Chapter 8 — Dark Creepers and More Confused

I kept reading and reading and no doubt, the man mentioned in the book is no other than my grandfather, King Ciaorus.

The man who knew the secret of witches' existence and couldn't take it so he ran away. Away from that witch woman who loved him.

As I turned a thicker page, seeing the title once again, I realized I am just at the beginning of the book's real story.

Witches You Never Knew Existed

There are three known kinds of witches that seemed to have lived longer than anyone of us. Each kinds consists of not so many but neither not a few of them.

Some lived in the darkest of forest and hide from the civilization, some stayed in different towns and made themselves one of the townspeople.

When the King Ciaorus married the kingdom princess, followed were numbers of crimes and chaos in some lands. Which at first, they thought, were created by rival kingdoms; but no. It was the beginning of that witch's revenge. Madness driven by the king's rejection of her love and carrying with him the secrets he shouldn't have.

There was another picture of the witch woman who went to a house in the deep of a forest.

There, she was talking with two witches who also have no faces.

I was in the middle of turning another page when Yulen suddenly tensed. I jumped and watch him starting to get weird. Perks of not liking pets.

"What's wrong, Yulen?" I asked and closed the book for a while.

He kept on being silent, eyeing something through the mist. He looked troubled, too, making me tremble a bit and my skin hair rising.

"Hey," I neared him and caressed his fur. He didn't budge but even snarled at that something I can't…see. Narrowing my gaze, I still found nothing. The mist is so thick for my naked eye so I know why I'm out of the tensed place right now but more anxious.

Yulen's growling grew louder and I can't help but really shake now. What is it that I can't see?

I gasped when I realized that even the golden glowing objects earlier are now gone! Just this glowing tree and us, and maybe some not-so-pleasant visitors.

"Y-Yulen, let's just go home…" I tugged his fur and pulled the book closer to my chest. But without warning, he roared and leaped from the tree branch. I was shocked when he disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"YULEN!"

Worry ate me first than fear, so I jumped my way down the tree. I landed with my knees and palms on the roots. I grabbed the book and immediately followed to where he ran off to.

"Yulen! Where are you?!" I screamed but my voice just echoed the whole place.

I can hear his growling from afar and I tried to follow it. His growls sounds more deadly than just angry. And after that, snaps came after snaps.

Fear grew even stronger now. I don't even know why I did but I immediately covered my eye, hoping that it would help me right now. But no difference.

"Yulen! Where are you?!"

"Princess!" I turned when I heard Parsha's voice. "You need to run! Head to your left!"

"But Yulen! He was gone−"

"Just leave him be! You can't do anything to help him right now so just run!"

I swallowed hard. I don't wanna leave him but Parsha is right! How can I help when I can't even see anything? I ran to my left and tried not to trip on some tree roots.

"Keep running!"

"What is wrong, Parsha? Who are they?!" I asked through labored breaths.

"They are Dark Creepers. We don't really know what they are but just killed them when we discovered that they attacks living things. They keep coming back for Yulen and some people here that also turned into animals."

"So they eat them?"

"We're not sure but we haven't seen. They just attack and kill."

I suddenly felt terrified for Yulen. What if those Dark Creepers hurt him?!

"Hide in your house for the meantime because we don't know if they'll hurt you, too. You're in flesh, so that is a possibility. They'll be gone in sunrise."

We reached the tree house again and I catch my breath, the book fell heavily in the floor.

"Are you okay, Princess?"

"Y-Yes. Good thing you were here. I don't really know what to do when Yulen ran off to the mists."

"I heard your screams. We, the sisters, are roaming the place every night and I am on shift today."

I stood straight and nervously waited for Yulen to come back. There's still that feeling that I want to go out and help him but I stopped myself because that would be just foolishness.

"Will he be okay?" I couldn't help but ask.

"He'll be fine, Princess. He's been doing this for decades now."

I sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. Thinking what those creatures, Dark Creepers, are. And I kept seeing the images in the book. Those creatures watching from the forests. What we call Krams… are they the Dark Creepers they are talking about?

"What do they look like, Parsha?"

"They are darker than black, a silhouette in the night. They have sharp teeth and claws that they use for attack. But you cannot really see them. It is just us, the people of Haldorre, who can."

That explains why I really saw nothing. "But why?"

"We are cursed by a witch. Maybe, those creatures are cursed or made by witches, too. We don't know."

