“He thinks I killed the boar,” Sevidon answered.
“Did you?”
“This big thing? Nope. He did.” He pointed to Graveloth. “You should’ve seen how he looked like awhile ago when I found him.”
“It was not my proudest moment. But I’m pretty sure that I made you guys happy for bringing meat,” Graveloth said.
“Well you did make her happy. But you kind of pissed him off with this,” Evangeline suddenly said.
“Wait, why is Glaivel angry at you then if you didn’t kill the boar?”
“He has his reasons,” Sevidon answered, but it didn’t help Kaira at all. Evangeline noticed and answered for him instead.
“In Elven tradition, yes, they can eat meat. But they need to make sure first that it is necessary, not only to the elf, but to the forest as a whole. Perfect balance and harmony needs to be met,” Evangeline explained.
“So he thinks you killed this for no reason at all?” Kaira said.
“Right,” Evangeline answered again while helping Graveloth.
“Isn’t Sevidon only half-elf? Aren’t Venis Elves not pure elves?” Kaira pointed out.
“It’s complicated,” Sevidon answered flatly.
“Boar is ready!” Graveloth shouted and everyone prepared. Kaira grabbed her own big leaf which they found not too far from them.
“Wait, how do we cut the meat?” Graveloth asked.
“I got it,” Evangeline said. She made gestures in the air and her hand glowed pink. She started slicing pieces of meat from the boar and made them float towards the other’s leaves.
“I’m starting to really like that magic of yours, Evangeline,” Graveloth said as he dug in.
Evangeline just laughed, “It does come in handy sometimes.”
Kaira finally got her piece and ate with everyone, except for Evangeline. She had another meat in a leaf prepared for Glaivel.
“Glaivel! Come down and eat some breakfast!” she shouted.
“No! I don’t want to! Fruit is fine. I’ll just get some later after you guys finish eating!” he shouted back.
“Come on! Don’t be like this. Come and eat with us! You can talk to Graveloth as well!” she said which surprised Graveloth.
“Wait what? I don’t want any trouble with an Elvish Prince. Let alone the Viris Prince himself!” he protested. But Evangeline stared him down, mouthing him to play nice, “As I said, I would really like to know you a bit better!” he quickly changed his attitude.
“See! He wants to talk to you! Come down!”
Kaira observed and then Glaivel jumped down. He walked fast past Evangeline and grabbed the piece of meat, heading towards Sevidon. Kaira quickly stood up as she felt she knew where it was going.
Glaivel suddenly threw the food at Sevidon’s face. He stood up, his eyes burned in anger. Kaira dashed in between them, while Evangeline tried to pull Glaivel away. Graveloth was frozen in shock.
“You bastard! You’ve been living with them for far too long! You know this isn’t right!” Glaivel shouted at Sevidon.
“I told you already! I did not kill the boar! He did! I just helped him bring it here!” Sevidon answered back.
“Liar!” Glaivel shouted.
“I’m done with your childish ways! Don’t eat! Go ahead, starve! These people want to eat the god damn boar! So let them eat it in peace!” Sevidon said.
Kaira was confused. Why was Glaivel acting that way? And what did Glaivel mean by what he said awhile ago?
“Just give it a rest! Glaivel! Just go away! I’m getting annoyed by you!” Ravaen said as he walked towards them, trying to calm the two down.
“You are not helping,” Evangeline said calmly.
“Want me to pull them apart? Okay!” Ravaen said then he summoned his wings and he quickly dragged Glaivel away then dropped him to the ground. But this was not enough. He walked towards Sevidon again with his fists clenched.
“Enough!” Evangeline suddenly screamed and two large maroon tentacles grew from her back and grabbed Glaivel and Sevidon. “Fighting early this morning over what? A piece of meat?” she said then looked at Glaivel. “What is your deal, Glaivel? Is there something that you aren’t telling us? Now would be a good time to say it.”
Glaivel fell silent, as were the rest of them.
