He Knows Who I Am

V A T I C

Bad things are about to unfold. Although certainly outnumbered, Masid and I were able to scare off the rabid pack of wolves with only minor scratches and just a tiny bump on my forehead. A little healing would suffice. No blood has been spilled so the task isn't too demanding. Now with that done, I can commence my halted tracking from moments ago. We are lucky enough that the next nearest arrow wasn't disturbed by that peculiar altercation we had with those riled creatures of the night. To Hiraya it is.

          "Appreciate the help, brother." I pat Masid's void-colored head as we approach the town.

          "It's a good thing those wolves aren't as discreet as I know they hoped to be." He bounces off from tree branch to tree branch. I hear the creaking of every bark with every hop.

          "I agree." I laugh. "If they were more ferocious like you, we could've had some serious problems."

          "I've trained with the best." He says proudly but I can sense a punchline coming.

          "Cut the flattery. I know you're going to drop a joke or something after that."

          "You do know me so well!" Laughing, he graciously dropped from the treetops to stand in front of me. "I was about to say that your mother was the one who trained me but we should scratch that now because it isn't funny anymore."

          "Next time, you'll get a good punchline out." I tease. He sends a steady head-butt to a knee, threatening to break my balance

          The Cathedral. That is where the arrows lead us. The closer we got to the former holy grounds, the more my worry grew. I see the cluster of what seems to be the last of Aela's arrows scattered about at the foot of the enormous arched doors of the establishment. Is it just me or these doors have become more dilapidated from the last time I saw them? It looks like a stampede of wild animals has gone through this very doorway. What's more intriguing is that there seems to be a faint veil of mists escaping from the gaps along its hinges. Something is definitely not in place here. That, I will find out.

          Before I can even attempt to open these doors, an odd sensation threatens my skin to crawl. I'm being watched. As I turn around and confirm where this prickling feeling is coming from, I see Portia standing on top of the stairs just a few steps away from me. When did she get here? I didn't even notice her approach. I may just be so occupied with my worries about Aela that I lost track of my surroundings. Something seems to be bothering her under this mystical presence of the moon. The wandering joy in her face is undeniable. 

          "Portia, what are you doing here?" I ask, approaching her. "I thought I told you to stay at your place."

          She didn't mind me even one bit. Astonishments reflected in her eyes as she laid her gaze upon the severely damaged arched doors of the Cathedral. "We found it." She whispers, her smile widening.

          "What? What do you mean? What did we find?" I ask as I watch her approach the entrance herself.

          "I'm having a bad feeling about this, Vatic." Masid cautiously walks behind me as I gesture while he also watches Portia's somewhat odd behavior.

          "Dalakethnon." She proudly says.

          Portia couldn't contain herself as she hurriedly ran inside the former holy ground. My feet are preventing me from following her until Masid pushes me from behind. Are we really doing this? Are we really going to confront the beast? Even if we can find Aela and the three of us do something about him, there's little to no chance we can even scratch that monster. Why is Aela here? What is Portia doing? She's not this careless. And, what am I supposed to do? "It's not the time to overthink, Vatic." I whisper to myself. I have to move or everyone will die.

          Masid and I were welcomed by the Cathedral's intricate interior from the golden pillars along the isle to the heavenly layout of the stage from afar. However, all the furniture was left in devastating wreckage. It's as if a number of storms violently unleashed their wrath right inside this place. It's hard to believe that this was a place of worship, a place of peace, and a place of promised safety. All of those have been blown away from here. It's evident from the huge scratch marks, footprints, and some heavy furniture seemingly thrown to places they shouldn't be, this is the work of Dalakethnon.

          "Vatic, we're in the lion's den." Masid is trying his best to stay level but I can sense the terror building from his core. "Are we sure we're going in?"

          "I'm sure!" I say firmly, controlling my knees from melting. "Avoid any confrontation. The only reason we're here is to search and rescue Aela and Portia."

          "Where are they anyway? Portia is just a few steps ahead of us earlier but she's vanished without any trace."

          "We're here to find out."

          "We should spread out to cover more ground."

          "No! We must stay together. I won't let you get lost in here as well. Just keep your senses sharp."

          I remember the spell where I could sense life energy like what Mother did. It wouldn't hurt if I tried it again here. The fact that I know that Aela and Portia are here in this place should help for the spell to work. Masid helps me clear a small clearing in the middle of the wreckages. As intended, I sit as comfortably as I can, crossing my legs together and putting my hands on my knees. Masid instinctively stands guard just in case something comes charging at us. My senses relax by the second, and my breath steadies.

          I'm in a trance. I'm starting to sense their life energy. I've done it. However, Aela and Portia's locations are worlds apart. Aela seems to be stationary somewhere in the far east while Portia is wondering about somewhere in the far west. The strange thing is they are not the only ones I'm sensing. There is one more and it's not me or Masid as I initially thought. It's someone else. And it's closing in. Fast. It's charging towards us and it appears to have come from the far north of the Cathedral. This isn't good. Dalakethnon found us.

