Kingdom of Arzialla by Marilyn Arias (story reading txt) 📕

“No! It’s yours. I can’t…” she told me.

“Please. It’s another birthday present,” I told her, trying to make an excuse to give it to her. “I’ve lost my place in the military anyways.”
“But Callaghan…”
“Oh please. Remember me by Zelimir,” I said. “Now stay perfectly silent. They can hear practically anything.”
I briskly closed the windows and pulled the curtains so they won’t see her outside, if she decides to stick around. Hopefully, she’s smart enough to not do so.
I picked a random book from the shelves and quickly sat down on the leather couch, trying to look as comfortable as possible in such a short period of time. Within seconds, the door shattered into small pieces and they broke in.
“Was that necessary, Colonel?” I started saying, calmly in my normal voice. “You could’ve just simply knocked.”
“Where is she?” he said looking around as his men spread across my office. They began to throw books off the shelves, look into the piano, flipped the sofas, and such. All that time I spent to set those books up in alphabetical order was wasted… I thought.

“She is with Doctor McNamara,” I told him, acting like I think he meant the nurse since maybe Byrne called for one anyways. “You should know that.”
“Oh come now, Callaghan. Don’t act stupid with me,” he said, taking a couple steps towards me. “Where is the human?”
I gave him a look like he’s crazy. I laughed. “Colonel, a human? There’s a human in Arzialla?”
“Callaghan, I’m trying to act nice with you,” he said. He got close and almost whispered, “Where is she?”
I chuckled and started walking around in a circle. That’s when I found the bloody blade that Anna held. Crud… Well… Actually, no. This might actually help buy time to let her escape.
“Alright, you got me,” I said, turning back to him. “I didn’t want to cause a scene like how it is now―”I pointed at the mess that the men were making “―so I just took care of her.”
“Okay, then…” he said, looking around. He paused and stared at me like he was waiting for a response from me. When I didn’t say anything for several seconds he asked, “So where is she then?”
I went over to the knife and picked it up, showing it to him. “Is this enough proof that she’s not here?”
“Hmm…” he said in thought as he took it and inspected it. I don’t really care if I made a stupid mistake at this point, as long as it buys time for her to escape. “We will have to test it for DNA but you’ve never answered my question, General. Where is she?”
“Oh, Colonel,” I told him as I started escorting him out of the room. “Shall we go out to drink and talk about it?”
“Callaghan, you are wearing my patience low. If you do not tell me where she is, I will assume you are covering for her,” his iris began to turn white. Frustration… “I don’t care if you’re the one who is hiding her or not. I don’t care if whether or not you finished her yourself. But someone that’s not you came up to King Zysman and told him a human is in Arzialla and that she’s particularly in your office. And since I have the honors to kindly be asked to investigate in a ‘mannerly’ fashion, I must report back with her, whether she’s dead or alive, or else my family won’t be as well fed as they usually are.”
Colonel Kazmir is a lucky man, with a lovely wife and three children, one eleven year old and twins of seven years. I don’t have such a fortunate life like he always had but I know if I did have a family, I wouldn’t want to come back home with a smaller paycheck.
I’d lie and say that I already buried her or sunk her into the ocean, but knowing him, he’d ask for the definite location of where she’s buried and what part of the ocean I dropped her in. And plus, it’d take an hour to get to the beach, go up the cliffs, and have her drown and then another hour back to do that. Anna has been in my office for only over half an hour…
Damn… What should I do?
“Tell me now, Callaghan. Speak now or forever hold your peace,” Kazmir told me. When I didn’t answer, he waved at a couple of men to come. “General Zelimir Callaghan, you are under arrest for hiding a human from the king of Arzialla and for refusing to reveal her whereabouts in the kingdom.”
The two soldiers tied my wrists together behind my back with steel handcuffs and each took one of my arms as they pulled me out of the room. The rest of the soldiers stayed in my office, continuing their search for clues. Before they hopped me into a wagon, I was able to see the village for the first time since the ride I took to get Anna into hiding. The Gavrils seemed to have ceased fire and have retreated a while ago but the village was mostly in ruins. Soldiers from Thomoire secured the streets and aided anybody who seemed badly injured and took whoever was dead.

