A ray of sunshine kissed the edge of his eye, one that appeared more swollen and reddened compared to the other one giving clarification to all the questions that was never truly arised as a visible tear can be spot on it. The dreamer yet dreamt for the thousandth time and this especially isn't a dream he has been looking for. Finding and losing it, right when it felt so close, leaning for an explanation but what was held was as thin as the cold air. It was driving him insane, honestly.
His eyes were in no rush, leisurely turning the pitch black view that usually would portray the way he viewed the world in enormous colours and never ending possibilities to the reality he yet tried to escape, not even him knowing the reason to whys and whats.
Ungrateful, often the word that crossed his mind each time he found himself wanting more, and not satisfied with what god generously granted him.
His eyes are now wide open, staring back at the sun whom shining full of pride to known by many for its sacrifice on burning down itself, on sole reason of brightening the hope of living for such stupid creations. Does the sun even know that what he was doing is nowhere near honorable?
He softly shifted the book that laid on top of his face to the ground, one that blocked the other eye from having a clear view of the morning sun. What is it that he truly wanted? To become a hero in everyone's eyes? To win every grand battles and mark one's name in history? Or to die a heroic death, where he will be worshipped for centuries as he rest in peace in the finest realm in heaven.
No.
He wanted a life with no regrets. One where he died knowing the truth, not being fed with fabricated lies.
He wanted to know. He always wanted to know, whether the ability that was given to him was truly a gift for being the god's favorite, or was it an accident that the mischievous devils trying to lead him on- so he would develop overflowing confidence, arrogance and unbeatable pride, only to be punished for defying the God's orders.
He wanted to experience how it would feel like with knowing the truth.
"Oi, Kruel,"
The image of the sun slowly vanishing in between the mountains was replaced with a face familiar to his eyes, foreign to his soul. He watched as the butterscotched blunt blob flickered her eyelid and beamed a smile, a smile that would appear dazzling to many others, but ordinary to him. The way she stood before the sunlight, blocking the shaft of beauty from reaching his skin was caught with a sigh from him, along a simper to ingratiate.
"Oh, Cel. Did I fell asleep?" he queried in benignant manner, grabbing the book that was tossed upon the grassed dirt.
"Obviously," Celeste retorted with a mouth. "If you weren't too slavishly devoted to these books, how endearing that might be" she continued.
He chuckled. "Why is that?"
"What are you? Booksexual?" she gritted her teeth as she offered him a hand to get up.
Kruel seized hold of her small hands as a support for him and stood taller larger inches than she was. She looked up to him and cursed internally for having to lift up her head every time she wanted to meet his eyes.
He seemed to notice this and can't contain his laugh, having Celeste crossing her arm to herself with a frown plastered on her face.
"Cedric just returned. He told me to get you"
He softly smiled hearing the words muttered from her. He'd always looked up to Cedric, given how that guy wasn't that much older from him but managed to hold a prideful reputation purely because of his hardworks. Well, it's not like Kruel is falling too short behind, though. It's just, no one would tilt a head if Kruel Peker was mentioned.
"How is he?"
He asked as he followed the young girl to the back entrance of the house, walking passed a barn and a garden that were beautifully decorated and well managed.
"Just like how he had always been" Celeste commented.
The old-fashioned cottage exuded charm with its thatched roof, flower-filled window boxes, and a white picket fence that whispered tales of a bygone era.
Nestled in the meadow, the pastoral cottage stood as a serene refuge, surrounded by rolling hills, blooming wildflowers, and the gentle melody of a nearby babbling brook.
"I'm definitely disappointed that you weren't welcoming me back" the brown haired tall figure pouted from behind, receiving a small laughter from Kruel.
"You were the one who never told me about your arrival" Kruel murmured in response.
"Ehem. I literally had asked you to tag along with me to escort him home" Celeste scoffed from behind.
"Oh, did you?"
"Multiple times"
"Probably you'd mistaken me for someone else"
"That's impossible- I can be blind and still tell who you are from just the way you cough"
"But last time you mistaken a random bread guy for Cedric, it's only possible--"
"That's Cedric, now it's you I'm talking about"
"I'm jealous. Is he that special to you compared to me, your own big brother who love you very much? " Cedric interrupted, looking at the flustered Celeste with twinkling eyes like those of children begging for ice creams.
"It's useless talking about this" Celeste sighed with a faint shade of red visible on her cheeks, "Go and have a talk, I'll make us some tea" the brunette said before disappearing into the kitchen.
