chapter sixteen;
master of the abyss

—

FACE to face with the monster gave me a different feeling from when I imagined it. Dread lingered in the air, and the temperature dropped. Its stare when I meet its eyes seemed to be seeping the life out of my body.

It was polar opposite from what I felt when I first saw Willow. When I saw Willow, I felt courageous, like even if it was dangerous, I still ran towards it. But this one, everything was just spelling out despair.

I took a step back—aware that it wasn't an ordinary enemy. Napalunok din ako nang wala sa oras, at bahagyang napatingin sa entrada no'ng kweba. The dragon's egg was still there. We needed to protect it. If not, something that we couldn't turn back would happen.

At mukhang gano'n din ang nasa isip ni Kallisto no'ng senyasan niya si Lincoln at si Stepmother. They both moved warily, and the monster snarled like it was going to attack if they did anything more than change positions.

It was such a sight. Monsters didn't care about being careful or anything strategic. They were savages. They just attack and create massive bloodshed. But, what I was seeing right now was—it being wary.

Those kinds of monsters weren't peculiar for me since they were the kind of monsters that Avalon used against Juno and Azazel in Fatebound. But, they were something new to Kallisto and the others.

Kahit malakas pa ang kabog ng puso ko pinilit ko pa rin mag-isip kung paano ako makakatulong sa sitwasyon na 'to at do'n nahagip ng mga mata ko si Willow. She saw me, and immediately jumped on my shoulder.

"Willow, can you please guard the egg and make sure it'll be safe?" mahinang bulong ko rito. Kallisto glanced at me quickly because he heard what I said to Willow. After all, I was just behind him.

Tumango kaagad si Willow at mabilis na pumasok ulit sa kweba, habang kinuha ni Lincoln at Stepmother 'yong atensyon no'ng monster na nakatitig sa akin kanina dahil pumunta si Willow sa balikat ko.

The two owls that were behind us were oozing with hatred energy. Instead of being afraid for their lives, they wanted revenge. I wanted to applaud their braveness, but it wasn't the time for them to get it.

They might end up like the others from their group.

"Evienne," Kallisto mentioned, and I gulped a little. "Stay back and watch with the owls if there were other monsters or even someone that might see everything." Tumango kaagad ako nang mabilis kahit alam kong hindi niya nakita ang ginawa ko.

"Well handle this." Huling sambit niya at saka siya sumugod sa monster kasama si Stepmother at Lincoln, at ako naman kaagad sinunod ang sinabi niya at hinila si Marlo at Dacher papalayo sa labanan na magaganap.

"Please search the area well. The ones who are behind that mutated monster might be here," seryosong sabi ko sa kanila, pero mukhang hindi nila gusto gawin 'yon dahil gusto nilang maghiganti.

"Safety comes first, your revenge... you'll get it later. Don't you think it's more satisfying to pluck out the root than just the leaves?" makahulugang dagdag ko sa kanila, kaya naman natahimik sila at walang nagawa kung hindi sumunod sa akin.

They nodded and turned into their owl forms to search for anything suspicious around the place. They would be more helpful that way, as I felt like Avalon might arrive in here any minute from now, or if they don't, then it would be more in our favour, but still, it was better being ready.

Dumiretso naman ako sa entrada no'ng kweba at nakita ko sa loob si Willow ro'n na nakayakap ang buntot sa itlog. Habang tila umiilaw 'yong itlog ng kulay lila dahil sa Abyss ni Kallisto.

I wanted to help the fight even when afar, so I unleashed my Celestia and put it like bracelets on Lincoln and Stepmother. If they were injured they would easily heal through it.

While I helped Kallisto by wrapping the Abyss that was forming like claws of a wild animal with my Celestia. That would make it stronger because his abyss wasn't as complete as he was sharing it to keep the egg alive.

Napalingon siya sa akin saglit sa ginawa ko pero hindi naman siya nagalit. Instead, I felt like he was even relieved that I didn't push myself to be involved in the fight.

Hello, alam ko naman matigas ang ulo ko, pero alam ko naman kung saan ako dapat umatras at kung saan ako pwede lumaban.

