Ra suddenly grabbed Jin and started running in serpentine motion which made Jin laugh. He thought, 'An ignorant prince!" Again, Ra wanted to question this scoff-filled laughter but his mind was on escaping from the enemies' range.
They were able to avoid the onslaught of arrows, not only that, there continuous running was starting to create some distance from them and the arrows shot. They were almost at the edge of the staircase when a ceasefire suddenly erupted.
From Jin's rich battle experience, this was not a good sign. He peered at the enemy territory. His eyes could not help but twitch, an incantation circle that could be seen even from Begonia's shroud was eerily glowing at the middle of the mountain.
Jin then broke Ra's hold on his right hand. Ra was shocked with what he did, he almost cursed him for this move of his but when he looked at Jin's dazed face and followed his line of sight he couldn't help but mutter, "That!..."
Jin looked at Ra with great alertness, his stare was as if he wanted to look at Ra's bare soul. "Quite the bane, aren't you...?" she whispered.
That downright shameless stare caught Ra's attention and he blushed when he heard some parts of the whisper...
~Stream of Consciousness[1]~
'Bane?' he thought to himself. This very word reminded him of the words of a prophet from long ago. That prophet was especially picked by his mother for she has prophesied many events that transpired in their kingdom.
But the very prophecy she gave for me caused the end of her life.' As Ra thought of this, he could not help but close his eyes. There was this vulnerability in his usually confident demeanor. Abruptly, the words that that prophet spoke of echoed into his ears as if she were still alive and in front of Ra, sentencing Ra of his inevitable fate.
~short flashback~
"The sapling will try and reach the heavens while rooted on earth. This very tree will bear the fruits, as its roots hungrily crowl the earth... these roots that feed on the heirs of the dragons... bearing fruits of havoc and discord."
My mother shouted in anger as she understood its underlying meaning, "Blasphemy! Behead this witch!"
The guests with us were shocked with my mother's orders. This prophet that always thought of the welfare of our kingdom, this woman that has helped lead this kingdom into prosperity... All because of a request by my Queen Mother to see my fate, which this woman tried to reject at all cost, caused her to lose her prestige, even her right to live.
The soldiers moved despite of their fear of the prophet, their fear of my Queen Mother was more so remarkable, unflinchingly they moved in on the prophet as was ordered.
The prophet looked towards me with a gaze which held hatred beyond words. She stood tall and straight as if not hearing nor fearing my mother. There was this benevolence about her that took away people's soul, maybe it was also evoked by her impending death, her inescapable end which caused this fearless gaze.
I was five years old at that time. Though I understood not her words, my heart knew the prophecy that she bestowed upon my name. In fear, I hid behind my mother as she glared at me and my Queen Mother.
The soldiers encircled her and yet she prophesied still, "The celestial city will uproot this tree with fire. This burning fire will engulf the birds perched on its branches and the animals under its shade... this tree that tried to encircle the earth... and had the audacity to touch the foot of the gods..." Her words reverberated the grand hall. The stares of the ministers in the room held fear as they saw this prophet whose body was pierced by the soldiers sword. With fear still evident in their eyes, a hint of disbelief was seen as they looked towards me.'
~Another flashback~
The sky was a bloody sight to behold. There was a mixture of bone chilling death whilst the heat of the blazing sun could still be felt even though twilight was at hand. Ra was standing beside a tree in a forest, in front of him, he could see a hill.
A woman was standing on top of a hill as she gazed at this alien earth. From Ra's position, he could see that the woman clenched her fists. Then, a mighty dragon roared from the heavens. The sight of its might made Ra tremble and feel fear rush out from within him.
The dragon landed behind the woman. A fearsome voice reverberated out of nowhere, "Had the child not been born, I would not need to wake up to this monstrosity."
The woman did not look at the dragon, "We cannot kill as we please... The heavens have ordained..., we must follow orders." she said.
The voice of the woman was ver familiar to Ra, it redirected his fears into a question, a question of that woman's identity. But he could not remember who it was and when it was that he heard this voice.
Bizarrely enough, the woman looked at Ra's direction. "You!" she shouted.
Ra was surprised and his fears resurfaced.... It was the prophet that her queen mother killed.
The dream became more distorted as when the woman became recognizable, he was now before her.
Standing face to face, he became somewhat guilty as he was reminded that she died because of him. Suddenly, an eerie smile appeared on the prophet's face. She then said, "Look, look at the disaster you will bring." She then pointed out at the village that could be seen from the hill.
He saw a village in a sea of fire as creatures that were recognizable and at the same time unrecognizable, prowling in the midst of the fire as if immune to the burning sensations evoked by the flames. Blood and corpses lay there. He blinked, wishing for the nightmare to end, closing his eyes as his body trembled.
Being pampered all his life, he has never seen such turmoil. And yet, this dream was very cruel. He heard the sound of the scorching flames and the movements of these peculiar creatures, even the eerie silence of nothingness beyond the flames. His heart pounded, his breathing erratic. He opened his eyes to blink the tears away.
