-A stand-alone chapter I did few months back. Been in the shadows for 3 years...this story is hard to understand due to its relation with my 3-years-old story arc (Which is still in my computer). Forgive me for all the vocabulary blemishes, but this story has been incorporated with the Blaze Union story...Kindly leave comments to it. *Warning, philosophical contents up ahead*
Wing And A Prayer
"This is the place…" Her face looked at the stone structure that lies in front of her. A Meriant church. Rodrick and Alyssa are entertaining themselves with their pet cat, simply nicknamed 'Furry' by their father, Rodney. A white and orange stripped cat, she playfully circles around Rodrick which is baiting her with a thread. "Me too, me too!" Ron just smiles at their antics. "Ah kids…how I wish to remember more of my childhood era…" He turns his attention to his wife. To his shock, she is crying in silence. "Dear…hush darling…" Ron hugged her tight. The children looked at them rather confusingly. "What's wrong with mama, papa?" Alyssa tugged his shirt. "It's nothing, Lyssa…mama is alright…"
"….mama is alright….."
"Damn these Meriants! The rumor spreads like wildfire!" He murmured in dismay. "Are you okay, Luciana? I'm sorry for the crash, these mad cult…I never know that it arrived on Bronquia's soil faster than what I thought it to be." He checked at Luciana's condition. Aegina just kept a close eye at her twin's broken leg. "Please, hold on, okay? Just one more night and we will arrive at the capital," The rattling of the couch came to an abrupt end. "What's wrong?" He shouted at the driver. "Looks like there's a commotion down the town mate!" "Must be one of the wolf packs on the loose again, continue the journey again!" "As you wish, sir!"
The couch stopped at the town's center; on their left the town's church and in front, past the plaza is the inn. "Halt there!" "What is it cap'n?" "What are you doing here? Who are you carrying with?" "Oh, just some travelers bound for Flarewerk, needin' rest and stay for a night!" "Oh, I'm sorry but we're rather busy now…see, there's an extremely dangerous and wanted rebel group heading this way," "Was it bandits, cap'n?" "Naw, just some peasants uprising against the Emperor or so they say," "Why?" "Uhhh I dunno, they've done quite a good job scaring those thugs in this countryside…anyhow, better take no chance," "Thank you!"
"So…the tell-tale story is true after all. Come you twins, keep our identity low, wear this cloak, here," "Umm…mate, how would you spend the night?" "I have a relative here sir, perhaps I'll stay a night at his home tonight; just make sure you guys wake up early tomorrow!" "Oh thank you, here's your forward money…" "You welcome,"
"Doug, are you sure it will be alright?" "It's okay, Luciana…they're no bandits and we have no business with them. Just stick with me, promise?" "Yes…ahhh….Gina, help me carry my stuffs, okay?" "Uh-huh," The trios entered the inn inconspicuously. It is a finely decorated inn, surprisingly with little patrons. "Oh, finally some travelers!" The innkeeper greeted. "Ah yes, yes…do you have some room for the night?" "Of course we have! Just say the quantity! Oh, the fee including breakfast!" "Good! Give me two rooms please!" "Hundred twenty Imperia!" While waiting for Doug, Aegina fidgeted herself with the peculiar portraits that decorated the place. "Oh young lass, that's a Daguerreotype!" A middle aged woman smiled at her. "Doggierotykes?" Luciana replied. "Da-guer-reo-type, darling…still photo that 'saves' real-life panorama…my husband is an inventor too, see?" "Oh…"
"It was around this time when the mob comes. After we retreated to our beds, a mob appeared at the town's plaza," She continues her story. "At first I thought it was a partisan group formed to fight the incoming rebels, but I was wrong, it was a lynch mob-to lynch us," She presses her tone at the end of the sentence. "I can still remember that moment clearly…" She clenches her fist tightly.
