19: Gloomy Forest

I'm lying on the grass, leaning my head to my arms behind and staring at the sunlight while eating meat balls on a stick. Haris is sitting beside me, eating too. Maruwie is our fire producer and of course she eats greater than us.

"Haris, where do you think that witch came from?"

"I don't mind."

"Any guess?" He took a deep breathe before he answer.

"I guess she's a ghost."

"What?!" I rise for a sudden, looking at him with wide eyes, I almost choke too.

"From the name itself, Land Desolation, no one can stay there alive. But they can leave with an offer. If someone entered that place, you'll live there and die if that person has nothing to offer. That's my guess."

"A ghost or a god? Asking her name doesn't even cross my mind!"

"Because you're an idiot."

After I finished eating, I ponder if I could be brave in this travel and came back home with the essence of a Queen, not like that witch! My mother can cook and clean, is it really essential for being a Queen? Or a mother? I could be futuristic with these thoughts. Much better than fantasizing.

"Haris, you said you received your gifts from gods, right?"

"Yes."

"And Mr. Holland trained you."

"Yes."

"So you were able to enhance your gift?"

"Yes."

"Will you train me?"

"No."

"What?!"

"My mission is to bring you back to your home safe and training you is out of it."

"I wanna be strong so you won't call me idiot!"

"Actually, you're strong but you're still an idiot." I pout and glare at him. He said I'm strong, and idiot, it means I'm not brave enough. We continue our walk, this Gloomy Forest, I know it's supposed to be a scary forest, but the complete opposite. We met an old man stumbled from a small hill in front of us. He lost his balance and almost roll around.

With my compassion I help him, he's carrying a large camping back behind him and brown cotton cloth. Totally a traveler.

"Thank you. You're such a kind child," he said. Something came in my mind, being kind is a crucial role of a Queen. Just like my mother said.

"Ashti..." I look at Haris, he showa me a 'C' sign. A Callion. This old man is a Callion?! I felt a sudden nervous.

"Old man, are you a traveler?" Haris asked.

"Yes. Are you two lost?" he sounds like a normal being. Specially, gentle.

"We're looking for Altar of History. Do you know where can we find it?"

"Oh that. Right there," the old man point his finger to the east.

"Thank you," then we walk to the west.

It broke my heart when we turn our back on him. Haris whispered me to punch it together. I took a glance of him, the old man's movement changed like a person with epilepsy and slowly turning his skin to a filthy one. Disgusting! It's approaching at me! I turn my body to punch him. Haris does the same, but to be honest he turn and open the umbrella as I punch.

When my fist landed on its face it splashes into a slimy froth with stench. So he use the umbrella to protect himself with this filthy thing!

"You did this in purpose for yourself?!"

"Obviously, better safe than sorry." Now I'm totally mess, and gross. He closed the umbrella and I sprinkle froth at him too. Now we're fair.

"Serves you right." I heard his sigh while I smirk.

"Fine. There's a falls near here. We could wash there," he said.

※ ※ ※ ORC ※ ※ ※

The river is shallow, we sit here where the water falls. Like a shower yet heavy. The water is extremely cold but refreshing so I still love it!

"You said earlier about an altar... what was that...?"

"That Altar of History can be found here. A spot surrounded by stonehenge, in the middle is a small carved tomb with unknown message. According to other's wild guess, that is a love letter. A bench is provided in front of the tomb, all you have to do is to close your eyes and imagine what you wanted to know about the past."

"Wait, why a love letter?"

"Inside this forest a love story was built. Where a god and an ordinary girl fell in love. The girl lived in the village while the god live in a faraway kingdom. He came to visit everyday just to meet with the girl. One day an incident happened inside the village. Many people died and luckily the girl is a survivor. She wanted to know who killed her family and that god is willing to help her.

He created that altar to help her know. And unfortunately, the god's parent's descendants are the criminal. Their families are against their relationship and decided to break their connection by involving those innocents. The girl killed that god and he's willing to offer it too, a life for a life some say. She regret killing the only person she could lean on and became a cold blooded woman. She learned to kill many people, became an assassin to show her retaliation.

For now, no one know where she is, that was decades ago which also means she's dead."

Not because I'm ruthless but I hope she's dead. And this Haris knew a lot in detail. A genius could be. I wanted to know about the tragedy everyone is talking about, what happened during that day. I guess I'm still a toddler those times. I told Haris I wanted to go there without telling my intention. If I stay here any longer I'll catch a cold.

Not far from here is the altar. And he described it perfectly. We sit on the bench in front of it and close my eyes. He said if I hear weird things I can open those. I can hear music, sound of voices and I open my eyes, I in the middle of a royal party. People around me are wearing formal suits, and this place, is a main hall of the castle where I can see the throne behind me and the King and Queen sitting there.

Outside is dark which means its night. I remembered my birthday parties, everything is the same. A little girl shouted to call for her parents, she's so lovely and cute princess approaching her parents. It could be that something delightful happened with her judging from her excitement. She said she gave the boy a flower and her parents laugh at her.

