Chapter 10 Options and consequences

Merfoy makes sure that the kingdom of Samari was not surrounded by an evil soldiers and sorcerers by using his far sight power. He close his eyes as he tried to make his sight farther going into the kingdom of Samari where Maru was slayed.

“I can only see a burned body. No one was around the place either,” Merfoy said with a concentration on his face.

“Then let’s go now. We don’t have enough time to travel until tomorrow,” Niffa said as she prepared her bow and arrow which she get from Merfoy’s tool box. She stretch the bow as she closed her right eye targeting one of the book from afar.

“Where did you get that? You don’t need such weapon you have powers right?” Rico asked watching her.

“I want to try not relying on my powers too much,” she answered as she lowered her arrow and smiled towards him as Rico smiled back.

“Should we get there now?” Merfoy ask as he look at them.

“Let me use my teleportation power,” Rico said as Merfoy look at him in surprise.

“You have it too?” Merfoy ask.

“Yeah. I guess it’s because I use to be a sorcerer, but I know it doesn’t really belong to me.”

“We will rely on that so it’s fine even if it doesn’t belong to you,” Niffa said as she tap his shoulder.

They gathered round as they hold hands and in one snap of Rico’s fingers, they were standing on a dark and dusty ground of Samari’s castle once again.

“There he is!” Niffa said pointing a body near the broken door. They quickly approach the body as Rico kneeled down to pick Maru’s skeletal body. Merfoy stared down at the body, it was barely no flesh left as other parts of the body was already turned into ashes. Merfoy put his left palm on Maru’s forehead as he chant some magic words while his eyes were closed. It is a sign of concentration from his healing power. The chanting stops as they watch the body flames into white as it was renewed with a fine and fair skin. They can finally see a face of a young man sleeping peacefully, he was clothe in pure white. He suddenly opened his eyes as he inhale heavily as If he was given another life, he seats on the ground and look around.

“Maru?” Rico asked observing his eye movements.

“Rico? What happened? Why am I dressed like this?” Maru asked as he freaked out while grabbing his cloth.

“And where am I? Why are you here? You shouldn’t be here, you need to run! Seres might find you!” Maru said as he keep on pushing Rico away.

“Maru calm down! Seres is not here and were here to save you,” Rico said as he grasp Maru’s shoulder and stared on his eyes full of fear.

“I’m not dead am I?” Maru asked still confused.

“Maru there are a lot of thing to explain but-” Rico said as Merfoy suddenly interrupts.

“You are the prince of Thamali and your parents are waiting for you to come back so please come with us,” Merfoy said as he grab the three of them and snap his fingers then in one blink they were standing in front of a book shelf.

“Where are we?” Maru ask as he look around still confused from what was happening.

“Welcome to Mt. Sadeste Prince Maru,” Merfoy said as he smiled and bow his head.

“Wait, I’m still confuse! What prince?! Rico tell me what is going on?” Maru ask as he keeps on looking around.

“Here, read this magic book it’s on page 11770 that will explain everything.” Merfoy handed him the magic book as Maru look at him in confusion. They give Maru a privacy as he read the pages. Niffa walk outside looking at the glimmering light of the sun. She closed her eyes and tried to focus, she felt a sudden scorch on her palm. She heard the voice of her mother whispering her name. She slowly opened her eyes and saw her mother in a blurry vision standing from afar facing her, she can tell that her mother was smiling. Suddenly she threw a ball of fire towards her as she covered her face. Niffa fall on her knees as she felt a burning sensation on her palms, it was so hot that it feels like burning her skin. She groan in pain as she keeps on pressing her palms on her chest.

“Niffa! Are you okay?” Rico ask running towards her. He help her to stand up as she look at his worried face. She looked around but her mother wasn’t there as the burning sensation stops.

“I’m fine now. I saw my mother throwing a ball of fire against me. And my palms, they are burned.” She look at her palms and to her surprise there was a trace of the sun making it looks like a tattoo as it shines in gold.

“What was that?” Rico ask looking so mesmerized form its radiant light.

“I don’t know. I guess it’s a sign of the sun keeper,” Niffa said.

“It was beautiful,” Rico said as he hold her hands and keeps gazing on it.

“A sign that you are ready to be the sun keeper,” Merfoy said as they look behind, Maru was with him.

