CHAPTER FOURTEEN
1625 Words
Chapter Fourteen
It was already morning and everyone is preparing for their departure. Mathew was already riding his horse while she glance at Celine who was about to ride her horse as well.
“Your majesty,” Lucas called.
“Yes?” Mathew answered.
“In three hours we will arrive at the nearest village and another five hours to arrive at the capital,” Lucas uttered.
“Yes,” Mathew responded, “Then let’s be on our way.”
After giving an announcement to everyone, they already went on their way. During their travel, the road was a little bumpy and muddy because of the rain last night making it hard for the horses to fasten their pace.
The sun showed up making the weather hot.
Next month will be the season of autumn and will be the second month before the world ends as Mathew heard the gallops of the horses behind him as they pass through the open green fields and wheat fields along the way, Celine who was behind him all the time gazes at her surroundings. She then laid her eyes on the vast sunflower field on her right.
Suddenly, the sky became grey and raindrops began to pour down on them. Their horses run at a faster pace as the rain slowly starting to get heavy.
“There is a forest nearby!” She heard Mathew announced.
Her hair and clothes were getting damp as they went through the thick forest, the fogs started to scattered blocking mostly her view.
Her heart skip a beat when she cannot see the back of Mathew anymore as uneasiness started to creep inside her.
‘Where is he?’ she thought.
She pulls the reign of her horse to stop it from running and she looks behind her.
She’s all alone.
“What’s happening?” she uttered to herself.
She tried to listen carefully hoping she could hear any familiar sound but all she could hear are the raindrops and the thundering of clouds.
“Master!” She called but there was no response.
The lightning flashes and then she saw a lot of silhouettes surrounding her. The demons revealed themselves behind the fog.
Meanwhile, Mathew who noticed the disappearance of Celine immediately commanded everyone to halt. Because of the thick fog, it’s hard for them to look for her.
“Celine!” he called but no one answered but the thunder.
There were flashes of lightning that appeared as Mathew saw a silhouette of a gigantic ogre in front of them.
“Your majesty,” Lucas uttered as he stared at it.
He eyed Lucas and the rest as he gestured everyone to surround it. When everyone was prepared for attacking, they revealed themselves to the enemy. It stared at them and started to move like its preparing itself.
‘Why is an ogre here in this place?’ he thought as he took his sword on its scabbard.
They initiate the attack but the monster kept on dodging them and injured some of his men.
“It’s tough for an ogre!” Casis said as he started to attack again.
Luckily, one of the knights shoot an arrow and pierced its shoulder. The monster growled in pain and started to attack them again.
Mathew dodge the attacks and managed to get nearer to the monster and injure its feet making it kneel to the ground. He stomp on its back pinning it on the muddy ground.
“Lucas,” he called.
“Yes, your majesty?” Lucas replied.
“Did you find Celine?” he asks.
“Not yet your majesty,” his aide answered, “It…seems like she was eaten alive your majesty,” Lucas continued.
His face darkened in anger.
‘Did I failed to protect her?’ he thought in frustrations.
Lightning flashes on the crying clouds as the loud thunders can be heard.
Mathew hazel eyes gazes at the monster with killing intent reflected on them.
“Did you kill and eat her up? You dared to touch her,” he uttered as he pointed his swords on the back of its neck.
On the other hand, Celine who was already lying on the ground felt a bizarre feeling when she heard the demon growled.
She gazes at the demon who pinned her down but couldn’t stare long because of her painful injury.
She can’t use her skills because something is telling her not to use them against the enemies. However, base on the damages she gained from the fight she finally decided to use it.
‘I’ll just find him,’ she said to herself.
Her hand balled into a fist and started glowing, luckily the demon above her didn’t notice. Her eyes laid on the muddy ground and saw the demon’s reflection on the dirty water.
Then there was lightning in the sky.
Her eyes widened as she saw the reflection on the water change. Instead of the demon’s reflection, she saw Mathew’s reflection on the water.
She became calm and focus.
‘I see. So we were being played,’ she thought as she smirk.
Mathew who stared at the monster became furious when he notice the monster’s smirk. He jumps backward and maintained his distance when he notices its hands bawled in a fist.
It rolled a few meters away from him and tried to stands up but was out of balanced again when another arrow pierced its back.
“Ma…ster,” he heard it say.
His eyebrows furrowed and confusion began to rise up inside him.
The monster’s hand glowed and slams its hands on the wet ground. The fog disappeared, the rain stops and in a blink of an eye, the monster in front turned into a petite woman with a pair of emerald eyes.
It was Celine all along.
He was speechless as he saw her injured body. He felt ashamed of himself for hurting her as his head shook in disappointment.
Celine who notice it healed herself and walk towards him.
“Master,” she called him.
“…I’m sorry,” he whispered to her.
“No, you shouldn’t. In fact, I should be the one who should apologize for not noticing earlier,” Celine explained trying to comfort him.
“Lucas,” Mathew called ignoring her explanation.
“Yes, your majesty?” Lucas replied.
“How many miles before the nearest town?” he asks.
“Your majesty, we are quite near, actually we only have about one kilometer before we reach it,” Lucas answered as he glance an apologetic look at Celine.
“When we arrive, find an inn enough to cater to everyone, we’ll rest there for half an hour,” Mathew announced as he turned his back on them.
“Celine,” he called.
“Yes, master?”
“Share a ride with me,” he said.
“No need master, I have a…horse,” she replied as she notice her horse was missing.
“As of the moment, it seems like you don’t have any. Share a ride with me… That’s an order,” Mathew uttered.
Celine breathes as she eyed Mathew’s back.
“Yes master,” she replied as she walks behind him.
He took the reign of his horse and waited for her to get nearer to him. He didn’t talk to her anymore as his hands touch her waist and lifts her up on the back of the horse, he then ride after.
“Let’s go,” Mathew announced.
Celine closed her eyes as she felt the chilly breeze approaching her pale face as Mathew’s horse started to run. Aside from the cool wind, she also felt the cold and dark aura from the man behind her.
She can tell.
‘He is really upset,’ her mind uttered.
Along the way, the two of them were silent. She secretly looked at him who has a blank expression as his hazel eyes were focused on the front view.
“Eyes on the road Celine,” he uttered making her heart skip a beat.
She breathes and tried to compose herself.
“Yes master,” she replied as she averted her gaze from him.
“Are you cold?” he asks.
“…No,” she lied despite her trembling lips.
“This is not the right moment to lie on me Celine,” Mathew uttered, “So let me ask you again, are you cold?”
“…I can still manage,” she replied.
Mathew slightly kicks the side of his horse making it run at a faster pace. She also heard the others signaling their horses to catch up.
A few moments she saw a glimpse of a lively town as Mathew covered her with his cape.
“Please bear with this for a moment, your identity should remain private until we strategize how to publicly inform the humans about the world’s end,” he whispered to her.
“Yes master,” she replied.
They stop at the town, her eyes roam at the small houses, open shops, and the town’s lamp post aligned on every corner.
She lifts her head and saw the grey sky. On the sky was an eagle circling above them.
She stared at it before it flew away.
“Celine,” Mathew called.
“Yes Master?” she replied as she eyed Mathew whose feet were already on the ground.
His hands reach for her waist and lifted her up, gently putting her on the ground.
Whenever Mathew did that stunt she always feel like her weight is just a number for him.
She feels like she’s a kid beside him.
“Let’s go,” he uttered while his warm hand holds her wrist gently as they started to walk.
- Writer
