The wood,
Doesn't always mean danger and difficulty,
Sometimes, it means, full of hallucinations,
The three, Horace, George, and Ciana walk over a few kilometers in the hope to find a sign of the oldest Aldo. Both George and Ciana are now walking ahead of Horace, next to each other, while Horace followed them in the back with her head full of malice, they seem close, Horace would say—like more than friends. Both of them are talking about the weather, the sky, or anything, and still enjoying the small talk, they even kissed each other, as lovers do. Horace had fallen on the snow a few times and they don't even look back to care. Like a hallucination, Horace starts hearing Ciana complain about her being a bad sister, and George saying bad words about her. Meanwhile, the real situation is just George aiming his radar around the place talking about their locations, while Ciana is muttering magical words, Horace can see both situations and situation at the same time, it's hard to tell what is happening to her.
"A-a me-require—Aldo—" Ciana says, her eyes shining in gold, and golden veins grew out from her scalp connecting to her eyes. Horace's cloaks also shine and transformed into a golden tome, floating in the air. Horace watches the tome starts turning pages, and her mouth opens wide, her eyes lock on to the gold tome but she is seeing nothing but haze,
"It's gone…" Horace utters, but the book is still there only she couldn't see it,
"Aldo, Book II, Chapter 17, Thee shall not require me, thee shall not quest for me, our path hast divided and I shall not be hasted," Ciana utters, she glows down, and falls from the air, George catches Ciana before she reaches the ground. She didn't fall hard, just a glide like leaves fall from its branches and Horace catches the book as it falls mirroring Ciana,
"It's back!" Horace says, "Ciana!!" Horace calls before her eyes wander to the little sister, and fear hits her. Horace runs towards Ciana and grabs the younger shoulder from George, "What happened? Are you tired? Are you low on sugar?" Horace asks,
"Don't worry, she's just burned by her power," George explains,
"Who are you to say?!" Horace growls and George tense by her tone,
"Sis, stop—" Ciana says before lifting her hand and caressing Horace's cheeks. A white tint can be seen in Horace's iris. "George…her eyes…" Ciana utters,
"What is it?" George asks,
"She got jinxed," Ciana says,
"The Aldo! We must be near." George says but Ciana shakes her head,
"No, this is not magic… it is a user," Ciana says, and George frowns,
"A Quinlin? Don't tell me it's from the royal." George shudders to his own words,
"I'm not sure, but Princess Quincy is the only user who can wield this ability fluently," Ciana says, and George gives Horace a disappointed stare,
"Are you seeing anything? Weird or –uh, weird?" George asks,
"No…" Horace says but her single word is full of hesitations,
"Life is at stake. I need you to be honest, Horace, what do you see?" George asks,
Horace's eyes travel everywhere except George's eyes but in the end, she had no choice but to come clean although it may sound embarrassing, "I saw you and Ciana snogging each other, and you are talking shit about me—I don't know if that count as weird because you said you two are friends but you both act like lovers." Horace says and George sighs,
"That never happens. It is the jinx…Quite clever of her." George says,
"What is a jinx?" Horace asks,
"Is a power to cause one to hallucinate. Many Quinlin have this power but only one can use it very decently—like now, she is using it to cause malice in your eyes. Normally, Quinlin would do a monster hallucination and cause one to fall crazy or worse, fear until death. But seeing it now, she's just toying around with you—like a child." George says,
"George, I don't think this user is attacking purpose…" Ciana says,
"What do you mean?" George asks,
"Sis, when did you start seeing weird things?" Ciana asks,
"I'm not sure—but I saw you two snogging 3 minutes ago," Horace says,
George's eyes glare and he nods, "3 Minutes ago, but there are no traces of her or her power... So, she uses it on a map, an area trap, but why?" George asks, his eyes shone in blue, as he felt tense on his shoulder, and Ciana squishes his arms,
"This place is one of the Throes cribs," Ciana says,
"Damn it…" George curses, he lifts Ciana onto bridal, and Ciana wraps her arm around the taller, "We need to get out from here, fast." George says,
"No…It'll be too late; we need to find the Aldo first." Ciana says,
"As you wish," George says,
George reaches his hand towards Ciana's rosy cheeks and they are staring at each other with eyes full of lust. In such a scene from a movie, Horace quickly slaps her own cheeks, and shakes her head, before seeing both George and Ciana weren't even looking at each other. George is carrying Ciana on his back, and Ciana is resting on his shoulder. Horace sighs, her jinx is going wild again. Horace clears her throat, "I am still seeing jinx." Horace says,
"It's alright—just know that we aren't what you see." George says, "Since you got hit by her traps, our locations have been exposed to the Quinlin. If we are lucky, she will come here alone—but if we are not, she will bring a friend." George adds,
"Quinlin?" Horace says, "A different species?" Horace asks,
"Yes, they are winged chickens. They vigilant and righteous soldiers of Lilhymnie." George explains, "They are born with weapons sticking in their mother's ass." George says,
"That's one way of saying it." Ciana giggles,
"That's the nicest way of saying it," George says,
"You two must have hated those Quinlin's people…" Horace says,
"Well, not all of them," Ciana says, and George nods and agrees with Ciana,
"Not all of them? Meaning?" Horace asks,
"We have a friend." George says, "She is Ciana's Yéwno, Her name is Evaline."
