44: Under the Moon

Archers on the upper floor are reinforced. And of course they're aiming for us. The two humanoid equine Jexica summoned shielded us. But not enough to cover us all. Aishmalen's scale got thicker and Davih enhance his gift for the matter, and they're both protecting Mishu behind her cousin.

As we counter those arrows, another aim is formed.

"Enough with that scaredy Mishu brat. We don't have time for baby sitting!" Davih screamed. More like teasing her.

Mishu is actually frightened, then mocked.

She released crystals around her then surrounds us to build barrier and roof. I saw how this boundary parried the arrows.

"Oooh! That's what I'm looking for!" his voice echoes roundabout the shelter.

"Hmph!"

Everyone was joyous until Haris ranted to get down. We did. The crystals shattered and divided by half, the lower barrier remains while the top was totally wiped out. I heard wails and shout of a panic. I saw the Queen with a bloody scythe.

And there is a body hanging on its blade. The one who argue with the Queen. Other pirate's arms and legs was cut but the Captain is safe, startled in front of her.

"What was that?!"

"That was fun." the Queen answered me.

Haris stamped the cane on fleet and our location changed, including the Captain. This place, is the town. Most pirates are plundering the people's houses. Boisterous and bewildered.

"Briego! Briego!"

"I'm sorry Captain. It's dangerous there-"

"No! Take me back there! I have to save my comrades!"

"I'm afraid I can't. Why don't you just save your people here. You must flee... I mean we," Haris insisted.

He's sulking. But eventually he agreed with Haris. He told all his people to rob everything they can as soon as possible then depart.

"Still can't get enough with that robbering thing," I murmured.

"Jex, will you lift those ships back to the sea?"

She smiled at him then summoned millions of hawks to lift the ships. Most of the ships did bumped to other structures.

The captain flinched from leaving and turn his head on me over his shoulder.

"I haven't asked your name before, what is it?"

After the wink he gave me before, I shook my head. "Don't mind my name." He smirk.

Then he stumble. All of a sudden, the Queen is standing in front of Aishmalen, with his thick scales, he defended himself from the ambush of the scythe. The Queen's movement is unpredictable. Just like Ino's.

"So it's true. All of your gifts are restored. Poor unfortunate soul."

Mishu was frightened again behind him. The Queen disconnected the contact of the scythe on his scales. "Oopps. I hit the peg one. Such unfortunate."

The Captain's peg leg was cut that's why he stumbled. I haven't seen the Queen did that earlier, just the result.

"Your gift is almost the same with my sister-in-law, I hate it." she's talking to the Captain then swayed her scythe, yet Davih blocked it with his arms gripped on the blade.

"You... are you a pirate?"

"Oh do I look like a pirate?"

"No. You look like an enemy."

"Then so be it. This guy helped us before, so I'll lend him a hand."

"We," Mishu added.

Mishu emits huge crystals to push the Queen away. She defended her skin from all the thorns holding only her weapon horizontally. This Merfen prince converted those crystals again to liquid to lift the Queen in a whirlpool in the air.

Playing her like a toy. Her back fell to ground when that water reversed back to crystals, tiny fragments and fired on the Queen.

"Oh! Nice shot Mishu brat!!"

"Hmph!"

"Indeed." The Queen is standing behind Davih.

She nudge the bottom of the scythe on Davih, bash its head on Aishmalen's then putted a slice on Mishu's left waist. The three of them fell down on their knees.

And Mishu prone from bleeding. Jexica summoned two knights to fight the Queen however they simply vanished in one sway.

"Ashti, please play along," Haris said to me. I was expecting a battle play but far beyond my apprehension.

Before the Queen wound Jexica, Haris stood in front of her for protection.

"Your majesty, please stop!"

She faltered from landing the blade on Haris.

"Didn't I told you to leave? Or you wish to die?"

"I can't leave my league here like you do. Your longed treasures hidden by your people are stolen away. Do you care less now?"

"You're a wise and strong majestic Queen. Please save those treasure," I compelled myself to say.

"Your compliment doesn't work on me. And besides, I'm fighting for this long lost treasure." She's pertaining to the chain.

"Your highness. You're beautiful."

