4: Abducted

It's approaching. And I do the same. I will use my whole power now. When we're only few steps away, I close my fist rigorously. We have the same attack. As our fist collided, it shook the ground, shockwave tested my balance too, and the monster did flew away but still manage to stand after it was rounded on the land.

I noticed the clouds moving fast above me, it was affected by the force of my punch too. This monster is a big deal! It started approaching again. I stay on my feet waiting for its second or endless moves. Chasing my breath. I focus and concentrated in gathering another force for invasion.

I can feel the ground shaking again as I focus but I lost it when two horses passed both of my sides. The one to the right is Rhea, targeting the monster's feet. The other one does the same, a woman and archer. She's approximately an old teenager. They shoot the feet at the same time. It clattered.

So it can feel any punch wounds. The two archers came back again and I call Rhea's attention

"I didn't tell you to do that."

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to help." What a fretful attendant.

"Fighting it is useless." I heard a voice in front of me. I failed to sense his presence, the hooded boy I saw on top of the cliff. He is slowly expanding separately both of his arms in the air and then I saw him rolling a cane around his hand. When he slammed the edge of the cane to the ground, the monster was gone.

This boy is a magician. This could be my first time seeing one. I look at him suspiciously. Somehow, I still thanked him.

"So, where did the monster go?"

"Anywhere, far away from here. You can't kill that thing, unless you killed the creator first. It is called Green Panda." Green Panda? It doesn't fit the cuteness of the name.

I whistle to call Alpha. Ang again, I just gave my glance away from him, he's gone. When I rode on Alpha, I asked all my men and the survivors if they're all right. Luckily no one was harmed. They are few, maybe only twenty and seven people including the children, woman, old, and men.

I don't like wasting time so I led the way back to Murdox kingdom, where my companion is waiting.

When we reach the place, they gave us a warm welcome. All knights formed their line on the side of our path way to the front of the castle. There where King Corrihor is waiting. I can see his big and masculine body specially the unremovable smile on his face.

"Welcome, my friend!!" he exclaimed. I introduce him the visitors he will tentatively adopt.

"Thank you for accepting my request. But we still have a lot of things to discuss."

The three kings, me, Corrihor and Hibyte are doing our conference here in the main hall. We spread a world map on the surface of crystal, small and thick pillar I made by my gift.

"First of all, how did this started?" I ask King Hibyte.

"My name is Hibyte, king of Hamel kingdom. 14 years ago, the monsters invaded the Ba-sheriyan kingdom. Approximately all the people there was killed, even the royal bloods. That day, the whole kingdom is celebrating for the princess' birthday. And in the afternoon, they ambushed. The whole Alcubra nation was informed with that tragedy. Until the whole nation was affected."

"What are these monsters?"

"A human like monsters, but as observed, they are not human. We call them Callions. The big monsters you encountered was—"

"Green Panda. As told by the magician."

"King Holland named them."

"How about King Holland?" Corrihor asked.

"He is known as... dead." We both pause for a moment with that news. I never thought a god like him can be killed. It only means that the enemy is a tough one.

"Do you have any information how this enemies exist?"

"Everyone suspects the Freculus kingdom. Before the tragedy in Ba-sheriyan, people there are all dead. And the kingdom was infested by those creatures. King Nemesis and Queen Aronah are missing too. Or for worse case, they are the cause of this."

"I have a suggestion, you should build walls around our whole nation to protect it from Callions," said Corrihor while drawing a circle with his fingers around our whole nation to emphasize his proposal. I pinch my chin while thinking.

"I like that idea but I'd be too selfish to protect only our nation. How about, I'll do that to Alcubra nation? That place is the root of all crime."

"How about the people who still live there?" another question from Corrihor.

"We should send knights from different kingdoms to evacuate all who still live there."

"I see. When?"

"As soon as possible—"

"Tonight. This is an emergency," I said. They both nod. Rhea called for my attention, she pointed my left shoulder​. I look and I saw a white butterfly slowly flapping its wings. And then it fly beside me, it shines and millions of white butterflies gathered in the light until it made a form of a human.

"The symbol of white butterflies. Queen Dreas, goddess of wishes," Hibyte said. The butterflies turned to a Queen wearing white long gown and silver crown. She's always wearing a sweet smile too. Her hair is silver and long, she's far older than me but her face is younger than me. She uses power to maintain her beauty.

"I heard the news. And I would like to help," she said.

"You're a big help. I want you to spread the news around the whole nation. So all people will be informed."

"That's a simple task."

After our forum, I came outside the palace alone to eat. Under the Apple tree, I jump to reach my desired apple. I clean it by simply rubbing. When I took a bite, it's delicious! I chose the right apple. I can behold the whole kingdom here. This is the garden of the palace. The whole kingdom was covered by walls. The only entrance here is to pass the castle. There is an emergency exit underground too.

It looks like I know this kingdom a lot. Just below this level is the town, where citizens live. I took another bite, I suddenly miss my Queen's cooking.

"May I ask you something?" I ask. I can sense the hooded boy's presence, sitting on a branch of the tree. She shew himself. So he can turn invisible, yet I don't know how.

"You need something?" he replied.

"Just a few questions, are you a royal blood?"

"No."

"But you can use magics..."

"I was trained."

"Really? How about the gift?"

"It was given to me." A given gift? Right. Parohah, god of gifts. He can give any kinds of gifts to anyone. If he's still alive, Ashti will seek for him.

"Do you know Holland?"

"Yes. I am his apprentice."

"Apprentice huh... okay, one last question, your name?" he answer me with hesitation.

"My name is Haris." I nodded. Then I walk away, it's almost time to do our plan too so I need to go home and tell everything to them.

"I'll tell you something..." he claimed. I look over my shoulder to him.

