Land a single blow. That is the only condition that the prince set and it would be his key to bind Kalen in joining their quest to get the Babylon candle.
All he needs to figure out now is how he can possibly make it happen. Noah is no warrior, and he knew he couldn't win head on with Kalen, especially in sword fighting. Abala ang kanyang isipan sa kakaisip kung ano ang nararapat gawin ng hindi na niya napansin ang daang tinatahak, bigla siyang napangiwi ng may mabangga siya sa pasilyo ng palasyo and land him on the floor totally forgetting what was disturbing his thoughts earlier.
"You are distracted" puna ni Roma sa kanya.
Napabuntong-hininga si Noah. "Papayag lamang si Kalen na sumama sa ating paglalakbay kung maglalaban kami and if I can land a single hit on him. And yes, I am distracted because I don't know how I can possibly do that" pag-aamin niya habang dahan-dahan muling tumayo .
"If you cannot win through strength, use your wit and cleverness. There are no rules set for this fight. Use your imagination" Roma offered some advice that only gave Noah's headache.
That morning Noah was getting ready for the battle and was putting on his armor with him ng mapansin niya na may kumakatok sa kanyang pinto, mabilis niya itong tinugunan at bumulagta sa kanya ang nakangiting si Lilian na walang pasabing pumasok sa kanyang silid.
"Ano ang ginagawa mo Noah?" Tanong nito na may halong pagtataka habang nakatingin sa baluting isinusuot niya.
He smiled awkwardly. I received an invitation from the prince to do a sparring, but he lied.
"Why would you agree?" She asked back.
"Well, I mean there is nothing else I do around here so why not?"
"You are lying, do you know you usually say well in your sentences when you are not speaking the truth? What is this about really?"
He got caught red-handed. He breathed; he had no choice but to come out clean. "Roma found a way that can bring us home but it's not a walk in the park. We need Kalen's help. I know you want to focus on what you can do for this realm for now, but I am thinking ahead, once this is over if you want to go back you can come with me and I want whenever you are ready, we would have the means to do so." Seryosong sagot nito.
Lilian can see that Noah means well and she appreciates how he is trying to find a way to go back home but she cannot whisk away the fact that Noah cannot beat Kalen in this fight ever.
"You are going to get hurt." Lilian pointed out habang di maitago ang pag-aalala.
And then it dawned on him. There might be a way to win against Kalen and all he needs is a bit of luck.
"Lilian, can you do me a favor?" Noah asked while he reached out and held her hand.
Napatango si Lilian unsure how she can help.
"Watch the fight and be on my side. And when you see that I am losing against the prince offer me words of encouragement." Saad nito.
Lilian had no idea how it can help her friend pero nagparaya ito sa gusto ni Noah and she nodded eventually.
Noah smiled and embraced Lilian tightly.
The intensity of the crowd who gathered around to witness the fight is electrifying. The soldiers were in full support of their prince and the clashing of blade and shield served as a chant that made Noah feel even more nervous.
He changed his stance and stood leaning forward habang nakahawak nang mahigpit ang kanyang kamay sa bitbit nitong sandata. His eyes were on his opponent, and he couldn't help but think this was a bad idea. Kalen looked naturally intimidated in his armor, he was poised and elegantly waving his blade like a fashion show. Noah adjusted his helmet as he suddenly felt suffocated inside it, he is not used to these types of armories and his body felt unfamiliar to him, but it was too late to back out now. He agreed to this fight, and he needs to see it through for the sake of his goal.
Unang sumugod ng mabilisan si Kalen surprising Noah in the process, he steps backward trying to counter the punishing strength of the prince ng muntik na siyang mawalan ng balanse. He was able to support his weight using his left arm, but Kalen saw this as an opportunity to strike again. He was holding in as he felt each vibration of the metal blade colliding with each other. His hands started to feel numb, but Kalen was relentlessly pounding him non-stop. Noah was on the verge of dropping the sword from the constant assault when he saw an opportunity to kick Kalen on his legs making him stumble abruptly on the ground. Noah readily put some distance between them as he eased the throb on his hands.
He heard the loud booing from the soldiers, but he blocked all the noises trying to concentrate on his opponent up front.
