TEN
2175 Words
The moment he entered, the King stood from his chair.
"Killian," he called. Killian kneeled a knee to the floor and bowed his head slightly.
"Your Majesty," he said. The King nodded at agad siyang tumayo.
"Why are you here? Did you find anything?" he could see the anxiousness in his eyes and from what he saw back in that kung saan siya galing, he can understand where the King's anxiousness comes from.
"I did. But I don't know if they're connected."
The King nodded and rested his hands on the table, preparing to listen to what he has to say.
"I went to The Abandoned Lands. It was scarce of anything. There aren't many people living there but there's one man living in a shabby hut. He has several wives and I found out they were all his daughters. The babies...I found dead bodies of baby boys in the woods. Some were eaten by wolves. Some just recently died."
Kumunot ang noo ng hair. "How is this connected to what I told you?"
"Your Majesty, the babies have skin as pale as the snow and they have all shrunken. As if life has been seeped out of them."
The moment those words left his mouth, the King's face paled. "So I was right. They feed on babies. More like they seep life out of them and reborn the baby as one of theirs."
"Who are they, Your Majesty?" He doesn't know if it's true but what he saw in that land...it was too cruel and barbaric.
"The Soul Pincers," the King said. And the way he said with so much fear in his voice tells him that these creatures are dangerous.
The Soul Pincers, Killian thought, are the ones inside the King's nightmares. If somehow those dead babies and the monsters are connected, he has to investigate further.
"I need you to do one more thing for me, Killian," the King said desperation can be heard from his voice.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Bring Katharine with you to the Northern Lands. Train her there. I have a feeling something bad will happen. Bring her back on the day of her birthday."
He did not bother asking other questions when the door behind them opened. Killian turned to see Katharine, the only daughter of the King. The future Queen of Terrasen.
Her eyes, fierce as ever. The eyes of a ruler. Killian has no qualms about Katharine being the next Queen but she's just too ... bratty. She can't control her temper. Reckless, stubborn, but only one person can tame her.
"Killian," she called. A small smile tugged on his lips as he beheld her in her dress. He admits it suits her. But he wouldn't say it.
"Your Highness." He bowed slightly as he inserted his hands into his pockets. "I heard you are engaged to Alastair. Congratulations," dugtong niya. But the woman just looked at her accusingly as if he would say something unnecessary. She has always been like that. Looking at him like she doesn't trust him. Not that he minds, though.
"Thank you," the woman responded and he could hear enough bite on her words. "Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be somewhere?" She looked at her father who was rubbing his temples. Killian went to the other side of the room settling his back on the wall. He would prefer to let the King talk to his daughter.
"Father? What's wrong?" Katharine asked but the King just rubbed his temples. He doesn't understand why he has to take Katharine to the Northern Lands to train but if it's the King's orders, then he has to do it.
"You are to go to the Northern Lands, Katharine."
"What?" she looked at him then at his father. "Is this another training?" She walked to the King's desk and placed both her palms on top of it. "I am getting married soon, Father. And it's my birthday too. If I am going to train there, I'm sorry but I can't go."
Stubborn as always, I see. Killian thought but he remained standing there, busying himself with the view of the birds from the King's window.
"You will not be staying there for a long time. And this isn't training." The King stood from his chair at naglakad papunta sa harapan ng anak nito.
"I am stepping down soon and before you become the Queen of Terrasen, you need to do something in Arythea. Complete their task and we determine if you deserve the throne."
Killian saw how Katharine's brows furrowed as she looked at him. "Since when did we start doing this ... tradition? Completing a task before I become Queen? Am I going to complete the other land's tasks too?"
The King shook his head. "We always had this tradition. Just not known to everyone. And Arythea is the strongest land in Terrasen. Completing their task is enough."
If the Princess completes it. Killian groaned inwardly as he thought of what task will he give to the Princess.
He was expecting the Princess to protest but he was surprised when she asked, "When am I going?"
Napataas ang kilay niya seeing the Princess's determination. He pushed himself from the wall. "We're going now," he said and the Princess eyed him.
"Can I ... can I at least say goodbye to Alastair?"
It took all of his self-control not to roll his eyes. "Suit yourself," he managed to say and went out of the room.
He closed the door behind him and looked around. There are no Guards stationed near the King's office. Isinandal niya ang sarili sa marble column na naroon. Then he remembered something.
"Thorin," he called.
Maya-maya pa, Thorin's head popped up from his shadow on the ground. Napakunot ang noo niyang nakatingin rito.
"What are you doing? Get out of there."
"I can't, my Lord."
"Why not?"
Its head nudged towards the servants in the distance, frozen on the feet as they saw Thorin's head on the floor. Napabuntong-hininga nalang siya.
"There are bottles of sheep blood in my chamber. Drink one and give the other bottles to the others. Do you know where my chamber is?"
Tumango-tango ito. "Like the back of my claw, my Lord. Are we going somewhere?"
"We're going home. Now hurry up or I'll leave you here."
"Understood," it said and disappeared. Killian looked at the servants and waved at them. They gave him a small bow and scuttled away. A knife appeared on his hands and cut a small fabric on his shirt to tie his hair.
When the door opened, he tilted his head to see the Princess, fire in her eyes.
