XIV : Innuendo II

I stood up with my own two legs as a wave hit the wet sand and a cold wind blew in the darkest night I've ever encountered. It was peaceful and it helped my mind moved on some of the problems I've encountered last week. I didn't receive any updates about what's going in the camp, and I don't think anyone is aware where I am. Except for a few kids who happen to encountered me playing near my spot, they quickly recognized me and I quickly told them to keep my location a secret, so that I can fully rest can calm my physical and mental state of mind.

I looked into the sky too see the moon glowing like a fresh blood from a human lost in the battle, a phenomenon? The ocean totally matched its colors, I've seen to much blood at this point that it isn't new, and if the moon had a war so does our land. I stretched my entire body and my bones felt nice after a satisfying crepitus, it's been so long since I fully moved my body, I've only been seating, getting my bag of water from my pouch, and laying in the sand to sleep since I got here, I kind of forgot what I'm supposed to do after relaxing myself but after the prophet called me, I woke up from a sudden nap that even I'm not aware off. Beelzebub's dummy manipulated me since the start, and now she has manipulated everyone, the prophet has ordered me to make my actions before it's too late.

I started my first step and it marked on the dry sand, I started walking while the red light from the moon shines tonight. I didn't know where am I supposed to go, I wasn't really paying attention to where Galileo's direction took me, all I know is that I am lost and would look for some sort of festival or ritual music from my own people. I also scouted the area since I'm already here, It was plain, just small stacks of endless sand, huge rocks from random places and small creatures crawling and travelling to the plain dessert. Even though my whole live I've been traveling each island to interview multiple people, some died during the march, after the march, and at the battle in Mount Nevermore, I haven't really explored this land for it bores me really, there's nothing much here, aside from multiple villages across the dessert.

I continued to walk, and from the glimpse of my eye I saw something which alerted me quickly as I pulled out my sword, it was supposed to be used to Beelzebub's puppet prophet but never got a chance to even damage or at least a small scar on him, but it didn't do anything. I turn me head to see the exact same pair of eyes that has been stuck in my head in a while. Even if I only had an eye, I would wish I was fully blind. She gave me a teasing smile and my instinct slashed her body in half with full of my rage, no one trained or taught me how to fight for I am against violence before, but I'm a changed man. However I'm still a fool. I just want this to be over.

"Why would you do that?" her laughter became louder and I dropped my self to the ground out of balanced. "You are aware that demons are all spirits, we do not have a physical body so your little small sword wouldn't work on me, unlike before as the Black Queen… my sweet little Castlevine." My heart felt heavy knowing the truth now; I've such a fool even in the past. "I'm just trying to talk to you. We can work things out, you and I can work together, I promise to fix the world if you accept my offer." I stood up with my own to legs and I stared into her eyes. "You may not know this but I know the secrets of the world, I can redo everything I've done with my own com¬—"

I started walking away from her ignoring her useless talks, I am aware she brings nothing but trouble, all of the devils lie, and she already proved it. She moved to face me a gain and I continued to simply walk away against her. If she end up killing me that's ok I don't mind, eventually my alternate version will find the true ending in my life. I continue to walk until I heard her frustration, I didn't show her my emotions visibly on my face, but really I want to laugh on how stupid she is in not recognizing what I'm doing. I maybe a fool but my enemy is a different type of fool.

After a little bit more walking I think she had enough of me for her presence has slowly disappeared, I looked around and I was right, from a far I saw the presence of my wife and I knew that she was laughing along with me if she was here physically. I waved my hand to her presence and continued waking along the endless road of nothing but sand. A wind blew touching my skin, and I sort of felt like it was telling me a message, but I couldn't decode it like before, or maybe Beelzebub is manipulating me again with her own version of the prophet, the wind was his voice, and it was clear as always. Those demons must be using their own language to communicate, I could hear them but couldn't understand them.

After a few hours of endless walking, I saw a structure from a far, a few lights we're also visible and I quickly drank all of the remaining water in my bag for I have found my way back, I'm really saving up the bag of water, and now I can finally get a it re-filled. I quickly run as soon as I my body felt the hydration it need, there's no time to waste, I need to call the White Queens' specially Larry and Galileo so that I can perform what is tasked for me to perform. Through a small ally between two large structure, I quickly travelled and noticed that the people around we're celebrating and having a good time, there we're no tents visible around, which confused me, maybe they held an event to build new structures while I'm gone, to give shelter to my people and as a celebration they held a festival.

I quickly blended into the crowd, while my eyes gaze around the place, the structures we're quite familiar I just couldn't see clear, a lot of guitar sounds surrounded the area, and in the middle of the street they we're woman in very nice dress dancing along, then a group of men with a small candle joined those single ladies to dance. Fandango. I continued to walk around with a smile on my face, until I reached what seems to be the main stage of the event.

