My Extraordinary Childhood Friend (#Wattys2016)

34 - Spy

Darwin's POV:

"I have finally found you...my familiar..."

"Huh? What are you talking about?" I don't know why the blind lady told me that...besides, I heard her voice without opening her mouth...

"Don't worry...I'm not gonna harm you...just trust me..." The lady...just read my mind and replied.

She then used her sticks to know where she is heading and walk...she has limped her right leg so she has some difficulty to walk...and when she stepped on a slippery slope, she slid down to the ground and land on her bottom.

"OUCH!"

"Hey! Are you alright?" I rushed towards the lady and help her to get back up.

"Yeah...don't worry. Thanks."

"Anyway, do you have a name? I think you're lost here..."

"I believe I'm not lost." The lady replied. "By the way, my name is Princess Alice Flonne of Nova Ascia...the adopted daughter of Empress Angelica Diana Of Nova Ascia...you can call me Alice...what's yours?"

"Umm...my name is Darwin...nice to meet you..." While startled by the affiliation that she said, I managed to tell my name. "Say...if you are the daughter of the Empress, why are you here? Are you spying us?"

"Of course, not! How could I spy if I am blind?!" Alice replied to me almost angrily. "I'm here to help you, for my mother is not my opponent, it's General Ronald Castillo."

"Huh? Who is this Ronald Castillo?" Seriously, I don't know who Alice is talking about. The only thing that I heard from King Joshua is that the Empress is Princess Lily's opponent.

"General Castillo is the one who manipulates the entire Nova Ascia. Because of lust for power, he used my mother to access more power by putting her into the throne and casting his spell on her...making her do whatever the General will do."

"But how do you think that your mother is not involved in this ruckus?" I inquired her while we walked back into my house...

"That's when the General's spell starts to wore off. My mother started to doubt him...and that's why she's imprisoned in the castle's dungeon and controls Nova Ascia by himself..."

"Umm...okay...but that doesn't make myself clear why I will be your familiar..."

"That's because you are fated to be one..." Alice declares. "In fact, even your cousin will be also my familiar..."

"Wha-what?!?!" I stopped from walking and stared at Alice. "Bu-but how?!"

"It's just I already know that this will happen in the future..." Alice concludes.

"What are you talking about?"

Alice starts to walk alone slowly...so that she could face me...

"I was born blind but was given a special magic that I can look back at the past and the present, as well as to predict the future. I'm the only one who have this..." Alice explained to me. "If you don't believe me, I predict that in just a moment, your cousin will pass here and notice me..."

We waited for a few moments to make that prediction happened but...

"Umm...Alice, your magic doesn't work. Nobody doesn't pass he-"

Just as I doubt Alice's magic power, Napoleon passed by and noticed me...

"Oh, hey! Darwin! I thought that you will take a nap at this moment?" Napoleon asked me.

"Yeah...but I met this girl that just predicted that you will pass here." Startled, I simply explained to my cousin what had just happened.

"Oh, really." Napoleon then turned to Alice. "By the way, are you the one Princess Lily is looking for?"

"Yes. Yes I am." She simply replied.

"Come, let's...go...huh?" Napoleon was about to hold her hand but she stopped me to do so. "What's wrong, Princess?"

"You...both of you...you will be my familiars..."

"Wait, what?!" Now...it's Napoleon who is startled by her declaration.

"I said that you will become my familiars..." Alice repeated what she said... "I mean...do you want to be more powerful...more powerful than anybody else...even than your cousin?"

"What?!?!" I was startled by what Alice spoke to us...he really wants to...fight me?!?!

"Napoleon!!! You liar!!!" I shouted at him angrily. "You're using me to earn the trust of the king! How dare you!!!"

"No! No! It's not what it looks like! That's before we make up because of Prince-AAAH!!!"

"SHUUUT UUUP!!!" I already picked up my sword and attacked him. "I have never trusted you for one second!"

"Darwin! Please believe me!" Napoleon picks his owns sword and defended himself. "I'm telling you that truth! I swear!"

I was about to deliver a blow to him when Alice intervenes...

"Napoleon! Darwin! Please...stop! He is telling the truth!"

"Hmph!!! I suppose so..." I put my sword down on my side. "So...how do you explain yourself?"

"I mean...you're stronger than me!" Napoleon told me calmly. "Yes...I let you go for the difficult missions that the king is given to me...but I watch you fight the bad guys. We have the same skills but...you're better than me...how can't I see that you quickly dodged your opponents and killed ten people with just one quick slash...without any scratch on you! I can't even...UGH!!!"

Napoleon then picks up his sword and offers it to me, while closing his eyes...

"Here...since I lost your trust...and you will never believe me...fine, go ahead and kill me..."

I accepted his sword...but...I didn't have an intention to kill me...but to prove something...I got to do this...

"HIYAAAA!!!" I waved the sword towards Napoleon's neck...but stopped it from cutting it off...instead...

"Puk!" I just tapped the sword in the side of his face...

"Huh? I thought you will kill me?" Napoleon opened his eyes.

"...sigh...because I won't..." I sighed and smiled. "I'm still your blood brother...we're just make up but we are already fighting?! Sorry if I'm a bit overboard..."

"No...sorry, because of all that I done to you..." Napoleon replied while he lowers his voice. "I wish that I could know you together..."

"Well...you already did..." In all of that conversation, Alice entered. "I told you...both of you will become my familiars."

"Hehehe... alright, tell us what we can be if you say so." I finally gave in on Alice and let her speak.

"This is your opportunity, Darwin to get know of each other. When both of you becomes my familiars, you will able to share Darwin's powers: agility...and strength...the ability to kill multiple people in one strike...all of Darwin's will be also Napoleon's now. I have predicted...and fated to be together...and being my familiars is the only way..."

With all of this explanation, the only thing that I did is to look into Napoleon and smiled...

"Well...we should follow what Princess Alice said..." Napoleon told me. "Nobody escapes destiny, right?"

"Sure thing, cousin. Let's start over." I replied with a grin. "Let's help Alice...and Lily, of course! Hehehe!!!"

"Well then, let's begin." Alice overheard the conversation...and then points her stick towards us...

Et incarnatus est de nova imperii signum ascia, nimirum vim patitur Napoleon et Darwin commodare magicis fieri ut homo notus et familiaris imperatoris..."

A magic circle formed and illuminated around us...it began to spin until...my hands...I mean our hands... illuminated with runes...

"From now on...you will be my familiars...my protectors..." Alice then walked through her sticks...and kissed us in the forehead... "Don't fight anymore, okay?"

"Yes. As your pleasure, Your Highness." Napoleon and I replied in unison.

"Come...let's go to Princess Lily. She needs me right now. Hehehe!"