20 the SHADOW with TWO FACES (2/2)

”T-two minutes Master Yiv,” replied the bulky shadow almost immediately.

”Yes, two… slow… minutes…” said Yiv now pulling her long pitch-black dagger, ”And how much time did Argentis finished her task?”

Argentis threw her right fist in the air fast while still bowing with her head on the ground. ”I am sorry Master, please cut my good hand for being incompetent, it took me a day and didn't even find and secured my target.”

”Open your hands,” commanded Yiv with her frightful voice which Argentis obeyed instantaneously without hesitation.

As soon as she opened it, Yiv pushed her dagger straight into the back of her palm without much effort. Blood dripped down from the ground but Argentis didn't even move nor flinched.

”Thank you master,” she whispered as Yiv pulled the dagger out.

”You two have become soft being stuck on the Palace's kitchen. You can consider this your warning.” She feigned the blade spilling the remaining blood on the grass on her sides and pointed it fast on Argentis' head. ”Lose my brother again and your head will roll.”

”Yes master,” she noted immediately pulling a bandage on her back and wrapped her bloody hands around it to stop the bleeding with much dexterity. She did this while still bowing to the ground, awaiting further instructions.

”You are dismissed.” As soon as Yiv uttered the last word Argentis began to dissipate turning to fine gold dust as if a strong wind blew her body to disappear much like the desert breeze blowing the sands off a desert dune.

Yiv looked down on Auric who's still bowing low to the ground. ”And you!”

”I'm deeply sorry for my incompetence Master. It has 'bin twelve hours an' um unable to locate Karus.”

”I will not punish you this time. He is of no importance to me at the moment, someone is already watching him. I saw him a couple of miles west from here. I can feel it's as if an unknown energy is emanating from him like a hex. I do not want you near him. You might accidentally be spotted, and we don't need to kill people more than we already had. You know how fate turns to be very unpredictable.”

”Yes, Master. 'Tenk you, Master.”

”Team with Argentis instead and do not lose your new target this time.”

”Yes, Master.”

”This is a very rare circumstance Auric and you know me better than anyone. Next time you fail me I'll be snipping another finger off your toes.”

”Understood, Master. It won't 'appen again.”

”Dismissed.”

”M-mastuh,” panted Auric almost afraid, ”may I hav' permishun' 'te speak?”

”Yes,” she replied still angry.

”Why'd ya' pick 'im instead of Karus. Karus is more adept 'n handlin' weapons 'dan he is.”

”You will soon find out,” she stated as she returned her dagger to its sheath, ”Now get out of here before I change my mind.”

His body began to turn dark silver, like metal, suddenly being absorbed by the earth in a split second until he burrows down without even moving like water seeping through the ground till he disappears entirely.

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

”Alrighty!” shouted Karus stopping near the city gates catching his breath hiding his tired shaking body.

”Whoah!” shouted Lime with much excitement as she disembarks on Karus' back almost jumping. ”That was soooooooo brilliant! It's a really really really great treat!!! IT'S AMAZING!” She moved fixing her wrinkled clothes and her tangled hair and continued. ”I can't explain it! It's like feeling the rush with the angry wind blowing your whole body as if… as if…” she stopped looking at Karus standing on a slouch with his hands on his knees still puffing. ”I-I'm sorry. A-are you alright?”

Karus stood up beaming his charming smile. ”Yep, just feeling as if I swallowed a bug or something on the way. I-It's nothing.”

He nodded a few times trying hard to mask what he feels as she goes on and on about how amazing the trip was even after they arrived an hour and a half longer than what he had promised. He finds it hard to believe it took them that long even if they took numerous detours along the way – like circling on certain areas where Nagozulian sentries have been stationed. When he was training with Dal'Gur, he had been strapped with a metal gear on his back, much heavier than she is, and made him dash for a thousand miles non-stop. He knows he mastered the Great Dash because every time he stops to catch his breath, or slows down, or break a bone or two, Dal'Gur gets angry and makes him do the entire thing again. He finds it hard to believe that his body stoops down to a disappointing level after being injured on that fateful day at the tree just outside the city gates. That means he has to work hard again to retain the form needed by the Thousand Blade Dash. It's as if something happened in between his humiliating fall and his alleged death but this thought escaped him as Lime opened another topic.

”Hey! That's weird! Do you hear that?”

”What is?” he asked as if he's listening to her without fail.

”No trumpets!” she shrugged feeling happy about herself. ”I must be lucky today!”

