The Hidden Heir's Love

5: Paradise

“The war is getting more and more out of hand,” Srugor Annister—his father, his only guardian—said as soon as he entered the house.

Lowering the things he brought, Ragar looked at the man—on his still young face and pure, blank white eyes. From their appearances, it would have been a question of whether they are really related. Srugor does not look anything like him—there was not even the slightest attribute that could pinpoint something similar with them—but for all the years that he became conscious of his surroundings and that certain things have bothered him, he chose not to speak his mind at all, not entertain whatever questions on his mind.

He grew up with Srugor by his side and he finds it rude to question the man when he never really did anything.

But then, maybe that is the problem—that Srugor did not do anything for him.

He breathed deep, this kind of realization is not what he wanted to think of at this moment. He has been working on the field all day and he does not want to tire himself more by these thoughts plaguing his peace of mind. Grabbing the dry wood he has collected from the forest, he then set them near the fireplace. He was occupied with his task that he almost jumped when he felt Srugor who is suddenly by his side and telling him what is going on outside their sanctuary—as if that bothers them at all.

"Do you understand what it means, Ragar?" the man asked, holding his cane tightly and looking straight at him even if he cannot see.

Usually, they do not really converse with one another. They are very much content with each other’s presence that they knew exactly what to do without telling what they want. It is only upon matters in Sinag did Srugor talks to him so eagerly like at this moment.

"I understand it, Sire,” he said even if he does not really know what to make of the war getting more out of control by the King.

He just does not see any point in bothering himself with dreadful things like that when he is stuck in this place. The war is none of his concern—as long as it does not reach them which thankfully, has not happened throughout the years that it has been going on.

"Then you must always keep in mind the decisions you are going to make. It will hold a great effect on you and may also have on the people around you."

He just nodded and finally, the man left him alone—settling on his rocking chair with a view of the falls, something he cannot even appreciate since he cannot see.

Alhalla is what they call their place and admittedly, it is a land of great beauty. Everything around them is breathtaking—from the sky, to the plants which give them more than enough to eat, the water, and the magnificent animals passing once in a while. It was something that is described in the books as paradise—a place mayhap close to the gods other than the temple in Malyen where the Holy Ones are gathered.

Though despite the beauty and the peace it brings, he is not contented. He grew up in this place, gotten used to everything around him that his everyday tasks had been a routine of the same old thing. What he longs for is an adventure, for something more than just seeing this view and doing the same activities over and over again.

He is thankful for what he has but he cannot help but long for something more to this life and he is certain there is more to offer if he just comes out of his comfort zone.

Srugor does not say anything about going out of this place but since the man never discusses the world outside other than the war, he automatically thinks that Srugor forbids it—scaring him off with the events happening in Sinag so he wouldn’t dare venture more on topics about it. But then, the more he thinks about it even if it is not favorable to him, the more he wanted to go.

He heard Srugor sigh, muttering something. He left his task to go to the man and saw him spaced out—mayhap having a Sight again.

Ragar knew that Srugor is a Seer and he was exiled to this part of Sinag because he was deemed to be mad for all the things he is saying—calling him bluff and refusing to believe the sightings he speaks of. Despite all of it, the man’s gift does not just simply go away, he still sees things even people condemn him for it.

And as the man has his sightings, he was there to listen and revel at how the fates of different people he does not know are spoken by his guardian. It just makes him feel that he belongs in a larger world than where he is currently in. He is not ignorant nor was he aloof with people. There are wanderers who come to this place to talk to the Seer even if many have lost their faith in him. There are some who still believe in his Sights and he has the opportunity to speak to them about many great things outside this place. Some of them even invited him to their homes which he has turned down since he has never left this place and he is afraid of what might come with Srugor if he is gone for a long time.

“Ragar,” Srugor called, his hand reaching out. “Ragar.”

He immediately took it. “I’m here, I’m here.”

Srugor finally relaxed but his hold on him remains firm. “It is getting close.”

He breathed deep, already used to Srugor’s vague talks. These are the ones he does not like hearing from him. He speaks so puzzlingly to the point of confusion as to who or what exactly he is talking about.

“What is?”

The man leaned back down on his chair and closed his eyes again, letting out a breath as if he was holding it for a while. “Someone who would change your life completely."

Ragar looked outside the house, just finished cleaning up the dishes they used for dinner, and as he stares at the moon and the field before him, there is something different from the sight and the feel it brings. The night just feels off compared to the past ones and he has already concluded that there must be someone roaming around Alhalla, has plans on attacking them like all the other parts of Sinag that are at war. There is nothing else he could guess upon the shift of the atmosphere, therefore, he should be prepared.

He grabbed his fur cape and axe before going out into the cold night. He moved his weapon in both his hands, readying himself for what is to come as he looks around the place. He roamed his eyes around, scanning the perimeter and not far from him, he saw something moved by the field and he immediately squinted to see what it is but it was not enough. There is no other choice but to move closer. He grabbed a torch and a bow and arrow to be sure. Not wasting any more time, he ran past the pavilion and into the wide lands of crops and plants of various kinds. He settled his torch on one of the holders by a tree while his axe is by his feet before roaming his eyes around the area to locate exactly where the movement is coming from.

“Got you,” he murmured before aiming his arrow at the spot where he saw another movement.