Ciana's smiles become soft hearing the familiar name, "She's a warlord of Quinlin, she leads many warriors to wars. And I always go everywhere with her, on her side, she is my right hand and I am hers—I feel awkward without her." Ciana says before burying her face in George's shoulder, "I hope she didn't feel betrayed." Ciana adds,
"Of course, she would feel betrayed." George says, and Ciana pouts, "She risked almost everything to protect you, you can't even tell her about the pawn." George adds,
"I don't need the salt, George." Ciana says, "I did it to protect her."
"She doesn't need your protection; she needs you to be on her side." George says, "You know… if anything happened to you, she will die too because that is the deal of Yéwno. I know for the fact; nothing will happen if it is the other way around. So, can you at least consider it?" George adds he is straining his voice from getting too loud,
"You are a chatty-chatty, today, George," Ciana says,
"I just don't want to lose my two best friends," George says before turning his head away, his ears are glowing red, and he is not shy—he's emotional.
Ciana pats her friend's shoulder, "I will consider it." Ciana says,
"Good." George sighs,
Horace watches the two-friend battering, she couldn't help but smile, they are close—so close, it reminds her of her friendship with Phoebe. Phoebe is getting married; will their friendships stay the same? Will Horace be able to make friends with Phoebe's wife, and maybe, be the godmother of Phoebe's children? "Evaline must be a good friend..." That's all Horace could say, staring at the white ground,
"She is the best." Both Ciana and George say in unison,
"We should keep walking," George says and Horace nods,
"Wait, George…" Ciana utters and points at the sky, George's eyes widen when he saw a shadow of an angel flying up to the sky, flexing her silver wings, and landing right in front of them. George jumps away from the powerful land and held Ciana tightly from falling off due to the reckless momentum, but Horace got flips up from the ground, before stumbling onto a tree nearby. She hit her back and fell into the snow, too fast, she couldn't even make a noise.
"Horace!" Ciana yells Horace lifts her hand before slowly pulling her head from the ground, and sitting up, Ciana sighs in relief seeing the older sister is alright.
Graceful, Like snow, Princess of Quinlin,
She has long wavy white hair, her eyes shone in white, and she has a white lash stuck on her eyelid. Her skin is as white as the snow but her gaze is fiercer than fire, she is wearing silver armor and standing tall on her own feet, with small daggers wrapped on her three fingers. In the uttered words, she looks like an angel to Horace's perspective, a snow angel.
"Hello, Chosen one, I believe you have something that doesn't belong to you." The princess says before placing her hand on her hips, and giving Ciana a double-take, "I heard you are very powerful and feared by people, hmm, but I see nothing but weak." She goes on, and George frowned hearing Primadonna's words. He glares at the princess and grips Ciana tightly. Horace found George standing weirdly, "Aww, don't be angry, I'm only messing around, being angry only proves my point." Quincy grins,
"Princess Quincy, I've heard a lot about you," George says,
"Really? I must be famous~" Quincy says playing with her wavy hair,
"Yes, the infamous Princess of Quinlin who has dated almost every hot guy she sees, and recently she slept with her instructor for a better post," George says and Quincy frowns,
"Excuse me! I have never—!! Ugh!! That's the stupid media trying to throw shit on my name! I'm going to kill those, Libers!" Quincy groans stomping her feet,
"What are you doing here?" George asks,
Quincy glares, "Why else?" Quincy says in a very teasing tone, "I'm here for the pawn and your girlfriend's head—" Quincy says and a blue dagger almost goes through her chest but she manages to dodge it. Quincy glares at the owner of the dagger and George glare back at her, "Do you just threaten the life of Quinlin's Princess?" Quincy spits,
"You have threatened the life of the Chosen One, Princess," George says,
"She is no heir in her states." Quincy says pointing at Ciana's weak body, "Mortal born as she is no crown to any thrones in our realm." Quincy adds,
"So as a vindictive born as you," George says and Horace almost gives stand-up applause to George for clap-back but she held herself from taking the scene
"How dare you?!" Quincy draws her moonlike dagger out from her wrist but stops doing anything more when she heard a flap and clacking of wings,
"Enough, Quincy." A voice calls her and she hides her weapon and turns away, "Stow away you wing, that is no way to act around our comrades." A man in golden armor, his hair creamy-blond like condensed milk, his amber eyes shone in gold like brass, gold pair of wings, but nothing about him feels authentic, Horace thoughts to herself. The blond-haired land before them, and hide his wings behind his back. Horace quick to holds her body to the ground,
But nothing happened, The blond, landed gracefully. Silent, professional, and with no impact at all. Horace watches as the man approaches George. His eyes linger noticing Horace's stare, the man gives a quick thoughtful glance to Horace, before shifting his eyes back to George, and George seems more composed in the taller presence. "Your highness, I can explain—" George utters, and his head bows down, fill with dread and distress.
