BORDERS OF ASKAVAN, HUMAN TERRITORY
Cataleia found herself in the docks of Askavan by daylight. The soles of her feet were worn and bloody from running without footwear. Her dress was muddied and her face was blackened from hiding in the furnaces of every home she had sought refuge in.
The folks of Askavan knew who Cataleia was by her dress. The nightgown was only given by the Governor to his wife or to his concubines.And everybody knew what being a concubine of the Governor feels like.
So with what little they could do, they offered to hide Cataleia until she was in the borders, and from there, she is to figure out what she must do to not be caught.
Tarpaulins of her bounty were posted across every bulletin board and post in the streets. Cataleia needed a shift of appearance in order to live another day.Orders had given her clothes to wear, but the girl refused to accept,justifying herself as: 'she didn't want to be caught like a coward'.
Cataleia was infamous because of her father.
Sir Raighlei Reiss, a Knight of the Kingsguard, was a commander and a leader. However, he was banished and stripped from his noble titles after failing to defend a certain city in the South, near the borders of the Valley of Ghouls, Kei'zha. The reason for his dismissal was incompetence.
Labelled as the 'Daughter of the Failed Knight', their family was stripped of their lands and wealth, and the once lady— Cataleia Evangelya Reiss, has now become nothing more than a maid.
The Governor took notice upon her exotic beauty during her father's funeral, which was held by the Palace. Sir Reiss, despite loathed by the Mother Queen, was pardoned with respect by the young King of the Human Territory.
But it wasn't very long that Cataleia learned how to snap.
She had killed the Governor and brought calamity upon herself after she had done the deed. There was no more turning back.
At this moment, she is now the enemy of Askavan.
"Girl! Over here!" a voice beckoned her to come from a bakeshop near the docks. Cataleia squinted her eyes and throttled toward the shop, all wiggly from her exhausting journey. Her lips were crusted and she was pale as the white sands of the beach that stretch ahead of them.
Wobbling, Cataleia was caught by the baker just in time before she collapses to the ground. "You oughta wake up a 'lil longer, michild." the baker said. "Your daddy not 'gon be proud to see you wilting like that."
Cataleia fought to open her eyes. "Sir... Wilhelm?"
"Uncle Wilhelm, michild." he shook her. "Come inside. I'll hide you for a bit."
The poor girl was brought into the home of Sir Wilhelm Reiss, also a former Knight, but now retired, her uncle.
Wilhelm spanned his rich blue eyes across the dock and check if there were suspicious eyes fixated on him and his niece. He could see some, in the form of simple commoners who pretend to blend in the commonfolk and speaking to bargaining fishermen.
Wilhelm gritted his teeth and brought back the girl into his small hut in the sands.
At evening, Cataleia regained her consciousness and found her uncle stirring a pot outside. The night had already fallen and the hour grew only more anxious now that the news must have throughly spread throughout the kingdom.
Cataleia moistened her dry lips and looked around the cabin before looking at her uncle.
"Feeling better, now, child?"
"Uncle Wil." Cataleia croaked in the lowest voice she could manage. "Uncle Wil... I..."
"I know what you have done." Wilhelm told her in a firm voice before entering the cabin and grabbing a small straw bag. "Tonight, you will leave Askavan."
"But I have nowhere to go." Cataleia reached out to her uncle's arm and pleaded. "Uncle, please, take me to Father's relatives across the Serpent Sea. They will take good care of me there!"
"Enough, Cataleia." Wilhelm told her in a cold voice. "You will leave tonight. I have packed you some silver and clothes. Leave the human territory for good. I will tell them that you are dead."
"But Aleis and Mother—"
“I said you have to leave.”Wilhelm clarified one more time. "The Reiss have caused enough trouble. Sooner or later, they have you mangled in a spike near the capital. Your mother and Aleis will follow the same fate."
"Mother has sold me to become the Governor's concubine! The Governor tried to force his way on me! The silence he has now is well-deserved of him! Had he been in the South, across Serpent Sea, the women wouldve had his head on a pike too!"
"Watch your mouth!" Cataleia earned the wrath of her uncle. The girl turned frozen at his uncle's remark and shuddered at the thought of him shouting against her.
Though him and her father were twins, they were both very different. Her father was gentler and was more refined and calm. However, Uncle Wilhelm was hot-headed and strict.
Seeing the girl tremble, Wilhelm palmed his stressed forehead and sighed deeply. "The next time you will run your mouth, will be the last. Do you want your final words to be a sentence of whining?"
Cataleia clenched her jaw. "No, Uncle."
"The King will have our heads for this." Wilhelm told her. "People in the capital are snitching."
"If I must leave, then where will I go? I cannot possibly leave my hound and Aleis back home. Aleis is only six."
"Then you should've controlled yourself when you grabbed that vase."
Cataleia clenched her fists into small, whitened balls and tightened her jaw. "Had I not fought, the Governor would've continued raping little girls."
"Had you not fought, you would not have to drag forty other people with you to the pikes."
"What are you talking about?"
"The people who have helped you, I trust you have not forgotten their names and faces?"
