Nychta - The Bloodrose Kingdom

Chapter 15 - Serpents and an Unfortunate Fate

Clad in white, feather-like cloth was the girl back in Catquoise. She was even decorated with a thin white veil, serving as a cape behind her back. She looked like an angel, with her blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. She looked innocent, but she carried herself properly, like a princess. Maybe the test of time can make her the queen in the future. If I was careless, that is.

The crowd was too stunned to speak. Bloodrose was formerly the dark side of the world by the lack of sun, but even with its existence, we were all still morally corrupted in the darkest ways. The dark inks of our hearts still tainted each and every one, passing only those who are wise enough to truly become the opposite.

But she radiated of that opposite. She radiated the vibe of someone not from this place. And there was only one place where she looked like she belonged at.

Gaia.

The people who raised Catquoise’s banner waved it silently, the color being purple and engraved with a cat. They were the people of trade and commerce, golds and silvers freely roaming around their town. They were the second richest after the capital of Bloodrose itself, which is named after the queendom. All of them stood out from the crowd, for they were all wearing fine cloths and outfits, with varying stripes and patterns. It was quite dizzying in fact, for the eccentricities were very much unable to unnoticed.

Do not fear the light, the gem said inside my head. Even Eman was stunned it seems, for his voice finally stopped for a while.

The girl finally stopped in her tracks at the top of the stage. Clearing her throat, she looks at the audience and begins.

“I am Lucia of the Light. I come from Catquoise, and I will to lead the land of Bloodrose,” she says, her light and sweet voice heard throughout the arena.

She carried herself with such confidence, and yet people still had mixed reactions.

Saying their opinions, some complaints and some compliments, the crowd increased in volume, debating Lucia. Was she a creature deserving to be a queen? A light for the dark? The question rang in my head too.

“Mach! Hear me out,” Eman says again, ringing me back to his voice. It was now half-pleading, his voice getting more desperate as time went by.

“I told you, I’m not coming,” I say again, even though I was less convinced as I repeated it.

“You need to, I promise you salvation,” he says, his words a grave reminder that made my heart feel heavier in a second.

I thought for a while before replying, “What do you even want me to do, Eman?” I say, hurt present in my voice. I continued while emotions gushed out through me, “Do you want me to steal again? To live a life sleeping in the library while not eating for some days and coming home bloodied in other ones? Is that the salvation you offer?”

I felt bad as I said it. It was true that that was what happened to me before all of this, but he had no say for that to happen. He was also a thief, after all, and had even showed me the ropes to be who I am right now. It was unfair to blame him for that, for making him take the brunt of my complaint.

But he seemed to understand me. I hope he did.

“I cannot speak of it, not right now,” he says, hurt still present in it.

The people of Catquoise waved their banners, the crowd now beginning to cheer for Lucia. Whatever it was they had talked about, it ended with most of them wanting Lucia. Wanting to see whatever she was capable of. Their cheers almost made me lose concentration.

Do not make your mask falter! The voice reminded me, making me put my mask of indifference again. I was the Queen of Ravens, and I was not to be distracted easily.

“What do you mean you can’t tell me about it? How would I believe you?” I ask, stressing the last part.

But deep inside me, there was just one thing I wanted to hear. One thing he needed to say and I will quickly leave the arena, burn it in to the grounds if I had to. I would struggle my way out, call for wings, or whatever gift the gem had. I was powerful now, and I wanted to, I would do it my way.

I just wanted him to tell me he liked me. Loved me, even.

Lucia takes a ball from the back of her pocket, pure white light dancing and bouncing off its glass walls. She closed her eyes as she put the ball in front of her chest, her hands vibrating as she centered her will on it.

The ball trembled with force, her hands barely being able to keep it intact. But she played her part, and now the ball erupted with a blinding light.

In an instant, blinding white light, brighter than the sun erupted from it. It spread through every dark corner and made the nychta’s gems shine brighter than ever. I didn’t have to close my eyes, though, for it was a soothing type of light. It was the light that shone in the sunrise, the light of optimism and hope.