And rather than fighting that monster, I wanted to watch how they could defeat it. Because I wanted to see how strong it was against Kallisto, who was the weakest Abyss. I wondered if his Abyss changed and how much my Celestia was helping him.

Pero kung hindi nila kakayanin, pasensyahan na lang kasi susugod at susugod ako para tingnan kung gaano na kalakas si Aqua. That massive turtle and serpent was the missing piece for the water, and I knew that Aqua wasn't ordinary with that amount of power.

Aqua, can you create a massive area that wouldn't budge from different attacks? I asked Aqua through my mind.

I didn't want that monster to escape and let others know that something was happening here. I wanted to keep everything in one place.

[ Like an enclosed domain? So no damages to the surroundings? And others would only see an illusion that everything's okay? ]

Kaagad akong tumango sa sinabi niya. And then she instructed me about what to do, and just like that... I felt a massive amount of water surrounding almost half of the entire mountain.

Waaaa. The water wasn't really to be joked with.

Nang makulong kami sa enclosed domain. Kaagad nagsimula ang laban.

Sumugod si Lincoln sa monster, at kaagad ginamit no'ng monster 'yong malaking buntot nito para salagin 'yong espada ni Lincoln.

Nangilabot kaagad ako sa nasaksihan. There was a violent gush of air in the surrounding because of how strong the force that Lincoln used. His sword was also glowing with a transparent aura.

However, the alligator tail of the monster was sturdier than he expected. His eyes widened on how it didn't seem to affect the monster. Napatalon kaagad siya paatras dahil do'n, pero kaagad siyang sinugod ng monster.

Stepmother tried to get the monster's attention by using her mana. She tried to attack it with mana circles and rain with sharp drops, but it was all swept away by the tail again. And Stepmother jumped in a huge tree branch to dodge the claws of the monster.

Halos lumubog 'yong lupa dahil sa atakeng 'yon. Pero mabilis din nagbabato si Stepmother ng mga atake gamit ang magic sa monster, at sinabayan 'yon ni Lincoln ng mabibilis na atake gamit ang espada niya.

He was getting pushed back by the monster's strength and was getting cut by its sharp nails, but with my Celestia healing him, he was managing to attack without receiving fatal damage.

Habang umaatake si Stepmother at Lincoln, kumilos na rin si Kallisto. He put some Abyss on his feet to maneuver in the air easier, and he used the claw-shaped abyss to attack the monster simultaneously.

Sobrang bilis ng atake na ginawa ni Kallisto na aakalain mong may isa pang halimaw na kalaban 'yong monster. Pero mabilis nakakaiwas at nakakatalon paatras 'yong monster habang sinasalag lahat ng atake gamit ang buntot niya.

But of course, with the consecutive attacks of the three, some of it went through even the strong defense. Napangisi ako nang kaunti dahil do'n. That monster was really strong, however, it wasn't like what Juno and Azazel fought during the war.

It was really still in the experimental stage. Avalon. That fucking group would do more to make hundreds of these mutated and vicious monsters that'd cause the destruction of all the Kingdoms and Elysia.

The monster growled because of the pain, so he used his mouth to produce fire breathing suddenly. Kaagad napatalon si Lincoln papalayo dahil do'n, ngunit hindi siya tinantanan no'ng monster at kaagad na ginamit no'n ang claw niya para patayin si Lincoln, pero nagawa niya 'yong salagin gamit ang espada, at mabilis siyang inalis ni Stepmother sa sitwasyon na 'yong gamit ang portal niya.

Lincoln ended up near Stepmother, then Kallisto started striking the monster again using the Abyss's claws. Sinuntok ni Kallisto ng ilang beses 'yong monster gamit ang abyss niya at kaagad 'yong tumalbog pataas dahil sa sunod-sunod na suntok ni Kallisto.

The monster was in the air receiving powerful and consecutive punches from the claws, and the final attack was when Kallisto aimed the abyss's fist higher than the monster in the air, then punched it with power to land straight into the ground.

