193 Argus’ Son

AUTHO'R'S POV

"Ahh Sure", Helena descended another floor down, straight to the common area. As she went in, she found Umbriel snuggly and sound asleep by the fireplace. She tucked the quivering young priest with the blanket up to his shoulders, as he whimper in his dream. "Shh", she hushed Umbriel while she pat his shoulder gently until he's out of tears.

Helena took a quick look around the tree house. The merchant's home indeed is one unique residence of several bizarre things. As she delve through the rare trinkets displayed on the wall, she stumbled over a small black box that tipped open and scattered a few pieces of paper on the floor. As she pick them up, she noticed that they are torn pages from a book. Looking closely, she figured that they are the lost pages from the journals she found in the palace. "He's locating the traveler's stone", she mumbled. And then she remembered the merchant whom Bertram recognizes as a soul traveler. Presumably, Helena suspects Levin was aiming for the traveler's stone that's why he gained connections with Bertram, upon knowing that the stone is in the Holy Land. She did had a bad feeling about Levin, however, she couldn't fathom why Stellan and Ottis particularly led the way here.

Helena hurriedly kept the papers inside the box and returned it where she got them knocked over from. She sighed sharply as she shook her hands, and went to the kitchen as planned. On her way to the table, a large head of a red mushroom sitted right by the corner of the room caught her eye. It was something that she didn't notice before. She was about to touch it when it suddenly moved and stood up like it has a mind of its own.

"Oh!!", Helena was startled that she fell on her back. "Oh my! I'm sorry, did I startle you?", she said as she realize it was Levin in a brown chemise and a large red mushroom hat.

"They all ate without you", Levin said as he fix his hat of a considerable size. "Not to worry, they left you a bowl", he led Helena to the dining table as he walk swiftly.

"Oh, Thank you", Helena followed Levin to the kitchen and sat on a small stool by the round dining table. "What's… this?", she stared at a bowl of green soup with floating mushrooms and leeks.

"It's a special recipe. I made it myself", Levin proudly shared. "Come on", nodding, his eyes widely opened with excitement as he wait for Helena take a bite.

Helena stared at the awfully stomach-churning soup Levin cooked. It even smells disgusting even from afar. She doubts Stellan and the others really did ate his food. As she look at Levin's joyful gaze, she didn't have much choice but try the food the old man prepared. Into the bargain, she refuse to embarrass Levin and make his hard work be put to waste. So despite the soup looked nauseating… Helena bravely took one spoonful. To Helena's surprise, the soup is unexpectedly delectable despite its bizarre look and smell. "This is good! What is this?", Helena took another spoonful.. then another.

"I told you so, it's a secret! Ha!", Levin served a glass of purple-tinged drink which Helena unhesitatingly grabbed and drank in one go.

"This is good too... You have a nice home, Levin. How long have you been living alone?", Helena asked while she eats. 

"Heh. Long enough for me to... forget a horrible past", Levin answered that obviously changed his mood.

"Oh.. uhh.. I heard you're a merchant, what items do you sell?", Helena tried to shift the downward mood.

"Oh yes! I'm a merchant, and the best one there is in the entire kingdom!", he proudly entailed with much enthusiasm. "You see, Princess… I get all the good dibs for finding the rarest diamonds, richest silk, popular tools and even special relics. Honestly, it's almost about time of the year for me to go to the Holy Land and deliver the vases that were shaking earlier in my room. Hi hi hi", Levin chortled a teasing laugh. 

Helena blushed a little, and pretended she didn't hear that. Stellan was indeed a bit rough, and surely, the entire treehouse shook at his thrusts. Helena cleared her throat as she fan her warm face. "You haven't heard about.. what happened there?", she told the enthusiastic old man.

"Hmm?", Levin appeared to be completely clueless, confirming he hadn't known that the Holy Land is nothing more but cinders. 

"The Holy Land was burned to ashes days ago.", Helena slowly put her spoon on the table. 

"That's.. that's absurd. Who would attack such a sacred place? Ha ha ha", Levin chuckled awkwardly at the bad news he just heard. 

"Someone like... Argus", Helena answered. 

Levin gasped at the name Helena uttered. His face hardened as he recognize the name. "Do not speak of such name in my home, Princess! And it can't be, no one in their right mind would make up such monster", there was nothing but fear written all over Levin's face as he clutch on the hem of his chemise.

"Monster?", Helena leaned forward with avidity, hoping the old man bears knowledge about Argus.

"I was there when he sold his soul to the devil", Levin whispered. "In exchange for a great power, he shall devour souls for the rest of his life", he said lowly. 

That explains why Argus' abilities is far more different than hers, given that they are both celestials. "Why would a celestial demand more power when he's already powerful on his own?", Helena greatly wondered. 

"Part of his revenge, of course, Princess", Levin exclaimed. "Argus had a son who didn't inherit the powers of a soul traveler. Calum was born a normal boy, and grew up ordinary unlike his celestial father. He had this unruly insecurity that he put up a lie about gaining the gifts of Caluso. No one knew until one day, Argus sent his son to the palace to heal the queen. Beyong doubts, Calum couldn't lift the sick queen from her death bed. He had no powers to do great things like his father. So, the queen died in his clock.", Levin continued. "In his fear that his father might find out that he have no powers, Calum took his own life making it look like the palace killed him. Barbaric, isn't it", Levin sounded as if he had deep repugnance on soul travelers.