“It was all I wanted!”
“There must be something we can do. Is not fair!” Mongho bent, she took his hand and, in an effort, embraced him. They were silent for a while, with Mongho feeling the difficulty of her breathing.
“Maybe there is... I don’t know if I can. I’m too weak to use magic.”
“Tell me how. I do it!” a glimmer of hope welled up in his eyes, with a smile.
“We, witches, we can transfer us to the body of animals...”
“I heard about it as a child” he said eagerly. “My dad said he met a very powerful witch who was dying. Then she changed her body, taking the form of an eagle.
“I can this. If I can, it will be definitive.”
“Definitive? How?”
“We can only combine with animals, because they have pure soul. When in animal form, I can have any other form, but... not mine. It ceases to exist when my body dies. I can turn into anything, but always come back to the shape of the animal.”
“So, don’t delay, do it!” Mongho said with a nervous laugh.
“Did you understand what I said? I can only change for the body of an animal. If I assume the human form, it will be for a few hours, but it won’t be mine.”
“I got it, Nadjra! For me, it makes no difference. I will always be by your side to protect you and love. No matter what form you have, just stay with us!” And he kissed her, full of hopes.
“So... you need to get an animal!”
Mongho got up and desperately ran through the destroyed village looking for an animal, but all were dead. Not knowing what to do and with time running out, the desperation increased. Luckily, the sound of meowing reached his ears. It was towards a small bush and found a family of kittens with a mother. She bristled the hair and issued a squeak when he reached down and grabbed one of the puppies.
“I’m sorry, kitty, but I really need one of your poppies” he said. She replied with a stronger wheezing and sharp nails into his hand.
He returned quickly to be with Nadjra and felt the blood run cold when he saw her eyes closed.
“Nadjra!” he shouted desperately.
Slowly, she opened her eyes and smiled at the kitten in his hands. Mongho handed the little animal, sighing. Then Nadjra asked for the crystal skull, because she needed to use its powers. While Mongho took a prey to the waist bag, Nadjra dripped some of her blood in the kitten’s mouth, which was still resisting. Mongho put the crystal skull on the ground. Nadjra reached out, laid a hand on it, and began to pronounce words in a voice marked by a nostalgic tone. The crystal emitted a light that was overshadowed by the glow that came out of Záyrha’s eye, joining Nadjra and the cat with long bluish fillets that, strangely, didn’t illuminated at all.
Mongho didn’t expect that and his legs buckled when surrounded by a void. He felt strangely heavy, as if everything was spinning too fast, pulling him to the ground. He was struck by a sudden weariness, though he wasn’t doing anything.
He turned to the side with all his absurdly slow movements, seeing that the branches of the tree bent by the wind kept up static as well as everything around him. He remembered that feeling when he traveled in time, and realized that once again the time was being manipulated, but this time through Záyrha’s marked eye.
The blue beams of light disappeared and everything went back to move. Or almost everything. Nadjra took a last breath before her head fell to the side. The baby cat didn’t move. Mongo felt the burning erode the stomach when despair overcame him. He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know whether worked or not. He took the puppy carefully and began to rub it, to see if it reacted. Nothing. He approached his ear on the cat’s heart and heard beating weak, very weak; then he began to shake it and rub faster. Only stopped when it opened its eyes slowly.
“Nadjra, is there you? Are you listening to me?” The cat just blinked. “And now? What do I do?” He put two fingers on Nadjra’s neck and then put his ear to her chest. She was gone, he found. “Do you hear me, Nadjra? Is that you? Answer me!” he shook the poor cat more and more.
“Please, stop shaking me, I’m dizzy.” Mongho froze when he heard a voice echoing in his mind.
“It’s you, Nadjra! Glad it went right!” he hugged the kitten.
“Glad you could hear me, I was getting sick.” Mongho laughed. “I don’t feel my body.”
- It should be normal, I guess. I will carry you, until you feel better. What do I do with your body?”
“Burn it. I don’t want to leave anything behind.”
Mongho put the cat next to the sleeping child oblivious to the world, tore another piece of his clothing and made a cap for Záyrha’s right eye. As there was no way to control the power of it, the best thing to do was suppress it for now. He stood and began to gather wood to provide a decent funeral to the woman he would love forever. Regretfully, the wizard looked for the last time to her gorgeous red hair that framed her beautiful small nose, fleshy face and mouth. Then he threw the torch. Shrugged sadly when the fire spread through the wood and the dry straw, reaching the body that seemed to just sleep. Then he sighed, hugging the kitten and the child next to him. His expression changed, becoming dark. He covered his face with the hood, turned and started across the village, where many corpses were waiting for the gathering on the grounds of no one. His heart was filled with anger and fear almost unbearable with the prospect of the future that awaited them. He left the village behind.
◆◆◆
Up ahead, the road slowly walked a group of men, who Mongho supposed to be surviving soldiers, because some of them were with pieces of armor and carrying swords, as well as provisions of bags hanging on their back. One of them looked in his direction and caught the attention of others. Everyone stopped and turned swinging their arms, perhaps to intimidate the lone traveler. Mongho continued to walk at the same rate, without caring about them. When he got closer, what appeared to be the chief approached. He was a man much stronger and wider than Mongho. He looked at him curiously, his eyes lingering more than Mongho would like on the little girl he carried inside his clothes and the kitten sleeping next to her.
