“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
“Please,” she said. “I don’t have anywhere to go, and besides, the sun would still be up. I won’t last two minutes out there. You are the one that had killed my father, you own me your blood, but since you won’t give me that, the least you can do is let me stay here until the sunsets.” The girl said, begging.Ginika wanted to smile, but whatever smiled that had begun to form on his lips turned to a frown when his blue eyes fell upon the girl. Abigail must have sensed that too, as she held up her staff and took a fighting stance?Perhaps it’s the dark eyes and the fang that hung on the girl’s lips when she speaks. It was difficult for Ginika to tell the source of the nausea that he tasted in his mouth. Was she a Vampi
“My name is Abigail Fagh. Daughter of Isabel and Richmond Fagh. The granddaughter of Maudrand Fagh the sixteenth and the heir to the golden throne.” She said calmly while looking at Vera with a straight face. Her eyes were a giveaway her real feelings. Abigail was anxious.Vera could not help but look at Abigail with surprise, before it was turned into suspicion. “What? No way, how can that be?” She said, shaking her head still in disbelief. The crease that lined her creamy skin now was just as identical as those on her chin that had been formed by age.“It’s a long story. But to cut it short, my best friend killed my father, manipulated me into exchanging my body with hers. And now I am paying the price.”Abigail tried to explai
Through gritted teeth, “What then do you suggest?” He said it as softly as he could, as he burned with hate. “This is not a game. Someone’s life is at stake. So, please don’t just laugh as if you are treating it as a joke.” Ginika said, trying so hard to be patient and civilized as much as he can.The Vampire did a quick glance at Vera before she spoke with a smirk, “Tell me about it, chosen one, cause the last time I checked, your Watcher friend was trying to drive me out into the sun.” She said almost tauntingly, her head tilted as if thinking before she continued to speak, “I could always go out as you guys initially wished.” “Watch your tongue. My name is Ginika, and not the chosen one.” Ginika
The heat in the room had increased, and the intensity was just too hot. Ginika knew that if a proper step was not taken, then disaster would be their demise.“Let her go!” Ginika shouted as he pointed his staff to the girl.The Vampire girl looked at him with tauntingly, “Ha, how fast can a staff kill?” She asked mockingly. “You don’t want to know, believe me,” Ginika said.“I think I would like to, but then your girlfriend would die, and her blood will be on your head.” The Vampire girl said as she took his warming as if nothing.
“And you will remain a vampire forever if you do,” Ginika reminded with unmasked worry. His heart was melting. It was as if seeing the girl’s tears also brought tears to his own eyes.Abigail smiled before giving him a comforting gaze, “I will become a vampire if I die.” She said. She was thinking too much about ‘if’ and it won’t bring her anywhere, so she stopped doing so a long time ago. Her life is already like an hourglass that don’t have much sand. “Then, don’t die, my love, please don’t die,” Ginika said, and they hugged each other, feeling the heat and resting in the warmth and comfort. As long as they stood there, Vera and the vampire girl
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&