A KISS OF RAGE AND FIRE

SIX

PART II: THE ROYAL CAPITAL

KATHARINE ARATHORNE

Katharine groaned when her back hit the ground. Master Amon grimaced at her. "What did you learn from your one month of stay there, girl?" He motioned the sword. "On your feet." And he stood in his fighting stance. It took all of her self-control not to roll her eyes.

"It's only my first day, why do you have to be so uptight?" She groaned as she stood up. Sword fighting wasn't really her forte and Master Amon knows it so he is currently training her for it. It's been five days since she finished her training at the Assassin's Fortress and she can say she learned something: she adapted waking up damn early. Staying at the Fortress for a month made her a morning person. She wakes up at five o'clock in the morning now. She tried going back to sleep every time her body wakes her up early in the morning but her body clock was hell-bent on keeping the routine she adapted back in the fortress. Assassins in the fortress, apparently, don't use swords. They're more adept in sneak attacks. She never mastered close combat. What she learned was how to make the opponent unconscious by pressing two points in the nape. Or how to find inner peace by meditation. Or fighting wraiths while on her way to fetch water from the oasis.

Another thing she learned was making weapons out of the fire. It was an idea Marceline gave her and she tried it. It was hard at first but every night, before he goes to bed, she would practice making something out of her fire. Starting from making simple shapes until she started making complicated ones.

Marceline. She doesn't have any clue where she is now or if she was able to make the medicine that could cure the virus she was talking about. The rest of her month's stay in the fortress wasn't easy as it took all her self-control not to strangle Jude. He spent all his time trying to point her to be Marceline's accomplice but because he doesn't have any evidence, the Master disregarded it and wrote a note that she has gained the Assassins' trust and that she has completed her training. That's what she showed to her father when she got home. Jude has never been friendly with her and it got worse when the Master took her side.

"Nobody knows how to use that scroll but me. It is useless on the wrong hands."  It was what the Master said after Jude expressed the urgency of the matter. Katharine was then Jude's number one hated person, not that she mind since she's used to getting hate. She could have sworn Jude was grinning from ear to ear when it was time for her to leave the Fortress.

She held her sword. Hindi pa siya sanay na hawakan ang sandata. Archery is her forte, not swords. She stood in her stance and looked at Master Amon.

"Good, good. That look could intimidate your opponent," he took a step close and swing his sword. She shielded it with hers. "But you should be able to keep your opponent intimidated in a fight. If you think you are stronger than your opponent, show them the difference of your powers." He pushed harder and she gritted her teeth as Master Amon easily pushed her and she hit the ground again. Master Amon swung his sword gracefully and pointed it just under her chin. The blade glinted under the afternoon sun.

"But if you think you are weaker than your opponent, don't show it to them."

"So I'll keep looking intimidating even if I have my ass kicked. Is that what you're saying?"

He pulled the sword away, took a step back, and motioned his head for her to stand up. She lost count of how many times she has fallen to the ground. This is her first day and she feels like she has already bruised her butt.

"Perseverance, little girl."

The Master swung his sword back to its sheath.

"That will be all for today. By tomorrow, I expect you to hold yourself against me. Is that understood?" he said and she nodded. Her mind has been thinking about a lot lately. But most of it is about Marceline. Was she able to find a way to use the scroll? Why is nobody ever talking about an infection somewhere in the Kingdom?

"Where is Master Lupin now?" tanong niya sa matanda. His brows quirked up.

"Why? Did I wound you, little girl?"

Sinamaan niya ito ng tingin. Of all people in the Palace, Master Amon is the only one who calls her little girl. She's used to it, in fact.

"I have something to ask him," she merely said and did not wait for him to answer because he won't give her a clear answer anyway. But before she could even take ten steps, Master Amon called her.

"He is in his study," he said and she nodded.

Agad siyang nagpunta sa tinutukoy ng matanda and indeed, she saw Master Lupin in the study, reading something. He looked up and when he realized it was her, agad itong tumayo and bowed slightly.

"Your Highness," the old man said. She just nodded and he straightened his back.

"To what do I owe this sudden visit?"

"I have something to ask, Master Lupin," she said as a way of greeting. His eyes were scrutinizing behind his half-moon-shaped glasses.

"What is it, Your Highness?"

"Did you perhaps receive any news of a small town or a village that was infected by a deadly virus?" she inquired.

