The Realm

CHAPTER 25: Welcome Back!

(Angelo's Point of View)

We came to the point of our lives when we don't know what we were doing anymore. At the brighter side, at the opposite end of that point, we knew that we have to clear our names. We knew that the Capitol was already feasting on our names even though the news was not all over the Realm yet. So, we exhaled deeply, conditioned our minds to a travel back to the center of the Realm, the Capitol.

There was no formal news from the Capitol which will drag our names down due to the disappearance, or should I say the death of Chief Justice Dominic. I assumed that he's dead already. How can I say it?  Well, I know something about their team. There was this vision that Cassandra was always telling me in the good old days. That vision or prophecy as she always said is a picture of an unfortunate narrative. Since she's the one left in the Capitol, I believe the prophecy is fulfilled.

After all of the things that we experienced made us prepared for the things that may come our way. Those were not that big; but, enough for us to be strong. Probably, Cassandra already trashed the case against us, or mine only, the moment she set foot on the Capitol. She will never put me in vain. How can she put someone she raised, clothed, fed, cared, and educated for almost two decades? She never until the moment I was served a warrant for the death of Chief Justice Dominic.

We changed our plan. Instead of seeking refuge in the mountains of Lumeria, we decided to seek help from the Fusions in the interiors. We spent our night under the tree that we picked. The wind kept on blowing icy cold wind which from time to time defeated the heat of the bonfire we made. We had nothing to fill our stomachs for whole daytime. There was water; but, not enough to take the growing idea hunger out of our systems. We were holistically weak. To ease the hunger, we tried to close our eyes and rest. So, we laid our backs in the very soil where the giant tree nourished, made its roots our pillow. Staying awake was easier for us than resting under the tree. It was really one of the most uncomfortable moments I had.

"We are heading to the interior first thing in the morning," Daniel said as he was looking to the flame of the bonfire.

"Why, you cannot sleep?" I asked him.

"You think, she still don't know that you know that she's...? You know what I mean," he replied with a question.

"We'll meet Commander Alexandria first before we put ourselves in the fighting pit," I said.

There was silence. The bonfire went out of flame when the wind blew so hard. It was the only source of illumination we had to see our faces while we talk. With that, our conversation stopped likewise. The only thing that kept going was the air that got colder every hour. The next things I knew was that I fell asleep and Sabrina woke me up.

"Ugghhh, my back aches," she complained.

I roamed my eyes, and I noticed that something was not right, someone was not there anymore. "Daniel, where is he?" I asked. Sabrina told me that she does not know, he was not there when she woke up. The sun was rising, and as it rises, the coldness that embraced our body melted away. "Where could he be?" I asked again and stood up. Sabrina woke Tamara up and later on became worried. "She's combusting," she worriedly said. "What?" I asked like I did not hear what she said. We rushed to the interior without Daniel. Well, we waited for one hour; but, he was not there. So, we decided to move without him. I carried Tamara in my back, and I felt her flaming body temperature. "Hold on Tamara," I encourage her to be strong. I knew that her stab wound was already complicated because we don't have tools for medication to help her. We just had it clean with clean water, and recently the rainwater from yesterday. Plus, she must be weak because we haven't taken a decent food yet.

For hours, we walked and walked and walked until we reached the first house in the interior. She began to knock. "Hello, is someone home?" she asked. The door opened. I hoped so bad that the person who opened the door will respond to our needs because the next house is a bit far. We were not at the center of the interior yet wherein people live in townhouses. Unlike in Hestia, the Fusions were not so welcoming. They were selective, and their help is for Fusions only and for people in which the benefit from. So Sabrina needed to say the magic word, the name of the commander which sent us to Lumeria. "We're here because Commander Alexandria sent us. We faced an unfortunate fiasco. We need your help," she pleaded. Without any hesitation, the woman let us in. She did not even say a word.

Her house was a typical fusion house; small yet elegant. Something that they brought from the nations outside of the Realm. She opened a window beside her door. Then she knotted the curtain to let some sunlight and air in. "You are all from the Capitol? Yes?" she asked. We confirmed.

"Can you help us?" Sabrina asked her. "We badly need to treat my sister."

"Let's see what I can do," she said. I noticed her, she's not a Fusion. She was a European. Fusions don't get old, humans do. She's a bit old, in her sixth decade, I guess. The good thing is that they can live a very long life in the Realm. People like here were in the Realm because of the expedition that our kind made in the past. Love conquers all as they always say. So here they are because of love.

We were at ease seeing Tamara in a bed treated. "Thank you," Sabrina thanked the woman. "May I know your name?" she asked. "Catherine," she replied. "Thank you, Catherine," she thanked her again but for the second time, it was customized.

"I hate to interrupt; but, can we ask for food?" That was really on second on my list after Tamara's safety.

"Sure, I'll prepare a soup."

She served the soup, and it did not last long. Catherine fed Tamara. We were thankful for that because Sabrina and I were too hungry as if we're two wolves separated from our pack in a never-ending land filled with snow. Wolves without food to eat and was about to die due to hunger.

We were relieved.

"I'll go back for Daniel," I told Sabrina.

"Be safe," she just said.

I wondered where was Daniel. The first thing that flashed in my head was that perhaps his hungriness brought him to the wilderness. There are various fruits for him to eat from there. But, the place is not safe for him alone. He was not trained to defend himself if a wild animal gets on his way. On the other hand, I thought that he's afraid to go back to the Capitol. Well, I had to find out. So, I began walking as soon as I regained my strength. I walked and walked and walked again until I saw giant tree where we spent our night. I was so excited to get near it; but, I was not delighted with what I found, nothing. He was not there. I walked further until I reached the wilderness. I shouted. "Daniel! Daniel!" I shouted his name. There was no response.

I turned my back. I went out of the wilderness and headed my way to the mountains. It was too hot for me to walk in the field. The sun was scorching. When I was halfway near the foot of the mountain, I head ached. "He's fine, go back to the Capitol as soon as you can," an angelic voice enchanted my ears. "Who are you?" I shouted while I covered my ears. It repeated what it said, the stopped. It must be the Seraphim from our visions. Without having second thoughts, I rushed back to the interiors.

I knocked at the door. I did not expect to see the one who opened the door. "Welcome back, Angelo," she delightedly said. She was there. She was real. It was like we were rescued from a tragic fiasco. "Catherine here is a close friend of ours," she said while looking at the woman who accommodated us. "She called me, and the moment I heard from her, I rushed." It took me hours, at least three to look for Daniel she said. I did not keep track of time. But, it was enough for her to get herself from the Capitol to Lumeria.

"I was looking for Daniel," I said.

"I know," Sabrina told me. "I really wanted to find him, I do; but, we have to go back to the Realm. We are in the east, and this portion of the Realm belongs to Cassandra, their court at least," she explained.

She told us to have rest. We did. After that, we hit the road. I was worried about the things that will happen for things are uncertain in the Capitol. Life is uncertain in the Capitol. Commander Alexandria welcomed us warmly even though we were not at the Capitol yet. On the other hand, I think the Capitol, well, I can't tell. I hope it does welcome me, as well as Tamara and Sabrina, a sweet and warm "welcome back."