Relive: Crimes of Ivar

Chapter 8: East Jordanes IV ✓

Outside the Jordanes, a lot of merchants are stranded because the knights are blocking their way.

"Let us in!"

"I heard this order came from the Royal Palace. What happened inside Jordanes?"

"I was here a few days ago and someone told me that the people are dying because of headache and vomiting blood."

"Then it is not really safe right now to enter."

Inside the temple, four children already died and some of them are still suffering from bleeding, vomiting and headache. The servants are forced to search around the temple to kill rats and do the cleaning too.

While Esmeray is busy helping the servants after ordering the knights  outside the gates, she happens to lose her way inside the maze of the temple's underground. The bad smell is strong underground. That's why she suspected that the rats were making their hideout there.

Minutes later after not finding her way out of the maze, Esmeray bumped into a man.

"Sorry, I was lost- My Prince?" Esmeray saw Ivar stood up and looked at her eyes. Priest Elon was with him and they are wearing a servant's robe and are using a magic device to hide their appearance.

But Esmeray can't be fooled by a mere device that's why she recognized the Prince and Priest Elon.

"You can walk, My Prince?"

"Let's talk about that later, we are lost too because a child told me to follow him. He said that there are other kids in the underground who need help." Ivar explained.

"Kids? I didn't see any kids around here. My Prince, I can't feel anything that moves or someone who's breathing."

"That is what I said earlier too, I even said that I didn't see any child talking to My Prince earlier. There are no other children except for those who are lying in bed." Sabi naman ni Elon at sumama agad ang tingin ni Ivar sa kanya.

"I saw many children when we get here, they are even playing at the hallway and some are laughing at the-" Agad ng natigilan si Ivar sa kanyang sinabi dahil meron siyang napagtanto.

Ang mga batang nakikita niya sa hallway at sa mainhall ay hindi pinapansin ng mga servants at ni priest Sabino. Kahit anong ingay ng kanilang tawanan ay hindi ito nasisita.

'So those children are ghosts?'

Huminga ng malalim si Ivar at tinignan ang dalawa niyang kasama.

"Let's go, I guess those are just ghosts who are playing with me. Let's just find some rats and kill them." Naunang tumalikod si Ivar dahil sa kahihiyan niya at halos tabunan na niya ang kanyang pagmumukha.

Nagkatinginan naman sila Elon at Esmeray bago sila sumunod at nagpatuloy sa paghahanap ng tamang daan.

Ilang sandali pa sa kanilang paglalakad ay nakakita sila ng malaking pinto.

"Try opening it, maybe we can get out of here if we use that door." Utos ni Ivar na agad naman sinunod ni Esmeray.

Tinulak ni Esmeray ang pinto at agad na lumabas ang napakatapang na amoy ng nabubulok na bangkay. Nakita agad ni Esmeray ang isang daga at walang pag aalinlangan niya itong sinaksak gamit ang maliit siyang espada.

"Use your holy power Elon, it is dark inside." Utos ni Ivar at agad namang umilaw ang kamay ni Elon.

Lahat sila ay napatigil at hindi na nila napansin ang napakaraming daga na nagsi-alisan dahil sa ibang tanawin natuon ang kanilang mga mata. Kahit amoy ng nabubulok ay hindi nila napansin.

"Bless them." Ang nasabi ni Elon habang nakatulala.

Tumambad sa kanila ang maraming nabubulok na bangkay ng mga bata na babae at lalaki, karamihan sa bangkay ay naagnas na at ang iba naman ay kalansay na lang ang natitira.

"What the fuck is this?" Halos manlambot ang mga tuhod ni Esmeray sa kanyang nakita.

Si Ivar naman ay hindi alam ang kanyang sasabihin. Naisip niya na dahil sa karanasan niya bilang si Patrio ay sanay na siyang makakita ng bangkay at mga kalansay. Ngunit meron sa puso niya ang nagagalit at gusto niya ngayong umakyat sa main hall at hanapin si Priest Sabino.

"First, we need to kill the rats. Let's go." Nagkatinginan si Esmeray at Elon dahil sa utos ni Ivar ngunit sumunod din naman agad sila at isa isang pinatay ang mga daga na palaboy sa loob ng silid.

Si Ivar naman ay agad na nilibot ang silid at tiningnan ang mga bangkay na nakatambak. Karamihan sa kanila ay nakakadena ang mga paa at kamay, makikita rin sa mga sariwang bangkay na ginamitan sila ng latigo at posible rin na pinainom ng lason dahil ang bibig nila ay nakabukas at makikita ang kulay ng dila nila na hindi normal.

Karamihan sa mga sariwang bangkay ay tatlong araw pa lamang namatay kaya naisip niya agad na habang papunta sa sila dito sa Jordanes ay ibinaba na sila dito ng salarin upang hindi sila makita sa templo.

"No wonder the temple smells so bad." Tinignan ni Ivar si Esmeray dahil sa sinabi nito.

Binalik ni Ivar ang tingin sa mga bangkay at napansin niyang lahat ng mga bata ay nakahubad, babae man o lalake. Hindi niya agad nagustuhan ang unang pumasok sa isip niya.

"My Prince! You need to see this!"

Agad na naglakad si Ivar papunta sa kinatatayuan ni Elon at nakita niya ang isang sanggol na napapalibutan ng itim na force shield. Katabi ng sanggol ay isang bangkay ng batang babae na walang saplot at ang kamay nito ay nakapatong sa ibabaw ng shield.

"She's dead for two days now, her flesh is still fresh and the shield is still strong. The baby also looks like it's starving for two days." Sabi ni Esmeray at ginamit ang paa para iharap ang bangkay ng bata sa kanila.

"Looks like this child gave birth to this baby and she casted a shield for her."

"But at such a young age, is she ten or nine?"

Habang nag uusap sila Elon at Esmeray ay naikuyom ni Ivar ang kanyang kamao.

"Elon, can you get the baby without destroying the shield? If we destroy the shield the baby might get infected."

"That's easy My Prince."