"H-How many are they?"

"A few. But don't worry, Princess, Yulen is a very skilled man. He can take them on."

I hope that what she's saying is true.

I fidgeted as we waited in the silent, cold night. I couldn't sleep even though Parsha said I should. But, I just can't. If worry can kill, I'd be already dead an hour ago.

She can't go outside to check on him or call for her sisters because she's afraid to leave me alone.

"How about Princess Yohan? Is she attacked, too?" I asked after another long time of sitting and waiting.

"Princess Yohan is safe up there in the tower. Those who were trying to harm her can't enter so she's fine."

"But what if she go outside?"

I heard Parsha giggled a bit. "The princess doesn't go out. It will kill her."

My jaw dropped open upon hearing that. "What do you mean? She's just there all this time? For several decades?"

"Yes. That's her curse. When she tried to go out one time, she almost died and the curse almost burned her bright."

I cringed at that. Afterall, the princess isn't the luckiest because never-minding her beauty and such, she's stuck. More than the other creatures in Haldorre. And I can't help but pity her. So much.

My thoughts were cut when we heard a heavy panting and padding towards us. Soon, Yulen emerged from the door and I almost shrieked when I saw his wounds. Golden liquid dripped from his cuts and I was amazed for a moment that this creature is luckiest among them all! But now tonight. Because right when he arrived, he fell helplessly on the gound.

"Yulen!" I scrambled to get to him and damn, I don't even know what to do! "Yulen, oh no!"

His eyes are closed and his breathing is rough and quicker than usual. Tears brimmed on my face because I don't really know how to help him.

"Princess, I'll get my sisters so they can help!" Parsha said and then she was gone.

"Yulen…" I sobbed. He just made a weak rumble and nothing more. "Yulen, don't die…"

*

"Yulen…"

"He's fine now, Princess. No need to worry about him," Flynn said. "We already treated his wounds with Nhamia plant, very helpful for healing wounds."

"I haven't heard of that plant," I said as I wipe my wet cheeks.

But I can see that she's right.

Yulen is out of consciousness while lying on the ground but his wounds are completely healed. There were just traces of blood that dripped on his white fur, which Parsha and Stephan is constantly wiping now.

"It came from the city of Wedylhaem. You know this place deals with trading so we have lots of things here that's new to you" says Charlotte.

"Dear, it's going to be morning soon. Take a rest…"

I didn't protest and with one last glance on Yulen, I laid on the bed, tired. It wasn't long before I fell in a very deep sleep. I just woke up the next morning with the feeling that someone is watching me. My eyes fluttered open to see a pair of glowing golden eyes.

"Yulen!" I screamed happily and jumped to hug his neck, feeling his soft furs tickling my skin. Thankfully, a sigh of relief has escape my lungs. "I was very worried of you last night."

It just purred and grazed his head on mine. I laughed and patted its head.

"I'm glad you're okay now."

He looks brand new now because the wounds are gone. I stopped when the sisters' voices barged into the room, greeting me a good morning and Yulen, too.

I stood and went outside. The sun rose high in the horizon and I can't help but smile. My father suddenly appeared on my mind. How is he now? Is he doing well in the palace?

"Princess," Charlotte called behind me. I turned. "Would you like to take a bath?"

I smiled in delight. "I'd love to!"

The magical pool where I took a bath yesterday is farther from the tree house so they presented another place I can bathe. It's a walking distance and the sisters accompanied me because Yulen has to go to the tower and talk to Princess Yohan.

"He does that every morning to report what happened," explained Parsha. I suddenly remembered what we talked about last night. That the princess of this city couldn't get out of her place because of the curse.

"How about Princess Yohan's parents?"

"Dear, Princess Yohan is the youngest child of Anesthera's King and Queen. The four cities of Anestherra were given to her four brothers each and Haldorre has been hers. You know, this city was a part of Anestherra before but then she decided to name it under Uretah since it is closer and most people who lives here are mostly from Uretah, too."

"So, they all knew that she was gone along with all the people?"

"I bet, they do," answered Charlotte. "During the first months of the curse, many people of different nations came to look for their lost families. Even Princess Yohan's family and their knights kept on coming back to check and see where she's gone to."

"Nobody can see us," Parsha's lonely voice added. "And our wailings even scare the people so they stopped searching and left. No one ever came back."

