So, this is the Bless. This is the heaven and Gods will. And I am part of it. I feel slow smile creeping in my face.
***
The next day, rain still falls heavily with light grey sky above, the sun is hidden among the grey clouds. The villagers bid us goodbye with cheers and happy face, in the rain not caring that they are soaked to the bone. This feeling is new one to me, the feel of power. The feel that people need me. The feel that somehow I can do something, do a great thing. For the first time, I am glad Prince Lex found me in that lake.
Few hours after we’ve rode west and passed the rain, the sky back to blue above and I can feel the warmth of the sun again. We ride past rocky hills and winding road, then we go through a narrow road with two stepped cliff in both side. The cliff about twenty to fifty feet tall made of big and rough grey rocks. A dozen of the soldier ride in front of us and the rest following behind. We ride in single column.
In a blink of an eye, the captain suddenly falls from his horse. And arrows are flying everywhere but no enemies on sight. I think they must be hiding above the cliff, behind the rocks.
“Come closer to me!” Malvin commands us. Hastily, I pick my bow and arrow. We all dismounted from our horse and come closer to him. He then makes an invisible dome from wind, shielding us from arrows. But some arrows still pass, though. However it already lost its strength. I see few of the soldiers are wounded. And Ryn is the only one chasing the enemy to the top of the cliff. I see him deftly avoiding arrows while bouncing, running to the top, he draws his sword, its burning in blue fire, it cuts through rocks to make a way.
For a while, I feel safe inside the doom but all of sudden another arrow past through with hissing sound. This one is different, stronger with wind as it strength.
“They are Blessed,” Malvin says.
“The lost soul,” adds the princess.
Without word being said, the princess and the rest of the Blessed march to the top of the cliff leaving me, the prince, the Oracle and few wounded soldier behind. Seeing the others, the prince wants to join too but is stopped by Malvin.
“Don’t,” he says quietly, “Stay here.”
Then Malvin leaves and runs following the others to cliff above. I see them nimbly scaling, running, bouncing on the stepped cliff to the top. Few are hit by arrow and staggered back. Now with Malvin gone, the prince defends us with his invisible air doom. But I can see anger in his eyes. I know I am not a fighter and it is better if I stay here, waiting. So, I start to give my energy to Prince Lex to make our defense stronger.
Feeling my energy flow, the prince roars, “Don’t you dare!”
It seems I offend him. I withdraw my energy. I just try to be helpful.
Few minutes later, the others back. Some of them are heavily wounded and have to be carried. They bring one captive that have to be drag along by two soldiers. His left arm is badly burned and he walks with a limp.
“Few of them flew,” princes says succinctly.
I can see that the captive is a Blesses by looking at his silver-gold collar. He is in his late forty with thin lips and square jaw, his hair is papered grey and his face is lined.
“What is your name?” the prince asks in chilly tone.
“Manz Airgid, it’s, your majesty,” he answers in mocking tone. He knows crown prince is not the emperor.
The prince rage is sight to behold. He makes a motion with his hand and suddenly Manz’s collar tightened. Automatically, Manz’s hands go to his throat but it is useless. His face and eyes are turning red because the lack of air. He makes a gagging sound through his clenched mouth.
“Brother!” cries Princess Lara.
Suddenly, I remember the verse from old scroll that Master Sain has shown me before.
“To your son’s son and daughter,
And to your son’s son’s children after them,
I will give them power to master.”
So, this is how the Varrs master us?
The prince, again, makes a flicking motion and the collar is loosened once again.
“Did you still call me the pretender?”
Manz is gasping and coughing aloud. For a while he cannot speak. Then, he let out bark of laughter, “Yes, it’s what you are. Pretender and usurper...”
And once again his collar strangled him. Prince Lex blinds with rage. He doesn’t head Princess Larra plead to release his hold. After a cruel minutes, she slaps the prince in the face. That gets his attention and snaps him off from his rage. He releases his control of Manz’s collar.
Then, he leaves, mounting his horse and rides ahead in brisk pace. And Malvin is following him behind, shortly after he gives Princess Larra an exasperated look as if saying, you shouldn’t do this. But the princess has none of it. She turns her attentions to the prisoner.
“You shouldn’t goad him so, old man,” the princess says in even tone, “It is foolish of you.”
“So, the little princess tries to lecturing me? I already went to wars even before you start to walks.”
“You should be wiser then. What is it that you really want? For this empire to crumble? You want it or not, my brother is the only heir. This empire only hope,” Princess Larra says in cold voice.
“Is that so, princess?”
“Yes, it’s. My cousin was death for years. If you really care for the people, cease your meaningless rebellion and do the better for this empire.”
“All of this happens because of your mother greed,” he roars, “And makes no mistake the true heir is still alive. He will come back! He will!”
