Valerian, The Legendary

Chapter 9: Tragedy.

Mathiyus was a Shadow Leopard, he has seen a lot of Mages casting spells to try and catch him. Even when he was being hunted, he had never feared anyone, but looking at Valerian from the side, his hair stood up.

The vine of death slowly sucked away Gloria’s blood, as she wailed and begged for mercy. Valerian used his hand to weave her signs, ‘Did you ever have mercy on me? You always disrespected my mother and you are the one responsible for her death. Now, you beg for mercy, what was that word you used, bitch?’

Gloria was able to see the signs and understand them very well, every nun was trained to learn signs. Gradually her weeping noises turned to sobs until they blended with silence perfectly. She fell on the pebbles with a dull thud.

Valerian looked back at Diligentia’s corpse and with a heavy heart, he bent down to take off the rosary around her neck, his hands trembled as the rosary was sticking to the melted flesh, it made squishy sounds when Valerian pulled it.

He held back the urge to vomit by recalling Diligentia’s love and care for him. The more he did this, the greater the pain became. Suddenly, he growled.

‘There was someone else who cast that fire magic. Right?; he asked Mathiyus.

The leopard came out of the woods and replied, ‘Yes. However, he ran away.’

.....

Mathiyus was afraid that Valerian will go after this person. He was a child and just used a higher level combination spell, his body will not be able to sustain the strain anymore. Valerian growled, ‘I know I cannot kill him with my strength now. I just want to know what he looks like.’

Mathiyus heard his words but before believing him the beast gazed deeply into his eyes.

Valerian could tell that he was being tested, he made a few sounds, ‘I am not a fool, I know, only by staying alive can I avenge them. You just help me find this person, I will not act until I am sure.’

The beast nodded and then after sniffing around, he vanished into the woods. Valerian raised his head to the sky, gazing at the moon he made a few signs, ‘My parents left me forever the day I was born. Now, when I have taken my first step to becoming stronger, you took her away from me. Why do you do this to me? Did I commit some sin that you cannot help but torture me?

Mother Diligentia was a good person, she was a gentle soul, then why? I ask you, why did she meet an end like this? Have you no mercy for the good and kind?’

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Valerian sighed, then he walked back to the bushes and bought his bag of clothes, using his blanket, he covered Diligentia’s corpse, and then used some pebbles from the surroundings to cover the body.

By the time he was done, Mathiyus had come back, he said, ‘I have found that man, he is resting in a cave.’

Valerian nodded and said, ‘Can you do something so that no one can take apart these stones and disturb her rest.’

Mathiyus could see his eyes pleading with all sincerity. It may seem that animals were inferior to humans, however, this inferiority kept them gentle when needed. The leopard nodded and came closer to the pile of pebbles. Then he let out a low roar. Sparks emerged from his mouth and covered the stones.

The temperature raised so high that a pile of pebbles melted together as if a mound, leaving no gaps between. Valerian bowed to the mound and prayed for Diligentia. Then Mathiyus led him in the direction where he had found Emundatio.

The pace of the two was very slow, Mathiyus was worried that Valerian would not be able to keep up. Emundatio had fled quite far and deep inside the woods. Mathiyus could only find him because he was a beast, but Valerian was a child.

On the way, Valerian took a few breaks to ease the exhaustion.

...

Inside a carriage, a Young Adult was gazing outside the window, while in front of him sat a young lady in front of him, the age of this young lady was not much apart from his own. She had azure-colored hair, and a fair face, with azure-colored eyes. This lady was the third and the youngest princess of the Lumen Empire.

The lady asked in a soft voice, “You seem to be happy.”

The man replied, “I will get to see my sister after a long time, so indeed I am happy, Your Highness. I wonder if she will like the surprise.”

“I never expected the cold and bitter Mage Rectus to smile like this, I guess lady Diligentia is a good sister.”, said the princess.

Rectus wanted to say something when the rosary tied around his wrist broke. The beads fell down and were scattered all over the carriage floor. His eyes widened and pupils constricted to needle points.

The Princess asked with some concern, “What is it?”

For as long as she has known Rectus, the man would never let any harm come to this rosary. But today it broke and his expression could be called morbid.

“This was an Anima Signum rosary. My sister’s.”, replied Rectus.

The princess was surprised, she asked, “You mean...”

Rectus nodded and said, “I apologize, but Your Highness, can you allow me a leave? I know that it is highly irresponsible of me, but I need to confirm.”

The princess said, “Let us accompany you, this way, we can both help each other.”

Rectus was surprised, he hesitated a bit but then he agreed. The princess turned her head to the window behind her and said, “Quies, move according to Mage Rectus’s instruction.”

Quies, the coachman replied, “As you command, Your Highness.”