There's was a beautiful young lady standing still in the middle of the stage, she was wearing a beautiful pink dress with a floral design around it, her hair is tied professionally and her skin seems so smooth and silky. Behind her was a group of men, there heads were covered with a brown thick cloth blending with their clothes almost covering all of body except their hands tied with a red rope. I had a sense that they would be an offering to their gods. About to be executed within this night or maybe in a few minutes.

Behind the beautiful lady was a man who seems to be a priest but not in uniform, he holds up the book of the prophet on his left hand and after the beautiful lady took a single step with her left foot everyone remained silent. I looked around and tried to ask what's exactly is going on in this feast, but their mouths remaining silent. The priest flipped a few pages of the prophetic book and after he stopped everyone's head bowed to the ground, I quickly bowed as well to blend into the crowd. There was a few minutes of pure silence until the lady cleared her throat and I quickly felt a presence of the devil herself. I want to look around but I might ruin the ceremony, I don't wanna be spotted right now. My hood is my only protection to avoid recognition.

"Good evening everyone, as the feast of the blood moon shines within our darkest night, I am here to present to you, the official start of our new religion, would be named after the majestic Queen that the journalist who brought nothing but chaos, purely once loved and praise." My heart started beating slightly, there are a few journalist who I've worked with that is still alive and present in this island, only a small number, I have a chance to get involved with this nonsense.

I quickly remember what Beelzebub did to me, an act of blasphemy against the prophet.

"We will call this religion… 'Arboria' named after the late great Queen Arboria II. We will follow her paths from being a fearsome warrior killing all those people who mistakes are can't be forgiven, we will praise her gods in our own ways, later be demonstrated by these criminals wearing an expensive fabric." My heart started pounding even more after realizing that it was me who are they referring to. I absolutely loved the rules of the late Queen Arboria II, I am the journalist who inspired this false religion. Beelzebub manipulated me with the puppet of the prophet, but the prophet himself told me that the false religion thing are true.

Some are even based of my heroism. Guided by the prophet.

Knowing the history of the great late Queen, I knew that the prophet would be mad for what am I about to commit, he guided me to this path I knew it, im about to end a new formed religion.

"To start things off, we would like to call on the great priest… our new pope, Paul. To read the false teaching of the religion of the fraud journalist… Comparing the prophecy and beliefs of the late Queen's gods." The lady welcomed the priest in her spot, I quickly bowed my head again after I saw someone glimpsing on my direction. It's hard for me to see with one eye, and the pressure if getting a glimpse of what's happening makes it much harder.

"According to the book 'Mo konesans kont volonte nati imen' it says that 'All humans would believe in false religions, and it would change the course of time, they would fight to find the truth yet no one has the rights to prove who was right or wrong… The world revolves and lives according to the factors of race, skin color, and their creeds or beliefs, thus proving that there is no true religion for everyone is equal.' But according to our own traditions mixing the journals of the late Queen and the book of her gods, it is clear that 'Our beliefs is based on what our hearts and minds would want to believe. Every evil act would be punished every good acts would be rewarded. Our true religion is based on what our heart told us to believe and our faith is what our mind wants and would believe.' That is the difference!" the crowd gave the pope an applause and I gaze into one of the man tied up behind the lady, he seems off compared to the others. I bowed my head again and continued listening.

"Since the birth of our universe, religions has been present." The lady continued her speech. "Since the start everyone who has the affections of madness and greed carried by their traditions, it has been since the long history of our past. That's why we would like to clear our own name, we do not have enough time left for the world is already ending but at lease once we die, our souls would be purified by nothing but light. That's why we would kill this men in expensive clothes to kill of our greed in expensive items and as well as teaching us the effects our their madness before they are beheaded." Everyone's head looked into the man being drugged into the lady's left first, he was fighting the guards who was pushing him to his final steps in his life.

He fought them alone and unfairly but unfortunately after a few steps he was already stabbed from the back by the lady herself. Then the man beside him also fought for his life, he seems a bit stronger though compare to the first dead man, he manages to knock down two guards but the pure lady just slash his head off and he instantly died. I couldn't watch anymore, it's to much. The population of this island is getting lower and lower, we can't afford another death. The man was dragged into the death spot, but he doesn't seems to be fighting, the lady was a bit confused at first but then a beam of light started to glow out of his hands. I know that magic… wait the mask?!

Scaramouche used his magic to blind everyone with his light, I know how to counter him though. Then I saw the lady wearing the same exact mask that the Black Queen and Beelzebub wore. The two looked like dancing within the light, their shadows danced along to the musicians playing his favorite fandango song. I know that I've been a fool before, but this time I know I can help, she has a physical body I can stabbed her at last with my sword. I pulled it out and from the top of my lungs I called my ally's name.

"Scaramouche!" he gazed at me for a second before I finally distracted the true devil, I finally got my revenge as I slash her head off her body, and Scaramouche, quick pushed me away, I maintained my balance but he quickly grabbed my hand and together we run. "What's going on? Where are we going?" I asked, he didn't respond, and from a far there we're four horses tied to a broken fence.

