Delight on Frozen Bones (Legend Of The Stars #4)

Chapter Seven

Trouble

I carefully studied the elven shrine below. The only shrine settled in the Mist Mountains, where as they say, the stars shine the brightest. A very familiar shrine to me with a very familiar ruler as well.

Czar Elrohir, the elven king, just walked out from one of the houses made of woods near the center of the shrine where a massive tree stood. A tree almost big as half of a castle. It maybe their own castle. Czar Elrohir's castle.

Nakangiting lumabas ito dala-dala ang tungkod niya. He did not bother to hide himself, nor did bother to bring guards with him. He waved at the other elves who greeted him and simply walk his way to the tree's entrance. My eyes drifted to the elven guards, and then to elves whom all are lighting up the small roads and their houses again after the storm.

Watching them seemed to be looking at another world, where people have pointy ears and light was as if a part of their bodies, making them glow im the midst of the night. Olden. Almost everyone here is olden, and has lived for thousands of years. I can feel it.

Napalunok ako.

I have only been to one shrine. And when I got out from it, the shrine fell apart just as how Trine's castle crumbled down. Nagdadalawang-isip na ako ngayon kung magpapatuloy pa ako ngayon. Iseinwald, Czar Elrohir's shrine was the first elven kingdom written on Ottis' paper... And yet Iseiwald was also an allied kingdom to the Golden Queen.

Kung papasok ako ngayon, maaaring hindi lang ako ang kukwestiyunin. Kung hindi si Sora mismo. Why would the Golden Queen send her assassin to an allied elven kingdom? Why come here without an order from Sora herself? Why come here after the terrible storm that just has passed? All these questions, I have not prepared myself for.

But I, I also have questions for Czar Elrohir.

I stood up from the hill and jumped to the trees, soundless.

Nang makalapag ang mga paa ko sa lupa ay dahan-dahan kong inalis ang talukbong ko. I took off my mask as well before stepping inside the elven territory. I blinked. Movements started to thunder around me. I raised both of my hands in a form of surrender.

"Ottis sent me." I whispered to them then smiled.

Before I could utter another word, I was already slammed down from behind. The elven-guards didn't give a chance to move or speak as they bind my hands and knees, and pointed a spike on my throat. Someone also took away my mask from my hand.

"Pamilyar ang maskarang ito..." sambit ng isa sa kanila.

My knees were suddenly lifted from the floor. The spike on my throat made pushed my chin upward to face them. Elves. Impossibly beautiful elves.

Clothed in long, refined garments with capes and arrows behind them, four elven guards stood in front of me, infuriating. Mas lumapad pa ang ngisi ko. "Evening." I greeted despite something inside me warned, 'trouble, get out'.

I didn't listen.

"Be gone, assassin." One of them hissed after staring at my mask. "You are not welcome here."

"I guess I no longer have to introduce myself then. But I was sent by Ottis, for his dear King Czar..." I said.

"Whatever message you carry, we can deliver it to the King. So, speak of it now."

I lifted my head and meet the elven guard's eyes. Trouble... There's no getting out of it now. No way of getting out this elven shrine.

"The barrier has been broken."

Nagkatinginan silang apat. It took them a minute before facing me again. They surrounded me, their spikes still pointing at my neck. "Walk." The elf in front spoke.