“Maru, so you finally understand everything now?” Rico ask turning his look towards him.

“Yes. I was kidnapped by Seres and now my buried memories just keeps on popping on my mind out of control,” Maru responded holding his head and looks devastated.

“Rico was also kidnapped by Seres and was actually the future king of Samari,” Niffa said.

“Why you didn’t tell me that before?” Maru asked.

“I also just knew it,” Rico answered.

“And how about you?” Maru turned his eyes to Niffa.

“I’m Niffa, the Queen of Aldon. Nice to meet you,” she said as she slightly bow her head.

“Nice to meet you too. I supposed the three of us are royalties and a victim of Seres,” Maru said as he can see the pain they’ve been through by looking at their eyes.

“Yes Maru, that’s why we need your help,” Rico said as he tap his shoulder. Maru looked deep down into Rico’s brown eyes as he saw a glimpse of violet flame.

“You’re lucky your eyes are not red anymore. Me, it’s still red,” Maru said then Merfoy suddenly place his palm on Maru’s forehead and a white flame came up. They watched them as they saw a red smoke coming out from Maru’s body.

“It’s done your red flame is gone, and you can finally use your white flame which represents peace and pureness. Because you have the white flame, you can control the wind. And mind you, you are no longer a sorcerer but a mortal.”

“Merfoy, you mean Maru’s sorcerer blood is gone?” Rico ask.

“That’s right I take it away, I can only do that to him because we share the same color of flame.”

“I see,” Rico said as he thought about his case. Niffa look at him knowing that Rico wanted to become a mortal rather than the sorcerer he is right now, she understands how he feel.

The day ended and cold night came again, Rico and Maru talk in the balcony for a while.

“About the burning incident, I apologize for the-” Rico said as Merfoy interrupts him.

“It’s okay Rico, I actually doesn’t want to follow Seres’ stupid orders but he keeps on controlling my mind. It’s because of his sorcerer blood and red flames he gave us, he keeps on manipulating our minds.” Maru looks devastated while talking about it.

“Well, Maru I’m sorry for not returning from that night. I should supposed to kidnap Queen Luize and I ended up abandoning you,” Rico said full of remorse.

“I understand why you did that, and I’d do the same if I’m in your situation. But to be honest, I do felt bad that you abandoned me, that time Seres was mad that he makes us killed a lot of innocent lives and I regret doing it. I was actually thankful that you burned me the other day knowing that I would no longer live in a cruel world killing other people. I always plan to kill myself but I can’t. Now that I’m here, I’m more thankful because I truly know the real me and who am I supposed to be.” Maru smiled towards him as he left a sigh of relief.

“I do believe that together, we will fight Seres to bring back the kingdoms he ruined including the kingdom of Veroma which does not belong to him.”

“What do you mean Rico? He is not a real king?”Maru asked as he frowned.

“He is only a red-eyed sorcerer who is the brother of Merfoy the white-eyed sorcerer, they are non-royalties. Merfoy said that a non-royalty can’t steal a royalties’ flames.”

“Now all is clear to me. That’s why he kidnapped us rather than killing us because we are the flame holders.” Maru said realizing everything.

“Yes, the past events are actually written in the magic book of Merfoy.”

“I see. Tomorrow I will go back to the kingdom of Thamali,” Maru said as Rico nodded.

Niffa approach Merfoy who is busy reading something with his triple layered glasses.

“You have a power that can see even the farthest place so why are you wearing those glasses?” Niffa asked as she look closer on the glasses’ structure.

“I was not a sorcerer this time and I’m on my mortal state.” Merfoy keeps on reading the book, turning the pages.

“What?” Niffa asked in confusion as she grab a seat.

“I learned from someone that I should not rely on my powers that much and that I need to try the strength of my mortal state,” Merfoy said as he look at her and wink.

“I learned that from Rico,” Niffa said as she chuckled.

“And I learned that from you,” he said chuckling back.

“By the way, can I ask you something Merfoy?”

“As long as I know the answer go ahead,” he said still concentrating on the book.

“Is there a chance that Rico can turn into a mortal?” Merfoy looked at her dejected face.

“From his case, I think he can’t go back from being a mortal again.”

“Is that so,” Niffa said as she looked down in sadness.

