Chapter 99: Chapter 99

“You were a knight,” Goddess Eily said, looking back at Khailis with dubious eyes. It felt like she was sizing her up and that she didn’t believe a single word she had just said.

“Well, the last time I checked I haven’t resigned yet, so I still am a knight of this castle,” Khailis proudly said.

She sighed afterwards. Out of all the people in the temple, why did this irritating goddess, who used to obsess over her husband, have to be kidnapped alongside her?

“If you were a knight, why were you so weak back there? You didn’t even fight back when that young boy kidnapped you,” she grumbled.

“Excuse me?” Khailis can’t believe that those words really had to come from the person who was kidnapped along with her. “You were a goddess, so how did you get kidnapped that easily?”

Eily’s face immediately went red. She fumed in anger. “Someone was throwing rocks at us. I had lost consciousness.”

“Well, I don’t have an ounce of magic in me, so I couldn’t have fought if I was bewitched,” Khalis said. Most likely, she had been bewitched by that young boy. It had happened to her before during Shia’s wedding, so it wasn’t possible if it had happened now.

The thoughts of Gavil flashed through Khailis’ mind for a moment. She hoped he was safe somewhere...

“Lady Shia, Goddess Eily, I don’t think this is the best time to fight. We really need to get out of here.” Right after Shia said this, the door of the room burst opened once more, and the youth that Sirion called Gilyan came with a glass of water.

“Here, have a drink.”

Khailis took the glass and greedily drank the water inside. In her thirst, she forgot to be suspicious and drank the liquid without a thought. She could only hope, with all her heart, that it wasn’t poisoned.

“Thank you,” she said after quenching her thirst. “My babies are grateful as well,” Khailis said, rubbing her lower belly in front of him in an obvious manner.

The boy blinked back towards her. “Your babies? Do you mean to say, you are pregnant, Lady Humphrey?”

Khailis frowned a bit. How did this boy know her name? Was she that famous?

“Yeah, I’m pregnant,” she said, blushing afterwards as she realized that she hadn’t even told her mom and dad about it, and yet she was telling some stranger that she was about to become a mother.

He looked at her, dumfounded.“H-How?”

“I got married at Teotroly,” she said. “It was a rushed wedding, so only a few people knew. You could keep it a secret for the time being too, right?”

Goddess Eily, who was listening beside her, elbowed Khailis slightly on the side. Why was she being so open with their abductor? Were they close?

Khailis only threw her a clueless look. Why was the goddess looking at her like she was crazy?

“Speaking of which,” Khailis said, looking back at the youth before her more intently, “have we met before?”

Khailis was positive that she knew this boy even before he had possessed her during Shia’s wedding. It looked like he was close enough to know her last name too. The question was: where and when did they meet?

“I... Do you still remember me?”

“I think I do, but I’m not sure...”

Before the young man could speak, the door of the room flung open, and Shia and Khailis couldn’t believe their eyes.

“His Darkness is looking for you,” the man before them spoke. It was none other than Commander Rus.

Gilyan nodded, and he quickly exited the place, leaving the red-headed commander in charge of the prisoners.

As soon as Gilyan rushed out, Shia called over the commander’s name. “Commander Rus... What happened?”

The dead look in his eyes said it all. He had been controlled by Sirion.

“Commander Rus, do you not know us,” Khailis said, still looking at her former superior in utter shock. She could still remember how full of convinction he was when he declared that he’ll die first before becoming one with the Ancient Evil. She really believed that he would have killed himself rather than be controlled like a puppet. How did the Ancient Evil succeeded in brainwashing such a man?

The man before them was impassive. He stayed silent like a rock. Shia and Khailis could only look in awe at him.

“His eyes are veiled,” Eily said after looking intently at the man standing guard in front of them.

“How did you know?”

“I could see the veil that was drawn over on his face. It’s probably made of wind, which was manipulated with transformative magic.”

“You know about this kind of magic,” Shia said with hope in her voice. “Can you remove it?”

“I could, but not entirely, since I am not the originator of this magic. You do know that only the originator could remove a curse entirely,” Eily said.

After saying this, she tried to fend of something from her hand, but failed. There was still a purplish light that covered her and Khailis on the bed, and the magic she tried to conjure hit it and was immediately absorbed by it.

“Well, remind me to ask that boy later to remove this thing above us,” Khailis said in resignation.

“Let me try,” Shia whispered.

There was a chance, a very slim chance that she coud remove the barrier. Whenever she looked closely at it, she could see a place where the magic is at its weakest. Perhaps if she focused enough on it, she could make an opening.

Shia channelled the power of light from the depths of her soul as she had done so in the past. It was weak, but it was all she needed. She drew a thin line towards the weakest place of the shield.

She was able to make a small tear at first, which became bigger and bigger until it was almost the size of a fist.

“Maybe that’s enough,” Eily said. She tried hurling her own wind magic from her hands again and directing it towards the opening Shia has made. She was able to successfully hurl it past the barrier and into the body of the soldier before him.

Commander Rus’ body quivered.

“The magic is too strong,” Eily observed. She could see that part of the veli covering his face had become lighter than before, but the veil was still there. “I shall try again,” Eily said.

Before she could do anything, however, Gilyan went back into the room, and the three women stilled, their heart beating like crazy from the fright of being discovered.

“Gilyan,” Khailis exclaimed, trying to provide a distraction. “I think I know you, and I believe you know me too.”

Khailis’ ploy was successful. He didn’t see the fist-like tear they had created at one side of the shield that surrounded them. His attention was focused on what Khailis had just said.

“I am a no one, my lady.”

“Nonsense! The only people who call me by that title are those who work in the duchy with my father...”

A sudden realization dwindled in Khailis’ face. “You are... You’re that boy, right?”

Gilyan couldn’t quite look at her. Khailis’ hunch must be right.

“How did you end up here,” Khailis said with an incredulous tone.

Gilyan didn’t answer, or rather he couldn’t answer. He felt too overwhelmed by the fact that Khailis recognized him.

“You are mistaken. I am not that boy.”

“Sure you were! He has eyes as bright as yours. Prince Langrion and I went through so much trouble just to see you walk out alive of Gascone back then.”

The boy’s face look bewildered for a second, but he quickly recovered, and his face was once again masked by an unconcerned expression.

“How is your mother? Did you get to see a doctor for her? Is she well,” Khailis said. She really wondered what had happened to the beautiful woman who accompanied this boy. She was sick when they made the journey that night, and the prince even gave them a health talisman in the hopes of making her feel better.

“Don’t speak of my mother like that, my lady.”

“Why not?... Did she -?” Khailis’ heart grew sorrowful. Did his mother not survive after that?

“Enough,” Gilyan screamed. Glasses from the window across them had suddenly bursted into shards as he spoke. The three women were stunned.

“Enough with your chit chat! Vey soon, His Darkness will come for you. Instead of worrying about me and my mother, why don’t you worry and find a way to take care of yourself, Lady Khailista,” Gilyan said bitterly.

“Gilyan... You know you hold the key for that, right,” Khailis said softly. “You hold the key for me and my children’s safety.”

That was the last straw. Gilyan stormed out of the room and left without a word.

“Great going, Rahul’s wife... Do you think enraging him will help us in this predicament?”

“It sure did. Now, he’s gone again, right? Let’s not waste time. Quickly, please work over your magic to the commander over there, will you?”

“Ah, I’ll help too,” Shia quipped. Khailis’ provocations did help. If they could free themselves from the shield and free the commander, there is a high chance that they could escape this blasted place.