Peacekeeper's Wrath

In the midst of the urgent graveyard of elitism, I was in the middle of thunderous thoughts, thinking who and why I would save them.

I gathered my thoughts and formed brief paths to cross, '"if I let the royal family die then I can be finally out'". I whispered in silence.

The Princess elf grabbed my hands in tremendous and shaking hands like The Big One. "Onee-chan, please save them." She was suddenly able to speak clearly.

The choice was in my palm. If the royal family was to perish in the dust, the possibility of the elven kingdom falling was a mountain high.

I glanced at her eyes with a gleaming despair, as if I didn't recognize her. "Please... sniff" she brushed into tears, cascading like a waterfall in the endless Waters of Styx.

"Onee-chan, please... help me..." Her words struck me. The memories that I've locked for many years returned, as if it was currently happening.

The memories of my past, my despair, and my worst nightmare welcomed me. I remembered clearly the voice of my little sister, the voice that was full of pleading in pain, the voice that opened my eyes, and the voice of my first mistake.

I glared at her twinkling eyes, the image of my sister reuniting with her face. My guilt for not being able to save my own sister drove me to take a twisted path, the path that would change this future.

I struck her neck with my palm, making her unconscious. I inspected the surroundings, wrapping the whole area with my mist domain.

Everyone was slowly dying. I could feel their souls, memories, and talents entering my veins. I unleashed my mist, a black wing formed at my back. I flocked my feathers and flew in the middle of the great tree. I clicked my index finger, and a dark, leather-bound book materialized in my hand, its pages filled with arcane symbols. I glanced at the pages. I couldn't hide my amusement. My smile reached the tip of Mount Mahameru.

"Reverse," I whispered, and the book flipped backwards. A huge amount of black mist formed in my surroundings. The wind blew the mist around my domain. It entered the bodies of the unconscious elves.

The poison on their veins found their true enemy, clashing deeply inside the body. "Eradicate," I muttered, commanding the mist inside their bodies. The toxin was completely taken out, but I let them sleep for a while.

I contemplated what to do next. While they were asleep, I could gather information, but Lhara slowly opened her eyes and met mine. Her eyes were running off thousands of thoughts. Her trembling body was too vulnerable.

She had just seen my powers, my secret, and my protection. Her glance turned around and saw the whole situation. She spoke with unwavering faith, "Did you save us? Or...."

"It looks like that..." I said while landing on the ground.

"Thank you, but..." The tone was full of deep concern. "The Princess, the Ki..."

"Don't worry, the poison was out of their bodies," I muttered while glancing at the ground. "But I couldn't save them all..." I added.

"What are your plans for now?" She asked with curiosity.

"My plans?... I planned to take the opportunity and abandon everyone in the end..."

"But... you are here, and you saved us..." She said with disbelief.

I sighed. The weight of my actions surged upon me. "This wasn't part of my plan... I was dragged by that p..."

She waved her hands like a butterfly in the rice fields. "What are you waiting for? Let me take them to a safe place."

"Huh!!! What are you saying?" I muttered.

"What else?... Move your body and help me up.... If you really plan to abandon everyone, do it after your duty... You still have a {four years and ⁷[ten moons]}," she muttered with confusion.

"Tsk... do it yourself!"

"Huh?! Aren't you a gentle man? Don't you want to help a beautiful girl like me?" She asked with a mocking grin.

"Don't talk highly to yourself, little maid!" I said, mocking back.

"Suit yourself, P.RI.D.E.F.OOL.... warrior."

She mumbled while grabbing the Princess.

In the end, I was forced to help her without my free will. I didn't use my summoning ability because I didn't want her to gasp at my capabilities.

The day slowly turned to night, and the night turned to a day. I visited the room where the Princess resides. I knocked three times before entering. The view of a little elf with a wary face emerged.

After seeing me, she suddenly ran and hugged me tight. "Cries Onee-chan, don't leave," she muttered with a deep sigh.

