Chapter 23: A Tale of Three Sisters
While Somnus plans his attack, the gang eats their dinner in the bar. Francis and Raffy just came in after taking a very long bath.
"Tell me again Francis why we get to clean the toilet?"
"It's because were the only ones left who had nothing to do."
"Oh, right."
"I think the smell of the toilet became permanently part of me. Hey Pinggoy, do you know how long it took me to wash that toilet smell off me?"
"I don't know. Surprise me."
"Three hours. It took me three whole hours to wash the smell off. Next time, we trade places. I go and clean the tables here."
"Hey Francis, would you please change the topic? People are eating in here you know."
"By the looks of it Paolo, it seems like the only person eating here is you!"
"So what? People have already finished eating except us. I think it's about time I ate."
"Fine. Hey Raffy, come on. Let's get something to eat."
"Right behind you."
Francis and Raffy went inside the kitchen to get something to eat. Paolo, Pinggoy, and Ramch are eating together at a table while Jessie, Addison, and Joed are talking with the bartender at the counter.
"Excuse me, may I ask your name?"
"Sure, no problem. My name is Andrew Grover."
"Nice to know you Andrew. My name is Jessie and these are my friends Addison and Joed. Those other people are also our friends. We all work here as all-around employees."
"Well, nice to meet you too Jessie."
"Umm...Andrew, if you don't mind me asking you...what is the story of Frell. Why is it that Quirella wants to take over this world. How did someone that evil became related to Queen Frella who is pure-natured? And what happened to the past guardians of Frell?"
"Well...where should I start? Before Queen Frella, it was her father who ruled over all the land. His name was King Triton."
"Wait, so you mean that even before Queen Frella ruled over the land, Frell was the name of the land?"
"Of course not. The land is named according to what the ruler wants. When King Triton was ruler, he named the land Qintara."
"Why was it named Qintara? That isn't even his name."
"Like what I've said, the ruler decides whatever the name of the land will be. King Triton named it after his wife, Queen Taravee.
The King and Queen had two daughters. They had a daughter a year after he became King."
"And that is Queen Frella, isn't it?"
"Right you are...Joed isn't it? Okay, because of the bloodline, Frella will be the next to rule in case King Triton dies. When Frella was 10 years old, they had another daughter named Cassandra."
"Wait, Quirella's real name is Cassandra?"
"No Addison, it wasn't Quirella who was born. It was Frella's sister Cassandra. Andrew, you said that the King and Queen only had two daughters and that is Frella and Cassandra. Andrew, what happened to Quirella?"
"Well Jessie, Quirella isn't really their sister; she was their step-sister. A year before Frella was born and Triton was not King yet, he had an affair with a woman in the village."
"What was her name?"
"Nobody knew what the woman's name was. All they knew is that Triton impregnated the woman. This angered the father and mother of Triton and banished the woman from their land.
People say that when Quirella was being born, all the animals in the forest cried. It was as if they know that great evil will befall the kingdom."
"That was awful. Why didn't he just married the woman and took care of Quirella?"
"Because of royalty, he wasn't allowed to marry the woman. He was engaged to Princess Taravee. If they get married, the two kingdoms will unite and form one powerful nation."
"So they just banished the woman and Quirella? That's a bit harsh don't you think?"
"Actually I do, Addison. When Frella was 5 years old, which makes Quirella one year older, an unknown sickness fell on the King. The palace's mages cannot determine where it originated. A few days before he died, Cassandra went to him to say something but the guards would not let her because she might be infected by the disease."
"What was she going to say to him?"
"I'm getting there."
"Don't disturb him Addison."
"Anyway, the guards wouldn't let her so she went to her sister, Frella. Cassandra knew that her sister would listen to her because they treat each other like best friends."
"What was it that she wanted to say?"
"Cassandra saw in a dream a woman with a newborn baby. She remembered the woman saying 'Triton, with the birth of your child, your death shall come.' She was unsure of the dream because the only children of her father that she knew are Frella and she. At first Frella did not believe what her sister said because it was preposterous and the probable cause of their parent's sickness is food poisoning."
"So? Did Frella tell his father about Cassandra's dream?"
"Yes she did. She told him the day before he died. Triton confessed to them that they have another sister. He told them that their grandparents banished the mother of their sister so he did not have any chance to explain that he loved the woman and wanted to take care of the child."
"Wow...that was a tragic story."
"You tell me. The queen overheard their conversation and felt bad that Triton cheated on her. She went to the highest tower of the palace and committed suicide by jumping of the window. After she died, Triton came next. He died of not only because of the sickness, but also of loneliness and sadness."
"Wait, there's something missing in your story Andrew. How did Quirella get dark powers?"
"Good question Joed. Actually, her mother was a witch so technically, she is also a witch. But that was not enough to give her dark powers. So her mother summoned all evil forces in this world and gave them her body, soul, and spirit. In exchange, they will give Quirella the greatest power in all of the land."
"How about the guardians? How do they fit in this story?"
"The guardians are the spirits that protected this Kingdom from evil forces. They are the ones that keep the balance in this world. But when Quirella received dark powers from the evil spirits, the balance was disrupted. That is why the spirits looked for beings that have the right characteristics, abilities, and attitude. These beings do not only include us, but also other living beings like animals."
"So what happened to them?"
"The spirits couldn't find the right beings to be the guardians of Qintara. Some say that they have already given up and already rested. Some say that the spirits summoned other beings from out of this land."
Jessie, Joed and Addison looked at each other and smiled. Now they know that they are really the ones that will be the guardians since they were the ones summoned by the spirits.
"Thank you Andrew. That was much informing."
"You're welcome."
Jessie, Joed and Addison went to the others to tell them what they have just been told. Now that they have a background of what really happened, they somehow felt stronger.
