The Last Celestial

A Flower Blooms

Back in the Fortress of Taurus, luscious grass and tall trees covered the fields. The area became a sanctuary for people and animals alike. Mindoro is known for its vast marine life and beautiful beaches and islands. Not only that, it is known for its indigenous people as well. The few known caretakers of the endangered species... the Tamaraw.

A few of Haris' descendants that were sent to the island of Mindoro never left and their numbers grew. Some of them married the locals from the island, while a few decided to find someone outside the island then came back from time to time.

Landon Haris, was one of the few who married a local. A beautiful woman named Hyacinth. Just like the flower, the woman was beautiful and charming. She had black long wavy hair that reached down to her back. Soft round face and almond shaped eyes. Her pinkish lips smile beautifully, and when she does her eyes shine with happiness as well. She had fair skin, but was relatively short. Landon was a foot higher than his wife.

They were happy with their relationship. And then a blessing came.

Hyacinth announced her pregnancy after Landon came home from his shifting schedule at the fortress. The young man jumped in happiness and lifted his wife up in the air then hugged her tight.

The young man loved his wife dearly, but more so when he learned about her pregnancy.

There was a time when he strongly believed that nothing could shake his loyalty and faithfulness to the Celestial beings. He was born to serve. Trained to serve. He was ranked as the best defender and fighter among all Keeper's assigned to that fortress. He was second in command to Kriyanne. A woman of Tenacity. She's the head of defense inside the fortress. The Elder was assigned to protect the vessel of Taurus.

One day, he saw his wife Hyacinth cooking dinner using her favorite iron cast pan. All smiles on her face as she rubs her round tummy in circles. It was one of those precious times... yet fear consumed his mind. A time will come when the child his wife is carrying will be subjected to the rules he will follow.

He was taken away from his parents at the age of fourteen. Trained and was schooled of everything that he needs to know about the Celestial beings and the association. He was forced to fight. And was forced to win for he had a strong will to live. But being a Keeper is not part of his dream. He was simply... born into it.

Once his son or daughter is born... more or less, they will be bound to the Association due to a strong bond between the Celestial and the blood that's flowing in their veins.

He slowly lost his appetite, and the smile on his face turned upside down. Was this truly a blessing? Or a nightmare of him relieving his fears through his child. His wife will go into labor soon. It will take a few weeks, or much less than that.

Hyacinth noticed the sadness in her husband's eyes while they dined.  She reached out to him and touched his hand, placing her small hands against his. "What is wrong, my love?"

Landon smiled, a sincere one. "Don't worry about me, love. I'm fine."

In heart, she knew that her husband was worried about something. She knows him long enough to know the tell-tell signs if he's lying or not. And this is one of those times, given that her sense of emotions became a little more sensitive now that she's pregnant. Even though she wants to know more, but she decided to give it a rest until Landon is comfortable enough.

It was a fairly happy life. Everyday, Landon would go home and hold him tight in her arms. Hyacinth was happy.

And then... the day that Landon feared the most came. How ironic it is that his duty knocks on his life as soon as his child is about to be born.

News of a terrifying creature near the Island of Mindoro reached the Keepers. A lone fisherman rushed to the fortress and was shaking---almost couldn't coherently explain what he saw due to complete and utter shock.

The men were quietly catching fish using nets at the Mindoro Straight---a vast ocean full of different species of corals and fish. A beast came out of the sea while he and his fellow men were fishing. The boat they were sitting on started to sway. Soon bigger waves began crashing and thrashing against them.

The waves became more and more erratic. The hair on their bodies stood when they saw a black and red head of a creature slowly emerge from the ocean. A beast came out of the sea. A terrifying beast that was eating and swallowing a sixteen foot long whale shark whole. There were starfishes and other marine life stuck to its body.

And as the creature approached them, the fishermen made a terrible mistake. They jumped off the boat and were made into an easy prey.

Julio, the lone survivor of the attack, was the only one to make it out alive.

"It was absolutely terrifying." The shaking man explained as he was covered in a thick wool made from woven pineapple covered him. "I---it just came out of nowhere and ate my friends. It almost destroyed my boat. But I managed to escape."

His blue lips were trembling as he explained. Mercedes, a soldier in the fortress of Taurus, handed him a hot cup of cocoa. While Kriyanne, Landon and Darlene looked at the man, examining his features and listening to his testimony.

They've heard this from the news as well. Creatures of tar, coal and blood attacked a small town in Lithuania. The Undying man is surely after the relics. But they did not anticipate that the creatures would spread out so fast.

They're lucky it's just a single creature who managed to get into their area of Territory. Kriyanne stood up and thanked the fisherman. "Mercedes, escort this man home and make sure his family is protected." She commanded firmly.

Mercedes bowed her head and placed her right hand on top of the left part of her chest. "Right away, Elder Kriyanne."

The three officials watched as one of the soldiers assisted the fisherman out of the fortress.

"What do we do?" Darlene asked, worried expression was evident on her face. "The beast is here... and the great Elder hasn't given us any follow up commands."