"Julien, don't listen to him," Quincy says but Julien raises his hand, in a stop gesture, asking Quincy to stand down and Quincy obeys,
"I am listening," Julien says,
"Please, spare us—we haven't done anything wrong except whatever it takes to protect the Lilhymnie, as you can see, I am with the chosen one," George says,
"Ciana…" Julien utters his tone softening and George's ear twitches before Julien clears his throat, "Is she alright?" Julien asks before approaching the weak woman,
"She's burned by her recitation, my prince," George says and lets the prince touch Ciana's cheeks and Ciana greets the prince with a small bob.
"Your highness," Ciana says and Julien smiles,
"You are tired..." Julien says, "You should rest." Julien continues before placing his palm on Ciana's eyes, and she falls asleep in the instant. George stares in confuse and Julien passes the ginger-haired man a tired gaze, "She's not burned by her power, she is burned by the pawn— So, I won't ask you twice or use any force on you if I could, Mr. George. We need you to give the pawn to us so we can destroy it." Julien says and George frowns,
"I'm sorry your highness, I cannot surrender the pawn," George says and Julien sighs,
"Why not?" Julien asks,
"Ciana said the pawn will save us all," George says,
"How?" Julien asks,
"We don't know it yet, but it will, we are still investigating," George says,
Julien rolls his eyes, "Look, George, you are a smart liber. You can understand, the pawn is growing, and so is the Throes. They are interdependent, and the throes evolving and it is getting hard and harder for Quinlin to kill them. Just yesterday a Throes slips off from my finger." Julien says, searching souls in George's eyes but George avoids the contact,
"I'm sorry but I can't…" George says,
Julien says, "It was my close comrades who died on its hands, my people, there's many more who devours by its malevolence, should you be selfish now?" Julien asks,
"I'm sorry," George says,
"Just say we took it; she won't find out." Julien says and George's eyes twitch at the offer, "She may be the chosen one, but this is wrong—and you know it too." Julien adds,
"I can't live knowing I have betrayed her," George says,
"Is it because of your oath?" Julien asks and George hides his right palm, and Julien keeps his eyes on the older, "You have made a blood oath to be her sworn brother and never betray her, right?" Julien says and George's eyes wavers, "I can undo the oath." Julien says,
"No…" George says,
"I see how you are looking at her, it's not hard to recognize," Julien says,
"Ciana will hate me," George says,
"She will, but will it make any difference than now." Julien asks, "To be stuck as a brother to the person you love for the rest of your life?" Julien continues,
Horace frowns, she did get a hint that something more by how George is looking at her little sister. But George is still Ciana's close friend. Using George's emotions as strategic to get the pawn is a pathetic move. George's body is getting weak, he is secret is bare opens, he feels naked and he hates it. Horace runs and stands between him and the prince, causing the blond man to take a step back, and make a distance between them and George, "His personal feelings have nothing to do with your scheme, young man. Get off his skin." Horace growls,
"What the hell…?" Julien voices, George pulls Horace down,
"Stop—Horace stands down," George says,
"I don't understand, George." Horace says, "Why do you let him talk to you like that? Is like as if you are letting him control you."