Halos yumanig ang buong lugar at muntik na akong matumba sa kinatatayuan ko dahil sa impact no'n. Sinalag ko rin ang matinding hangin gamit ang mga braso ko. Halos umusok ang buong lugar sa atakeng 'yon at no'ng marahan 'tong mawala, kitang-kita mo kaagad ang bitak-bitak na lupa at putol-putol na puno sa paligid.

Buti na lang ginamit ko 'yong enclosed domain! With its impact, paniguradong may makakatunog na may nangyayari dito!

[ His control of the Abyss... is commendable. ] Narinig kong sambit ni Aqua bigla sa utak ko, at napangisi naman ako ro'n. I was proud of Kallisto. Back then, he couldn't even dream of being fully in control of his power, but looking at his back now... it was so dependable.

Nevertheless, the monster still stood up with glaring eyes. He growled so loud that my ear almost bled. Nangilabot din ako dahil biglang humaba ang mga sungay ng monster, at ginamit niya 'yon para sumugod kay Kallisto.

Pero hindi nagpatalo si Kallisto, he used his Abyss on his legs, and he got ready to kick the monster. Nang makalapit 'yon walang alinlangan niya 'yong sinipa nang ilang beses na para 'yong bola at sa huling tadyak umikot pa siya sa ere para bumuwelo.

Halos maputol ang napakaraming puno dahil sa lakas ng ginawang atake ni Kallisto. The monster was growling in pain and was bleeding now. But, it didn't even show a sign of slowing down or backing down.

Damn, it really showed why the owls couldn't win against this monster. Dahil kahit patuloy ang tira ni Kallisto rito talang hindi tumitigil 'yon sa pagsugod. Stepmother was also trying to stealthily injure it, but it managed to avoid each attack, even when being thrown around by Kallisto.

The monster stood up again, and didn't waste any second and jumped towards Kallisto, baring its fangs and claws. Kallisto flew around to dodge it while launching strong strikes using the claw Abyss.

Halos magsukatan ng lakas 'yong Abyss at 'yong monster, pero nakapamulsa pa si Kallisto sa pakikipaglaban.

Damn, I suddenly wanted to fangirl, but with this situation, Kallisto would probably throw me a pebble on my head if I ever utter anything.

Napasilip ako saglit kay Willow at do'n sa itlog ng dragon at pinoprotektahan 'yon ni Willow kagaya ng sinabi ko sa kanya.

The fight between Kallisto and the monster continued, and the monster didn't back down even if it had no chance of winning against Kallisto. They might have won against other strong beasts and creatures in this land, but they wouldn't have the strength to overpower an Abyss.

The monster was unfortunate to be found by Kallisto. If it were just Lincoln and Stepmother, the monster might win without struggling so much. However, it was helpless against the strongest being in Cielo.

The monster stood up again even with just one eye open—the other was bleeding because of Kallisto's attacks. Still, it went all out to strike without hesitation while roaring towards the man who was looking blankly at it.

Tumakbo nang sobrang bilis 'yong monster papunta kay Kallisto pero tumayo lang si Kallisto nang tuwid. He put his hand horizontally and straightly in the monster's direction.

And without saying anything, the Abyss surrounded his arms, and with it, he gathered the Abyss's force and mana. It formed a huge circle that was glowing purple, and when the monster was half-way away from him, he released that circle and it caused a huge blast of power towards the monster.

My lips parted a little with how strong it was, and I took a step back. I also activated the water celestia to create a shield because the air and the impact was really strong. Stepmother and Lincoln even flew away from that blast, so I also used my Celestia to create a bubble shield for them.

Ganoo'n din ang ginawa ko para kay Willow at sa dragon egg, at sa mga owl na nanunuod sa laban habang tulala kung gaano makapanindig balahibo 'yon.

When I thought everything would be finished with that attack, the monster suddenly emerged from Kallisto's back. Nanlaki ang mga mata ko sa matinding gulat. Damn! That was fast and powerful!

But I saw Kallisto's eyes shift towards the monster who was ready to devour his head with its mouth. My heart pounded in anticipation, but what would happen next, but I also worried for Kallisto.

