think it’s you. You are the one who is still letting the events of the past cloud your judgment,” He said sarcastically due to his anger. But deep down, he regrets it, and just she needed to understand that she was not thinking straight.
But why was she feeling like this? This goes against everything the Watchers stands for. It goes against their principle. The first law of order prohibited emotion. Emotion was a weakness which they were not meant to have. She had trained herself over the years to grow stone cold. But why now? Vera bit her lips and wiped the tears again, just as her eyes went back to the door where Ginika was sleeping. *** Ginika blinked weakly as his blue eyes traveled t
“No, of course not,” Her voice cracked as she straightened her red leather hood.Ginika did not buy it, but he did not insist on asking. People have the right to keep their own secrets. “Okay,” Gini said with a nod before he returned to his food, “I was just curious, though.” He took another bite, noting the tingling feeling that each savor sent to his brain, “Because, in this my little life, I have been around some elites. They don’t do something unless it profits them.”“I just want to see you have a better life,” Vera said and sat beside him on the small bed.
“What?” Ginika shook his head before he yelled, “Anybody but Balak, please!”Vera stood up. She looked at him encouragingly and said, “He is the only one I trust to show you the way of a swordsman. He is the best as well.”“Please! Find another person you trust. Balak is not an option. That man hates me as if I killed his pet!” Ginika begged. He has a feeling that he will be punching bag by the grumpy old man by just doing nothing. “There is no one else, boy.” Vera chuckled and arranged the tray. It was funny that the way Ginika complained was like a younger version of Balak.
“But officer—” Vera wanted to say, but the man would not hear.“Take it off now!” He shouted. His words, this time, brought eyes to their direction. Because of this, the other officer who was attending to the people lifted his head from the piece of paper he was holding. He considered Vera for a while but returned to his work as if confident that his fellow officer would handle the matter properly.Ginika swallowed under the velvet cloth, bending his head down on his shoulders in order to retain his identity. He could feel his heart thumpin
On another part of the ship… They followed the women through the dark alleyway and walked into a small room, which was no bigger than a horse stable. The room was empty, and a small candle stood on a lampstand, giving a dim radiance to the darkness which hung on every corner of the wall. There was no window either, and the place smelled like the scale of decaying stock fishes, packed in a bag and left to float over a damp soil. When Bisi saw this, she could not help but snort and hugged herself as she reluctantly walked in and stood beside the wall in the penumbra region, studying the women at the entrance.
“No!” Victoria shouted in anger as the slurry dripped down from her cheeks. She then glared at Prisca with all her remaining strength. Bisi chuckled despite feeling pity for the other girls. She could remember doing something similar to Ginika, back in the village. Even though this was a bit to the extreme, she couldn’t help the laughter that was building inside her. She just could not stop laughing. It was always fun to see the strong dominate the weak. ‘Am I getting sick and twisted?’ She thought to herself curiously. “Will you stay here and laugh all day?” Olivia suddenly asked while looking at her
The calmness was alluring, and the serenity so great that she felt she could remain here forever. Nothing seems to exist. It was just as if she was just being born. There was no trouble, no worries, and certainly no death. But where am I?“My sweet child,” Someone said, and the girl could feel the hands that patted her forehead.Abigail opened her eyes, just in time to see the beautiful face of Queen Isabel, as she pulled away from her. The rich lemon fragrance covered Abigail’s nostrils lurking around the fresh morning air that was rushing into the room from the window at the far end.“Mother?” Abigail called. Even her own voice was new to her.“Rest, my child, you need it.” Isabel smiled weakly and stroked Abigail’s forehead.“What happened?” Abigail asked as she sat up from the bed. She was totally found. No part of her body ached from the training, and she was more at ease and…“By the heavens,” Abigail screamed when her fair skin. She stroked her head and laughed from the rich bl
Gen jumped on top of the watchman and ripped his throat out, feeling the sweet savor of the metallic taste that came rushing into her palate. She was careful not to bite off his head as that was a disgusting way to feed.She wiped her mouth with the back of her hands and stood up. She was not satisfied, but she must try to be on mission. Maybe she will come back and finish him off when she was done.A ray of sun tubes in through the roof, and Gen laughed. It was still a wonder to her that she was walking in daylight. She had been in the dark for about 50 years, but now, walking under the light made her realize that there is more to life that the ugly face of darkness.The hands of the sun spreads through the whole earth, blessing everything that stood in the vast distance with its grace. From this place, she could see everywhere in Arkenta. Even the border of Landevia spread out and seemed to be touching the sky. She was supposed to monitor the Cavaliers from this Watchtower, but stand