He looked at the woman, he gulped and said seriously, "I... I am sorry..." he blinked some more as he stared intently at her. The next thing he knew was that the dragon behind them was staring like a predator at him. Its nostril fearsomely breathed in the air of the surrounding as he then blew a fireball at Ra. Ra was stricken with trepidation, he stood still. He knew that death was what that woman also wished for him. He stared at the woman before him. He was baffled, for the woman's eyes held traces of sadness as she looked at him. Before he could ask why, he was engulfed by the fire, the heat permeated even unto his flesh and bones. All he could see was the endless yellow, red, and orange that surrounded him. Then the scorching flames erupted and raptured at his very being, he screamed as the heat burnt even his soul.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!"
When Ra lost consciousness, he woke up to see that he was sweating all over. His bed was filled with his sweat. He was trembling all over and a cold wind wafted into his room. He sat up, leaned on the wall of his bed as he hugged his trembling legs. He whispered, "I'm so sorry..."
~End of stream of consciousness~
'That woman' Ra thought to himself. 'She continuously appeared in my dreams turning it into nightmares. And now..., her words echo this very moment...'
"Hey!" Jin shouted at Ra, seeing him close his eyes, he leered at Ra, "We can no longer outrun them..." his next words were expressed in a calm manner.
Ra was startled by his shout and immediate calm explanation. He then decided to help this stranger, "That incantation circle isn't just for show. You should go, it's probably... for me. I think?" Ra plotted out his next move, he knew he already loss the moment it began. There was no chance of winning if... and if what Jin said about him being a bane was the same as the prophet's words, then... he wanted to end things now...
Jin's face was amused with Ra's plans, he said to Ra, "Believe it or not, I'm here because I intend to change your fate." The gaze that Jin gave made one's soul be on ends, and Ra could not help but stare back, as if these words were the lifeline he has been waiting to hear, his heart quivered in doubt and hope. "Now, help me create a blood incantation. If you trust me, better you fall into my hands than whoever is in cahoots with those assasins." Jin smiled cheekily, "I have no intention of running, especially when I purposely came here for you. Even though you ARE an Idiot." There was this contempt filled with judgment on Jin's face.
Ra was struck silly with every word that came out of Jin's mouth. The serious light he finally had of the man was gone the moment he spoke that last sentence.
They both held on to their swords, Ra only let his index finger get cut by his sword while Jin's fingers lightly pressed the edge of her sword, all had been cut and blood was oozing. "My life is now in your hands after this," Jin said as he looked at his fingers. He started making intricate lines. "I won't be able to fight for long... You have to be smart. I might even lose consciousness..." He explained technically like he was just talking about mechanical instructions for some equipment. He then stared at Ra and Ra felt a dangerous aura from this stranger, the next thing he knew the blood incantation that Jin was making before him, lacking the final details... this incantation was one which he had never layed his eyes upon. No sign of similarity at all with any of the incantations he had ever seen.
Ra just unconsciously thought it and suddenly he heard these exact words from his mouth,
"Who are you?"
Not one bit fazed by the question, continuosly making the incantation, Jin answered like he was talking about the weather. "The name's Jin. I'm a eunuch. I'm also a disciple of the first witch, Gisela."
Sweat trickled all over his body. Ra again was lost in his thoughts, he remembered meeting a little girl he saved just a few months ago talking about that same ancestor...
***********
Unfortunately for Ra, he didn't know that while he was travelling outside his country, the little girl he encountered was also Prime. When Prime was goofing around in the city of Shi with her parents, she became even more daring walking at the edge of the bridge. There was an old wood that she accidentally stepped on and it broke, luckily a stranger caught her on time before she could even fall.
It was Ra, when Ra touched Prime, Prime's foresight immediately took over and she held tightly unto Ra. She needed to see all that this foresight could show her. What she saw was far worse than human destruction...
She saw human experimentation, mutation... that person, and Ra. "Chimera" she whispered. She looked at the young man holding her like she was light as a feather.
The young man's features were fine and handsome. There was no trace of cruelty on this remarkable youth. The air around him had an air of valor and a sense of justice. Had she been mortal, this young man would've smitten her heart away. She looked intently at his face. This action made Ra blush for no woman had ever dared to look at him so shamelessly what more a mere girl?
Prime felt that his face was somewhat familiar to her, "Gisela" she said in a moderate voice as she held the face of Ra.
Ra was baffled by the little girl's words, after all Gisela was his great ancestor. The woman that started their regime in the vast empire they know control.
Emotions started to swell out from the depths of her soul, her eyes which was intently staring at him now had a tinge of sorrow. She blurted out, "Do not follow either of their footsteps. You will just be a chess piece nothing more. Though power and glory may come from walking the same path, you will lose the same thing they loss." Prime said as she caressed the young man's face. The way she caressed him was like how parents would caress their children.
