The Latter
The knight led me to a tower. Ottis' tower. Where you can see the entire kingdom, and the barrier made by the spell he casted. The vanishing spell.
I rested my hands on the window. The knight stepped beside me but still kept a good distance. Pinagmasdan ko ang kabuoan ng kaharian nila. Small, but rich in resources. Quiet. Almost peaceful.
"The people of Trine do not deserve to be in this situation," he finally said his kingdom's name. "Kaya kagaya ng sinabi ko sayo kanina, sasama ako. Haharap ako sa Gintong Reyna. I'll assign one of my generals to watch over the kingdom. Just... Just don't break the spell yet."
"You are this scared of the world outside Trine?" I quietly asked. "Why?"
I caught a glimpse of him, unblinking, as if refusing to. His eyes averted to his beloved kingdom. His eyes glistened a bit. Is that tears I see?
"Ottis... was the only one who can get out of the kingdom. One day, he brought news to the King-the demon... He said it's not only the Golden Queen we should be worried about... because there was also a Princess, somewhere in Hawthorne, who wield one of the swords... A sword that not only can destroy kingdoms, but lands and realms itself..." He explained.
"Akala ko hindi totoo ang mga espada na inukit mismo mula sa mga bituin... Pero noong nabanggit ni Ottis ang mga nangyayari sa iba't ibang mga kaharian at ang tungkol sa ginawi ng gintong reyna sa isla ng mga bampira... sumang-ayon nalang ako. I voted to vanish our kingdom for the sake of our safety... Ottis said this spell shall save us from the conflagrations."
"And you believed this?"
Napabuntong-hininga siya. "Hindi ko alam ang pinaniniwalaan ko noong mga panahong iyon. Ang mahalaga sa akin ay maging ligtas ang kahariang ito..." Umangat ang mga mata niya sakin. "Have seen what happened to those kingdoms that refuse to bow to the Golden Queen?"
He snapped and looked at me, the gleaming tears in his eyes are still visible. "Have you seen Eirian?"
I nodded once. "She's not responsible for what happened in Eirian." I answered calmly.
"Eirian... was an ally to Trine. The Eirian ruler had protected us during the Great War. It shielded us when the five kingdoms didn't even do anything to reach us. In fact, it shielded more kingdoms that the five kingdoms did during the war... And now, it has been shred into pieces."
Umiling-iling siya. "Hindi ko nakita kung paano bumagsak ang kaharian... Pero nakita ko ang mga nilalang mula roon na nagmamakaawang pumasok rito... Pero hindi pumayag ang Hari. The King fears that their scents might lead the Golden Queen to us..."
He blinked as if recalling a horror in his mind. One that has been ages ago. "I've seen those children of Eirian right at Trine's gates... They were all wounded and burnt from some fire... I doubt they had food or water with them. And the children-mother of stars, those children... They were-"
"Enough."
I pulled out one dagger again and pointed it at him. But this time, he did not flinch and just took a step away.
"Have you seen unyielding kingdoms to her majesty fell? Have you seen their stars lost their light in the sky? And the people within those kingdoms... they didn't even get to defend themselves or choose where their loyalties lie... Your Queen just took them, or kill them. Your Queen knows no honor."
'Leaderless.' The witch had said. Mariin akong napapikit at umiling-iling. All those rulers I have killed, all those names I kept whispering at night... they were much as a killer than I am. They weren't the true owners of those royal bodies.
I opened my eyes. I put my dagger down and leaned on the window. "And you... know nothing of the Golden Queen."
"My mother was a daughter of Vedalli. She knows how the Olden, Ravensiel King and Queen ruled there... how they fed the world with lies... so she sent me away here, to my father's kingdom. Sigurado akong pagsisinungaling rin ang kasalukuyang ginagawa ng reyna ninyo..." he did not hesitate to speak those words.
I sighed. I looked away from him and stared at the sky. The stars.
