The maidens dropped the baskets in their hands and quickly ran inside while Liam stood still at a spot, staring at the entrance of the cave.
Shortly after, the maidens returned, but this time around, they were not alone. With them was the most beautiful woman Liam had ever seen in his life, and looking at her made his jaw drop. “She is a goddess!” Liam thought to himself as he couldn’t stop admiring the Enchantress. She had sunny hair that dazzled just like gold, cascading from her head down to her shoulders, and continuing until a few inches to her waist. Her eyes shun brightly like the sun, and her nose pointed straight like an arrow. She was dressed in a white robe that revealed part of her ravishing skin and with her feet bare just like the maidens. Her curvaceous body stood fitted in her apparel, and she had lovely beads on her waist that glittered like diamonds. “My love!” She gasped as soon as she saw Liam, and getting down from the step in front of the entrance to the cave, she hurried toward him at once. “I thought I had lost you!” Circe embraced Liam tightly and held onto him for a while. Liam remained still, not sure if he was to wrap his arks around her or remain the way he was. Circe pulled out from the embrace eventually, and then she touched Liam all over his face, looking very curious. “What happened? I saw you, you were dead. The dark Lord killed you after he broke free.” Circe asked anxiously, but Liam was still speechless. “Come. You will tell me everything inside. I am so glad to have you back. I have met no happiness since you left me.” Crice dragged Liam’s muscular arm with both hands and led him into the cave, engulfed with so much elation. “Prepare a feast at once! Gather all the maidens!” She ordered the maidens who bowed at her almost immediately and left with their baskets. Liam walked deeper and deeper into the cave with Circe leading him, and he could see that the walls of the cave had crystals in them, shining brightly, but not as bright as the green light that shunned brightly with a soft hum. Instantly, Liam’s attention was drawn toward it, and he couldn't stop staring as they got closer to it. “I kept it for myself as a reminder of the wonderful times we spent together,” Circe said to Liam, and he smiled with a nod. “How do I get that, pearl?” Liam thought to himself as he looked at the green pearl kept on top of a huge rock surrounded by several other rocks almost of the same size. He took a glance, and he could see the candles lit at several corners of the cave, fixed into tall metal stands. By a corner of the cave was a pool, bubbling with hot smoke evaporating from it. “Come, my love. Come sit with me.” Circe gestured to a large seat that could stand in for a throne, gently dragging Liam until they sat on the large seat covered with thick animal skin. “My happiness has returned,” Circe confessed with a smile on her face, and without warning, she leaned forward to Liam and planted a kiss on his lips, leaving his eyes wide open, and his brows arched. Circe noticed the awkwardness between them, and withdrew from his lips, staring at him with several thoughts running through her mind. “What is it, Phaunos? Are you not happy to see me?” “Of course, I am happy to see you, my love.” Liam retorted at once, and Circe forced a smile to take over the gloom on her face. “If you are happy to see me, then why have you been so quiet? Tell me what happened, I want to know everything.” Circe adjusted herself and focused all of her attention on Liam. Thinking of how to get the pearl, Liam turned to look at it, blinking severally as the rays from its bright light met his eyes. “You want it?” Liam nodded in response, and Circe slowly sat up from the seat they shared and gestured her right hand toward the pearl which moved toward her as she motioned. She got hold of the pearl as soon as it got close to her, and leaning backward, she turned to look at Liam with a chuckle. “Here, let me help you with it.” Circe grabbed the Amulet hanging on Liam’s neck with her left hand, and then she inserted the pearl into the hole with her right hand. Instantly, Liam felt a sudden power like an electrical charge surging into his body. It felt like an enigmatic force streaming into his blood vessels with so much speed. His green eyes began to glow as his body aligned with the magical sensation that crept into his body. He lifted his hands and looked at his palms, and he could feel a whirling energy surrounding them. Memories of the life of the real owner of the body he was occupying flashed through his mind, and he could see the times he spent together with the enchantress. “My muse.” He said as he turned to look at Circe who chuckled excitedly