My eyes widen after Haris said that. And the Queen is even startled. He smile the brightest.

"I don't know what words to describe how wonderful you are."

Not just me, I think the whole world stopped. Got a feeling that this jaw will sooner separate from my skull. And behind this impertinent scene, the captain finally escaped with his subordinates pulling him away from here. Of course he can't walk.

Mishu's pain was remedied by her cousin. The drop of water that eases that agony of the mortal body. He did that to me before. And Davih is with them and their childhood princess behind Haris, has the same expression as I am.

The Queen is shedding tears. I never thought she's someone easily tricked. Simpleton.

"I never received such words since I was left. Haris, I appreciate your motivation. And thank you."

He smile again. So I did the same. She sway back her scythe and as it flows to the space, it came back to a chain mail cape and she wear it once again.

"Is everyone alright?" I ensured.

"Let's get out of here." Jexica summoned a tiny dragon. Maruwie. She plays with me first and I am delighted to meet our pretty pet. I've never seen her these past days, and I almost forgot why she disappeared. When she enlarged, we all ride behind her and finally left the kingdom.

"Shouldn't we help the Captain?" Mishu asked while looking down to the kingdom. It could be she's looking for the Captain. And she sound so pity. I wonder what kind of help the Captain gave them before that built their companionship, even though at first Mishu is the one who broke the Captain.

"We gave him enough time to escape. And it all depends on his robbing decision now." Haris said then we all glare at him.

"And what are those words you uttered? Are you in love with the Queen?"

"Yay! Not a perfect pair!!"

"You know I'm a liar." he sigh and mutter.

"And why did you said for the sake of treasures?!" Jexica finally explodes her questions.

"If I told her to save her people, she would kill us. So I told her to save her treasures. Priority first."

I roll my eyes.

"And Princess Ashti as the partner in crime," said Aishmalen. I screamed in embarrassment.

"Oh Mishu brat, that was a nice teamwork back there!"

"Hmph!"

"Heh? A perfect pair." Aishmalen teased her. She turned ruddy and made a crystal hammer to bash Davih out of the blue. It shattered.

"Ohww! Why me?!"

"Hmph!"

I watch the kingdom slowly getting farther, leaving the noise vanished through the wind blow here above. But from this distance I can behold some ships had finally sailed away. I don't wish to be on someone's sides since they both tried to hurt us.

We chose to rest inside the copse, the midnight wind is chilling and the vast meadow seems to love it. They all fell down to sleep, and Maruwie is our pillow, giving us warm too with her none scorching heat. Mishu is sleeping beside me and I touch her wound gently. I don't feel like this would work. I saw a snake coming planning to take a bite on my leg.

Haris caught it despite the speed. He hold it closer to his face, staring at its eyes.

"Your healing will not work."

I furrow, "Still awake? Nevermind." I look at Mishu, "How do you say so?"

"Your gift is still completely immobilized. That Captain took away the Queen's command in me, simply by telling him my name. Our name. He can do whatever he wants to a person as long as he knew its name. Same goes with his comrades and their ships, let's just say he gave those a name."

"And I didn't told him my name?! Ugh, I'm so stupid." I grip my hair. Speaking silently again.

"He really is a King... of Pirates. Don't mind. Your burst of emotion may activate your gift again. That's how it works." I look at my hands, missing the powers I inherited from my father specially from my mother. Should I be angry all the time? "And that Queen, she's a lonely grandeur. No king. No children, just her treasures and the memories of her brother, King Nemesis."

"What?!" I suddenly released aloud tone of voice, then I covered my mouth.

"She detest her sister-in-law, which is the real cause of our nation's chaos. Floral words are the only escape from her drastic diffident attitude because it reminds her of her good days with her brother. But, it doesn't matter so much. It's just an old story of a depressive Queen."

"How about the scythe? That's a wonderful weapon, I wish I have it."

"One of their treasures too. Anyone who wage that will acquire agile ability. But not all people can, Queen Salbeth is the second wager ever since the first, the creator died."

He gave his hand to the snake and it bit him, its teeth fell then loose itself to escape. But Haris gave it freedom. He simply scared it.

"Ealier, did you addressed Jexica's nickname?" He leaned on Maruwie.

