The Last Whisperer (Flashback)
"I swear to my life, your Majesty, the rumors about me were not true." A faye, whose wings glittered in bright blue against the light, bent her knees down in front of the king, her hands clasped together and hot tears streaming down her face.
Hostility and malevolence were evident in the king's expression. The king kicked the young faye in the stomach, resulting in her rolling down the small stairs from the throne's podium. The poor faye curled at the foot of the stairs, writhing in pain.
The ten-year-old, who accidentally witnessed the assault, hid behind the thick curtains. She covered her mouth profusely to stop a scream from escaping her throat.
'Why is the king hitting Araera? The king must not do that to Aelfrey's whisperer! It is against Dylareia's decree.' The young Elderifrey thought horrifyingly.
She wanted to come out and stop the king from further assaulting their whisperer, but her fear held her rooted to her spot.
She peered again. The king was now descending from the small platform, slowly approaching their whisperer, who was still coiled in pain.
"Please, your Majesty." She heard Araera plead with the king.
The frailty in the whisperer's voice had only fueled the king's menacing plan. "You know that was forbidden, Araera!"
Elderifrey's brows creased together. What did the king mean with what he said? What forbidden things did Araera do?
Curious to know more, she leaned in closer to hear their conversation more clearly.
"Your Majesty, it was not true! I can prove it to you." Their whisperer replied in between her sobs. She was on her feet already.
"Then prove to me that you cannot indeed wield two elements, Araera!" The king's hiss reverberated in the throne room, enough for Elderifrey to shudder behind the curtains.
But what shocked her more was the revelation from the king.
'Araera can wield two elements? But, how?'
It's impossible for Araera to violate Aelfrey's sacred laws. She knows her and she believes that the king's accusation was not true.
She listened further.
"Your Majesty, how could I have two elemental gifts when you know Dylareia has stopped bestowing two gifts on the fayes?" Araera stepped back away from the advancing king, whose right hand was stretched in front of her.
The king refused to listen to the young whisperer. His rational thinking was clouded by his hatred for the young whisperer. His insatiable greed for power pushed him to punish the whisperer without proper proceedings with the fayes.
He knew that the young whisperer had only shown her gift of the earth element to the fayes of the kingdom. Who was more perfect to force Araera to expose her gift of the water element other than he, who wields the fire element?
His shoulders shuddered violently when a menacing laugh erupted from him. A barbaric expression was planted on his face. A ball of blue flames danced on his palms.
The king retracted his arms and, without wasting any time, he launched his first attack on Araera.
Elderifrey almost screamed in horror if she hadn't restrained herself quickly. She wasn't able to do anything but weep silently when she saw Araera howling in excruciating pain, her body engulfed in the king's blue flames.
'The assault was too brutal! Araera's earth element was useless against his fire element. What was the king thinking?'
Elderifrey balled her fists in fury against the ruthless king. How could he do this to Araera?
"Come on, Araera, show me your other gift. Aren't you going to put up a fight? Show time was up, dear. The veil had been opened and your secrets had been revealed. There was no use dying and acting like a hero for Aelfrey." The king taunted, attacking Araera with his second assault.
The whisperer had stopped wriggling and screeching from the burns she had gained from the king's attack. Her mind went blank and the orbs from her eyes started to retract, her white eyeball occupying the entirety of her eyes. She started hearing incomprehensible voices; her vision was blurry and distant. Araera was hallucinating and on the verge of death.
The heartless king, who had no inch of kindness from him, only laughed at the grisly state of the young faye. He instead spat obnoxious words against Araera that Elderifrey could clearly hear.
The king stepped backwards with his arms. A huge ball of fire appeared in his palms. The teenaged faye behind the curtain gasped loudly, which the king fortunately hadn't heard. She was certain that the king intended to finish Araera with that massive attack.
When the king was about to hit Araera, a ball of water came out from the whisperer's battered body that knocked the king to unconsciousness all at once.
A defeaning silence dominated the air, replacing the tension from a while ago. Araera's body was no longer on fire, but the burns she had received from the king's attacks were life-threatening.
Elderifrey came out from the curtains, her hands on her mouth. She stared horrendously at the two lying bodies in front of her.
'It was true! Araera can wield two elemental powers. The king was right!'