Brigante Ark - Chapter 169

Alastor straightened himself up from his slump position in the chair. He carefully cut the turkey pieces before chewing them in his knife.

“I was under the impression the first time that you’re a monster.”

“Rude.” Almost breaking to smile, the sorceress said.

“Forgive me, but most of the time when I see a beaut like you, it’s either an imp disguising as one or a bandit pretending to be a damsel in distress.”

“Good news for you, I am not an imp nor a damsel in distress.”

“It appears so. Surviving this long, you must be tough.”

She blinked. “It is. Living here alone taught me how to preserve myself.”

“I can see that.”

“Are you by chance a Raedavenian?” Noora asked.

Alastor shrugged and shook his head impassively.

“You look like one, by the standard of your dress of course.”

Alastor looked at himself. “And here I thought that this is just some rag suit.”

“Pardon?”

Alastor return his glance at her, and answered, “I found this at the town’s ruin. Just north from here.”

Noora leaned her back against the chair. “Well, that’s a surprise. Have you met anyone?”

“No. Just you. Why do you ask?”

“Just hoping.”

Utter nonsense. Alastor had thought that her words were meaningless. She claimed that she lived here for hundreds of years, if there’s anyone alive by this point she would’ve known. But faith works mysteriously, maybe there is some truth in her words.

“What’s a Raedavenian?”

“Name of denizens of the country of Raedav.”

“Never heard of it.”

“Where are you from?”

“Somewhere in Indigium Region.”

“No wonder why you’re not so familiar with them. You live on the other continent.”

Alastor couldn’t understand her. He perceives too little information out from her words.

“I live in the continent of Cartoon.” She clarified.

“Oh,” Alastor sounds astounded, “I heard the continent but not the country itself. Sorry, geography and history are not part of my forte.”

“That’s fine.” She smiled enigmatically. “How are the things going back there? The last time when I was in that world, everything is gone ablaze.”

“War of Blights.”

Noora nodded. “You in the Atmas region are the center of attention back then. The government and the royalties of that continent influence mostly the nations of other continents and incited wars.”

“Apparently, people from my continent are a bunch of assholes.”

“Especially the Hayan Empire.”

“That and the others.”

“What do you mean?”

“You know what groups I’m referring to. The hunters and the self-righteous Alexandria country.”

Alastor was watchful and silent. He saw resentment reflected in her eyes, but tired and dim as if she lost all hopes she got.

“I guess they took something away from you.”

“Something? No, they took away from it. My family, friends, and the kingdom I served.”

“You know, I lost my family too. I never met my mother and lost my memory of my father. Then, I ended up becoming a mercenary.”

“So you kill people for money?”

Alastor nodded. “I do.”

“You and I are not so different after all.”

“Are you mercenary too?”

“You can say that. I’m a sorceress for hire. It was during the war of blights I was hired. They gave me the rank of a captain and assigned me to train mages and soldiers. And naturally, when I successfully won in the plain of monsters, I was awarded and given the rank as a higher mage. But, the fall of our kingdom was reassured by the spies from other nations. Eventually, I confronted the traitor,” she pause, her thoughts choosing the right words, “the traitor had prepared himself, gaining an advantage by barrel bombs and chemicals. Just like that, he slaughtered most of my men. By the time I got to his room, he already conjured a spell. A wide one.”

“Then that means,”

“That spell brought us here and some part of our kingdom’s towns.”

“You said ‘the spell brought us here? Does that mean that he was teleported here too?”

Noora nodded and replied, “Yes. Unfortunately for him, the spell is unstable at that time. My guess is that he must have mispronounced his spell due to the rampant.”

“Or maybe the spell is not complete yet.” Alastor continued, “How many did he take with him?”

“Hundreds, maybe it even reached a thousand.”

Alastor looked around, the silence and the loneliness had embarked on his mind, “What happened to them after?”

“They didn’t last long enough.” She said coldly, “The aftermath was even worse than the situation when we were in the kingdom. The spell he did already sealed our destiny. We tried to subdue the traitor but he escape. The remaining mages left behind had put their head together and tried to solve a way out of this limbo, but to no avail.”

“The people?”

“With the death of our king, the people of our kingdom divided and built their own community. Each town was striving, but peace would break out eventually. Our sources are limited while the population prevails most, the scarcity had forced the people to resort to violence. They waged war once on another. They plunged their blades and loot everything they have. But all of this chaos was orchestrated by one man.”

“The traitor of your kingdom.”

“Yes. It turns out that he needed their souls as a sacrifice to free himself back to the real world.”

“If that’s the case, what stops him?”

“Our mages have known some prayers, the souls of those people was freed to the afterlife, but… our faith is not strong enough to free all of them. It is easy to kill and chain them rather than to pray and free their souls to the light.” She continued. “I want to show you something later, but first, we must finish our breakfast.”

They continued eating silently.

The sorceress brought Alastor to the balcony.

Alastor approached Noora, silently. He continued watching. Despite the times, the woman in front of her has the body of a 20-year-old. Regardless of her original age, Noora has retained her grace, her movements are the ones who are born in royalties, flawless and smooth.

Her silky robe slid on her shoulder revealing her misty skin. Her hair was midnight-black and it gently flower on her shoulder. She has the lips of Hyacinth, it smells sweet and very close to lilac floral fragrance.

“What was the reason you came here?”

Her vocal voice woke him up from his daydream.

“I was hoping that someone can give me answers on how to get back on my world.”

“I know.”

Alastor’s face brightened. “Would you please—” He stopped in his mid-sentence. “Surely you’re jesting.”

Noora giggled. “Yes and no.”

He tried to be nice, but his patience are becoming thinner. Alastor was never the man who let time stand idly. When he sees an opportunity, he seizes it.

“Noora,” He spoke firmly, “Enough with the games.”

“Why the grumpy look? ‘Can’t take a joke?”

“You know very well I am running out of time.”

“We’re always running out of time, but what’s the point of pursuing if not enjoy the moments?” She looked at him sternly, judging, “Maybe we’re not so similar after all.”

“Never was.” He replied and continued, “Why did you take me here?”

“Look down.”

Alastor peered. Something is bleating, Alastor looked down and saw the farm behind her mansion. Goats, cows, pigs, on the other side of the tall fence are different types of vegetables.

Noora continued, “You seem to be troubled when the food was served. Did you actually think I turned into a cannibalistic animal?”

“I was under the impression that you’re some undead witch.”

Noora broke to laugh. “An undead witch?! You, Alastor, have the wildest imagination I have ever known. Is that the reason why you’re making that funny face earlier? And why did you still eat under that impression? Wait, wait, I get it now.”

Alastor was not getting it. Even he doesn’t find it funny anymore. He hung his head to the farm, avoiding her eyes. Alastor can observe the clock tower from the balcony. If he read it right, the time now is 8:30 in the morning.

Noora held back her breathe to stop herself from wheezing in laughter, “You have a strong conviction, but your level-headedness is the reason why you take some things wrong sometimes. Do not overthink Al, or you’ll lag behind.” Noora conjured a white light, extended through the corridor, “Follow this light and it will lead you to your room.”

“What for?”

“You need a bath and of course a decent sleep. Those bags of yours are getting sleazy. Don’t worry about the lunch, just snap your fingers and the foods will be served.”

“Do I smell like shit to you?” he asked.

“Just bearable.”

“Then why do I have to take a bath?”

“Alastor, I’m a woman of eloquence, I do not take hygiene lightly. Now, chop-chop. Go to your room. When the small hand strike at three, and you heard the bell’s tintinnabulation, find a room that has a faint light in the west wing of the manor.”

By the time Alastor turned around, Noora is already gone.