Vera nodded to Gareth and walked out from among the shadows. She followed behind the cavalier, who was totally oblivious of her presence. The man was about to round the bend when she held his mouth from behind and traced the sharp end of her dagger around his neck. She held his mouth tightly as he convulses but released him when he finally became still.“That’s thirty-two,” Gareth whispered as he walked towards her.“You have been keeping counts?” Vera asked and wiped her dagger on the body of the fallen guard.“A total of sixty-six. You are a warlord mother,” “Which way?” “There,” Gareth pointed to another metal door. The torches flickered with the little wind that walked in the air, revealing the emptiness that lies on the other side of the door. It was day, and the sun was at its zenith. But its hands have failed to touch any side of the dungeon. Dar
“Emm…guys, I hate to break the reunion, but I think we are in trouble.” A girl that was twice as tall as any of them in the arena said. Behind her were two other girls whose eyes were wider than the lens of Victoria.“Olivia? We are friends now?” Dodo suddenly asked as she, Abigail, and Victoria turned to the other girls. The looks on their faces told Ginika to keep off. He wasn’t ready to meddle with women’s affairs.“Ginika!!!” Someone screamed. “Pa Bola?” Ginika’s brow elevated to his skull at the voice of the man who was running into the arena from one of the metal bars. Behind him was a strange-looking woman, in breeches and some yellow shawl hanging loosely on her shoulders.“You must get out of here, now,” The man said. The looks on his face were covered with so many expressions that Ginika could not place a hand on.“Bola,” Dodo called, turning away from the girl she had called Olivia. “You are alive.” “Yes, but there is no time, we must hurry, follow me.” Bola pointed to the
A sweet air bashed Abigail’s face when she finally walked out of the burning hallway. The metal bars shut behind her, leaving her and the other children at the mercies of the crowd and their frenzy. The walls of the arena were high, more than thirty feet away from the dust and sand.“Now what?” Dodo asked as she steady her hands on the pan. Her composure was laudable, and it made Abigail want to run into her arms. The girl was showing no sign of weakness or fright. It was as if she had anticipated all the event and knew what would happen.“How long can you last out here, Victoria.” The voice of Olivia came fluttering with the numerous screams of the crowd. The mockery in them was annoying. The girl was acting as though she had everything under control.The metal door at the other side of the arena opened, and some six boys came jogging out of it. They were also Vesslers who had come to transition. Unlike the girls that were given pans, the boys held the sword, spears, shield, and other
The voice of the metals continued to scream as the hammers of the blacksmith descended upon them. The screams only stopped to a hissing sound when the men imbued them into the water pan beside the metal table, and resumes their previous beating. Those clatter and noise from the anvil could cause the ear to bleed. It’s been hours since they came here, yet none of the three blacksmith had fashion any reasonable weapon. It was as if they were toiling in vain, or were they doing this as a hobby?Abigail wiped her brow for what seemed to be the tenth time that morning. If the sweat had anything to do with the heat of the furnace, then she would have taken solace in the metal door whose air was blocked by the girl’s that clustered on it.
“This is ridiculous.” Richard chuckled, “The funniest joke in the history of the empire.”“You are a coward Richard. And your strength Is in your tongue. The only thing you are good at is staring up strife among brethren.”“Is that what you think,” Richard flared and hurried up to Gabriel, but the other children where just in time to hold the two from ripping their throats apart.“Richard.” Ginika said, and all eyes turned to him. “I don’t care if you hate me
“You ruined our lives. I said it before, you are nothing but trouble,” Richard shouted.Ginika’s stomach tightened as he studied the other children who were staring at him like some kind of god. Betty had hidden them in the forest, the same forest which was becoming like home ever since he was kicked out from the brotherhood. It was easily to see through the expression that lurked in the face of the children. They looked haggard and frightened and five years starving.“You hear me?” Richard’s voice rung in his ears but he tried his best to ignore the boy. “You are nothing but evil. Nemesis will fall on yo
Bola wiped the tears from his own eyes, not able to hold them back any longer. Seeing the reunion between the mother and son made his chest ach. He just could not shut the doors of his emotions as his mind flashback into the past, in that night when his whole family was destroyed by the children of the night. His clan had been so weak to defend themselves. They had been so powerless.“Here,” Vera’s word brought his wandering thoughts back into his body. She had was holding a small book in her hands now, a book which she gave to Gareth.“It contains my memory.” Vera smiled and parted Gareth’s cheeks, leaving a smear of red trail on them.“Please don&