Cedric smiled cheekily. "She's very cute isn't she? "
Kruel nodded before dropping his eyes onto a letter that Cedric was holding since the very beginning.
"So, you're visiting me this time as the king's favorite dog, not an older brother who loves me very much?" Kruel asked, grinning mockingly.
A joyful giggle is all that Cedric replied with.
"Not like you're any better than me. If I were the king's favorite dog, you're his favorite gold fish. Anyways, now that we're on the topic-"
Cedric paused.
"See it for yourself" The letter that was stamped with the kingdom sign, mainly featuring a javelin being surrounded with petals of thorny roses, exchanged hands, as Kruel carefully took out the piece of paper inside of the cover. He read thoroughly every bit of letters that was written in it, and his eyebrows furrowed on each sentence that was finished.
Greetings, Holy Eyes Of Aloysia.
A new infectious disease outbreak has occurred in the Southern region of our beloved kingdom, Kalavec. The kingdom have sent our best medical experts for further research regarding this matter, but no progress have been made.
The kingdom couldn't contain our worries to the well-being of people in Kalavec, therefore we are seeking the touch of the god's favorite, our Holy Eyes to use his wit and find a cure for the struggling innocent people in Kalavec. Our biggest worry is to see the disease to spread all across Aloysia and therefore risking the lives of all of its people.
The letter is meant for the Holy Eyes, and the Holy Eyes only. The secret of the kingdom shall die with the letter's true recipient.
With honor,
King Of Aloysia.
Kruel glanced at Cedric, raising his eyebrow for further explanation.
"I wonder in which part of my job description did it mentioned I had to become a doctor? "
"Well, the job description did mentioned doing anything that the King asked for," Cedric grinned. "However, I looked into this matter and I could understand why the King asked for you, specifically."
"Oh? What did he said in your letter?"
Cedric sighed.
"To assist the Holy Eyes. I mean, what else could he ask from a Hercules spawn who know no shit about herbs? He also asked me to find this one woman named Aneke Bohn. Said that she would be of big help"
"A woman?" another voice interrupted their conversation, in her hands, there was a tray filled with cups and a small teapot containing some freshly brewed tea.
"Are you implying that we will have a new member for the mission, brother? " She added.
"It's the king's wish. Oh, Celeste, you'll also be participating in the mission this time. "
"Of course. Why shouldn't I be?" She put the tray on the table in between them, as she stared into Cedric's brown eyes meaningfully.
"Where's mine?" She cleared her throat, as another letter on Cedric's hand exchanged owners.
Her expression turned bitter the moment she started reading the letter.
"Say, Cedric. Do we really need her? We already have Kruel here. There’s no need for another Saintess, all Saints work the same,”
Cedric only shook his head with a teaseful grin, a friendly expression of “Don’t ask me”
"Wait, a Saintess?" Kruel interrupted.
Celeste nodded.
"So, the Aneke Bohn I was supposed to look for, must be the Saintess. Woah, Kruel, seems like you're not the only god's favorite this time. We are bringing another saint along. A woman, at that. Maybe both of you can hook up, and have a lot of holy babies!" Cedric exclaimed, in his mind, his ideas are absolutely reasonable.
"Cedric!" The furious female slammed the table, her eyes piercing sharply into her brother's.
"Oh, come on, Cel. You would be the Aunt to future powerful babies, how awesome is that?!" Cedric added, still not giving up to his insightful viewpoint.
"Well, you got a point but, I’m not interested with a fellow Saint. Holy babies sound cool but holy babies who have superhuman strengths and probably destructive fireballs?? That would be damn cool!” Kruel commented, his imagination running wild to mini versions of him who can vomit lava and crush the mountains with their hands, which obviously, was received with a disbelief stare from Cedric.
“Yeah, you think you can find a random woman who can spit fire casually? Big dreams,”
“Celeste have superhuman strengths though. That would be a good enough backup plan. Right, Cel? You would marry me if I didn’t find a woman who can spit fire, wouldn’t you?”
Her green pupils dilated, and warmth rushed to her cheeks as he muttered those few words.
“Like hell would I let you touch her!” Cedric fumed, crossing his hand protectively in front of his beloved sister.
“Does that mean you wouldn’t marry me if you find a woman who can spit fire?”
Silence.
Both men in the room surely did not expect such response. And neither did she.