As the horse pulled the wagon to wherever the soldiers were taking me, Kazmir sat at the front with the chauffer while the two men sat across from each other, next to the exit, making a barrier, and making it hard for me to escape. My intentions weren’t to escape, nevertheless. I mean, if I run it’ll just be more obvious than it already is that I’m guilty. And where would I run to? If I run for some other county or village, they will most definitely recognize me and kill me right in the spot. I might as well face my punishment like a man than run like a coward.
Suddenly, there was a loud shriek from afar that made me look out the slim windows. A cry of a little girl… Anna? My heart began to pace faster and I hoped to the Goddess Syveria for her sake and mine that she is safe. I still wonder why I worry for her life, however…
We came to a halt after ten minutes and the moonlight shown into the wagon when Kazmir opened the doors and let me out. Right before me were the doors to the underground dungeons. I remember working here for my first couple years in joining the military. I started out as a guard in the dungeons, basically staring at sleeping prisoners and cobwebs. I hated it. Of course, at the time, I never thought I’d end up at the other side of the bars, though.

The guards had me turn in my military uniform and my sword, along with anything that had to do with the military  and to wear worn-out, white clothes that all prisoners would wear. One of the guards realized that I wasn’t wearing my ear cuff of honor and asked me what happened to it. I touched my ear and pretended I didn’t know it was gone. “Oh shoot, I must’ve lost it in the snow while delivering my message to Thomoire or something.” They didn’t seem to believe me but they didn’t ask questions.
The guards then held me down and forced me to stand perfectly still while one slipped a red ring around my neck that dissolved into my skin. It sent electrical waves all throughout my veins, and left me paralyzed for a few minutes. So this is what it’s like when prisoners were getting individuated, I thought. I remember watching prisoners go through this; I’d stare at their marks appear and turn bloody red. Usually an elf’s mark would only appear when we are performing magic or calling spirits. Then afterwards, they’d disappear when we are done. But when one is given this red ring, their mark never disappears and they turn a maroon color, identifying themselves as a criminal. And the best part about it is that it paralyzes your powers. 

Most elves would realize their powers by the time they're the age of a teenager or a pre-teen if they’re lucky. Some wouldn't appear until they're of early adulthood. But for the unfortunate few like me, our powers wouldn't bloom at all. They'd be fortunate enough to have a gift that wouldn't be so obvious and they just wouldn’t know it. But for me, other than to identify myself as a criminal, there's no actual point in having myself individuated.
All throughout the night, the hay that the guards would leave in the cells for prisoners to sleep in wasn’t thick enough to be considered comfortable so I was practically lying on the concrete ground instead, which made my back ache and of course made it hard for me to sleep.
I spent most of the time staring at the night sky through the small barred window that was about fifteen feet above the ground. The three moons were full and the stars glistened radiantly. It’s rare to have three full moons in one night. The sky had more of a purple hue than of a navy blue and just thinking of the color blue made me think of Anna’s eyes. It’s hard to not admit, even to myself, that she had charming big eyes and lovely, curly, long hair despite the mess it was after going through the snowstorm.
She’ll be saved and you’ll live…

What did you mean, Acton? How will I survive and how will she be rescued?
But you’ll be punished with something much worse than death…

I pressed my hands against my eyes and forehead, realizing what I have done. What will happen to me?
You’re a lucky man… She’s going to be a beautiful young lady…

What is that supposed to mean? She is only nine and I am twenty-two. Well… in human years I’d probably be fifty years old for all I know.
I’m very sure we will meet again…

That was when he spoke to Anna, right? I couldn’t remember. I need to talk to Acton… If I’ll ever be able to see him again…
Suddenly, there was a little green glow that just passed by outside the window but then it quickly returned and entered. It flew in like a fly and started hovering down to me.
“Ah, Kehlia. What brings a beautiful pixie like you to a miserable place like this?” I asked Kehlia enthusiastically.
“Oh, nothing. Haven’t seen you in a while and I’ve heard the news so I decided to drop by before you die,” she said as she gently floated onto my knee.
I chuckled, admitting my fate. “Eh shush…”
“So… is it true?” she asked, sitting down with her legs crossed.
“I don’t know…” I said leaning back on the wall. “What did you hear?”
“I heard that you ran off and pranced around with unicorns that