Chapter Five

'Could I at least get a more sensible one?'

Keir let out a deep, shaky breath as he slowly closed his eyes, forgetting about how will he be able to defend themselves. If this was really going to be his end, then he didn't have the strength to look how it's going to happen. After all, how could a coward like him stand a chance against this monster?

The ground roared as it swiftly closed the gap between the helpless healer. Everything on its way were torn into pieces. He could feel the thick dust that accompanied the devastating force from afar powdered his damp skin. An ear-splitting crash towards him made him feel like his soul would leave him anytime.

'One...two...three...' Keir whispered in the air while shutting his eyes tightly. His hands felt numb but his shoulders could feel that they were shaking uncontrollably.

Unexpectedly, the supposed to be horrendous scene that Keir had imagined to happen was replaced by a moment of silence. He couldn't help but to check what's really going on. To his horror, his eyes were greeted with a gigantic wall of scales. It seemed endless! His sight traced it upwards, only to find what the real horror was...

About a hundred meter above him, was the serpent's head preparing its full strength to gobble him up. This time it wasn't only his hands that had gone numb, but also his knees. Strength was nowhere to be found in him anymore. Upon falling on the dusty floor, he retreated himself backwards like a child who's afraid to get beaten by his mother. When he couldn't move further, he idiotically screamed. His whole body was now shaking. He felt like he had completely lost his mind!

"No! Don't! No! I don't...want to die..." Keir's lips trembled. In fact, he felt like every nerve endings of his body were trembling extremely.

Before he could sought himself under the huge table behind him, he already flew a meter away from where he was. If it wasn't because of the wall, he's sure he had flown miles farther.

"Holy...shit," he cursed under his breath after coughing dryly for several times before he could recover his breath. He felt like his whole body was broken. Dizziness struck him after he fell flat on the floor.

Before he knew it, the two unconscious people that he had hidden under that table were forthrightly exposed. With that, Keir forced himself to crawl towards them, not letting go the little ray of hope in his eyes. Is he doing the right thing? Isn't it too late?

'Damn you, Keir. Where were you when your strength was still enough to save them? You let your cowardice swallow you, useless fool!'

The giant serpent seemed to be observing them. Keir noticed it because it didn't strike them anymore. So, he took the chance. He crawled and crawled, inch by inch. He finally reached the two people who was still unaware of what's happening.

"Hey, you horrible creature! If you're hungry, just...just take me instead!" Keir yelled point a shaking finger to the monster. It let out a snoring roar upon hearing what he said.

'Shit! What am I doing?!'

Too late when he realized what he just said. For this time, the thing that he feared the most, death, will surely come to him. Again, he shut his eyes tightly waiting for his body to get ground by its gigantic teeth.

"Since when...have you dreamed of a heroic act like this, Keir?" He always dreamed to save people but not this way. He smiled bitterly at such thought.

Keir held his breath when he felt the strong force of wind on his face indicating that his end was coming to him now. 'This is it... I'm sorry, your highness.'

A loud crash shook the whole roofless room. The thick walls bricks were irregularly drawn by huge cracks so as the once smooth floor. Keir thought he was hit but...he felt nothing! Was it because he's body had gone numb or is it because he's already...dead?!

Keir raised his head up. "No!" The veins on his neck almost gave out the moment he screamed vociferously.

Eyes widened. Tongue was tied. Body was frozen.

'No...This isn't happening! This...this is just...a dream,' Keir's mind refused to believe what he had seen.

Who wouldn't be petrified at such an unbearable sight? Seeing someone being viciously gnawed in front of him was one of the worst things that would scare himself to death for the rest of his life by just a glimpse of it on his mind. And he...he had just watched it happened. But, will he even live until that day?

'How useless you are, Keir!'

"General..." Keir mumbled under his breath. Tears had been streaming down his face, unknowingly as he stared blankly at the remnant of the pitiful young general. It was just too sudden, he's gone in a single blink with nothing left but a leg and a hand.