“You don’t want me angry. I killed the people who killed my parents with unchecked power. I don’t want to lose control like that ever again! We are gathered not to kill each other but the one who ordered my parents death! And if you two get in my way, so help me I will crush you both myself!” she said, her eyes glowing bright pink.
Kaira looked at Ravaen and Graveloth who were frozen in fear. She could see that both Sevidon and Glaivel were slowly being crushed by Evangeline’s powers. She ran towards Evangeline and tried to snap her out of whatever she was in.
“Evangeline! Let them go! Snap out of it! You are crushing them!” she shouted at her, face to face but Evangeline suddenly closed her eyes and knelt to the ground. The tentacles vanished, dropping Sevidon and Glaivel.
“Evangeline, what was that?” Kaira asked.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know. I can’t control whatever that was,” she said, blankly facing her palms. Graveloth was already attending to Sevidon and Ravaen to Glaivel. “I’m so sorry,” Evangeline said, shaking. “I didn’t know what happened. I’m sorry!”
She stood up and ran towards the temple.
Evangeline glowed as she ran under the temple’s shadow, but a large shadow hovered from above. Kaira looked at the top of the temple and saw a figure flying towards the temple from the open dome of the roof.
“Who was that?” Kaira said then she quickly ran to follow Evangeline. “Guys! Someone’s here! It flew towards the temple! Come now!” she shouted. It flew right above them and to the top of the temple.
The others quickly followed and saw Evangeline slowly glowing brighter and brighter. Behind her was another winged figure. Kaira was surprised. She knew who the figure was – it was Aderon.
Still knelt to the ground facing the back of the room, his wings expanded and he slowly stood up. His wings finally settled and radiated into his back and slowly he faced them. The serious look on his face disturbed Evangeline.
“It’s him,” Ravaen whispered in shock, as everyone else.
“Yeah, he did come. They accepted,” Kaira murmured as well.
Aderon walked towards them slowly and stopped a few feet from them. He looked at everyone, still wearing his enormous helmet that resembled an Eagle’s head.
“I am the High Prince, Aderon Azure, leader of the High Eagle Squadron and Fleet, head of the High Legionnaires, and ruler of the northern skies of Unibeltrasia. I am here to represent my father, the High King and the High Kingdom of the frozen north. For the quest of eliminating the Trasidian Prince Tamiron Lluch,” he said confidently and bold.
Kaira felt the power within the words itself. She was in awe. The last time she felt this kind of chill was with Tamiron. No — she thought, she was mistaken. It was the exact opposite of Tamiron.
Aderon emanated an uncomforting feel of superiority, authority, and power. She felt the shiver that held her shoulders by Aderon’s presence alone.
They did not expect his participation. Yet, he came. Aderon removed his helmet slowly and they finally saw his face clearly. His blue eyes sparkled and his skin was fair as those of the elves. His hair was grey as the snows on top of Mt. Aternor.
Evangeline suddenly glowed much brighter than before and the ground shook while the sky rapidly darkened. Kaira was startled and quickly turned to Evangeline.
“Evangeline! Are you there? Come back! Wake up!” she said as she held Evangeline by the face, trying desperately to wake her up.
“What is this madness?” Aderon asked.
“We don’t know. This happened when you arrived. Maybe it was you who brought this!” Ravaen said to Aderon.
“You dare mock my presence?’ Aderon answered back.
“Who — who are
you? Why do you have those eyes?” Evangeline said, confusing everyone.
“He is Aderon, Evangeline. He just said his name,” Kaira answered but Evangeline’s face suddenly soured as though she was about to weep and shook terribly.
“No, get away from me! Get away!” she screamed. Then the ground shook harder and everybody was thrown off their feet. The entire room glowed along with Evangeline.
The pillars blazed in different shades, some not even in the rainbow, until they were all shrouded and swallowed into one blinding light. The light exploded and shot up to the heavens. In a matter of seconds, the light receded and the temple was silent again.
