HE'S NOT HUMAN
CHAPTER 12 (Bag. 1)
Meanwhile, way down there. The Underworld…
“Your Majesty, please follow me,” Damian told Arro while walking in standby position.
Damian has not come down to this world for a long time, since the King appointed him to protect the kingdoms of the Upper World. He used to be the personal bodyguard of Agnor. The ruler of this place. Damian recalled how he had become a special bodyguard in the Vasileion Kingdom.
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Many years ago. The Upper World, Kingdom of Vasileion. The main palace of King Lexander Kyrillos.
“Say your destination!” the King of Lexander's Order.
“Greet me respectfully to Your Majesty. I am Damian, sent by the leader of the Underworld, His Eminence Agnor, to deliver a report of the incident this month.” Damian was still kneeling respectfully to the King before him.
“Oh, Agnor. How's things? Does he like the place?” ask King Lexander with a smile on his face.
“Your Majesty Agnor is in good condition Your Majesty. He also led the Underworld very well. Only, he still did not receive the punishment for not being allowed to visit the Upper World.”
“Hahahaha. And tell him I did it for his own good. He has been troublemaking too often here.” The King laughed, but actually he had another reason to ‘punish’ Agnor.
“Good, Your Majesty,” Damian replied with his position still without lifting his face.
“Deliver your report!” the King's orders again.
“Ampuni me Your Majesty, before I submit a report there are things I want to convey.”
“Say!”
“Sorry if I've been presumptuous, but I want to convey it only alone with Your Majesty.” Damian raised his face. He wants to show that what he wants to say is very important.
“Do not cross the line, Damian!” snapped at someone standing next to the King's throne. He was a Duke, a confidant of the King.
The King had not made a sound, he frowned, looking for answers from Damian's eyes.
“Come out all of you!” king Lexander's orders in a loud voice.
“But, Your Highness.we cannot protect you, Damian is a warrior from the Underworld. Agnor could have had a sinister plan,” whispered the Duke. But his voice could be faintly heard by Damian.
“I cannot dare, Your Majesty,” Damian said suddenly. He wanted to dispel the King's doubts.
“Come. I can still very much beat him alone.” The King assured the Duke.
The Duke still hesitated, but he nodded obediently, then walked towards the door followed by the other five bodyguards.
Now, there's only Damian and the King. Damian stood up from his position and looked around him, as soon as he felt safe, he turned back to face the King.
“I don't mean to be presumptuous Your Majesty. But, I found this while walking towards your residence.” Damian drew near to the King's throne and showed him a crumpled piece of paper that did not contain any writing.
“What is this?” ask the King in wonder.
“While waiting outside earlier, I picked up the paper tucked between the main posts. I also did not suspect anything. But, I sensed a black magic while touching it.” Damian said it as slow as he could.
“In my village, it is very common to use black magic to injure someone we hate. Therefore, I am very familiar with objects like this,” Damian continued.
“Then?”
“Easy for me to know what magic to use, purpose and the person to whom to go,” Damian explained again. “And when I opened it, I knew that this evil magic was used to injure you, Your Majesty.” Damian bowed, not wanting to frighten the King.
“Tell me what you know!” The King showed an anxious look.
“Someone uses nightmare magic. The goal is to kill you while you sleep. And it is a most natural death, nor does it leave any marks.”
The King was surprised by what Damian said. No one knows the nightmares he's been having for a week. Only his wife, Queen Alisha, knows how restless the King is every night.
“Do you know who has this magic?” The King has fallen. He almost screamed in anger.
“I know Your Majesty. I met him upon entering this room,” Damian said carefully.
“Who? Tell me!”
Damian dropped himself to his knees again. “Ampuni me Your Majesty if I am presumptuous. But, the one who sent the magic was. Duke who was standing next to you earlier. The energy is the same as the energy left on that paper.”
The King's eyeballs opened wide, his face showing shock mixed with anger. How could, someone he had already considered part of the family dare to harm him. But, the King relaxes his muscles, he does not want to be provoked first. “Show me why you accused him!”
Damian stood up again. He approached the King's throne again and asked for the paper back. “Your Majesty, I will send you a simple magic through this paper medium. If the Duke were to re-enter this room with an injured hand, then he is the one.” Damian awaits the King's approval.
The King agreed. Damian closed his eyes for a while, uttered a few sentences then suddenly the empty paper, slowly showing an indecipherable writing in blood-red ink and burning to ashes. The King looked at him in disbelief.
