Chapter 13

The Sun keeper arises

The war was still ongoing, Liana was being observed by the Thamali soldiers because of her fighting skills as she fought along with them. The dawn is over as the sun’s blurry light cleared the dark sky, Liana looks around and sees a wounded Thamali soldier being pinned by an evil soldier on the ground. Liana run towards them and cut the evil soldier’s head, she help him to stand up and to her surprise, it was the general.

“Young soldier thank you for saving me,” he said as Liana nodded and they continued fighting the enemies.

The atmosphere inside the castle becomes colder as Niffa wiped her tears staring at Rico’s unmoving body. She felt a sudden sting on her palms, the burn that looks like a sun on her palms sparkled in gold like what happened before. It keeps on stinging her hand as she closed her eyes and felt unusual energy. She saw her mother standing in a meadow as she smiled at her.

“Mother?” she ask then her mother raised her hand as if she was collecting some radiant fire from above. She was so amused by the radiant light, her mother suddenly struck the radiant fire towards her as she crossed her arms to protect her. She looks at her palms shining bright as the radiant light travels through her body. She felt more powerful than before as the radiant light goes up from her face and into her eyes from her hair as if she was the sun herself. She was like a sun-formed human. The ceiling was destroyed by such strong wind caused by Niffa’s empowered energy. She was stunning and looked powerful as her eyes were full of radiant light, Seres stands up from his seat widening his eyes with amusement.

“Wow! That was so amazing!” he said as he clap his hands. Niffa runs towards him in just a flash of seconds and grasps his neck. He looks terrified by Niffa’s radiant eyes.

“How dare you!” she uttered and even her mouth was filled with radiant light when she speaks. She lift Seres as if he was weightless as he keeps on wiggling catching his breath while Niffa’s radiant hand traced a burn around Seres’ neck.

“Stop, stop it now!” Seres pleaded already losing his voice while catching his breath.

Maru’s eyes widened being speechless while watching Niffa, he saw Merfoy coughing holding his neck, and catching his breath as he remembered what Seres said a while ago that both Seres and Merfoy’s lives are connected.

“Niffa stop!” Maru shouted as he keeps on wiggling from the chains, he was full of wounds and burns from the flaming chains. Maru tried to double up his flame as he groan in pain and finally the chains break. Maru run quickly toward Niffa as he tap her shoulder to stop her but Niffa’s radiant light was too strong as he felt a burn in his hand. She was so untouchable by her power. She suddenly turned to Maru with his radiant eyes.

“Niffa if you will kill Seres, Merfoy will die too! They’re connected!” he shouted, Niffa was expressionless as she look back at Seres for a while and loosen her grasp. Seres fell down to the ground while coughing and catching his breath feeling the burn around his neck.

Niffa ignored everyone around her including Rico who was still lying unconscious on the floor, she walk outside the castle and look down at the battleground. Her body was surrounded by a radiant light that struck the eyes of whoever sees her. She pass through the evil sorcerers as they burned down into ashes easily without even touching or fighting them. She walks into the battleground and slowly raises her hand as she creates a ball of fire above them, she quickly put her hands down as the ball of fire creates a massive number of flames striking the evil soldiers to death while leaving the Thamalian soldiers untouched. The Thamalian soldiers were shocked by what just happened to realize that they just won the battle. Liana and the rest of the soldiers were so amused to see such wondrous power in front of them.

“Niffa? The queen of Aldon?” Liana gasped in surprise as they tried to look at her while covering their eyes because of her radiant light. She didn’t say anything as her face was emotionless. She suddenly raised her right hand pointing up to the sky as the radiant light on her body went up returning to the sun as it shines so bright and clear.

“The sun keeper!” the general of Thamali said as they watch the sun complete its light.

“The sun! It’s back! It’s not glimmering anymore!” shouted one of the soldiers as they cheer in joy.

Niffa returned back to her normal state as she passed out and stumbled on the ground.

“Your highness!” Liana said as she run towards her tapping her hot cheeks and trying to wake her up.