“Obviously. Our children should get married instead though, make sure you find a man who can control water or anything. We would have cool grandchildren,”
Cedric really wished he had an ability to shut people’s mouth, for example, Kruel’s. He felt like it was his responsibility to ensure this kind of situation never occur again. Never will he ever let Kruel say a word that could make his beloved sister make that kind of face again. Never.
“You fucking stinky priest. Do you think having children are experiments?! You think cross-breeding work for humans?” Celeste snapped, as she took a small cup of hot tea and threw it right to the blonde man’s face, all without a warning. It wasn’t the combining powers idea that triggered her, but it’s the fact that he didn’t even hesitate to admit of not wanting to marry her is what.. Really… Truly..
The cup that came flying towards him stopped mid-air, as his blue eyes turned into the replica of gold and mine, brightly yellow in color. One look into his eyes and you would've melted, just like offering yourself to the heat of the mighty Sun, willingly becoming steams. The hot liquid immediately evaporated, and he gently reach for the empty cup and put it down.
Kruel turned his gaze towards Celeste, his enchanting golden eyes staring deep into hers, almost drowning her soul into his warmth.
“Anyways!! Ha..Ha..!” Cedric stood up, leaning his body a little bit forward, an attempt to block the uncomfortably intense stare from Kruel that had clear murderous intent to Celeste or maybe, to block the daringly raged glare from Celeste to Kruel. Or maybe, both of it.
Cedric, who told you to bring up this topic, you damn stupid shit.
“I wondered why the King would've given the information separately like that. He could've just told us everything at once in our respective letters" Cedric spoke, intending to divert the two’s attention from the previous topic.
"That's just how he is. That old geezer loves to play tricks" Celeste insensitively replied, not giving a care of the sharp glare that was given by Kruel to her remark towards the King.
"Isn't it amazing, though? How could.."
Kruel reached out for Celeste's letter and picked it up, his golden eyes darting towards the content of her letter.
".. His Majesty came out with an ink that can only appear visible to the recipient of the letter? A magic so strong that even the Holy Eyes of mine that can see through every creatures' true intention, wasn't able to penetrate through?"
Cedric just awkwardly watched as Kruel gently put down the letter back onto the table, his golden eyes slowly turning back to its original blue. The brunette frowned, processing the information he had just received. So, even the great Holy Eyes couldn't read a letter that wasn't meant for him?
"Anyways! I will get going to Kalavec now. Would be nice if I could reach there before the night arrives. There's no time to waste if people's lives are at stack." Kruel added, as he took his final sip on the tea that was served.
"Sounds good. I'll get going with Celeste by dawn, need some preparations done before we find this Saintess girl," Cedric replied as his hands quickly cleaned up the remaining teacups on the table, right away making his way to the kitchen. A situation began with Kruel could only end with Kruel. At least-when it involved Celeste.
Meanwhile, Celeste remained frozen on her seat. She knew that she went too far over a simple joke.
"Are you mad at me, Kruel?”
"How could I ever be?"
He shifted his gaze towards her bewildered pair of green eyes, finding it strange for her to be having such expression as for this moment.
“Very well, then,” her expression softened again as she nodded and quickly excused herself to help Cedric with the cleaning.
Kalavec, The Kaleidoscopic Town Of Vendors
At the edge of the cloud there was a brilliant white patch, like a turning page catching the sun. The rest was dove grey with a subtle hint of purple, just enough to announce the finishing sunset.
It had been quite a long time since he last went out during times like this. There was an old myth among the villagers, on how at the times that the sun was setting down, you shall never leave the house. It is a hunting time for the Cursed Witch, trying to look for preys that are weak hearted and had no hopes in life.
But, Kruel doesn't really mind the rumours.
He would never be one who is weak hearted and had no hopes in life.
It has been a long journey for him. He had been travelling non stop right from his hometown, Polass, The Populated City of The Grass, which is on the Southeast region of Aloysia right to Kalavec, the most Southern area of Aloysia. His travel buddy surely was exhausted as well.
That's when Kruel caught a glimpse of large rainbow-coloured parasols from afar. A concoction of blaring music from street performers can be heard vividly. It was an amazing kaleidoscope of sights, sounds, smells and colours.
The very famous, Kalavec Night Market.
"Amazing. It seems like a perfect place to rest, don't you think so? Giddy up, buddy!"