"I'm not here to listen to your childhood or rants, or to whatever battles you have survived. I'm here to retrieve you." I spoke.
Natahimik siya ng ilang sandali. "Kung ganun ay bakit hindi pa tayo umaalis?"
I slid my dagger back to its place on my sleeve. I folded my arms. "Because I'm already retrieving the information I needed from you. There's no need for questioning."
"How... How can you tell that I'm not lying now? How can you trust my words?"
I grinned. "Because... I can see anything through anyone, knight. That's one of my spectacular skill set."
"Does that had something to do with those scars as well?"
Napatingin ako sa kanya. He was no longer looking at me, but my arm which I haven't noticed was left exposed when I remove my dagger. Napadaing ako. I should have really kept Minerva in company and shouldn't have pushed her buttons. Now I don't know how to dress myself fittingly the way she used to.
I pulled my sleeve down.
"It doesn't matter." I muttered. "Tell me the possible places Ottis could have gone to."
He cleared his throat and composed himself. Meeting again my eyes, he slid a hand inside the small pocket on his armor and took out a map and a book.
He handed me the map. "This was written with his handwriting. I found this in here. It was a list of kingdoms. I don't know what for, but he might be in one of those..."
"Dalhin mo rin ito," itinaas niya ang libro. "Hindi ko gustong manatili pa ito sa kaharian namin. You can throw it or destroy it, or should you need it, then it's yours."
I raised a brow. It's the damn spellbook he's been talking about.
"Don't be an idiot. I am not a witch for me to use that filthy book." I glared at him.
He just shake his head. "I may have been fooled, but I'm not an idiot when it comes to skills, Starling. I've heard about you. You take down kings and queens and have done everything you've been asked to do so successfully... without fear or hesitation. How you do it, I don't know. But it's as if those were the easiest things you've done in your life. That skill is not anything ordinary."
He shoved the spellbook into my hands. "Alam ko ring pamilyar ka na sa mga sumpa... I've read it in that book. The only way to enter a vanishing kingdom is to create binding spell... which I think you've already done on your own."
It seems like he got it all figured out. And has prepared for everything he would like to say to me tonight. Out of fear. He even ordered the rest of the castle guards to empty the castle even though I didn't ask for such thing.
"Haven't you ever thought that maybe it was just luck?"
"We knights don't believe anything's a coincidence." He said in such a way a man of honor would say.
I pushed myself from leaning against the window and walked passed by him. Lumabas ako ng tore. Naramdaman ko ang mabilis niyang pagsunod. I didn't slow down. "This Princess. Did Ottis mentioned anything of what she looks like?"
"No. Only that she's been looking for followers."
Kumunot ang noo ko. Followers. Which means, whoever she is, she may be planning to raise an army. But for what purpose?
"Hahanapin mo ba siya?" tanong ng kawal.
I almost grimaced. No. This won't be my problem. Just report to the Golden Queen and she can send Phileis to deal with this. She can send a whole damn army to kill those who defy her for all I care.
But if it's true that the Princess has one of the swords...
I pushed the thought away. No. This will not be my problem.
I started covering myself up. Hood on, gloves, and pulled out my mask. The mask that had seemed to brand me with something. A seal or some title as an assassin. Knitted together by Minerva, but the black gemstones were placed by me. They're like strings attached to the mask, where they can spark painfully in the eyes of my victims when fighting.
"Spoke of this to no one. No one. Abandon this place. Leave and disappear now. Leave with your people."
"W-What... Why?"
I stopped in front of the window in the throne room before facing him. I looked at him warningly.
"Because I cannot guarantee anything to you from now on, or to this kingdom. Something will still strike your kingdom. May it be the Queen, the Princess, the demons, or the Emperor who dwells underground... or whoever the fuck's thirsty for power. Something will still come for kingdoms like yours, knight."
"Kingdoms like mine?" There's a slight shudder in his voice. Fear.
Tumango ako.
"Weak. Vulnerable. And now leaderless."