“It's done, Your Honor,” Damian said.
“Come on you outside!” shouted the King.
It did not wait long for the guards outside to re-enter. But the Duke was not seen coming in. The King and Damian exchanged lyrics, did their plan fail?
“Where is Duke Abrion?” ask the King to a guard.
“So we saw Duke Abrion running towards the treatment room, Your Majesty,” replied the bodyguard.
“What's with him?”
“I don't know, Your Honor. Duke only complained that his hands were hot and blistered,” the bodyguard explained.
Damian and the King glanced at each other. Their plan worked. But, not the happy look printed on the King's face, but sorrow and disappointment include the King's feelings. Damian's down, he knows what it's like to be betrayed by someone you already consider a family.
It did not wait long for the King to accept that fact. He rubbed his face, then said out loud, “Seret Duke Abrion into the courtroom, right now!”
All the guards looked at each other in surprise, but no one questioned the King's orders. A few bodyguards in fuller clothes along with weapons, ran out and disappeared from sight.
“Damian, return! Thanks for your information. And say hello to Agnor.”
Damian bowed respectfully, then said, “Okay Your Majesty, I will convey. But, what about the report from Underworld?” damian asked, he had not been able to submit his report. That was his main goal to see King Lexander.
“No need, I use the command ‘deliver that under’ world report just to know my best friend news under there.”
Damian was a little surprised. He does not know the relationship that Agnor and King Lexander have had that close.
“Damian, don't tell anything that happened here to Agnor!” continued the King, he was serious about his words.
“Good, I understand. I'm sorry, Your Honor.” Damian left the Kingdom of Vasileion.
Returning to the Underworld, Damian only said that the report had been sent and received by King Lexander, not forgetting the greeting from the King to his master, Agnor. But, Agnor did not even like the ‘salam’. It was like a mockery for him.
He was once a friend of the King. But his very disobedient and often disobeying royal orders made it in ‘hukal’ to come down and lead the Underworld.he was given the task of relaying all the happenings from down there once a month.
Initially Agnor liked that ‘punishment’. When else could he take the lead, even though it was the Underworld, a place that no one wanted to enter. But, when the punishment was followed by an order to never enter the Upper World again, Agnor was wrathful. If he was forbidden to not touch the Upper World, then he also forbade anyone to enter the Underworld. Especially the descendants of the King.
The Underworld is a deadly prison for traitors, rebels and hardened criminals from all the kingdoms of the Upper World. The Leader, Agnor is very merciless. For him it was like a playground. Moreover, he was accompanied by thousands of soldiers who also acted as executioners in that place. But, Damian was the only soldier he relied on.
A few days later, a special soldier introductory prisoner from the Upper World came to face Agnor.
“My greetings to His Majesty Agnor.” A soldier came in.
“Is there a New prisoner?” agnor asked casually as she poured a deep red drink into her glass.
“There, Your Grace. His name is Abrion, he is a traitor from the Kingdom of Vasileion,” replied the soldier.
Agnor choked on her drink upon hearing that name. He knows who Abrion is. A man who always walked with him and Lexander while he was still in the Kingdom of Vasileion. They have been friends for a long time. What the hell is going on up there?
Agnor turned to look at Damian who was standing beside her. Agnor's face was like asking for an answer from Damian, but Damian shook his head insisting he didn't know anything. Obviously, Damian is lying.
“What mistakes did he make?” ask Agnor still can't believe it.
“He intends to harm King Lexander Kyrillos. He admitted his actions but was reluctant to mention the people involved.” The soldier explained in detail.
Agnor was silent for a while, “Take her to the main execution room!” his orders.
“Good, Your Highness.and also in addition to bringing prisoners, I want to convey the order of King Lexander,” said the soldier again.
“What else is the order?” agnor's voice weakened, he bowed massaging his temple, he still wondered what exactly was going on.
“He wants lord Damian to be one of the warriors in the Kingdom of Vasileion.”
Agnor raised her face looking at the soldier, she was surprised to hear the order. “What? why suddenly?” Agnor turned to Damian.
“I was not informed of the reason, Your Majesty,” replied the soldier again.
“Just mind.Lexander you are a jerk,” muttered Agnor.
“Then, I excuse you, Your Majesty.” The soldier left Agnor's throne room.
Agnor again massaged her temple. Then said, “does it really matter that you know nothing?” ask Agnor without seeing Damian.
“I don't know anything, Your Highness.” Damian lied again. He understood, King Lexander must have had a reason to hide this and call him.
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