maxicute012
09-02-2012, 11:18 AM
Hi.... i finally decided what to write.... and this one is kinda lengthy.... and unedited. hope you enjoy the first chapter.
I-The Masked Whisperer
It’s Sunday morning. The sun is shining brightly in the red sky to compliment the mellifluous melody of the singing birds here at the smooth bed-like branches. I’m at the top of a tall tree as usual like I live on it my whole life. I turn my eyes that I felt burning with passion through the orange sun. My eyes are fired by enthusiasm that I blatantly display on that particular moment through the misty village of haze.
The village is made of rigid stones, metal and scattered branches that’s drizzled by the cold flakes of blooming powdered snow every after dim-light. The red slightly curved roofs match the yellow sun behind the hills, vaguely hiding beneath the vast body of clouds. This village was known as Adeline. I’ve been here since I was a child. I’ve lived with prosperity and pure happiness from the people around me. But sadly, I’d been orphaned by the dark past and adopted by the institution or also known as “The Quarters”. They’re training me to become an assassin. And this week will be the final blow. Soon I’ll be leaving the quarters to pursue my dreams of destroying the kingdom that demised the people I love.
I jump off the tree for a leisure walk at the town of mist and haze without bothering the villagers in a wide glistening smile around. They’re fool enough to think that I’m a good guy with a pure soul. I stomp the innocent small furry creature hard as I can to make them see the blazing fire that runs in me.
A wind blows strongly making the twigs and branches of the trees rustle and crackle through the sightless open space. I purse my lips and close my eyes as the mighty mist whirls around me. My trench coat whips as the wind goes even stronger. The hazy background of the square finally subsides to give a clear view of the village that seems to be condemned by the bitterness of wildfire ages ago.
People are busy in arranging and fixing their stuff for the morning fair. Winged-horses are out, carrying the merchandises and luggage of the travelers. The slaves in clothes that seem to be worn out by time make themselves pity upon the others. I stare at them begging for help while waiting for Ariete. I crane my neck, searching lazily for the existence of that woman behind the crowd of slaves. Minutes have passed when the merchants piss them off like a herd of sheep. I buy some freezing drops to replenish my dry throat from that moment.
Out of the blue, my eyes catch a bronze-skin woman in gray high heels, loose dress in a boat shoulder lines that swings sideward as she moves, and unremarkable fluffy cloud-like burgundy hair. It’s Ariete!! Her hair frequently changes every time I’m appointed to stay under her heels for the training. It’s pretty confusing to recognize her for the first timers. But for me, nothing changes as I claim that my memories are sharper than any other man existed within our heavenly world. Ariete is more like a stylist rather than a trainer. She smiles wherever and whatever she’s doing. She never misses a single available fashion in Adeline.
“You look wonderful today…” she says with a wide smile. Her smile reminds me of something… something that I cannot forget.
That’s the dark past back when I first met her. I was nine years old back then, scared but determined to improve my skills for vengeance. It was Ariete who gave her own background, perception and experiences. She’s a newly licensed bounty hunter and a secret professional assassin of the Quarters. She’s the reason why I always got the top at the quarter’s yearly practical examination. She inspires me to be determined in achieving my goals, not to lose hope when everything seems imprisoned by the failure, and look back if there are ups to bring the hardship that you’ve struggled as a lesson for the others in the new generation. “Strength doesn’t come on how big your muscles are but speed.” That’s the motivational words that touched my ears. Because of my admiration, Ariete and I became pretty close. She’s almost like my big sister.
Her light orange lips smiled enthusiastically as her hips sway towards me.
“How are you doin tufty head?” She says. Ariete randomly addresses me whatever comes out inside her mind. I found it uncomfortable.
“You’re late.” I mutter, giving an unsatisfying look to her for not being too eager as our final training today will take place. She raises her eyebrows and checks the clock pendant, her delicate palm clutched.
The spherical object with visible arrows and numbers in a glass-globe blinds me with the reflection of the light from its silver half. I look away in it but the object seems to be following the path where I’m looking. I’m annoyed.
“Your eyes look better in lights,” She says. “I wonder why it is different.”
I take a deep breath and blink when her words fell in my head. “I don’t care” I whisper. “Let’s keep going.”
Her smile fades as I turn my back to move, brushing the parched ground with the soles of my combat boots.
“You never change.” She gives a small hint of laugh.
Ariete’s versatility affects me a lot, but not the way she treated me. That’s how it goes, people are people and this is who I am.
