"Could it be..." Méah began with hesitation. She was worried it might annoy Keir. Actually, it was her intention to say it hanging so that she would know how would Keir react. "Could it be what?" Méah was startled when Keir suddenly spoke. The negativity that her mind was holding at this moment vanished and turned into relief. "Uhm," Méah was still in awe at how Keir reacted like he didn't have any grudge about her. "You said your grandfather is a physician and he had gone for a long time for his work. And this place is undeniably rich of different herbs–may it be the common ones or the rare ones. So I assume that maybe this place was where he went and possibly brought this cup with him that's why it's here." Keir went silent. He was searching his words about what Méah had just said. She actually have a point. But the question is why would his grandfather choose to stay here when in fact, this is Noartias' most forbidden place?
To their horror, they noticed that the ground was rising higher with them above it. Méah pushed Keir to the side so that she could concentrate on her bleeding palm. The moment the mechanism changed its motion again, the iron bar that have pierced unto her palm pulled out on its own. Méah's vision blackened for a moment as she throw her head up from the pure bliss of pain. A torturous scream escaped from her mouth as her other hand dug deep into the hard wall of the pit. Her teeth chattered inside her cheeks as the burning feeling crawled into her bloodstream. Keir was petrified to death and was blaming himself for being so weak and helpless while he was looking at Méah. Another heavy weight of horror was dropped on him when the ground continued rising up. He was in extreme panic when looked up. For every second, they were getting closer and closer to the sharp iron bars pointing down to them. Both of them quickly laid down on the their back on the ground to slow do
But as much as how Méah wanted to embrace those words in her heart and live with it forever, she still chose to set it aside. Keir's life is more important than her own. As every second passed, Méah's losing more and more blood. "Shut up! I want you to go now! Please, Keir! Listen to me!" Méah forced herself to shout at the top of her lungs realizing that it might not work again if she would say it weak and low again. "No way!" Keir automatically declined, panicking at how he could get themselves out of here. "Wait. Just stay there. Don't move. I'll have to check the vines here if they were strong enough." Keir left in front of Méah, leaving her confused. Keir sounded sure and desperate. Méah wondered if Keir has finally found a way. So, she gave him a little bit of time to do what he wanted. For this time, Méah couldn't think of anything else anymore but terrible pain. It didn't take a long time for Keir to check the v
When Keir opened his eyes, the world was still swirling. He didn't how long he had been unconscious but he could barely hold the weight of his eyelids. The bright sky that spreads endlessly above him made his vision sensitive that he could hardly stand the light that it gives off. Keir kept on blinking until his vision wasn't blurry and sensitive anymore. Just then, an intense sting of pain flicked on the top part of his head. His trembling hand flew directly to it and felt that there was an open wound. He also felt something was dried trailing down to his nose bridge as his hand hovered over his hair lightly. And then he remembered everything. But he somehow regret about remembering it as another sting of pain was awoken one of his legs. However, he must take the consequences of remembering. 'Right. I forgot I was hit by an arrow there.' Keir quickly rose up from lying, ignoring the pain that was trying to block the rest of his senses off
The sun has grown orange in the west when Keir woke up. The noise coming from the busy chirping of the birds outside from the trees lingered in his ears. He rose up from his seat after stretching his hands. Once he was finally on his feet, he felt good and refreshed. But he realized something. Something that caused him petrified. He slowly looked down on his injured leg with widened eyes. But because he had put a bandage around it, he couldn't see it without removing it. A lump on his throat was starting to form as he was catching his breath. To clear the disturbance down there, he swallowed it quickly. Then he began moving his leg little by little. As what he expected, he couldn't feel any pain at all. But to make sure he wasn't just hallucinating, he shook his leg hard and even kicked it on the sturdy brick wall. Again, he didn't feel a thing. However, Keir wasn't contented to the extent that he pinched his arm hard and there he w
A day passed and Méah's condition became better except for the rotten wound on her back. Keir was now on his way to the city to buy clothes for them using the money he found on his grandfather's purse. But he didn't tell Méah why he's leaving for the city. And it wasn't his intention to use it but they badly needed some new clothes right now. Méah was left alone in the house. As she was lying on the bed, staring at the boring ceiling covered with cobwebs, she suddenly realized something. For the past few days, so much thing had happened. Time flew so fast that she couldn't believe how the situation between the two of them became like this. They couldn't stand each other's breath the first time they met and now, they seemed inseparable. All of these will remain unbelievable for the rest of her life. She didn't even have any idea why Keir has changed the way he treated her. Although she wanted to know the reason but she's afraid to do so. Th
