Death-Bound

Wrath

Chapter Eight

He who ruled with wrath would die by wrath. My father told me those words. And up to this date I still have them in my heart. My father told me that I am wise. Wise in the sense that I do not want others to suffer in my own cause. And wise in tactics that I can beat him in war games when I was still at the age of eight. I am observant that is why I always see through many traps, and easily destroy them. After five miles of tracking my prey, I came across almost fifty booby-traps most of them lethal to any normal human being. 

And not for along I saw the end of the tunnel. An underground river, came into my view. The horses had been left not tied. They were in a hurry. Boats were mounted near the river bank but I know it is just to confuse those who are trucking then. I was sure to myself that there is a hidden passage somewhere…blood…I smelled blood near a bush. A girl was laying there dying. I saw her bell—a death-bound?!

“Help me…” she said. Blood, it was every inch of her body. I knelt on her side. “Father said I would be able to slow you down.” She smiled and pulled out her dagger to stab me. However, I expected her to do so. It wasn’t her blood. Human blood never smelled like any other beast. Before she could stab me, I pushed her. She flew into mid-air because of its impact, but she easily regained her balance and landed on her feet. Her hair was cut short. And a mask hid her identity but I know she is the Duke’s child—a princess of the Land of Olives. “I am Anger, and I will kill you.” I wanted to kill her, but killing an heir of this land would leave it barren and a waste. The best option  I had was to paralyze her.

 Like a child that she is, she is impulsive and impatient. She was the first to attack, not knowing what counter will I have. I tripped her stealing away her balance, and before she landed I pushed all the pressure points that would make her locomotion weak. Her landing even worsens her state. I made sure that her pain sensory be at its highest working capacity. If the paralysis won’t stop her, the pain of her every movement would.

She twisted and turned slowly, even to shout in agony would worsen the pain. She started sobbing. “Anger, so true to your nature, do not move. Concentrate on breathing slowly. The pain will lessen but it will not depart you. Any movement would make your body suffer more. Trust me that by the end of this day you will have your freedom, but you will bury your father before the sun will fall. I will come back for you, Princess.” I took her mask off. She was but a child. A budding beauty of a ruined soul. I know she will have to face the future with strength for the path ahead for his family will be brutal. “And I will make sure you are a death-bound no more.” She looked at me with no anger at all, as if she’s thankful. She no longer have to burden herself of wearing he mask anymore.

I went on, surely two more death-bounds are going to attempt on killing me. But no matter what the urge will I have on killing them I better control it. They are the future ruler of this land after all. Besides, my master wants the duke to free his slaves, who will be freed if all of them are dead?

I sighed when I saw the secret passage, I could sense that someone is waiting for me at the end of it—someone stronger…Solom…I gripped my blade, I better make use of it. That afternoon we spent together, he knows who I am. But he doesn’t know how I fight. When I reached the end, I saw him placing an unconscious girl near a rock. He wasn’t wearing his mask. “My sisters, don’t need to suffer from the madness of our father. I know Agatha had died in your hands, I wouldn’t want her to suffer the same fate.” He said, he then wore his mask. “I am Rage, and I am here to kill you, Death.”

“You can try...” I said positioning in a defensive stance. He attacked but I quickly dodge it! However he did manage to cut on my right arm, too shallow to immobilize me. our little bout was taking too slow. He run out of patience—the same thing his sister did. He attacked me without thinking of the consequence of it. I had to use my blade to disarm him. I dug it on his lower right clavicle near the shoulder and made sure that it passed through on the other side. I then pressed the pressure points for his immobilization and of course, I had to stop the bleeding. I had to numb him but if I do so he might overpower paralysis. He was breathing hard and was in pain, as I took my blade from where I held it. He tried to struggle to get free.“Do not move, it’ll feel much worse.” I said n a serious tone, I took some of the medicine Rave gave me. “this won’t make the pain less, but it’ll help with the bleeding.” I was trying to give it to him but he was resisting. I took my mask off. I had no choice. I placed the pill into the wounds itself. He shouted, full of rage, frustration and pain. I had to shut him up so, by my mouth, I gave him a pill and I made sure that he took it. “you are a stubborn Prince you know that?” He was still struggling. “Agatha is safe, in pain, but safe.” I reassured him, that was when his struggling stopped. “my master’s order was to make the Duke to free his slave before executing him.” I sighed, “I will free you, Solom.” I stood and once again placed my mask on.

“w-wait. I haven’t had your name.” he said weakly.

“They call me Jem.”

“Nice name, I will do my best to convince the Emperor to have you as my wife.” I know that by just saying those words would be painful, that was why he went out of consciousness after saying them. I smiled, who would have thought that someone else would ask for my hand in marriage. What will be his reactions about this? I a teasing thought came to me. But then, he will forget… Will he? A sharp stabbing pain came again. And all of the sudden I felt like crying.