Eleven years ago, the deaths of people around me compelled my tiny mind about the essence of power. I’ve seen how they shrieked from the rain of blazing arrows, and swords dancing within the sea of people. I’ve seen how a tiny little creature choked to death by the predators of our land. It came out to my mind that, they died because they’re weak, so as I am. But I survived the catastrophe. My mom hid me beneath the tiny compartment of her wardrobe, only to let me see their death from its tiny opening. I’ll never forget their agonized face, blood dripping within the lines of the ground, and the scars crossed within the left eye of a man who killed them. I’ll avenge their death and make the kingdom pay for their onslaught.
All in all, I learned that I cannot stay weak forever. The massacre filled my heart with bitterness and hatred. I strived, trained on my own, and hunted for food all by myself. Until, I met this man in tall dark hat together with Ariete and a middle-aged man in huge buggy spectacles named Callisto. The man in black suit gave me a piece of paper and quill. He told me that he had seen me threw a long pointed stick far from the lake that pierced the belly of a biggest fish in crystal clear water. He also told me that I could do more than that if I signed the contract of full and free study in The Quarters. In exchange, I’ll give my whole loyalty to them forever. The institution may have the motives same as I am.
The contract made a big impact in my life. Soon, I’ll be one of the secret assassins, lurking within the kingdom of Dooms, doing whatever the quarters asked, and die whenever they want.
“Very well…” Ariete says, taking a deep breath as if she’s on a lecture hall. “Let’s get started.”
We walked about a mile in the forest of Adeline to reach the circular area walled by tall and tough trees, illuminating through the silver lights on the shades of each and every tree. I raise my eyebrows while checking her expression. I wonder what kind of lesson she’ll teach me as I could remember that, she have already taught me everything about the skills and techniques in developing speed and agility.
“I hope you don’t mind. “ I utter as I walk through the nearby rubble to sit. “What exactly are we going to do?”
“I know that you’re itching for something new.“ She says blankly. “But unluckily, I’m not gonna teach you anything.”
“So why are we here?”
“I’ll give you an interesting task for your final one-on-one training program.”
“I can’t crappin wait!” I said sarcastically, as always.
“Take it easy.” She says, closing her eyes as if she knows what I’m trying to imply. For all this time, I’ve never felt challenged as I do every task perfectly.
“I lost my precious ruby a couple of years ago.”
“And?” I continue, giving a keen look towards her chocolate brown eyes.
“I want you to find it for me.” Ariete says while covering her lips, making a bit of laugh. Maybe she knows that I despise looking for things in favor.
“Are you joking?” I’m a bit furious, but I should calm down. Enraged emotion bothers my performance.
“Unfortunately…” she grumbles, pausing for a moment. “Not.”
“But it had been lost for years!” I murmur. The gemstone, as far as I remember was thrown in the lake. I asked why she did it. But she ignored me.
Ariete moves aside, looking away from me. “What if it’s not there anymore?” I ask. She touches the bark of a tree with her delicate hands. She’s shaking it, hard as she can until two apples drop on her hand. The apple on her right hand was red in color while the other one is gold. She bites the shining gold apple and threw the other to me. I catch it with my left arm
“What?” I grumble, circling the warm red fruit around my palm.
“If it’s gone,” she says. “Start a way to find it.”
“HOLY CRAP!!” I give a slight yell, turning my back on her. This test is very unusual to me. Finding things are the most difficult task I ever receive. It’s not that I’m weak in it. But I found it as an insult to the newbie such as me.
“I’ll give you until afternoon to do this task.” She says. Her voice is a bit serious. “And that will be your lunch.”
I move unwarily away from the rubble, ignoring her stare.
“Good luck!! And please do not procrastinate… Winter.” She says as I gather my scythe, leaning behind the tree.
“Or else… you know what I mean.” She continues.
The deeper part of the forest in Adeline is a lot different compared to the other island forest. The trees have cold monochromatic scheme of blues just like the mountain that’s covered with white snow caps far from here. The barks are as smooth as limestone, making the teenie weenie squirrels have difficulties in climbing for food. Adeline’s forest had been my playground years ago. I used to play with the shadows stricken through the soft muddy ground and carrots-eating phies. A herd of miniature phies are common in this area. They’re round in shape, showered with cottony soft-bush of fur. Their eyes are dark and speckled with glares, making them look like frequently weeping. Other than that, they were considered as pest for the farmers. They are territorial, but they never fight for their own. Instead, they cuddle and hop like a ball on the ground whenever they sense danger. These little creatures are indeed, martyr. I wonder why the Gods created such creature they’re weak and completely useless.