After gobbling the young general, the horrible creature turned its ferocious head to the remaining preys. Keir looked the unconscious girl behind him only to see the biggest wound on her knee slowly closed. He swallowed the lump forming inside his throat. It's happening again! Terribly scared with two different things at the same time, Keir almost fainted. He felt nothing but coldness—coldness that had seeped throughout his body. He fought hard to himself to stop him from fainting.

The giant serpent was now on its way to them. But Keir couldn't shut his eyes no more. Everything went in a slow motion as he fixed his eyes on the predator. To his surprise, it just went past him. He froze as its huge body brushed against his freezing skin. He could smell the blood dripping from its broad mouth.

'What now, Keir? Will you just froze here and let the both of you share the same fate with general?'

Keir felt raging guilt and regret in his heart. So what now? What would he do? He's just a useless coward who practiced healing on his own!

He forced himself to look behind him. He felt the sudden bolt of pain on his nape and spine the moment he tilted his head. And alas! An unexplainable scene caught his eyes!

Keir saw the serpent hovering over her like it was observing or looking at her intently. And then, it abruptly went wild, breaking everything of the remaining things in the poor room. It was like it's looking for something. Keir was totally confused about what's happening. He could only stare blankly in the air ignoring the chaos that's happening around him. It was only then that he brought his senses back when the giant serpent had left.

Stuck between grief and relief, he could only cry the heavy feeling in his chest. But he must go on. He needed to face the reality—that he was a good-for-nothing coward!

"Perhaps you could explain this," his majesty said in a calm but firm way, probably trying to conceal his anger inside in front of his son. Instead, he threw something in front of him. The clattering sound echoed the royal hall.

Prince Zaeius was astounded. It was the ancestral sword that he wielded the day he started his combat training—the one that he lost when he 'killed' the giant serpent. He didn't know what to say because he wasn't ready for this. This was just too sudden! But was this the reason why he was called back here in the palace? Now he knew it. When will that liar ever stop lying to him?

'Believe him, my foot.'

However, he was extremely relieved upon realizing it and about his mother—heck! He will never forgive that liar! How dare he spoke ill towards her!

"Your majesty, I—" he meant to admit his fault but his father interrupted him. Another problem that he's got to solve. He knew he'd never win

"Did I fail as a father to you?!" His majesty fell to his seat and massaged his forehead. A mixture of worry, fear and disappointment painted his face.

'You should ask that to yourself, your majesty,' he supposedly wanted to say.

"My apologies, your majesty. But I'm willing to put an end to it this time if you'll allow me." Prince Zaeius brought his gaze down to the carpeted floor.

"No! Don't you get it?! For goodness' sake, Zaeius! It demands for your life as a price of your foolishness!" King Astius stomped the table with his fist. He can't afford to lose another child, now that her majesty has become bedridden he must protect their son alone.

"But, your majesty—"

"No buts! From now, you're staying down there! Guards! Escort the prince to the royal underground!" King Astius ordered with full authority.

"Yes, your majesty!" Every guards in the hall answered attentively in unison. Six of them went to his highness' side. The taller ones held both sides of his arms like a caught criminal.

"Your majesty, no! You don't mean this, do you? I don't want to stay down there! I'm not a kid anymore!" Prince Zaeius could only refuse through words but never on act. He tried to shrug them off his arms but they were like huge lamp posts on the streets.

But his majesty's decision seemed irrevocable. He's just too determined to protect him. "All of you can go now. Be sure to keep an eye on him. You knew the consequences when you defy my orders." With that, King Astius left.

Prince Zaeius couldn't just accept his father's decision. He must handle it himself! After all, he was the reason why this had happened! Eyeing a sword on the guard beside him, he quickly unsheathed it and shove it near the owner's throat.

"Your highness, please spare me! I've got a family to feed!" the pitiful guard wailed horrifically.

