Chapter 4 — Sad Mistake and Cloudy Mist

The horse came to another stop after hours of travelling. Cassio said that we are nearing Los Tianos' border. We won't need to enter the city but the guards patrolling the borders and the gates might recognize us. We need to be cautious.

"Good day, Sire! Are you going inside Los Tianos?" One deep voice called. Cassio leaped down the horse with a thud and pulled the it forward. I can see that it's daytime through the fabric in my eyes. We've traveled very long and he said, Los Tianos would be the final step before we can finally reach Haldorre.

"No, we're not going there. We're just passing by," Cassio replied.

"Who's this woman you're with, then? Would you mind telling us why she's wearing that on her eyes?"

Why can't they just let us pass? We're not even going inside the city!

"She's sick. Sunlight affects her eyes that's why she has a blindfold."

I heard heavy footsteps nearing me. "Lady, are you okay? Perhaps, do you need help?"

I forced a smile. "I'm fine, Sir. Thank you."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," I sighed almost impatiently. Then, I heard footsteps going away. When the guards allowed us to pass, Cassio immediately mounted the horse and manuevered it with a normal speed.

We're not even far away when the guards shouted at us, ordering us to stop. I tensed when Cassio made the horse run faster. The wind blew wildly around me and I can hear it whistling beside my ear.

"Why are they calling us? Are they chasing us?!"

"They must've realized we're sought by the people of Lamacre. I knew news spread two days ago but they must've expected no escape thing will happen."

My heart boomed with every gallop of the horse. I'm hoping this won't turn into another bloodshed. Into another batch of burned bodies.

But wait! Can I really kill them this time? Am I not already fine? Last night, the bandit saw my eyes but they were unscathed!

"Hold tighter, Princess. They are catching on us."

I obliged. I can feel the horse running at full speed. If I wasn't trained the recent years of how to ride it, I'm sure I couldn't keep up with how a knight does.

"We're going to mislead them so they won't know where we're headed. We'll turn to the forest and hide."

I can't see but I noticed the shades covering the sun rays hitting the fabric of my eyes. I've never been to forests that much. Whenever we visited other kingdoms, the carriage will alway be enclosed and covered.

I gasped when I felt a sharp thing sliced through my arms.

"There are lots of twigs in here. I'm sorry Princess, but you need to endure it."

I couldn't say a thing. My mind were focusing with the stinging pain on my flesh. Sharp twigs cut through my legs, arms, neck, and head. I realized my tears fell from my eyes because of pain.

"Did we lose them, Cassio?"

"They're very far from us." But right after he said that, I felt a sudden force somewhere and the next thing I knew, we were thrown off the horse, and I felt my body hit the muddy ground. I rolled and endless spikes sliced through my skin.

A pained grunt escaped my lips when my body stopped rolling. It was very painful and numbing but I forced myself to sit. I took the blindfold off my eyes and covered my right eye. With my other eye, I saw how my body was almost covered with cuts and wounds, and red blood.

"Cassio?"

I looked around. The forest is full of tall and big trees that it looks dark even if it's daytime. I gasped when I saw the horse meters away, it's lying on the ground and it neighs non-stop maybe because of pain.

I stood up and my knees wobbled terribly making me stumble to the ground.

"Cassio? Where are you? Are you okay?"

No answer. Just the horse's sound and the faint voices of people. I wasted no time and stood up again. My other hand found support in the tress near me.

I went near the horse and that's when I saw another silhoutte lying near it.

"Cassio!" I almost ran just to go to him. Tears pooled my eyes when I saw an arrow on his back, wounding him deeply. "Cassio, wake up!"

It was hard for me to turn his body towards me with the use of one hand, but I managed. He groaned, his eyes were shut tightly as if in great pain.

"P-Princess..."

"Cassio, are you okay?"

"I... I c-cant... come w-with... you."

"No... Cassio, please don't die! Come on, I'll help you up! We'll hide and I'll treat your wound! Just don't die!"