“Maybe he can in some instances,” Merfoy said uplifting her.

“Maybe? How then?” Niffa said eagerly waiting for an answer.

“Look Niffa.” Merfoy closed the book and remove his glasses.

“Tried to analyse the situation, Seres gave him some of his red flames which makes him a sorcerer. Then your grandparents passed some of their green flame to him which helps him resist from Seres’ manipulation, but do you know what makes him becomes a violet sorcerer? It’s because he already had the blue flame in him from the day he was born, and the three flames inside him mixed up causing a violet flame. We have two options here, first is to make those who gave him the green flame to take it back, in that case the red flame and blue flame only exist in him,” Merfoy said explaining it with his hand gestures.

“But Seres will manipulate him easily without the green flame right?” Niffa ask.

“Yes, but there’s a possibility for Seres to absorb back his flame and you will only know that he take it back if you notice a spark.”

“A spark,” Niffa said trying to put all the details in her head.

“Second option is to let him continue living a sorcerer life with his violet flame until he die and reborn to be a mortal again.” Merfoy explained as Niffa keeps on analysing it.

“Reborn? What if he choose the second choice?” Niffa asked.

“I can say its fine, but a sorcerer has a life span of 5000 years and a violet-eyed sorcerer needs to face one final consequence before reaching 5000 years. He needs to make new kingdoms and passed his flames to them before he die like what my father did.”

“You mean Rico and your father are alike?” Niffa asked.

“And another fact, my father Farghan is actually a violet-eyed sorcerer.”

“What?” Niffa widened her eyes as she was still not contented and wants to know more.

“Tell me some more please,” she begged as she move her seat closer to him.

“A violet-eyed sorcerers are responsible in creating new kingdoms. Their differences are Rico has only three flames on him while my father has five. It is written in the prophecy of sorcerers that those who are violet-eyed sorcerer are rare types. Violet-eyed sorcerers are either royalty bloods like Rico or naturally born sorcerer like my father. To become a violet-eyed sorcerer, you need at least three or more flames with you and Rico has three, the blue, green and red flames so he passed that case. Any royalty can actually become one, so you understand it now?” Merfoy asked her giving her a sharp gaze.

“And if Rico exceeds 5000 years of living without passing his flames what will happen?” Niffa keeps on asking.

“Rico needs to pass his flames in order to be reborn as a mortal. And if he didn’t pass his flames, he will be tortured by his own flames to death and it will took an addition of 10 years for him to suffer from it. Within that 10 years, he will experience a dying and living cycle.”

“Like hell,” Niffa said as she look down thinking about Rico.

“I don’t want Rico to end up like that,” she added as her voice sounds devastated. She was confuse either to tell Rico about this or just let Rico know it by himself and let him decide what he wants.

“The first choice is better but impossible. My grandparents are already dead they can’t take back their flame and for Seres, what if he will not take away his red flame from Rico and will manipulate him again?” she asked.

“To be honest, there is only a small possibility that Seres will absorb back his flame.”

“Then it’s an impossible choice.” Niffa’s eyes were full of devastation as well as tears that wants to flow.

“How about your opinion in the second choice?” Merfoy asked back.

“Rico living for 5000 years? Well, the fact that I don’t want him to die first makes me consider it as a good choice,” she answered but a sad expression was painted on her face.

“Does that means you want to die first?” Merfoy asked.

“That’s not my point. But I want Rico to have a peaceful life and a peaceful death, as well as me. Another one is that, if he will be reborn mortal, I’m no longer in this world. Our memories together will also vanished. He will create a new memory like living a normal life without me, marrying someone and have kids, without me.” Her eyes were about to cry just by thinking about it.

“Let’s just say you didn’t understand some of the details I tell you especially the first choice. At the end of the day it’s Rico’s decision,” Merfoy said as he walk away leaving Niffa confused and sad on the table.

“Then tell me the part I didn’t understand,” Niffa said as she stands up.

“If I were you I’d rather tell Rico the first choice,” Merfoy said then he walk upstairs to his room.

“First choice?” Niffa ask herself still confused as she rest her head in the table. Rico was actually hiding on the other side of the dark corner and heard their conversations. He let a long sign of despair as rest his head on the shelf sitting on the floor.