Let's see where your determination lasts. He couldn't help but smirk.
He pushed himself from the marble column and looked at her.
"Make your farewells quick. You won't be gone for more than three days so..."
"Mind your business."
He chuckled and with a flick of his hand, the knife disappeared. "I am minding my own business. You are my business now. Your father has entrusted you to me. Now, if you're inclined to go, I'll bring you to Alastair."
"There'll be no need for that." They heard a voice from behind them.
The Princess' eyes lit up as she looked at someone behind him. "Alastair!" she exclaimed looking at Alastair. The Princess blushed. This time, Killian didn't hide his distaste.
"Good to see you, Kill," Alastair greeted. He turned and saw him wearing a regal suit.
"Isn't it too early for you to be wearing that kind of clothes, Al?"
Ever since they were kids, Alastair has dreamed of marrying Katharine. He thinks they're in love. But the more Killians know about Alastairs, he knows he has something up his sleeves.
But Alastair smiled. "Come on, Kill. Is that how you greet me after years of not seeing each other?"
"Is that how you play your cards?" He felt a blast of his power coming. Must be Thorin coming back. Darkness swirled around Killian. And a smirk tugged on his lips when Alastair released a portion of his power too.
"Al, Killian--"
"I don't know what you mean by that," Al said in his still sweet voice but of course, one could know when a voice is genuinely sweet and when it is not. At the moment, Al's voice is the latter.
"Oh?" His brows quirked up.
But then he felt warm magic next to them and when they whirled to see it, it was Katharine, wrapped in her fire.
"If you two won't stop that creepy thing I will blast you to smithereens," the Princess said as her hands were now coated with fire.
Killian looked at her blankly. "You're doing that creepy thing right now."
She sighed and extinguished her fire and then looked at Alastair. "I wanted to see you because I want to say goodbye."
Alastair's brow furrowed. "Why? Where are you going?"
The princess looked at him. "I'm going to Arythea."
"With Killian?"
"Of course. How else is she going to fly there?"
"Then..." Al fished something from the pocket of his pants and gave it to the Princess. It was a hairpin. It has a sharp tip and could be used as a weapon. "Please have this with you. That way it won't feel like we're away from each other,"
"God spare me," Killian mumbled as he saw Al pinning the hairpin to the Princess' hair.
"Al, thank you--" and the Princess didn't finish her sentence when Al leaned and kissed her on the lips. "Please be careful," Al whispered and looked at Killian.
"Kill--"
"I know what to do, Al." Killian looked at her at tinaasan niya ito ng kilay. "So is your little farewell done? Can we go?"
She bit her lip as she looked at Alastair shyly. "Yes, let's go."
He can't help but grimace.
Agad niyang inilabas ang kanyang pakpak. It was black smoke at first and then it took form. He saw how the Princess glared at him but he doesn't care. But before she could even open his mouth Killian carried her to the top of the Palace.
"What on earth are we doing here?" She looked around.
"It's easier to fly from here," he answered, twisting his arm. But the Princess just looked at him in horror.
"Absolutely not," she protested but Killian just gave her a sweet smile.
"Absolutely yes." Damned brat.
"How about shadow transport? That's easier."
"How do you know about that?"
"It doesn't matter. What matters now is that I am definitely not going to fly--"
"You're not the one flying. You're just a cargo."
She sighed exasperatedly. "That's not the point!"
"Then Princess, what's your point?" He eyed her state. "With your small built, I can definitely fly you from here to there. What's your problem with that?"
She looked at him from head to toe and stayed silent.
"And besides, I can't just shadow transport inside Arythea. It's heavily warded. I don't like this idea as much as you but we don't have a choice."
"How about we travel there on land?"
Pinipigilan nalang niya ang sariling itulak ito. "Do you have any idea how far Arythea is from here? It would take us a day to go there. Unless you don't want to be back here before your birthday or you want to spend a day longer away from your beloved then we can go on a landtrip."
He saw her closed her eyes firmly.
"Fine," maktol ng babae.
"Good girl," Killian said before he lifted her up. She almost yelped when she felt herself up. Killian's one arm is under her knees and the other one is under her shoulders. "Now, stay still or I'll drop you." And he meant it.
He saw her closed her eyes when Killian prepared to fly. Hew shadow wings appeared on his back and when he shot up to the sky, he prevented himself from smiling as he heard the Princess muttering colorful curses.
"Who could have known the swagger Princess is this clingy?" Killian muttered but she just cursed at him. "Well, I never thought you have that shy type side of you until today when Alastair said that cheesy line."
"That wasn't cheesy."
"Sure," he said nonchalantly at bigla-bigla siyang lumipad pababa. She yelped and buried her face on his neck.
"If I were you, I'd open my eyes," he said but her face remained buried on his neck.
But eventually, she did. And the amusement in her face did not escape Killian's eyes.
"We'll be making two stops before we get there."
Napatingin ang babae sa kanya. "In case you're unaware, Your Highness, you're not light. I have to take a rest before I haul you up again."
Sinamaan lang siya nito ng tingin but ignored him, anyway.
This trip, Killian thought, will be one hell of a long one. Iniisip palang niya napapagod na siya.
He just hopes he's still sane after this.
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- Writer
