Lianne was standing at the upper deck of the boat when they reached the port of Olga. She was wearing a new dress; a peach-colored off-shoulder peasant dress provided by the captain, all thanks to his many exploits.
It was past six in the evening when they arrived and what greeted Lianne when she first laid eyes on the port town was a harrowing sight. There were many buildings that were destroyed. Houses were without roofs, a bridge toward the town square was collapsed, and many beggars were on the streets. It wasn’t what Lianne had expected it to be.
Nothing at all.
Cain came to stand beside her as she felt aghast by the sight.
“Lianne, welcome to the City of Olga,” he said plainly. There was no hint of sympathy in his voice like he was already accustomed to the unwelcoming sight. But of course, this was the place where his father died, and the mission that Garlow had given.
“I don’t feel welcomed at all,” Lianne answered with a frown. “What has happened here, Cain?”
“This is the work of Garlow’s attack a few years back,” the general answered. “After the successful attack, this has become of the town. He never cared to rebuild it in its former glory.”
Cain had the same question when he first stepped foot in Olga. Why didn’t Garlow rebuilt the place was the question at first, but it was all clear to him now. The former King never cared about the place. Well, at least not half of it.
A few miles away from the port town, a one-hour journey on horseback, one can see its mountainous ranges. Beneath the highest peak of one of the mountains, however, the excavation that Garlow had commanded was in place. Currently, the excavation has been completed, all thanks to Cain’s leadership, but finding what was inside its deep caverns was another matter.
“How could a man like him even care. It’s already expected,” the princess declared, her voice dripping with acid. Remembering that man was never easy for her. It was as if her heart was being squeezed out just thinking about him.
“That would be something you wouldn’t understand, Princess,” a coarse, gravelly voice suddenly emerged from behind her.
She turned around and saw a man standing behind the shadow of the main mast. She couldn’t define clearly his features until he stepped forward into the light.
She instantly noticed that he was holding a long scepter in his left hand and was wearing a scarlet red cloak. His head was covered partially by a hood. His eyes were not seen, however, a smug smile on his lips was clear from view.
Lianne caught a breath as she stared at him. She couldn’t deny that the man truly emitted a dark, gloomy aura.
“Who are you?” Lianne asked, her hands started trembling for no apparent reason.
The hooded man’s smug smile broadened. He stepped an inch closer to her and then replied, “Ahhh, but of course, you were young then that’s why you don’t recognize me.”
Her brows arched, bewildered.
“I’m Father Oveido, Your Highness. A priest in the Vhillana Kingdom,” he added and then pulled his hood down. There were wrinkles all over his face, a sign that he was not as young as Lianne thought at first. His beard was black, unshaven, as opposed to his long tied white hair. She didn’t miss him mentioning the Vhillana Kingdom though and it immediately heightened her curiosity.
“You’re a priest in Vhillana?”
“Was… a priest in Vhillana,” he corrected, “Right now, I would prefer to call myself a…. moderator of some sort.”
He glanced at Cain and gave him an acknowledging look. Cain on the other hand nodded slightly.
The priest walked closer to the princess with ease, and as he stopped a meter away from them, he said, “You must really be missing the late King aren’t you?”
Lianne gave him an obvious frown and then chuckled in disbelief. “Don’t jest. How could you say such a thing?”
“Oh, I see. Now I understand how much you hate the man,” he answered, taking into account her show of disgust. “But don’t worry, you will have your warranted reunion with him soon.”
Lianne felt her cheeks flush with exasperation. “What do you mean?”
For some good reason, her thoughts rested on the emerald stone in the necklace, and the power it held. A chill crept down her spine then when she connected the dots.
She watched the priest raising his right hand towards Cain, open-palmed, like he was waiting for something.
“No…” she gasped in surprise. “Cain!”
With widened eyes, she saw the general handing the necklace to the priest.
“Cain?!” she shouted once again and gave him a pure disturbed and puzzled look. “What are you-”
“Lianne, trust me,” he abruptly spoke.
“TRUST YOU?” she yelled, highlighting the word like it was a ludicrous suggestion. She tried to take the necklace from the priest, walking towards him but a large hand from behind her suddenly gripped her shoulders, keeping her from moving.
“Let me go!” She struggled to free herself but was in vain.
“I apologize that it has come to this, Your Highness,” Father Oveido sneered.
“What do you want from me! You have the necklace, now let me go!”
“Tsk. No, no, no. I just can’t simply do that,” he shook his head. “You see, princess, I need your blood to unlock the power of this stone in order to resurrect the King.” He cupped her chin with his claw-like hand and raised her head so that he could inspect her face.