Prime's parents became anxious, their child has never acted this way before. Not only that, the man holding their daughter did not seem simple. The guards by Ra's side also started to move collectively but before they could even come close Ra spoke one simple phrase, "continue"
As if woken up by Ra's words, the somewhat daze and solemn look in Prime's eyes shifted. "Two beings will one day seek you. One seeks to give you power and glory, even the darkest desires of your heart. The other seeks to protect you, wishing to aid you to a path less travelled. Both of them will make your name renowned throughout the continents of this world."
Ra stared intently at this little girl, she looked simple and there was no trace of worldliness around her. He continued to listen to her while he positioned her to face him. "Choose the one that will save you from your untimely doom. But they both will save you, appear in almost the same time and place. It is a pity, I cannot tell you which one is heaven sent and which one is inferno sent. Young prince, may you be weary of the leaves that submerges you to an untimely predicament. Though the flower is tame and beautiful, the heights above is incomparably filled with wolves and snakes. Even the eyes that watches over all of us will doom you from afar. You cannot escape them."
Prime slowly leaned towards Ra's ears and spoke in a whisper but not a whisper, it was as if she was talking to Ra's soul and not to his physical body, "You are not the first, you certainly aren't the last."
Suddenly, the little girl's arms hit the vital points of Ra's arms. She landed smoothly, she stared intently at her father and mother. Her parents became shocked at this point but before they could do anything the girl ran as quickly as she could.
"Forgive our daughter," the father said as he stared at the bewildered face of Ra. The mother ran after her daughter, afraid that she may have been possessed or if any danger befall her daughter while she fled. "This has never happened before." the father said as he bowed his head, he then followed his daughter and wife.
Ra felt the numbing sensation from his arms. When he came to, the girl was no longer in his arms and the father was already speaking to him. But he was still shocked, that little girl's aim and strength was not something a child could possess. As he watched their silhouette move further away from him, Ra ordered, "After them."
When the guards caught up to the family of three, the girl was already unconscious. She was seen to have been running about in a very queer way. Choosing to run at directions only children would fit into which resulted in an accident.
The guards heard the passersby talking to another passersby. The child supposedly ran at a crossroad. When she was in the middle of the road she noticed a small opening which she could use as a pathway to escape, ---there was a particular cart pulled by a chain attached to the carriage, there was a space between the cart and carriage, this was the pathway she noticed.
The passersby saw how the child crouched and tried to pass in the middle of the cart and the carriage, but the carriage suddenly moved. This was because the driver almost hit a person crossing the streets. This made the driver halt the rein of the horses that pulled both the carriage and the cart but unbeknownst to the driver, there was a girl in the middle of his carriage and cart.
The little girl was hit directly on the head by the chains that were suddenly lowered as the driver retracted the reins of the horse. The impact of the chain on the girl's head caused her to lose consciousness.
The guards saw the mother weeping as she held unto her child. She was distraught and did not know what to do, when her husband arrived all sorts of emotions swelled up but he opted to calm his wife and bring their daughter immediately to a doctor.
When Ra arrived, he saw the unprecedented predicament, he decided to help the husband and wife find a capable doctor. They immediately went to the clinic of a renowned doctor, this particular doctor said that the girl may not wake up soon.
The bruise was not simple for the chain was thick and sturdy, a child hit by this chain would certainly receive an external injury or worse, both internal and external injury. The man who was driving the cart said that the child was quite lucky for if the horse had not stopped, the girl's body may have either been dragged or crushed by the cart for he himself had not seen the child that ran in the middle of the street. Some of the bystanders said that she tried to avoid the chain but was unable to for when the horse stopped, the reigns of the chain was lowered instantly hitting the girl and if she did otherwise, her upper body would've been heavily bruised if she was hit by the cart.
Ra left after hearing this. He left one of his guards to monitor the girl. The parents, seeing that the doctor could do no more help choice to send the child back to their family doctor, the village doctor that frequently checked on their child. They hoped that, just like with her illness that this doctor helped her recover from, he again would be able to help their child to recover from this accident.
Unfortunately, when the child was sent to the doctor, she met her untimely death. The guard who had been observing from afar reported this to Ra.
Ra contemplated but could not seem to understand what the child said... and her death brought doubts and clouded his heart.
*********************
"Hey! Now is not the time to daze off!"
Jin's shout woke off Ra and it made him realize that he was not himself. 'Remembering things while in danger' he thought to himself, 'This habit is becoming destructive. I have to stop my thoughts from running about.'
The blood incantation seemed finished, Jin said, "Place your blood in the middle. Form a six star with your blood. Afterwards, make seven circles surrounding this star."
He followed his orders. When he was starting to draw out the last circle, the incantation started to move frighteningly. The bewilderment in Ra was followed by his stuttering question, "A... a... a moving... in... incantation?"