"Oh, no! They're here! Let's get in the house! Quick!" Keir panicked and walked past ahead of her. Méah didn't know what to do anymore but she just found herself following Keir. Clutching the lower part of the dress on both sides, she ran as fast as she could. Her heart was pounding hard as though it wanted to leap out of her rib cage. She have no idea where Keir was going to but she ended in the kitchen with him. Her eyes shifted from the locked door to Keir who was busily doing his own business. "Here. Take this. You must go faraway now." Keir handed her a bulky satchel that she don't have any idea what's inside it. His chest along with his broad shoulders were heaving up and down as he was catching his breath. Even though Méah was still in the middle of confusion, she took it without hesitation. She couldn't utter a word from the shock and panic that swallowed her whole. Her mind was freaking out that she couldn't think of anything else
Méah was stunned after hearing everything. She couldn't believe that someone of royal blood would like her despite who she is. But somehow, it didn't excite or made her feel interested. She was just in awe after knowing about. Other than this, she felt nothing more for an unknown reason. Could it be that she has turned numb after everything that she has gone through? Or because she don't feel the same the way towards the prince? Or she just completely shut off from the fact that the prince was going to get married? To her, as far as she can remember, the prince has always been good, kind and generous to her, treated her right, and most of all cared a lot about her. And she was grateful to have met someone like him. She couldn't ask for more but wish him a good and happy life. Méah was holding her breath when she heard the noise behind the door that she's leaning on. She's aware that it could be the dish shelf and someone was going to open it.
The golden rays of the sun broke out through the thick, dark clouds that were slowly dissipating away. The sun sat above the golden capped mountains in the west, about a few minutes before it would rest from a long day of work. The bright light vanished and the small crystal ball fell on Keir's chest. Then it slowly disappeared as soon as it touched his skin. Kalen was greeted by the silence of the world. The thick fog was cleared and the sky was full of hope. But for him, it wasn't the same sky anymore. It was the sky of new life and new beginnings. He looked around and everyone was lying on the ground. There was no trace of Purple Smoke. But he recognised Méah's figure lying ahead of him for half a mile away by her clothes and armour. However, as much as he wanted to check on them, he would have to chose his brother first who was lying right next to him. But judging on Keir's injuries, Kalen decided not to touch him. The arro
"Useless!" Purple Smoke screamed in both fury and disappointment. She hated it when someone fails her and had a long history on it. To her anger, struck Méah with her palm on the chest. Méah flew a few yards away from where she stood. But she didn't complain. For Purple Smoke was her master and the only one who has the authority to do anything to her. She rolled on the ground for a couple times and spat out black blood. She was on knees but her face was still blank and didn't show any hint of pain. Purple Smoke faced Keir and the princess's body. Her vision quickly darkened. "Love. This is what love bring to people. What a pity. They're even willing to die because of it." She grinned. While she was feeling the moment of victory, she heard a swooshing blade coming from behind her. She quickly avoided it and saw Kalen. "Oh, another silly boy. But I like you already. You're braver than your brother." "I w
After they ran away and the battlefield was almost emptied, Purple Smoke was furious when she saw Méah kneeling on the ground, frozen like a statue. She couldn't believe a simple trick could affect Méah. "Come, my dear." Purple Smoke walked in front of Méah. She bent down and held Méah's chin up. Black and purple veins appeared on her neck down to her arms. Then all of it crawled into Méah's chin down to her neck, spreading towards her back. Her injuries were healed and the arrows were burnt into ashes. Méah stood up straight. "Avenge yourself. Kill them all. Kill." Purple Smoke whispered to her ears. "But first, I want you to do something." Then, Méah suddenly disappeared in Purple Smoke's eyes. She was now off to do what she's told to do. Purple Smoke burst into a boisterous laughter. But she eventually stopped when a loud blow of horn was caught in her ears. Among all the four kingdoms, only one would use horn