"My own sobriquet to her."

"So you're feeling comfortable with her." I delivered in a teasing way.

"I know my limits. End of story."

Then why can't he stop buzzing me around?! Haris squinted across Maruwie, I follow his glance and there is Jexica walking away. Haris stood up a little and I pulled him down.

"Give her space, maybe she needs to pee."

"No. She's alseep."

"As~leep? Is she always sleep walking?"

"No not her. Someone else does."

I scowl even more. We follow her in secrecy and the problem is she's getting far off our rest. When Haris said there's someone else there where Jexica is going. We ran to her, waking her up. And that somebody slowly reveals her visibility. The image is mysterious due to its hooded cloak and poor moonlight.

"Jex wake up!!"

That anonymous breathing thing, it has a wand and at the same a sword. A two in one weapon. The thrusting menace appeared in front of Jexica and she suddenly opened her eyes with Haris' call.

She summoned Nello to attack the enemy but it disappeared while dodging Nello's attack. Jexica's stance tilted and her servant caught her, she's bleeding. The fleet attack wasn't enough for that enemy.

Later on, a massive fire pillar set foot on the grasses. Close to where they're sleeping.

"Was that Maruwie's?" asked Haris.

But the next fire pillar that kissed the ground just behind us gave clue to my question. Nello took his master with his arms and pushed us both away. The fire didn't came from Maruwie. It's coming from the sky. But I'm sure the sky itself never aforethought that.

"We need to go!" she gave rest to Nello.

Maruwie came closer to us together with those three having trouble to pull back their dreams to a realistic nightmare.

"Oh gods. What's going on?" his voice is timid.

Those fire pillars are increasing in numbers coming from above. We flew high above the sky for thinking it could be a possible path to elude. And definitely a wrong prediction. There are even more flame pillars and for addition, lightnings. We grab on Maruwie's spikes for she's flying faster to flee from these disasters.

"Ugh hurry, the sheep is on the brink," and Mishu is still half asleep.

"Oh please tell me this is a dream!"

"A wonderful dream," said Aishmalen.

"Down there, she's there."

When Haris informed that, Jexica jumped off from Maruwie and Maruwie followed her, we're going down straight. No one sounds to trigger vertigo.

"Ugh! The sheep is falling~"

Maruwie spread flat her wings to counter the velocity of falling. And Jexica summoned an angel to support her too, then left. The enemy we've seen before is standing in front of her without the cover of the hood. She's an elf with a piercing on her nose. And her smile depicts defiance. Jexica is giving her a sharp stare

"Veursula, who summoned you?" The elf grins and giggles.

"Who else could be? Only a godly power." She's circling the Princess. Maruwie came back to her world again, the fire pillars are gone and the storm is calmed. "Rest assured, I'm not interested in you. But with him." She's looking at Haris. And he sigh

"For seal's sake. Then go get it if you want?" he even offer his hand.

The weight dragged us all down on our knees, like the air is pushing us down. The elf laugh

"Clever?! I won't force you, but I will convince you. I brought a special friend with me, I hope you miss him."

A giant rough hand rested on both of us at the back, mashing us to the ground.

"You filthy Green Panda-" I murmured. I can't breathe well, I feel like my bones are slowly being crashed. This is nothing for Haris. And to bring Jexica close to fatality, Veursula opened her wound wider, an intense incision.

"Come on child of the stupid prophecy, Don't you want to save them?"

And now I know her plan, to swallow his own pride.

"Uuuggh! The sheep! Brother, the sheep!" she's shaking Davih.

"Oh wake up Mishu brat! The sheep ambushed us!"

"Whoa! What a big fish! Is that the little princess in Helmeayess?! Should I reveal your true color?!" She cast a spell on Mishu and slowly her movements are odd, wild and perilous. She threw the two, Davih and Aishmalen away from her with her enormous crystals.

"The seal~right the seal~! Where is the seal!" she said playfully.

I am extremely afraid that she came back to the normal state where we first met her. The witchy and crazy killer type. I bet seeking for sheep is better than seeking for the seal. She laugh, like a different Mishuzyñel is looking and standing before us

"You wanna play?!"