Chapter 3: Realisation

Chapter 3: Realisation 

By the early winter of the fifth, on Arctic Island, the thick glaciers almost covered most of the land. A small island near Thule, the furthest north of all. Billowing winds were flapping over crystal ice surface, making it steeply slippery. Snowflakes fell on Alphonse’s face as he alighted from the boat. Fergus was roping up dead corpses, while Kio thrust up to the sky, starting to scout the environment. The Yellow dimly beamed on the other side of the Island. ’ Not far, about two days trip.’ Kio said.

 

‘Good, we’ve got enough foods.’ Alphonse was sniffing the surface, trying to find something resourceful.

 

The magical skeletal potion was not only enlarged their bone structures and scaled up muscles, but also robust their durability on any harsh condition. As they threaded through a different layer of glaciers, they tend to distance themselves from one another.

 

And during the night, they did not talk at all. The mission nearly comes to an end, what does it mean to them? All the miles they’d walked and killings they did, the human emotions grew bigger bit by bit over the course of the years in their heart. It confused them.

 

The next day when the sun shined on the white land, they moved upward to the hill, where the light indicated. At the cliff of the hill, where had thick rocks surrounded the ice cave. A group of puffins dwelt near. When they saw three shadows flashed up in their vision, they sensed something odds. It had been a long time without other animals visit the land.

 

The mother of puffins signaled them to pretend dead as there was no time to escape. But a small puffin remained standing, innocently curious about her family action. The mother puffin depicted her danger was near, desperately hoping she would listen. At first the little puffin thought that was funny, then she could sense three different states of formidable distaste auras from behind, it was as if it could cut her throat with a nail. So she sprawled.

 

Within moments, Kio and the rest had arrived on the cliff. They saw the puffins lied down on the ground, initially they approached. The pretense could not pass over the three. They could smell the fear in them. Despairingly, for a spare. Alphonse sniffed on their triangular beaks, and Fergus pushed over their body. The little Puffin dared to open her eyes narrowly to see for herself.

It was three, giant monsters, with their own distinctive colors, caving for a treat. The green aura swirling across her family when Kio moved with his feather. His eyes were deep green and scary. A string of red streams crept around her puffy neck from behind, she quickly close-packed her eyes and did not dare to open again. Surprisingly, after fizzling and buzzing sounds back and forth, it went silent. The puffins re-opened their eyes to find themselves still alive in full pieces.

 

The three went into the ice cave where the yellow light emitted. Ripping water was still flowing at this cold state inside. Alphonse as the lead went in, followed by Fergus, then Kio, who was the rear guard at the back, be ready for any surprise. But it wasn’t. They safely arrived at the end of the cave, traveled alongside the river. The Torch light shined brightly on an old stump, floating. A cylindrical torch with golden mystical dragons engraved on the surface. The yellow light came from the ball afloat atop the torch. When the torch rotated, it followed.

 

’Marvelous. I’ve never seen anything like this before.’ Alphonse walked closer, examining the object. His pupils enlarged, and could not snap out of its beauty.

’So this is the light that we’re after?’ Kio landed on the ground, pawing, ‘ the myth says it can cure any diseases, and provide superior power to one.’

‘That’s why we’re here.’ Fergus’s face filled with joy, his tail rose up to the highest to show his excitement.

 

”Partly. We should drink this up before doing anything.’ Kio dislodged the gunny bag that affixed by a string on his neck. It plummeted on the ground and the potion rolled out, with a freshly cracked slit. A flowery scent released from it, and following a train of lavish fluids outpouring to the uneven ice stones. ‘Careful Kio!’ Alphonse rushed over to the potion. ‘What is wrong with you?’ Fergus yelled, using his claws to push Kio away, he started to drink up as he leaned forward.

‘What is this push for?’ Kio backed up a little, flexed his wings and bumped to the scorpion. They clashed and bobbling to the side. Alphonse did not care about the fight, his guzzled up the flowing stream as much as he could. The owl turned his head, ‘ No! Leave some to me!’ He used his whole body, acted as a ball, by the force of his wings, he threw himself to the leopard. It smacked off Alphonse to the other side. Kio quickly found his balance with his talons. It was very little left for him. But he leaned his head, gulping every drop he could mouth on.