"Gather lots of foods as many as you can. Store it all inside your kingdom's ware house. You can even preserve meats there with your power. Someday, it will be useful." I have no idea what he's talking about.

"Are you saying, famine will come?"

"Exactly."

Can he see the future? This boy is weird.

I must hurry to go home so I just walk away. Perhaps he's done talking to me. All of my knights and attendant is here waiting for me, I guess even my horse.

When we departed, the sky was covered by tons of white butterflies flying like a bird. I look at those and I wonder when I saw a black butterfly. I scowl. It's flying just above my head. I stop my horse and keep my glare on that thing until I heard heavy objects thud to the ground. It's them, all of my knights and Rhea clattered down.

The sky is getting dark, like eclipse. Alpha neighs, I calm him down but it looks like he can't hear nor see me. I jump immediately off from him. Later on, he lost consciousness too. My surrounding was covered by serene. I look again at the black butterfly, still there, flapping its wings on the same spot, above me.

All the other white butterflies did vanish. I think I know this, I'm hallucinating. I close my eyes to focus well, gathering my energy in my mind to control this vision. I cause fore shocks​ just by doing this. I can hear an echoed voice, voice from Rhea calling my name. I open my eyes and found myself laying on a wide bed with Rhea holding my shoulders, looking unease toward me.

I look around and saw Pharis, a friendly and smart gnome, attendant of Queen Dreas.

"Xavier, are you okay?!" Rhea asked me like her long-lost child. I breathe deeply

"What happened?"

"You suddenly lost consciousness on our way home. And now in your dream, it causes land shaking here!"

"I see. And where are we?"

"We came back here in Murdox kingdom, it is the nearest place to rest."

"Maybe you're hungry! You should eat first!" said Pharis. I stood up and rejected his idea. I want to go home.

"You are going to stay and eat here!" Corrihor said. He leaned his arm around my neck, looking mad at me. He's still scary as always! So I stayed here until night to settle our plan. I can't sleep beside Amber this night for a while.

(Princess Ashti)

I sink the blue rose inside a vase full of water and froze it to preserve. I wish to see many more kinds of roses like this. I grab the door mat and bash it on my terrace. I cough hard because of the dust. I close my eyes, pause my breath, I keep on bashing it to dispose the dirt. My final bash is the harshest.

I hang the door mat on the boundary and lay on the ground, still wearing my gray gown so I can't move precisely.

"Ugh! Cleaning sucks!" I shouted. I spread my arms on the ground and stare at the clouds of sunset. No one is blowing the trumpet yet, it means that my father hasn't arrived. And here I am again, thinking about myself. Why am I not gifted? Is my fate being a Queen good at cleaning? A Queen good of studies? Of sword fights? Of staying inside the castle? Associating?

Why can't I be a Queen good at healing like my mother? A stone specialist like my father? A god? Am I supposed to hate myself? Or love? I'm turning 17 next month, I guess there's still time for me to become like my parents! I heard a continues sound of bell, that means it's an emergency. An emergency?!

I stood up swiftly. I can't see what's going on from afar, but the town is on fire. Almidoron called me, he's in a hurry. He doesn't have the permission to enter my room! Unless it's an emergency. Before he came close to me, something heavy fell on me from above. I almost fell here on the terrace. It's the species we saw this morning! Are they following me?!

I was bitten on my right arm when I defense myself from its violent bite. I kneed it then punch, Almidoron ended the fight by thrusting it. He hold my wrist to pull me out of my room. I touch my wound to calm the pain.

"What's going on?!" I asked.

"We're infiltrated!"

What if they're after my father? Or my mother? On our way to the main hall, I saw my mother stepping back, fleet. She's holding a knife. Before I got to shout to call mother, Almidoron pull me beside to hide, from the I saw my mother fighting with a King.

This King has rings on his fingers, proudly wearing his crown and fighting with a knife. Only the two of them are here. And I can't just stay here watching my mother fighting the enemy alone! My mother made the first move, and they fight like they're using a sword.

When both of their knife met, my mother held his wrist and she swirled, as her black long hair rounds, she slipped her right feet in the air to the King's face. Her brisk move is unpredictable. She stabbed the King on his waist, so he took a step back.

"Ugh! Should I take this seriously?" the King moans. My mother gave him an intense glare. Even I detest his arrogance. I saw my mother took a first step again and just one sway of the King's hand, white butterflies block her sight, like wild ravens flying around randomly for food.

My big surprise when the King stab her from behind, his knife makes her paralyzed. I can see one of his rings lusters until he released his knife. My mother suddenly lost her strength and fell down powerless. The King starts sniggering for knowing that it's his victory. Why can't my mother heal herself? She also has the healing necklace!

But another big surprise when the King healed his own wound. He did something mysterious! I remove my heels and throw it exactly on the King's nape. While my mother is silently whining from pain, I made my move. I tried to punch him and I think that was a stupid move.

When my fist landed on his face he scattered to white butterflies, blocking my view too. I heard a sound of a sword behind me. Almidoron is holding the King's attack that was supposed to be for me.

"Princess, why did you just raid the air?!"

Raid the air?! Am I fantasizing things?! He pushed the King by his sword.

"Princess, I'll buy some time, you should run." He continued the fight with the King, yet I can't run. I can't just leave him and my mother here. I gave my attention to my mother, she's fatal, I don't know how to stop the bleeding! I noticed Almidoron smashing a single butterfly, why is he attacking that thing?!

The King appeared by dark smoke behind him ready to thrust another back. What a back-stabber!

"Behind you-!" I shouted. He looked behind but it's too late. The King released his sword and slice his throat. He fell down like my mother, and I stare pale on his gore. Especially when I heard a whisper on my ear

"And you... you're a big fish," said the King behind me. Just how can he teleport behind his victim?! He hit my nape so I lost consciousness.