Chapter 2
1272 Words
~Wysteria POV~
"I am kidding, booger."
Izak shrugged his shoulders. He rubbed his hand on my hair like I was some younglings.
"You take things too seriously. Marry you sure is..."
My ears went numb upon hearing Izak's words as they collided with the last Gong. His head snapped up towards the center of town and with gritted teeth, Izak swooned me on his shoulder.
"Izak?!"
"Hold on tight, and don't fall down."
I stammered when a strong tang of magic enveloped us both. He sprinted up toward the town and everything blurred.
Magic?
Izak was bestowed with magic. He-He never told me so and why now? Why did he use it now and not earlier?
"...W y s t..."
Izak's breathed in his sprint. His heartbeat pounded in my ears.
"Marry me,"
I am lost for words. I-I don't know how I feel but his confession made me feel something strange. Like a needle poking my heart.
"I...I z a..."
The scenery changed. It grew brighter by the second and sounds fills the air.
Izak stopped abruptly. Our body was lowered and from the marble floor greeting my sight, I knew where we are.
"Your Eminence, I had brought in a candidate to be bestowed."
Izak's voice sent my bones to shiver. It was mature and manly. His physique suddenly changed and I felt the solid muscles holding me down.
God, he is going to hear my heartbeat.
"Let me down," I whispered and Izak flinched. Somehow forgetting I was on his shoulder.
When he laid me down, I caught my breath and felt eyes gawking at me.
I was wrong.
They were gawking at Izak who was nowhere near the cherry-petite boy in his youth. The pair of glasses which used to make him look nerdy was not around anymore.
"..."
I almost blurted something out. Izak gave me a smile in his kneeling position that sent my stomach squeezing.
"Young Izak. It is pleasure to see you again." The male voice took Izak's greeting. From the foreign tone, I took it to be an outsider.
A foreigner.
I scampered in my messy attire. Kneeling and giving the eminence my respects as I felt his gaze sauntering on me.
"A candidate?"
My heartbeat hammered against my chest as I slowly nod to the eminence words. The edge of his robe brushed against the floor as he crept closer.
My soul was tingling with incoherent feelings.
"You are not in my count though. The count that was registered tonight was all completed." My heart plummeted at the statement.
A low snicker from within the crowd made me snap my head down.
Ser Leen and her cronies were holding back their laughter. Hands covering their mouth with hitching shoulders.
"..."
Selena's smirk grew wider at my irk.
"I would love to bestow upon you but..."
Izak's and my head snapped up at the Priest in his robe. The glittering jewels blocked his words from reaching my ears. It was as if I had seen them before.
A sun and moon jewel dangling on the forehead.
A beautiful person. Could probably be called the Saintess but... but there was something dark about her. The sneer and her very presence boiled me with hatred.
"What? But Your Eminence." Izak's voice brought me back.
He stood up but he was halted by a line of guards guarding the Priest. I blinked hard and pushed the dangling sound to the back of my mind.
"There is nothing I could do. I am out of magic and she is..." The priest's eyes flashed with mixed emotions when his gaze met mine.
"Not an important figure. She is just a nobody." A female voice broke Izak's part. She climbed up the stairs and bowed gracefully at the priest.
"Captain Frey,"
"Young Izak. His Eminence had a long day already as he had been blessing other candidates today. Your chance will come again, maybe next year." The lady said in a stern voice towards Izak.
"Captain Frey," Izak was about to refute back when a single person's hand claps resounded from the crowds.
The arguments came to a halt. Captain Frey swiftly turned to face the crowd. Leaving after images of her hair behind.
"Who dares insult a messenger of God? Show yourself insolent one." She snarled and glared down.
The claps become louder and louder. The crowds parted like the sea and soon a single person was seen to be clapping his hand.
"Priest Alchester,"
The doer said from the parting crowd. He walked down the path in such confidence that I forgot how to breathe.
Clad in a dark brown cloak from top to bottom, no one could make out his silhouette except a pair of sparks inside.
"Who are you?!" Captain Freya stepped down and gestured for the guards to seize the man.
A guard stepped in between the man and the path. When the guard caught a view of what was beneath the robe, his knees gave out.
"What?! Seize the man! Everyone move."
Each one of the guards that faced the man fall down. Their knees trembled and they put down their swords on the ground.
Who is that?
The crowd's murmurs echoed along with mine. His silent steps clicked on the stairs stirring Priest Alchester and Captain Frey.
Finally, he reached my side, and when the sunny sun eyes beneath the dark robe glistened. I choked on my breath.
My vision doubled. My head throbbed and I clutched the clothes on my lap tightly.
"High Paladin Karu," Izak broked the air.
He kneeled once again. Captain Frey and Priest Alchester gasped and pursue the action. They held their heads low and the crowds did the same.
"Not too shabby young man. You are pretty smart if you recognize an old geezer like me." The man jokingly said and patted Izak's shoulder.
Who? What?
The pain made me unable to think straight. Everything was swaying around me.
"Your name, young one." He said and again, something rippled inside of me. My hands sweat like crazy and my body felt extremely cold.
H e l p... m e.
It was what I wanted to say. But why? Why help me?
A smile rose at the corner of his lips when I remained silent. A hand was put out for me and instinctively, I put my hand in his.
His warm thumb ran circles at the back of my hand. A strange sensation washed over me while pushing back the throbbing pain.
"Let's get you to the center," He pulls me gently.
"You can relax now," The moment he let go of my hand, my lung drew in a lung full of air greedily. The air was warm and the tang of magic was strong here.
"Your name?"
He asked while pulling down the cloak covering his head. Deep long brown hair that was tied to a low ponytail and tanned skin was a sight to behold.
"Your n-"
"Wysteria Clock," I said in haste.
His eyes seemed to smile at me. His arms were spread apart while his lips chanted the magic words. It was so ancient that I couldn't grasp a single one of it.
Except...
"Goddess blessed you and your return. Bring the land to prosper and bring justice to the rightful ones."
His tone was sad. Too sad.
"May this life of yours be blessed with happiness always. And may you always be surrounded by those who hold you dear."
Sparks like fireflies floated in the air. The warm air became warmer as tingles of magic caressed my skin.
"Welcome home..."
- Writer