"Joseph, we have no more time left, let's try and finish everything, let end everything that the prophet has told you, let's end the innuendo!" we quickly mounted the horse and from Scaramouche's pocket he took out a poisoned arrow and shot the two innocent horse in their leg. They quickly raged and before I even notice that Scaramouche is already running away, from a far the citizens of the village was chasing after us, the believer of the religion Arboria is coming after us.

I quickly commanded the horse and my eyes widen when I saw Grave dashing into the scene.

"Follow Scaramouche, he knows." I heard him say before smashing a few glass potions full with spirit monsters and beast from the Barcelona island. I also saw my wife along side Grave fighting the citizens who is blinded by the false religion.

They we're there fighting for the trouble we've caused, and the spirit of Beelzebub, was free again from a human body, she's didn't expect it. I saw her chasing after us but Grave himself blocked her with his snakes stabbing her spirit into her neck, she couldn't move for a second but somehow got out, Grave then chased after her and I saw my wife, pushing her back to Grave's direction and for the first time I heard her screaming in agony and it was such a beautiful sonata in my ear. For the first time I loved such a powerful music traveling my ear.

I smiled listening to the screaming pain of the true devil.

I looked forward and catched up on Scaramouche, I quickly gazed into him and his eyes we're focused on the plain dessert. There was silence yet I feel like he has something to say.

"Joseph, I've heard the news… my deepest condolences about such innocent young lady. I'm also sorry for not being there when you need me the most. I was on my way to the village to hopefully told them that I am willing to pay them a stack of gold bars, just to rent out a few of their rooms for your people to borrow, but Beelzebub herself appeared out of nowhere and attacked me, I almost died, lucky I prioritized my health and casted myself with extra energy to stay alive, a cowboy found mw only to put me in jail when I told them my intention of helping the people, they told me that visitors weren't allowed to enter their ceremony and since I was on my way there's I became a criminal for some stupid reason." I simply nodded and took a deep breath. So I took a wrong route, I went to the village of the cowboys and not at my people's camp site, encountering and I guess saving Scaramouche along the process… I guess?

Somehow that felt like I've seen it before, people celebrating, with a beautiful lady only to turn into a disaster… I think it happened to me three times now, two physically and one dream. Déjà vu.

"While I was in jail, I studied more about the end times, and realized something. I know how and where can we find what Grave had told you, I think I know where the innuendo is located and who can tell it to you." He quickly gaze into the east-west where the castle still stood strong and well. "There, behind those houses." He pointed at the walls at the east side if the kingdom. "That forest that isn't affected by the acid rain, we have to go there later, but now we have to deal with your own false religion. Grave told me." I simply nodded and we both whipped the horse to gain extra speed.

Only after a few hours of traveling into the boring dessert we slowly saw a bit of small lights from my own people, we stopped the horse and silently approach a house with no one around. Scaramouche then took some strangers clothes and we quickly wore them as a way to blend and not get recognize by the people we know. I only wonder where is the White Queen's are. We slowly walked a few meters distance away from each other and as well as taking different routes all leading to the center of the camp where an celebration of another false religion being held. This time by my own people, this time I am who they worship.

"Today we celebrate the heroism of one Joseph Castlevine, he is unfortunately traveling from the far lands of this island to gather more believers of our true and only hero." An old lady in a grey hoodie holding a stick pronounce. In the middle of the fire we're skulls from various monster's that I've encountered, and the one that is outstanding the most is the skill burning in the middle of the fire pit. How disrespectful they are! I'm going slightly… no I am actually mad. "He has saved us from the black Queen only to be discovered to be the legend Beelzebub which is our mortal enemy… Everyone's mortal enemy, she had split the world the world and in only a few days I don't think we're be able to survive, however if we give a prayer to Joseph Castlevine from the Prophet Nadi, we can give him the power that he needs to save not only us, but the world!" Everyone clapped their hands and others had started chanting my last name.

"Castlevine! Castlevine! Castlevine! We praise you, we praise you!"

"The White Queens' is against our idea that's why's we must avoid Joseph to them, once our hero is back on this tribe. For now let us worship our beautiful Queen… Queen Valkyarie everybody!" The old lady took a rod and poked the skull's orbit and raised it high up in the dark sky. They began chanting this weird ritual that even Scaramouche aren't aware of the language used. I quickly grabbed my sword in anger, and run towards the old lady and killed her by stabbing her directly to her mind. Everyone saw it and quickly run towards me, however after I took ny hood out they we're silent.

"How disrespectful you animals are." I pulled out my sword and quickly run towards my own people while they run away in fear of me killing them.

"Joseph Stop!" I quickly felt his touch and prevented me from killing another one, I gazed into his eyes and I quickly dripped my sword. Am I being controlled like a puppet again? "Don't take offense at the nature of the innuendo." He whispered.

***

Queen - Innuendo

Verse 2 - Spanish Guitar Solo