Cataleia's throat slowly became dry. "Why..?"
"News this morning erupted that whoever helped the young assassin escape, will be executed before the Duke and His Royal Grace. And to those who can give names, will be given rewards."
Cataleia's chest shrank and sank.
"You must leave Askavan. You are hated here."
Cataleia's jaw trembled as cold sweat formed on her forehead. The young girl tied her pale, ashy hair and took a deep breath before walking into the dinner table to grab a few pieces of cold loaves. Her uncle watched as she stared at him with a dead expression.
"Then I should leave now."
"Ain't no better time."
Wilhelm threw the bag to her and headed into the sands to grab a fishing boat. Cataleia raced through the sands and braced herself.
"Uncle, you're going to die too. People saw me approaching you in the docks. You should come with—"
"I have to find your mother and sister. Your father wanted me to protect them."
"And Connie." Cataleia closed her eyes and breathed. "Release Connie from his kennel. He is a direwolf and he knows how to fight. He is trained. If one hurts Aleis, Connie will make sure one isn't able to walk back home."
"Quite a beast this Connie is, then."
All of a sudden, they were shifting in behind the trees. Wilhelm looked at his niece and then pushed her into the boat. He threw the paddle on her face and pushed the boat farther into the water.
"Uncle..." she called out to him before grunting in pain.
Her uncle drew out his sword as several men of the Kingsguard leaped from the bushes. They all unsheathed their sharp steel and dared to step forward to challenge the former Knight of the Kingsguard. Cateleia’s eyes widened. ‘No, this can’t be!’ she murmured to herself. How many people had to die because of her?
"Uncle!!!"
"Go! Go where the water takes you!"
“But Aleis and mother–”
“I will find them.” Wilhelm promised her and unsheathed his claymore. The Knight's surrounding him flinched as they saw how huge the steel he wielded. Rumors had it that Sir Wilhelm Reiss can par the strength of the King.
“I will find them, michild.”
Cataleia held tightly against the wooden board and tightened her jaw. This is her fate. Her fate as a poor girl living in injustice. A girl like her, who cannot complain.
“Uncle… come with me!”
“This is my promise to your father.” Wilhelm told her. “Leave Askavan and head to the Territory of the Wolves. And then find the Auctioneer. Tell him the time has come for him to return his favor to the Reiss Knight.”
Cataleia clenched her jaw and rowed as fast as she could, afraid to lose her promise with her uncle. She never dared to look back at the bloody battle behind her. The sound of dancing swords causing sharp friction against steel and steel caused the girl to shut her eyes even more. She curled into a ball and embraced her leg as the boat rowed away.
'I will not forget this.' she mumbled under her breath.
As soon as she was about to close her eyes, she felt a sharp pang on her spine. Her closing eyes bulged wide as she carefully shifted her head to see what has struck her.
On her back was a sharp arrow, lodged on the back of her left shoulder. She looked behind her and realized that the battle was done.
The once pristine sands was blanched red. Fallen knights laid under the glow of the gloomlight. An archer stood on the crawling body of her uncle, aiming his bow at her.
The archer smiled crookedly, with his majestic robe flowing against the midnight breeze. With the last seconds of her consciousness, she squinted her eyes and looked.
She could not be mistaken. Those pricely layers of exquisite robes...
It was only then when she realized that the man who shot her was the Prince.
"Wake up."Followed by a violent shake, Cataleia thought she was experiencing an earthquake. The first thing she heard was the sound of water splashing against the shore. The rays of sunlight were harsh against her, blinding her while casting an unfamiliar shadow above.The girl could not move. Every breath she took caused her entire body to quiver in pain. She slowly opened her eyes to their fullest and discovered that the burning sensation underneath her was because of the scorching sands.The only thing keeping her from being burnt was the water splashing on her and the sea breeze, keeping her somewhat cool."Ugh..." she groaned in pain as she tried to forcibly straighten her spine to sit straight and assess where in the world have the storm taken her. In her closest inspection, she realized she was in a completely different place."I thought I couldn't make it," she mumbled while staring at the vast, deep blue sea ahead of her. Did she really survive all that?"And I thought you w
“The Auctioneer will want you.”Cataleia did not understand what any of those words meant. To her, it sounded as if she was being sold again. If she had known this was still going to be her fate, she wouldn't have bothered traveling to the Territory of the Wolves to become someone else's slave.But upon hearing the word: Auctioneer, the girl knew she had to oblige. Her uncle knew this person, more so that even entrusted the girl's future to this individual. She knew little about the Auctioneer. While in her homeland, she had heard of the nasty rumors regarding the infamous Auctioneer. They said he was wanted by the Royal Family, and has been on the run. One was for sure, the Auctioneer was a fine lad who harbored wealth for him to travel the world with his caravan.Cataleia had to trust, just this once. And she'll see where this would go for her. Escanor crossed his arms across his chest. "The Auctioneer is usually the person a 'lost' approaches.""A 'lost'?" Cataleia raised an eyeb