with her face brightening up with a smile. “It is truly you.” Circe voiced out, and then she grabbed Liam’s head with both hands and pulled him closer to herself until their lips met. She continued kissing him while Liam gently wrapped his arms around her, and they remained that way until the sound of music was heard from a short distance. Slowly, Circe pulled out from his lips and chuckled with excitement. “Music is here, my love.” She said, and grabbing Liam’s black cloak, she pulled him up gently and led him toward the direction the music was coming from. There were beautiful maidens dressed in similar apparel, sitting on the floor at different corners. Some of them had flutes, tambourines, and drums which they played skilfully to produce lovely rhythms. Liam marveled at how beautiful they were, but none of them could match the beauty of the Enchantress whose pulchritude was enough to cause a war between nations. Seeing them approach, two of the maidens stood up from the floor and hurried toward them. They grabbed Liam gently from both sides and led him to a well-decorated seat specially set aside for him. Circe joined Liam in the seat almost immediately, while the maidens stood beside them, nodding to the harmony of the energetic music. Circe looked at the maidens, and with a single motion of her hands, they all got up slowly almost at the same time, and danced to the sound of the music, swirling their hips as the beads on the ankles joined in the dance. Liam watched as the maidens danced joyously with Circe nodding in satisfaction, but the excitement on his face vanished the moment he saw the maidens carrying baskets and jars, walking toward them. They dropped the items on the floor in front of Circe, and she quickly signaled to one of the maidens with long raven hair who poured some wine into a goblet and handed it over to her. Circe drank some of the wine in the goblet with a smack of her lips just before she picked up an apple from one of the baskets, and ate from it. “Have a bite, my love.” She pushed the apple to Liam’s mouth, waiting for him to eat from it.Liam’s heart sunk deep into his stomach as he remembered the words that the guardian said to him. He stared at the apple, and all he could see was an entrapping poison, even though the fruit seemed really tasty and its red color made his mouth watery. “No, my love. I think I will pass.” “Are you rejecting this from me? This is a token of my love for you, look, it's an apple, a symbol of the passion that we share.” Circe persisted, pushing the apple closer until it touched Liam’s lips. “Go on, have a bit.” She persisted with a smile that soon faded, looking like she was about to get angry if he refused to eat from the apple. Liam stared at her for a while, and he could even see that the rest of the maidens standing at several corners had their eyes on him, waiting to see if he was going to reject a gift from their Mistress. “Everyone is watching, my love. Are you going to lead me to a ridicule?” Circe smirked at Liam, her eyes dazzling but in am impending rage. “Alright. Ju
Liam stared at Brina for a while, his mind filled with thoughts that forced him to want to ask a lot of questions. “She stabbed me with this, and it penetrated my skin, but I didn't see any blood.” He showed the golden dagger to Brina who chuckled with her hands clasped together in front of her. “With the Amulet with you, you are invincible, and no weapon can be able to kill you. You now have some of the immortal abilities of Lord Phaunos, and you will get the rest when you come to full mastery and control of the Amulet.” Liam stared at the dagger for a while before turning his gaze to the Amulet, particularly the green pearl which dazzled, and with every hum it made, Liam felt an electric energy, surging into him. It also felt like he could feel the power of the pearl. “If I am invincible just like Lord Phaunos, why then did this dagger pierce through my skin?” Liam lifted the golden dagger higher than it was with so much inquisition on his face. “That is no ordinary dagger
“Focus,” Brina called him back from his drift, and he unclenched his fists before he continued ascending the stairs with his eyes scouring the corners of the building as he went up. “Wait, hold on.” Liam was forced to stop as soon as an occurrence came to his mind, and he thought about it for a few seconds before he voiced out. “How am I supposed to get into the school? I will need to pay my fees, and even probably get to write an application before getting in.” “You worry too much, Emrys. All of that has been taken care of. All you need to do is to go in there and make sure that you come out as a college student just like you were.” Brina assured with a firm tone, clearing some of the uncertainties that Liam had in his mind. “I really hope this is a good idea.” Liam sighed heavily before he continued walking through the corridor that led to the Dean’s office. He continued through the path for a while until he arrived at the brown door by his right with the label of Dean’s o
