“So this, Landevia, how far is it?” Gareth asked as they walked down the sandy path. He was like a kid who was curious and everything.Bola remembered the people from the inn calling Gareth naïve, and now he realized that it was the truth.
But the scholar’s pink lips shifted to the other side of her mouth. She did not save him any attention, not the least. Her eyes kept on the path as if something might jump out of it and cease them.
Bola couldn’t help the thought, but the woman’s behavior reminded him of everything the mages were taught not to do. ‘Be prepared at all times, but never fear the unknown.’ Jinta’s voice seemed to ram in his head
The way Gareth studied the village, it was if he would pounce on Bola if danger hit. It seemed it felt so strange even for him to make him shut up. “The place looks clean,” Casandra said. She was standing on one of the windows now, looking into the room.“How then could they have evacuated so fast?” Bola asked. He still cannot understand what was going on.“I don’t think they evacuated,” Cassandra whispered. She was leaning over the door of one of the houses. She signaled them to come forward.“I think they are having some kind of close door meetings or something,” Cassandra concluded thoughtfully when Bola and Gareth came towards her. There were silent words emanating from the door. It was so silent that it could have gone unnoticed. Bola eased his hands away from his porch. It was a good thing to know that they were not in any danger.“Let’s look around the house and see if we can find a window,” Gareth whispered. The cloak of fear no longer held him captive. He was back to his nor
“I can smell the aroma of your-” The vampire halted its words, before its lips parted widely with what happens to be a smile. “It’s been long since I had the blood of a mage.”“Are you…” Bola beat the hands slightly as if begging the vampire to allow him some last words.“What?” The man asked as he loosened his grip. He was cautious at this time. “Are you smiling?” Bola asked, and t
Sweet aroma of chicken and beef lurked on the evening air, keeping down the tension that was written on the faces of the men who sat on the table with their hands on their cheeks.They had long passed their thirties, and the light of the chandelier that beamed down on their squeezed faces was evident to the fact that life has not been treating them fairly. These were the political bodies of the Ekron, the people who make the law and break the same law they enacted. If money could buy happiness, then these men should be smiling by now. Most top buildings and investment in Ekron belong to some of them, and they were the moving power, the force behind the plow.
“Here,” She said and dropped them in front of the men who were still trying to conceal their anger beneath the calm expression.“What is this?” Lim asked as his eyes went from the white paper to Zita.“That,” Zita pointed, “Is a record of all the transaction that has been carried out since my father ascended the throne.”“Impossible” The Queen sat up, her eyes were burning with life now. “The treasurer said it was consumed by the fire that hit the castle some years back.” She stated with confusion. &
“Sure is,” Zita chortled but, grateful that the veil she wore probably covered the lust that was obviously in her eyes.She could sense the blood flowing through his veins. From his round face down to his tiny neck. Under his jaw, just some steps away from his skull was where the carotid artery passed, filled with hot blood and sweet—“Are you alright?” The boy asked, concerned. This had distracted her from thinking how wonderful it would feel for blood to quench her thirst. “Yeah,” Zita licked her lips and looked away. She had frozen again. The last time she felt so hungry was some years back. She had
“I will plead with the queen on your behalf and see if she will write off the debt you owe.” Zita offered seriously. “Will that work?” Gilbert asked. His eyes were already bulging out of his skull. He also find her offer suspicious. Isn’t it better to have a deal with them first, instead of exposing them and the later? Did she perhaps regretted her earlier action? Why is she trying to help them now? “No, silly. You will be cleaning the streets by the time such insane plan works,” Zita said as she laughed, thinking that they were old fools, playing the funny game.
“But I thought Festus was a man of integrity,” The Queen said with confusion in mid of her heartache. “King Fagh was one of his kind. May his soul rest in peace,” The King’s horn said, “Nobody can match his integrity and honesty, don’t mistake the two.”“Mother, please stop crying,” Zita, she comfortingly said before she hugged the woman and pulled slowly away. She wiped her face with her own towel and exhaled, not realizing that she had been holding her breath form the lemon fragrance that covered the Queens cloth. Her stomach churned, and a voice in her head urged her to get away from the Queen as far away as she could.
“You deserve better, Abigail. I will be proud of you, even in my grave.” Queen Isabel continued. She was happy to finally say that to her daughter. Zita continued to laugh happily at this. After a moment, she nodded her head to Gilman. The old man walked towards the Queen smiling darkly.“What is it, Gilman? What is happening here?” The queen said and made to stand up when she noticed that something was amiss with the way Gilman was looking at her. However, Gilman forced her back on the bed. “What is going on?!” The Queen demanded alarmed. Zita turned to meet the confused exp
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&