"Can't we settle down this peacefully?" "We're tracking evil twins that is reported to stop here, is that so?" "Errr…I don't remember seeing those, elder…perhaps you should focus on…" "You're lying! That gesture gives you out! Don't tell me that you've been poisoned by the evil twin's magic?" " I….I…" "Search this place, don't let them escape!" "Hey…hey, this is my place, okay?" "What do private property of you stands before the well-being of a society? That evil luck the twins bring will destroy us!"
"Papa, mama!" Alyssa comes running at them. "What is it dear…." He turned his head to console her. He was shocked with what he saw. "What do you want from me! No!" Aegina suddenly becomes all defensive, covering both Alyssa and Roderick at her side. In front of them, a small mob, lead by an old man around sixty draped in grey tattered, yet clean cloak. "It's….it's him…Ron…please…don't…" She whispers at his ear. Regardless of her advice, he walks a closer to the mob. Only he separates them from his family.
A confrontation ensues.
"You must be Rodney, Ex-Strategist of the Royal Army and a Timeknight descendant…" The old man said. "Yes, 8 years ago…and for what business that brings you, wise man to my family? We're just having a brisk around the town," "Don't you know lad…that the one behind you is the agent of the devil?" "I honestly rejected that baseless accusation, oh old wizened man!" "Can't you see? She brings death and misery to everyone and everywhere she went. Pandemonium struck to the society that contains her, the earth below cried as famine that tagged her drew life out to the void!" "And is she the reason for you to bring such a…my, my, big mob over there,"
"Ron…don't listen to his lies! You! I won't let you take what's precious from my life!" Aegina yells from behind. "Look! The devil herself speaks! Please, good sir, we don't have any quarrels with you, just with that hag over there!" A young man rises from the group, holding with him a rake. "To disavow my loving wife? And let her being staked? In front of our children? What sick moldy idea has the Meriant authority has put into you?" Ron tried to control his anger. His statement sends an uneasy tone to the group. "Ex-General or not, we're not afraid of you!" "And from which branch of Meriant do you obtained this sick rumor? She's been haunted by this for the rest of her life!"
"….hush Peter…Rodney, I've received the orders from a Paltinan Meriant brother! He spoke of the King Ordene ill-fate of being cursed with twins…the bringer of bad luck!" The old man replied. "If so, from where in the scriptures of yours that says twins are the harbingers of destruction? Surely you've been played by the Ordene's court magister for three decades! It is nonsense!" "Grrr….looks like he won't budge in! And how dare you defile the Meriant holy teachings! You've been consumed by the succubus! And you…."
"What? You've said my wife as a demon? She's a princess of Paltinan Royalty! And for your information, do I defile the Meriant Doctrine? True devout seeks in this world knowledge that confirms to what being said in the Revelation….rather than following blindly the whims of power-craving people in white robes!" His brave counter-statement sends an outcry in the opposite group. "This is injustice! You're trying to rip the life of an innocent without proper judgment! Is this justice? This is bullcrap!"
"What a pathetic end to a man that once controlled an army! We will lynch you up too for your evil intentions!" They're coming closer at him. "Please, my old man, I'm sorry, but please rethink the words you've heard years ago about Aegina and Luciana. I've been living with my dear Gina for 8 years, 13 years since acquainted and I never encounter any of the 'bad luck' people of the past related to twins!" "I'm sorry lad, but your wife is the source of evil and she must be purged!" "Evil? For us men, from where do evil come? And do you ever rethink of your 'rightful' stance?"
"What are you trying to say, Rodney? That's a basic Meriant teaching! Evil comes from the devil and good from the creator himself!" "True, but what I'm saying is men, us. Your dualistic argument clearly contradicts your Meriant Codes. Men are full with flaws, and you're trying to say that you're the source of good while she's evil. Can you really trust it hundred percent?" "Don't try to be a sophist, Rodney!" "Good or bad are the consequences of man's judgment upon a dilemma! There's no fixed 'good' or 'bad' that is set on a pole that plays thug-o-war! It all comes from your judgment and from that department the devil whispers to you!"
