Little update: A big thanks to those who are following this story so far! In case you are wondering, this is a self-written story (an amateur attempt I know) during the days when I was fascinated by the stuff about knights, castles, kingdoms and sorcery, you get what I mean. For those who wish to check out the previous chapters, here's the link! With that let the adventure continue!
Chapter 52
"Moya, what are you looking at?"
It was Rak. Still in a state of disbelief, Moya returned to him and tried to explain what he saw earlier but Rak had no answer as well.
"Let’s go down and find the rest of them."
Moya nodded and both of them scurried down.
Like any other day, the sun rose in the morning and exuded her radiance over the city of Doria. In the woods of Doria, the trees reshuffled and the once intertwined branches untwined to allow sunlight through. Tree spirits were emancipated from Ariton’s control and began their new lease of life in the woods of Doria.
However, in the Perisher's cave, bits of flesh and meat started to appear and on their own, they pieced themselves together like a jigsaw puzzle. The final product was an exact replica of the Perisher and the shimmering skeletal sabre on the table.
"Wayne killed the Perisher?" Selera questioned, shaking her head.
Edward confirmed, "Yes, Selera, I saw Wayne stab him twice!"
Wayne remained stone-faced as Selera replied, "The Perisher can never be killed."
"But Selera, he's dead and his corpse is right in the middle of the throne room."
Just then, Moya and Rak completed their descent down the stairs and found the three of them talking about the Perisher’s corpse.
Moya uttered, "It was. But it isn’t now."
Edward and Wayne stared blankly at him, anticipating more elaboration of what he had just said. Moya took a deep breath, and told them the things which he saw in the throne room moments ago.
After he was done, Selera said, "He's right. The Perisher does not operate like a human being. In other words, it's not possible to kill him. What Wayne did was to delay his attack for another hundred years or so. If I’m not wrong, the Perisher has returned to his cave but the cave will remain hidden to Dorians until the day the Prophet decides to reveal the location of the cave to adventurers."
Rak spoke for the first time, "Does that mean the Prophet has control over everything and we are just pawns in his game of chess?"
"You could say that, more or less. The five of you have accomplished your task and the city of Doria will be safe for another about one hundred years. During this time, life will return to normal until..."
"The next batch of sons is born?" questioned Wayne.
Selera nodded, and said, "They will be the ones that will try to lengthen the Perisher's invasion for another century. I guess this goes on forever, until the day when the Perisher succeeds in taking over the city."
Edward then asked, "How do you know so much?"
"It’s all written in the books, if you had bothered to go through the library in the crystal tower last time." Selera said, with a smile on her face.
"Shall we go and find King Welrock and the rest now?" questioned Wayne.
"But I can’t move."
"I’ll carry you, Maltov."
Rak took a last look at Ariton's bloody corpses before carrying Maltov and caught up with the rest.
They arrived at the exact cellar which Rak was stabbed last time. Selera pushed open the door and was shocked to find King Welrock and Queen Celestia dead on the ground. Malcolm was sobbing at one corner and the palace maids and servants were trying to comfort him.
Rak whispered, "Could he have..."
Selera flew into a rage, and questioned, "Malcolm, you have to explain to me everything that has happened."
Malcolm looked up at Selera and the four of them, and mumbled something about his parents committing suicide.
Then one of the servants said, "King Welrock and Queen Celestia had committed suicide because they didn't see the point in living anymore. Even if they weren't killed by the Perisher, it was meaningless to continue being the King as Doria had already become a wasteland."
Tears flowed down Maltov's cheeks but no one saw them. The thought of him being the new King crossed his mind for a while but he realised it would be absurd for the city to have an invisible ruler. He tried to picture what Doria was at the moment. He could see farmlands that were ravaged, homes and towers that had collapsed. The citizens of Doria have either died for the city or fled to elsewhere. Doria, which was once thriving and self-sufficient, was obliterated in a matter of weeks. In another hundred years or so, he probably would have died but he guessed that the atmosphere would be just as tense as what everyone had experienced in the past few days.
Maybe Selera was wrong. Perhaps the Perisher was really dead. He sighed, closed his eyes, and told himself that he was probably thinking too much.
THE END