"Your highness!"—were the only words that the rest of the guards could say.

This made the king look back. Upon seeing what's happening, he pursed his lips and his forehead furrowed in anger.

"Exactly, what is this your highness?! Are you threatening me? Look how audacious you are! Do you think this will make your mother happy?" the king exclaimed.

"I dare not, your majesty," his highness lowered the sword a bit on the hostage's neck, after all, this wasn't really his intention, "but I'm begging you to let me handle my own mistake," he added with a dark voice.

"Alright. As you wish. But let me tell you something," the king approached him and whispered something that made Prince Zaeius loosen his grip on the sword, releasing the horrified hostage.

The prince walked slowly towards the exit of the royal hall. How stupid he was to think he still fought even though he already knew that he'd never win. He never expected that his father would do everything just to keep him. If

others would think it's a sweet thing for a father to do but for him, it will never be! In fact, they've never really been in good terms ever since his father ascended his throne.

The rays of the sun were sticking their way out of the gray clouds. It should be 6 in the morning but the eerie atmosphere seemed to have remained leaving the town into a dark, foggy ruins. The town had fallen silent but the strong grievance lingered in the air.

Keir had been wandering here since last night in the remains of Belkoln town after that traumatic event happened. No food. No water. No place to stay. But he's not alone. Actually, he was with girl that the prince had entrusted him, laid on an old bullock cart that barely hold her weight. She'd never awakened after being sedated, or was it because of what the giant serpent did to her? And worst, he wasn't sure when will she wake up. He doesn't even know her name.

Speaking of the prince, Keir knew although he left without saying a word, he'd never abandon them. He knew how important her majesty is to his best friend. Full of hope, he continued his journey to their usual meeting place at the other end of Belkoln Town—that was a hundred miles away from the royal palace.

All of a sudden, his vision twisted followed by terrified screams and numerous footsteps coming towards his direction. He fell to his knees, letting go both of the cart's handles. When he raised his head to find out what's going on, people carrying packed bags and crying children met his eyes. They were running to the opposite direction.

After they went past him, there was a moment of silence. But not long enough to peel half of an apple, another noise followed. Horses neighing after the sound of beaten flesh.

'Horses...Oh no!'

Just the thought of it ignited his half awake self. It was too late for him to realize that they're already on the part of the town where bandits and other folks with bad intentions usually attack, especially now that the town was in ruins and aid hasn't come yet.

'We must leave at once!'

Keir raised his head together with his trembling knees even though diziness was still embracing him. But instead of expecting a wider vision ahead, a hard object touched his pale forehead. There was a pair of big boots, an old ragged, loose pants of gray and a belt with different kinds of weapons hanged around. His belly indicated the traces of the quantity of alcohol he could take.

He gulped the sticky lump in his throat. Bandits! If he was lucky enough to stay alive after encountering a giant serpent, then this time might be quite the opposite.

"Where do you think you're going, scum?" an alarming voice of a man asked.

Before he could react, something hit the back of his neck that led him face first to the ground.

He could see patches of black silhouettes trying to invade the light on his sight.

"What...do you want?" Keir curled up on the ground, chasing his breath.

"Simple. We just want to have fun!" the man hilariously laughed. "Come on, boys! Fun's served right here!" he signaled his hand to his men.

"Yahoo!"

"Yeah! Come on, everyone!"

"Time to play!"

Everyone leaped off their horses with glee. In a second, Keir became a punching bag rolling to and fro on the ground. This was beyond what he expected. He could only do nothing but chase his breath under the excruciating pain. His whole body ached. Blood and dust's taste were very disgusting to him.

'This was worse than being thrown on a solid wall...'

Keir didn't know how long they'd been playing 'fun' on him. All he knew was that he can't hold on any longer...

"Leave him alone, you ugly old fools," an calm yet warning voice caused a great silence.

But before Keir could hear the following conversation, darkness had swallowed him...