”Yep,” he agrees looking at the city, ”so far, so good, I think. Maybe something happened.”

”Maybe…” she thought looking at the city still feeling lucky about her situation and then she abruptly turned to Karus. ”I need to ask you something…” she whispered blushing, ”I know it's inappropriate especially for a princess such as my stature, but I was really really wondering. I mean it's nothing, just my head spinning trying to figure out things that I don't quite understand. And don't get me wrong, I know this is uncomfortable and feel free to just shake your head when you don't really have the need to answer… or explain… or…”

Karus smiled and nodded trying to wait for her question which she noted so she jumped on right to her point.

”So… I have been here for a month and noticed that all of you people smell sweet with different variants of scents of flowers or fruits – if it is a fruit. It's really remarkable that you always stay fresh like you for instance. No offense but I have seen you train for hours and hours and running like that for miles would really cover you with sweat making you…”

”Ah!” interrupted Karus laughing, ”Yes, well, see it's really a good question.”

”Whew, I thought you wouldn't understand!” she sighed with smiling eyes, ”I was trying hard to get to my point without offending your people.”

”Don't worry I'm not offended. In fact, I'm surprised that you noticed since we Daomagarians don't have any scent at all. You see, we are created by Bathala to be great hunters – stealthy, impenetrable and strong. So, we are born emanating no scent at all. Although what you smell is this special Nagozulian soap that is a product of genius.” Karus rummaged something in his travel gear and pulled a yellow bar of soap with a milky tone. ”They have developed a kind of soap that removes their scent entirely. They have expanded this product and made it very popular among travelers in the earlier days when the beasts have been attacking their people.

”It's also useful three thousand years ago when the Nagozulians are at war with us Daomagarians. Well as I have explained, we don't need this because we are born without scent making us lethal hunters especially at night and we also have heightened smell to sniff them even when it is pitch black so they have developed this to even the odds. It's safe now, don't worry, but we still use it for hygienic purposes, so they have added different scents and created a necessity out of this product. They have reason to believe that it kills the small little critters that moves in your body that you can't see with your eyes which I think is responsible to the smell. Don't know what that's called but the Great Dal'Gur found them with his weird magnifying lenses.”

Lime turned a confusing face but still with her convinced smile. Karus was surprised being that talkative. He just remembered to keep it short in the future, trying hard not to ramble that much when he's with her.

”I don't want to get specific on the science of that stuff because even I do not know those complicated things,” he finally said stopping in his weird long talk and gave her the bar of the yellow soap he's been holding. ”That's my personal scent, use it I have plenty. There are variants of soaps to choose from at the Palace that's just my special bar made with the scent coming out of the Para-Applemango fruit which is my favorite. What you do is you use this in the shower every morning. It can last up to two days after which the effects will wear off.”

”This is so handy and really remarkable!” she said inspecting the bar of soap that is hard but smooth thinking that the thing is created with magic.

”Well if you manage to run out of that just go to the requisitions officer named Calen on the east side of the Palace and tell him I sent you. He will lead you to a room full of different variants of soaps, toiletries and all you will need to be primed and proper in the Palace. Mind you, they are super rare and expensive. For royalty only. So, don't spring by often lest you will be noticed by the seers and be reported, you know how meddlesome they are.”

”How come you have access to that?” she asked almost confused since he's a Daomagar without any lineage.

Karus laughed to cover himself as he immediately slapped his forehead on his mind. He asked himself repetitively on why he ever tries to impress her and was drawn to a clueless answer. He has to be careful next time before any of his statements compromise his cover. ”Well, I'm friends with the---uh, the sons of the Grand Prince Artemus. Don't you worry I will reimburse anything you spend, after all I'm the one getting the ingredients for them.”

”Gee thanks!” Lime went close and gives him a quick kiss on his left cheek. ”I will cherish this gift and stah it. I will requisition the soap from the officer named Calen instead.”

And she hurriedly scurried off leaving Karus surprised, staying embarrassingly standing like a statue on a stupor with his mouth half-open still with his wide grin, forgetting about his fatigued body, his shaking knees, and even his fury blaming his inept loose tongue when he's with her.

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

Two faint knocks on a wooden door disrupted Artemus as he muddles through the stacks of reports. He is at his office in the Northern Encampment looking as though he spent the night there with multiple mountains of papers that are neatly lined up one after another as evidence.

