Descendant

Chapter 4: The game has begun

The Grand Witch took Zeal to a big mansion.

"We're here." Chloe said standing in front of the gates. The big gates opened and the two went inside.

As they were walking along the beautifully designed path to the mansion, Zeal couldn't help but notice how luxurious the place was.

"I see the royal family have kept their riches." He said.

"They are the royal family after all. As time changed they adapted. They built their businesses and other things to keep their wealth." Chloe replied.

"I see."

"May I ask you something Prince?"

"What is it witch?" Zeal asked

"What the heck are you even wearing?!" Chloe asked.

"What do you mean?" Zeal asnwered

"What do you mean, what do I mean? That's the most obvious costume I have ever seen. I mean, a long black coat? Seriously?"

Chloe was weirded out with what Zeal was wearing.

"Don't you dare mock my clothes witch. What do you even know about clothing?" Zeal said

"Uhhh.. Like a lot because I'm a girl? Plus, I've already adapted to this generation's new ways. Look.. All I'm saying is wear simpler clothes so you won't be an eye catcher. That way you can blend in."

"Shut up, witch, and just take me to him." Zeal Said

"Ok ok. Geez just relax."

The two approach the big doors of the mansion. Chloe opened it with her magic.

"Follow me"

Chloe said.

The two went upstairs and entered inside a big room where there was a very old man who had lots of tubes sticking into his body.

"I have returned sire. I found him." Chloe said as she faces her master.

"Ahh.. Glad to see you're ok, Chloe." The master said.

Zeal asked the old man.

"Are you really a royal blood?"

"I see you have doubts. Come closer Prince." Said the old man.

Zeal walks towards the old man's bed. When Zeal was beside him, the old man reached out his hand.

"Hold my hand son." The old man reached his hand te Zeal.

Zeal held his hand and saw visions of Datu Vaidas' daughter, who was married to a commoner. He saw the Princess' sons and daughters and their lives leading up to the old man's story.

"I see." Zeal said.

Zeal knew that the old man was infertile and understood why he was the only one left of Datu Vaidas' relatives.

The old man then told him their family's prophecy and the new Queen, who shall soon rise. (Mentioned in the first chapter)

"I want you to stay here when I'm gone. You ruled the two lands hundreds of years ago, so technically all this riches belong to you. The true Datu."

"I have walked as a normal man since I came down from the throne. I have no more interest in riches. All I want is to find out what happened to our great datus and this curse that was placed upon me." Zeal said.

"I see. Chloe told me that you two are quite the same, yet there's a difference in how you two obtained long-lasting life.

My father taught me about the different curses that the elder aswangs can place upon a human." The old man said.

"Do you know anything about my curse?" Zeal asked.

" I apologize Prince. Your case is something I have never heard of before. I too, do not understand why an elder aswang would curse someone with a long life." The old man answered.

"May I butt in sire?" Said Chloe.

" Go ahead Chloe."

"Throughout my lifetime I have studied different magic including the dark ones which belonged to the dark creatures. I read a book once where it had information about the curse of everlasting life, which I immediately tried to learn in the hope to fulfill my duty to protect the royal bloods. But unfortunately, it's way beyond me. However, I saw a page there which contained the elder aswang's magic. It explained how elder aswangs can perform curses which can make a person as a living vessel for when their physical body can no longer sustain their souls. The moment their physical body dies, their souls possess the new vessel and use it as theirs. It is written there that a vessel can live as much as a hundred years." Chloe explained.

"It doesn't make any sense. I killed the elder aswang, who cursed me with my own two hands. I saw him burn." Zeal got more confused.

"You're right. It doesn't make any sense. It should've taken over your body the moment it died." The old man said.

" Maybe there's something more to this. What are those dark creatures planning." Chloe was trying rememberanything that might be of help from the manuscripts that she have read all her life.

"My time will be up soon. Prince, I insist that you stay here while you find out about what happened to the Datus. Chloe will help you with it." Said the old man.

" Man. I'm gonna be stuck with you, huh." Chloe whispered.

"Did you say something witch?" Zeal asked.

"N-no hehe I said welcome to the house!!" Chloe answered.

"You two work together and find the new Queen. She will inherit Datu Vaidas' power. That means she will be as powerful as you, Zeal. She can help you both." The old man said to them.

" Understood." Zeal responded

"I hope we'll become good friends!" Chloe smiles excitedly.