The werewolf’s breath against her neck was taxing. She could feel her strength leaving her body as the brothers surrounded her with their toppling physiques. The more she tried to resist, the more they held her against her will. Their almond-shaped eyes narrowly pierced through her. Her breath slowly dissipated in the cold midnight breeze. The moon rose above them brightly— the only source of light. “Ajax.” the brothers’ father said. “Give the girl some space.” The male holding Cataleia stared at her right in the eyes before loosening his grip on her waist and wrist. He coyly retreated back, then smirked mercilessly before looking at his brothers. His younger siblings immediately steps back with him, like an alpha telling his betas to back off. They lined up behind the so-called Ajax, who appeared to be the eldest of the siblings. With this information alone, Cataleia could tell that this man was going to be a pain in the arse. Him being the eldest, already meant one thing.That h
“I don't want to kill other people.”“They're no longer ‘people’, Lei.” The Auctioneer insisted. “These very people I tell you are criminals. Not even worthy to be forgiven.” “I am no different then.” The girl’s eyes narrowed in the dark path ahead of them. “Where are we going to?”“To my crib.” He replied. “You will be staying there along with other girls.”“Won't they kill me in my sleep?” she turned her head to him and frowned. “You said so yourself that these people are dangerous.”“The girls you will be roommates with are well-behaved.” The Auctioneer said.“Are they werewolves too?”The Auctioneer sighed at Lei’s bombardment of questions. “No. But they aren't humans either. Don’t be surprised by their personalities.”The girl nodded meekly and followed behind him. She slipped her hands into the pockets of her jacket. In her mind, she felt hopeless. This time, her life as a vagrant truly begins. She will have to raise a blade at anyone just to ensure her own quality of life. ‘
Upon hearing that, Angela and Casa zipped their mouths. Lei felt like the world crashed on her— as if her ability to make the first two potential friends suddenly vanished the moment those words escaped her lips. She kept her eyes on the picnic blanket and pursed her lips, unable to say anything more. She closed her eyes hoping that the ground would eat her alive. ‘I messed it up.’ She whispered.There was silence, a haunting one. And she knew that to be able to bring back the melody in the room, she had to raise her head and look at them in the eye— and speak. She breathed once, and then shifted her viridescent eyes to the two women before her. At first, she thought she would be met by judging stares— but she was wrong. They looked at her with a concerned frown, one that said they wanted to know more about why it happened. “You must have a reason for doing it, right?” Casa took her hand in her palm. Cateleia’s throat was dry and her stomach was tightening. She was not used to tha
Cataleia woke up the next day and found out it was noon. Something heavy was on top of her and when she opened her eyes, she realized that stacks of blankets were used to cover her. She pushed the heavy fabrics aside and stretched her limbs before grabbing her jacket and went outside. She made her way down the stairs and greeted Ade from the reception table. The blob creature merely waved its hand as a sign of replying.“Sorry… uhm, would you happen to know where Casa and Angela is?” she asked Ade even if she knew she wouldn't be able to talk back.Ade pointed her gelatinous limb to the left where a door led to the rest of the canteen. “Thanks, Ade.” The girl told her, and then entered the path to her left. Upon coming inside, she realized it was just a small dining hall, but with three huge tables. And just like in the tavern, everyone turned their heads to her when she entered. Weres, faes, and other unusual creatures who were compiled by the Auctioneer, stopped eating and looked
“Axel!”The poor boy was in the Auctioneer’s inn, taken care of. Bandages were wrapped all around his feeble limbs, trying to conceal the cuts and bruises he had collected from the thugs. A man enters the inn, and the door flies open. He immediately approached the young child and inspected his damaged physique.Cataleia and the Auctioneer were beside the child, arms crossed against their chests. The Auctioneer shook his head terribly as another headache had been made for him.“My Lord, you should not have snuck away.” He sermoned.“What happened?” the male who came to fetch the boy pulled him gently behind, a protective stance that any family would do. “Who are these miscreants that tried to kill him?“Calm down, Ares. They did not try to kill me.” Axel, the youngest of the Alpha’s sons, replied. “They just beat me up, that’s all.”“They are lucky Father is away.” Ares crouched and turned his brother’s body around to check his wounds. “But Ajax isn’t.”“Please, don’t tell brother!” th
The Were stared at the girl’s challenging emerald eyes. He pursed his lips and his eyes glowered in vain. The human girl merely stared back, frowning and refusing his offer. Did she really hate him that much after their first meeting? Cataleia was petrified in her place, her legs were shaking under the three layers of skirts and she’d never been thankful to wear such thick articles of clothing. When the silence grew on her remark, Lei averted her eyes and moved her head to the side.Ajax, however, thirsted for those irises to gaze at him again. He took a cluster of her shining, silver hair in his fingers and brought it close to his lips. The human girl’s eyes widened as she felt electricity run in her veins. Ajax stared at her rosy, small lips which twitched as he stared at her intensely. The girl wanted to open her mouth to protest, but Ajax’s miraculous touch impeded her senses. Cataleia couldn’t move, the male’s cold but charming stature slowly seduced her heart, but she refused