15 a PRINCESS named EMILIANA YVONNE (2/2)

”Are you alright, my lady?” he whispered frightened as the young woman fell to his arms bleeding all over. She has a very long white hair and her skin is different. It's with a pinkish glow but bordering to white, like milk. Her deep green eyes shook as she gasps for air while coughing blood.

”Please, sir,” she whispered, ”stop.”

Yosh was confounded with this so he asked again. ”Stop what?”

A silent thud from behind and his vision turned black. He heard Luna's shrieks slowly fading and then there was nothing.

-------ooO0Ooo-------

”Karus...” called an echo from a distance.

Karus opened his eyes slowly waking up. He was about to defeat an angry sea monster when he was disturbed by a very creepy voice of a woman. It sounded like a woman, he thought, but he can't be that sure being dazed remembering his dreams.

All is black. He stood up and felt the tree he's napping under and he found it but couldn't see it. He can't see anything, but he can see his body as bright as a sunny day. He tried to blink a few times raising his hands up and down, exercising, thinking he must've been dreaming still but nothing worked. He even tried to pinch himself but, again, it didn't work.

”Karus...” whispered yet again by an echo, this time having a distinct high pitch revealing her voice to truly confirm his guess that she is a woman. Probably older but not that old, he deduced. A woman in her early thirties he presumed.

He immediately figured his brother's new skill leading his befuddled face to slope to a very irritated frown. He is surprised that his brother is at the city too. Though he still doesn't understand whose voice it is trying to tease him. It's amazing that Reus would waste his precious time doing pranks, he reckoned. It's even a shock that he can find someone to do it together with, especially with a girl. Even with a bribe he wouldn't dare talking to one because it makes him all jittery but, in his present condition, he's convinced otherwise.

”Yeah, yeah Kuya-Reus. Very funny...”

A light appeared above like a star emanating a bright white spotlight to him but still, everything is black.

”This isn't funny anymore, stop it!” he demanded shouting, dropping down, feeling the ground and all around for his travel gear. ”You shouldn't be doing this in public! Gramps would be furious once he finds out!”

The bright white star descended slowly to face him. It is a white ball the texture of a crystal mirror. It is still radiating a white light all around but still the grounds remain black as if he is transported in a deep void of nothingness.

He now looked at the curious white crystal ball now pulsating bursts of light.

”You don't feel like an elemental energy,” he analyzed talking to the ball, ”what are you?”

After a few seconds of his inspection a pair of eyes appeared from the crystal ball. It looks like a mortal's eye but all blue and somewhat etched as if it was drawn magically with a blue ink.

”Don't fret, Son of Light,” uttered the ball echoing all around with disturbing reverberations.

Karus smiled moving closer to the ball, ”Why would I be? Stop messing around Kuya-Reus or you'll be the one who'll regret...”

”I am the voice of Bathala,” interrupted the ball, ”he who has been chosen, lend his ears and listen well.”

Karus stepped back looking a bit surprised withdrawing his smiling face. He was about to say something when the ball pulsated again and continued.

”To the White Demon, Prince of Nagozul, the Son of Light, heed my words. Death slowly draws near gambling with your fate as ante. He who has been chosen, lend his ears and listen well. The murder of the White Demon is detrimental to the existence of all life. Therefore, he must live in order for everyone to survive. For him to escape Death's touch, he must acquire the All Seeing Eye. The All Seeing Eye will lead the chosen one to victory and for him to cheat his way to impending doom.”

The crystal ball now grew bigger and brighter making him to step back covering his eyes squinting, falling back to the tree he once sat, now a little bit frightened.

”He who has been chosen must remember,” the ball echoed now louder, ”He who has been chosen must prepare.”

Karus closed his eyes before the white ball started a loud explosion, illuminating the whole expense of the black void to a blinding white light.

”Kind Sir?” shouted an enchanted voice of a young maiden.