”Ah! Father,” he exclaimed joyously as he saw Narra peeking thinking he could catch a minute of break or two from his visit. His father-in-law gloomy entered breaking the spurt of happiness he's feeling turning it into worry. Narra gently locked the door into a shut and silently walked to find a chair in front of him on the other side of his desk with eyes that has been snatched with its brilliance. ”Is something wrong?” he asked hesitantly with concern in his tone as he stopped what he was doing.

”Juni has been captured,” he sighed as he held his head in despair.

Artemus turned like stone having heard the news, contemplating on what to say. He pulled back to his chair with mystified eyes looking down moving fast with worry, thinking on how unexpectedly swift the predictions are unfolding as it is.

”Juni has been captured,” he repeated, ”and I do not know if he is dead. He probably is considering the prophecy, but I couldn't verify since I have to maintain my cover.”

Artemus weakly leaned forward as he shove away the neatly organized stacks of paper and murmured, ”What happened?”

”All I found out at the scene are his burnt house and the cinders flying out of his books as the remaining fire ate away the remaining beams that once supported his house. I have salvaged some of his remaining personal assets and sent it to your house before coming here.”

”Who did it?” whispered Artemus with his eyes filled with remorse.

”By what I can gather I would say it is the work of Prodea. She literally went on personally at his house and extracted him. Her cleaning team did a great job concealing the streets where the battle took place. Any ordinary eye could have interpreted the scene as some accidental fire in his residence, but they cannot deceive my trained eye. I know a battle when I see one and I'm sure it is her who fought him.” He stopped for a moment in thoughts as if trying hard to find the words and then rolled on, ”I know it because I feel a faint trace of a very powerful summoning window being written just outside Juni's front door. There are traces of Dark Magicks at play.” He leaned closer and whispered, ”also, I have carved the earth and find it coal black and with a foul smell. Only one creature comes to mind when I see the earth that defiled…”

”The Black Death…” said Artemus with wide eyes turning his eye away from Narra breathing deep thinking, ”Bathala help us. What have you done Prodea?”

”I know you asked Juni to destroy that dark fiend years ago,” he pursued on leaning back. ”I was with you when we captured that vile monster. Lost ten good Daomagars in the process and I thought he had done it considering.”

Artemus just sat back again having trouble to fight the accumulation of tears in his eyes passing a minute or two in silence till Narra sighed.

”Don't beat yourself up,” he consoled with his head down, ”We know it's bound to happen, and you can't do anything about it. Still,” he coughed snickering but with empty eyes, ”It's glad to know that that stubborn old dog stirred up a good fight before he let her drag him down to the Palace.”

”H-he…” Artemus finally spoke with breaking voice, ”he's my friend. I can abandon my trivial task here, but I didn't. I didn't do anything…”

”No,” forced Narra, ”You would be there yourself had you known! If this is the prediction at play, it is moving incredibly fast and there's nothing you can do to predict the exact time that he'll be visited by Prodea. Stop blaming yourself and focus on the silver lining here!”

Artemus stopped for a second or two and then concluded confused. ”No. There is nothing good coming out of this father.”

”Yes! There is!”

”No! There isn't!” he insisted now with a stressed voice, ”He's dead! He died in the hand of Prodea! If one thing is good here, it's that Prodea has just shown us her true colors and that the Prophecy is happening as foretold.”

”YES! But he didn't get captured outside the city gates!?”

Artemus stood up and went to the window on his left with worried eyes. ”Regardless of the facts, he still gets caught and Prodea gets a hold of him at the Palace to torture. It is still in effect...”

”Yes! Precisely…”

”You don't understand father!” he interrupted frustrated, as he ran to pull away all the papers on his desk, stashing them away, keeping himself busy by writing something in a special brown parchment he pulled in a secret hollow room hidden below his desk, ”It happened! It happened regardless of the miniscule details! He died! And soon I will die! It's alright if I die but my family will die one by one! I cannot let this happen in vain! I need to plan for what Bathala prepared for us while I'm still breathing. We must be ready for what we must do in order to abide his will and save these lands, carrying his wishes beyond our original capacity! If we are going to die, we're going to take them all with us. We must die preserving Nagozul. We must succeed in saving Nagozul at all costs.”

Narra stood up and pulled him to snap out from his nervous hysteria. ”Stop it! We can prevent everything! Nothing is written on stone, son! This is one of Bathala's sign! Something extraordinary happened that's why I didn't get there in time! Something that isn't relayed in the prophecy! Our paths have been moved and the fates have been changed!”