While walking, I halt for a mere second to look at the cliff. I hear the waving sound of the whizzing clouds beneath, making my memories flash back through the good old times.
My mother had told me a lot of stories about how I was born through the snowy mountains, and how our world shaped into a vast body of clouds. My mom said, they named me ‘Winter’ for a very good reason in which I never knew. They’re proud of my name, but deep inside me, I felt like I have carried the burden of their blessings.
Mom also taught me about the popular myth of our ancestor. Ten thousand years ago, there was a war in this planet called Earth. The war between the allied continent of East and West was truly devastating. Until, a man who’s only known by the name of Espher made our whole continent of east, afloat in the blue sky to flee from the barbaric threat of Westerns. He used a dark cloud barrier to prevent the other airship from coming inside our land. In return, parts of our continent had cracked into bits. The land’s governance was merged and ruled by the family called ‘Dooms’, together with the remaining family of Counts and Countesses from each and every country. They named our land as Cael. And in this land, there’s no such thing as democracy, but menacing threat for opposing them.
Hours of walking have passed and finally I jerk through the bushes to found a bed of box-shaped, crystal flowers called crystellas. The bed of flowers had never been here before. I wonder who raises all of them. Their beauties are not only truly remarkable, but also the sound of rippling water that comes from the gleaming lake, surrounded by the bed of crystellas. I yank my feet through the lake, pulled my trench coat, shirt and trousers, leaving my swimming trunks as-is, and scythe besides a tall rock. I dip my feet first and jump off to dive and find the stone. Hours passed and I feel hopeless. The stone could have been gone. It is pointless staying underneath to find it. I raise half of my body and come out near the tall grasses to think and idle. Moments later, I hear a crunching sound of grasses not far from here. I lower my head to peek through the openings of the grass behind me. The sun shimmers through the crystal rainbow flowers. But something glimmers even more. I see someone, holding a rattan basket and a grass-knitted mat under her armpit. She’s surely looking for a beautiful spot to have a picnic.
Her golden wavy hair is tied with a crimson bow behind her neck. She sits through the greenest part of the flower bed, and her marble eyes scan the delicate flowers that she picks deep down its roots. Her ghostly white skin shines as her angelic figure reflects through the crystal clear water of the lake beside her. Her perfectly curved red lips open a bit when it touches the tiny petal of crystellas. She closes her eyes as I hear the chirping of a rallying purple finch through the trees.
The birds, in which I rarely seen have some kind of familiarity when they sing and follows their trail, bound to the girl in a pleated short white skirt and bell-shaped shoulder of the sleeves. Her attire definitely belongs to St. Atheana Academy of Healing and Alchemy.
The birds dance around her as well as the sweet-scent petals of crystellas. It’s blowing through the wisp of air. My heart sinks, beats and the blood pumping in it made my cheeks burn. I watch her silvery blue bright eyes move when the tiniest purple finch elegantly stands on her index finger. The angel smiles so enchanting that I forgot I’m on a test. I am bewildered by the dance of nature with her, I feel like I want to freeze in here forever.
I grip the lying apple beside the tall grass. I’m circling it around my hand when it accidentally slips-off my finger. The apple rolls to make its way directly to the girl in pleated skirt. She barely notices it as the wind breezes like a vacuum. A huge furry white animal came out of nowhere to chase the rolling apple beside her.
The girl pats the huge dog in its head. She hugs the animal tightly and says, “Oooo Benny boy.” With a voice that seems to resemble a mixture of sweet cherry and blossoms. The dog whines, licking her cheeks. They play for a long time until they got tired.
“This is procrastination.” I whisper within myself. I touch the pebbles beside the edge of the land to make a force of moving away. But something sticks my hand. I clutch it as hard as I can. It catches my sight to give me a shock. Finally I’m holding what I’m looking for. I feel so stupid that I’m staring into that girl for a long time without noticing that the stone was lying still beside me.
