Chapter 73: origin of curse
Sentheria was quiet, like distant justice.
"I never thought you would marry Perlend." Sentheria sighed and leaned on her staff. The line on her staff glowed non-stop. "It hurts to accept that Perlend has left us, but even if I don’t admit it in front of many people, I am grateful to you because the long-held wish of the Vrupercan clan has finally come true."
"Grandmother Sentheria, I don’t want to judge you because I don’t know the origin of your clan, but please, treat Pyramus like family, not according to your clan’s agreements or rules. Everyone around you has a heart, too."
"A heart?" Sentheria’s voice stiffened. "What does the curse of the Phoenix care about the hearts of the Vrupercan? Aren’t we hurting now because of the heart you’re talking about?" Sentheria said. "I’m telling you, Xerxez, I am ready to sacrifice my life for the many generations to come. I hope you can understand the difference between being cursed and being blessed. I know you don’t feel the life of having an ability from the entities, but I’ve thought... perhaps those who are free from the chains of the entities are more fortunate." Sentheria’s voice was sad. "Perlend wouldn’t have had to suffer that."
She thinks she’s just a victim of fate, Xerxez thought, a knot tightening in his chest. But what about the pain they caused? What about Perlend?
Their conversation was long, but it was filled with their grievances against the reality of their lives. It went on until they started talking about Cypriox.
"Yes, I and the leaders of the clan, along with the Elanthro—who were known as the eagle people back then—served as the envoys of Crux. We were like angels in front of the three churches of Cypriox; the Vrupercan served in the northern church, and the Elanthro were in the southern church in Sanctimum Oprys.
But a time came when the two Entities, the phoenix and the Aquila—which many know as the thunderbird—clashed. We were blamed by the kings of Cypriox. Just think: we were the ones who helped stop the phoenix in a way the elders knew how, but they said:
[You have violated the command of the holy Crux! You demons who use magic, get out of Cypriox! May the holy Crux curse you!]
I was very young then, but I swore on my life, along with these talismans, this staff—the proof of their judgmental eyes—that they were worse than the self-righteous demons in the country of Cypriox!"
"The truth is, the curse of the Phoenix was not the work of the phoenix but the work of the Crux entity. And because the elders didn’t want to complain to Cypriox and the Crux Entity, they said and wrote in history:
(’Because of the Vrupercan’s interference, the Phoenix got angry and cursed the entire Vrupercan.’)"
"Father Coventher was a witness to how the Leaders of Cypriox, using the power of Crux, cursed the phoenix and the Vrupercan blood. That’s why I told you to use the name Thallerion, not Peronica. Coventher was clever in his way, and the curse on the phoenix was accomplished. But we heard he invented a powerful mechanism and was hunted down to the dungeon of Cypriox to be crucified alive."
Sentheria stopped when Xerxez spoke up. "Did I hear that right, a mechanism was made by that priest?" Xerxez thought that maybe the thing he saw when he was a child might be similar to the technology he saw in his dream by the stream when he was young.
"Yes, to be honest, I was with him helping him gather stones in the islands... sigh... you know how much I love looking for magic. Even though he was younger than me, I can’t deny he was born a genius. We went to the Scarlet Mist Island; the phoenix flower was there... I never thought that would be Coventher’s tool to curse the phoenix. Using the flower and the power of Crux, the curse happened.
The only thing that puzzled us was that it couldn’t be called magic, but it had a science that only Coventher understood. And as for the council members who pretended to be smart, they studied those formulas and combined them with the power of Crux to clarify the whole truth in the formula.
They forced Coventher to do the formula, which weakened the Vrupercan and made the phoenix disappear. But the elders’ advice back then was that the two Entities and their chosen ones had made an agreement. And after that, they silenced Coventher.
But now, people have forgotten what happened to the Vrupercan, so they are now persecuting Coventher, making it seem that his inventions have magic. A desecration of the command of the holy Crux. I don’t know the reason why Coventher created such things. But the Coventher I know is a clever man who thinks about the welfare of the many."
"We will save Coventher to remove the curse from our clan. Our reincarnation ability will return. But we can’t promise that we’ll be able to do that successfully."
"Does that mean Perlend will live again?" Xerxez asked.
Chapter 20
The Aopudes had flown the vehicle for several hours, and they were now near Thallerion. In the distance, the light had finished. The light hitting the sky was over. But, to Xerxez’s question of whether Perlend would live again, Sentheria’s only answer was:
"I can’t guarantee you an answer about Perlend, Xerxez. I’m sorry, but for anyone who experiences the curse, there’s no way to bring back the power of reincarnation."
Xerxez just went silent and squeezed his heart, as if it pained him to accept that there was no hope of bringing Perlend’s life back. No. It’s not over. It can’t be over. A cold wave of despair washed over him. There must be a way. There must be!
"Even if the phoenix returns through Pyramus, Perlend’s life can’t be brought back because she died; she no longer has the ability of the phoenix. What I mean is, she became human after she died."
"I’m sorry, Xerxez, but that’s the truth." They had arrived at Thallerion. In front of the Betelgeuse palace, Matheros immediately greeted Xerxez’s arrival. The council was there and was amazed at the Aopudes with wings.
"Elder Sentheria, thank you for bringing Xerxez to the Thallerion palace." Matheros greeted. The people learned that Xerxez’s wife had phoenix blood, so they were happy to think that Thallerion now had the phoenix lineage. But nevertheless, they were saddened to learn that Perlend had died because of the Phoenix curse. Sentheria and her group didn’t wait for a few minutes of conversation; they immediately left to continue to Cypriox.