The night market was known as a haven by local gourmets who can enjoy various kinds of mouth-watering local cuisine. Still more people arrive, they come from all walks of life, mingling freely and harmoniously. Crowds were walking up and down in an endless stream. Some of them are stopping by the stalls and haggling before making purchases. Little children tag along, amused and excited. Sprinklings of tourists join in to experience the lifestyle of typical Kalavec folks.
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
Lighted lamps brightened up the place, they added gaiety to this atmosphere, and it was like a funfair. The night felt like it will last forever and the traffic of people never subsided. Vendors never got a chance to rest their weary legs besides bantering with each other.
"Buddy, I'll leave you to his care, okay? " Kruel tip a small pouch of silver coins to a seemingly young boy, who grinned happily, too happy that he did a little jumpy twirl while wholeheartedly shouting on how he will take a good care of Kruel's horse.
He continued his walk to the centre of the market, his eyes admiring the beauty of interactions and wonderful environment that the people of Kalavec offered. Polass, compared to Kalavec, was way smaller and consisted of less population and rarely had any foreign visitors. Kalavec is a famous tourist attraction in Aloysia, and Kruel understood why the King had kept the disease outbreak a secret even from the people of Kalavec themselves.
Or else, there is no way in the world would these people be hanging out in open air environment with thousands of people, knowing they could get infected in whatever ways there is.
Anything as long as you could still have the money, huh, your majesty?
Kruel casually drop a smile to every person he passed by, hearing whispers and little squeals from the local ladies all along his way. Maybe, no one would tilt a head to the mention of the name, Kruel Peker. But, some people would definitely tilt their heads twice to admire the beauty of Kruel Peker.
The blondie stopped walking, the moment he reached a simple desert stall, selling various of mouth-watering sweets, that obviously caught Kruel's attention. He had always been a sweet tooth. Always.
"Oh, hello, handsome young man! You seem unfamiliar around here, a traveller?" A middle-aged woman immediately approached him, her friendly nature as a proof that she had been doing this job for a long time.
Kruel drew a smile to his lips, which reached up to his eyes and wrinkled them, flaunted his modesty and humility. "That's right, madam. I came all the way from Polass to Kalavec, maybe just to have a bite of your delicious pastries," he replied, which resulted to a heartwarming laugh from the stall lady.
"Well then, you might as well have a taste on my new homemade recipe. You're lucky this batch is freshly out of the oven! We call it white chocolates here. " The lady continued, showing him a tray full of bars of white chocolates.
Kruel almost couldn't believe his eyes. Chocolate bars.. That aren't chocolate in color. Amazing. As a sweets' fanatic, this is his first time encountering one of these. The idea of food colorings that were just recently invented by the imperial chefs sure spread out fast among the locals. Kruel can't believe there will be a day he get to taste a desert of this kind.
God bless him.
"I wouldn't eat that stinky garbage willingly"
What?
Kruel quickly turned around, searching for the owner of the voice.
But, nothing.
There's no one else but him at the stall.
And that very knowledge sent shivers down his spine. Was it just voices in his head?
Or was it a warning from god?
"Young man, would you like to take a bite then?" the stall lady offered, as she smiled sweetly.
If he was just some random normal person, who had no idea of anything happening at the moment, he would have let it pass. Just like any normal person would. But he isn't just some normal person. Far from normal.
He is the god's favorite.
A saint, you can call him that.
He painted a smile on his face, meeting the eyes of the stall lady.
"I would love to, madam. However, "
In a blink of an eye, his beautiful pair of blue eyes turned into the color of the sun, casting a mesmerizing warm glow to anyone who looked upon it. Eyes that were shining brightly, they were too bright that it put diamonds into shame.
What a sight to see.
It's crazy to think about. How could a mere old woman who sells sweets for living, be having all of these miscreant-like characteristics? He had seen countless sinners, even prisoners who were locked in the deepest underground cage. Yet, none of them ever showcased a soul as rotten as she had. For a moment, he thought his eyes were lying to him.
The woman before him, who spoke warmly and smiled graciously towards him, was surrounded with a dark grey inferno, the shade of grey was too close to the black palette that it was almost impossible to tell apart if he hadn't been doing this his whole life. Black, a color to appear if all the primary colors were to mix together, in the theory he had been building up for almost his 25 years of living, where the colors represented sins. The three deadly sins.
Lust.
When a man stared at his woman,
Whom he hadn't seen beyond a toy,
Her revealing curves waking something in him,
How he wished to see the bed stained red.
Selfishness.