Princess Lara starts to argue but Ryn cuts her and finally she tapers down her temper. She tells the soldier to gag him, stopping his babbling about Gods’ punishment and the royals’ sin. She also tells the soldier to shackle Manz’s hands in iron and black diamond, but we don’t bring one so she settle with rope. Then, she sends one of the soldiers ahead to bring the news to the city and ask for help. And the rest of us depart again in slower pace.
But I cannot help but thinking of what Manz says.
The true heir? Who is he? Is that meant another Varr?
Chapter 8
After few miles we ride in slow pace, we finally arrive at Sanok Village, shortly after dusk. Not long after we come inside the house, more soldiers come from Elfa. The captain is a bald man in his late thirty, he bows to Princess Larra.
“We will escort you home, your highness,” he says solemnly.
But the princess refuses him and decides to stay here for the night, tending the wounded soldiers first.
Prince Lex and Malvin are the last to come. No one knows where they went before. And no one dare to ask. Prior to the attack, the others not sure who is the real prince but now, they are sure who he is.
Again, I sleep in the same room with Mika and Gigi. Mika get an arrow shot in her shoulder but luckily the wound is not deep. The healer that comes from Elfa gives her an ointment and bandages the wound around her shoulder. The other soldiers not that fortunate, though. Tomorrow, many of them have to be left behind until they are strong enough to ride the horse again
Getting bored inside, I decided to walk around the garden in the yard, this night moon shining bright in the midst of the purplish green lights. I sit on the grass, looking up to starts and moon. Breeze brings a whiff of roses to my nose. It is quiet here save for a distant cricket sound. This night’s sky seems hanging low, the holy light hanging even lower, rippling as if just above my head, within my reach. I try to remember the name of constellations above, the name the sailor give them but the memory deserts me.
The sound of footsteps draw near brings back my attention to my surrounding, but before I can make my appearance known, I hear voices, a man and woman.
“… please calm his rage,” the woman plead. It is Princess Larra’s voice.
“I am the last person he wants to see, princess,” and Ryn is the other.
“It’s not always so. The three of you’ve always been very close.”
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“And you resent us for it.”
“I was a child then. Child’s jealousy.”
They grow near still. It is too late to make my present known to them. They sound of their feet ceased nearby, not far from where I sit below the tree. I take a peek. I see them stand, facing each other in silent.
“I am sorry…” Princess Larra says in soft voice close to whisper.
“What for?”
“You know…”
“It’s not you, princess. Let the past be. And it’s not me you should sorry to. And stop punishing yourself.”
“Like you do now?” she asks accusingly.
For a while, the only thing I hear is a far away chirping sound.
What are they talking about?
“Do you resent us?”
“Yes, but not you.”
“Liar. You do, I know,” long pause, “It better if you angry or something. But I can’t stand your silent.”
But no answer from Ryn. Now, I focus my hearing to them, trying to catch the smallest voice.
“I’ve never wish you harm,” Princess Larra says in whispers, “You’re more like brother to me than my own.”
“But I am not,” he answers softly.
“Will you ever forgive me?”
“It’s me, princess. Not you.”
“No…”
“Yes, it’s me. My fault. Mine!” he raises his voice, it laced with anger and self-loathing.
Long pause. No sound. I see they just stand there rooted. I dare not to move in case I make a sound.
“Do you still want to leave?” Prince Larra breaks the silent.
Ryn answers gently, his voice calm now, “You know, I can’t.”
“I know and I am sorry for that. Truly.”
They silent again, wind gusts past them, their robe flowing in the dark night.
“It is late princess,” he pauses and adds, “Please go inside.”
He bows and leaves the princess. I hear his footsteps, growing further.
“You were my friend...” I hear the princess says softly. Then she leaves too.
My heart racing, I know I heard something that I shouldn’t.
What just happened?
The princess, the prince and his Shadows, these royals are puzzles to me. One Shadow is too familiar with the royals and act as equal. The other seems so distant but apparently not and by the princess admission is more like a brother to her. And Now, there is other hidden prince too. I wonder if it is true what Manz said about the true heir, or it just his last attempt to annoy the royals.
The lost soul, the rebel, this brings me back to my sister. Is she really one of them? But how? She rarely out of the city since she not yet officially a Blessed, and disciple are castle bound. And she just starts her apprenticeship less than a year before her death. From her letter, I know she rarely went outside the city. I want to meet with Manz and ask him about her, yet I afraid to know the truth.
What if she really part of them?
An hour after back to my room, I wide awake, staring the ceiling above, sleep still escapes me. Just few minutes before midnight, I decided to meet Manz.
Gently, I wake up so not disturb the other. I know they put him in the storage room in the back of the house. I wear my cloak and take a small torch with me, braving the night’ wind. The storage is about twenty five feet square, its wall and floor was made of stone. There are four soldiers and a Fire Blessed, named Vinky, outside, guarding him. I greet them and ask permission to speak with Manz. They allow me reluctantly and warn me to be careful. Vintry stands near the door just in case I need help.
I bring the small torch in, it’s very dark and damp inside. Manz shield his eyes from sudden bright light. I see he is shacked with iron inlaid with black diamond now.