His eyes slowly opened and stared at me. "H-Haldorre... is in the west... H-Hide... and protect... yourself..."

"No... I can't do it. Not without you! Please stand up, please don't die..."

He smiled sadly and raised his weak hand. I sobbed when he touched my hand covering my right eye. I placed my hand above his.

"I-I'm sorry, Cassio. This is my fault! I'm sorry! If not because of me, you wouldn't be in this situation!"

"N-No." He groaned with ache. "It's a pleasure... to offer my life to you, P-Princess Ciara. N-Now, go... b-before they... come..."

"How am I supposed to leave alone? I can't..."

"Y-You can—"

I yelped when an arrow hit his neck. Blood sprayed to my face and clothes but I couldn't care more when his hands fell on the ground, lifeless.

"CASSIO!!!" I shouted full of agony. But he's already dead! His wound was undeniably fatal and he was unmoving now. Now, I'm all alone!

"She's here!" I turned to the guy standing meters away. He stood near a white horse and was holding a bow and arrow.

I stood up, shaking. "D-Did you... Did you killed him?"

He smirked evilly. "It's an honor to kill a knight with my bare hands, Princess. A knight protecting a witch!"

People came into vision and I felt both anger and fear. My right eye stung a bit.

"There's the witch! Capture her!"

"She even tried to escape?! What a monster!"

"She deserves to get killed! Witch! Evil!"

There were lots of them, mostly are armoured guards. Thinking that they were the ones who chased us, rage continued to rise within me.

"Playtime over, Princess! You can't escape us now. You will pay for what you did for the hundreds of lives you killed. Monster princess!"

"I-I'm not the real monster here..." My right eye hurts very bad and the hand covering it was like pushed to get away.

I stared darkly at them all. "You're the real monsters!" And I removed my hand from my eye, shutting them open, and felt the force coming out of it. In a split second, loud screams filled the dark forest.

It was a sad mistake. I thought I couldn't kill with my eye anymore. But it felt right when I killed the ones who mercilessly took the life of that devoted knight, Cassio.

*

Cloudy Mist

_

Variety of flowers flooded the ground. Butterflies as big as a leaf flew gracefully in the air, as well as the tiny birds with rainbow feathers, and wings, and beaks. They were fantastic and for a while, I was entrapped to the beauty of it. But when I remembered what's really happening earlier, I slowly covered my right eye. The beautiful scene was replaced with reality. Burned bodies piled few meters in front of me. Flesh coaled to black, blood dripping through the cracked skins, bones showing.

I looked away with terror and forced my self not to feel weak nor entertain the nausea visiting me. I need to go to Haldorre, like what Cassio said.

Some horses ran away. But one horse remained. It's the white one, owned by the guy who has the bow and arrow. With one

last glimpse to Cassio, I left. I looked for an exit and although, I feel really bad physically and emotionally, I stayed focus to getting myself out of here.

I've never been to Haldorre nor to the Kingdom of Anesthera so I relied to Cassio's instructions. I head west with the use of the midday sun. My eyes are bare and I'm grateful that until now, I haven't encountered any people by the road.

Hours of travelling and I witnessed how the sun setted at the mountains of the west. Cold wind was replaced the humid air and that made me realized that I'm only wearing the same dirty sleeping gown since I left the palace. The coat was gone.

Because of fear, I failed to bring the bag of clothes and necessities with me. Especially the foods.

"I'm hungry..." My stomach grumbled a lot of times already. I stopped the horse and checked for some foods in the bags but all that I saw were weapons—a sword and a metallic crossbow. That owner must not just be a mere guard. He's like a huntsman with all these things.

I sighed and climbed down the horse. It huffed and started eating the grass on the side of the stony road.

"You think there's food there?" I asked but of course, it would be a miracle if it would answer.