When a man would've forced his goods to pass first,
Blocking the path in evacuating survivors to his island,
He would've told them his goods mattered more than their lives,
As he only wanted the wide blue sea all to himself.
Pride.
When a man sat on his throne for the first time,
Women and men all bowed to his feet,
He almost forgot that he wasn't God,
The moment the shiny yellow crown was placed on his head.
A spiking stinky smell shot right to his nostrils and he can't help but quickly covered them in response. The bar of white chocolate wasn't as delicious looking as it looked like previously, he almost kneeled down to thank god for not letting him swallow that curdled, moldly, disgusting piece of nausea-evoking shit.
For fuck's sake, there goes my appetite.
"- I just remembered that my gums are swollen. Quite unfortunate, isn't it? I'll definitely pay you a visit again one day,” He politely refused, instinctively knowing that’s the least he should do.
As he was about to leave, she grabbed his arm, the same sweet smile still plastered on her face, "It is a limited recipe, you will regret not trying it,”
Kruel could only smile awkwardly as he deliberately shook her grasp off his arm, trying his best not to be too harsh.
"My biggest apology madam-"
"I won't charge you anything! This old lady was excited to hear your feedback"
"I'm sorry-"
"A little bite wouldn't hurt!"
"I will-"
"Just eat it, goodamnit!”
He stood there in irritation, a realization sinking in.
Kalavec Disease Outbreak.
Dear Holy Eyes, here are some additional information that our best experts had came out with. We wished for only success in your noble mission alongside the Human Spear, the Men Killer, and the Hidden Saintess.
1. An infected person would seem like a normal person and impossible to tell apart with others at first encounter.
2. They will get aggressive only in certain scenarios, but the true catalyst wasn't yet identified.
3.Their strengths, once triggered, are equal to the power of 4 well-built men.
Kruel could only curse internally under his breath.
4. They had the ability to summon all other infected people within their area to become aggressive, once confronted.
He never thought that he would encounter a real patient the moment he stepped into Kalavec.
No.
Maybe almost all people of Kalavec were already infected by the unknown virus. Given the circumstances, a town as busy as Kalavec, it is most likely to assume so. The last thing Kruel would have wanted was for this place consisting thousands of possibly infected people to be triggered all at once…
?!?!
The ashy, pearly blonde with a hint of metallic-shine haired man turned around, his eyes still radiating the color of gold. His jaw agaped, syncing with his baffled expression as he carefully but hastily analyzed each and every person passing by.
All of them.
All of Kalavec people.
Have a soul even more dreadful than the most ruthless mass murderer of neighbouring empire that was in custody of the kingdom.
It was impossible. For another minute, he doubted his gift.
How could he not? When even newborn babies whose souls were supposed to look like a plain white canvas were seemingly painted black.
Is this?.. A symptom that all the infected patients suffered, spiritually? In which nobody could ever figure out, except him, and him only.
Only then, this madness would make sense.
But then, this current situation was the worst-case scenario for that assumption. How could Kruel-alone handle thousands of rats in the mood of bellicose jingoism? Even if Cedric and Celeste were there with him, 3vs30000 doesn't look good even though he had two of humanity's strongest on his side. Not that he wanted to end up in the dungeon, anyways.
5. Once a patient was identified, it was best to cooperate to their wish and silently investigate them in normal condition.
Eating a freshly made white chocolate for free? That is something Kruel would wholeheartedly agree to.
Too bad, he had received a newfound phobia the moment he laid his holy eyes onto the dessert, meaning there is no way in hell would he ever take a bite on that crap. Kruel was quite sure too that this was one of the ways that the disease was spread in Kalavec, given how desperate the lady was to get him to eat it, adding more reasons to why he would never take a bite on that crap.
Quick, smarty pant. Think.
"EAT IT, YOU PRETTY PIECE OF SHIT!!"
Yeah, that old lady is completely bewitched now.
Fuck.
Abruptly, she jumped over the wooden table, a few plates of untouched pastries crashing down to pieces as she did. Her actions screamed violence in every inch moved, hands reaching out to his collar, grabbing him tenaciously.
Thankfully, he was way taller than she was, so instead of being lifted a few centimetres off the ground, he was forced to look down to the enraged, veins-bulging, red eyed old lady who possessed unbelievable strength.
Honestly, Kruel could've just taken her down, but he was afraid that his previous assumption was correct, therefore putting him in the worst condition possible, the very moment she decided to awaken her fellow crazily strong sick friends. People are all starting to gather at the scene, but not even a person dared to step forward.