Pero kitang-kita ko na para bang bumagal ang lahat-lahat no'ng bigla niyang sikuhin 'yong baba no'ng halimaw. The monster's head was pushed back, and the strength of Kallisto's simple move showed when it flew mid-air!

Mukhang hindi nakuntento si Kallisto sa ginawa niya, at kaagad siyang lumipad sa ere gamit ang Abyss sa mga paa niya at hinawakan ang isang sungay no'ng halimaw bago muling itapon sa ere.

It was so high that it surpassed the tall trees around this forest, and it would probably looked like a bird in the sky. They even surpassed the roof of the domain I created.

Then, Kallisto followed the monster, and that tiny dot in the sky grew bigger as it fell quickly to the ground.

The bubble shield that I created almost popped because of the substantial impact that the monster's fall caused. Halos mapanganga ako sa tindi no'n. Kallisto was slowly descending to the ground, too, while eyeing at the monster.

Mukhang gamit ang isang paa niya ay tinapakan niya nang may pwersa 'yong monster sa ere kanina kaya gano'n na lang ang naging resulta ngayon.

The dust in the air vanished a little, and the monster was bleeding heavily. Its one horn was torn from its head, and it was disgusting to see how blood and muscles were seen from it.

When I looked at Kallisto's hand, the horn that was torn apart from the monster was in his hand. Napalunok ako dahil sa matinding pagkamangha sa kanya.

Damn, Kallisto really grew stronger the past days while training his Abyss, and it looked like my complete Celestia really made him far from what he was back then when we fought Willow.

Now, he wasn't just a shell of the Abyss.

He was now the master of it.

Before the monster could stand up again, Kallisto landed on its body, and using its own horns that were strengthened by the Abyss's aura; he decapitated the head from its body.

Itinapon niya rin kaagad 'yon at saka sabay na lumanding si Stepmother at Lincoln para lumuhod at tumungo sa harap ni Kallisto. They gave him respect and heeded Kallisto's words.

Lumakad naman ako papalapit kay Kallisto at narinig ang sinasabi niya sa kanila.

"Take this monster in the Crown Prince's alchemy and investigation unit. Make sure to keep it quiet." Napatango naman kaagad si Stepmother. Alam niyang kailangan imbestigahan ang tungkol sa mga monster na 'to.

"Lincoln," tawag naman nito sa swordsmaster.

"Please say your orders, Your Highness," malalim na boses na tungon ni Lincoln sa amo.

"Help Mildred in this, then after that make sure to clean up this place." Tumango kaagad ang dalawa at mabilis na sumunod para isagawa ang inutos sa kanila.

Stepmother used magic to store the bodies of all the monsters in the place to her magic storage. Lincoln and her stepped inside the portal after that, and it looked like they would be back later with all the necessary mages to clean the place.

Woah, they were really meticulous.

The owls joined us to report about their findings, too.

"Everything's clear," maikling sambit ni Marlo.

"There weren't anything in the place. Beast, wild animals, nor monsters. The people in the outskirts and the city weren't alerted either. Everything that happened, the only witness were the ones in this place." Kallisto nodded with satisfaction at Dacher's clear report.

Nakahinga naman ako nang maluwag kasi maayos 'yong naging enclosed domain na ginawa ko. Tinanggal ko rin 'yon dahil maayos na ulit ang lahat.

"Then, we should go back to the inn, as it might be dangerous to stay around here." The two owls bowed their heads as a form of respect to Kallisto. Although Marlo seemed like he didn't want it, he still recognized how powerful the Abyss was.

It wasn't just an empty story. Those two saw how their elders struggled with the monsters, but this man in front of them just tossed it around like it was some toy.

I smiled at Kallisto when he shifted his gaze on me. Lumapit kaagad ako sa kanya at lumayo 'yong dalawang owl.

"If you were that strong, you should have helped with Willow." I nudged at him teasingly.

'Yong Prince Watching na naging Prince Jumping, ngayon Prince Fighting na. Iba talaga improvement! Sana all!