Liam stood frozen while he watched the car move toward him at a moderate speed. He had several thoughts running through his mind as he looked at Pamela kissing Larry on the cheek while the car moved toward him. Dan was seated in the backseat of the car, going through his phone with full attention. “Emrys…” Brina called out to him, but he stood firm almost in the middle of the road looking at the people who were responsible for his death as they approached from a distance, looking as though nothing had happened. “Emrys? I think you should leave the way.” Brina called out to Liam again, but his anger had engulfed him, almost keeping him stagnant in a place. Soon, the car got really close to him, but he was still standing while Larry was more focused on the public show of affection he was displaying with Pamela who eventually looked through the windshield to see that someone was standing in front of them. “Larry! Watch out!” Pamela gasped, hitting Larry on the left shoulder to
Liam continued looking at the three companions as they got into the car and zoomed off at once without turning around to look at him. It was obvious that he had succeeded in making them really nervous, something that no one in the school had been able to do. “How do you feel? Relieved?” Brina’s voice called Liam back to reality, causing him to sigh heavily in an attempt to get rid of some of the anger that was still surging through his veins. “No, I am not. I will be when I eventually make them pay.” “I am sure you will make them pay in due time. For now, can we focus on going to the sta…What was it you called it again?” “Parking lot…” “Yes! The parking lot. Go to the parking lot, someone is there waiting for you.” Liam sighed again, and then he turned around slowly and started to walk toward the parking lot, struggling to get rid of the anger that engulfed him entirely. He got to the parking lot in less than five minutes, and then he scoured the entire place in anticipa
The cars drove through the avenue that led to the modern Castle that stood in the middle of the last land surrounded by beautiful gardens, and a tall water fountain flowing in front of it. Liam marveled at the sight before him, and he couldn't get his eyes off the tall building that had huge windows positioned at several corners of it. The Castle stood tall like a mountain, and the magnitude of its size was enough to tell that it had stood firm for a very long time. “What is this place?” “This is your new home, Emrys. As the heir of the divine, you deserve to stay in a place meant for kings. You are a great warrior, and you should be treated like one.” Brina responded almost immediately while Liam kept his eyes on the castle that drew closer with every passing second as the cars drove toward it. Eventually, they parked in front of the Castle, and one of the guards who alighted from the car in front quickly rushed in and opened the backseat for Liam who got down slowly. Just
Brina looked at herself for a while, and when she realized that she looked really nice in the outfit she had on, she snapped her fingers and changed instantly into a different outfit. “How is this?” She looked at Liam who nodded almost immediately while his smile remained unpaired. “How do they walk in these?” Brina felt the discomfort on her feet as she stood with the two long heels she was putting on. She attempted to walk toward Liam, but she eventually had to stop after struggling with about three steps. “You will eventually get used to it,” Liam said, but before he could think of something else to say, Brina changed into her white dress which Liam had seen her with during their first encounter. “I think I am better with this.” She sighed slightly, and without letting go of her smile, she looked at Liam’s outfit which she was certain needed to be discarded. “I think you should change into something else, Emrys. You don not want to be the reason why many people are forced
