The faces appeared again. The dead faces. Vrag trying to close his eyes and cover his ears. The dead faces are whispering on his ears, very close. They surrounded him.
"Devil..."
"Monster..."
"Murderer..."
"Vrag..."
Vrag was stunned to hear the familiar voice between the eerie whispers. He is scared but decided to look up where he saw a familiar face. Khiv.
"No, Khiv. Why?" Khiv look paler than usual.
"Join me, Vrag..." Khiv's head floating closer to him. The laughing faces of children is looking at him. They stayed behind as if giving way to Khiv.
"I...I don't..."
"You can become a King now..." Khiv's face start to bleed. Blood came out from his eyes, his mouth, nose...
"No...this is not supposed to happened!""
"Stop, Khiv! STOP!"
"VRAG!" a strong shake get him back to reality.
Under his hasten breath he saw Zils looking back at him. She was seated on the side of the bed. The sky look reddish with the sun is going to set soon. Zils has poured a cold glass of water and she hold it on one of her hands. She helped him sit and shove the water to him. Vrag took it and gulp it fast.
"Do you want more?"
"No."
Zils stand up and put the glass on the dining table. Vrag can see some foods has been prepared on the table.
"I asked for dinner." Zils continue. "Your aide, Juwan, deliver it by himself. He said it's a precautions to taste the food before because of the poisoning incident."
"I see." Vrag is still a bit distracted.
"I need to confirm with you first though if Juwan is really your personal aide." Zils look at the untouched food.
"Yes he is."
"You never mentioned him before." Zils picked a piece of green grape. She then put it in her mouth and start to chew it, tasting the sweet taste.
"I don't find the need to."
Zils looked at him, accessing. Vrag didn't feel comfortable with her stare now.
"Let's eat dinner." Vrag is trying to get out of the situation.
"Vrag, are you seeing dead people?"
"No. I'm not." Vrag took his robe and wear it. He went to join Zils on the wooden dining table.
"Vrag, I have seen soldiers that seeing dead people."
"And I don't see anyone."
"It sometimes happens when you go to war."
Zils has seen them, many times. Some of the soldiers from her country has lost the sanity because of killing people in the battlefield. Her units are on the sea, they don't see many of dead bodies but their infantry is a different case. Many has gone insane and many of them are actually not willing to go to war.
"I'm fine, Zils."
"You are not."
"Everything is all right." Vrag become annoyed.
"You are calling Khiv in your sleep." Zils can't stand his denial anymore. "Khiv is dead, Vrag."
"I know that!" Vrag banged the table with his fist. He then stand up, running his fingers through his hair in frustration. He went out to the balcony taking the fresh air in.
It was silence for few minutes. The memories of Judecca is flashing back and forth in his mind. The shovel that he used to dug up the holes, the mutilated dead bodies of children. He can hear Zils' steps approaching him.
"They called you all white demons in Arethea."
Vrag never returned his face to her. He just stared down at the garden filled with summer flowers. The beautiful view didn't soothe the horrible feeling.
"After you took Judecca from us...the hatred just grow more and more. They said you all slaughtered the children there."
Vrag clamp his fist, he finally turn his head and look at Zils who stand behind him. She was leaning on the wall. Zils now see something she never expect from Vrag. His emerald eyes have diamond like glints. Zils realized then that they are droplets of tears that is ready to fall.
"I don't know why you both wanted to keep me in the dark." Zils felt nervous since she didn't expect a man like Vrag can be on the verge of tears at the mention of Judecca. "Edmund and you have a deal behind my back. He is not in the dungeon, he is hosted by you here."
Vrag is surprised now. How did Zils know about it? "How..."
"Your brother told me."
"Thyr..." Vrag felt the urge to punch him. He said unnecessary things to Zils. Now she will ask about it.
"But let's go back to Judecca now." Zils decided she will ask about Edmund later.
"After the news broke that you have taken down Judecca, I wanted to take Judecca back and retrieved the children. My two brothers said no. There is no way to take the city back, they said. They all have been killed. Make you wonder why they decided to give up so fast when nobody has confirmed the situation."
"We did it."
"What?"
"We killed those children...like they said." Vrag has averted his view from Zils. He stared at the reddish sunset now. It's blurry to him though.
"Vrag, look at me."
"We are demons just like you said."
"Vrag!" Vrag can feel a strong yank when Zils grabbed his robe collar with both of her hands, forcing him to look at her.
"Then why are you crying?"
Vrag just realized the reason why he can only see the blurry vision now. His own tears. He can feel the wetness on his cheeks as he touched it.
"Damn it..." Vrag wanted to stop the tears but it just keep flowing down. He rubbed the tears using his robe sleeves but it do little to help to him. The tears just fell by itself. He felt ashamed that Zils witnessed him in this kind of state. Khiv's death seems to have a deteriorating effect on him. He has to meet up with Marley as soon as possible or he will break.
Vrag drop his body down and sit on the floor. He tried to hide his face but Zils cupped his face with both of her hands now. Her blue eyes have an expression that he can't read.
Is it pity? Vrag wondered. He doesn't need her pity.
"You need help, Vrag."
"I know." using his hands Vrag bring Zils' hand down slowly. He can't hide this anymore. Zils take his hands in hers instead.
"What happened in Judecca?"
Zils has refused to let his hands go.
"It will be a long story..."
"I don't mind."
"I will tell you after our dinner." Vrag stand up, still holding her hand, he take Zils back to the dining table.
"I haven't eat since last night." Vrag thought to himself that he will need bottle of wine to tell this story to her.