The three of them were in utter astonishment when they saw the enemies were swarming again. They had no idea where they came from but now they seemed stronger than those that they fought with earlier. King Astius shoulders dropped. At the other end, he saw the Deep Caves and everyone struggling to defend it. The enemies were about to break in. "What the hell! They're like locusts!" Keir cursed under his breath. Suddenly, they heard screams coming from behind them, the main gate from the city of Noartias. As they turned around, they saw the remaining of their soldiers, the war veterans and majority of Eastian soldiers who were assigned to defend the city. They were rushing to the battlefield, ready to give their life for the sake of the world. And then, they joined them to launch an attack on the battleground. Weapons clashed hard against each other. Some tasted flesh, blood and bones. Blood were splattered everywhere, leaving a crimsom
"Oh no! They're here! They're breaking in!" Queen Jainah cowered into the corner of the room in the royal underground where they were hiding. Princess Jiyanah sat down with her, arms snaked on one arm of her mother. King Ambrose wasn't there with them because he was out in the battlefield. Unlike Noartias, Eastias don't have any shelter like the Deep Caves but they have a vast underground shelter that they called as the Underground Shelter, enough to cater the whole kingdom's population. It has one entrance which can only be found in the secret chamber of the royal hall. The five exits extend in five directions away from the kingdom's borders. Four of it share the same distance while the other one was the longest which almost reaches the border's pf Noartias. King Zarduz was the first kingdom to surrender to Purple Smoke. Being named as the weakest, poor kingdom, King Zarduz chased the opportunity to get power, enough to purge a strong kingdom l
Ferlah brought King Astius to the Deep Caves. After that, she left back to the battlefield outside. More enemies were coming. They don't seem to decrease at all. The more of them die, the more of them come. Prince Zaeius and the mysterious woman in red were trying hard to defend the door of the shelter. General Kapono was defending the walls together with the rest of the soldiers since the enemies were trying to climb up through tall ladders. Seeing all of these, King Astius didn't think twice to carry out his responsibility. He climbed to where the archers were stationed on the walls. "Aim for the enemies! Kill them! Leave none of them alive!" He shouted. Upon seeing his presence, the soldiers' morale was boosted. Their spirits soared high and their hearts filled with hope. From afar, Ferlah could be seen battling alone. She couldn't risk to transform herself so that she won't get exhausted when it was time to go
When King Astius and the rest of the troops arrived at Noartias, they were flabbergasted by the army of the enemies flocking inside. Only a few of the war veterans were left standing, fighting bravely despite being outnumbered. King Astius was suddenly eaten by guilt. He blamed himself for not seeing the trap ahead of them which made him led the whole Noartian army into deception. The moment they stepped a foot inside the kingdom, the bloody clash began. The enemies looked like a swarm of locusts, attacking them in every possible way. There were clamours of death and courage as well as the shatters and clatters of weapons. Blood were spilled everywhere and the parched ground quenched its thirst through it. While King Astius was slaughtering the enemies, he suddenly remembered the prince. Fear struck him hard. He wished his son was safe in the royal underground as it was difficult to find. But judging from the prince's behaviour, he probably
"Méah!" With eyes closed, Prince Zaeius screamed in terror and sat up from his sleep without even knowing. He just had a horrible nightmare about Méah dying, covered in blood and vanishing into thin air. However, even though it was just a nightmare, he began to pray to himself that it would only remain as a nightmare. As his breathing slowly calmed down, the throbbing pain came raging from all over his body, starting to penetrate deeper into his senses. He let out a painful hiss with a twisted expression as he went weak and limp, slumping himself back into the soft mattress of his bed. An agonizing groan followed that made him shut his eyes in a tight manner. With this, it all came back to him. But despite after being rescued and seeing the woman he loved in that situation, the flashes of tortures that he had gone through in the hands of Purple smoke held a consistent spot in his memory. That no matter how hard he tried to set
The awaited dawn finally came. It was summer but the breeze, though it blew calm and gentle, felt like a touch of a blizzard's chill. Passing through the steep trails of well-tilled earth, forests, rivers and marshes, a couple of hundred thousand men set off from Noartias to the battlefield under the command of King Astius. This was the last number that he could bring with him. And not all of them were soldiers. Some were mere folks, men and women but brave and courageous, who voluntarily swore to protect their kingdom, their homes and their families. Every abled person in no particular age requirement were allowed to go to battle with them as long as they can walk at such distance and can ride on horses and fight with willingness. However, as he couldn't leave the kingdom and the people alone unguarded, he left this task to the war veterans of less than thirty thousand. Half of them guarded the kingdom with Kalen among them and Bek was told to stay with o