Queen Of Adis

For the first time, the veteran warriors of the guild lost their composure upon seeing their revered god of war, the true almighty King of Trium Regum, and their hero, King Adis Delacroix. They were stupefied at the Demon King's larger than life presence, as well as his antagonistic and dominant air that one would have no choice but to bend his knees in fear and respect.

Haru barely heard someone mentioned the three great Kings which caused her muddled state of mind to panic. 'Are they here to take Vladimir away from me, too? Adis, where are you? Help me!'

Adis ignored the gawking eyes of the crowd and indifferently moved towards the abandoned house. His gait was just like his heartbeat, unstable and fast, while silently praying that Haru was safe and sound.

As soon as he entered the house, his eyes swiftly searched for his beloved. When he finally saw her, he instantly went rigid as though he was turned into stone by *Medusa's gaze. After what seemed like forever, he staggered and his eyes became murky in anguish at the tormenting state of his mate.

The sickening smell of burnt hair and corroding flesh lingered in the air while her white ensemble was tattered and melted into her skin. Her once fair, smooth skin was now gravely seared and in shades of red and black. Her breathing was so faint that one would think she had finally left this mundane world, but her firm hold of the crying boy while still kneeling on the ground told him otherwise.

He whimpered as he felt his heart was being ripped from his c.h.e.s.t and tossed it inside a blazing furnace. He knelt in front of her with a thud and extended his trembling hands to c.a.r.e.s.s her burned face, but stop midway as he was not sure if his touch would cause her more pain.

"My gods! What have they done to you?" He breathed out in distress.

When Vladimir heard the familiar voice, he lifted his tear-stained face and looked at Adis with eyes full of remorse. "Demon King, you're back! Please help my mother. She's hurt because of me," he cried out hysterically then glanced up at Haru. "Mother, mother, the Demon King has come to save us. Please open your eyes, mother!"

Adis instantly saw red upon seeing the demon child, ignoring the boy's claim that Haru was his mother. With a mind clouded by sorrow, he promptly blamed the boy. "It's you! You're the one who did this to my beloved. I should have killed you the first time, you monster!" He snarled menacingly while the white of his eyes blackened. He bared his sharp claws and swiftly went for the child's throat.

But before he could pierce his claws on Vladimir's small neck, he halted at hair's breadth when he heard Haru inhaled sharply then wheezed for precious air.

When Haru saw the man she had been calling in her mind, the corner of her lips curled up, tearing the already exposed muscle tissue. "A-Adis, you're back!" She heaved as tears of blood fell from her eyes. "I-I knew you would come... to save us. Please... help this child. H-he's hurt... because of me." She slowly lifted her bloody hand and cupped her beloved's face. Before the fire in her eyes completely went out, she lovingly breathed her last phrase. "Adis... I love you."

With her eyes still open, her arm fell down as darkness finally consumed her.

Adis shook his head vehemently as his hands grasped her face. "No, no, no! HARU!" Adis wailed in despair, feeling that his breath would snap at any moment.

Aquarius and Zen cast their healing spell at its maximum capacity to prevent Haru's soul from leaving her body and enter the cold river of Charon. They barked their orders to their royal aides to call forth Fenghuang into the Water Palace at once.

The Ignis brothers emerged from the shadow when they felt their master's devastation. Each loyal aide moved proficiently; Drako carried Vladimir in his arms while Graves took care of the onlookers. Fang touched Adis' back and with a snap of his fingers, all the royal family vanished into thin air, leaving the still stupefied crowd with their mouths wide opened.

*******************************

When Haru opened her eyes again, she abruptly covered her mouth with her hands while a soft gasp escaped from her lips. In her eyes reflected the spectacular sight of the endless horizon. Beyond it was the first signs of daylight, signaling the approaching dawn and vividly painting the sky in vibrant shades of blue, white, pink, orange and purple. The thin line between the crystal clear water surface and the sky made up for its perfect atmosphere of life's attainable happiness amidst tribulation.

'This must be what heaven looks like,' she thought to herself. As she looked down, she discovered that she was standing on the water, staring at her n.a.k.e.d reflection. "Where am I? Where is Adis? I remember seeing his face before I lost consciousness. Am I... dead?" She muttered to herself as her eyes flickered in confusion.

When she heard the faint rustles of the leaves against the branches, she instantly spun around. Then, her pupils dilated at the unbelievable sight of a giant tree with leaves as gray as the ashes.

"My name is *Yggdrasil. In your previous world, your kind called Mother Nature. In this world, I am called the Tree of Life. I stand in the center of the world but is invisible to all my children. My roots extend from way up to Heaven and to the dark abyss of Hell. I am both the eyes and ears of the gods, as well as their messenger. My child, the gods have heard your pleas and you are here to receive your blessing," the tree introduced itself, sounding like a wise old lady.