"Calm down. I won't go away, not yet," I muttered while patting her head.

"Really?" She mumbled with disbelief.

"Yes..." I muttered with a poker face.

"Hmmm... I can't wait to play again with Onee-chan." Her wide smile spread on her face.

The maid knocked and entered the room, disturbing the mood. "Pardon for my intrusion. The Marquez The Wise was calling you, sir Miku." The maid politely muttered.

"I'll be there. You can go first..." I mumbled with silence.

The maid made her way and left the room. "Miss Princess, I would like to take my leave. Let's talk another time," I added.

"Yes..." The Princess replied.

On my way to the respective area, I stumbled upon Kimberly, who was also walking in the same direction. "You're always getting late, numb ass," she muttered, her eyes narrowed.

"Your mouth is still as sharp as your blade, huh!" I retorted.

"Silence...or do you want to be beheaded." She mumbled.

"Threats won't work with me," I countered.

Another voice disrupts our mouth-to-mouth duel. "Argg... you guys are fighting again? Are you a kid or something?!!" Lhara shouted, her eyes full of disbelief.

"Both of you get inside! The two of you are getting late," she added.

I grabbed the left chair and sat down. I put my hands on the table while everyone was looking at me with menace. "It looks like everyone is already present," the king muttered, his voice silent and filled with sorrow.

"May I hear the reports, Kiyara!" The queen shifted her glare to the shining knights.

"The damage that the unknown poison killed 1383 elves and served a huge impact on the mental health condition of the others," she mumbled with straight eyes.

The atmosphere suddenly changed. The seriousness of the topic made everyone bite their teeth. "Tsk... that's too huge..." Kimberly slowly mumbled.

"I heard that you made your move to save the elves?" John Wise, or The Marquez The Wise, shifted his green eyes. "If you do, you've done well!" He complimented, his eyes full of amusement and deep sorrow.

"How did you manage to do that?" A lady with a gentle face and black hair muttered.

"I'm afraid I can't answer you, Lady Mirae." I apologized.

She was one of the six head judges of the elven court. Although her age was quite young, I estimated around 25 or something. She was also my Kyoshi in my magic theory lessons.

"Let's focus on digging the truth behind this unfruitful situation." The king's eyes sparkled in anger as he slammed the table.

"Calm down, my king. Let's dig it together, shall we?" He muttered while looking to the apothecary who was sitting parallel to him.

"I would like to hear your thoughts, Hippocrates!" The queen muttered.

He stood up and stared at the sky-blue ceiling. "On Asclepius naman, mīnes ānwealdan forefæder, ic gēo þē soþ ārīdan, þæt þū mē tōdǣlst þone attor, Mid þancunge þīnre trūwþe on mīnum cræfte, ic āwreþ þā dēoran dǣda þæs attorwyrta." (In the name of Asclepius, my illustrious forebear, I vow to uncover the truth of the poison thou dost share, With gratitude for thy confidence in my art, I shall unveil the secrets of the toxin's poisonous heart.) He said, his eyes drifting with pride and pleasure.

"Then what did you unveil?" The queen asked.

"Þæt gefēr þe wæs gedrincen, hæfde Henbænan leaf and Hemloces petalu, gemenged tōgædere." (The feast that was shared, concealed a secret snare, Henbane's leaves and Hemlock's petals, a lethal pair.) He mumbled and sat down on his chair.

Everyone's eyes circled the room. "Henbane and Hemlock! Those flowers are rarely to be found! Who would try to assassinate the whole kingdom with that? It was a massacre mind!" Lady Mirae stated while slamming the table.

"Did you check who are the cook and maid who served the food?" The king muttered.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I've checked the list, but everyone who served the meals also died." Kiyara muttered with sorrow.

"Is there any clue that you got?" The king asked. His narrowed eyes were standing out.

"The only lead that we are sure of was that the poisonous flower was concealed with the other ingredients." She said.

