Chapter 11
1386 Words
CHAPTER 11
Just before the sun sets, Aragorn had returned to the hut. Leo was the one who saw him first. He was leaning on the front door of the hot spring, sipping a hot drink, a ginseng or a tea, Aragorn didn’t know.
Leo wasn’t surprised at all when he saw Aragorn. It looked like he expected to go back at this time. Leo sipped his hot drink before talking.
“I thought that a weak person like you already gave up.”
Weak. What a funny of Aragorn? Everyone thought that he's weak, even himself.
“I won’t give up.” He repeated that affirmation in his mind. Giving up should not be in his vocabulary. If he gave up today, what would the future of Caspian would look like?
“Good to know that. You should rest by now and have dinner. By the way, where did you go earlier?”
“I went to the forest after getting a hard time after the gemstone vendor was killed,” he admitted. Admitting that you’re emotionally weak would also mean that you’re brave to admit and tell other people about it. “I was just shocked.”
“I understand. Rule is rule and no one should dare to fool you if they didn’t want their life to be sacrificed,” Leo said. “You should be careful and should not go alone in the forest. Folks said that some people had seen a phoenix in the forest. I don’t believe it until I see it but please be careful. That creature is dangerous.”
He pictured what happened last night, the night where he and Sphyra met. Some citizens were in the forest when it happened. They might be the one to spread the news. At least they didn’t see him that night when he’s with Sphyra.
Sphyra wasn’t dangerous. It’s just her drive to almost kill him. She thought she was a spy. She thought he was going to kill her. And she only wanted survival and not revenge or creating a big mess in the palace.
“I’ll surely do it. I thought that the phoenix didn’t appear a long time ago?”
Leo looked at the sky, slowly turning black. “We all thought so after the king had killed her. The phoenix created a big fire in the palace and the king who was the prince at that time was the one who faced her. The two had a fight and the king had injured the phoenix fatally. When the phoenix seemed not moving, everyone left her in the forest. There is a possibility that she had survived and was taking her revenge today.”
The phoenix died, but left Sphyra, her child. Sphyra won’t have her revenge. Sphyra wanted survival. Aragorn thought.
“I’ll take care of myself then. I hope you'll do the same to yourself too, Leo.”
They both nodded at each other before entering the hut.
That night, Aragorn had trouble falling asleep, thinking of Burn and Sphyra. They both hoped that they’re fine and citizens won’t do a search on them.
Houses in the residential place in the palace were silent and peaceful. No one would dare to scream and shout under the dark soul of the night. Torches were two meters away from their houses made of easily flammable materials. Everyone was sleeping, snoring, and dreaming.
A man tiptoed towards the house on the leftmost side of the house. He brought flint and steel and his face was covered with cloth. He touched the material that made up the house, easy to burn, easy to put up a large fire.
He took out the flint to his left hand and sat on the ground. He put several charcoals near the edge to the house. The man struck the steel against the flint with all of his power. Fire gleamed through his eyes and laughed like a demon. Taking steps backward, he observed the the fire was slowly eating up the whole village.
Aragorn woke up again, from Hideo’s taps. His four comrades were there, all staring at him, as if he did something wrong
“What happened?” he asked, sleepy. He glanced at the window, saw the sky’s still dark.
“Citizens of Caspian wanted to summon you in their village,” Leo said. “The king and queen were there and the citizens were madly wanting to see you. They didn’t have a choice to call you by their servants. We need to go now.”
“What happened in the village?” he asked, stood up, and wore his blue tunic.
“A fire happened, killed families, and homes were all burnt. They said it was because of the phoenix,” Leo explained. Like Aragorn, the three newbies in the hut heard and understood what Leo said.
“A phoenix? I thought it already died many years ago,” Azrael commented.
“A phoenix is a firebird, right?” Yosef asked.
Hideo gasped, ready to explain things to his younger companions. “A phoenix is a firebird and people believed that the current king had already killed it. But it looked like it didn’t and now it’s taking it revenge.”
“No more talks. The king and queen shouldn’t wait for us for a long time. The three of you, come with us. The phoenix might attack the prince. At least there’s the three of you guarding him.”
They all nodded at Leo. They went down, prepared and mounted their horse. Leo was in front of them, Aragorn in the middle, and the three warriors at the back.
Citizens were crying, flaming and burnt bodies were everywhere. Some houses were still on fire, but soon the flame would stop. Both the king and queen hoped they would successfully kill the fire before sunrise.
“Where’s the prince? What is he doing in times of crisis?” a citizen said madly.
“The crowned prince had arrived,” Leo announced as the five of us had arrived in the village.
Aragorn ran to his parents. “What happened here?”
“The village is on fire while the citizens are sleeping. Many had died and houses were destroyed. What brings you here, son?” Queen Amira said and caressed the hair of her son.
“Something might’ve done this.”
“It is the phoenix!” The survivors all cried in chorus.
An old man stepped forward, gripped on Aragorn’s tunic. “My wife had died from the fire. You are the crowned prince of the palace but you haven’t proven anything. We challenge you to prove to us that you’re worthy of the position.”
“I’ll take whatever that challenge is.”
“Kill and bring the phoenix of Caspian in front of us.”
Sphyra. He can’t kill Sphyra. And he knew Sphyra wasn’t the one who did it. Someone might have caused it but not Sphyra, he thought.
“What if the phoenix was not the one who did it?” he defended Sphyra. What they didn’t know is that he knew the phoenix and he’s sure that she won’t do these kinds of things.
“How can you defend such a creature? You're just afraid to face her. If you can’t face the phoenix, give the position to someone else,” A woman carrying a baby said.
Aragorn didn’t answer. He needed to think of solutions that wouldn’t harm Sphyra, that wouldn’t harm anyone he knew. Steps that would satisfy the citizens and him. “I, the crowned prince of Caspian, accepts the challenge. I would kill and bring the phoenix or anyone who caused the fire. I certainly believe it was not the phoenix but expect the answers from me. I promise you.”
- Writer