I’m about to get hold of my scythe when a flock of purple finch attacks me. The birds were pointing their beaks like a bullet. I splash through the lake and grab my scythe swiftly to get out of the water. I’m a foot far from the lake when a long wooden javelin coming from the sky ambushes my way. A figure in a green cloak and unfathomable expression of mask appears. The figure attacks with the animals behind. That figure if I’m not mistaken, is a whisperer− a genetically engineered human that’s capable of communicating with nature. I dodge her piercing javelin and I counter attack with the point of my scythe. Our weapons are swooshing and clinging as we take turns to hit and take. I jump backward.
“Who the hell are you?” I hiss. The masked whisperer did not respond. Instead, it puts its attention to the animals. It is chattering quickly to the animals. The animals then retreat.
“Don’t ignore me,” I say as my temper rises. “If this is what you want, then I’ll give it to you!”
I charge, swaying the scythe on every surface of the trees and trampling every crystal flowers on my way. The masked whisperer jumps high at the tree when my scythe almost touches its cloak, I grit my teeth.
The masked whisperer throws the javelin on me. I evade but the javelin pierces the end of my boots. The masked whisperer jumps and my shoulders are now under its boots. The masked whisperer removes the javelin planted on my foot and points it out on my head.
“Who do you work for?” The masked whisperer says in a calm manner, its voice is hard to distinguish if it is a man or a woman. The sound is distorted intentionally, maybe to lessen-up its identity.
“What?” I respond. I’ve got no idea what this stupid masked figure is talking about. “What do you want?”
“ANSWER ME!” its voice is a bit trembling as its pitch turns high. The idea of ‘work for’ crosses my mind. I don’t want him to know that I’m with the quarter’s assassin. Being an assassin of the kingdom is a top secret. It’s worth fighting and dying for. I need to intimidate him and outwit its skills.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about” I lied.
“YOU WANT TO KILL HER DO YOU?” The masked whisperer raises its javelin. I close my eyes. This might be the end, I’ll die.
“What?!” I say. If there’s someone I want to kill. That’s the whole kingdom and not whoever that masked freak is referring to.
“That girl beside the lake.” The masked whisperer says. Its voice lowers.
I move my lips slowly to utter. “I… don’t ha−” My words are interrupted, I hear someone screams. The masked whisperer moves away from my shoulder.
“ERIEH!!” The masked figure cries. The thoughts of that phantom have shifted to the forest, where a scream of a young girl was heard. “If I found out that you’re with them, I’ll make sure you’re DEAD!!”
The masked figure disappears out of the woods.
I-The Masked Whisperer
It’s Sunday morning. The sun is shining brightly in the red sky to compliment the mellifluous melody of the singing birds here at the smooth bed-like branches. I’m at the top of a tall tree as usual like I live on it my whole life. I turn my eyes that I felt burning with passion through the orange sun. My eyes are fired by enthusiasm that I blatantly display on that particular moment through the misty village of haze.
The village is made of rigid stones, metal and scattered branches that’s drizzled by the cold flakes of blooming powdered snow every after dim-light. The red slightly curved roofs match the yellow sun behind the hills, vaguely hiding beneath the vast body of clouds. This village was known as Adeline. I’ve been here since I was a child. I’ve lived with prosperity and pure happiness from the people around me. But sadly, I’d been orphaned by the dark past and adopted by the institution or also known as “The Quarters”. They’re training me to become an assassin. And this week will be the final blow. Soon I’ll be leaving the quarters to pursue my dreams of destroying the kingdom that demised the people I love.
I jump off the tree for a leisure walk at the town of mist and haze without bothering the villagers in a wide glistening smile around. They’re fool enough to think that I’m a good guy with a pure soul. I stomp the innocent small furry creature hard as I can to make them see the blazing fire that runs in me.
A wind blows strongly making the twigs and branches of the trees rustle and crackle through the sightless open space. I purse my lips and close my eyes as the mighty mist whirls around me. My trench coat whips as the wind goes even stronger. The hazy background of the square finally subsides to give a clear view of the village that seems to be condemned by the bitterness of wildfire ages ago.
People are busy in arranging and fixing their stuff for the morning fair. Winged-horses are out, carrying the merchandises and luggage of the travelers. The slaves in clothes that seem to be worn out by time make themselves pity upon the others. I stare at them begging for help while waiting for Ariete. I crane my neck, searching lazily for the existence of that woman behind the crowd of slaves. Minutes have passed when the merchants piss them off like a herd of sheep. I buy some freezing drops to replenish my dry throat from that moment.