Artemus's eyes turned confused all of a sudden awaiting Narra's report.

”Karus died! And then he returned to life once again!”

”WHAT?!” he shouted irritated. ”And you didn't tell this to me sooner!?”

”Karus died for three days and then returned to us again!” he repeated almost jumping as he moved away pacing the floor with his eccentric display of excitement while seriously explaining his point. ”His Amplifyers has been reacting to his elemental essence and he was hit by the Sleep of Death! Nobody gets away from the Sleep of Death! No one in Nagozul has fought death and won with Fire as a base element except him! Yit'ard! No one in Nagozul has been able to revive themselves since the great King Liwanag three thousand years ago! He is indeed blessed!”

”How did that happen?” Artemus mumbled searching from any answer thinking out loud, ”No reactions have been observed by Juni when we fused the Emerald. He said the transformation will not be until next year.”

”Yes! But you see that!? Because of that, because of Karus' sudden emergency, I was not able to reach Juni in time for me to force him outside the City Gates where I would supposedly battle some Elemental and be considered an Outlaw! The fates have changed the moment Karus' situation changed it! Meaning the prophecy is just a guide that may or may not happen!”

”No father,” he opposed standing up, ”It's still happening. Karus has been blessed by Bathala and will not die until his purpose is achieved. Your actions leading for you not being an Outlaw are insignificant to the events that will transpire in the future. All will still unfold in his divine plan! What I need is to prepare us so that when our time comes, we'll be well equipped to handle the situation and win this war against Prodea and his cohorts.”

Narra smiled sitting in his chair which made Artemus to cool down to and sit on his too.

”Don't tell me to quit convincing you because I really won't.” Narra joked seeing Artemus' serious eyes, ”I really won't. One of these days I will personally show you that this prophecy of yours is not a rule but a suggestion. One of these days you will see that I was right. I will make you believe this. I'll stake my life on this, you'll see.”

Artemus finally smiled. ”That'll be the day. So far all my calculated decisions are in place and are in order.”

”Alright, alright. I know you are stubborn as a water buffalo. But I know you will succeed in saving your family from this unfortunate fate you're tangled in, regardless of what you believe in.”

Artemus just snickered as he returned on writing on his special paper with a circular red seal on the bottom with an omega symbol inside.

”So,” continued Narra, ”does this mean you'll pay a visit to Bakunawa now?”

”Yes,” he replied while writing, ”in fact, I'll be visiting him at first light tomorrow.”

”That'll be hard considering your special activity tonight with Reus.”

”Yes, we have rounded up twenty Firestarters and some Molders some hundred miles northwest from here near the mountain range hills.”

”That far? That's bordering the seas?”

”Yes. It is very far.”

”You know it's a trap, right? They are ready to attack avoiding the risk of reinforcement on your end. A rebel combination of Firestarters and Molders are extremely terrifying. It usually ends up a disaster if not handled carefully.”

”Reus keeps on being too gullible in accepting their terms of surrender meeting them in conspicuously dangerous locations. I will have to observe as he falls into a trap and be able to rescue him on time, along with the fifty soldiers I have commissioned to be under him.”

”You're going to watch? I thought you're going to handle this personally?”

”Well he'll be the next King after I die, right? Might as well teach him a lesson or two in being cheated in a negotiation.”

”D'you remember how you handled your first negotiation with a rebel group before?”

”Yes,” he smirked as he signed and stamped the letter he's been writing.

”And do you know how well it turned out?”

”We have to cover a ravine the rebels have created in the Desert of Daomagar for a month after I insulted them somehow.”

”And you do realize this is Reus we're talking about?”

”Lighten up father!” he laughed shaking his head as he folded the letter and dressed it in a blue envelope sealing it with red wax still with an omega symbol as the insignia. ”For all we know, he might turn the tables and be able to catch them without causing too much a commotion far much better than what I did.”

”You want me to come with you? Just in case.”

Artemus reached and gave him the envelope with smiling eyes, ”No, father that's not necessary. I have a more important task I need you to run for me.”

Narra stood up as soon as he grabbed the letter and gradually returned his wrinkled cheery face to a frown, ”To Dal'Gur, huh?”

”Please?” he pleaded with a wide grin.

”Okay, okay! But just so you know, I hate delivering things to that Old Geezer. He doesn't really want to be found and searching every inch of the Lakas Mountain Range is a really troublesome ordeal.”