Chapter 40: Chapter 40

“Goddess, how can we ever repay you for all the good things that you have done for us?” The chief asked with teary eyes as soon as Ren helped me up on my feet.

I glared at the chief and pointed a finger at him. “Do not get stabbed again. That would be the first one because I am not gonna heal you again even if you start croaking right no-” Nate cut me off by coughing into his hands. It was a warning cough.

I pulled my lips upward and swiped my tongue over my teeth in annoyance. Suddenly, being a goddess is no longer fun.

Even though I still feel sick, I decided to play into character as I made my voice soft and raised my palms in the air. “Mortal, one must not apologize for that. Thank the spirits and not me for they have whispered these commands to me. I simply am a vessel in this world that has come to aid mortals.”

“Goddess, thank you very much!” Fical said.

“Sir, we found the healers who attempted to poison the chief.” A couple of guards - both with tanned skin and red strips of face paint on their cheek - came in and threw the healers that we saw earlier on the ground. Both of their hands were tied behind their backs.

The man looked back at the guard and glared. “I told you that we did not poison the chief!”

Fical stood up and marched over to them. “Then why is there a devil’s root found under the bandage of my father?” he demanded.

“I don’t know! My sister and I would never do such a thing!” He said. His voice rising as he defended their innocence.

At this point, I saw Custard hunching a bit and carefully approached the two.

‘Custard?’ I poked him through our link but he somehow shoved me off. Geez. What is his issue now?

Suddenly, the male healer turned to look at his sister, who was now looking at the ground to cover her face. “Sis?” Upon hearing his voice, the girl suddenly lifted her head. She let out a vicious scream as her body was covered in black veins and the white in her eyes turned dark. Ace, who was closer to them, even took a step back while the guards pointed their spears at the girl and muttered some sort of curse in another tongue.

Custard started to move. He charged and swiped at the air just above the girl. Then I saw him taking a step back as if he was dodging an attack. Either my familiar is going crazy or he can see something that I cannot see.

See? Knowing Custard, maybe he can see things that we can’t normally see with our naked eyes.

A thought suddenly occurred to me and I linked my vision with Custard’s eyes so I can confirm my suspicions. Immediately, I saw a darkened shadow of a figure that looked like a snake. Snapping at me - Custard. I saw myself lunge and tilt my head to snap at the neck of the snake and rip it off of the girl’s neck. The snake shadow vanished after that and Custard was still snapping and barking at the dissipating smoke.

I broke the link and gasped just in time as I saw the girl dropping down on the ground with her face slamming on the floor.

“Jalu!” The boy screamed worriedly at his sister.

“What just happened?” Ren said and directed his gaze at me as he pointed at Custard, who was still barking at the empty air.

“I-...” I started to open my mouth but I couldn’t find the right words to tell them. What should I say and where to begin?

‘Custard, what was that?’ I asked him as I rubbed his chin the moment he returned to my side.

Custard gave me a sad look as if he just killed something that he shouldn’t have. ‘Master, that was a spirit. I think these people are-’

“That is the work of the chalice!” The chief yelled angrily as he pointed his gaze at the healers. “Seize her! She must have the cup!” The chief commanded as he pointed at the unconscious girl on the ground.

“Wait no! My sister couldn’t have!” The man screamed as he tried to defend his sister as they dragged her away. “I was with her the whole time until someone called for us to examine the chief!”

It was Ace who approached the man first and lowered down on one knee to look at the man directly at his face. “Then how about the moment when you were with the chief? Is your sister still with you at that time?”

The man opened his mouth in shock, probably realizing something at Ace’s words. “I-...No. She was gone for a few seconds to get some medicinal herbs. But she would never do that to the chief willingly, nor would she steal a measly cup!” He says.

“Was your sister acting weird the moment she returned?”

“She was...she was walking as if she were in a daze. It was like her mind was elsewhere.”

Ace got up and faced the chief. “What does the chalice do anyway? What is its nature?”

“ANSWER HIM!” I demanded when the chief was taking too long to answer Ace because I was dying of curiosity as well. Then I realized that I was not in character and that I cleared my throat and started again. “I mean, answer him for I have a vision that it is their right to know!” I was getting sick of acting nice that my mean side was just about ready to explode at every opportunity that I get.

The chief thankfully recovered from my outburst as he turned to face Ace. “The chalice is a sacred relic that has been passed down to us for generations. It is said that if you drink from it, then you will get possessed by an evil spirit.”

I stiffen and so did the princes as their heads turned towards me. I took a deep breath, cracked my neck and knuckles, and slowly marched towards the chief and grabbed the beads of necklace from his neck. “You.Made.Me.Drink.From.That.Cup.” I said while smiling through gritted teeth. “Tell me why I shouldn’t knock your teeth out.”

This guy offered me that cup! I drank from it! I f*cking spit and drank from that cup! And now that I remembered it, I am grossed out!