Out of the blue, my eyes catch a bronze-skin woman in gray high heels, loose dress in a boat shoulder lines that swings sideward as she moves, and unremarkable fluffy cloud-like burgundy hair. It’s Ariete!! Her hair frequently changes every time I’m appointed to stay under her heels for the training. It’s pretty confusing to recognize her for the first timers. But for me, nothing changes as I claim that my memories are sharper than any other man existed within our heavenly world. Ariete is more like a stylist rather than a trainer. She smiles wherever and whatever she’s doing. She never misses a single available fashion in Adeline.
“You look wonderful today…” she says with a wide smile. Her smile reminds me of something… something that I cannot forget.
That’s the dark past back when I first met her. I was nine years old back then, scared but determined to improve my skills for vengeance. It was Ariete who gave her own background, perception and experiences. She’s a newly licensed bounty hunter and a secret professional assassin of the Quarters. She’s the reason why I always got the top at the quarter’s yearly practical examination. She inspires me to be determined in achieving my goals, not to lose hope when everything seems imprisoned by the failure, and look back if there are ups to bring the hardship that you’ve struggled as a lesson for the others in the new generation. “Strength doesn’t come on how big your muscles are but speed.” That’s the motivational words that touched my ears. Because of my admiration, Ariete and I became pretty close. She’s almost like my big sister.
Her light orange lips smiled enthusiastically as her hips sway towards me.
“How are you doin tufty head?” She says. Ariete randomly addresses me whatever comes out inside her mind. I found it uncomfortable.
“You’re late.” I mutter, giving an unsatisfying look to her for not being too eager as our final training today will take place. She raises her eyebrows and checks the clock pendant, her delicate palm clutched.
The spherical object with visible arrows and numbers in a glass-globe blinds me with the reflection of the light from its silver half. I look away in it but the object seems to be following the path where I’m looking. I’m annoyed.
“Your eyes look better in lights,” She says. “I wonder why it is different.”
I take a deep breath and blink when her words fell in my head. “I don’t care” I whisper. “Let’s keep going.”
Her smile fades as I turn my back to move, brushing the parched ground with the soles of my combat boots.
“You never change.” She gives a small hint of laugh.
Ariete’s versatility affects me a lot, but not the way she treated me. That’s how it goes, people are people and this is who I am.
Eleven years ago, the deaths of people around me compelled my tiny mind about the essence of power. I’ve seen how they shrieked from the rain of blazing arrows, and swords dancing within the sea of people. I’ve seen how a tiny little creature choked to death by the predators of our land. It came out to my mind that, they died because they’re weak, so as I am. But I survived the catastrophe. My mom hid me beneath the tiny compartment of her wardrobe, only to let me see their death from its tiny opening. I’ll never forget their agonized face, blood dripping within the lines of the ground, and the scars crossed within the left eye of a man who killed them. I’ll avenge their death and make the kingdom pay for their onslaught.
All in all, I learned that I cannot stay weak forever. The massacre filled my heart with bitterness and hatred. I strived, trained on my own, and hunted for food all by myself. Until, I met this man in tall dark hat together with Ariete and a middle-aged man in huge buggy spectacles named Callisto. The man in black suit gave me a piece of paper and quill. He told me that he had seen me threw a long pointed stick far from the lake that pierced the belly of a biggest fish in crystal clear water. He also told me that I could do more than that if I signed the contract of full and free study in The Quarters. In exchange, I’ll give my whole loyalty to them forever. The institution may have the motives same as I am.
The contract made a big impact in my life. Soon, I’ll be one of the secret assassins, lurking within the kingdom of Dooms, doing whatever the quarters asked, and die whenever they want.
“Very well…” Ariete says, taking a deep breath as if she’s on a lecture hall. “Let’s get started.”
We walked about a mile in the forest of Adeline to reach the circular area walled by tall and tough trees, illuminating through the silver lights on the shades of each and every tree. I raise my eyebrows while checking her expression. I wonder what kind of lesson she’ll teach me as I could remember that, she have already taught me everything about the skills and techniques in developing speed and agility.
“I hope you don’t mind. “ I utter as I walk through the nearby rubble to sit. “What exactly are we going to do?”
“I know that you’re itching for something new.“ She says blankly. “But unluckily, I’m not gonna teach you anything.”
“So why are we here?”
“I’ll give you an interesting task for your final one-on-one training program.”
“I can’t crappin wait!” I said sarcastically, as always.
“Take it easy.” She says, closing her eyes as if she knows what I’m trying to imply. For all this time, I’ve never felt challenged as I do every task perfectly.
