“What kind of trick is this?” The Vampire asked, but Ginika did not give it a chance. He launched an attack for the first time and with one powerful blow. The hands of the vampire fell off to the ground and sizzle into emptiness.
The man cried with anguish as his dark eyes studied the small boy who was burning with a bright blue light. Vera could not say for sure, but she thought she saw fear hanging on the man’s eyes. It was odd. She has been a Watcher all her life, but she has never seen any demon afraid of anything before.
“So it’s true,” The man shrieked and ran into the woods. The glow around Ginika was beginning to fade, and from their lights, Vera could see that the boy was perfectly okay.
“Untie the ropes,” Vera hissed through the clenched teeth. After that, she jumped into the boat. The vibrant tone seemed to have lost their composure. Her shoulder was sagging, and Ginika could see the sadness hanging on them like a cloak. He did as the woman have commanded, feeling the cold pebbles on his bare feet.He also had a very conflicting feeling regarding Balak’s sudden death. The old dude, even though Ginika did not like him at all, he still never wished for him to just die like that. The fight earlier also gave him the opportunity to really see the battlefield Watchers had to face all the time. Balak’s head was resting on Vera’s laps by the time Gink
They could have passed for a whisper if Vera was not standing by the fireplace. In Ginika’s eyes, she looked so vulnerable at this time, just like the women from his village.“Are you alright?” Ginika asked softly as he took her arms and squeezed them gently. He was trying to comfort her, but he was never good at it. When the people from his village died, he could not do anything to stop it. It still hurt when he remember it. However, it could not be compared to Vera and Balak’s relationship. Vera and Balak are both old Watchers. It was not comparable to his life that only existed for just a few years.
“Oh, we would work on your reading skill later,” She weakly smiled as she removed the candle and poured enough oil into the lantern. “It says that I have been released off all duty as a Watcher.”“That sounds bad,” He said dejectedly. The happiness in Ginika’s stomach seemed to have dropped immensely. “No,” Vera chuckled but did not turn to him. She had left the lantern now and was writing on her small notebook.“No?” Gini asked, hoping the woman would elaborate.“That’s the custom, Gini. My limbs are old, and I need to retire even though
Well, they would have to take care of themselves. He was no hero and was not intending to be one. They should have sought themselves out. Every mortal is responsible for his own destiny, after all. If not, no one would continue to follow all these foolish rules.There was a soft knock on the door, and Ginika turned just in time to see Vera drawing her dagger. He hadn’t seen the woman moved, and even as she walked to the door, her feet were like that of a ghost. The finger in her mouth was the indication he needed to stay quiet. “Who is it?” Vera asked. The voice replied in a low tone, but Ginika could not make out its words. Vera exchanged a disturbing glance with him before sheathing her dagger into her boots. Her expression was still notched with th
They faced each other in the opposite direction, with the lamp hanging in the middle right above their head.“You don’t know me,” The girl said and stroked her brow. The sadness became visible as the yellow light flourished its radiance on it. “You don’t know anything about me.” “I don’t,” Ginika nodded, “But I would like to know you. If you give me a chance,” He added. She also doesn’t know about him. Ginika also hopes that when she finds it out that he was not a bastard prince like Vera had mentioned, she won’t be so disappointed. His heart skipped when her golden eyes met his blue gaze. Those oval eyes that sat perfectly on the tanned smooth skin. Who could have thought that such beauty was about to be wasted away in the White Mountains?“No, you will hate me when you know who I am,” Abigail said as she shook her head. Her voice was laced with sadness as if she was already resigned to her faith. “Try me,” Ginika chuckled. You will hate me too if you know where I hail from. His s
“No way,” Ginika jumped, “How could you have known that?” They were the only ones at that time, suppose to be.“I would have been surprised if you weren’t acting like this. But that’s not what is important. The important thing right now is that I need to get to my body or else I would die.” Abigail replied. Gini got a hold of himself. Nothing is impossible nowadays, but body changing, he has no idea how such a thing would happen. “Your body? You mean you abandoned your body?” He asked suspiciously. “No, I exchanged my body with my friend, Zita. I th
Ginika was a little bit taller, but his height was insignificant with that of Abigail. He could feel the girl’s hot breath on his cheeks. Their lips were about some millimeters away when a heavy knock came thundering on the wooden door.“So sorry about that,” Ginika said as they pulled apart reluctantly. His stomach was still jolting, but he was glad that they did not rumble in protest. He was flushing with embarrassment, however, as he hurried his weak feet to the door. Vera stormed in when he opened it, with a heat in her rage that threatens to burn anything which stands in her wake.
Vera was half awake, “The Citadel is not some kind of leisure environment where you make merry, eat, have fun and sing yourself to sleep with a nice lullaby. It is a place where warriors are beaten by the furnace of training.” She explained tiredly, but seriously.“So that means that the newbies would train themselves to death?” Ginika asked with unmasked disbelief. “Newbies?” Vera blew out the strand of hair that was just on her lips. “Who taught you that word? There is nothing like newbies or rookies in the Citadel. Do you know why it is called a No-Man’s-Land?” She asked as if Ginika was spouting a bad joke. “Because it is a land
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&