Xerxez silently returned to their room, his memories haunting him. He felt like a ghost walking into a tomb. And when he saw Perlend’s altar, his blood suddenly screamed with rage. He threw the phoenix statue. "Why?" Xerxez’s heart was screaming. The glass of the framed phoenix flower petal was shattered. The candles were like dead frogs at Xerxez’s feet. Xerxez clenched his fists. His parents had died, and he had witnessed it at the hands of King Hedromus, an Ursa fire beast, and now he had witnessed the death of his wife from the Phoenix’s curse.
Is this some kind of game to them? he thought, his mind a storm of fury. First my parents, now her. They take everything I love. They want me to suffer. All of them. The Entities.
It was as if the entities had conspired to destroy his life. ’What sin have I committed against the entities?’ Xerxez said in his mind. Xerxez got drunk that night, drowning himself in red wine. Matheros went to him after he had gone wild in the room.
"Enough, Xerxez, we can’t do anything about Perlend’s fate." Matheros tried to grab the wine bottles from Xerxez’s hand. But Xerxez just sobbed in front of Matheros; they truly treated each other like brothers. Matheros saw Perlend’s altar, which was broken and scattered on the floor.
"Don’t I deserve to be happy?" He chuckled, crying in front of Matheros. "They don’t even want to give me my baby son. Wala ba akong kwentang ama?"
"Hindi ganun yun, mali ka ng iniisip... Xerxez, alam ko na mula diyan sa puso mo, mahal na mahal mo ang pamilya mo, kaya ang ginagawa lamang nila ay para hindi ka mahirapan."
"Mahirapan?" Xerxez stopped, and his mind was bloated by what he heard. "Mas lalo nila akong pinahirapan."
"I understand, but you told me, didn’t you, that they promised to give Pyramus to you after six months," Matheros answered, trying to lighten Xerxez’s mood as much as he could.
"Perlend also hurt me because of her lies, which is why I resent her and her clan."
"Perlend won’t be happy with you either because you destroyed her altar, but what she did was just fall in love with you. Didn’t you also love her without a doubt?" Matheros said, challenging his longing and regretful heart.
Did I love her? Of course, I did, Xerxez thought, a new wave of tears falling. I would have done anything for her. She knew that, and she still kept the biggest secret from me. And now... she’s gone.
Xerxez just bowed his head with tears falling, his mind running with longing for Perlend, telling himself that he loved Perlend very much, no matter what happened. From then on, Xerxez fell silent, and Matheros didn’t move because he knew that Xerxez’s regrets about Perlend’s person were just the result of his drunkenness.
The whole of Thallerion was sad, but even so, the threat of Ossibus was pecking like a crow. The king of Thallerion was quiet for a few days, and the whole population respected that, because who wouldn’t be surprised by the event? As the Chief Commander, Matheros served as the kingdom’s administrator while Xerxez was still grieving the death of his wife. The Wendlock, who had driven away the Ossibian farmers, were now revolting with King Matar. Mr. Sapar was leading the protest against Thallerion.
Add
After Matheros left, Xerxez was left in a deep silence, and in that silence and cold stare at the destroyed altar, a strange idea suddenly came to him. The dagger in the chest in his room. I can’t go on like this. Every day is a new torment. Every memory is a blade. I have to make it stop. I just have to.
He walked step by step, drunk and with an evil thought, full of anger, sorrow, and grief. His feet led him in front of the old and dusty box. Xerxez’s fingers slowly gripped the lock while trembling.
"Bakit pa ako manghihinayang... Wasak na wasak na ang buhay ko."
He opened the box with relief on his face, but his face looked sadly at its contents. The dagger gleamed.
His finger trembled continuously as he reached for the hilt of the dagger. It gripped tightly like a gecko, holding on so tightly. He stared at it, and it gleamed sharply. Using both hands, he pointed it at his stomach. "They’re all dead!" Tears fell from his eyes.
"Mabuti pa.... mabuti pang ...mawala na ako sa mundong ito!" He immediately pulled all his strength and planned to stab himself in the stomach.
*Whack!!
However, an energy sucked him in, coming from the dagger. *BLINK!!!
Xerxez disappeared....
"Xerxez!" A voice woke him up, so he suddenly woke up but felt his stomach. He remembered he was about to stab himself, but something sucked him in with a strange energy, and when he woke up, he was in a different place, but Xerxez’s vision was dazzled by the bright place. He looked for the dagger but couldn’t find anything but a white light.
"Am I dead?" It echoed in that place as Xerxez tried to grope inside the light. Did I do it? Did I finally escape?
"Xerxez," the familiar voice called again. It wasn’t the first time he had heard the man’s voice. However, he couldn’t see the man’s face no matter how hard he tried to clear his vision.
Who is this? Why am I hearing this again? he wondered, a mix of annoyance and confusion rising within him.
"Oras na para bumangon ka, " papalapit ang lalaki ngunit hindi parin makita ng malinaw ni Xerxez ang mukha ng lalaki, para itong silhouette sa nakakasilaw na liwanag.
"Bakit mo ba ako palaging sinusundan?"
Xerxez’s voice echoed with a hint of reproach. He tried to calm himself and tried to get rid of his drunkenness from his mind.
"Alam ko nagagalit ka...nalulungkot...nawawalan ng pag-asa... nasasaktan—"
"Pwede ba tumigil ka!" Xerxez’s voice was screaming like the roar of a lion. "Marami kang satsat...alam mo naman pala ang bagay na yun pero...bakit di mo ako tulungan?"
"Tulungan?" The man stopped, took a deep breath, and his shadowy body disappeared from Xerxez’s mind. A few seconds of silence reigned.