Rectus had taken out a bead in a glass bottle, that could track where his rosary was.

...

Meanwhile, Mathiyus and Valerian had reached closer to the cave where Emundatio was hiding. The child wanted to move closer, but the leopard said, ‘Do not, he has set up alarms around the place.’

Valerian was tired, he sat down on the ground with his silver eyes glaring at the cave entrance. He was aching to rush forward and kill the person who hurt his mother, but as soon as he sat down on the ground, he realized that standing up again will be impossible.

Mathiyus felt pitiful for the child, after all, losing a mother was a big tragedy, even for a beast like him. He positioned himself behind the child, and after a few minutes, Valerian gradually leaned back onto him.

He asked in growls, ‘How were you able to cast fire magic? Shadow Leopards have a dark element, you should not be able to cast fire magic.’

Mathiyus said, ‘We are not shadows, but we are smoke, the humans named us, shadow leopards because they have never seen us using fire magic. However, a few who were spotted using fire magic were named as variants. Humans like to think they are so wise. Fools.’

Valerian did not reply, he had fallen asleep, and the mental trauma and physical stress were too much for him to deal with. A few hours later, Mathiyus raised his head, Emundatio had come outside the cave and was going back to the town.

The leopard could have captured him, but he waited, after all, Valerian had just calmed down, the child was muttering and even crying in his dreams, or should it be called, Nightmares.

Mathiyus looked at the man coming from the cave when suddenly, a jingle broke the silence of the night. Raising his head, Mathiyus found a shimmering blue light approaching their direction. Emundatio froze, he did not expect someone to find him.

The blue light was being led by a dozen of black flickers. Emundatio wanted to leave, when a voice shook his mind, “Stop. Do not move.”

Mathiyus lowered his head and concealed Valerian in his body. The beast was bigger than an average human. Soon, the Mathiyus confirmed that the approaching party was not simple.

The convoy had dozens of black horses, all mounted by men in plate armor, and waving their heavy swords. These people were clearing a path for the carriage behind them. To think, that one swing can cut through a trunk that would take was as thick as four humans together, horrid strength.

The horses soon cornered Emundatio by spreading out in the clearing in front of the cave. The blue light turned out to be a two couple of deers. Mathiyus felt a little wary of these magical beasts. They were stronger than him.

Quies got off the coachman’s sit and was about to pull open the door when Rectus came pushed the door open and rushed out. He did not care about anything, the past few hours of chasing had made him almost insane.

He came to the man and asked, “Where is Diligentia?”

Emundatio was shocked, to think that he would be caught so quickly. However, he did not reply. Rectus asked, “Where is the rosary on her neck, where is she?”

He was getting impatient by the second, and began to concentrate mana around him, when a calm voice sounded, “Mage Rectus, the rosary is behind those bushes.”

The princess came out with the glass bottle in her hand. She signaled Rectus to follow the direction where the bead was pointing at.

Rectus ignored the man and rushed in the direction of the bushes, as he was getting closer, Mathiyus was getting uneasy, he did not know these people, he thought they would harm Valerian. His instincts told him to leave but thinking of the pitiful fate of the boy, all that in just one night, he jumped out of the bushes.

Rectus froze and jumped to the side as a beast came out roaring and clawing at him. Valerian was shook and awoke when Mathiyus jumped out. He was still a bit groggy in his head, but when the happenings of the night came rushing to him, he stood up and rushed out.

Mathiyus was glaring and baring his fangs at Rectus when Valerian walked out of the woods and stood between the two. Emundatio snarled, “You jinxed demon, you dare to sneak around. I will cleanse you.”

Valerian hated this man so much that the surroundings blurred leaving only this guy standing in front of him. Emundatio was slightly plump and half bald, his face looked like the genial man in the neighborhood.

Hearing him threaten a child was out of the ordinary. However, Valerian did not seem to care, he recalled the way Diligentia’s was suffering in her end moments, the pain from a burn was something he could not even imagine. The beautiful smile on her face was taken away because of this person in front of him.

Valerian was brimming with hatred. He wanted this man to feel the same thing as his mother did, but he lacked in power. Valerian opened his mouth and roared at Emundatio. The people were shocked, they did not understand how a human could make such a sound, but the beasts could hear, ‘Shut up, you are the demon. You killed my mother, you gave her so much pain, ahhh, I want to kill you, I want you to suffer the same thing as she did.’

The guard captain was rattled and said, “Boy stop.”, in a sonorous tone.

He wielded his sword and was about to hack it at Valerian. He did not think much and just wanted to stop this child, who knows if he would harm the princess.

Mathiyus ignored Rectus and rushed to save Valerian. But a scream shook the woods.