 

 

The mystical fluid kicked in as soon as it passed through their throats. Splattering inside the stomach, viscous sources started to erode their organs. It absorbed fleshy tissues, crammed into one big sphere, while sucking all the blood from the veins. The three faces turned to pale white, extremely strained. Fergus huddled like a worm, lying on the ice rock, incapable preventing the coldness pervading into every part of his. But Alphonse was no better. The once alluring yellow skin shriveled into a dry crumple papyrus paper. After a series of wailing, His eyes went hollow, absence from reality. It was the pain drove him away. And Kio was vigorously trembling before the shattered potion. The tan brownish feathers decayed and fell off rapidly as he tried to reach the Torch light. He walked, then he fell. He crawled, then lied on the ice. They soon lost consciousness and the cave went silence.

 

The time drifted with the burbling ice water flowing outward to the cliff, diving down to waterfall, into the ocean cruising across the continents. As the three animals woke up again, they found themselves differently. Checking up their own hands, they were amazed by the fabric of human skins. Touching their faces, they started to explore inches of their new vessels. Their temperature remained warm by the ray of light. Alphonse first giggled, then turned to unstoppable laughter. The other two were contiguous by it. The cave filled with great joy for moments.

 

When their sounds fell out, they had a sense of incredible loss. They did not know what. Kio first got up, walked to the Torch light. The bright light shined on his oval face like a divine light.

 

‘ It’s mine.’ Fergus went over Kio, backed him off.

 

‘Who said it was you?’ Kio tugged off his hand.

 

‘We’d made a vow. Under Djoser god name.’ Fergus demanded.

 

‘The vow did not specifically state you should be the one receives it, did it?’

 

’No, but you�"’

 

’That’s it. The vow was to escort you here. And that’s our job. We’d done it.’ Kio smirked.

 

’But the main goal of coming here is I’m, to have the Torch light, and save my father kingdom. You’ve got what you want,’ Fergus was aggrieved, ‘Becoming a human.’

 

’No, we want more than that.’ Alphonse slowly got up, eyes fixed on Fergus, and gave him a voracious smile, ’My little Scoripo to be honest, you look weaker than us. If the Torch light gets on your hand, I don’t think you can handle such divine power.’

 

’Ridiculous. This conversation is over. I’ll take the Torch light and you all better back off.’ Fergus clenched his teeth. Kio gave him a hard punch on the face. Then he jumped up to the stump, grasped onto the Torch. He could feel the radiated warm sending through his arm to body. But within a second, Alphonse had kicked Kio’s legs. Kio fell down on the ground while losing the grip of the light. The leopard man took it over and stamped on one of Kio’s leg, it broke the calf bone of him. ‘NO!!!!’ Kio screamed. Did not wait for chances to go away, Alphonse knocked him out with the handle of the Torch. He quickly turned over and used the shining weapon to strike Fergus, however it hit the air. Fergus squatted and grabbed his legs, immediately he pulled. Alphonse lost his balance and the Light. It rumbled on the slipping ice to a side.

 

It next to the owl man. Kio shook his head after a short of blackout. He grasped the handle and looked over to the other side, two men were grappling on the ground. Alphonse rolled Fergus over to the stump. Elbowed at Fergus’s throat, Alphonse was adding on power. Waiting till Fergus turned his face to red, almost tap out, He pounded him with fists on the face. ‘one, two,…..six.’ His fists were like hammers, each punching steeply thrust through Fergus’s cheek, stomach, and other parts. Alphonse gave the last punch on the chest, making sure he would not get up. The blood of Fergus sprinted out as he breathed faintly lying on the icy ground. Too tired to get up.

 

Kio had long been intimidated by the fury of Alphonse. But the injury of his leg dragged his speed when he tried to escape. He was staggering to leave and Alphonse stopped him. ‘Little brother, where are you going?’ Alphonse marched towards his direction. Kio stopped, closed his eyes and gasped for breaths. Running away would not be an option now so he had to act first and fast. Legend once said ambush your enemy if you out of the option. He took it to heart.

 

As Alphonse approached, Kio jabbed him on the stomach as he spun but missed. Alphonse quickly grabbed his hand, not waiting for Kio response, he kicked him over. Kio fell off again. ‘Bad choice brother. We could have been the best team,’ Alphonse strangled his neck, ‘conquering the world.’

 

Kio kept on clapping Alphonse’s arms, but it did not help. He soon started to fade out.

 

’Hated, cruelty and hostility,’ A gleaming light cast on the stump, Djoser reappeared in King’s clothing.’ You’re already a lively human, what more do you wish for?’

 

Alphonse released the tension and turned to the King, surprised. ’Your majesty, you don’t understand. They’re stopping me from getting that Torch.’ Alphonse spoke subduedly. Fergus and Kio slowly moved up, but the pains were too great to bear.

 

’What do you need it for?’