Almost startled by her presence, Liam turned to look at Brina who had had her gracious smile intact and admired him from a short distance. “I think we might need to do something about that.” Brina pointed to the amulet that bulged up from inside his suit, and then she walked up to Liam who was curious to know what she was up to. “Let’s see…” Brina moved her head backward a bit and after she had observed the amulet for a while, she snapped her fingers, and it changed into a silver necklace with a small pendant that was shaped like an ace. “There… I think that’s better.” She nodded in satisfaction while Liam felt the weight of the amulet lessen and was forced to reach out to the inside of his cream shirt. “What?” He said softly as he pulled out the necklace, and looked at it with his eye widened. “You like?” Brina inquired with an anticipatory smile, but Liam’s countenance gave way to a gloom that appeared a few seconds later. Realizing that he was saddened by the memories t
The three of them looked ahead, attempting to see what was ahead of them, but there was nothing, not even a shadow.“Whatever that was, it doesn’t sound friendly all all.” Mr. Gary said with a shaky voice, struggling to get a grip on himself just like Maya who hurried to stand behind Liam. “Stay close, guys. Whatever that was, it senses us as threats, and I am sure it’s going to come out from wherever it is.” Liam said calmly, looking ahead while the others stood behind him. The growl came back again, accompanied by louder echoes that reverberated from several corners of the dungeon. They could hear the sound of chains rattling from some of the dungeons, but that was the least of their troubles. As soon as the echoes from the growl went silent, the sound of heavy tromping on the hard floor followed suit, causing more tension in the bodies while they kept their shaky eyes staring in its direction. Taking in a deep breath, Liam exhaled some of the tension inside him while he he
After almost an hour of driving on the road, they eventually arrived at their destination and alighted from the car before heading down the hill that led to the sea. The hill was located on the outskirts of the city, a place where anyone hardly came, and they could hear the sound of birds and crickets chirping from a distance, and owls hooting from the top of the trees where they nestled. Darkness was already upon them, and even though Maya was afraid that she could fall from the hill as they climbed down, the thought of Liam being close to her made her continue. “That’s the sea over there, Lord Emrys!” Mr. Gary pointed as soon as he saw the sea, still surging under the effects of the wind, cascading from one point to the other while the three of them moved to it, eager to accomplish their mission.Standing in front of the sea, Liam and Maya looked at Mr. Gary who was the only one who knew what next to do, but the look on his face showed that he was struggling with a strange fe
Liam left the Castle as soon as he was well-rested. He headed to the Tavern, hoping that Mr. Gary was back from his travel while he sauntered into the building, ignoring the eyes that stared at him with keen attention. “That’s him! That’s the one I told you about! Strange isn’t he? He walks silently, yet his strength is as noisy as the turbulence of the sea.” One of the old men who recognized Liam whispered to his friend who was not present at the tavern the previous night. Some of the other men in the tavern who recognized him cringed with a little tension, flashes of the memories from the previous night couldn’t leave their minds. They had always been afraid of the assailants who tried to take advantage of the fact that Mr. Gary was not around, and the fact that Liam single-handedly beat them to a pulp made them very wary of him. Some of them adjusted themselves quickly, hoping not to offend him for any reason. Even the stares from his orbs were enough to send jitters down their
Liam was gradually becoming very impatient with Reggie, but he tried as much as he could to remain calm. “Reggie?” “Yes! Jack! He had an emergency, and he had to leave! Yes, that’s what happened!” Reggie chuckled again to cover his nervousness. “He had an emergency? What type of emergency?”“Erm? He…He.” Reggie stuttered, and more sweatballs streamed down his face while he searched for the right answer to give to Liam. “His mum sent him on an errand! Yes! An errand…” Reggie nodded to affirm his words while he continued to avoid eye contact with Liam who nodded slowly. “It’s fine,” Liam said with a low tone, and then he looked at the others who quickly withdrew their gazes from him at once, pretending to be talking about something else. “Yeah! He should be home now, probably with his mum. You should check his house.” “Alright. Thank you, Reggie.” Liam waved at Reggie with a smile on his face, and then he turned slowly and walked back to his car. Sitting silently, Liam