He slowly peeked revealing the warm sunny skies of noon. He thought hard of what he dreamt. He knew with all of his faculties that what he experienced was real. He smiled for a little bit thinking he just confirmed the prophecy that they, him and Kayzar, have been obsessing about. He sat there for a few seconds, resting his head on the tree, thinking of what the All Seeing Eye is and what the ball meant for his death being imminent. The ideas springing up from him are very fast, making it very hard for him to process everything. He just prayed for the fast return of Kayzar for him to share this very disturbing revelation. He knows he can't handle it alone.

”Sir? Yoohoo!?” persisted the voice, ”Are you awake, Daomagar Sir?”

Karus hurriedly checked his bandana and was relieved seeing it in place. He sighed in relief that his cover being a Daomagar was not compromised. He snapped with his wondering and turned his head right to the road. He saw two huge four-legged beasts that are tied up, side by side, to pull a big circular metal box with four steel wheels. His eyes widened seeing the weird majestic beast on the road making their unique taunting sounds with their long faces and scraping the ground with their great hooves.

”Yes, Great Daomagar, are you alright?”

Karus stuttered for a bit still with his eyes peeled to the beasts. As soon as he looked to the young woman, his thoughts flew right by as if drifting far away, peeling off any thoughts of query about the gigantic beasts from his mind. He forgot what he was about to ask, having a frozen tongue as if being taken away by her captivating deep blue almond eyes. He completely forgot everything. All is blank. He can't utter a single word being dazed to the most beautiful girl he has ever seen. He tried to fight it wanting to snap to reality but failed. He was pulled into a curse, he thought. He fixated to her small cherry lips trying to summon at least a sound but only got his mouth to open halfway.

”Oh dear!” she shouted, ”I'm sorry sir did I offend you?”

Karus snapped seeing her putting her clenched fists to her bosom and bowing her head fastidiously. Thank Bathala, he thought feeling a bit embarrassed about himself.

”Bathala bless thee brother,” she enunciated confidently with a charming wide smile, ”We are in need of assistance.”

Karus chuckled, surprised to see her do a customary Daomagar plea. Though it was not complete, the effort made him stand up, clenched his fist putting it to his chest giving a bow in reply.

”What seems to be the problem?” he ran downhill to meet up with them only to slide to mud water, ruining his shoes. He was in total shock seeing this happen to him for the first time. He was trained to subconsciously check the terrain and it seems he forgot that too at the cost of his most prized white shoes that he so desperately tries to avoid being ruined.

”Oh no, your shoes?” she said concerned.

Karus forced a smile. ”It's alright, they're just shoes,” he replied cheerfully hiding the frustration about his inattentiveness.

”Oh!” she hurried, ”I totally forgot!” She placed her clenched fist to her bosom again and spoke, ”I am Lady Emiliana Yvonne from the house of Wolfe, daughter of Duke Tabarius Wolfe and niece to the Emperor Balthazar Ferryl Lionmaster of the great Eastern Empire.”

He was shocked from what he heard. There are foreign visitors inhabiting their island when there is a law that prohibits them from entering their lands in the first place. That explained why she was wearing a very weird balloon dress. That fashion trend ended centuries ago.

He smiled, concealing his thoughts, following her gesture - clenched fists on the chest. ”I am Karus from the Bandhana Clan of the Great Daomagar Nation and a single hello with your name would suffice.”

”Oh...” she smiled embarrassed.

”Don't worry,” he assured thinking that she took her joke seriously, ”I'm not insulted or anything it's just that only soldiers do that here. The rest do it casually.”

She chuckled blushing, ”I'm sorry I'm new here, I think I misinterpreted your words in your library.”

”You have entered the Palace library?” he asked springing suddenly, startled with this new disturbing information but still smiling to mask it. Only nobles can access the Palace's library. No commoner can get a glimpse of light coming out from there. Borrowing books from the Palace's library takes months and once one has procured the necessary requirements, one can only read it with a guard on their every sides. Their Aunt Prodea would be raving mad hearing of this information. This will surely be enough to immediately stop any activity she's been engaged with, giving the conclusion that their Aunt is the only logical culprit behind the whole thing.

”Why, Yes! It's most magical!”

”Have you any luck in deciphering the books there?”

