‘Malduk, I see you have found yourself a new host. And a working tamer at that.’
‘Viex, you are free. Long time no see. I have heard word of your liberation but I wasn’t able to welcome you personally.’
There was a laugh. ‘Doesn’t matter. What are you doing with this half baked tamer anyway? I understand that her powers are working but those people from the tribe would be far more useful than this one right here.’
‘You do not understand, Viex. She’s a royal blood.’
‘A royal-’ There was a pause and I can hear a twig breaking and leaves shifting on the ground.
‘What? Do you reminisce about the old times, Viex?’ The voice laughed.
‘Malduk, release that girl immediately.’ There was a low snarl as if it was warning the other party. ‘If you mess with a royal then you mess with me.’
‘Ever so loyal to the royal family even though you don’t even know this one? I guess you have heard. The old royal family is dead. This girl is just a useless sack talent. Unrefined. Such a pity really.’
‘As long as she is still a royal, she is and will be under my protection!’
I started to groan and shift my heavy body awake. ‘Think fast Viex, it would seem that our little lady is finally waking up.’
“Shut up. Five more minutes. Please.” I grumbled and fumbled my hands blindly as I searched for the snooze button to shut the two whispering down. My hands suddenly tapped on a small ball of fur. At first, I thought that it was Custard, but the figure was too small to be him.
Where was he? The last I remembered of him was placing him on a broken piece of wood just before we were swallowed by a whirlpool.
I immediately bolted up and scanned my surroundings. I was apparently washed up on a shore. A very muddy shore. “Ugh!” I scrunch my face in disgust.
‘Nice to see you again, mortal.’ I gasped at the familiar voice and turned my head to the right and saw the white fox standing on a huge fallen log. ‘Or should I say, princess.’ He said and bowed his head in respect before jumping back when I attempted to grab him.
“Don’t you go playing nice with me.” I said. “I haven’t forgotten the time that you pushed me that caused me to hallucinate!”
The fox looked embarrassed for a bit before it regained its composure. ‘Apologies for that, princess. I wasn’t in my right mind at that time. And if I had known that you are of royal blood from Gija, I would have lent you a hand.’
“Yeah, well, too late for that.” I said as I got up and started washing the dirt off of my arms. I saw a movement from the corner of my eye and saw the little fox hopping it’s way from the log and boulders just to sit near me.
‘Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Viex.’
Viex? Now where have I heard that name before?
“Rose.” I said blatantly as I crouched near the river or whatever body of water this is. I scooped up some water and started washing my face.
‘Please form a contract with me.’
I abruptly turned my head just so I could look at Viex. My foot slipped on one of the rocks that I fell face first into the water and started drowning.
‘Good grief!’ Viex yelled and started pulling at the back of my dress just to keep me off of the water.
I flipped my wet hair off of my face and spit a fountain of water out of my mouth as I stared at the fox. “Nope. Sorry. I already have a familiar and his name is Custard.” At the mention of my familiar, I immediately looked around. “Custard!? CUSTARD?” I yelled in a panic as I started running around at the edge of the water. “Where are you?” I kept on calling as the fear of the fox’s offer somehow has a hidden meaning to it.
‘Princess Rose, stop!’ I heard Viex calling out from behind me.
I turned around. Tears threatened to escape from my eyes as I looked at the fox for an answer. “Is that why you wanted to form a contract with me? Because you sense that he is dead!? That Custard is gone!?”
The fox observed me with a scrutinizing gaze before it lowered it’s head to the ground while shaking its head. “I hope this is just because the evil spirit is blocking your sensing because I would be very disappointed in you. Your familiar is alive. I rescued him as well.”
“Where is he?” I asked.
‘Over by that tree. He’s still slee-’ Before he could even finish, I was already headed to the tree that he pointed to where my little wolf was sleeping. I breathed out a sigh of relief as I cradled him in my arms.
‘Girl.’ It was the fox again, standing on one of the massive roots of the tree that he was looking at me at eye level. ‘Think about the contract that I am offering you.’
I faced the estranged familiar once more. “Thank you. Thank you for saving him. But why do you want to form a contract with me?”
The fox shifted his position so he could sit and face me. ‘As I said earlier, my name is Viex and I am a guardian of the royal family. Since you’re the only...royal as of this age, I should be bound to you.’ There was a pained look in his eyes as he said it. Somehow I feel a bit sorry for the guy that I was considering taking his offer.
“You were trapped in that seal for a long time, weren’t you?”
‘When I woke up, Gija was gone.’
“Oh...” I slowly got up while still holding Custard. “I really appreciate the offer but I can’t blindly trust you just yet. Besides, I need to find the others.”
‘Wait!’ Viex suddenly blocked my path. ‘Take me with you. If you stray far from me, Malduk will control you.’
“Malduk?”
‘The evil spirit that is residing within you.’