Liam saw that the old lady was gradually becoming very apprehensive, and he looked for a means to get her to calm down. He forced a smile on his face, but that still wasn’t enough to get her to calm down. “Where is Noah? What happened to him?”“I need you to calm down, Miss Thompson. Noah is safe, he is probably out there someone on one of his jobs.” “I don’t believe that! Noah would never go anywhere without telling me!” The old lady stood up from her seat at once and struggled to walk toward Liam who hurriedly grabbed her when he noticed that she was about to stagger. “What happened to Noah? Tell me! He said he was going to a party with you last night!” She looked into Liam’s eyes, making him look away at once, cringed by a little guilt. “Please, have a seat, Miss Thompson. I promise to tell you everything that happened.” Liam gently led the old lady back to her seat. He removed the wool, the scissors, and the knitting needle from the chair before he made sure she was comfo
Waking up the next morning, Liam couldn’t stop thinking about his encounter with Maya and the little children who reminded him so much about himself. Growing up in the orphanage was too tough for him, and he had to struggle his way to be able to put himself in school, moving from one job to the other in order to make a living. He couldn’t have much for breakfast and even the Chauffeur noticed that he was unusually quiet throughout the ride from the castle down to Hilton’s college. “We are here, Lord Emrys,” Andy said calmly after turning to look at Liam who was still lost in thought. He had been staring at him through the rearview mirror, wondering what had kept him thinking for such a long time. “Thank you, Andy. I will see you after school.” Liam got out of the car and shut the door at once before he walked away while the Chauffeur watched him for a few seconds before he drove out of the school premises. Liam expected to see Noah who usually waited for him in front of the
Liam watched the children with keen attention, and he couldn’t get rid of the nostalgic feeling that crept into his body, making him smile even without knowing it. He watched as some of them grabbed Maya’s hands and her clothes, and led her toward the only couch inside the house. “Maya! We made some cupcakes for you!”“Oh! Really?” Maya chuckled, looking at the children who seemed very excited about the words from the teenage boy who opened the door. He was the oldest among them and was obviously the leader. “I will be right back!” He ran off at once and returned a few seconds later with a plastic plate that contained two pieces of cupcakes. “We knew that you would be very exhausted and hungry by the time you get back, and we decided to make this for you.” He handed the plate over to Maya who laughed pleasantly. “Oh, Dave! This is lovely! That’s so sweet of you! All of you!” Maya looked at the cupcakes with a smile on her face while the children watched her keenly. The c
Maya wanted to believe the words she heard from Liam, but she couldn’t get over the fact that he didn’t get hurt by Raph’s dagger. “Maya? Don’t be scared, okay? I am not going to hurt you, I promise.” Liam reassured her again and waited patiently until she eventually decided to listen to him. After a few seconds of struggling with the conflict in her nerves, Maya sighed heavily, and then she managed to get a grip on herself. “I will listen to you only if you explain everything to me. You are going to tell me how you were able to do that.” Maya said nervously, looking at Liam who nodded after a few seconds. “I agree, I will tell you everything you need to know. Can we go somewhere private and talk?” Liam said when he realized that everyone was staring at him without any plans of looking away any time soon. “Just give me a few minutes.” Maya retorted almost immediately, and then she walked back to the counter to put things in order before leading Liam to the back where they sa
The man who Maya punched was so furious that he growled angrily, and leaned forward over the counter to grab her. “That’s not a good way to treat a lady, don’t you think so?” Liam was on time to pull the man backward with his left hand while he put a smile on his face. “Who the hell are you? Get your hands off me!” The man grunted angrily, glaring at Liam who lifted his hands slowly without letting go of his smile. “I am just her friend. I am not here for any kind of trouble, okay? I am just here to see Mr. Gary.” Liam looked at the five men surrounding him, and it was obvious that he had succeeded in pissing them off. He took two steps backward while his hands were still in the air, but they moved closer to him, making sure that he didn’t have any space to escape. Maya was relieved that her assailants had moved away from her, but she was worried that Liam was not going to be able to defend himself against the five of them. “You made a terrible mistake coming here, boy! Mr.