"Who was the one who told me to just stay still that night again?" he replied with a sharp tongue. That was why I rolled my eyes at him.

He walked towards the destroyed cave, and I did, too. But I couldn't take off my eyes from his cheek. There was a slight cut in it. Mukhang galing do'n sa biglang pagsulpot no'ng halimaw sa likod niya sa huling laban nila.

He didn't seem to mind it, though.

Tumigil ako sa paglalakad para sana gamutin 'yon, pero hinila niya ako bigla kaya hindi ko 'yon nagawa. We walked together and saw Willow protecting the egg with branches that formed a circle while my bubble shield was still protecting them.

I used my Celestia to remove some debris from where they were, and Kallisto just let me do that. Lumapit din ako kay Willow at do'n sa dragon egg para kunin sila parehas. Mukhang nakahinga naman nang maluwag si Willow kasi ligtas ako, at nanlaki ang mga mata niya nang makitang may daplis si Kallisto sa pisngi.

"P-Prince..." she struggled saying, and Kallisto's the forehead knotted.

I just smiled at Willow as she rested on my shoulder. At 'yong itlog na hawak ko naman kaagad kong ibinigay kay Kallisto. It was a little big because it was a dragon. And it was heavy for me, too.

Mas kuumunot ang noo niya sa ginawa ko. "Hold it with you since it needs the Abyss," I said to him, and he sighed.

He lowered his head a little and looked at the huge black egg. He looked like he couldn't believe he was holding a dragon. I cackled inside my head. Well, there would be more amusing things ahead if you were next to me.

Because I have a grand goal of maintaining the Seventh Kingdom to live there peacefully. But, I knew that before that... there would be awful events that would make everything challenging.

I sighed secretly and turned my head towards Kallisto.

The cut on his cheek was bleeding, and the drips were cascading down his cheek, he seemed to notice it, so he was about to touch it, but I beat him to it.

I brushed my thumb softly while focusing on healing it so it wouldn't leave a mark. I couldn't help but smile as my Celestia slowly erased that cut.

Nang matapos kong gawin 'yon napatingin ako kay Kallisto at nakitang nakatitig siya sa ginawa ko at mukhang gulat dahil medyo namimilog ang mga mata at medyo nakaawang ang labi.

"This face is a treasure, don't you know?" I joked at him while chuckling daintily. Sa gwapo ba naman ng mukhang 'to, hindi pwedeng magkasugat! Hindi ko hahayaan!

"So, don't come back with scar, okay?" I added cheerfully, and Kallisto was speechless but absentmindedly nodded his head.

Tinanggal ko ang kamay ko sa mukha niya at kaagad hinawakan ang pulsuhan niya para hilahin siya paalis, at nagpadala naman siya sa akin.

We walked together as he turned to the egg invisible. The owls were flying around, following the two of us.

It was nighttime now. The moon was shining brightly in the night sky. The stars were aligning as constellations. It was such a view; if it weren't for the destroyed trees and land, it would have been perfect.

Geez, sobrang sirang-sira pala talaga 'yong lugar. The mages with earth and plant attributes would really need to fix this mess because the Marquis of Cudthon would flip a table knowing how a considerable part of the land was destroyed in just one night.

"Are you planning on keeping this egg?" Kallisto broke the silence as the wind blew.

I nodded simply. "I wanted to fulfill the dragon's last wish..." Napabuntonghininga nang malakas si Kallisto na para bang panibagong sakit ng ulo na naman 'yong dragon, pero wala rin siyang magagawa.

"Well, unless you want to put the dragon egg somewhere, who knows what might happen? It might suddenly go berserk like what happened to Yule, or it might fall in the hands of some evil people," kibit-balikat na dagdag ko pa, kasi alam kong hindi hahayaan ni Kallisto mangyari 'yon.

"Touché," he reacted while snorting, and I cackled.

He was a careful and calculating prince. He wouldn't take risks without benefits.

And the egg was safer in our hands than just abandoning it anywhere.

He already saw how Yule and Willow could be helpful, so he knew in the back of his head that this dragon was better if it was an acquaintance than an enemy.