Mahina siyang napasinghap bago napahakbang pabalik. "Saan kami pupunta?"
"That's up to you. Rebuild yourselves somewhere."
"At kung napagdesisyunan naming manatili rito?"
"Then I might as well kill you now." I smirked. How playful that would be. "Rather than let our enemies use your rich kingdom. If that happens, do not blame me in the afterlife when you see your people being enslaved."
"I suggest you start moving now. The demons must've already noticed that their puppet king here is gone. It's only a matter of time before they attack."
He stilled as his face started to go pale. "Is it true that they can't be killed?"
"They can, but not by some ordinary blade. Which you don't have."
He gasped again. "Won't you be failing your mission if we ran?"
"Instead of you, I plan to bring Ottis' head instead with me."
I put on my mask and pushed the window open. The pour of the thundering rain immediately hit me. Still, I stood on the window and scanned the roofs, the balconies, until I found a safe way down.
"Starling!" The knight called.
Bahagya akong napalingon sa kanya.
"If... If you still have questions about Ottis or if you ever need anything, I'm taking my people to Lythari's Bay. We'll take the star of Trine there."
"How bold of you to journey the seven seas, knight..." I complemented. "Very well. I shall find you if I need anything. That is... if you'll survive the journey across the realm."
His face went paler. Napatawa nalang ako at hindi hinintay pang makasagot siya. I flung myself out of the window and into the pouring rain with the thunder roaring above me.
I ran and ran, and ran. Through every roof and tower of the castle until I reached the ground. I walked among the guards, the commoners, the villagers whom all are rushing their way into their houses, fleeing from the storm.
Head down, hands on my pockets, I walked through the houses until I reached the walls of Trine. Umangat ang tingin ko sa taas nun. The barrier made by the spell was barely visible to the common eyes. Barely noticeable. But there it was if only you look closer.
I kneel down one knee. I took out Calanthe from its belt before pointing its tip to the ground... to draw the binding spell.
Once done, I stood up and glanced at the villages one last time. Not all will go with that noble knight. Some will refuse to leave. He won't be able to take everyone with him across the seven seas.
Pumitas ako ng isang bulaklak mula sa lupang kinatatayuan ko. I let the flower be blown away by the storm's wind back to the road I went.
To those who will meet their doom here.
I watched the flower daze off the trail before stepping on the binding spell. The moment I set foot on it, its power immediately crawl its way up to my body like fire against the water on my skin, devouring me to the ground, to the wind, to the soil. I lift my head up and closed my eyes.
And when I awoke, I was already outside Trine.
I took myself up on a hill and waited there, gripping Calanthe tightly on my hand as each hour passed.
I waited for the barrier to break.
And it did.
Amidst the storm, the castle of Trine crumbled down along with the Captivir spell. And into a forest across it, torches lit up, where the people of Trine marched, with the star of Trine in the sky following them.
--
Binuksan ko ang listahang binigay sa akin ng kawal. I made sure to put into memory all of it before ripping it apart into shreds and throw the pieces into river.
Most of the kingdoms on that list were elven kingdoms in ancient shrines. Shrines that had been thriving for thousands of years. Interesting. As far as I can recall, Sora and the five rulers has a problem to deal with the elves.
I stood in front of the river and started to pace back and forth.
I have let the knight go. Let the people of Trine go. The Golden Queen... will not be pleased. Not when I told her that I will bring back someone. I could bring her a head... or a heart, perhaps. And just claim that that was the knight and I have to kill him because he himself was also a demon, and that I was wrong to go back-
But that story would make me look pathetic.
Napahinto ako at bumaba ulit ang tingin sa listahang kakatapon ko lang. On the other hand... knowing something about that might just extend her reward to me. Maybe I could be granted not just three months of freedom.
I smiled and grabbed Calanthe. Before I knew it, I already found myself walking to the closest elven kingdom on the list.
I'll take the latter.
***
-kimsyzygy