Game of Destiny [English]

Chapter 6: Nest of memories

I was lying on the green pasture on the small side, a modest portion of the forest in Nambwana. This was our lovely spot when Ulysses and Geselle were still alive. Apart from being far from the forest gate, there are also no hunters coming up here. This area is the comfortable and safest part of this forest for us. We can run and scream freely.

The sky was clear, and it's different on the first day that I came back here after a few hundred years. It's been a week that has expired since that day. And no matter how hard I tried to go back to Racama, I always failed. I even tried to doze off and sleep for a few moments and days, but it also failed. When I wake up, I'm still here alone in my lonely universe. I can't go back to Racama right away. I don't even know how I can go back there through sleeping. Things that surely I will overcome for a limited couple of time. Perhaps I don't need to hurry.

I miss them both. Even I won't acknowledge the fact that their presence is remaining and lingering in the four corners of this place. I grew up with Ulysses, and all the usable time in his life, he is always on my side. Even on his death, even on his last glimpse and final breathe. We matured concurrently. When I choose to confess my feelings to a mere mortal, he was there—grinning, clapping both his hands and encouraging me along the way.

“You can do that, Prince Asa! You're the best!” he yelled as if I was on the battlefield, “Give her the wreath of wildflowers and asked her out. If she likes you, she will accept it..”

“Do you believe that she will appreciate me?”

“Of course! You are our handsome vampire prince.”

“Are you sure?”

He nods and taps me on my shoulder.

“One hundred percent sure.”

I can still hear his voice in my mind, and I can still smell his familiar scent lingers in the air. Maybe that's how it is. No matter how many hundreds of decades have passed, your love for your best buddy and best friend will never fade. Like the affection and devotion I have for my woman Geselle, no matter how far she exists and lives, I am willing to traverse the cosmos to be with her.

“Were drenching wet, Ulysses!" I shouted as he throws us some drops of water using both hands. Gee and I were sitting on the mat that he lay down on the lush meadow. It was our first date after she said yes. “Stopped! I am notifying you!"

He laughed so hard and loud. He coughs when his voice cracks.

"I've told you, Ulysses!” I said with a troubled voice, “You come here!”

I pointed out my point of the finger at him. He smiles while walking towards us. We are wearing some clothes to be look likes mortal. Ulysses is wearing black pants, black boots. A light green shirt that made his glamorous body uncover and reveal. I was wearing white pants, a white shirt, and black boots. The jet-black cap is sitting on my head.

“You look like more than friends. What I mean is similar like siblings.” Geselle said as she opens the lid of cold bottled water, “Ulysses, here drink this!” she offered him the water.

Ulysses looks startled. He paused for a bit and discreetly glanced at me. I glared at him too. I restrained myself from explaining in my mind that he needs to bluff and pretend, at least. He furrowed and wrinkled his nose. I shuddered my head. He is now waiting for my answer.

What the heck Ulysses! Accept it and pretend that you are fellow gentleman mortals!

I snatched the bottled water from Gee's hand. She stared at me blankly, a bit frightened about what I did. I gulped the water in one go before Ulysses can interrupt me.

“Prince--”

“Thank you, Gee,” I said, turning my head in her way. “I am ashamed. I’m thirsty too.”

Her eyes twinkle like the luminous star in the sky in the middle of a night. Her smile reflects the magical moon up in the sky. She's innocuous like the warmth of its moonlight.

“No, Asa, it's fine.” she hovered her hand in front of me. Her eyes are still sparkling. “I don't mind. We have a ton of bottled water here.”

I sniffed while suppressing my whimpers. I wrapped my blurry eyes that ample of tears using my one arm. Going back to our past is still unbearable and burdensome. Significantly, they were gone now and left me all by myself in a deserted nest of our memories.

“Thank you, Gee,” I uttered while Ulysses is crouching beside me.

“You're always welcome, Asa.”

After I've met her on that day, in the rice and cornfields, I repeatedly went to their community almost every day. Some of those days, I will saw her walking on that field or helping her mother trades their new produce vegetables. And some other days, she will steal some glances from me. I always notice her doing that since I am gawking from afar distant.

“Do you like her?” Ulysses whispered behind his palm on my ear.

I shamelessly nod. We are on the same rough street as the few mortals are. They were strolling, wandering around on their habitat. Ulysses is holding on to their feet, the five alive weaklings.

“You have to be kidding me.”

“I am not.”

He stopped walking and block my way.

“Are you even serious with that Prince Asa?”

I stared at his face, particularly at his eyes. I am serious right now. I hope he felt that too.

“Yes.”

He laughed without any humor. The chickens that he was carrying made a small outcry.

“But Prince Asa, she is just the mere mortal. You can't fall in love with a mortal. You knew that rule very well. When we were in our twenties, we studied them word per word. You have to--”

I put both of my hands on his shoulder that made him stop nagging. A flicker of fears and concerns begin to express from his pair of raven eyes. He knew me exceptionally well too. I won't stop until I get what I want. I was spoiled as a brat inside our kingdom by my parents and our clan. He broke me too sometimes, as his buddy and only best friend. That's us.

“I know Ulysses, ” I agree to what he has explained, “But she had this scent that I can't resist.”

“Scent? Do you mean the..” he doesn't want to continue his concern. He is more terrified now. “She has the smell of sacred scent?” I repeatedly nod before I begin to stroll again. He came next to me and walked with me.

Sacred scents are one way to awaken the sense of smell; it is rare in our clan to find it in the blood of a mortal human. In one hundred percent, they only had a chance of one percent. The sense of smell is one of the most primal of reasons. Vampires like us used this tactic to find our mate. It stirs the deep-seated emotions that lie forgotten for a long time in our bodies.

“It so rare..” Ulysses murmured, “I can't believe this. Is this even real?”