After a while the old man died. They held the funeral at King Vaidas' old Kingdom. While they stood in the rain, Zeal saw Chloe's sadness as the rain hid her tears.

He remembered how Chloe was an orphan and how the royal family took care of her after the Duwendes.

Every other royal blood that she served up to the Old Man, all treated her like part of their family, and now no one is left but her. Zeal Understood Chloe's pain. After all, he watched every one he loved die of old age before his eyes.Understood.

Behind Chloe's cheerful personality, she hides the pain of her past and on the day of the Funeral Zeal saw how she tries her best to hide the pain. She's always been good at it.

"I'm sure they're proud of you, witch. You did your job and protected them for centuries." Zeal was trying to comfort Chloe.

"You know, you could've really comforted me there if it wasn't for the "witch" word."

Chloe said sarcastically while she wipe her tears from her face.

"Let's head back." She said.

The two went back to the mansion and started to plan what they're gonna do when the time comes that the queen shall be born.

"We don't need to worry on where to find the queen. Leave the search to me. Protectors can sense their masters, and when the time comes that a descendant of royal blood is born, I'm sure I will know." It was an ability that Chloe and every protector was given once they were assigned to a royal family.

"Very well. You are to watch her until she's old enough to show signs of Datu Vaidas' powers." Zeal said.

"What are you gonna do then?" asked Chloe.

"Wait." Zeal asnwered.

"Oh my God! You take care ok?! Don't hurt yourself. That's a very serious responsibility!!" Chloe said as she tried to mock Zeal.

"Spare me the sarcasm witch. I will gather information about what happened to the Datus while I'm at it." Zeal said.

The two waited patiently. They have to wait 3 more generations until the new Queen is born.

Zeal spent his time training and hunting down dark creatures to gather as much information from them as possible. Every time he kills the dark creatures, he brings his wrath with him, and so he was feared and known among the new generation of aswangs.

He would rip mananaggal's wings from their backs. Beheading tik tiks the child eaters. Burning sigbins ang taking down giant Kapre's.

Zeal became more powerful throughout the years. He had to, since he plans on going back to the Dark Kingdom, to once again find information. The dark Kingdom, since he last went in, now had many powerful aswangs because it became a place where they could freely terrorize and eat people by living among them and kidnapping them. Mindanao became a food zone for the Aswangs since people started living there without knowing how dangerous it could be.

Meanwhile..

Chloe continued to blend in with normal people. Studying their norms and culture. Zeal never understood why she did this when he knew that they were higher than normal people.

"Why do you exert so much effort studying things about them?" Zeal asked.

"To blend in. I know we're different, but sometimes I just wish we never grew up knowing about dark creatures or everything bad that we already know. Just like these people who live peacefully without a care in the world. I never chose this life. I always wanted to be just normal." Chloe answered.

"They live in peace because of what the great Datus did. If it wasn't for them, this land would still be in chaos. Someday I will end all of it." He said.

" Well, aren't you a dreamer." Chloe answered.

"Enough of this rubbish talk. Tell me something about what you know about Dark Creatures." Zeal asked.

" Not a deep talk person huh? Anyway. I know that the weak ones are scared of you. Do you plan on keeping up with your action star acts? Cause you're going to attract the powerful ones, and the word might go out to their elders, and if they find out where we are, we're freaking DEAD." Chloe answered.

"I thought, you're immortal? Why do you fear death?" Zeal asked

"No no no my dear Prince. I stopped time for my self to prevent myself from aging, but I still can take damage and die from serious ones." Chloe only prevented herself from aging to fulfill her duties to the royal family. She can sill take damage and die from serious injuries.

"Then I guess you're not as grand as you say you are." Zeal laughed.

"Why do I get to be stuck with you." Chloe tapped her head in dissapointment.

Suddenly an earthquake shook the house.

"What was that?!" Zeal was alerted.

"Uhh.. I'm pretty sure that's an earthquake." Chloe said.

"This is not the time for sarcasm witch. Something powerful is outside. I can sense it." Zeal's expression became serious.

"Yeah, I sensed it too. Seems we have a visitor." Chloe said.

The two went down and opened the doors.

When they opened it, an old man was standing outside the mansion. One of his eyes is blinded and has a scar from his blinded eye down to his chin.

When he saw the two, he smiled.