“Where are you going, wizard?” he asked, with the voice of someone who used to be in command.
“Why do you ask? Can I know?”
“Just curious.” Mongho looked at the group and then again to the man in front of him, assessing the situation. He didn’t want any trouble within the first miles and as he didn’t see any problem to say where he was going, he replied:
“I don’t know for sure. I may follow the trail of Sulco’s army.”
“Are you crazy?” cried the man, but faltered when the wizard slowly discovered his face, showing eyes that gave off a disturbing glare. It was a deep look, cold, with a mixture of pain and revenge. The soldier backed away.
“Do I look crazy?” Mongho asked, staring at him.
“N-no si-sir” he stuttered. “Sorry about the rudeness of my words. These are tough times, but I was curious and surprised to meet a man who cares about saving in addition to your skin, a child and a poppy.”
“Cat” corrected the wizard, dryly.
The rest of the group looked curious to his companion, a man who didn’t fear the fury of battle, but had retreated at the words of the wizard. What was that mysterious man wrapped in a torn and bloody clothing, carrying a child and a cat?, they asked themselves. What hidden power his eyes had to intimidate the bravest warrior?, they thought. They got even mor surprised with the warrior’s statement:
“So, we are four to go after the army: I, you, the child and the cat.” And, laughing, he turned to his men. “Who’s with us?” Mongho laughed as he thought, this is a mad man indeed! “I’m the captain of this class. My name is Volgo and this is Solon...” and presented each of his men.
“I’m Mongho. This is my niece Záyrha, and the cat is Noha.”
“Noha?” questioned Nadjra.
“Don’t you like it? I had to give it a name” he said, as he listened to the com
plaints and comments of new companions, thinking that he was crazy for talking to the cat.
Finished the introductions, they continued down the road and, after three kilometers, took the trail of destruction left by Sulco’s army, bound for the north, for the kingdom of Hurgans.
The shadows move...
* * *
[1] All right, but we can’t take long!
[2] Long live the King!
[3] Did you get a statement of our royal visit?
[4] Highnesses!
[5] Mongho, your servant!
[6] Crystal Ball?!
[7]Forgive me, Your Majesty! I didn’t mean to offend you!
[8] Don’t interrupt it!
[9] Continue!
[10] A weak!
[11] He will be a great king!
[12] Shit
[13] strong
[14] The disease isn’t in the body, but in the soul.
[15] Forgive me, Your Majesty
[16] My husband...
[17]Come on! Cheer up! It’s a day for celebration!
[18] My queen...
[19] It’s forbidden the entry of people who are not dealing with the ceremony preparations.
[20] Good night?!
[21] So be it!
[22] Don’t you know?
[23] How beautiful!
[24] what did you reserve for me, fate?!
[25] Your will was done, my queen!
[26] Welcome, my friends!
[27] Heian, Heian, long live our king!
[28] I'm sorry about your father!
[29] Come on, Heian, run!
[30] this was just the beginning!
[31] My God!
[32] jack-of-all-trades
[33] loyal servant.
[34] rusty.
[35] astral force infinite portal open!
[36] Brest roads, open time portal!
[37]Do you know why we fall? To make us stronger!
[38] Never, my lord!
[39] Jack-of-all-trades.
[40] Who’s there?
[41] Come here, young man!
[42]Get in! Get in”
[43]I’m too old for this! And you won’t do anything useful for now.
[44] Boy, wait!
[45] By the way, you look much like your father!
[46] We will have a very enjoyable night!
[47] This is a good start...
[48]Watch out! I don’t want to come to your room to collect your pieces around the floor!
[49] Did you call us here to show us a new dress?
[50] I think I found out!
[51]That's right, my husband. I'm Pregnant!
[52] Congratulations, my queen!
[53]Queen Driadh is pregnant! We commemorate the arrival of the heir!
[54] It’s here somewhere... Somewhere ... I found it!
[55]I'm sorry, Your Majesty, we did everything we could. The baby was born without a soul!
[56] Good morning, Your Majesty!
[57]Sulco, you coward bastard! Come here and face me like a man. Show up, you bastard!
[58] Shut up, stupid!
[59] Citizens of Heilland, listen to my words!
[60] Please join me, so we can fight the darkness that fell upon our beloved kingdom!
[61] Please, please, calm down!
[62] Heilland will always resist!
[63] Welcome to the world, my friend!
[64]Damn you! Damn you!
[65]That bastard...! Yes, it was him, it was that bastard!
[66] I am God!
[67]Cover the ball?! Do you want it?
[68] I think you shouldn’t cover it!
[69]Divide me! Divide me! Divide me!
[70] When the path becomes dark, it’s difficult to see.
[71]My son! Where is my son?!
[72] Take what you can, and let's get out of here!
[73]The enemies are storming the castle defenses! Send some of our soldiers there, before they dominate us!
[74] Please, my love, die soon!
[75] You provoked the wrath of God and will be burned with the fire of he...
The Secret Of The Crystal Skull Page 23