"You can give up now Noah..." Kalen mockingly uttered.
Noah's lips quivered in annoyance but they didn't reply to Kalen's taunting.
"You can't win" saad nitong walang halong emosyon. Just stating some facts.
Noah initiated the attack this time around and as expected Kalen blocked it with ease. He tried to find any openings that could land a hit, but Kalen is just way faster than his offense is useless.
He was yet again forced to back down and catch his breath after receiving all of Kalen's assault. Noah was breathing heavier, he was sweating and panting that he now swallowed dry saliva. When everything seemed futile, out of nowhere he heard it. Amidst the bustling crowd, he heard her screaming voice.
"Noah! Don't give up! I trust you and I believe you can win this!" Lilian shouted.
Napalingon si Noah ng mabilisan at patakbong lumapit kay Lilian at walang pasabing niyakap niya ito ng mahigpit.
Lilian then heard his words. "I'm sorry" at hinalikan siya nito sa pisngi.
It ended quickly but enough to permanently tinge her cheek red. Lilian was caught off guard, the hug and kiss were not part of the plan.
Noah went back to face Kalen once again showing like he acquired some newly found strength after their display. He saw the jealousy injected into his opponents' eyes and how it made Kalen reckless. Without a word Kalen moved forward and raised his blade at Noah, he was moving much more aggressively this time. He swung his blade to the right side and Noah breathed a quick air when he caught it, he could only imagine how painful it would be if his slashing penetrated his flesh, but Kalen did not stop. Muli nitong itinaas ang kanyang espada wanting to end this fight when he heard Lilian scream again.
"Noah!"
Hindi maitago ang pag-aalala sa bosses nito and that made Kalen momentarily hesitate, he stared at her wondering why he was rooting for his opponent and not him when all of a sudden a sharp blade was pointing at Kalen's neck while Noah could hardly stand with his two feet.
Kalen lost. His eyes went wide at the realization.
Silence lingered for a while when suddenly Roma intervened and acknowledged the result of the fight. Kalen was unsure how to feel about it.
"I will never be able to win against your strength, but I can stir emotion within you waiting for an opening to get you distracted" Noah managed to say.
Kalen tried to process his words and when it finally dawned on him, he burst out laughing. "Clever, evil but clever" he shakes Noah's hands and when the final ounce of Noah's strength is consumed, he stumbles on the ground exhausted.
******************
"Tell me about this witch Galinda" Noah curiously asked as they trailed the dark forest ahead. The preparation for their journey was set not long after Kalen lost in their public fight. They didn't delay the journey since Kalen needed to return quickly to aid his brother in preparing for the attack, they planned to launch against Lavitica.
Nakasakay sila sa kabayo habang binabaybay ang madilim na parte ng gubat. Noah does not usually get scared, there is no such thing as monsters and beasts in his world and he always believes that if he can fight them fist to fist, he can find a way to keep himself safe but it's not the same in this realm. He felt a chill on his spine when he noticed that as they go deeper on their tracks the air becomes even thicker and pungent. All his senses are screaming danger.
"Legend says that Galinda is used to terrorize the villagers and innocent beings, she is generally fond of causing trouble. A malevolent witch that is extremely dangerous." Roma filled him in.
"Ano ang kapangyarihang taglay nito?" Noah added.
"Witches usually use powerful magic and it can vary on the level of harm they can inflict to their victims." Kalen joined in the conversation.
Noah swallowed.
"Have there been reports of recent attacks happening in this part of the forest?" He dared ask.
"No one knows, but if someone mistakenly roamed within this land, they wouldn't be able to come out alive to tell the tale" Roma answered sending another chill on Noah's spine.
"It seems this quest is really dangerous; how can we beat Galinda then?" He finally asked the right question.
"They have few weaknesses. Decapitation, stabbing, and ripping their heart out. They are not immune to physical pain." Kalen answered this time.
Noah pondered understanding why they needed Kalen however if the witch is powerful, it wouldn't allow them to even get a few feet closer to her.
"We are almost here" Roma warned. Kalen grimaced when he felt the muddy soil as the horses slowly stepped onto that trail.