"Well hello there young ones. I suppose I'm not interrupting something?" The dark old man was smiling at the two of them.

"Yeah, you kinda are. Me and my friend here were just talking about some things."Chloe answered.

Chloe turned to look at Zeal.

Zeal was stunned as he looked at the old man. It was the old man who bit him.

"I-impossible. I burned you. You're supposed to be dead, why are you still alive?!" Zeal said.

"Don't think that your pretty little tricks can kill me, boy. Although you did leave a mark and managed to blind my other eye. The only reason you're still breathing is because I still need you." The old man began to laugh maniacally

"You devil. Who exactly are you?!" Zeal asked in anger

As Zeal grinded his teeth in anger. He revealed his sword, ready to attack the old man, but Chloe stretched his hand to stop Zeal.

" Don't. He's way beyond us. Don't do something you'll regret." Chloe always knew when she could win a fight or not, and if she know she can't win she will stand down.

Zeal also knew that the old man standing in front of them was something else. He calmed down and hid his sword.

"I suppose you've fought enough to know when to stand down." The dark old man said.

" What do you want?" Zeal asked.

"Oh, I just wanna see you for myself. I've heard rumors that you were still alive and I'm glad that you really are. The weak ones fear you, you know. I also heard

I hereby announce that the game has begun." The Drak old man said as he again began to laugh.

Zeal again felt enraged and jumped to attack the man. However, Chloe pulled him back using her magic. The old man vanished. Zeal stood there angrily due to the fact that he felt like he couldn't do anything in the presence of the old man.

"Whoever that is, he's extremely dangerous. I have never felt so intimidated before. He also knows about the new Queen, so I assume they'll be after her. We have to move carefully. I will set a barrier in the whole mansion so no one can get in except us." Chloe said.

"Witch. When the queen is almost the right age, you are to stay with her at all times." Zeal said.

"Understood." Chloe asnwered.

3 Generations past and the two became stronger as they trained. The new Queen was about to be born. Zeal and Chloe readied themselves. In their hearts is the raging determination to protect what they have to do with all their lives.

When the Queen was born, Chloe sensed it, so she quickly went to the location of the newly born Queen. She stood at the top of the hospital and she heard the mother of the Queen as she named her, "Guillen"

She said.

Zeal also felt it when he heard the raging thunder roar in the skies. Right there and then he felt hope. He smiled and spoke.

"Finally"

When the Queen was 10 years old, Chloe was there. Many Dark Creatures tried to get their hands into her, but they couldn't as "The Grand witch" was there, they said.

She would slay any dark creatures who would even think of coming close to the Queen's house, and she did it secretly for years until the time came that she needed to stay closer to the Queen.

When the Queen turned 18 and entered her junior year in High School, Chloe started to enter too. She studied their norms and culture so Chloe fitted right in. They quickly became close and became best friends.

When they graduated, Chloe told Guillen to enroll in a school that Datu Vaidas' last living relative built. Although it was owned by a royal blood, it would not keep the dark creatures out. But it would stop them from causing any commotion as it was being protected by Zeal.

Fast forward to when Guillen saw a man who had a huge scar on his neck..

Chloe and Zeal learned and adapted as modernization came, and so they also had to learn how to use a mobile phone so they could contact each other when needed. Chloe sensed an odd presence and as she looked at Guillen, she saw a huge dark shadow trying to hold Guillen down. She tapped her shoulders and put on a temporary protection spell to protect her. She couldn't move on her own because it would surely scare Guillen. They can't reveal who they are until Guillen shows signs that she inherited Datu Vaidas' power due to the reason that if she did not, they can't bring her into the battlefield but still need to protect her.

Chloe texted Zeal.

"Dark creatures are lurking, almost tried to get Guillen."

"On my way."

Zeal replied.

While Guillen and Chloe were walking out of the school, they came across Zeal who was walking towards the school to slay the creatures.

Fast forward to when Guillen fell asleep.

Chloe went out to the mansion to see Zeal.

" Why are you here, witch?" Zeal saked.

"I can't act when I'm with her. You need to do all the killings until we reveal ourselves to her." Chloe answered.

"Very well." Zeal responded.

"And please. Try your best to blend in." Chloe said.

"I know what I need to do witch."

"Ok.. Ok.. Take it easy tough guy. Just saying."

And so Zeal had to pretend as a student to protect the Queen.