Without warning, her eyes started to water. The feeling of betrayal, hate and sudden fear was too much for her to bear.
“I would never take part in your twisted, moronic plan! Isn’t this destruction already enough! Look at your surroundings! Garlow can create more of this if he lives again!”
Cain saw the fear in her eyes. She was right and he knew of it right from the start.
“General Cain.” Father Oveido caught his attention. “Would you kindly guide your woman to the cave?” he simply stated, ignoring the statement that she had spat out. “It’s time.”
Lianne stared at Cain with pure regret. She had trusted him. How could he have betrayed her trust now?
The general stepped closer to her and then cupped the side of her face, brushing his palm along her skin tenderly.
Lianne felt repulsed by his touch.
“Lianne, just a bit longer. You will be mine soon,” he whispered softly, his eyes burning with passion.
He looked at the towering broad-chested man who was holding her in place and stated firmly, “I’ll take it from here.”
Cain bound her hands with his and took her with him down the gangplank into the connecting land, but the whole process wasn’t as easy as he hoped to be.
“Stop struggling, Lianne. I don’t want to hurt you!”
“You’re already hurting me! Why are you doing this, Cain!? Do you want so much for Garlow to live again!?”
“I don’t care if he lives again,” he answered with all honesty, “I just want you.” He then pulled a small vial out of his pocket and then drank the whole content of red liquid without hesitation. He pulled her close to him and without warning, he sealed his mouth into hers.
Lianne was surprised and began to protest wildly when she tasted a bitter-sweet taste of liquid quickly running down her throat. Some of it spilled at the edge of her lips but a great quantity of it did enter her mouth. She groaned, pushing his chest harder.
When Cain finally released her, she immediately reacted with a full swing of her hand to his right cheek, but he was able to subdue it easily.
Holding her wrist firmly, he stared at her with smoldering eyes.
“Cain! What had you given me?” Lianne asked in alarm, but before she could hear his answer, she suddenly felt woozy and then a cloud of dark smoke quickly filled her eyes.
***
The princess woke up from her deep slumber with an acute ache around her waist. Her neck was stiff, her throat was so parched, and she felt her arms numb and her wrists sore because of the rope that had bound her, tied on each side of the arm handle of a sofa chair. Luckily, her captors kept her feet unbound, so she was able to stretch it to lessen the cramping of her legs.
She was inside a cave and a rather massive one at that. There were torches hung all over the stone walls illuminating the whole area enough for her to survey the place carefully.
She saw four enormous marble pillars on each side of the circular cave, at least six-storeys high, touching the ground to the ceiling like it was supporting it from collapsing. She saw three muscular men down the platform, heavily armed with swords and crossbows, standing at a wide opening about eight feet in height of what looked like a passage to the cave, and Father Oveido standing beside a wooden desk busily preparing something. She saw Cain coolly sitting at a medium boulder a few inches away from her, intently looking at her way.
The whole atmosphere of the cave definitely screamed caution, but what evidently made her heart frantically beat was seeing a certain familiar man.
A slightly decomposing body of King Garlow was clear, straight in her line of sight. He was lying on what looked like an offering table, a marble rectangular-shaped slab on the center of the four pillars, elevated three feet high from the platform. Despite being inside a cave, with the smell of Earth and metallic elements in the air, the decaying odor of the body was more apparent.
“Cain, please… help me,” she pleaded, looking at his way. As much as she hated it, as much as she denied of that fact, she realized he was the only man now that can save her in this perilous predicament.
“Cain…” she tried again, showing him her moment of weakness.
The general looked as if he wasn’t moved by her pitiful state. He stood up, crossed his arms to his chest much like in a guarded position, and then turned to glance at the priest’s way.
“Ahh, how nice of you to wake up, Your Highness,” Father Oveido stated, smiling wickedly. “You’re just in time.”
From the table, he took out a gold-gilded chalice, heavily adorned with rubies and diamonds, and a quillon dagger. He was grinning coldly when he approached her and Lianne, distressed just by looking at the blade, started to wriggle forcefully.
“NO! Please! I beg of you, don’t hurt me!” she shouted at the top of her lungs.
She glanced at Cain with imploring eyes, but all she could see was his steely glare at her.
How could he just stand there and do nothing!? her thoughts complained loudly. Had she truly misjudged his show of compassion and kindness for her? Was it all just a facade?
Never had she guessed that Cain would act like a monster.