Niffa opened her eyes as the sun struck her, and she saw birds flying freely in the sky. She heard soldiers shouting as she look around to see that they were carrying their fellow Thamalians who were killed and wounded during the battle. She take a seat and she wonder what happened, she realized that she passed out as she saw Maru helping the wounded soldiers, he has a lot of bandages on his face and hands but he seemed fine.

“Your highness! I’m glad you’re awake!” Liana said as she approach her and gave her a cup of water.

“Thank you, just call me Niffa.” She drink the water and tried to remember the events before this, she hold her head in surprise as she remembered some of the details like Seres clapping towards her then she remembered Rico as she widened her eyes, she remembered how Seres stab him as he spits a lot of blood.

“Rico!” She gasp as she looks around in panic, she quickly stands up and run towards the castle.

She meet Maru on the way with such a sad expression on his face like he was in deep grief.

“Niffa?” Maru gasped as he looks at her.

“Where is Rico?” she asks with a cold trembling voice and teary eyes

“Follow me,” he said as they entered the castle. Niffa’s heart pounds so fast but it wasn’t the same feeling whenever she saw Rico smiling at her, her heart pounds so fast because of nervousness and fear, a fear to lose him. They reach the dark corridor where she saw many rooms sideways, most of the rooms are occupied by the townspeople. Some kids are crying while others are sleeping.

“We decide to let the town people live here for a while after we will built their houses back,” Maru said as they keeps on walking.

“Niffa, this is the last room, Rico is inside,” he said while his face looking so sad, she look at him observing as if something is really not right.

“Maru, tell me he’s fine and I will enter the room,” Niffa said with a shaky voice about to cry. Maru looks at her in a pitiful way.

“Yes, he’s fine,” Maru answered as he sigh. Niffa sighed controlling her emotions but a single tear fell from her eye.

“I will go back outside to see the soldiers.” Maru leaves her alone standing in front of the silent room. She slowly opened the door as the cricking sound was heard together with her pounding heart. She saw Rico lying unconscious while his body was wrapped in a bandage. Her tears started to fall uncontrollably as she slowly approach him.

“Niffa,” a voice said as she quickly wipe her tears and look to her side. It was Merfoy sitting on the ground with his legs crossed. He was wounded and his right shoulder was wrapped in a bandage still bleeding.

“Merfoy?”

“Rico, he is.” Niffa tried not to show too much of her emotions as she wait for Merfoy to speak up as she felt her body trembling hoping for a piece of positive news.

“Rico is fine, I healed him a while ago but he needs to rest. His wounds are too hard for me to heal. Seres’ power had become strong,” Merfoy said with his emotionless face, despite all the wounds he gets he still manage not to show his emotions which keeps his coolness. Niffa observed that she wanted that kind of attitude.

Niffa sighed in relief as she wipe all the tears from her face.

“It’s okay to cry Niffa,” Merfoy said.

“No, I will not be crying anymore,” she answered as she started to make her face expressionless.

“Why?” Merfoy ask.

“I will only cry if Rico was dead. Now that I learned that he is fine, crying won’t make any sense,” she answered.

Maru saw Liana wrapping some bandage around a soldier’s arm. He approaches her and helps her get the rest of the bandage.

“Can you teach me how to do that?” he asks as Liana looked at him in surprise.

“Sure, let me finish this up.” She finished it as they approach another soldier with a wounded leg.

“Your highness,” greeted the soldier as the rest greeted him as they all bow down. Maru was confused and surprised as he look around him.

“Please no need to greet me that way,” he said as he scratch his head not knowing what to do. Liana look at him and chuckled a bit as they kneeled down to wrap the man’s leg.

“Like this?” Maru asks as the man groans in pain.

“Oh I’m sorry, did I wrap it too tight?” Maru asks as he loosens it.

“It’s okay your highness it’s an honor for me that the prince of Thamali wrapped my wound. I’m thankful,” The soldier said.

“You’re welcome, it’s part of my duty to help my town people,” he answered.

They walk on the bloody ground as they help the other soldiers in cleaning the broken debris scattered around.

