Chapter 11: Faceless Melody

"My dear lovely lady with the aroma of blossomed flower, Rings and earings are counted as two coins. Follow me, let us take a bath to the running river. For there I volunteer to comb your messy and curly locks"

This is the second letter from King Cyrus yet the gang are stagnant . For three weeks they haven't figured anything about this mission. The clues for them are lacking. Natalina tried to create jewel statues out of the letters to find a clue even from the first letter they recieved but the gemstone, gold and silver molded a faceless woman with splendor figures with the landscape of historical fire place.

"Our Creator who hath made us in likeness to Your image, thank you for molding a memory out of this letter with blessing of your jewels, gold, silver and pearls.Thank you for the elegant carvings. Truly Your hands are magnificent. "

Natalina just look at the mini statues after her prayers and got reminded that it is what Urchin hath seen last night.

Ophir suddenly stood as he rub the stone in between his eyes.

"Lord whose word is true and alive. Command me to prophecy to this jewel statues. That all words from my mouth would bring life and expose what is the secret behind the fire place. "

The statues just glowed but nothing really exciting occured. Ophir got distracted when Urchin held a tiny amount of his pants and asked him to hold his hands so is with Lehi. The whole team held hands forming a cicle then Urchin prayed. "Papa God pwease hwelp us fwind the tuth. Amen " He uttered cutely but powerfully that the whole team are vested into a trance of fire place made of bamboo.

The woman seated in front of the fire feeding it with woods. Ironically her white dress is clean despite the coals and ashes around her. Cataract of her dark ash hair covered her waist. She is just beautiful to behold. The small cottage floats on the valley that is why no one has ever claim to found it. For centuries one ELIE-YEAL is cherry-picked to be the mistress of the undying fire. A square of ashes boxed a triangular stone where the woods are lighted by the fire. The unknown flame was lighted by it's first maiden and the following ladies just secure it to avoid demise.

Her lashes encompasses a sorrowful vistas inside a tiny box where she could never step out. She looked at her ring that appendaged her necklace. Her earings matches her golden ring. She started to sing the song Natalina read a while ago as her isolated voyage navigates within the valley. As the melody hum them to the hymn of truth within the fire place . The tale bearers witnessed a vision of a young man asking this woman in marriage. Her rejection just motivated the young man. It was a forbidden love.

The whole people persecuted their love and crucified the young man upside down. The beautiful woman begged for the corpse of her demised lover. She hath feed her loved one to the fire and turn it to ashes where she bed her precious memories. In the end she continues to flame the bitterness the people hath seeded in her heart. It made her soul black. It transformed her heart into a beast that devours any man who tried to court her and loved her. Any man who knocked on her door and climb of her windows she hath turned them all to ashes. She cannot give herself to anyone other than the husband of her youth. She also cut off the passing of sintel to the future generation and remain as the faceless maiden who lulled the valley and ashes to a sorrowful bliss.

Hexel and Kiel started to wipe the tears that flowed from their eyes. It was like the lamentation of the lovely sintel weighed their hearts. But they both got excluded from the trance. They let go of the hands that both held theirs making them visible to the eyes of the lonely sintel. " Oh my, young men with beautiful faces, how can I help you?" she said as she prepared the small table for tea. Hexel just blurted out in defence as he hide behind Kiel " We are not here to court you. We somehow just got dropped here. " the lonely sintel just laugh at his defence. " I know, why don't you invite your friends and share a tea with me. It's been ages since I had my last guest. " As the team shuddered and shake from fear. " I mean welcomed guest. " to make the young people comfortable as they sat in circle. Just like how people who get along enjoyed a bonfire.

The silence is ear breaking so the woman suddenly said "by the way my name is Esperanza. Do I still need to enlighten you with my life knowing that you uncover pages of my past without my consent? " she said as she bite her cookies and sip her tea. She is just sarcastic. Lehi and Ophir flinch at how can she smile and deliver her word in such sarcasm. This Esperanza is a full pledge sadist. "I am supposed to be Mrs. Remington you see but my love lost his life because of a generational curse. The curse that once you are choosen as a mistress of this fire you cannot allow a single person to invade your heart with love. Because it will leave you with nothing but a gray smoke that rises." Esperanza said as she open her heart to the youth in front of her.

"Love is the best virtue you can put above all of your traits. It won't be perfect but surely love never keep records of wrong. " Lehi answered softly as she rub her finger on the cup ring. Her eyes did not convey any bitterness it's just mellowness. Kiel and Hexel both tap Ophir's back in agreement and Natalina just nod as she stare at Esperanza with emphaty.

"Your indeed in love young lady. " Esperanza palyfully replied. Lehi just covered her now tomatoe face. The chat continued with pure joy having Lehi and Ophir in the hot seat. "I am a Remington." Natalina introduced with humility not of shame.

"Yes of course. I can see it in your diamond eyes. It surely reflect it's meliorated panaroma." Esperanze appreciated as she stared her orange spherical focus on hers.

" Now that I have witnessed his legacy . I can let this fire burn me and take me where I deserve to be destined. But before that I want to give you a parting gift young boy." Esperanza said as she march to Urchin and they both hum a melody that made the damp air warm.

"I knew this songs will be safe with you pink eyes. "

Suddenly the flame that watched her sleepless night and mountain of tears embraced her like a wings. Until the whole bamboo cottage became part of the damp valley. Some say the faceless melody continue to hum to guard the ashes damped in the abandoned valley.

Lehi and Ophir gained another book entitled as

"The Valley of Damp Melodies"