End of chapter XVI
XVII : BLOOD, DAGGERS, AND STONES
PRINCESS TAMARA LLUCH MADE HER way through the dark, and black flake-covered land of Tamara, the capital of the Empire. She was baffled of what was going on in the city. Different scenarios played in her mind. From a major fire outbreak to a riot that had gone out of control where the Taranos enclosure breaks and they all rampage through the city. She hoped that it was that. A bit morbid of herself, but she hoped that it is, and not the rumors that she had been hearing about while on their way there. She sat in her carriage silently, as they made their way to the Imperial Palace.
The night’s cold touch blanketed the city and the refineries started to glow and lit the sky of burning red. Tamara was clearly not happy with the state of the city and she was determined to know what was happening. They closed in on the inner ring of the city until the carriage suddenly stopped.
Tamara took a peak outside and saw her guards helping a little girl, picking up scraps of metal and wood. That moment, Tamara had had enough.
She furiously went outside the carriage to see how the child was doing.
“Are you alright little one?” she asked as she cleaned the child’s clothes. Tamara stopped her guards. The people around them noticed and began to gather around her. Tamara was stunned to see the faces of the people. The expression on their faces told everything. She forced a graceful smile on as she looked at all of them.
“It’s the Princess!” came from the crowd. Tamara looked around as the crowd gasped at her presence.
“She’s here to save us!” another one came out. Her guards came to hold the people off but one got a hold of Tamara’s arm.
“What happened here?” she asked calmly.
“Your Highness, the Prime Minister and the council. They have gone mad!” he exclaimed. Tamara was startled and shook her head.
“Where is my father? Where is the King?” she asked but the old man jolted at the question.
“He is unable to stop this. He has been bed ridden for a long time now. Please help us, we can’t take this kind of work anymore,” the old man sobbed as the princess calmed him down.
“I will deal with this. Go home now, Sir.”
Tamara boarded her carriage swiftly and made their way to the palace. She pitied the people toiling in the refineries and workshops as they worked throughout the night. Their eyes glistened with fear and suffering. The princess became more uneasy. The sky above Tamara was darker than it was before. Black clouds covered the sky and the only lights were from lanterns and the fire from the refineries and the Imperial Palace.
They arrived at the Imperial Palace and her guards quickly scrambled as the Princess headed straight to the throne room. No smiles, no greetings, just a plain face of anger. Something that the familiar faces of the Palace were not used to.
The Princess barged in the room, ignoring the ongoing meeting held inside. The room was filled with royal phalanxes and on the opposite side of the room, Menoich sat calmly with Aragrad at his side.
“This has gone too far Menoich!” yelled Tamara, silencing everyone in the room. They never heard her raise her voice, not even once. “You have violated every law in the empire. I demand an explanation. What kind of idiot is running the Trasidar Empire to the dirt?”
The entire council was dumbfounded and Menoich remained his posture.
“The other provinces are starving! And all of you sit here bickering. This has gone too far.”
“My Liege, if you’d allow me to explain and not jump to conclusions based on mere accusations —”
“I have personally witnessed the impact of your rule on my way here,” she said with a high tone. “Black flakes fell from the once beautiful heavens of Tamara, the most respected city in the entire Arumar continent. And you just turned it to a city that beat the Iron Kingdom for the most refineries in a city.” She stopped in the middle of the room and all eyes were on her.
“Prime Minister Menoich Anarchu,” she continued, “I, Princess Tamara Lluch, and temporarily in line to the throne, I command you to cease and step down from your position. Now.” Tamara commanded.
No one dared speak after her. Tamara remained firm on her ground. She could see Menoich speechless but he slowly stepped off the throne.
“Princess, welcome back.” He slowly approached her with open arms but her guards blocked his way. Tamara walked past him and went straight to the throne.
“I’m sorry, Prime Minister but I am in no mood with such welcoming graces at this time,” she said to Menoich. He backed away and went straight to his own chair when Tamara’s head guard blocked him. Menoich found a corner in the room instead and Aragrad followed him, whispering to Menoich.
Tamara kept a close eye on him and Aragrad. She focused her attention to the council. She breathed deeply, gathering her composure. She looked at every single one of the councilors. She slowly motioned for a glass of water to which a servant immediately handed her one.