I sighed and watched the round, bright moon in the sky. It's beautiful and peaceful to look at. Then suddenly, I heard a loud howling voice ahead. It was my first time to hear that sound and instead of fearing it, it felt nice to my ear. Harmonious and calming.

But where did it came from? It sounds near. Or are we really nearing Haldorre? I mounted the horse again and made it run deeper the westward direction.

It took us minutes before we finally reached a bridge. Long and narrow bridge made of stone bricks. I can't see what's under nor what's on the other end. Thick mists are unabling me to see what lies in there.

As the horse walked near the bridge, I stopped it with a low ho. There's an undeniably creepy feeling within me as I watched this weird place. This must be really it—Haldorre. The Ghost City of Uretah. I wonder if passers-by still pass by here? Though, I won't bw shocked if they created another way.

I looked back the dark road and no matter how appealing it was for me to turn the horse around, I know I shouldn't.

I swallowed hard and made the horse walk slowly again. My hands gripped tightly on the rope as we delved deeper in the mists. I can't see anything and the mist felt damp and cold against my skin.

Good thing the horse hasn't panicked yet. But isn't that weird? If this is a place where ghosts lurks, shouldn't it felt the negative energy this place has? Atleast, the way I do. Or maybe it's just giving it's best effort not to be scared, if horses do that, tho.

"K-Keep up the good work, horsey." I tried to humor myself. Mist, mist, and mist is all I can see, yet the horse continued to walk further inside.

I gasped when it suddenly halted and went back to eating grasses. I tried to make it walk again but it won't budge.

"Are you that hungry?"

I bit my lip and shakily climb down the horse. I don't have a choice. The horse left me with no choice.

I sighed and tied the rope in a nearby post. But it wasn't just a mere post. It is wooden, with thin mettalic carvings of weird symbols spiralling it.

I looked up to see its end and my guess is right, it's a post similar to the gates of every city. An entrance towards the city of Haldorre!

I started walking inside, now getting used to the cold and fear. Seems like it's true that there's really no danger in here. But I'm not sure, yet.

I gasped when in the middle of walking, I heard the horse panicking. Quickly, I returned to where I left it but it was gone and the rope were untied!

"H-Horsey?" I called in a shaken voice. "Where did you go?"

Another sound came, like a voice of a woman. I turned around with trembling lips.

"W-Who's there?"

A giggle came from behind me. Then, another voice and another! My eyes widened in horror and without thinking, I sprinted into the mist.

This must be what the stories tell! Ghosts... Voices...

"Don't go away! Let's play!"

"Lady, what are you running from?"

"She must be lost..."

"Pity, child. Let us help you..."

"GO AWAY! GO AWAY!" I cried as I ran endlessly. I can't see where I'm headed because of the thick mist but all I wanted was to leave this place.

The voices didn't stopped. It was as if they're chasing me!

I yelped when I tripped on something and my body fell helplessly to the ground. My shoulders and head felt numb when it hit something hard and a searing pain suddenly attacked my right eye.

A loud scream escaped my lips when the pain intensified. It was really painful, as if tiny objects are moving, swirling, and dancing inside.

Too much pain almost knocked me out of my consciousness. It just disappeared when I was already weak in the ground, literally gasping for air.

Out of nowhere, I heard a low growl and heavy footsteps on the ground. Gathering all my strength, I lifted myself from the ground. My other hand was still covering my right eye where pain subsides.

When I turned, shock got the best of me because what awaits me was not a ghost but a very huge white wolf! It stood meter away from me and the proximity almost steal my breath away!

Its white furs shines as if the moon still reflected through the cloudy mist. It has glistening golden eyes that stared directly at me.

I know it's beyond beautiful, a creature with great beauty and enigma people won't see in normal occasions. But it's massivity couldn't keep me calm anymore. I trembled terribly and my knees gave in, making me fell butt first in the ground for the second time.

The white wolf followed my movements and when it walked nearer to me, I felt consciousness leaving my body. The last thing that I felt was a sniff on my neck, and everything's gone.