He really doesn't want to end up killing everybody. Though he wouldn't hesitate if it was his very last straw.
He wondered.
Will the God help his favorite child and send some sort of miracle?
Or will the God help all these innocent civilians from dying in the hands of his favorite child?
"May I have it instead? I love white chocolates,"
Oh.
So you do treasure me, God? Or maybe you just treasure your thousands other children.
Kruel flinched.
The moment the anonymous person spoken those few words, the lady immediately released her tight grip on Kruel's collar and turned towards whoever that is, offering the chocolate in a lively manner.
"Of course, such a beautiful young lady you are! A pretty lady with a good taste is definitely a great combination," she light-heartedly replied, as she gradually return to her normal condition. No more red eyes, or popping-out veins, or even crazy aggressiveness.
A young lady?
His pair of golden eyes turned to look at the peculiar presence, both widened the moment he did so. He could feel jolts of utter disbelief rushed through his whole body as he watched her rigorously.
She was nearly as tall as himself. Her loose black outer garment brocade stood out her pale skin and silver hair, which was barely showing under the cloak that she wore. Her tall figure was lithe, just a little bit shorter than he was but definitely taller than most ladies he ever encountered, and he suspected that she must be well practiced at equestrianism, and quite possibly fencing as it was becoming the fashion amongst the young ladies of the kingdom, a fashion he found endearing.
Underneath the big cloak, the sleeves and blouse she was wearing were vaguely of a gypsy cut, all done in syrupy browns and shades of maroon flecked with white that seemed to undulate of their own volition. The skirt consisted of ruffled tiers of burnt reddish satin that ended in a ragged hem just above the ankle, with a spidery black lace bodice consummated the ensemble.
It wasn't the way that her shiny waist-length platinum hair covered parts of her right eye as she lowered her gaze towards the stall lady, nor the way her plump, rosy lips with a hint of wound at the left corner parted while she nibbled on the stinky crap-well, chocolate, blandly.
Those, weren't, well, probably only partially, the reason why Kruel was being rendered speechless and couldn't take his eyes off her. He was rather in awe, like the moment when he first entered the palace and amazed with how even the plates are made of gold, or like the moment when he watched Cedric lifted a boulder the size of the King's statue all by himself for the first time. This, too, was the very first time he ever seen someone,
as beautiful as she is.
He felt like he would be content with staring at the muse before him forever, but he simply could not stand there gawking like a mere lad. Especially when he just allowed someone as beautiful as she is, swallowed that vulgar thing and possibly contaminated her beauty.
"Oh my, a fellow chocolate lover? What a lovely day to get acquainted with a person like you, young lady," he beamed a smile.
"Indeed,"
"The moment our eyes met, I experienced that spine tinkling feeling, my palms got all sweaty, the hair on my arms stood up and causing me blinking ten times like an idiot, I had a gut feeling that this was it. The moment my whole life has been building up to."
- was something that one of the books Kruel had always read describe this kind of moment. He chuckled to the thought, what a cheesy way to talk. Of course, Kruel could feel those symptoms happening to him but it was nowhere near love at the first sight kind of situation. It was more like..
"- what a lovely day, to get acquainted with the Holy Eyes out of all people, "
Her cold, intimidating, violet eyes struck deep into his, and he couldn't comprehend the meaning of the excitement within him. An exaggerated simper was painted on his face, coming all so naturally. His shining pair of ambers lost its color and returned to the soothing oceanic blue eyes.
Yet, her expression showed no amusement nor even a hint of fascination.
"I would say, it was the god's plans all along. A saint and a saint. Doesn't it sound like a match made in heaven?"
"It does. But the only saint here is you," she sneered. "But I'm not sure if you're sane though,"
"That's not a thing to worry about, my lady. I'm perfectly healthy, physically and mentally,"
"Maybe. If you stop looking at me with such a psychopathic smile on your face,"
Was it too obvious?
Probably.
"It's Kruel. Kruel Peker. Or most people know me by the other name you just called me. I’m honoured that such a pretty person like you knew about my existence," he said, gazing her with an unwavering stare as he held out his hand. She hesitated for a moment but chose to reciprocate his motion, lightly brushing her hand against his, acknowledging his friendly gesture.
"Eyvor. Just Eyvor,"
"Such a beautiful name, for a beautiful person,"
"..."