She knew that she needed to change. She needed to keep her head high, specially towards Menoich. She didn’t like him from the start. The moment she heard the council elected him Prime Minister prompted her to go back immediately. And she hoped it wasn’t yet too late.
“My council, I am very disappointed that things have turned out this way. My father has fallen ill and my brother is now a fugitive, causing mass panic and hysteria throughout the empire. In behalf of them, I am deeply sorry. I will be taking on their supposed roles from here on out, until my brother is put to trial and my father is well enough to assume rule once more,” she said with a smile on her face. “I promise, that I will do everything in my power, to restore everything back.”
She took another deep breath before she addressed one of the councilors. She extended her arm with an open palm and the councilor happily stood up.
“Councilor, express to me the problems you are handling,” the princess said calmly, gripping the smile she put on.
The councilor cleared his throat and grabbed several papers from his seat. “I would just like to say that it is very satisfying that a member of the royal family is once again sitting on the throne,” he complimented her, spitting annoyance for the Prime Minister.
“Your Highness, I am afraid that we have to address the current state of Barceneim. martial law needs to be halted immediately,” he said to which Tamara was surprised.
“Nonsense. There is justifiable reason why I declared martial law in Barceneim in the first place. Stopping it now will only result in chaos,” the Prime Minister interrupted. “Chaos is brewing and Aragrad can see it. I consulted all of you before making such a decision. Do not make me look bad in front of the Princess, Councilor!”
“We thought you were doing it for better management of resources like we discussed and you did the exact opposite! This has to stop, Prime Minister!” the councilor fought back.
“Enough! Both of you!” Tamara stood and looked at Menoich. “What he said is right. But I can see for myself the abuse you did. The populace varies more than the current garrison of this city—“
The doors suddenly opened and some guards and two scouts came in. They quickly knelt to give their respect to everyone in the room.
“What is the meaning of this?” Menoich quickly stood. “Can’t you see we are having a meeting here? Escort them out immediately!�
� he ordered but the guards hesitated as they crossed glances then looked at Tamara.
“Ah, did I forget to tell you to learn your place, Menoich?” Tamara said and signaled the guards to stand down.
“But Your Highness, we cannot simply let this. They know that we are in a meeting and they just barge in like they own the castle!” he protested.
“But Prime Minister, I’m sure there is a good explanation for this,” she said, again embarrassing the Prime Minister as he finally sat down.
Tamara addressed the men to stand and they’ve introduce themselves to her, “My Princess, dear council, I bring dreading news that has been delivered to me by this resilient troop member from the far east territory of Huertian, the region of Melgrace.”
An observer owl flew inside and latched on to the scout’s arm.
“What is this?” Tamara asked.
“I need him to show you something, Your Majesty. It is of grave importance,” the elder scout said.
“What is your name, young man?” Tamara asked.
“Alias No’yoran, Your Grace,” he answered as his owl flapped its wings frantically.
“Go ahead. Show us what your owl has gotten.” Tamara sat back on her throne. She waited eagerly as the scouts and the rest of the council stepped back from their seats. Alias threw his owl into the air and it showed images of the burning city of Melgrace.
They were all petrified to witness a town burning. Tamara was horrified as she watched the Xerxecian soldiers killing the civilians. A tear from her eye fell and her heart stopped as she saw her brother, the Prince. The prince approached several civilians. He ordered the vicious soldiers to slaughter everyone in sight. And what scared them most was when the prince looked at them directly through the owl and smiled deviously towards them.
Everyone was appalled, shocked by the devastation happening before their eyes. The chaos. The unimaginable sequence of events. They could not believe what they saw. Menoich’s feet shook anxiously, and Tamara was crestfallen.
The thought of her brother, her own blood, who risked his life to protect the kingdom years before he came of age, turned into this monstrosity. Prince Tamiron Lluch had clearly changed. The once patient, respectful and patriotic Tamiron was gone. This barbaric merciless warrior was unleashed to the far eastern borders that one park town and one gate city fell. The Princess was in disbelief yet her eyes shed tears for the fact that the country was indeed suffering because of him.
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