The Signet Ring

Ally or Enemy

The sound of carriage running through the dreadful field echoes in the air. Inside is Cassidy, still asleep drawn deep by some kind of an unknown spell. Ashane smiles devilishly as he pulls the halter on the horse's nose. Who knows I could just end you like this? He thought. Reaching their destination Ashane carries her out of the carriage and laid her on the grass. This is now Neflhim. He thought. I would put something on her to attract the giants to her. He thinks. The giants in Neflhim are not only attracted to the scent of blood but also the girls with lovely faces. Ashane stares at the sleeping Cassidy with loath.

 "Poor for that pretty face of yours who could have thought you're that would be a good bait? Thanks to you Dad." He said.

 Ashane remembers that day his dad told him to lose the fight. 

 " Lose the fight son, but I'll help you punish that girl. Bring her to the place of our ancient enemies. Stronger enemies that even your Great Aunt Cassandra was killed by them", Neji said. 

 Ashane's eyes widened in surprise.

 " She was? ", he replied in disbelief. 

 " I'm catching so many culprits these days, Let me face Cassidy in the finals ", said Neji. 

This is contrary to their first plan where Ashane has to reach and battle with him in the finals and they will orchestrate a show that would make the Velarians believe that his son is his successor. 

 "I'll find a way to give you the signet ring son. Let's deal with those bitches first, okay?" said Neji tapping his son's shoulder. Ashane just nods his head in approval.

 They were so absorbed in their conversation that they did not notice Raye listening to them, hiding behind the thick huge pillar. Raye smirks. If there's really weak in our family it's you Ashane. You're just winning because of your father. What a shame. You all strive for the ring which will land into my fingers in the end. Ray couldn't help but smile at the thought of it.  

 Going back to the dark wide field. Ashane is so confident that this place is Cassidy's weakness.

 "If the phoenix obeys you sorry it can't rescue here." He said with a wicked smile. 

Ashane shivered when he heard loud footsteps and howlings coming. He immediately sits on his carriage and ran away.

 A group of giants walks towards where Cassidy is lying asleep. Their fiery eyes and monstrous growl become intense as they see her from afar. Groaning savagely, horribly, they swiftly rush towards her seems excited by a defenseless prey in front. As when they are about to snatch her, their bodies were cut halves by a sword. It is the girl in the scarlet cloak!

 " Who said you could just die this way? Cassidy?", said the girl in a scarlet cloak. 

 She taps Cassidy on the face, telling her to wake up. But the spell on her is so strong that she can't just undo it instantly. She needs to know first what element was used to cause her to sleep. 

 " Let's get out of here first" she whispers. The girl in the scarlet cloak picks her up. She puts Cassidy's arms on her shoulder and lifts her. 

 " If the phoenix is in you, you should be summoning it now, so we could both get out from here, but you're asleep", she whispers frustratingly. 

 A little more once they get out of this land she can use her full strength. Something is holding my power back here. She thinks. Where are you? The girl in the scarlet cloak looks around as if searching for something.

 " Shabas!", she screams and whistles after. A black horse appears and gallops swiftly towards them. She turns back as she hears other giants coming. Faster! She screams in her mind. She lifted Cassidy unto the horse and she mounted after. She pulled the rope on it and it runs faster as it could. She sees the trees falling as the giants clear those off. The ground is tearing apart. Their huge footsteps cause tremors on the earth. 

 " Faster Shabas", the girl in the scarlet cloak screams. Her heart beats faster. Nearer. We're near out of her! She said on her mind. Okay, a little more gallops Shabas. She said to herself. Her eyes stare intensely towards the tree that identifies the boundary going out from this land. There my power will in there. A little more. She breaths heavily. She looks at her back again. That's it. Just chase us!

 " Chase for your death bastards!", she screams wildly. 

 Now! She said in her mind and flips her fingers. A huge light covers the dark field swallowing the giants that pass throughout Neflhim. They failed to notice they're out of their kingdom already. Their aggression swept them away. The girl in the scarlet cloak smirks. As she heard pieces of their torn bodies, falling unto the ground. She pauses for while.

 " How can you all be wild and brainless?", she said and commands her horse to gallop away. 