Sobrang totoo no'n! Kaya nga balak ko sana gawing kakampi 'yong nanay no'ng itlog, eh. Kaso huli na 'yong lahat.

I wonder what Avalon would do now that there was a missing piece in their game and plans. What would replace the dragon that they lost now?

Pakiramdam ko sasakit lang ang ulo ko dahil do'n, kaya hindi ko muna inisip.

Kallisto and I just continued walking together without saying anything as my mind flew while thinking about the dragon's egg.

No matter how much I think about it, there was no dragon's egg in Fatebound. It was only the dragon that died. Well, there might be other dragons in the whole of Cielo, but the one involved in the story was just that black and silver-eyed dragon.

I was sure it was her, because I saw her in my dreams.

But... how did it end up dying this early? That dragon died after attacking the Seventh Kingdom because it couldn't maintain the berserk half-human, and half-dragon state.

The Avalon didn't revive that dragon either. It was alive and weak when they got it, and they experimented on it to make it their dragon. I didn't know the whole process on how they managed to do it as Juno and Azazel also didn't know it.

All I knew was what they knew, so it was really making me feel so weak and helpless as there were a lot of puzzles to solve.

Geez, I should have given the dragon a lot of background and not just a simple: the dragon experimented for it to be used against the Seventh Kingdom's downfall.

Pakiramdam ko mag-o-overheat lang 'yong ulo ko sa kakaisip ng mga nangyayari ngayon at nangyari sa Fatebound. Geez! Why was I in the middle of this complicated mess? I should have really never written anything!

"Evienne." Nawala ako sa pag-iisip no'ng bigla kong marinig ang boses ni Kallisto na tumawag sa akin.

"Yeah?" I blinked at him confusingly.

"We'll prepare things, and when Mildred comes back, we'll teleport back to the Palace immediately."

"Huh?! No!" alma ko kaagad sa kanya.

"What?" asar na sagot niya.

"Uh, the owner of the inn and other people might become suspicious of why we suddenly left. Let's stay for a while please!" nagpapaawang sabi ko sa kanya, pero nanatiling malamig ang mga titig niya sa akin.

"Just one night! Let's leave tomorrow instead! I wanna join their little party later, too!" I added to him, and he sighed while shaking his head.

"Just up 'til tomorrow."

"Yes, yes!" I nodded at him.

Napailing na lang siya no'ng makitang masigla na ulit ako. I smiled at him; then, instead of just walking, he used the abyss so we could fly and go back to the outskirt easier.

Nang malapit na kami naglakad na lang ulit kami at 'yong dalawang owl naman ginamit 'yong stealth nila para makapasok sa inn kung nasaan sina Yule.

When we entered inside our room, Kallisto put up a barrier to be safe and put down the egg in the bed. Yule jumped and became curious of it.

Ang loko kinatok pa talaga 'yong itlog na para bang sasagot 'yon at inilagay ang tainga niya ro'n.

I cackled. "Yule, matakot ka kapag sumagot 'yan."

It tilted its head on the side like it wondered what egg it was. Before answering, I looked at the other owls on the side. Their elders were beside them and now awake. They were all sitting on the wooden sofa in there. They were all in their owl form.

Dacher and Marlo also joined them and they were all looking at me.

"That's... a dragon's egg."

Nanlaki ang mga mata nila dahil sa sinabi ko. Halos lumipad pa 'yong mga maliliit at batang owl para magtago sa likod no'ng mas malaking owl sa kanila. Kallisto just sighed because he understood why they were afraid of it.

The dragon might be considered a beast like them, but it was still on another level as it was a mythical creature. Of course, they would be scared.

"Before the dragon's egg issue," Kallisto started as he sat down on the bed, so I sat down, too, beside him. Yule immediately went to Kallisto's lap, and Willow settled down on mine. We were now facing the owls. "What are you going to do?" he asked them.

Natigilan ang mga owl sa tanong ni Kallisto. My heart suddenly became heavy.