“Who are you?” he asks in croaked voice.
“I am Ava Worg.”
“Ah… the Hallowed. Why are you here, my lady?” his voice feels less hostile than before.
“Do you know my sister? Ally Worg. They said she is one of you.”
“Who said that? The empress?” he asks me back, “I’ve never heard of your sister. She might be our member or… might be not.”
“Can you please try to remember?”
“You are still naïve, aren’t you? The empress will kill whoever she wants for whatever offense, true or imaginary. It doesn’t matter.”
“Are you sure you’ve never heard of her?”
He gives me a long look, “You are a young one,” he says in fatherly tone. “When this war start I am not that much older than you,” he pauses for few seconds. “Let it be, little one. Stay far away from the royals. Let these Gods fight themselves. Stay out of it.”
I take a gamble and say, “This true heir of yours, the prince, is he really still alive?”
I get violent reaction from Manz. His eyes suddenly go wild.
“What do you know of him?” he shouts.
Hearing Manz’s loud voice, Vinky come and ask me to leave and commands him to be silent unless he wants another beating.
“I will go now. Please try to remember my sister, my lord,” I say to Manz for the last time.
In our way back to the palace, I try to speak to Manz but it is hard since they will not leave him alone again. He is riding far behind us, shackled in his iron handcuff, to make sure he is unable to use his gift. The soldiers are flanking on his sides, eyes alert.
After looking closer, I know he is much younger than he appeared to be. He is forty at most. But the harsh life gets a toll in his appearance.
From his reaction, I assume that indeed there is another prince hidden somewhere in this empire.
Do the crown prince and the empress know about it? Should I tell them? Or I just do as Manz advised, stay away from the royal. Let the Gods fight like he says.
What I know of the late crown prince, Prince Rhys, and his wife is that they have no children. It is what people and masters said. But maybe they have. Prince Rhys married was scandalous one. He married the Blessed, although her gift is powerful, her origin was unclear. No one knows who her father was. So the previous Emperor, Prince Rhys’s father, forbids them to married. People said that she was bad influence to the young prince besides he had already betrothed to one of his cousin at that time. Not long after the Old Emperor died, and he ascended to the throne, he married her despite the opposition of his family. Her young aunt, princess Sera Varr, the present empress, challenged his claim to the crown. She said that her brother left the throne to her and her unborn son because he didn’t trust his own son, Prince Rhys, for his was a wild one, some said. The war that followed almost destroyed the empire. Both sides had many supporters from the Blessed and Unblessed alike. The war last almost a year, Prince Rhys won most of battles in the beginning of the war. But after Prince Lex was born the tide was turned in favor of the princess. In the end, Princess Sera won the war but it cost the empire a lot of lives. In the aftermath of the war, the Blessed ones reduced considerable, their numbers down to less than hundred. Some of them became the lost souls, around sixty remained loyal to the new empress. And now, with the appearance of a new prince, I foresee a war ahead. Maybe this one will destroy the Varr Empire entirely, but I dearly hope it will not happen.
As soon as we arrive in the palace, we –the royals, the Shadows, Manz and I– come before the empress in her throne. She sits poised high in her seat, the blood red diamond in her golden crown gleaming. She looks down at the prisoner.
“Where is your leader?” she asks in chilling voice.
“Why ask? You know where we are,” Manz answers insolently.
She beckons Ryn closer to the foot of the throne stair.
“Make him confess,” she commanded.
Instead of do what he is commanded, he answers, “They keep moving, your majesty, as you already know…”
“I said make him confess, torture him, or kill him if you must. NOW!”
But Ryn just stays rooted in his pla
ce, his jaw clenched. “It’s no use, your majesty, ” he says.
“How dare you!”
Suddenly, I see the empress crown turn into two snakes, they are golden both with red eyes. It swiftly flies to Ryn’s direction. It is coiled around his body. Twirling, twisting and circling him. Strangle him in deathly grip.
Is that his collar, his binding?
The golden snakes split into small snakes, it continues to grow and grip his body tighter, neck and arms. I see pain in Ryn’s eyes but he stays silent, his breath ragged, still refusing to shows weakness. Pain etched in his face, his vein swells but his eyes keep defiant.
The empress let go of her hold shortly after. The sneaks recombine and swirling back to the empress head, settling back into golden crown. I see pain slowly subside from Ryn’s face.
Manz makes a crackling laugh, “Even your dog defied you, your majesty,” he says mockingly.
The empress stare at him again frostily, “Dog?” then she too let out a bark of laughter.
She dismissed us after that, still in her mirth, drown in her own amusement.
Is it sin to think that your empress is wrong in the head?
***
Outside rain fall softly to the ground, the sky is soft blue with a hint of morning sun. Now, few days after we back to the palace. I am alone in the training room. Focusing on my target, I pull my bow, measuring my strength. I feel my sweats are flowing down my body. After I get the right feel, I release the arrow and it almost hits the red circle.