“I lost my precious ruby a couple of years ago.”
“And?” I continue, giving a keen look towards her chocolate brown eyes.
“I want you to find it for me.” Ariete says while covering her lips, making a bit of laugh. Maybe she knows that I despise looking for things in favor.
“Are you joking?” I’m a bit furious, but I should calm down. Enraged emotion bothers my performance.
“Unfortunately…” she grumbles, pausing for a moment. “Not.”
“But it had been lost for years!” I murmur. The gemstone, as far as I remember was thrown in the lake. I asked why she did it. But she ignored me.
Ariete moves aside, looking away from me. “What if it’s not there anymore?” I ask. She touches the bark of a tree with her delicate hands. She’s shaking it, hard as she can until two apples drop on her hand. The apple on her right hand was red in color while the other one is gold. She bites the shining gold apple and threw the other to me. I catch it with my left arm
“What?” I grumble, circling the warm red fruit around my palm.
“If it’s gone,” she says. “Start a way to find it.”
“HOLY CRAP!!” I give a slight yell, turning my back on her. This test is very unusual to me. Finding things are the most difficult task I ever receive. It’s not that I’m weak in it. But I found it as an insult to the newbie such as me.
“I’ll give you until afternoon to do this task.” She says. Her voice is a bit serious. “And that will be your lunch.”
I move unwarily away from the rubble, ignoring her stare.
“Good luck!! And please do not procrastinate… Winter.” She says as I gather my scythe, leaning behind the tree.
“Or else… you know what I mean.” She continues.
The deeper part of the forest in Adeline is a lot different compared to the other island forest. The trees have cold monochromatic scheme of blues just like the mountain that’s covered with white snow caps far from here. The barks are as smooth as limestone, making the teenie weenie squirrels have difficulties in climbing for food. Adeline’s forest had been my playground years ago. I used to play with the shadows stricken through the soft muddy ground and carrots-eating phies. A herd of miniature phies are common in this area. They’re round in shape, showered with cottony soft-bush of fur. Their eyes are dark and speckled with glares, making them look like frequently weeping. Other than that, they were considered as pest for the farmers. They are territorial, but they never fight for their own. Instead, they cuddle and hop like a ball on the ground whenever they sense danger. These little creatures are indeed, martyr. I wonder why the Gods created such creature they’re weak and completely useless.
While walking, I halt for a mere second to look at the cliff. I hear the waving sound of the whizzing clouds beneath, making my memories flash back through the good old times.
My mother had told me a lot of stories about how I was born through the snowy mountains, and how our world shaped into a vast body of clouds. My mom said, they named me ‘Winter’ for a very good reason in which I never knew. They’re proud of my name, but deep inside me, I felt like I have carried the burden of their blessings.
Mom also taught me about the popular myth of our ancestor. Ten thousand years ago, there was a war in this planet called Earth. The war between the allied continent of East and West was truly devastating. Until, a man who’s only known by the name of Espher made our whole continent of east, afloat in the blue sky to flee from the barbaric threat of Westerns. He used a dark cloud barrier to prevent the other airship from coming inside our land. In return, parts of our continent had cracked into bits. The land’s governance was merged and ruled by the family called ‘Dooms’, together with the remaining family of Counts and Countesses from each and every country. They named our land as Cael. And in this land, there’s no such thing as democracy, but menacing threat for opposing them.
Hours of walking have passed and finally I jerk through the bushes to found a bed of box-shaped, crystal flowers called crystellas. The bed of flowers had never been here before. I wonder who raises all of them. Their beauties are not only truly remarkable, but also the sound of rippling water that comes from the gleaming lake, surrounded by the bed of crystellas. I yank my feet through the lake, pulled my trench coat, shirt and trousers, leaving my swimming trunks as-is, and scythe besides a tall rock. I dip my feet first and jump off to dive and find the stone. Hours passed and I feel hopeless. The stone could have been gone. It is pointless staying underneath to find it. I raise half of my body and come out near the tall grasses to think and idle. Moments later, I hear a crunching sound of grasses not far from here. I lower my head to peek through the openings of the grass behind me. The sun shimmers through the crystal rainbow flowers. But something glimmers even more. I see someone, holding a rattan basket and a grass-knitted mat under her armpit. She’s surely looking for a beautiful spot to have a picnic.