He looked at me; his eyes were full of emotions of amazement. I smile a bit. My eyes were roaming around on his innocent and trustworthy's face.

“Ulysses?”

“Yes, Prince Asa?”

“Don't tell it to my parents; they might freak out if they found out.”

He repeatedly nods; the ghost of a smile was hiding on his narrow brims and teasing eyes. It quite irritating, but I would rather believe in him than anyone else.

“Alright, I will keep this secret of yours until my last breath.”

I gently tapped him on his shoulder.

“I'll kill you once you spread it like blazing fire. You should watch your mouth.”

He just laughed. I'll take that he replied yes.

It was mid-day on the last week of May when Ulysses and I were wandering around. The mortal community was packed with visitors that came from a different town. The warm breeze accompanied the loud music from the drum and other instruments. Visitors, we're gathering beside the freeway.

“What is happening?” I asked Ulysses, who's standing beside me; his eyes were busy lurking on a group of beautiful women in the crowd. “Ulysses!”

He looked at me, startled and terrified.

“Ow, Ow!” his eyes flicker, “What is it, Prince Asa?”

I glared at him back to the group of women he is fantasizing about.

“Which one of them?” I asked him in a severe tone, his eyes widened. “I will kill her in front of your eyes right at this moment so you can go back to your senses.”

“Prince Asa--”

I suppressed my laugh.

“I am asking you what is this all about?” I pinpoint the starting procession and parade not far from our side. We are quietly tall compared to the mortals. “Is this kind of festival or something?”

“Oh, that one?” he asked in a worried voice, “It's their annual event or gathering every last week of May. They were called this event as Harvesting and Thanksgiving Festival, Prince Asa. They harvest the various crops, and for the word thanksgiving, they offer and give the crops to anyone for free. But before they do that, they will do the traditional procession or parade through the whole town carrying all of those crops they have harvested.” he gestures to me the approaching parade.

"That sounds good and fun,” I replied, “It the helping your colleagues and friends.”

My eyes were capturing all the women's faces who are joining the said parade. They were wearing the same design and color as a white dress. They have different shades of cloth tied up around their heads. I abruptly remembered Gee and our first met in the rice and cornfields.

Will she join in the parade? Maybe.

“Yes, it is Prince Asa, but we can't join and ask for crops. We need fresh blood, not the crops.”

Ulysses, we're right; we don't need the crops. We prefer fresh blood from animals.

“How about their livestock Ulysses? Aren't they giving them for free too?”

Ulysses laughed out pretentious at my silly question. He shook his head and stared at me. I also cracked up at myself because of my foolish concern. I am the vampire prince; we live in the palace. We have a ton of guards; in short, I came from a wealthy vampire family. And here I am in mortals' den, hoping for their livestock to be lent for free. Before I could explain myself, Ulysses uttered something that leads me to be more humiliated. Few mortals gave attention to us; they heard what Ulysses said. Their suspicious stares became uncomfortable for me.

“Let's go, Ulysses,” I said in a defeated tone; I strolled and found the way out of the crowd.

“Prince Asa, I should have been punished by death. I didn't intend to offend and humiliate you in front of them.”

“It's okay, you were right. I came from a wealthy family; I shouldn't say that.” I replied while still striding in the group of mortals; I put my hands behind. “Being a vampire is hard. I don't have the privilege to ask for single livestock for free. I am sorry for that, Ulysses.” I emphasized the word ‘sorry.’ I am upset and furious.

“Prince Asa, please kill me!” he grabs my hand from behind, his head is looking down on his shoes. “I don't have the right to live. I deserve death!”

The scorching sun is still up in the sky even though the tired day is about to say goodbye. The instruments that resonate between fields and homes are growing louder. Some of the onlookers are already dancing; they mimic the steps of the women's n in front of the long parade.

I frowned at Ulysses, who was still bowing in front of me. I took a deep gust of breath. I was still looking at the glamorous women that kept swaying on the onto parade. I have the gut feeling that I can see her with them. I will saw her dancing beautifully. Most of them are carrying some portions of vegetables. They are holding them as if they were modeling each crop.

“Prince Asa, please kill me this instant! I have committed the unforgiving sin!”

I ignored him, who's readying his self for kneeling in front of me. My eyes were glued on a woman who's dancing beautifully over the slow car moving that they were decorated with various crops. Her thin and red lips smiled, as did of her eyes that turned golden brown every time it was kissed by the old ray of sun. She wore a dress that colored lush green; it portrays leaves and crops. She is the only one who has a different color of the dress. Her hair swish as her whole body dance to the loud music of different types of instruments.

"Ulysses, do you see what I see?" I asked, holding his hand tightly to restrain him from kneeling, "It's Geselle!"

His confused eyes dart at me.

"Who's Geselle?" he asked.

I grabbed him by his shoulder. I shooked his body excitedly.

"Geselle! My woman who holds a sacred scent on her blood!”

He looked at me in shock.

"How do you know her name?"

I let go of his shoulder, giving my full attention to the woman who had a great smile.

"Do you remember the day when I first came out of the palace?" he nodded, intensely looking at me. "I've met her that day when you left me to pick up the livestock. We've met that day in the rice and cornfields.”

“Let's go!” Ulysses dragged me to someplace.

“W-Where?”

“Get some wildflowers and give it to her!” he said as if I was passionless, “Asked her out. She is your woman now! Do something so you could own her!”

" Ulysses...wait!”

“You like her, right?” I nod while looking at his eyes, "Do you want me to fetch those flowers for you?” the ghost of a smile was hiding behind his grinning eyes, “You can do that, Prince Asa; you like her, don't you?”

“Yes, I like her. That's why I was the one who's picking up those flowers for her,” I replied impatiently.

And an instant, I flee to the vast field of wildflowers.