"Tell me again Francis why we get to clean the toilet?"
"It's because were the only ones left who had nothing to do."
"Oh, right."
"I think the smell of the toilet became permanently part of me. Hey Pinggoy, do you know how long it took me to wash that toilet smell off me?"
"I don't know. Surprise me."
"Three hours. It took me three whole hours to wash the smell off. Next time, we trade places. I go and clean the tables here."
"Hey Francis, would you please change the topic? People are eating in here you know."
"By the looks of it Paolo, it seems like the only person eating here is you!"
"So what? People have already finished eating except us. I think it's about time I ate."
"Fine. Hey Raffy, come on. Let's get something to eat."
"Right behind you."
Francis and Raffy went inside the kitchen to get something to eat. Paolo, Pinggoy, and Ramch are eating together at a table while Jessie, Addison, and Joed are talking with the bartender at the counter.
"Excuse me, may I ask your name?"
"Sure, no problem. My name is Andrew Grover."
"Nice to know you Andrew. My name is Jessie and these are my friends Addison and Joed. Those other people are also our friends. We all work here as all-around employees."
"Well, nice to meet you too Jessie."
"Umm...Andrew, if you don't mind me asking you...what is the story of Frell. Why is it that Quirella wants to take over this world. How did someone that evil became related to Queen Frella who is pure-natured? And what happened to the past guardians of Frell?"
"Well...where should I start? Before Queen Frella, it was her father who ruled over all the land. His name was King Triton."
"Wait, so you mean that even before Queen Frella ruled over the land, Frell was the name of the land?"
"Of course not. The land is named according to what the ruler wants. When King Triton was ruler, he named the land Qintara."
"Why was it named Qintara? That isn't even his name."
"Like what I've said, the ruler decides whatever the name of the land will be. King Triton named it after his wife, Queen Taravee.
The King and Queen had two daughters. They had a daughter a year after he became King."
"And that is Queen Frella, isn't it?"
"Right you are...Joed isn't it? Okay, because of the bloodline, Frella will be the next to rule in case King Triton dies. When Frella was 10 years old, they had another daughter named Cassandra."
"Wait, Quirella's real name is Cassandra?"
"No Addison, it wasn't Quirella who was born. It was Frella's sister Cassandra. Andrew, you said that the King and Queen only had two daughters and that is Frella and Cassandra. Andrew, what happened to Quirella?"
"Well Jessie, Quirella isn't really their sister; she was their step-sister. A year before Frella was born and Triton was not King yet, he had an affair with a woman in the village."
"What was her name?"
"Nobody knew what the woman's name was. All they knew is that Triton impregnated the woman. This angered the father and mother of Triton and banished the woman from their land.
People say that when Quirella was being born, all the animals in the forest cried. It was as if they know that great evil will befall the kingdom."
"That was awful. Why didn't he just married the woman and took care of Quirella?"
"Because of royalty, he wasn't allowed to marry the woman. He was engaged to Princess Taravee. If they get married, the two kingdoms will unite and form one powerful nation."
"So they just banished the woman and Quirella? That's a bit harsh don't you think?"
"Actually I do, Addison. When Frella was 5 years old, which makes Quirella one year older, an unknown sickness fell on the King. The palace's mages cannot determine where it originated. A few days before he died, Cassandra went to him to say something but the guards would not let her because she might be infected by the disease."
"What was she going to say to him?"
"I'm getting there."
"Don't disturb him Addison."
"Anyway, the guards wouldn't let her so she went to her sister, Frella. Cassandra knew that her sister would listen to her because they treat each other like best friends."
"What was it that she wanted to say?"
"Cassandra saw in a dream a woman with a newborn baby. She remembered the woman saying 'Triton, with the birth of your child, your death shall come.' She was unsure of the dream because the only children of her father that she knew are Frella and she. At first Frella did not believe what her sister said because it was preposterous and the probable cause of their parent's sickness is food poisoning."
"So? Did Frella tell his father about Cassandra's dream?"
"Yes she did. She told him the day before he died. Triton confessed to them that they have another sister. He told them that their grandparents banished the mother of their sister so he did not have any chance to explain that he loved the woman and wanted to take care of the child."
"Wow...that was a tragic story."
"You tell me. The queen overheard their conversation and felt bad that Triton cheated on her. She went to the highest tower of the palace and committed suicide by jumping of the window. After she died, Triton came next. He died of not only because of the sickness, but also of loneliness and sadness."
"Wait, there's something missing in your story Andrew. How did Quirella get dark powers?"
"Good question Joed. Actually, her mother was a witch so technically, she is also a witch. But that was not enough to give her dark powers. So her mother summoned all evil forces in this world and gave them her body, soul, and spirit. In exchange, they will give Quirella the greatest power in all of the land."
"How about the guardians? How do they fit in this story?"
"The guardians are the spirits that protected this Kingdom from evil forces. They are the ones that keep the balance in this world. But when Quirella received dark powers from the evil spirits, the balance was disrupted. That is why the spirits looked for beings that have the right characteristics, abilities, and attitude. These beings do not only include us, but also other living beings like animals."
"So what happened to them?"
"The spirits couldn't find the right beings to be the guardians of Qintara. Some say that they have already given up and already rested. Some say that the spirits summoned other beings from out of this land."
Jessie, Joed and Addison looked at each other and smiled. Now they know that they are really the ones that will be the guardians since they were the ones summoned by the spirits.
"Thank you Andrew. That was much informing."
"You're welcome."
Jessie, Joed and Addison went to the others to tell them what they have just been told. Now that they have a background of what really happened, they somehow felt stronger.
posted by Paolo | 11:19 AM