Her golden wavy hair is tied with a crimson bow behind her neck. She sits through the greenest part of the flower bed, and her marble eyes scan the delicate flowers that she picks deep down its roots. Her ghostly white skin shines as her angelic figure reflects through the crystal clear water of the lake beside her. Her perfectly curved red lips open a bit when it touches the tiny petal of crystellas. She closes her eyes as I hear the chirping of a rallying purple finch through the trees.
The birds, in which I rarely seen have some kind of familiarity when they sing and follows their trail, bound to the girl in a pleated short white skirt and bell-shaped shoulder of the sleeves. Her attire definitely belongs to St. Atheana Academy of Healing and Alchemy.
The birds dance around her as well as the sweet-scent petals of crystellas. It’s blowing through the wisp of air. My heart sinks, beats and the blood pumping in it made my cheeks burn. I watch her silvery blue bright eyes move when the tiniest purple finch elegantly stands on her index finger. The angel smiles so enchanting that I forgot I’m on a test. I am bewildered by the dance of nature with her, I feel like I want to freeze in here forever.
I grip the lying apple beside the tall grass. I’m circling it around my hand when it accidentally slips-off my finger. The apple rolls to make its way directly to the girl in pleated skirt. She barely notices it as the wind breezes like a vacuum. A huge furry white animal came out of nowhere to chase the rolling apple beside her.
The girl pats the huge dog in its head. She hugs the animal tightly and says, “Oooo Benny boy.” With a voice that seems to resemble a mixture of sweet cherry and blossoms. The dog whines, licking her cheeks. They play for a long time until they got tired.
“This is procrastination.” I whisper within myself. I touch the pebbles beside the edge of the land to make a force of moving away. But something sticks my hand. I clutch it as hard as I can. It catches my sight to give me a shock. Finally I’m holding what I’m looking for. I feel so stupid that I’m staring into that girl for a long time without noticing that the stone was lying still beside me.
I’m about to get hold of my scythe when a flock of purple finch attacks me. The birds were pointing their beaks like a bullet. I splash through the lake and grab my scythe swiftly to get out of the water. I’m a foot far from the lake when a long wooden javelin coming from the sky ambushes my way. A figure in a green cloak and unfathomable expression of mask appears. The figure attacks with the animals behind. That figure if I’m not mistaken, is a whisperer− a genetically engineered human that’s capable of communicating with nature. I dodge her piercing javelin and I counter attack with the point of my scythe. Our weapons are swooshing and clinging as we take turns to hit and take. I jump backward.
“Who the hell are you?” I hiss. The masked whisperer did not respond. Instead, it puts its attention to the animals. It is chattering quickly to the animals. The animals then retreat.
“Don’t ignore me,” I say as my temper rises. “If this is what you want, then I’ll give it to you!”
I charge, swaying the scythe on every surface of the trees and trampling every crystal flowers on my way. The masked whisperer jumps high at the tree when my scythe almost touches its cloak, I grit my teeth.
The masked whisperer throws the javelin on me. I evade but the javelin pierces the end of my boots. The masked whisperer jumps and my shoulders are now under its boots. The masked whisperer removes the javelin planted on my foot and points it out on my head.
“Who do you work for?” The masked whisperer says in a calm manner, its voice is hard to distinguish if it is a man or a woman. The sound is distorted intentionally, maybe to lessen-up its identity.
“What?” I respond. I’ve got no idea what this stupid masked figure is talking about. “What do you want?”
“ANSWER ME!” its voice is a bit trembling as its pitch turns high. The idea of ‘work for’ crosses my mind. I don’t want him to know that I’m with the quarter’s assassin. Being an assassin of the kingdom is a top secret. It’s worth fighting and dying for. I need to intimidate him and outwit its skills.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about” I lied.
“YOU WANT TO KILL HER DO YOU?” The masked whisperer raises its javelin. I close my eyes. This might be the end, I’ll die.
“What?!” I say. If there’s someone I want to kill. That’s the whole kingdom and not whoever that masked freak is referring to.
“That girl beside the lake.” The masked whisperer says. Its voice lowers.
I move my lips slowly to utter. “I… don’t ha−” My words are interrupted, I hear someone screams. The masked whisperer moves away from my shoulder.
“ERIEH!!” The masked figure cries. The thoughts of that phantom have shifted to the forest, where a scream of a young girl was heard. “If I found out that you’re with them, I’ll make sure you’re DEAD!!”
The masked figure disappears out of the woods.