”Unfortunately, No. Understanding your language is really perplexing. I'm a self-proclaimed lingua maestra but I cannot fully grasp your syntax and sentence formation. I can only catch some words and their sequence. Maybe if I'm to sit with it for a few months or so I'll be able to. Good thing you all speak a myriad of languages.”

Beautiful and smart but delusional, he thought. No one can understand their language. It is the language of Bathala. It is so impossible to learn that they are born equipped to already understand the language. At age two, their brain can process the symbols for them to understand the actual message subconsciously by just looking at it without even thinking. And at age five, they can write down words of their own into these symbols even without proper support from their immediate elders. That's how hard the language is. To be able to at least understand the sequence requires tremendous energy and concentration. He knows she won't be able to understand them even if she tried to study them for years. But he just smiled in reply and immediately changed their topic.

”What a weird name, Emiliana Yvonne. I haven't heard such a name like that here?”

”Yes sir, but everyone seems to call me by my second name, Yvonne.”

”Lady Yvonne. Meaning Archer? Right? And Emiliana means to excel or to strive so that name roughly translates to a Striving Archer.”

”Yes, but Yvonne takes its root from yew trees. How did you know? Right... I'm sorry,” she smiled feeling embarrassed, ”that's a ridiculous question. Of course, you knew. You can translate any word into its base word.”

Karus just smiled too seeing her correct herself.

”Well, sir, my sister calls me Lime.”

”Ha! Emil on palindrome!”

The princess smiled shyly. ”I think it has a nice ring to it, so I want that name to stick while we're here. I just want you to call me by that name.”

”Duly noted! Lady Lime it is! What is it that I can provide you with, my lady?”

”We are going to the Hishma's,” she said getting on point, ”And I was wondering if you can help us in getting our wheel running.” She pointed her hands to the back of the cart which Karus followed to check. ”It seems that it is stuck on the muddy ground.”

”Well this is a weird way to travel,” he said while he inspects the problem, ”What do you call this large device?”

”Oh, it's called a carriage. It is what we use to travel in our lands.”

Karus nodded while he fiddled with the wheel. ”Might I ask the proper name of your beasts?”

”What beasts?” she asked back but immediately realized after a few seconds figuring, ”Oh! They are called horses. They are trained beasts of burden.”

”And they tug you around wherever you want to go?”

”Yes,” she answered now curious.

”They gave you their permission?”

She smiled pausing for a bit. ”No, that's what the tight contraptions are for. It's not like we can talk to them and ask for it.”

Karus gave a very confused face that she noted.

”We do feed them well in return,” added a small voice inside the carriage now peeking to look. ”I told you not to sneak out again dear sister. If we brought Jason, we wouldn't have to deal with the problems of outside, talking to strangers, and I really hate strangers today!”

”Yes,” she smiled to Karus, ”I almost forgot, that's my very enthusiastic sister Glaiza Ysabelle.” She went near and whispered, ”She's been through a rough day today so she's not feeling that cheery.”

”I thought you Daomagarians are strong,” Ysabelle joined peeking, sticking her head out the window, ”Just give us a little push and the horses will take care of the rest.”

Karus now recognized her voice. It is the girl that took Yosh's room, so he immediately turned his head around to hide his face tinkering something at the back to have some excuse. ”I can't just push it, my lady, the wheel might come off,” he lied. In reality he can't push the big metal carriage. He is not a real Daomagar.

”Well sir, do you know someone that can help us in our predicament?” inquired Lime. ”Surely your superiors are near-by?”

”What?” Karus asked back mystified to whatever she means.

”Oh, are you not a member of the Hundred Sword Elites? I saw your armband on your left arm.”

”You are a very peculiar person Lady Lime, but in a good way,” he happily complimented, astonished to her great knowledge of their culture even though she's been at the Holy Lands for only weeks - basing his deductions Of course, from the wallpapers of Yosh's newly remodeled quarter which is quite right but not exact. ”How did you know this symbol?” he added asking.

”Oh, your order escorted us to the Palace upon our arrival here. Although, if I may be quite frank, I think you wear a rather odd armband.”

”Why so?”