Noah saw a rundown hut just a few meters in front of them and he did not need to be told that this was where the witch's lair lay. The entire place is plain spooky it was like a real recreation of the cabin in the woods sort of movie with a twist of real witches living in it.
The door swung open suddenly and the three men readily stopped. At the entrance, Noah saw the creature. She has a hideous appearance, mumbling to herself with that dreamy, ghastly smile. Her hair was lank and lusterless, falling around her like strings of rotting straw.
Noah imagined a cauldron bubbling slowly inside her house when he noticed smoke emerging on her chimney.
Her lupine eyes, savage and cunning, only came to life when she muttered certain words they could not decipher.
"A human?" She said loudly, smiling in anticipation.
Her hawkish and hooked nose sniffed the air trying to find the scent of the mortal. Noah saw that in front of the witch's nose sprang the most preposterous wart. It was at least the size of a saucer. It would have been funny if the scene wasn't so horrifying.
"Come in, come in human..." Her wheezy, cackling voice rose higher and higher. A portion of her row teeth were seen, blackened, and broken. She has the darkest eyes brows Noah had ever seen and it hinted at cruelty as they arced up and over her dead-fish eyes. Those eyes suddenly shimmered with spite for a thousand years as she turned fully toward Noah's direction and pinned him with her terrifying gaze.
"Galinda, we want to offer a trade with you. If you have the time to talk to us?" Roma calmly asked.
Napalingon ito sa kinaroroonan ni Roma at biglang napangiwi. Her earlier smugness lessened when she saw the sorcerer. Her demeanor changed completely and Noah realized, she was afraid.
"What does the wise man from the north want from me and worst traveling with a human?" she prompted.
Hindi ito sinagot ni Roma instead he moved closer to the witch hut.
"Do you admit us to your own home Galinda?" Muli nitong tanong.
With a bit of resistance Galinda nodded eventually. Both Kalen and Noah step out of their horses at naglakad patungo sa pinto ng bahay ng mangkukulam habang nauna ng pumasok si Roma.
When Noah entered the doorway Galinda leaned her face forward towards him, sniffing his entire being. Noah could smell the rotten passage of her breath that he tried so hard not to grimace.
"I wish I could say dinner is served but it can wait" Saad nito na nakatingin ng mataimtim kay Noah while she licked her lips.
Is she planning to eat me? Sumagi sa isip nito.
Kalen glanced at the house quickly and he wanted to get out of there soon. The entire hut is filthy. Dead bones are scattered on the floor while preserved bats are hanging on the ceiling looking more ominous than ever. He then sees Galinda's altar and in the center of it is a statue that he can only imagine. The God of darkness perhaps or whoever other malevolent entity that these witches worship but his eyes didn't dwell on those specifically, in the corner of the table right beside these statues was the black candle placed in a holder filled with cobwebs and dirt. Kalen cannot be mistaken. Ito ang tanging bagay na ipinunta nila sa kagubatang iyon.
Roma and Noah also saw what Kalen noticed. Noah breathed and thought there it was. Their ticket back home and it's only a few feet away from him. He wanted to just reach out and run but he knew he could not do that. The powerful Galinda would curse him in the most gruesome way possible.
"What an odd pair you have here wise man. What does the prince of Silla and this human do in my forest?" She glides across the room and Noah has no idea how she did that.
Can she fly? He wanted to confirm.
"Curious as ever Galinda, shall we tell you our business so we can be on our way soon?" Roma uttered coldly.
Muli itong lumapit kay Noah and like a crazy person she moved her face closer to his lips acting like he was whispering to her ears. Noah was frozen on his feet.
"I sense fright in you human" Tumawa to teasing him even more.
"I know why you are here. You want my candle" pagsasaad nito na ikinagulat ni Noah.
"I will give it to you in exchange for this mortal..." pagbabahagi nito ng walang pag-aalinlangan. Noah's eyes went to Roma and Kalen and the two of them stood still and didn't retaliate against her negotiations.
They couldn't possibly be handing him over as the witch's food in exchange for the candle, right? Is he the bait after all?
Noah swallowed fully regretting his decision more than anything else.