“Okay...I guess calling it Malduk is better than calling it evil spirit anyway.” I grumbled the last part to myself and felt something within me stir that my knees suddenly gave in that forced me to kneel on the ground.
‘Do not speak his name or he will awaken!’
“Could have told me that sooner. I swear, you spirits just like to hold important information until it is too late. Custard did that too with the pendant.” I sighed. As soon as I felt better, I got up again and started looking around me. “Any chance, you rescued the princes as well?” I asked hopefully.
‘I did not rescue them, but I did see where they drifted off to.’ Viex headed for the opposite direction that I was facing. ‘Come, girl. As soon as we find your friends, I insist that you visit the nymphs and ask for permission to bask in the spring.’
I stared at the foxes retreating back and could not help but grumble. See what I mean? If I had not asked Viex where the princes were, I would have gone the other way and he would have just watched me! I swear. These spirits need to talk more!
I followed the fox through the mossy and forest. The ground was slippery that I kept on tripping on my sandals. Finally, I have had enough and decided to walk barefooted. The fox kept on looking back at me and snickered.
If I wasn’t holding Custard, I would have choked that fox already. Stupid guardian.
“What the hell are these!?” I heard a familiar voice. It was Ren.
“Stop hitting them! They would only grow angrier! PRINCE Ace can you do something about these vines?” It was Nate.
“You think I am not trying?!” And I guess we can all guess who that is.
“It’s them!” I said happily and started running to the direction of their voices.
‘Wait!’ Viex, yet again, blocked my path. ‘I told you to stay close to me! Without my spiritual essence the vines will attack you as well and Malduk can control you in this place whether you are a royal or not!’
I bit my lips but nodded cooperatively. “Lead the way then.” I said and allowed Viex to guide me through the forest until we saw the princes standing with their feet to the river. They were swiping and slicing at the vines that attempted to grab them.
“Hello there!” I greeted them as if nothing was wrong. As if we aren’t stranded on this strange island. As if they weren’t being attacked by vines and I wasn’t possessed by an evil spirit.
All they did was gasp and look at me as Viex jumped on a large rock near them. I followed suit because of the whole ‘Don’t stray away from me’ warning from Viex. He then let out a very feral yet cute and loud growl that I had to stop myself from poking his fur since he was doing something very important. You know, like saving our lives.
In that instant, the vines withdrew themselves as if our presence was suddenly insignificant to them.
“You made it!” Ren screamed and ran out of the water to engulf me in a hug. Well, he wass about to, but PRINCE Ace grabbed his neck to stop him. Ren glared at him. “What?” He demanded.
“I-..We don’t know if that is really her!” He corrected himself, which somehow made Nate laugh out loud.
“I could just watch you two all day.” He says, making me jump as he was suddenly beside me and placing a hand over my shoulder. “What do you say, Rose? Don’t they look stupid?”
“What do you mean?” I asked and leaned in to whisper in his ear. “They’re always stupid.” And then we started laughing.
‘Vampire! How dare you put your arms around the princess!’
“Ow! What the hell!?” Nate snarled and swiped at the little fox. “You!” He growled at Viex, who jumped away from his attack. Ren and Ace joined in as well as they attempted to catch him. But Viex was too slick and slippery that he would simply jump and slip through their feet before jumping and nesting on top of my head.
“Um…”
“What is going on? Why is that thing here?” Ace demanded and pointed his bow at Viex, which made him hiss.
“He’s um...here to help…?”
“How can we be sure that he is not another evil spirit who wants to possess you?”
“Oh don’t worry. He says he is a guardian from Gija that served the royal family. Apparently, he wants to convince him to form a contract with him. Oh and he is also keeping the evil spirit at bay so...yay I am safe?”
The princes were looking at me with wide eyes. Their gazes shifted from me and then to Viex, then back to me.
“Great. This place is just full of surprises.” Ace mumbled. “Are you even sure that it is not lying?”
‘If I was lying I wouldn't have saved you three and switched your bodies instead! Now can we go see the nymphs now?’ Viex said and I gave the princes the translation.
“The nymphs are near. Does he know where they are?”
“Of course I do!” I yelled at him. “Oops. Sorry. I was just translating.”
“Then ask him to get going then! What is he waiting for? The resurrection of his dead owner?”
Uh oh.
I immediately handed Custard to Ren as I grabbed Viex, who was just about to lunge for Ace. “Geez. Could you lay off insulting people? You are going to get yourself into trouble!”
A loud roar from the forest jolted us all. It was coming from the trees behind us where it rumbled and parted as a huge beast emerged. It was a huge green monkey with two lower fangs protruding from its lips. As it stood, I noticed that it was as tall as the trees.
Viex finally calmed down as he addressed the massive beast in front of us and let out a sigh. ‘Great. Iroka. You all just had to awaken a totem.’