SMITTEN

The whole Market Town went disorderly after being disturbed by an uninvited passerby. The previous noise of people turned even louder as they argued who the man could be and why the royal guards were after him. 

The stores' goods were damaged. Some of them were broken and different kinds of smells filled the air. Some people were also hurt. 

But Emilio was oblivious of them. His shaking hands immediately reached out to touch Lord Pahaliah's leg that was covered with blood.

"A-are you all right, my lord?" he stuttered as he watched Lord Pahaliah wince in pain. Some of his guards were already surrounding him. The others went to catch the man who created the chaotic scene.

"I can manage," Lord Pahalia tried to stand up as Emilio assisted him. But he wasn't able to do so as he growled in discomfort.

Emilio gulped, a lump in his throat, and glanced away. He couldn't bear to see his old man hurt in that way. 

"Wait here, my lord," he said as his eyes searched for something where he could place his feet on, so he could check his leg.

As he did so, he gave a command to one of Lord Pahaliah's guards in a thundering voice, "Bring the nearest physician here at once!"

"Yes, my lord!" The guards immediately complied. 

As far as he knew, a physician was assigned in the Market Town to care for emergency cases such as this.

Fortunately, there was a stool nearby. Emilio quickly picked it up and bolted back to where Lord Pahaliah was. He lifted his foot to the stool, so he could open his undergarments and see what happened.

To his surprise, a piece of wood was stuck in between his bones, creating excruciating pain. 

Emilio's face couldn't help but grimace. It was an ugly sight, and it was imprinted on his grandfather, the person that raised him when his father died.

His jaw clenched as his eyes darted in the direction where the man ran to. He could kill that man right then and there. 

"Go after him," Lord Pahaliah nodded his head as he prodded him on.

Emilio was taken aback by Lord Pahaliah's statement that he couldn't help but comment, "But you're injured, my lord. I couldn't leave you like this."

"I would rather you catch that culprit and prevent him from harming others than staying when you couldn't do anything. The physicians would be here anytime. Go! You didn't become a Nephilus for nothing," Lord Pahaliah prodded him as he tried to remove the debris from his legs.

Emilio nodded his head as he knew what Lord Pahaliah wanted even without him telling him. 

He stood up and, with his bare legs, he ran to where the man went. He would not go home unless that man would come with him to the dungeons!

However, the royal guards who were running after him were already coming back. Emilio stopped in his tracks. 

"What is happening? Have you caught him?" he asked immediately. 

But the royal guards just shook their heads. "He jumped into the Fluvio River, sir," one of them reacted.

The Fluvio River is one of the most dangerous rivers in Gaea. Whoever happens to even put a foot in it is eaten alive by the river.

Emilio's shoulders drop in defeat. 'Why would death snatch him from me?'

Emilio felt like a bucket of cold water was poured to his head and drenched him to his toes. 

His grandfather was injured, and he wasn't able to protect him. And now he couldn't even get his revenge on his perpetrator.

"This was all your fault, Emilio. If only you are more agile, you could have prevented this," he hit his head in condemnation.

Thoughts about the sickness that is circling the wedding ceremony guests came back to his mind, too, adding to the turmoil that was eating away his faith in himself. 

After a few minutes of internalization, he finally drew in a deep breath and decided to fight back. 

"Why are you running after him, anyway?" He asked the royal guards. He was in disguise, so the royal guard must have no idea that he was talking to the King's personal watchman himself. 

"He was on the wanted list, sir. Some guards said that he seemed to be the culprit who put poison on the noble guests during the King's ceremony," the royal guard responded.

Emilio's eyes widened in bewilderment. "The man who made the nobles sick is also the same man who injured my grandfather? Being eaten up by the Fluvio River is too comfortable for him!"

He immediately went back to Lord Pahaliah and made sure that he was attended by a physician, and was safely carried to his Manor. Then he went to the royal kitchen servant who switched places with the now dead criminal. 

"Banish him from Gaea!" He ordered the royal guard, who was assigned to keep him in the dungeons, with a bellowing voice.

"Yes, my lord," the guard bowed down to him and immediately did as he was told. 

However, he didn't realize that the young son of the man was also there, crying as he saw his father in jail and now was being banished, vanishing from his sight forever.

"I beg of you, my lord. Please forgive my father for his mistake. Please let my father stay. I will just switch places with him," he dropped on his knees and put his head on the ground. 

Emilio was baffled at the son's reaction. He seemed to be only ten years old. And he seemed to be the birthday celebrant. 

But Emilio's mind was blackened by his anger at the masked man who almost got his grandfather killed.

"What is wrong with your family, old man? Do switching places run in your blood?" he grimaced at the royal kitchen servant before facing the boy.

"Look, kid. Your father made a bad decision to switch places with someone. Because of that, an old and respected man in Gaea was hurt. Do you still want to switch places with him and repeat what he did someday?"

The boy nodded vigorously. But Emilio shook his head. "Well, unlike you, I don't want to make the same mistake again. Do as I ordered!" His voice bellowed in the dungeons, making the prisoners cower in fear.

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Man is everywhere a disturbing agent.. Wherever he plants his foot, the harmonies of nature are turned to discords. - Author: George Perkins Marsh