 Was it all a dream last night? Cassidy blinks her eyes and grasped her heavy head. Oh no! It's not! She got off quickly as she finally notices she's not in her dormitory. She runs outside from this abandoned hut. Where am I? I must go back to Netiara. She said to herself. She fixes herself. She's still in her sleeping clothes. White long dress and no footwear. She sighs. She walks out from that place with a question in mind. Who helped her last night? It's like she's seen a silhouette of a girl in a red cloak yet it's some kind of a dream. Her face is vague and is covered with a black mask. And one more thing, though she did not see who's the assailant yet she's sure it's either Neji or his son. Cassidy clenches her fists. I must teach you a lesson Neji. Isn't it good to break your confidence before our face-off? She thinks.

The next day in the Academy

 It's another day for Netiara. Now the tournament inside the campus is over and an official announcement is posted that Cassidy is the winner and will be facing Neji, the Royal King and ringmaster. The chattering noises in the huge vintage classroom suddenly cease when Kapono enters. Today is Moralis class. And the great teacher has to handle this subject as his pledge to Cassandra, also to abide by the school rules. In this subject, all the classes are combined.

 " Velaris is a land of light. Light is our essence. A core to who we are. And so our values and practices should abide in the light", Kapono said, opening the topic lesson, holding a short stick in his hand. 

 " As future ringmasters, you should know how to keep this light in you, for keeping this would mean keeping the light in the entire Kingdom", he continues. The students are silent listening to him closely.

 " Now tell me, what would take this light away from you?" Kapono asks

 " Darkness of course!" Cassidy answered confidently from her seat. Kapono's brows furrowed. 

 The students mumble because they have a different answer. They should have said it's the Velarian's enemy - Asmodai. 

 " care to explain?", Kapono replied. 

 Cassidy crosses her legs, her hands steepling, chin up, and she flashes a smile.

 " Do you ever wonder why even the most powerful elements or even the ringmaster weakens in the land of the giants?", Cassidy asks. Her classmates are expectant of what she will say next. 

 " Coz it's a place where darkness prevail and it takes great real light to drive out the darkness in it. Real light can't be taken away. It is something that darkness is afraid of. It is something that darkness cannot overcome" said Cassidy. 

And they all look at her in amazement. They cannot say a word. Even Kapono seems to freeze on his seat with his mouth open. How could this girl from nowhere learn about it? She's talking about Neflhim like she's been there and has battled there?

 Kapono could not help but remembers Cassandra.

 " Your Majesty, Velaris had risen to power. No Kingdom dares to challenge us. The only threat to us is Nephilim. ", said Kapono. 

 Cassandra smiles at him and replied   " Time will come that land will not stand the light in Velaris. Our name stands for light in the universe. One that comes from the cosmos. It takes great real light to defeat the darkness. And that great light is Velaris"  she said.

 Kapono looks at her in bewilderment. I don't get it. He said on his mind. 

 Until now it still puzzles him what was that great real light Queen Cassandra was talking about? Will it come from the signet ring? Or is it in the ringmaster? And now she's hearing the same words from Cassidy? Kapono scratcher his head. 

 " Hmm! ", he clears his throat.

 " What is your idea about that great real light that you just said?", said Kapono. He intends to ask her more this time not to challenge her but to test if she can find some answers in her. 

 Cassidy smiles at him like she's meaning something. Until now Kapono you still didn't know? I might have a mistake in securing your position as a great teacher. She thinks. 

 " Great teacher", Cassidy said in a kind of sarcastic tone. 

 " Do you think we could have an idea about it? When we now have lost our touch on it?", she replied, turning, looking at Ashane. 

 " Right?", she said turning at Ashane on the back. 

 Ashane looks at her in surprise. Is she asking me? He thinks. 

 " Ashane, isn't your father are treating Velarians as commodities?" asks Cassidy, then she turns to Kapono.

" How could you be asking for light now? When all of you are promoting darkness?", Cassidy said, again looking fiercely at Ashane. 

 Hearing that Raye burst a laugh and claps obviously mocking Ashane.

 Ashane hears the students murmuring. Some are laughing. His teeth clenched as his face turns red. He feels embarrassed. 

While Ryse on the side stares at him in disgust.