She should be the one receiving a flower not a giver specially it is her birthday. This celebration is about her birthday. I'm not part of the crowd, I'm just like a spirit passing through their bodies, right, this is just a review from the past. I can hear explosions of fireworks outside. The light shines from the window so I check it on the terrace.

But what caught my attention is the colorful lights from the town. Everyone in the kingdom are proudly celebrating her birthday, it made me jealous. I wonder if people from my kingdom are the same. This kingdom, is where the tragedy happened? All of them are happy, this could be a memorable day for the princess, yet it became a dreadful one.

I came inside again to see what happened with them. Or maybe I'll regret witnessing these. Simply looking at the served foods makes me wanna live this time with them, and I'm lucky I didn't. I saw the King, the King that brought me away from my home, is here talking with the town's King. They hug each other as a greet and he stub the princess' father from behind with the same knife he used with my mother.

All the knights were alarmed, specially the Queen and people. Her father fell before her eyes. How could he die so easily like that?! The princess and everyone is running away when another Queen came. She's wearing black long gown, more like a witch, so I met another one. She could be the King's Queen. When the gift was stolen, he used it to summon Callions and kill everyone.

The princess' mother stayed with the King while the princess is making her escape. One Callion attacked the princess but Maruwie was hit, her wing was sliced. The princess touch her and vanish like a dust. She unsummoned her. Another attack from Callion was blocked when golden knights, non-human thing, suddenly appeared, summoned by the Queen, the princess' mother. There appeared a giant gold dragon outside that can be seen from the terrace.

"Jexica, run!!" her mother shouted. So that girl is Jexica? She ride behind the dragon to elude and leave her parents. And that's how she survived.

"Wow. Such a loving care..." the Queen in black said with a pitiful voice.

"Why not just kill yourself," she added. I scowl, requesting another Queen to kill herself?! And she did! She summoned a golden knight again and kill herself. Was that hypnotism?! This Queen made me shiver. The whole kingdom was warned, I'm sure people outside panic. I simply turn around and I'm here in the middle of the crowd outside. A changed of spot.

There are built tents on the same sides for vendors. The numbers of Callions are rapidly increasing, it killed knights and caught civilian to eat. I saw man flying above me, he's using the cane to fly, same as Haris does. I follow him down to the secret path, a path that leads the way to the forest. Instead on following that man, I came here to see what happened. This path is dark like an underground way. Could be an emergency exit.

In the middle is a gate to close the path. Some people, even children failed to reach across the gate were eaten. Knights was forced to close it despite that not all of people crossed there. I can feel their agony and tremor. Callions on the other side of the gate are overloaded, they can crash the gate anytime. Other male citizens supported the knights on blocking the gate while everyone is urged to leave and run in the forest.

How about Haris? What happened to him? The gate fell. All of them that remained here were eaten. A tremendous splash of gore of people are frightful enough to make me shiver in fear. This kind of scene truly happened?! They mercilessly killed them. Those who run in the forest were chased and eaten. I run to follow them yet later on my location detoured. I saw a mother and children. The mother's leg was cut. She's together with her son and daughter however asking them to leave.

"Nheia, Haris, you should run, now!" she said. Haris? That little boy weeping bitterly while gripping his mother's arm. Just looking at a child being forced to leave their parent broke my heart. Tears fell from my eyes. His sister carried him away and screaming 'Mama' again and again. His mother was eaten too, I cover my mouth while intensely trembling. How could this happen?! He saw his mother dying, I can't even bear watching my mother being beaten.

I turn around and changed place again. I'm back here at the outside of the kingdom, in the middle of the town. I can't sense life anymore, the ground is flooded by blood, houses are burning, every smile has turned to tears, and a colorful kingdom became haunted. I can't retain my fear any longer! I close my eyes and open again. I'm back to reality.

I wipe my tears and saw dead Calions in front of me. I was frightened that the past came here! I scream and grasp Haris' arm beside me. I scared Maruwie.

"What's wrong with you?" he's scowling. I look straight to his eyes, thinking, that those eyes had seen the worst. I got this feeling of compassion towards him.

"What happened here?"

"Callions invade while you're sleeping." He stood up and face me. "There are Callions around watching us. Also a human considered as enemy. I figured out that they'll attack us if one of us weren't able to fight. And I take that for granted too." his right arm is bleeding. I just feel extremely worried.

"Your arm... you're wounded!"

"That's nothing. We have to go." I glare at him. I gently slap his arm and it hurt him.

"You call that nothing?!"

He stammers and I made time to do what he did to me, put some bandage. He stripped half of his clothe, I saw his long deep slice wound from shoulder down to his elbow. While I'm applying the bandage he's looking at me, good time to glare at him, whenever I do he avoid a glance. He stay quiet like a child being scolded.

"I thought you have rigid body? How did you get this?"

"Every gift has weakness, and mine is unawareness." I abruptly tighten the bandage and he shout in pain.

"Next time don't use me to lure the enemies! You know, what's the point of training with the twin if we don't fight together?! If you see me as a hindrance then don't make me a trap! You even put yourself in danger!"

Judging from the way he look at me he's surprised. Still stammering. I touch his wound to heal later. Then I look away, looking mad in folded arms as he wears his clothe.

"Fine," he replied in a low voice.