 

’For… For the fame and power that I’ve once longed for.’ Alphonse opened his arms,’ Now that I’m a human, what I need is the magical power, like you.’

 

Alphonse walked to the Torch, picked it up and raised,’ By having this Torch, Its ray will give me divine power and I’ll rule over all three kingdoms. There will be no other conflict because I’m the true king. I’ll ease all the conflict and they’ll bow before me eternally.’

 

 

‘And how are you going to achieve that?’

 

’I’ll inform all the other races to accept me as the king. I’ll break their necks, cut off their throats if they don’t obey.’ Alphonse heated by his own speech, sketching the pictures with his body as he spoke, ’Power rules everything.’

 

’And you’ve got it all wrong Al.’ The pharaoh snapped his fingers, the Torch light vanished in a jiff. Alphonse could only witness a cloud of smoke fading away.’ What..what just happened?’ He was in shock by the sudden. It also astonished the other two.

 

’You aren’t a human yet if this is all you can see. The Torch light won’t shine on you, either do any other divine weapons.’

 

’During these years on the way to here, have you ever help a single animal? Making their lives better rather than killing them?’

 

Alphonse averted his eyes. The cave was silence.

 

’Have you ever stop using violence as an answer to anything?’

 

They remained silent again.

 

’Some lucky animals which had fled away they prayed for others. The weaker or slower ones unfortunately had become the meals under your jaws they were innocent.’

 

’They deserved it.’ Alphonse shook his head,’ the strongest has every right to eliminate the weak ones. Isn’t what the mother nature suppose to be.’

 

’I agree with him on this one.’ Kio dragged himself to the pharaoh,’ Humans are the same at this stance. They have wars and would sacrifice millions of people for a grab of power. Just like you when you were still a human.’

 

’There is exactly why you’re not a fully human yet. A civilisation cannot be sustained without love, embrace, and unity.’ Djoser continued, ‘Your sight merely glimpse the bad side of it. Have you ever thought beyond the warring? How did that happen? Why did it happen? Humans question and learn from the past, in order to construct a better future for the next generations to come. Think beyond yourself, society as a whole. The eco-system of the mother nature.’

 

The pharaoh faced to Fergus,’ You went on an unknown adventure for the solution in hoping to relieve the hardships of your father kingdom. It took courage and determination. If you seek for the vengeance and be guaranteed the winning next time, wouldn’t they look for revenge too? The meaningless cycle will go over again and again. That’s almost animal instinct.’

 

 

Djoser continued, ’If you’re willing to restart everything again, I’ll spare your wrong deeds and give you the torch light.’ Djoser looked over to the other two,’ and also you both.’

 

Fergus crawled up and kneel down, weeping for what he’d done these years. Kio sat on the ground, dully. The human emotions had fully infused inside him as he had just embraced internally.

 

’But it does not justify the deaths by each war. The human would send their own people to die on the battlefield and only the strongest withstands. So becoming the strongest is still the preeminent way to do.’ Alphonse was still feuding for his belief.

 

’Disputes are there because some people do not have tolerate over things. I would not deny that. However, strongest is only a form which can be applied in anything such as poetry, romance, engineering and else. Humans have a lot of things to take care of besides survival. You chose to become, then you need to understand this. Powering others or murdering won’t be the answer.’ The pharaoh sparked up a hologram, showing wars and animals killings since the beginning of time.

 

’Torch light is merely a spirit. It’s you to change the cause or redefine what had been written.’ The pharaoh slid his hands, another torch light popped up on his hand, lift up its shining light, which sparkling millions of small rays, like fireflies, dashing onto any wounded injury inside the cave. It shimmered on the thicken blood and absorbed by the skins. Djoser then passed the Torch to Fergus,’ I’m giving you a new one. Take this back to your home, help others.’

 

’And for the rest of you two,’ Djoser turned his face to them,’ do you have any wishes?’

 

’I don’t need any.’ Kio stood, wiggled his body and shrugged,’ I just want to travel, explore the world once again with my new vessel.’

 

’And you? Alphonse?’

 

Alphonse walked to Fergus, gave him a squeeze hug. ‘I’ll help you a little. Just an extra hand. Nothing more.’ He smiled and faced to the pharaoh solemnly, ‘But can I keep the wish for later though?’

 

’Still bargaining. I see.’ The pharaoh chuckle. The others laughed.

 

As the pharaoh disappeared, the three decided to treasure their new identity and put their mindsets into good use. Although the past they could not erase, or change, they could rewrite their future afresh. Every coin had two faces, depending on how to interpret it.