George nods, "He's a prince. That's why you don't have to do anything, just stand down, you should show him some respect—he earns it." George says,
"I don't care even if he is the king, he is annoying," Horace says,
"Is she a human, George?" Julien asks and his spear appears from the thin air in his right-hand Horace crawls behind George's back and sees the weapon, hiding behind Ciana,
"What the hell, who uses spears over words?" Horace utters,
George sighs, "Yes, my lord, she is a human please don't kill her." George says,
"Why do you have a human with you?" Julien asks,
"She is Ciana's older sister," George says,
"That does not answer the question," Julien says,
"Consorting with an earth human is against the law of Lilhymnie, you may be suspended from using your tome if you are not aware," Quincy explains,
"Yes, we are aware." George says, "But she is the only family Ciana has left. When the concierges attack Ciana's home. The older sister is the only one Ciana can save." George explains, before he places Ciana down, and lay her head on his thighs,
Horace gasped, "What…" the ginger-haired man didn't give her an answer, "What are you saying George?" Outline her question, her heartbeat becomes louder, heat rises from her ears to her cheek, her teeth gritting—half-hope she has misunderstood, half-hope it is the jinx.
"I'll explain later, Horace," George says,
"That's a bold decision," Julien says,
"She did it for a greater purpose." George says, "I hope with these revelations and sacrifices, you can understand, she is doing all her power to save us all like she is destined to do. Please, help us protect the pawn." George continues,
Julien stares long at Ciana's sleeping face and his eyes become soft, he tries to approach her but his feet are not moving an inch. His eyes shone, he felt a strain of pain in his shoulder, and a word mark appear on his neck, and his eyes are glaring and he look down at his spear confused, "My lord?" George utters, confuses by the beam,
"Julien..." Quincy voices and Julien turns his back towards the white-haired girl and sees the same white mark on her neck and her eyes are glowing bright white, "What's happening…?" She groans in pain, and her hand is twitching with her moonlike dagger keeps falling off her wrist, she reaches her arm towards Julien, and Julien pulls her closer, and lets her lean her weight on Julien's chest, and the taller grips her shoulder from falling off.
"The Timoría mark is detecting disobedience." Julien says as blood sprays out from his neck and he quickly covers his neck with his palms, "It bleeding out." Julien adds,
"My lord… are you alright," George asks,
"The royals made an oath to be life threatened whenever we are near the pawn, the vows are made for us to find the pawn easier and act upon it quickly," Julien explains,
"That's a stupid oath to make!" George says frowns,
"You weren't the only one then," Quincy says and George glares,
"Only by killing the pawn, can stop this," Julien says, George's eyes wavers,
"Not that I don't want to give the pawn. But only Ciana can give it to you. It is hidden in H—her stomach." George explains and Julien's eyes widen at another revelation,
"What?!" Julien frowns, looking at the peaceful woman sleeping on George's thigh, "She swallowed the most powerful relic and store it in her stomach?!" Julien groans,
"It wasn't big as we expect it…" George explains, "The pawn is very small like a feeble. We don't even know why is it so powerful, and we don't know where to hide it. I wasn't paying attention when she—" George chatters,
Quincy rolls her eyes, "Shut up! We are suffering here! You only make it worst." Quincy says and blood bursts out from her mouth, George swallows his spits,
"Quincy, we should get out from here…" Julien says and George's eyes waver,
"Wait! Where are you going…?" George asks,
"I don't want to die here and risk the chosen one…" Julien says, "She has to save the Lilhymnie, I, prince of Quinlin Kingdom have a very high expectation on her to give plenty rest to my soldiers." Julien says. He spread his golden wings, and held on to Quincy tightly,
"Wait!! Stop—I can't let you guys sacrifice yourself like this." George says and, both prince and princess look back at the ginger-haired man, "Make me your binder." George says,
"What do you mean?" Julien asks,
"As your binder, I will be your mind, your yéwno. I can undo your oath that is against me, and you will be under my annotations." George says, "Thus, you both will be free from the timoría forever as long as I am alive." George adds,
"I am a prince, George." Julien says, "The yéwno will guarantee your protection and my freedom. But if anything were to happen to you, my life will be at risk. As you were aware, my life is worth a million of my kind." Julien explains,
"And your life is ending soon if you don't take this deal," George says and Julien smiles,
"Aren't you already bound to another Quinlin's soldier, the Liber can only have two binders if I am not mistaken," Julien says,
"Quincy will bind to Ciana," George explains,
"I rather die!" Quincy growls, and Julien frowns,
"Ciana won't consent!!" Julien says,
"We have no other way or Princess Quincy will die…" George says, "Trust me, Ciana will do this! should you sacrifice your princess for consent?!" George explains,
"Julien, I don't want to!" Quincy says and Julien's eyes soften,
"Quincy, listen to me… I hate this too, I hate it so much that I'd rather have you die, but we are at war." Julien explains, "I am the prince before a human." Julien says,
"No Julien, you can't say that," Quincy says,
"I can and the war needs you, this is an order," Julien says,
George's eyes waver, as he holds Ciana's hand tightly. It takes a while for Quincy to render an answer, and when she did, she gives Julien a small nod, "It's my decision, not yours." Quincy says, "Don't you dare take this blame, Julien." Quincy adds,
"Good," George says,
Julien took his spear and cut the middle of his palm before he reaches his hand towards George's, and the ginger-haired man did the same to him. They held hands and close their eyes. A golden glow shoots out from Julien's eyes forcing him to keep his eyes open and golden blood flow through his vein and into George's veins. And George's eyes glow in golden mirroring Julien, and he opened his eyes to the sudden stings he feels burning his body. A shining object appears between them and George's eyes widen to see a floating golden-blue feeble, George reaches for it and held it in his hand,
"What is that…?" Julien asks.
