The Creatures Series

Eleventh Night

Eleventh NightCreatures of the Night

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##### Eleventh Night #####

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Play safe if you want an easy life. Me? I’d rather have danger as my playmate.

It’s been a week since I’ve arrived in the Blancort Residence. I’ve been trying to escape from the manor, but Valline was always ready and had set blockers all over the place. And when I did manage to go through all of his traps, his ring started having its function. It froze my blood in a second and stopped me from moving. Then, he took the advantage of my weakest time to drag me back to my current bedroom with his power.

Black and white really doesn’t mix. So his affection towards me is really a huge question mark. How can he still able to smile whenever he arrives at my bedroom while delivering food for me three times a day? Even after every time I tried to escape from his home? Doesn’t he even feel irritated that I’ve been going against his wish to stay in here?

He never blinks when he sees me. He never even flinches when I yell at him. He doesn’t act like kids around his age. Most of the time he can be pretty calm and loving, but the other side of him is something I don’t wanna see ever again.

He’ll hold my hand and kiss the ring (is it just a gesture or did he also restore the power within it? I don’t know) every time he approached me. Tried to reason with me every time I couldn’t stand being held captive inside this room with his smile. He knows that his charm power doesn’t work on me. But he just does it anyway, thinking that someday I’ll even find it acceptable.

Other than that, he never tried to do anything to me. That ’ s good. But I can ’ t just be relieved and stay here as long as he wishes. I have friends and family waiting for my return. When they found out that I was gone, they must have been really worried. There was no note, no message left. And then they probably had tried to look for me to every corner of the world. My parents must be home already; their vacation only lasted for a week. They just can ’ t look at one place ─ here.

Once they’ve finish looking, or had finished it, then they will soon figure out where I am. That’ll be good. They’ll get me out of here by then. But for how long? I haven’t even heard any news of them lurking at the Blancort’s area.

Or perhaps.... they’ve given up.

They couldn’t risk saving me if that means that they have to battle against the Blancorts. Besides, the Blancorts have Valline at their side. I don’t know how powerful he is yet, but he’s stronger than me. And Sorcier doesn’t have me at their place anymore. They couldn’t lose the possible number of dead members if they launch the attack to save me. So, instead, they just give up without knowing Valline’s planned preposition.

It’s sad to think about it. But it’s for the best. They can replace me, my position as the strongest member after the leaders’ or as my parents’ child. Link can inherit Sorcier for me. They’ll finally have a successor that they wanted for Sorcier.

“Arsene,” Valline voice echo through my room, dismissing my thoughts. I can hear his footsteps getting closer and closer until he’s behind me. “I have news for you. My grandfather had agreed. We’re getting married soon,” he says, still with his silly little smile.

“What? How come? And I thought you’re the only one who know that I’m here,” I say.

“I am. He doesn’t know that you’re here yet. Or even about the part that we’re already engaged. But that doesn’t matter. As long as he agreed.”

“How do you know that he really even mean it?”

“My grandfather always grant my wishes.”

“Why doesn’t it occur to you that this will be the first time he’ll say no? There’s a first for everything, you know? Or that is, if you’ve heard of that expression.”

“Of course I’ve heard that; I’m not stupid. And why would you think that he’ll say no after approving it?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because you have this crazy idea of marrying a Noirmelns like me,” I say with sarcasm.

“It doesn’t matter. The wedding is still on the go,” he say, then stomping his feet out of the room.

I’m ready to make another escape attempt, when I feel it. Not just one, but six wizards are coming the side of the forest. They’re here. My friends.

I don’t waste any time in going through the new trap hole that I just newly found out and it isn’t working that well as it is supposed to be. The bathroom window. I climb to the top of the toilet once I get in and destroy the ventilation with a single blow of my black smoke. I crawl out into the hole where the ventilation was used to be and free myself. This time, with suppressing the ring on my finger.

I walk out to the open field, miles away from the first tree of the forest to spot. No one felt my presence just yet. I use that time to erase my presence as possible, with my black glamour. Then, I sharpen my senses to where my friends are with my long distance eyesight.

Black fog is framing my eyes sight. My sight passes the grasses and trees quickly. I spot six figures soon in the middle of the forest. They’re really here, in the Blancort’s area. And well prepared. I see Banri walking with a red crest on his hands and immediately recognize the dark symbols.

I retreat my eyes sight soon.

They must be going on a front attack, but just a diversion. I walk myself to the front part of the manor just so that I can appear in the right moment.

I wait for 5 minutes until the earth is moving massively. Shrade. He creates mountains of earth in the field, even though I can’t see him just yet. This cause the Blancorts to wake up from their afternoon slumbers (they do not literally sleep, though) and walk outside to check on what’s going on. Stupid move. They’re walking right into my friend’s trap.

My ring buzzes lightly and that’s my cue that Valline has know that I’m gone. So I bring up my glamour once more. It’s hard to move when I put my glamour on, because it feels like the gravitation just get 10 times stronger. It’s one of Valline’s powers, from what I’ve learn.

