[√]Lady of the White Rose

66: Statue

VESPER

"How's your meeting?" Ashley ask as she throw herself on my bed. Nasa harap ako ng vanity mirror at inaayos ang buhok ko. Handa na kaming dalawa matulog.

Ang tinutukoy nitong meeting ay yung meeting with the other allies that Rence introduced. "Maayos naman," it's true, naging maayos ang meeting kanina. Productive, if I word it.

With what's happening to the Kingdom right now and seeing how the King's dealing with it, I think it's time to put a new head. I can't stomach how he's been deaf from all the cries of his people.

Nagugutom na at naghihingalo ang kaharian ay nagawa pa rin niyang mag party kasama ang ibang mga kakampi niya. He still dare to held extravagant balls and parties with hundreds of thousands of budgets without allocating enough funds to combat the crisis we're facing right now.

"Hey, Ashley," tawag ko rito.

"Hmm?" Sagot nito habang papikit na ang mga mata nito.

"When I'm gone, please look after my family. My brother and father..."

"Hmm? Okay." Bigla itong natigilan, nagmulat ng mga mata habang nakakunot ang noo. "Ano 'yong sinabi mo?"

"Wala, sabi ko kung inaantok kana matulog kana."

Sa sumunod na araw, dumilim ang kalangitan. Namuno ng ulap at tila ba nagbabadya ang ulan. Akala ng lahat ay uulan ngunit hindi. Walang ulan na dumating. Ang pagdilim ng kalangitan ay isang senyales lamang ng nagbabadyang delubyong darating sa kaharian.

The next day, a statue was found in front of the palace. Naging kontrobersyal ito at naging usap-usapan ng lahat. Lahat ay nagtataka, ngunit mas naging lamang ang pangambang nararamdam ng lahat nang makita kung kaninong estatwa ang nakatayo.

It was the statue of the God of death, Mori.

"Yes, it was me who built that statue. You got a problem with it?"

Those were the words of the King who built a statue of another God in the territory of the Goddess of Time and Justice, Malaya. People began whispering and talking about the statue. That it might be the reason why they're experiencing famine and drought as severe as what we're experiencing right now.

"Kasalanan ito ng hari," chant the people.

"Nagpatayo siya ng rebolto ni Mori kaya nagalit si Malaya. Hali kayo at magdasal tayo upang tayo ay mapatawad ng butihing si Malaya."

I met with Rence a few times to talk about how the plan is proceeding. Minsan kasama niya ang ina niya, ngunit kadalasan ay mag-isa lamang siya, kaming dalawa lamang ang nag-uusap. Minsanan lang din kami magkita-kita ng ibang mga kasama namin upang iwasan na mahalata at ang talas pa naman daw ng pang amoy ni Mori, ang God of Death.

Nang malaman din ni Malaya na si Mori ang dios na nakapasok sa teritoryo niya ay binalaan niya rin akong mag-iingat dito. Tuso raw ito at hindi mapagkakatiwalaan. Hindi nga niya napansin na nakapasok na pala ito sa Lorence.

It was during one afternoon, while I was busy with my paperwork, Chain brought news that the Caliber already conquered a small neighboring land using their experimented monster, Hellion. They ravaged the land to waste, burn those that they don't need. They beheaded the King and half the citizens was offered alive to the God of Death.