“Goddess, a holy being like you will not turn evil! In fact, I was hoping that by drinking from that cup that your holy grace will purity it! After drinking from the cup yesterday and when nothing happened, I assumed that the cup was purified!”

Yesterday? What happened to me yesterday? Maybe I should ask the princes when I get the chance.

I released my grip from his necklace as I crossed my arms over my chest, but not without giving the chief a vicious look. “Very well.” I said and started to turn back peacefully. But then I changed my mind when I remembered how he offered me the cup knowing the consequences that I grabbed a random flower pot to throw it at the chief’s head. If it weren’t for Ren holding me back, I might have hit the chief.

Thankfully, they did not notice us.

“Father? What shall we do about Macai?” He says while pointing that the male healer, who was now too stunned to even move.

“Lock him up away from his sister and starve him for 3 days.” Says the chief.

“The man is innocent. Why don’t you interrogate him and his sister instead to get some clues?” Nate suggested.

“Silence!” The chief’s vice rose. “You lot are just outsiders. What makes you think you can advise me on how to handle my own tribe?”

“And that is exactly why the chalice was stolen because of your incompe-”

“Okay!” I quickly cut Ace off before he further offends the chief. “I heard the spirits asking me to tell you to allow these men to partake in the interrogation. Allow them to prove that the healer siblings are innocent.” I said as a means that we can somehow find the chalice first and make a run for it. I was getting sick of this place within just a day. I am going to go insane if I have to try and act nicely towards them!

I just want to get this over with.

“And what if they fail?”

“Then whatever! What? You wish for me to decide everything now?” I let out a frustrated sigh and rolled my eyes. At this point I might consider wrapping him up in that blanket - that he is lying down on - like a burrito and suffocate him.

“If they won’t find the culprit before sundown, then I will execute the siblings.”

“Yeah whatever.” Wait. What did he say? “W-Wait! I wasn’t-” Shiet. No one told me it was a touch move conversation!!

“Then that settles it.” The chief decided and the princes suddenly gave me a look with their arms crossed over their bare chest. All I did at that time was to look away uncomfortably and felt even more embarrassed when my stomach growled. “Fical, go and take the goddess to the ladies and have them bring her some food and bath. As for these three, I would like to talk with them while having breakfast to discuss more terms regarding this agreement.” I looked away from the princes as soon as Fical lead me out of the tent.

***

After I had eaten and given a new set of clothes similar to my first one, I sneakily moved out and asked Custard to track down the princes. I mean, I was worried and at the same time feeling guilty that I put them in that situation. I guess all I can do is assist them.

“Guys!” I yelled and ran as soon as they moved away from a very large tent. Nate let out a yawn and rubbed his eyes while Ace was massaging the back of his neck. Only Ren was the only one who smiled when he saw me.

“Hey.” He greeted me before petting Custard.

“What happened back with the chief?”

“The old baloney gave us permission to walk around the tribe and ask questions. Even allowing us to talk to the prisoners. We must provide a strong and efficient evidence that can support our claim.” Ace said and stared at the ground as if he was thinking of something.

“Have you guys eaten?” I asked as I tried to change the subject and I worry about their health sometimes. Yeah, I worry. I can be kind!

I don’t even know if I can help them in this situation.

“Yeah. We have.” Nate says as he yawns loudly again. “Along with the chief’s brother.” Custard must have noticed Nate’s sleep dilemma because he suddenly allowed the vampire prince to sleep on his back. Nate let out a happy sigh as he began to doze off.

“Chief’s brother?” I asked. “You mean Fical’s uncle?”

Ace gave me an irritated look. “What else would you call the sibling of your father? ‘Hey, you brother of my father?’ Well it does sound like something that you would say.” He scoffed.

I looked at Nate, who was looking at us through half closed eyes, and pointed at Ace. “I think he just figured out what you should call the current king of Vertez.” I chuckled and earned a pinch on the ear from Ren. “Ow!” I slapped his hand away and frowned at him.

“That would be nice.” Nate yawned and snuggled more into Custard’s thick and white fur. Poor guy.

“By the way, Rose. I wanted to ask you again.” Ren says as he appeared beside me. “What was up with Custard earlier chasing air?” They were all giving me curious glances now. Even Nate opened an eye to hear my response.

I glanced at Custard as I realized that I forgot to ask him about that question again. My familiar met my gaze and understood my question. “He said it was a spirit.” I said as I relayed Custard’s words to them. “He says that those spirits are the same ones as him.” As the words left my mouth, a shiver went down my spine as I started to get goosebumps. The prince’s were wide with shock and even Nate was fully awake now. “He thinks that…” I felt my lips twitching and I don’t even know why I feel like crying.

“He says what?” Ren grabbed my hand to support me for what I was about to reveal.

I felt blood draining from my face as I continued. “He thinks that these people are tamers.”