"It was likely that the one who put the flowers had access to the kingdom's kitchen. Most likely, an insider was the culprit." She added.

"Did the guards see any suspicious person around?" Marquez The Wise asked.

"No elder, the guards were all alert, but they haven't seen any suspicious person."

"How about you, Lhara, or Miku? Did you guys see any suspicious person?" The queen asked.

"I've seen no one," Lhara confidently mumbled.

"How about you, young man?" Marquez The Wise shifted his eyes and asked.

"Me?" I muttered with confusion.

"Yes, you are!" He confirmed.

"I've seen a suspicious girl enter the corridor before I reached the white garden that day!" I muttered, my eyes full of uncertainties.

They murmured, and the sharp edges of their eyes shifted solely towards my feet. "Can you describe that maid?" The king asked with his head filled with unknown questions.

"That maid... her hair was colored with clear sky, and she had brown eyes." I stated.

Kiyara wrote my confession with an eager spark inside her eyes. "Do you know her name or something about her?" She mumbled.

"Ohhh... I remember something..." I paused and looked at the door.

Everyone's attention also shifted towards the door. "What did you remember?" The king asked.

"That maid was the one who called me here... and I told her to go back here without me."

Everyone's eyes widened. The queen quickly stood up and shouted, "The culprit was still in the palace! Quick, send the guards to the Princess's chambers."

The sudden realization left a huge impact on the whole area. We quickly ran towards the Princess's chambers. After the quick dash, I managed to get in front of the Princess's room. I tried to open the room, but the door was sealed with magic.

Kimberly also caught up and saw the other guards laying down with their cold corpses. She unleashed her grimoire and mumbled the spell.

"Ab aetherio caelo et tartareo abysso,

Voco Hecate magni nominis, sigillum absque sigillo, Et sigillatum reserabo, "separo" clamo." The door slowly opened, and the image of a girl trying to jump out of the window appeared.

Before I could grab her, she managed to disappear in the thin air, leaving the Princess unconsciously laying in the bed like the sleeping Princess in the Disney stories.

Hippocrates quickly dashed to aid the Princess. He inspected the girl and let out a disturbing voice. He couldn't find any poison in the Princess's body. He concluded that the Princess was [cursed] and was put into a deep sleep.

The whole security was on full alert, and every corner of the room was guarded by the knights. I entered the room where the Princess was placed. The king was sitting in the chair on the left side of the bed.

"How careless we are? I didn't even anticipate that someone with malicious intent would enter this quiet kingdom. My mistake made this situation worse," he muttered while looking at his feet.

"No one anticipated this thing would happen," I glanced at him with an emotionless expression.

"Then why?" The king mumbled with distress.

I changed my tone and glared at the tiny window, " life is an irony, if you want to see your surroundings close your eyes, if you want to hear something cover your ears..."

I paused for a few seconds and glared at his pale eyes, my eyes peirce through his veins.

"...And if you want a peace then start a war!" I mumbled. My words strack his guards down, his eyes were opened like the gate of Ishtar.

He gaze back with fearful tan eyes "What the heck are you?!" His voice was trembling with blurry eyes.

"To put it simply, I'm the Princess's guard, I will make them pay for what they did!."

I leave the room and made my way to the corridor, I glanced at the shadow lucking in the corner "it doesn't suit you hiding, Hanai!"

"Behold my Lord, I can't really hide from you!" She replied.

"Did you gather enough Hemlock?" I asked

"Yes, my Lord, everything was prepared and your command is the only needed." She politely muttered.

"Start at the twilight, make sure to make it flawless" I mumbled while making my way.

I glanced back and muttered "By the way...you did a good job in cursing the Princess!" I complement her action.

She bowed down her head and slowly disappeared from the shadow.

Now the only thing I needed to do was to wait for the Princess to wake up, and the trap was all settled.

 ****

A:

Gentle reminders...

Hope lead to disappointment...

Pride lead to arrogance...

Love lead to hatered...

Bla...bla..bla...