He only froze when he saw it stand up straight, going to its full height.

“By gods,” he said lowly, looking at the monster not far from him. “Thank you.”

He shouldn't be grateful for the danger looming before him but he could not help but be glad for the challenge he is going to face. It has long been without any thrill in his life. Hunting animals for food no longer excites him but seeing a beast in all its glory now gives him a whole other feeling. With his senses heightened, he is surprised even if he is delighted seeing it.

Bislik.

He knew about it from the lessons he had taken from Srugor. It is rare and massive, with claws pointed and sharp as its teeth. From its built, it is obvious that it would be strong. Other than that, it also has the ability to trap its prey with its saliva. He has seen what it looks like from drawn illustrations but seeing it personally now—from the moonlight and the torch as their sources of illumination—the monster was everything he could ever imagine of being.

Aiming the arrow back to the monster, he concentrated on his focus. He has been waiting for some thrill to happen to him for a long time and this moment has actually come. It was all worth the wait if ever he could take some body part of the monster as a souvenir.

He just has to be perfect with his shot.

Finally getting his aim, he released the arrow but the Bislik slightly moved so it was able to dodge his attack. The wind blew harshly in his direction, making him shut his eyes but when he opened them back again, in a mere second, the monster had actually moved fast already, running away from him.

“Bloody hell,” he hissed before stepping forward in great earnest just to catch up with it.

He passed the area where the monster had been and saw that aside from the disturbed crops, there is also a dead animal ruining the organization of the field. He did not hesitate on following, did not let himself be convinced to go back and remain where it is safe. Turning and running in different directions, he does not exactly know where they are going but he was not stopping unless the monster stops.

And it finally did.

The Bislik was just a few meters away from him, moving its head left and right as if trying to find something. He immediately aimed his arrow before it gets away further.

Unexpectedly though, before he could even release it, the monster disappeared with just one step as if it was eaten by the forest.

He groaned, frustrated, as he ran toward the spot where the Bislik suddenly vanished. Lowering his weapon, his skin prickled with awareness when he got nearer.

There is something wrong with this spot.

He just cannot pinpoint what it is. The air was thin and there is another feeling that lingers.

Power?

Danger?

His eyes settled on what was in front of him, noticing that the trees from afar were slightly moving—not just the leaves but the whole trees themselves—something quite impossible to happen.

His mouth parted before raising his hand and what had transpired took him by surprise.

He felt himself being pulled so hard that he could not prevent it. He was consumed by darkness and then there was a forceful push and pull—back to where he came from or to what lies behind the darkness that rules over the place. In the end, the latter won and he was able to pass.

What welcomed him was not far from the darkness he was just in—and from that, he is no longer sure if he should go further or not.

A low growl had his senses alert all over again. He raised his arrow, knowing full well that he is vulnerable in a place of utter blackness and unfamiliar to him. He slowly took a step, careful since he does not know what kind of ground he is treading.

The monster made a noise again and this time, it was farther. He followed it which would have been very wrong for him to do. The Bislik might have only been luring him to a trap and he is willingly going along with it.

Fortunately, his steps were easy since the ground was straight and without any obstructions. It was a plain path—no rocks, no canals, or even a raised ground for him to stumble upon. Finally, he is seeing little light from where he is and he saw the Bislik’s form a few steps away from him. It was unmoving as if waiting for him because when he got close, it started to walk again.

He did not bother raising his weapon again, no longer taking this encounter as a test of his fighting skills but rather an exploration. He does not understand what the monster wants but it is obvious that he is being lured by it. Despite that knowledge, he did not stop. Whatever is urging him to go further is winning quite well from his rational thinking.

They moved past the forest and for the first time in his life, he has seen something that was beyond the safety and beauty he grew up to. With the help of the moonlight, he was able to see the great field in front of him which has none but dead people and a tree in the middle of it all.

He swallowed hard as he watches the Bislik carelessly step on the corpses, hearing the sound of cracking bones and a muddy path.

At that point, he hesitated on crossing, getting farther from his home. He does not know what lies beyond this field. There might be a battle somewhere and he’ll be in the middle of it if he is not careful.

Sighing, he was about to turn and just leave the Bislik alone when he heard it howl. He faced it again but instead of his attention darting at the monster, his eyes were on the form standing at the edge of the slope. His mouth parted when he saw it suddenly fall, rolling down and merely slowing down when it reached the ground.

He shouldn’t concern himself with matters that have nothing to do with his life, he shouldn't even be in this part of the kingdom. But then a part of him couldn’t just leave someone that is in dire need of help. Roaming his eyes around, the Bislik has completely gone off without him noticing—which made him think that it has lured him to this place because of this person. He understands that these rare creatures are close to gods but he could not imagine them being against their true nature. A Bislik is a monster who preys on whoever it desires to, helping someone is not in its design.

Taking his mind off of the monster, he hurriedly ran towards the slope to aid the person who just fell. He tried not to step on corpses but he has no choice since he may smack down on the mud if he did not. When he was able to reach a dry spot, his pace grew quicker and when he got closer, he realized that it was actually a woman.

Her face was slightly covered by her hair and despite her clothes that are all black, he could see the blood on her exposed skin and the wounded arm that was merely tied with a cloth.

"Good evening, Miss. You are badly hurt. Let me take you to our home," he said since that is the only thing he could think of for this situation.