Haru's forehead creased, then she gripped her head as she felt like it's being rammed with a jackhammer.

"Myriads of questions must be hurting your head. I shall indulge you and answer some of it," the tree talked to her kindly.

"Are there any other world or dimension or planet aside from here? If so, why am I in Trium Regum?" She took the opportunity to ask the questions that had been nagging in her mind for quite a while.

"There are many worlds that you and I could even count, another universe that hasn't been discovered and creatures that have lived longer than time itself. However, Trium Regum is gradually losing its light. Slowly but surely, it's being swallowed by the blight of war, crimes, and avarice. My children have been suffering in endless sorrow and injustice. Despite all the chaos, they continued to commit violence and mislead one another. They incited the wrath of the goddess of Ice and called forth the ceaseless frostbite." When the tree spoke again, Haru's surroundings changed from the clear horizon to a different universe, war, death and the grayish-white of winter.

Suddenly, her vision concentrated onto a man standing on a mountain of corpses. A man she seemed to be familiar with, yet foreign at the same time. His face and muscular body was painted with black demon stripes while his ferocious demon eyes were crying tears of blood. As he howled in agony, she felt a tremendous pain in her heart.

The tree continued, "A warrior, unparalleled to anyone, has been crying to be released from the sins of his ancestors. A lone King that has been carrying this world on his shoulders. And a scarred soul that has been roaming the land in search of his salvation. The gods took pity on him, thus you are destined to meet."

"Are you saying that it's okay to love him with all of me?"

"Due to the many lives he took that blackened his hands and soul, it's preordained that he would live in infinite darkness. You are both his life and curse. As long as you stay with him, many lives will be lost and corpses will continue to follow your trail. And as you are the only salvation he seeks, you are likewise the bearer of his end. This demon, however pitiful he may be, is the only being that the gods feel restless. He has the power to engulf this world into abysmal ruin. Should you be gone, the end of heaven and earth are just a breath away."

"I don't understand! Why do you sound like my first ever love story will either end up me being heartbroken or dead?" Haru grunted and wrinkled her nose, feeling aggrieved at her fate. "That's it? Your definition of 'blessing' surely sucks."

When she looked down again, she could see through her arms as her body was slowly fading. Her eyes widened when she remembered something and yelled out in the hope to chase the tree's faint silhouette. "W-wait, Yggdrasil! I still have so many questions. Are you also saying that there will be no end to this glacial?"

Yggdrasil's whispers echoed through her mind. "Only the blessing of the gods will know. My child, you are the chosen one to deliver this world from its coldness blight. Your compassion will bring forth the dawn of light, and your brilliance will shape the land of its new history. At the first sign of a new life, your true power shall set free."

******************************

Dark thick lashes softly fluttered, slowly lifting to reveal the captivating amber orbs that were hiding from its delicate folds. The sleeping beauty had finally awakened and graced the dimly lit place her innocent light.

As Haru stared at the dramatic design of white and gold on the ceiling, she was also pondering her conversation with Yggdrasil. Was it all just a dream? Why did it felt so... real? When she remembered the commotion at the orphanage, she looked at her arms and touched her face. She sighed in relief when she felt that her skin had no scars and was still smooth and healthy.

She glanced sideways when she felt a slight movement at her side. Her features softened upon the sight of an enormous being leaning his upper torso on the side of the bed while resting his head on his arms. His forehead was furrowed in his sleep as though he was having a nightmare. His right hand was holding her hand tightly, afraid to let go even in his state of unconsciousness.

She noticed that his face seemed to be hollowed and he lost so much weight. His dark hair was tangled and unruly while days old stubble could be seen on his cheeks and jaw. He looked ragged and stressed. Her hand seemed to have a mind of its own as it slowly poked and smoothen the creased on his brows.

As her touch landed on his cheek, Adis' hand immediately held hers and jolted up. His red pupils dilated upon meeting her beautiful ambers. His lips trembled and a huge lump instantly formed in his throat when she gave him a sweet smile.

"Good morning, s.e.xy old man." Haru teased him in a raspy voice while her smile turned into a grin.

With trembling hands, he took her still cold hand to his lips and desperately kissed her palm. Then, he gripped it towards his c.h.e.s.t as his tears silently rolled down on his cheeks. "My heart ceased to beat when you closed your eyes, you silly woman! It felt so long ago since it throbs like this," he whispered in both pain and relief.

She felt the loud pounding of his heart as if it would leap out of his c.h.e.s.t, echoing her own heartbeat. She sn.a.k.e.d her hand on the back of his head and yanked him down towards her c.h.e.s.t, grazing his stubbles to her soft skin. She kissed the side of his face and whispered to his ears, "I'm sorry for making you worried."

With a tear-stained face, Adis showered her face with kisses. And as their lips finally met, time seemed to stand still. Whether it was love or a curse, for the two lovesick souls, being in each other's arms again was all that matters to them.