I wouldn’t be available to see it for now. But Valline will find me soon when he feels something that he can’t reach in the resident area. And that’s when he’ll find me. Then he’ll pierce through my glamour with his light until it destroys it and showers me with it.

I turn my attention back to the grass field. The raised earth starts flying towards the manor, making the Blancorts scream in panic as it starts crashing their beautiful home into holes. Shrade is ready for round two when he gathers more earth, and so are the Blancorts.

This time, Shrade’s attacks are combined with Banri’s fire, making fireballs as heavy and hot as possible. The Blancorts are having a hard time dodging the attacks, but they managed to fight back a couple of times. Soon, my friends joined forces and starts the real battle.

I’ve seen them in action before, but not much or even lately. Arch’s swords and bows are flying to the enemy’s side. Crease’s winds are whirling into tornados. Shrade can move thousands of pounds of mountains after many forces. Shara has her pink lights flashing line of death rays. Nono can create dragons, bulls, and gorillas from his painting. And Banri just burn half of the area down.

Whatever practice they’ve been working on, it surely works.

But the Blancorts aren’t easy to defeat. They put up quite a fight to balance the situation just well.

When there’s an opening, Banri use that change to break through the field while carrying the box and calls my name.

“Arsene!”

“In here,” I reply yelling, putting my glamour away and run to him.

I dodge the attacks that the Blancort launch at me when I run past their view. Banri does the same thing. There’s a very high mountain that separates us when he finally got as close as we can. We’re so close. Then, Banri use a creative move and throw the box at me.

I catch it just in time with both of my hands. I put it on the ground immediately and open it. Inside, an illuminating light of red shining blindingly at me. It’s pushing away everything with its forces until the air is clean and opens a path for me. The light dies as soon as it appears, finally letting the vision of a black simple key in it.

I grab it and pull it out.

I look at Banri one last time, making sure that he’s okay as he nods, before using the key.

This key is one of seven keys that I had. It can unlock another different level of power that’s been kept away from my body when I was a child. This one was given to Banri after the ritual of sealing finished, trusting him as one of the carriers. The box that’s sealing the key is only available for use when it really is the needed time to use, like now. But no one can actually touch the key unless it’s the wizard that owns it.

I hold the key in the air. And unlocking the seal that looks invisible in the mid-air, I turn the key and let the portal open.

It’s black, with my family’s ancient symbol covering the entire portal. The lines of the portal border are moving, alive. And the world that it’s opening to is powerful. I can feel it with all my senses as my powers are pulled out like my body is the magnet from the inside of the portal, wrapping themselves around my body.

Finally.... After such a long time.... I can feel myself quite full enough....

The next thing I do when I get some of my power back is crucial. Within seconds, I manage to hold back most of the enemies down with giant shadow hands coming from me. The next two left is the elder Freddrickson dé Blancort, and the other one is Valline himself.

I pose an inviting fighting stance, challenging them. My friends have stop attacking and coming closer to watch. This gonna be interesting. A Noirmelns girl versus two strongest Blancorts. Will this be a fight to the death? Ending to the war?

“Noirmelns,” Freddrickson mutters, acknowledging me. “What brings you to our land? Are you not afraid of the consequences that you’ve brought to your family just by destroying our manor with your groupie friends?” He asks.

“It is not me who come here, but your grandson that brought me here. I was trapped inside one of your guest rooms, if you and the rest of your family haven’t noticed. Your grandson kidnapped me from my bedroom and kept me there since the past week. I’ve been trying to get out, but he never lets me. He even puts this in my finger,” I say, showing him the tattoo ring.

The rest that’s been held down by me are echoing gaps, while Freddrickson remains silent. He looks at Valline and asks him, “It is true? What the Noirmelns girl said?”

He nods. “Yes. She’s telling the truth,” he answers with firm eyes. Then, he turns his look at my direction. “I love her and I want to marry her. That’s why I kidnapped her and has been keeping her inside my room.” So that’s his room. But why would he let me stay in there, while he stays in.... Where? I don’t even know and only has been assuming.

“I see,” is only Freddrickson low response.

“I truly apologize from the behalf of my grandson,” he says to me. “I really have no idea of what’s he been doing. When he asks about marrying you, I was surprised to hear that. I was only agreeing Valline’s request to please him as always. I never knew that he’s so selfish, until today. I’m really ashamed of what he has done. Please accept my deepest regrets and lack of education of him,” he says bowing to me.

“No, elder. What are you doing?” a female voice asks from the hold down Blancort crowd.

“Don’t bow to the Noirmelns girl. That’s a disdain to our family,” a male one say.

“Don’t do it, elder. She doesn’t deserve it,” the other man say.

I ignore them and bow back as respect. “I’ll forget about this case if you promise not to attack my family or Sorcier after this. And I want a real promise, not just any words. Show me the mark,” I say.

Freddrickson looks back at his dearest grandson before looking back at me again. “Very well,” he replies sighing.

He pulls a small dagger out from one of his pockets and scratches his palm in front all of us. “I promise,” he mutters. The scar heals fast with a white glow. The red blood trail disappears without a trace from his flesh, that’s now as smooth as ever. Only one light blue line left.

The mark of a wizard’s promise.