It spread through the arena, gathering cheers from the crowd. They all marveled at the light, now beginning to show something.

In the center of the arena was a huge dove, its mighty wings flapping peacefully.

It was coming out of Lucia herself, her head tilted back to look at the skies as she made the dove fly higher. It followed suit, flapping and flapping its wings majestically to the skies.

And just when it was about to leave the place, it erupted into millions and millions of tiny, sparkling glitters, tiny rainbows coming out of it as the sun illuminated it. It was marvelous, as if someone made pure magic for everyone to see.

It made my heart flutter, my formerly weary heart. Lucia was a creature of delight, and I was sensing that she was about to be the crowd’s favorite now. For she was unique and new, for she was fresh and charming.

And to end her marvelous performance, she bowed properly, her tiny frame almost engulfed by the remaining rays of light.

The crowd cheered with fervor, their newfound favorite now descending the stage.

From afar, Faeric was not smiling at the least. He was the only contrast from all the people, who now had bright smiles, including me. He was, after all, the current leader of the queendom, along with the Illuminae. Any trace of the Gaia made them remember the War of the Divide, and so he looked at Lucia dully.

I noticed that even I was smiling, making me wear my mask in an instance.

“Mach, please, I need you to listen to me,” Eman continued. Every word of him made my heart hurt more, once-soothed by Lucia, now returning to its dreadful state. It was an illusion, she had shown, after all, and not real magic. It was like needles pinning it, each word that did not have anything to do with promises of attraction and love making it hurt more.

“D-don’t make me bleed,” I reply, a cryptic message for him to understand. He had always made me anyways. He had taught me to fight properly, to deal with other thieves. Bloody and dirty, but never messy. Only precise. Tears showed only when I’m alone. There was no time for pain whenever we did our missions, and so I had no space for emotions.

But it had always made me bleed a little, even inside. And for he was my only friend, every drop of blood I dropped hurt me too much. I was too weak as a person to be a thief, and I had always known that. Whenever we stole too much, whenever we lied to get by, whenever we jumped and dropped and kicked to escape.

“I-I won’t, I promise,” Eman manages to say. Still not the words I was asking for.

The next one was a girl with a girl with long hair, wearing twin ponytails with one colored blue and another pink. She was wearing a black and white checkered gown, serving as an illusion of some sorts. She was wearing shades, her pale face the only thing to be seen. It was too pale, actually, that it looked like she was wearing white face paint.

She was a living joker, her head crowned with a jester’s hat. In her hands she held pink powder, some of it falling to the floor as she kept on playing with it with her hand.

As she started to walk, I noticed that she wore a lot of tattoos, the shapes of an ace, a clover, a heart, and a diamond to be seen in various colors. She was smiling carelessly, her head angled at an uncaring position. She was even chewing a gum.

As she walked the carpet, she spread her powder, leaving her mark on it.

I tried to consider Eman’s words, but said, “I still have this with me. I can’t just leave this place. I can’t just abandon Rosemary. I trained for weeks, and I am not about to leave it for an unknown fate,” I say, trying my best to convince myself of what I said. Was I seriously doubting it? How could that be, when I was so set on proving that I was worthy of being the queen just earlier. I thought I was ready, and yet here I was, easily being swayed by Eman.

“But I know you can. We did not last through those years if I didn’t know what you were capable of. I wish that you will think of that, for I have bigger plans. I want you to join me,” he says.

“I am Alice of the Cards, here to be a queen,” the girl says, her head gazing at every one. She received lukewarm response, some of them unconvinced by her. It seems that the contestants of Catquoise for this Divination varied a lot.

But then I realized something.

“Then why didn’t you make me join you back then, back when I was free? Why did you just vanish regularly, and simply wasn’t able to reach the day when I was caught? That was a plan that you and I should’ve done together, even though it was just common for us. And you knew that,” I say, reminding him of what he had been the past days.