          "Vatic!" Masid took his stance right in front of me. "He's coming!"

          "Run!" I scream, beckoning for Masid and me to take our leave but not specifically out of this place but to somewhere more concealed, somewhere more hidden.

          My desire to save Aela and Portia compels me to stay here instead of fleeing which is what my feet are telling me to do. Masid, as the loyal companion he is, doesn't question my judgment and just follows my lead. I've decided to get to where Portia is because I reckon she's closer than where Aela is. Like the state of the first area, every portion and every room we pass by is as wrecked, more wrecked than the last even. I think I noticed bones lying around but I'm just convincing myself that those are animal bones because if they're not, we're truly in danger here. The longer we're here, the more our fates will be sealed.

          "Portia!" I call out as discreetly as I can.

          "You know what?" Masid sniffs and looks around alongside me. "I'm starting to think Portia is as looney as Aela. And it's so disappointing. She's grown on me but I guess she and Aela are both pain in the ass."

          "Not the time, Masid. Not the time." I know this banter of his is just an attempt to liven up the situation but I don't have the mood. I gesture to one of the balls of fires I conjured to illuminate the area in front of us and the other is left behind us.

          "Sorry. But, it's true though. Who in their right minds will come running towards danger despite the obvious risks? Only looneys do."

          "I must admit that it's irrational for her to come running in here knowing that Dalakethnon is lurking close by."

          "See? So, you agree with me. No take backs."

          "Yeah, sure. Whatever you say, Masid. But, you know what?"

          "What?"

          "I think it's best for you to focus your energy in searching instead of your banters. Can we do that?"

          "Fine. You're the boss."

          We found ourselves in front of the last room where I sensed Portia earlier but the door was closed. Luckily, it isn't locked so I was able to open it without any challenges. Inside, I see what looks like a huge storage room illuminated by the moonlight passing through the massive windows from the ceiling. In the middle of the room, I see Portia eerily standing still, looking at where the light is shining from. Even when the windows are closed, the sensation of the cold night breeze embraces me and lingers on my skin. I approach her.

          "Portia," I reach for her shoulder. "Are you alright?"

          "I don't understand." She tells seemingly to the moon as she's not breaking her gaze off. "I can't find the treasure. Where is the treasure?" The anger is seeping through her but being overpowered by sadness.

          "We'll come back for the treasure, Portia. We must first find Aela and get out of here." I grab her from both her shoulders and make her face me. Tears start to fall from her blue eyes.

          "But this may be our only chance to accomplish our goals, Vatic. We may never have another chance!" She shakes my hands off aggressively.

          "It's suicide, Portia! Don't you understand that?" I match my tone with hers in the hopes that she'll finally listen. "It's better to risk a second chance of coming back than our lives. If Dalakethnon catches us, that'll be the end of us all. Not just you, me, and Aela but the rest of your companions back at the seas. If you're gone, who will dare save them from their misery?"

          "But–" She couldn't form any counterargument. Mine was foolproof.

          "Besides, we haven't found The Nymph's Curse yet. And that's the only way to defeat the monster, right? If we face him head-on now, that will just be in vain."

          "Y-You are the curse, Vatic!" Portia shrieks from the top of her lungs.

          The cold night's breeze seems to become scorching. The air swiftly flees from my body making it extremely hard to have a steady balance. My vision blurs as the veins in my temples beat violently. What is she talking about? I am the curse? The Nymph's Curse? She's bluffing. She just wants to convince herself and even me to stay here and end Dalakethnon, right? There's no way I'm the curse. I'm just the son of the Witch of Hiraya. She told us before that the curse is something hereditary. What does that have to do with me?

          "P-Portia, what do you mean?" I glance at Masid and then back to Portia after realizing that Masid is as shocked as I am.

          "You're hurting me, Vatic." She pleads. I didn't realize I was grabbing her tightly by the arms until she said it. "Let go of me."

          "I'm sorry, Portia. But, please tell me what you know about me." I let go of her, looking at her begging for some answer. Does she really know something about me that I don't?

          "It's what I think about you, Vatic. I'm not certain but that's what seem to be the results of my findings"

          "What findings? Tell me, please."

          She opens her mouth to explain her claims but he found us already. The closed door of this storage room burst open, sending the actual door flying in our direction. Masid pushes us away, saving us from being hit by the flying debris. It's Dalakethnon. His entrance is as loud as a thousand lightning strikes going off at the same time. The aura he emits is as harrowing as the thousands of souls of the missing and the dead. Then, he screams at us from deep within him. It sounds like the screams of all his victims setting off simultaneously. The terror and pity it shoves into my soul triggers a tear to escape. How many has he been killed, how many has he eaten, and how many more will fall in the same fate if he continues to lurk in the shadows of Hiraya?

          "I-It's all y-you're fault!" The guttural voices reverberate throughout the storage room from the depths of Dalakethnon's core. I hear children's voices on top of the voice of the elderly and every other voice in between talking to me. As if his physical form isn't terrifying enough. "Vaaatic!"

          He knows who I am.