”You see, one of the captains explained that the red armband signifies one to be a Sword Master and you're wearing one. I have only seen that on old warriors and you're too young to be one, giving me the impression that you are a disciple of a master.”

Karus burst laughing at her statement. He couldn't believe one can talk too fast stating a point. ”Yes, it's true,” he replied, ”but I am no one's disciple, I am a true master of the Hundred Swords Elite.”

”Hey, I don't mean to be rude,” cut in Ysa sounding annoyed, ”but could we possibly do something about our situation here. We'll be in time at the Hishma's and that would really be contrary to us being early sneaking out.”

Karus immediately thought of something. He knows he can't move the large carriage by himself, but he can't compromise his cover being a weak Daomagar. He had to do something to prove his worth - while ignoring the fact that impressing her was actually a big deal for him.

”Okay,” he said confidently, ”I found a way to push the wheel out the mud hole but please, princess, go inside your carriage. It will be a shame if the mud came splashing ruining your dress.”

Lime giggled as she walked to enter the carriage. Karus just beamed his charming smile to her as he waited for the door to close. The mud won't be splashing anywhere near her, he thought. He just fooled her so that they won't see what he has to do in order to push the impossibly heavy metal ride they are in.

He concentrated all his energy to the Amplifyer in his forehead. The bandana failed on covering the light as a little hue of green began to sneak revealing its illuminating hexagon shape.

”Level One,” he murmured, eyes closed, ”Gust.”

He pulled his hands and touched the back of the carriage. As he opened his eyes, a surging flow of wind almost akin to a sudden forceful windstorm came exploding in his palms, gushing to push the carriage to make it move four feet away almost jumping. He closed his eyes to concentrate again and the illuminating Amplifyer began to lose its glow.

Lime stepped outside the carriage and waved. ”Thank you, sir,” she shouted, ”I hope we run to each other someday.”

Karus waved too as he saw her turning, jumping to the front of their carriage vehicle to steer their majestic beasts called horses to go.

As he saw them slowly shrink on the horizon, he felt a sharp stabbing pain in his head. The pain is enough to send him squirming again on the ground like what happened to him the last time, only this time, he tried his very best to remain standing even with shaking knees. He walked weak almost limply to the tree where he was before, heaving short breaths to at least minimize his most excruciating episode of headache.

”Not in the mud,” he whispered trying, ”Oh please, Bathala, not in the mud.”

His bandana, that is previously dirty white in color, is now dark red because of the blood suddenly coming out of his Amplifyers. He cried tears of crimson red rolling thickly on his cheeks. He's in a lot of pain but the thought of him dropping off somewhere a muddy road gave him enough strength to make him reach the tree near his travel gear. It is his pride that gives him strength and he know that. If this pride and confidence were to diminish into nothingness, he fears that he won't live long enough to see through what the big mysterious white ball was talking about. Of course, taking into account the frequency of attacks of his mystifying condition, the odds of him losing this battle is ever increasing.

He squirmed taking a vial inside the pocket of his gear. Blood is trickling in every orifice of his face. Internal hemorrhaging, he asked himself to diagnose, almost puzzled as he swipes the blood that has been accumulating in his eyes. Nothing in the records shows signs of hemorrhaging as a result of wrong fusions. He summoned all his strength to remove the wood stopper and tried to sip the blue liquid even though he's choking in his own blood. He eagerly closed his eyes and concentrated fighting his body waiting for the effect of the curious medicine.

”This is the first time Kayzar's poisons came in handy,” he whispered joking, talking to himself wheezing, trying to cough up a laugh instead of his blood.

The poison he carries is one of Kayzar's most powerful tonics. It paralyzes the body forcing it to sleep. At least, he thought, at that deep sleep state, his body won't shut down permanently, leaving for his blood flow to slow down dramatically. It is the first time that his headache was triggered by conjuring wind. It only happens when he conjures fire, he thought, and that means it's getting worse. Two things can happen to him. It's either he loses a lot of blood leading to the Sleep of Death or the poison gets him making him to literally sleep till he's dead, whichever comes first. He just hopes that Kayzar finds him there in time before any of these unfavorable options comes into light.