"This…" George says, showing the stone, "It's the same thing as the pawn."
"What…?" Julien shudder,
"The girl..." Horace utters, she is pointing at dying Quincy. Quincy is barely breathing. Julien pulls his spear and helps the younger to get the job done. George helps Quincy to make a bind with the sleeping Ciana. Quincy's eyes glow in white and so has Ciana, but nothing else happened to them except the bond they have created has banished the punishment from Quincy's Timoría Mark. Quincy throws herself on the ground, and George catches her head from hitting the rocks. Julien sighs, still tired after the deal,
"I never thought the yéwno is this tiring…" Julien says,
"That is not the yéwno. That is the weight on your shoulder, that I have taken half of it. What you are feeling is the aftertaste of the burden on your shoulder." George says,
"That sound nice…" Julien says and George nods,
"Yes, but it feels like your souls have been ripped." George says and Julien falls to his knees, before hearing the whole explanation, and George catches the taller shoulder before placing the taller to lay down next to Quincy, "He fainted…" George utters,
"I can see," Horace says,
"Do you even know what happened?" George asks,
"Not at all," Horace says,
"It is an oath that can only be done by a Quinlin and a Liber. It's like a blood oath, like a sworn brother or sworn sister but a lot stronger than that. It's a sworn soulmate. There was a saying, A Quinlin are a weapon and Libers are the brain, a war needs both to win. Thus, the yéwno are created to balance the two kingdoms." George explains, "By binding to him, me and him, we don't have to be trapped to other oaths." George adds, "This prince and princess has made a hundred oaths throughout their life, a promise to protect, a promise to attack, a promise to loyal, and more—the burden is heavy." George continues,
"They must have a tough childhood…" Horace says,
"Quinlin was never a child." George says, "However… they are supposed to be a trio, they are always together—it's strange to see them two only." George adds,
"Maybe they have sacrificed the last one," Horace says,
George frowns "What?!"
"Isn't that you people do?" Horace says,
"Is this about your parent?!" George asks, "Ciana doesn't know the concierges will come, she was trying her best, can't you see?" George groans and sighs to the sudden pain in his chest, eyes fall on Julien and he breathes in a slow stance,
"Are you alright?" Horace asks,
"I'm feeling his agony—it's appalling," George says,
Horace looks at George's tired eyes, and sighs, "You should get some rest too, you must be really tired." Horace says and George shakes his head,
"No, Someone has to watch—we are all vulnerable right now," George says,
"I'll watch," Horace says,
"No Horace, this is not about bears or wolves, there are others things that are hunting us, and we are hunting them… Ciana… is the Liber's Chosen one, she is a beacon to those things, we are not safe." George says and Horace stares in and wanders, 'Chosen one?'
"But there's nothing you can do at these states." Horace says, "I'll wake you all up if I sense something strange." Horace adds, George tried to refuse but he couldn't fight the weight on his body, it was too heavy to carry half of the Quinlin prince's burden,
"I'm sorry about your parent, Horace…" George says,
"Don't be, they are not dead yet unless I've seen it for myself," Horace says,
"Horace…" George utters and Horace glares,
"Drop it, George," Horace says and George nods,
"You are… steady and calm. If I, were you, I would be terrified, may I ask how are you so calm? Don't tell me you aren't, because you are." George asks, Horace sighs
Horace pulls Ciana from George and freed the man from Ciana's weight. "It is because my little sister is here, I don't feel any much different, is it as if I'm just introducing myself to her friends, and learning about her new talent, learning about her new self, learning about her mistakes, is like watching her grow. It doesn't feel as odd or scary—it feels casual." Horace explains, but George already falls into his slumbers without hearing any of it,