Maybe, both of them were too occupied in their own worlds that they had forgotten, of the other pair of eyes who had been observing them from the very beginning.
"Gentleman, lady, I am very delighted that my small stall had become a memorable place for both of you today. Therefore, here, some chocolate fondue of my very own recipe, to celebrate the day of unison for such a good-looking couple as you are!"
"Pardon?" Eyvor seemed taken aback with the stall lady's comment, in which Kruel in the other hand received with a wide grin, a little bit flattered too.
"Ah, I envy you young people. Make sure to come here again one day and bring your babies along," she added cheerfully, as the small box containing the pastry exchanged hands. Eyvor could only look at the joyful blonde man as he took the box, all the while grinning sheepishly. There's no way this man was in his right mind.
With no words muttered, she turned around and walked away, leaving the ridiculous scene to play as it did. Kruel managed to thank the old woman once again before he, too, turned around and chased after the mysterious lady. He will never leave her alone.
Not until he purified her poor soul, who took his place in eating the gross, stinky crap.
Well, he couldn't just stand still. He might never be able to see such rare beauty again.
"Why are you following me?"
"Why can't I?"
"I don't know you,"
"You do know, I'm the Holy Eyes, remember? "
"You don't know me,"
"You're Eyvor,"
"..."
The silver-head discontinued her pace, her hand swiftly tugging down the piece of clothing which reserved as her camouflage, most probably, as she stared into the male figure who was keen to stay at her elbow. Her frosty, dazzling pair of indigos shone exquisitely under the faint moonlight and glimmers from the stands surrounding them.
"I have no intention in getting involved with you, nor any divine creatures. The likes of you are not of my world, nor do I want to indulge into yours. Us, crossing paths was non of the God's doing, dare if I say if he even care enough to plan. Beings like us were just passersby, tangled by a mere coincidence. It terrifies me to think I got a God's slave tailing me around,"
Even the way she talked was just as graceful.
"Have you ever heard? About how the God's beloved child will always get what he wants? Those sayings were true, and you genuinely gained my uttermost interest, my lady" he paused, with a pithy grin.
"And despite my selfish desires, which I don't deny, I just wanted to ensure your very own well-being, Lady Eyvor. That shitty crap, no, the chocolate you ate earlier.. Was the reason I was sent here, "
She quietly scoffed, a derisive smile covered on her face.
"Oh, the petty curse that desperate wench trying to put on everyone-? I must say that I was the last person on the list for you to worry about,"
Kruel's smile disappeared almost immediately as he heard her mutter those few words.
"I was kind enough to stop her from going rampage on you-"
"No, to put it better. I was just trying to avoid walking on a pool of corpses tonight. I wonder why God chose a person who had a face ready to murder thousands overnight, as his favorite child, "
"You are no better than me, Holy Eyes,"
Those triggering remarks did not bother him one bit, but instead, the man burst out laughing. A laughter erupted like a torrential downpour, wild and uncontainable, bursting forth from deep within, each outburst more unhinged than the last.
Everything about him was like opening a box of surprises to her. A crazy box, though.
"Of course, I'm not better than you. I'm just like any other humans, full of sins and ugliness within. I'm lucky though. My soul will never be tainted no matter how badly I tried to color it black. It was almost like God made a mistake in his project, whatever I do, I remained clean in his records,"
Ah, truly the god's favourite.
"Say, Lady Eyvor. Are you actually a true saint, or are you another one of God's forgotten experiments, just like me?"
"Why do you keep asking me these questions?"
Kruel shifted his eyes to her, an enchanting smile covering his face. He held out his hand and brushed her soft hair out of her eyes, tucking them behind her ears.
"Because your beauty is breathtaking,"
Eyvor immediately stepped behind as a response, her gaze resembled that of a dagger, sternly piercing him. She really shouldn't have let her guards down.
His pair of blue hues sparkled under the moonlight, ambers taking over the moment he blinked his eyes. There he stood, golden eyes and golden locks shining ethereally, like an angel descending from above.
But, through his ambers, the platinum haired before him was far more mesmerizing than the purest angel.
"Your soul is none like I have ever seen. Years and years of studying souls, I could tell for sure that you are a descendant of Adam, just like me. But, how come you emitted so much light? I have seen true saints, even angels, and a bunch of other divinities, yet none radiated white as vibrant as you do. Your soul is of another world, as if you had been drinking water from the rivers in heaven since your birth. Who are you, beautiful lady?"