Kriyanne pursed her lips together then momentarily closed her eyes. "Then we will do what we were trained to do." She said, eyes opening and her eyes sparked, almost blazing. "We fight for the safety of the people on this island, and we lay our lives to protect the relic."

That afternoon, all of the Keepers prepared themselves for the battle... except for one.

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Landon managed to escape from the fortress through the tunnels from underneath the surface. He climbed out from the manhole and hurried to find his way home. He has decided, and thought about this many times.

Ever since he met the love of his life and she had given him a child... he can no longer live his life as a Keeper. He wanted to be normal.

He rushed to his house, and knocked on the door like a madman. "Hyacinth!" He screamed so loud that veins protruded from his neck. "It's me, open the door now! Hurry!"

He heard slow and heavy footsteps against the door. The door slammed open and he saw his wife heaving short uneasy breaths, her hands supporting her underbelly. Her narrow eyes widened and her face was flushed pink. She was catching her breath, and her body was shaking. "Landon..."

Landon looked down and saw that blood was trailing down on Hyacinth's legs. Her dress also had smudges of blood. "Oh no..."

Hyacinth swallowed against the dryness of her throat. Her head is spinning and she feels like her knees are about to give in. "The baby... the baby is coming out."

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Cursing and questioning everything he knows and everything he is, Landon carried his wife in his arms as he rushed towards the only sanctuary he knows... the fortress. Citizens of the island were screaming and running. The children were carried by their parents as they scram to the single boat to take them out of the island.

The creature of death is terrorizing and devouring people by the hundreds. Some are pushing each other off intentionally to the monster so that their family members can escape. It was complete chaos. And everyone and everything is in disarray.

Landon did not mind the people and hurried towards the fortress. His wife needs him more than these strangers, he thought. He feels like his lungs are about to explode. And it feels like his legs will give in and drop to the ground anytime soon. A few more meters and he's close enough to the forest where the fortress is hidden behind trees as tall as skyscrapers.

"Landon..." Hyacinth's soft voice calls unto him. Her grip was slowly loosening, and her lips were losing their color.

She's losing too much blood, if this continues, Landon would both lose his child and his wife.

"Bear with me." He said through heaving breaths. "Don't give up. Hold it in... we're close."

He kept on running and running until he reached the meadow that separates the forest from the fortress. It was a vast land covered with long grass, sugarcane and bamboo. It was home to a few indigenous people. Knowing that there's no time, Landon knew that he had to do something to save his wife and his child.

"Love, you have to give birth here."

Through the little and remaining strength, Hyacinth opened her eyes and tears fell from her eyes. "Here?" She asked, her lips trembling. She lets out soft sobs and whimpers. And he released her already loose hold on her husband's shoulder. "But... but our baby..."

Landon did not reply, instead he removed his sweat drenched shirt and laid it on the grass. Hyacinth laid there and began to push. Pushing and pushing until Landon can feel the baby's head is close.

"You can do it, love." He said. "Just a few more. You can do it!"

Hyacinth gave three more strong pushes, and soon the baby came out. A baby boy. A small and premature baby boy. Happiness fizzled out of their souls and felt complete and utter joy in their hearts. The boy was small, yet healthy and his cry was loud.

His small feet continue to kick in the air, and he moves his head from side to side... as if looking for his mother to suckle.

"He's beautiful..." Hyacinth whispered, her half lidded eyes stared at the beautiful baby. Blood was still sticking on his body and slowly, Landon cut the umbilical cord with a pocket knife. He wrapped the small boy in a small blanket, and handed him over to his wife. Hyacinth noticed from her peripheral vision that they were not alone.

A Tamaraw was standing just a few feet away from them.

Landon's eyes widened and his instinct told him to fight the animal and protect his wife. Tamaraws are known to be overprotective creatures and are known to be territorial. Right now, they're in the animal's territory and they might be in complete danger. He was about to run and stab the animal with a knife, but Hyacinth stopped him.

"No..." She said, voice trembling and it's obvious how tired she is. "...they are gentle creatures... don't hurt her."

Landon was confused. "But... What if that thing attacks us?! Tamaraws are known as creatures of the night! They don't usually go out during the day! What if this animal is an abnormal one?!"

Hyacinth smiled and shook her head. "It won't, and it's not." She said while turning her head to the Tamaraw. She wraps her right hand around her son, then lifts her left hand as if calling for the animal to come closer. "Trust me..."

The animal tentatively moved closer to the couple, swaying its magnificent horns side to side as it gently struts to their direction. Landon was frozen in place, and his hand was still tightly holding onto the pocket knife. The Tamaraw stopped when it was three feet away from the small family. It breathed in and out before getting another step closer.

It stopped only when its tongue reached Hyacinth's hand, giving it a tentative lick.

The woman smiled and chuckled. She once was a caretaker of these creatures before. And maybe this one remembers her. The frightening moment she felt was now gone and was replaced with complete and utter bliss.

Her son in her arms and the love of her life is beside her. She thought this was the best moment of her life... until it was not.