Master Lupin looked at her for a short while before he went back to his seat. He adjusted his glasses before he said,

"I heard about a certain village named Tranmere. All the people there are dying because of this viral infection. The symptoms were strange. The healers all have no idea what it was. They cough blood, and their skin is decaying as if they're dying."

"Why aren't we doing something about it?"

"We are doing something about it, Your Highness. The entire village was placed inside a magic barrier. Nobody can enter the village and nobody can get out. The virus is entirely contained in there. We couldn't save the people there already. We can't risk the neighboring lands."

She closed her eyes firmly as she tried to process the situation. She thought about Marceline and the scroll that she took. What use will it have now?

"What about the origin of the virus?"

"It is unknown, Your Highness. That is why we couldn't find a cure because we don't know the source. It is very new to us and highly dangerous as it drains the magic inside your body, hence, the decaying."

"How about the Sacred Treasures? I heard one of them can cure any kinds of diseases?" The Assassin's scroll.

"The sacred Treasures are unknown, Your Highness. We don't know what they look like. The only known Sacred Treasure is the Assassin's Scroll which is currently missing, as you witnessed first-hand."

"Yes, but that Assassin's Scroll, can it really cure any kinds of diseases? Even that virus?" Or else what Marceline had gone through to get that scroll would be all for nothing.

"The Assassin's scroll requires a huge sacrifice."

"What sacrifice?" She tried not to sound terrified.

"Whoever uses the magic inside the Scroll will die. That is the price to pay if someone wishes to use sacred magic like that."

She clenched her fist. Marceline was so inclined to save her people. If ever she did use the Scroll on her people, then that means...

The Assassins aren't even trying to look for the Scroll as they believe it is useless in the wrong hands. But what if Marceline does finds a way on how to use the Scroll? Hindi niya maisip ang maaaring mangyari or rather she doesn't want to think what might happen. She cursed on her mind.

"Thank you, Master Lupin," she said at agad lumabas sa kwarto.

"Stupid Marceline," she muttered habang binabagtas ang pasilyo. She did not mind the Royal Knights bowing in her direction as she marched to the courtyard. During their short time together, she considered Marceline someone closest to being a friend. She is someone who fought beside her against that wraith. Someone who welcomed her though not pleasantly in the Fortress. And she is someone who trusted her completely as she told her what she planned to do. She told her about it even though there's a higher chance she will tell the Master about it. Marceline trusted her completely not because she wants her to help but because Marceline felt she has the right to know and that it was her way of saying goodbye to her. Marceline even put the lives of her people the moment she told her about it. And thinking about Marceline dying...

Dying for her people. Katharine wondered just how deep Marceline's loyalty is towards her people. She couldn't imagine doing the same thing. She is the future Queen of Terrasen. What if something like that would happen to her people? What will she do? Will she risk her life saving her people? Will she die for her people? Will she do what Marceline did?

"Stupid, idiot," she muttered as she picked up a bow and an arrow. With one shot, she hit the center target. She moved on to the next target and with another shot, hit the center of it too.

You are a Princess of Terrasen and of all the lesser kingdoms. You should know how I feel, right? Or do you know even understand how I feel?

Those were Marceline's last words to her. It was like being hit straight to her face. It was regretful they did not even get to say goodbye properly as it might be the last time they see each other.

She picked another arrow and shoot the next target. Her aim was precise and it hit the center without fail.

Are you even fit to be Queen when you can't even die for your people? Her mind shouted.

She was about to pick another arrow but there was none left. It's still not enough. She's not finished yet. She has to strike another one. She's still mad. She has to release it. 

In an instant, the bow was on fire. She opened her palm and an arrow formed. It was fiery and she positioned it into the bow. Closing her eye, aiming for the target, she let go of the fiery arrow and it hit the last target. It caught the fire and fell to the ground. The fire was quick to spread as the grass was dry. It spread unto the other targets and soon, it set half of the courtyard on fire. She breathed hard as the blazing fire reflected her eyes. She held the fiery bow tightly as she heard the Royal Knights scuttling behind her. She formed another bow in her hand and was about to shoot it to the blazing fire but something stopped her.

The air began to feel cold. She felt her skin dampening because of the mist. And then it began to rain. She looked around, confused. Her fiery bow started to lose its fire as well as the fire she set in front of her. Her bow crumpled in her hands. Then the fire got completely extinguished. It was then she heard a voice behind her.

"You never changed since the last time we saw each other, Kathy."

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