There were only two elders now, three teens and four children. They might be beasts, but it would be tough for them, especially now that their place was destroyed, and Avalon might go in there. They weren't safe in that forest anymore.

The two elders transformed in their human form, and the others followed except the children who hadn't even gone through their first transformation phase.

"We... we have nowhere to go..." nahihirapang sambit ng matandang babae. Her hair was pure grayish white. Nanghihinang tumango ang katabi nitong matandang lalaki na gano'n din ang kulay ng buhok.

The woman was petite, and the man was more on the heavier side, but they looked so fragile right now. They were still recovering.

"We wanted to go back to that forest again and rebuild our homes, but those monsters... we are afraid for the children's life..." mahinang sambit no'ng matandang babae. I understood her fears complete because the children were really in danger if they ever went back.

"If we went around finding a new place to settle in, the other beasts might cause an issue," dagdag pa no'ng matandang lalaki.

Kallisto sighed because even though the beasts were collectively called 'beasts'. They were wary and not the kind that got along with each other. Sometimes, they were even each other's enemies.

Nagkaro'n nang matinding katahimikan dahil do'n. At nagulat kami ni Willow no'ng biglang tumalon si Yule paalis kay Kallisto at pumunta kasama 'yong maliit na mga batang owl.

He cooed like he was saying something then made himself like he was also a cute ball like those baby owls.

Mukhang close na talaga ni Yule 'yong mga owl kahit ilang oras pa lang lumipas. Naks! Mana talaga sa akin si Yule. Iba talaga ang impluwensya ko. Wahahaha!

"It might be presumptuous of me, Your Highness, the Prince of the Seventh Kingdom..." magalang na imik no'ng nakatatandang owl bago tumungo kay Kallisto.

"But... could we stay in your land for the time being while we are searching for a new place to settle in?" mahina at kabadong sambit no'ng babaeng owl.

Sabay-sabay silang lumuhod sa harap ni Kallisto. Pati si Marlo na malaki ang personalidad ay nagawang tumungo para sa hiling na 'yon. Napalingon ako kay Kallisto at nakita ko ang blankong mukha niya.

I gulped secretly. I couldn't really read what he was thinking now.

Honestly, I wanted to take the owls with me. They were the most stealthy beast. They were great assassins and would be my greatest eyes and ears in the upcoming war and the Avalon.

Kaso nga lang wala pa akong lupa sa lugar na 'to, tsk! Nako, kung hindi kasi masyado maraming ganap kaagad e 'di nakuha ko na sana 'yong mga yaman dito, para nakabili na ako ng lupa.

"Let's face it, what you said is not going to benefit me at all, nor the Seventh Kingdom. You are just going to use me," seryoso at malamig na sambit ni Kallisto kaya't nanginig 'yong mga owl sa kaba at takot sa kanya.

I nudged at him, but he glared at me icily, like saying that he would do that talking now because if I opened my mouth, it'd be such a loss for him. I suddenly couldn't rebut. Because that would be the truth.

"Your Highness..." they said helplessly. "Please show us mercy."

"Then why don't I take advantage of you? It would only be fair if I could gain things, too."

"Your Highness?" nalilitong imik no'ng lalaking matanda.

"Be my eyes and my ears in things that I needed to monitor secretly." The smirk on his face gave me goosebumps.

What a scammer.

I couldn't help but think.

Wait! Gano'n din ang naisip ko, ah?! E 'di parehas kaming scammer?! Naks, same wavelength na ba kami nito? Nako, Kallisto, mukhang namamana mo na 'yong pagiging witty ko.

Dapat sa susunod magsabi ka na sa akin nang: Salamat, Evienne!

Hays, me and my influence talaga ang pinakamagandang nangyari sa mundong 'to!

"If you want to live in my land... then be my people."

And I couldn't help but smile with his words to the owls. His people, not his beasts. Looked like I really chose the right hands to take.

I looked at the owls as they met my gaze that was full of confusion on how an Abyss could accept beasts that easily. I smiled at them and nodded my head as if encouraging them to take his hand because he was their only and best choice.

Well, where would you find someone more awesome than my Abyss?

—

ツ