“By the way Maru, why are you not acting like royalty?” Liana asked as she pick up the swords.

“I’m really not the royalty type I’m just an ordinary man, besides I just knew it a few days ago that I’m a prince,” Maru said chuckling as Liana chuckled back.

“Well, why did you ask that kind of question Liana?” Maru asks facing in her direction.

“Because you don’t like to be called your highness You also don’t like to be treated highly,” Liana answered.

“Exactly, I’m not used to that, I was raised by Seres and not the royalties.”

“Seres?” Liana asked as she frowned her face.

“Yeah, it’s a long story though.” Merfoy just smiled at her. They continued to help the soldiers around until they finished cleaning up before dark.

The night was silent unlike yesterday, everyone can finally sleep peacefully. Merfoy walk outside his room and he silently entered the dungeon located underground, he walk inside and only a few torches on the wall lit up the place. The silence makes the place creepier, as the wild boars and cheetahs in the cage were in deep sleep. Merfoy walked further into the dead end he stops in front of the invisible wall he made. He entered and saw Seres with the flaming white chains he made still on his feet, he seemed chill and unbothered while reading an old book.

“Why did you come so late? I’m hungry,” Seres said as Merfoy handed him the bowl of porridge.

“Porridge? I never thought Thamali was in a crisis state,” Seres said with his face unsatisfied.

“Just shut up and eat it or just starve yourself to death. Your evil sorcerers destroyed their farms as well as the rice crops from the war remember?” Merfoy said as he crossed his arms with his sharp gaze.

“I know! I know I get it,” he said as he force himself to eat it.

“Why did you do that?” Merfoy asks all of a sudden.

“Do what? I’m the one who’s defeated here,” Seres said as he gobbled the porridge.

“Liar, I know you’re moving.” Merfoy entered the white wall, he stand in front of his brother still crossing his arms.

“Stop acting like a father. I know you are really smart big brother, you figured everything out,” Seres said as he smirk.

“I know that you can defeat the sun keeper! Tell me are you planning something?!” Merfoy said as he suddenly grab Seres by the collar.

“Hey, hands down brother I know I can’t pass through your white flame it’s burning me,” Seres said without changing the smirk on his face.

“If you ever dare to kill one of the royalties or even the people here I will finish you!” Merfoy said as he let go of his grasp and walk out the invisible wall.

“Why don’t you finish me now until it’s too late?” He heard Seres as he looked back and saw him still smirking with his sharp-looking eyes.

Maru entered back at the room and saw Niffa sitting on the floor beside where Rico is lying.

“How was he?” He asked as he seat in front facing them.

“Still unconscious. No signs of movement but his breathing is normal,” Niffa said as she fixed Rico’s blanket. Maru saw a sudden green spark when Niffa touch Rico’s hand.

“Niffa did you see that?” he asked.

“See what?” she asks as she looks around, she doesn’t seem to know it.

“You didn’t feel something weird? In your hand?” Maru asks in confusion.

“My hand? I feel nothing,” Niffa answered as she look at her hands.

“Never mind, by the way, Niffa you need to eat. Here take this,” he said as he handed her a bowl of porridge.

“Thank you.” she takes it and places it on the table.

“I don’t feel hungry maybe I’ll eat it later. Maru, I still can’t remember what happened after Seres stabbed Rico.” Niffa said frowning.

“What? You mean you can’t remember what happened to you?” Maru said as he frowned back.

“What happened to me?” Niffa asks in confusion.

“You unleash the sun’s power, and everyone is afraid of you even Seres surrendered,” Maru said.

“The sun keeper,” she uttered as she quickly run towards the window and opened it. The darkness in the room was lit up. She was shocked to see the sun’s radiant light and it doesn’t shine faintly anymore.

“You’re right, it’s now brighter than before.” A trace of a smile was finally seen on her face.

“Thank you for that,” Maru said as he smiled.

“I hope Rico will see this,” she said.

“He will Niffa. I know Rico will survive this,” Maru said as he approach her, and look at the sun together.