After minutes of walking, we reached another breathtaking place, a glipse of nature's beauty. It was a wider pool, surrounded with huge flat rocks and  green, leafy plants. The tree branches above are covering the area from total sunlight and the rays are peeking from it, making the water glistened like crystals.

"Wow," I sighed. The sisters giggled. "You still have lots of places like this?"

"We do. Now, Princess Ciara, take a bath and we'll get clothes for you."

"Okay. Thanks."

When the sisters are gone, I slowly went to the edge of the rocks and took off my shoes. I sat, my feet rested just above the cool water. It is so inviting, after the tiring day yesterday, I can almost hear it calling me to go bathe and refresh. So, I did.

I got rid of my dress and after throwing it in the rock, I dived into the water. Coldness braced me and the muscles in my body instantly felt the relaxation they needed. I gasped for air when I surfaced in the water. And for the next minutes, I enjoyed the revitalizing water this place gave me.

The sisters returned with three sets of dress and I just chose a yellow tube one with glistening silver stones in the tips of its skirt. I also wore its matching yellow shoes.

The sisters tied my hair while I was sitting on the rock and we also talked about the different places here I should visit in Haldorre. That made me think…How long am I going to stay here, anyway?

That's what I thought while walking back to the tree house. They must have noticed it because they asked.

"I'm just thinking about my father… and the palace." I was never away for long and I can't help but worry, a lot. And maybe he already knows that Cassio is dead. He must be worrying about me too, if I ever reached Haldorre or what.

"I just hope that he's okay there."

That day, I took my time reading the remaining contents of the book. And there was no revelation that made me not shocked to know.

There are three witches named with how they show themselves in front of the people. First is the Hymea witch. Has the ability to stop time and she is very dangerous because she can harm others without them knowing. Her ability can only affect humans but those who have witches blood are immune to it. Some say she can teleport but the writer of the book said no, she used the time to make it appear that she is.

Stuck between the second, wouldn't let you walk past what you are right at the moment. Stay. Forever.

She is also the one who cursed the people of Haldorre. Make them stuck forever or no matter how long she'd like. But the curse that she had put in this city wasn't lifted yet and it makes me think if did she die or is she alive until now?

The second witch is the Tanathia. No one knows what she can do but they said that when they appear into the lands, the plants, animals, and every living things that she passed by grows old and withers away. No one knew if she's responsible for that but that's what the people had witnessed. Especially those who owned the farmlands and fields.

She is a storm, walking in a graceful disguise, destroying in its extent.

The third witch, is the woman who loved King Ciaorus, is the strongest of them all. She can bring both life and death, like the superior of all who decides which creature is worthy of breathing.

Castherra has a gift that possessed great power but has turned to a woman who wrecks everything.

With the two eyes of a Castherra, everyone who has life that she'll see, can die if she wishes to. And those who are dead in sight, can awaken into life again. If she wants to.

If she wants to… But why can't I? Do I just lack practice or are we different? I have one eye… Does that mean something?

It was clearly stated in the book that those three witches' goal is to destroy Praia, be feared, and finally destroy King Ciaorus like what he did to that Castherra witch. But as time pass by, it never happened. They couldn't enter the kingdom for some reason. When the king died, the chaos with the witches also died down.

'Til his last breath, no one returned. Never reached his ear are curses that promised of their return and slaughters. Nor he heard they left the world, too. The king passed away, yet his final sigh were troubled as he knows that they are going to come back for his descendants.

And the book ended. But it didn't even answered most of my questions! It even made me feel more confused!

Why did those witches stop? Why can't they enter our kingdom? Are we under some witch's influence again? Someone inside the palace that's protecting us? How about my mother? She is a Castherra, too. Is she part of those witches or is she not?

It wasn't even stated here if they are best of friends that made them support the Castherra's revenge or they are different people, and just have the same one evil goal from the start.

I groaned as I forcefully closed the book and eagerly got up from bed.

Why did they curse Haldorre among other cities? Why these people? And for goodness' sake, who wrote this book?! He or she surely knows the answer more than what she gave in this book!

Ugh, I am going to talk to Princess Yohan and she needs to answer me now!

When I reached outside, Yulen just halted from his running.

We stared a bit before he turned and lowered its back. I smiled and relaxed a bit because it's just amazing that he knows what I needed right now. I rode his back and he run gracefully away.