25: WELCOME TO LA EROS
Rafael growled in pain. He could still feel the pain in his abdomen after Malaya kicked him. What a weakling. He thought to himself. Bryce helped him stand up--he leaned on him while Bryce reached for his arms and put them on his shoulders. Elani was too mesmerized to even look at Raphael, though it's understandable, he was relieved when they finally went inside that magic portal to Laeros. After spending time fighting with his colleague, the view of the kingdom gave him peace of mind for a second.
Elani looked around and everywhere her eyes land, she sees animals. But not just animals, they act like humans. She stepped outside the tree and was even more amazed as she sees a lot more animals working above her. If she's not mistaken, they're in the city's marketplace.
She was astounded when someone ran in front of her pushing a cart full of barrels. When she looked at it, she saw a big gray rabbit running.
"Excuse me! Coming through!" Said the rabbit. Elani gasped and smiled in excitement. She held her face and jumped but as soon as she heard moans from her father, she stopped and ran to him.
"Are you okay, Father?" Rafael just smiled at her and chuckled.
"What now?" Bryce asked.
The animals started to gather in the marketplace where the three of them had somewhat landed. They were aghast to see nimphians in their city. How long has it been since the last nimphian stepped on Laeros? The animals kept a distance from the three and were looking at them with a fearful face. Bryce's excitement immediately turned into worried. Of course! He didn't know what had happened or the reason why Laeros has been missing on the map of Napoli.
"They.. must be scared." Rafael tried to speak but every time he speaks, his abdomen receives jolts of pain.
"From what?"
Before Rafael could explain, a number of huge eagle birds walked their way from the Marketplace. Their stomps were heavy as they gathered around the entrance and push away the other animals to make way for the Captain. The birds wore royal red soldier suits while their wings held spears.
Elani became skeptical when all of a sudden, they were being surrounded by birds. She hid behind Bryce and Rafael and held his father's hands.
The crowd screamed when the "Captain" entered the vicinity. It was a brown bear with a height that doubles the height of the eagles. Elani was horrified after seeing the bear with blood on its mouth.
The captain growled, "Nimphians! Seeing your race in our kingdom is beyond far-fetched." He walks back and forth never leaving an eye on the three.
"We apologize for the sudden trespass, captain but we came here not to cause your kingdom any harm." Rafael pulled himself and bowed in front of the bear. The captain crossed his arms and looked at him nonchalantly.
"I have heard that not too long ago, Rafael."
"Captain, I.." he glanced over at his daughter who's behind her and smiled at her. She must've been distressed from what's happening. She hasn't even recovered from what he had told her and yet, here they are, stranded in an unknown kingdom with a captain that may eat them alive. "I have brought the daughter of Ryleia."
"Ryleia died 10 years ago." He growled under his breath.
"She died at childbirth, captain." The captain stopped walking when he realized that his favorite commoner left an heir. The bear tried to look over at Rafael's back where Elani's been hiding ever since he entered. Rafael noticed what the captain is doing and pulled Elani to show that he isn't lying.
"She has the resemblance of her. Her hair, the famous cerulean eyes, and her energy..." The captain walks towards the three. Elani was too scared--she dropped to her knees on the ground and hide her beautiful face. "Ryleia.." The captain kneeled in front of them as he continues to speak, "is the child I adore so much." He placed his fingers on the head of Elani and brushed her hair with a controlled force. "But why do I feel like your energy has been concealed."
Bryce and Rafael looked at each other as both of them remembered what Malaya told them not long ago.
"Grand captain, we have been told about the concealment of Elani but we haven't found anything relevant to it yet."
"I see you have been injured, Rafael." The captain stood up and raised his two fingers. He summoned two medical horses that carried Rafael. "We shall continue this in the castle,"
The eagle soldiers marched their way towards the end of the marketplace. They were instructed by the grand captain to escort the visitors, luckily, Elani and Bryce weren't handcuffed--they were permitted to walk on their own by the captain. And as expected, the crowd was not happy about this.
The grand captain and his favorite nimphian, Ryleia. Everyone has heard of what he had said and it was far less of a problem on why they should care. It's all in the past and the captain has already moved on.
On their way back to the castle, Elani's eyes wandered around the kingdom. Although the animals were not happy to see her, it's not like it's her first time to meet someone who's not amused by her. Malaya almost killed her!
Anyway, her thoughts kept on lingering on the reason why the Kingdom of Laeros has to hide from the nimphians. Well, the thought really did not leave her ever since her father, Rafael, told her the story of the legendary animals.
"Do you have any idea what they're talking about?" She asked Bryce. He looked down on her and smiled at her. Bryce must be a happy person, he keeps on smiling on other nimphians like a crazy buffoon. His smiles became less and less sincere She had thought.
"Not really, as you may have heard and noticed, they've been hidden for many years now. Nimphians were not permitted to study or even talk about Laeros." His answer was clear and crisp to Elani. Bryce was being honest, he too has no idea as to why they were hidden. If not for this quest, he's still clueless about the kingdom. He wasn't interested in animals in the first place so why would he be interested in looking for a kingdom of animals?
But at the first sight of the kingdom, he too was mesmerized as Elani was. It was beautiful by the day as it boasts nature and strokes of gold everywhere they look. Flowers are in full bloom, crickets light the darkest corners of the forest, there were mushroom houses! How cool is that?
They have noticed that these animals were not just animals but it acts like them--buying food, delivering parcels, walks like them, selling in the marketplace, and well right now taking them hostage. Not totally hostage. They actually understand that they're trespassing a kingdom which by both kingdoms are not allowed to do.
"The professor will tell you why." The captain may have heard them talking about Laeros. Both of them were startled when he answered. They looked down in embarrassment but Bryce glanced over to Elani and chortled.
Their travel to the castle was short since they were not far away from the marketplace. Elani did not notice how tiresome this journey was until they've reached the gate. Her feet are killing her, how many hours have we've been walking? I'm hungry. Elani frowned and it dawned on her that her real mother is Ryleia.
How come she did not have the chance to meet her mother? How was she as a duchess? Why is the captain so fond of her highness? Questions have yet to answer but so little time has been given to her. Maybe the professor, who's the captain mentioned, may know all the reasons why these are happening. But right now, she just needed serendipity--she wanted to rest. Her physical and emotional stress has been taking a toll on her body.
I wish I was not born a royal-blood. She had thought as she regrets to hear everything Rafael had told her. I just wanted to live a normal life, is that hard to ask? She sighed.
The gates opened for them and they continued to walk. Bryce heard heavy sighs from Elani whose head has been down on their way. He went near her and pats her head. When she looked up, he sent her cute smiles but when he saw teardrops from her eyes, he was surprised. He may not have understood what's happening in that small head of hers but all he knows is that he should comfort the child.