Keeping a soul free from any stain was already impossible for most humans, and those who managed to do so was called Saints, with himself included. But her, in the other hand, was just different. She sparkled the color of purity, such strikingly blinding gleam, one that the Soul Hunters would trade their lives for.
"It was astonishing too, to see your soul remain untainted even after consuming that shit. Not really a surprise though, the brightness of yours could swallow any darkness who dared to approach"
"Too bad, Mr. Saint. I think your exceptional eyes have made a mistake. But as you have seen, I'm safe. A good reason to leave me alone now"
"All the more reasons why I can't leave you alone. Now, the success of my mission lies in you"
"What?" Eyvor frowned.
"The antidote for the disease. It runs in your blood,"
Eyvor almost laughed, but she didn't want to appear like an insane maniac, laughing out of sudden like he just did. God forbids her imitating him in any sort of way.
"Are you implying you wanted me to willingly donate my blood to thousands of people?"
"You could give us a sample and see what we could do with it. If nothing works out, then yes. An honour it should be, you would serve the King,"
The tall woman gazed upon him coldly, her stare was sharp enough to tear him apart. The longer she tolerates his nonsense, the more she is wasting her time. Both of them approached the dead end of the road, pretty far away from the last remaining stalls. She anchored her steps, right in front of her, a huge, charred trunk of a redwood, laying on the deck amidst the grass, as if it were the fallen mast of a tall ship struck down by lightning.
"I told you before. I am Eyvor, just Eyvor. I am not a truth-dedicated saint, nor a failed forgotten project of your beloved God. I don't own a heart of gold, and I could care less whether everyone were dying or the kingdom collapsing. People in this land means nothing to me. I am an acquaintance of the Underground, their most favorite dealer. My blood only drip for the sake of my own needs. I don't plan on using my privilege for other people, unlike you, Holy Eyes. I live for myself, not to be a tamed dog of a nameless King,"
She walked closer towards the tall widespreaded branches of tree, her index finger gently tapping on it. Closing her eyes, she chanted a few words underneath her breath, words that were unfamiliar to Kruel himself. A trace of fire marked a circle, forming a black hole shadow, dark thin rings of light surrounding the edge of it. These rings are really multiple, highly distorted images of the accretion disk, and millions of long-nailed fingers could be seen trying to escape the hellish pit. She turned her head towards the blessed human, before reaching out to the unknown hand.
"May we never cross paths again,"
And just like how the cold breeze sent shivers down his spine, the woman before him disappeared into the thin air, along with the demonic portal she had just summoned.
"Using the Demon's Crossroads to teleport, huh? "
Kruel stood there, his ambers already replaced by its blue.
Demon's Crossroads. There are countless of those invisible paths in this world, and they were often laid on forbidden houses, streaming rivers, or within the forests, any places that aren't bustling with humans. However, to think that there will be a Demon's Crossroad right besides the Kalavec's Night Market, which is busy with people all day long.. It must be a very well-protected one, and any normal humans who got caught up into one of those crossroads never make it out anyways, it's like a free meal to the wandering devils passing by.
"--I am an acquaintance of the Underground, their most favorite dealer-"
Of course she is. The color of the soul is the reflection of the purity of the blood. The purer one's blood is, the tastier it becomes to the eyes of the underground creatures. That's why the sayings are always right. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. One with a tainted soul usually would give birth to future sinners, as the blood running through their veins were passed down. However, that's not always the case, because, God loves repentants. There are even some Saints who are the children of the worst sinners. This rarely happened but, it's not impossible.
Although so, Kruel could never strike a deal with an underground creature all his life, even when he knew that a drip of his blood is to die for among the Undergrounds. That was simply because, they are ugly, unattractive, and stinky. Their faces are horrifying, and they ate their own poops. For god's sake. He might have puked the moment he came into contact with one of those.
"Hmm.. No wonder she managed to swallow that stinky shit, knowing how it looked like," he whispered to himself, as the image of the chocolate came flooding back into his thoughts.
"Eughh!"
And that's when his eyes darted to a small box in his hand that he received earlier. A gift that was supposedly meant to commemorate his encounter with the beautiful lady.
"Ah, Lady Eyvor. I guess I have an excuse to cross paths with you again,"
He grinned, as he tightly clenched fist, holding firmly onto a strail of silver hair within his palm. One that he acquired through such a romantic act, that not even Eyvor herself would have noticed.
"See you soon,"