The group stops abruptly upon hearing his explanation. "We're ordered to seek knowledge so we can see the truth of this world, not to blame each other with our blind self-righteous bravado!" They lowered their weapons. "You're….you're right…." "Seek knowledge so thou will not be an ignorant that is gullible to the whims of desire and evil itself! See? Can't you people see how dangerous and sinful your act just now? You're haunting a life of an innocent for her lifetime for god's sake!" He breaks into tears. Succumbing to the ground, he weeps. "You'll never know how harsh the life she endures, thanks to the efforts done by the likes of you all. People as majority always have good intention at heart but….my god, how…how ironic…It can be when we're….ignorant,"
"So….what is spoken about you is true after all…." The old man responded in shame. "Personal devotion to god is undebateable, as it refers to question of faith. But living as in a society? Truly you need knowledge and wisdom to steer in everyday's life problems!" "We're sorry…and….Princess Aegina, how could we….redeem our shame?" "Just go away from my life and Luciana's!" "My god….they do learn…they do learn…" The group disperses as quickly as it come.
"Papa, are you okay?"
"Gina, please forgive me for what happened today…I didn't mean to dig up on it…" "It's alright dear…" They're resting on the bed, with both the children sleeping soundly besides them, fetal position. Aegina fiddles with her hair casually. "You see Gina, my intention is not to hurt you…I just want to make the kids understand…." She looked at him rather confused. "My…I never know you can be that deep…" "Also I want you to know Gina….that one doesn't have to forget their history completely, but to take insight from it, to be an understanding parent, because I know…." Ron extends his arms around her. "…..how harsh your life is….dear," She turns her head and gives him a smooch on his cheek, and blowing softly into his right ear. "Ahhh…how can a single person changes my life…hhmm? I'd think it is me who should thank you, Ron…right?" "Ehhheheheh….Gina…how people changes…"
"Dearie…I won't let any of our children to endure what I've experienced…no one wanted to have such a life, but it's not a reason to give up on what life I've been blessed with…even though with its shortcomings…I feel myself cherished, needed, important…by you, Ron. And I promise I will give my best in shaping the future…" "You're just like your mother the Queen, Gina…" "Perhaps…do you share the dream too, Ron?"
"I will always be Gina….and for your information, it's 'We', rather than 'I'," The two just laughed. "We will always be, Ron,"
Few weeks later, in Lent.
Rodney is minding his business in his room. Heaps of paperworks stacked nicely with a penguin-shaped paper weight on top of it. "Just a few weeks of holiday and it already accumulated this much…I should drop this position and give it to others and focus more on my family and research…" Muses him. Suddenly, somebody knocks the door. "Come in!" A tall, young man, dressed in Paltina military uniform approaches him. "Ah? Been some time since I've seen that! Come, take a seat!" Tempts Rodney. "Ah, sir Rodney…sorry for the suddenness, but I've heard reports of a mob trying to lynch you off back then in the capitulated sovereign of Bronquia," Dropping his quilt, Ron looks at the officer and stooped his fingers, all while reclining his back on his chair. "Yes, that's true…though I've settled it already," "Uhh, but sir, the problem concerning you and her highness Princess Aegina cannot be taken lightly, in fact Queen Yggdra sent me personally to conduct investigation on this matter…"
"Which also comes from my wife's twin, Luciana, right?" "Y-yeah…and for your information, we've held the main perpetrators in our custody right now…" "Oh? Why with the impulsive action?" "Sir…we don't want people to get killed by some ritualistic hurrahs that have no citing in religion whatsoever…so as precaution maybe we should…set this as an example to the people, perhaps?" "Oh no, no no…"Ron lurches in. "Just educate the citizens, send educators and set up schools in towns, that's the remedy," "How about them?" "Release them back to the comforts of their family, and send engineers to repair the town's defunct waterwheel and damaged dam," "What?" "Are you sure you're sane sir?" "Yes, and if not, I can just fund it myself, thank you!" Rather confused, the officer scratches his head in bewilderment. "Oh, before you go, say to the townsfolk that it was a gift,"
He just smiles. "With personal regards sent from me….and my wife,"
The End.