Alice takes her ball, swirling with black and white colors. It was gliterry in form, like sparkling sand. She had fully discarded the powder she had held earlier in her hand, the one that she was fidgeting with.

She cracks the ball in her hand. Instantly, the powder she had dropped from earlier turned black and white, now moving on its own and scattering all over the place. I looked at Alice to see what she wasabout to do, but then found her place empty.

And then as I gazed into the crowd, I noticed that she was scattered all over the place. She spawned in random places, illusions of her scattered all throughout. It was terrifying and entertaining at the same time, with her being able to fulfill her joker role.

I wonder about what tricks she had in store for us too.

From her illusions from afar, she raises her left hand. And then as if on cue, she snaps her finger in a menacing way, full of confidence for what she had for us.

In an instant, the black and white powder spread all around the arena turned into a mix of purple and pink, dancing around the arena in a dizzying manner. It was menacing and annoying, but at the same time, amazing. This was magic, but it also felt real. Her humor had a scary mood in it, given as to how she was laughing right now, her mouth full open. The crowd barely responded, too stunned with her illusions spread around the crowd.

“I-I cannot talk about it,” Eman says with the same heavy tone. But this time, it felt resigned. This time, it sounds as if he was finally ready to let go. Just when I was about to be convinced. Just before I was about to give in to his words. It was too bad that even Fate cannot keep us together.

Now get out of her head, the gem said irritatingly. Like a rejected dog, I heard a soft whimper from him. I did not dare let it distract me, did not dare let myself allow him to get through my defenses.

“Good bye, Eman. Forever,” I say, my own voice heavier than it ever was. I felt a cold thump in my heart as I realized that I have rejected my only friend. The only friend I had throughout my existence. Through those years of challenge and hardships, I had been with him. And now, I was leaving him.

In an instant, our connection vanished, as my shadow gradually lost the darker tone it original had. I felt my head get lighter, felt that loss of connection.

Someday, I would meet him again. If I live to see that day.

You did the right thing, the gem says, its heavy and wise voice ringing through my head. What did it even know about emotions? Did it not only exist to give powers and nothing else? Why was it able to talk with Eman, when I thought that I was the only one who it would talk to?

Did I? That was the only reply I can say. I didn’t see that what I did was wrong, but I didn’t see it as right. I could’ve probably softened it up for him, to give him a little kindness.

But the confusion suddenly shifted to fear as the banners for Silverfang was finally raised. This was it. This was the moment I have been waiting for. Loathed for, even. Ice cold fear enters my throat and lungs as the gravity of what I needed to do when against me.

Fresh from the wound that Eman just gave with his words, I clenched my fists. I was the last contestant, and I was to see one more before I go to the stage. I haven’t heard of anyone coming from Silverfang, and I was sure that I was in no way related to that person, given that I live at the bottom of the scums.

I did not dare look at her, not dare let her enter my peripheral vision, even. The crowd’s shouts and screams became louder as the final town of the queendom was to be called.

And the second to the last girl walked her walk.

She had roughly-cut short hair streaked with red dye, fiery in the winds that blew against her. She was like a tigress, ready to rip the throat out of somebody as she walks fiercely, both gracefulness and murder to be seen in her body.

She was wearing a red and brown gown, revealing slits and openings showing blades and knives of different lengths and assortments spread throughout her body, from her thighs, arms, hips, and even a tiny collection in her neck that served as a collar of some sorts.

Every footstep rang loud through me, as I was sure that she was to be my instant competition. Not only did she come from the same place as me, she also had a sinister vibe that can dethrone even a queen in an instant. Now was not the time to be complacent.

She was devouring the people’s attentions, making them instantly forget about the other ones. No flame or lightning or water can drown a sharp blade’s charm, it seems.

The cloth in her gown was velvet, a sharp contrast to the shiny blades she held dearly to her body. I could already tell that she was a girl of the knives, or maybe even deadlier. Of death, maybe?

She takes her steps, quick and clean as she finally ascends to the stage.

And on that moment, the blood from my face drained.

Perched atop the stage was Hilda. Hilda of the Serpents.