Chapter 61 Meeting Seraphyne
He felt a tug on his knee. Looking down, Vandal saw Pakkun yanking hard at his leg, trying to drag him backward. He could not help but chuckle. The little guy was hilarious, like an angry midget who had no idea how funny he looked.
Suddenly, Pakkun froze. His eyes locked onto the dead body ahead. Without another glance at Vandal, he waddled forward on his tiny, lopsided feet. It took him a while, but when he finally reached the corpse, he clapped both hands over his mouth in shock. Then he spun around to stare at Vandal in terror and stumbled backward.
“Oh don’t look at me like that. I thought we were friends. I did not kill that man although I would have loved to. It was the other person that killed him in such a manner,” Vandal said slowly.
“What did he do to you to hate him like that?” Pakkun asked.
“He tried to kill me after torturing me,” Vandal replied.
“But I did not get to kill him, unfortunately. He met a much uglier fate at the hands of that insane bastard.”
After a short pause, Vandal looked Pakkun squarely in the eyes. “Alright, I will go with you.” He had decided it was smarter to play along for now.
While they made their way back, along the way he kept looking around expecting to see that psycho following them. But as much as he strained his eyes and ears, he detected no signs of being followed.
The knowledge that Divine was still somewhere in this space left a cold and uneasy feeling in his gut, especially after what he had witnessed. Soon they arrived at the familiar mini palace in the middle of shallow water.
Guards suddenly surrounded Vandal upon his reentry but he did not panic. The king motioned for the guards to be at ease. Coming down from his throne, he made to look around as if expecting to see Kennedy with Vandal. When he did not, he looked at Vandal then proceeded to ask.
“Where is the medicine man? You kill him?”
“No I did not kill him. Someone else did,” Vandal replied simply.But the king did not look convinced, and Vandal could not blame him after the spectacle he had caused earlier.
“I swear this on anything you want me to swear on. What I say is the truth,” Vandal said with his most serious expression.
The king nodded slowly then sighed.
“Medicine man useful. Now dead. Who kill him? How he die?” the king inquired.
“The man who opened the boundary barrier to let us in. He is also the reason we cannot leave.”
Vandal continued, “But Pakkun said you could help us. Please help us leave this place.” He bowed to the king respectfully in spite of the unintimidating stature and funny appearance of the king and his race of people.
After a pause of contemplation that felt like it stretched on forever, he finally replied, “I help you open the barrier.”
Vandal’s expression turned to relief but the king continued.
“On one condition. Medicine man dead, so you find way. Heal my daughter. If you heal my daughter then I help you,” the king said. Vandal’s stomach sank. Of course it could not be that simple. He was a fighter, not a healer. This request sounded like pure trouble. The king motioned for Vandal to follow him.
Mael and the rest of the group were seated comfortably and had been entertained during all the commotion. Sabine was still fast asleep. Seeing all of them were okay, Vandal resolved himself and followed the king. They were the only ones walking down a quiet path, guided by the king who named himself King. Vandal soon arrived at a cave. Inside the cave was a young woman with red flowing hair.
She was strikingly beautiful, tall, curvy, with long elegant legs and flowing red hair. Vandal gave an appreciative nod. Another short lady with jet black hair was standing looking at them approach.
“She looks perfectly healthy.” Vandal noted, “She’s even watching us approach.”
“What could be the health challenge?” Vandal looked thoroughly at her but he could not pinpoint what was wrong.
The king abruptly stopped then motioned for Vandal to sit on the stone jutting out of the ground.
Then the next words he said shocked Vandal to the core.
“Here is my daughter,” the king said, pointing at the pale woman. Even lying down, it was clear she had once been a stunning beauty. Now her skin was paper white, and dark blue veins stood out prominently across her body.
Then the king spoke again. This time he used perfect, fluent, and structured English.
Vandal’s eyes widened in shock.
“It is a long story. Aside from this lady protecting my daughter, nobody else knows that I am not really from this tribe.”
“They mistook me for their long lost king and have taken me as such ever since,” the king explained.
Just then the beautiful lady opened her eyes slowly and set her eyes on her father then Vandal.
“Father, you came?” the lady said, ignoring Vandal as if his presence was unimportant.
“Sera, how do you feel?” the king asked with concern as he stroked her hair.
“Same. Father who is he?” Seraphyne asked, clearly uncomfortable having another person she was unfamiliar with in close proximity with her.
“Sera, don’t worry. This person is someone that I have requested assistance from. He should be able to help you.” The king walked over to the woman and helped her up.
Seeing these two individuals’ facial structure, Vandal could see some semblance in their faces.
“Father, I have never seen this person in this area before. Could it be that he is a trespasser?” However the woman named Seraphyne started to size Vandal up in a cautious manner.
“That’s right, he is indeed a trespasser. But….”
“Father, you know bringing him here is very dangerous. I do not need a trespasser treating me,” the woman interrupted the king before he could finish.
Vandal activated his left eye. What he saw made his expression turn serious. Thick, ink like sludge was clogging her resonance veins at critical points. It was starving her body of the energy she was naturally gifted with.
“I am able to cure you of your ailment,” Vandal quickly spoke. With that he approached her, not caring whether she consented to being touched or not. He grabbed her arm.
“Don’t touch me! I do not need your help,” the woman released a sliver of her resonance energy, causing Vandal to flinch in surprise at the aura being unleashed from her body. Even in her weakened state, the aura she released was unmistakably Stage 11. She wanted to forcibly push Vandal aside.
However, the blast only shoved the king and her guard backward. Those were the two people she had not meant to hit. Vandal did not move even an inch.
“You……” At that moment, the gaze with which the woman looked at Vandal changed. For the first time, Seraphyne truly looked at him. She no longer saw him with disdain, but with wary respect. The youth before her was no ordinary trespasser.