Two Worlds: Clash of the Guardians (Completed)

II - The Dark Tunnel - Part I.5

This was the first time she saw a calendar written by hand, instead of in prints. She squinted and was surprised to know the year marked on it was 8845. She checked her wrist watch and was glad that it was still working. The date on the screen showed October 2, 2013. Feeling perplexed, she looked up at the calendar again. The date was similar to the figures on her watch, though the year was of a huge gap. 8845?

"There's something wrong with your date record," said Elli.

"No, it's accurate. A wizard never gets messed up with the date."

"Right." Elli's head was still spinning, and she chose to accept the fact that the year of this magical realm was different with the humans'. "Where am I actually?"

"In my humble abode, at the town of Tangle, the western-most part of the Realm of Reminis."

"Right." Elli hugged her legs to her chest. Memories and pictures began to form in her head in a slow motion. So many things had happened in the past month. Questions kept battering her brain. There were things that she didn't comprehend, and things that she knew were true but chose not to believe. There were things she would never forget, and someone she would never forgive. What hurt her more was that she couldn't even bury her father's body.

But before she avenged him, she needed to find answers to her questions. Her forehead creased as she asked, "Who are you?"

"I am a wizard, a Black-Born."

Marko sat on the bunk and lowered down his cloak collar. The black serpent coiled around his neck, forming a B word. Amazed, Elli touched it, and it slithered to Marko's chest.

"There are three ranks in the sorcery world — Golden-Born, Silver-Born, and Black-Born. As you can see, the serpent on our body is our identification. The magician blood actually runs the strongest in our veins, and the other ranks are envious of our strength. They accused us of practicing dark magic years ago and things change. We can't attend school, can't get a pet, and don't receive medical aids. We can only learn spell works through books or public fights."

"Can't you protest?"

"Protest? Cold wars might happen and that will disrupt the peace of the realm. Plus, our Chief Sorcerer is a Golden-Born. He doesn't care about us. This place here, is called the Squatters. A year ago, he had even compelled us to live here, in this underground tunnel."

"But to live in an underground tunnel, that's inhumane! All that excrement and trash and rats, that's no way for anyone to live." After the strenuous night she had gotten through, Elli's voice was low and hoarse, almost lifeless. Her own protest wouldn't work wonder.

"It's not as bad as you think it is. Reminis has another sewer to handle the excrement. We're just being compelled to live here. This underground tunnel has its own beauty, I can guarantee you that." Marko's expression hardened as he continued, "Reminis used to be a free land. Each kin is assigned an equal size of land to stay. Mages gather in Tangle Town, while the Elves love the evergreen East Wood. No war has ever risen, not until the birth of the Vampists."

"The Vampists!" Elli's fists tightened. "Why had nobody stopped them? They escaped a month ago! Didn't you guys receive any news about it? And-- and those mutated Vampists! All this while, they're never trapped under that Mount Tramp or whatever it is."

"This... Uhm, one year ago, it was King Eremiel, the Chief Lucifer who had sealed the mark at Mount Tampas' entrance before his death. The mark, however, has no effect on the mutated Vampists. We didn't hear any news about the breakout though. I guess the Vampists are being discreet. Plus who would think of such thing to happen? The Lucifers had sacrificed themselves to bring us one whole year of peace. We had let our defense down ever since."