หัวขโมยแห่งบารามอส 2 คทาแห่งพลัง (แปลอังกฤษ) English Version

ลำดับตอนที่ #24 : Chapter 24: The Spirits in the Wand (บทที่ 24 วิญญาณในคทา)

Chapter twenty-four

The Spirits in the Wand

Pain seared in his chest and spread all over his body. His brain was dazed and confused. He rearranged the addled memories inside his head, before trying with much difficulty to lift his eyelids.

Ow. My chest hurts. It really hurts.

Then he gaped at what he saw and immediately snapped his eyelids shut.

Right in front of him was a wispy, translucent figure of an old man with a long, long, whitish beard.

A ghost!

He gulped, his pain forgotten for a moment.

Wait. There’s no need to be afraid. Ghost meets ghost. What’s the big deal?

But then he frowned as he felt the pain from his chest again. If he was dead, then why was the wound so painful? Didn’t they say ghosts feel nothing?

“If you’re awake and well then don’t feign sleep. You’re worrying others.”

The voice was clear and entirely comprehensible but irritating. Felin opened his eyes and bolted up.

“I’m not faking it!” He retorted hotly.

“So you’re strong enough to rant? Ah, good. God knows how exhausted I am. Well, looks like I won’t be discharged, after all.”

Felin ground his teeth. The searing pain did not help his temper, but he tried his best to restrain himself as he stared at the talkative old bloke. He’d had enough on his mind to grief about already without an annoying ghost trying to add to his misery.

“What’s this place, Uncle? Heaven or hell?”

“Some say hell. Some say heaven.”

“Would you cut it out, old man? I’m not in the mood here!”

“Being moody slows recovery. You want me to get the boot?”

The infuriating croakety-croak was relentless, and Felin was boiling.

“There, there, calm down, you old thing. The Mistress probably hurts her wound.”

Next up was a middle-aged woman ghost. Yes, she’s a beauty, but Felin was in no flirting mood. His head hurt like hell, he felt tired all over and his chest was killing him, and there’s a heap of horrible truths he didn’t want to know.

“It’s so nice that you’ve recovered, Mistress.”

“Who the hell’s your Mistress? Shut up.”

“SHUT UP!?” The woman ghost’s screech climbed the octaves in fury. “We haven’t slept a blink, nursing and pampering you for Master’s sake. You don’t even give us a single word of thanks, and now you tell us to SHUT UP!?”

Felin didn’t like fighting with ladies, and his expression became slightly repentant.

“Sorry, sister.” His apology calmed the lady.

“It’s just…I have things on my mind, you see? Who’d think you can still feel pain even when you’re a ghost?”

It’s not just the wound that’s painful. Does Kalo remember him now? And would he feel as hurt as he felt? Hurt at the heart, not at the wound.

Simply thinking that sent tears bubbling up in his eyes.

Stupid! You’re a ghost and you’re crying!?

Felin turned away to hide his sobs. The ghosts fell silent, before the quietness was interrupted by a new voice that sent his heart pounding.

“Felin.”

The familiar voice he thought he would never hear ever again in this life.

Kalo.

Felin whipped around, and the illusion overwhelmed his eyes. Kalo’s chiseled, beautiful face was as clear and vivid as if he were real.

And ghosts, it seem, can still dream.

Then all his thoughts slammed to a halt when Kalo pulled him into a tight embrace. His wound seared like lightning bolts, and Felin felt everything was so unbelievably realistic.

“How come you’re dead, Kalo?”

Felin muttered, hugging the prince tightly in return. Kalo froze at that and pushed off.

“Fe…”

“Sister!”

A voice cut through him before he could finish. The curtain was pushed aside and Princess Vivien appeared by Felin’s side, as pretty as ever.

Now that’s the good thing about dreams.

Felin whispered to himself.

“You gave Vivien such a fright, Sister!”

“You gave me one too, princess!” Felin replied, his mood lifting significantly, snatching the big bloke’s hand when he made as though to flee. His wound was still painful but by now he was too filled to the brim with happiness that he couldn’t stay silent. “Wait, wait! Let me guess. Kil, Prince Rowen and Prince Arthur would pop up in a jiffy, right?”

Felin smiled slyly and winked. As requested, Kil ducked inside, followed by Rowen and Arthur.

“Felin!” Kil cried.

“Kil! You alright?” Felin slapped his pal on the shoulder when he darted close “Man, you’re always having me worried.”

Kil was a bit taken aback by that, but Felin didn’t care. He turned to Arthur when his voice interrupted.

“You should know who the real troublemaker is.”

“I knew you would say this, Arthur!” Felin raised his eyebrows and grinned at Arthur, who suddenly froze. “Behave yourself, and don’t you give me that look. It’s useless now. Remember, you’re in my dream, and it’s up to me whether you stay or not.”

Done with his enemy, Felin turned to the person he had missed the most beside him.

“And now…Kalo, I want to be alone with you.”

The prince’s cheeks instantly blushed as his blue eyes grew strict.

“Felin!” He called warningly.

“Agh, stop that! This is my dream. You’re supposed to let me have it my way. Just cut that stupid lecturing out! I like it sometimes but now’s not one of them. I want you to say sorry for being so freaking stupid I have to get hurt!”

Kalo sighed softly before nodding.

“I’m sorry.”

Felin grinned widely.

“Excellent. Now, tell me that from now on you’ll always obey me and never be such a stupid jerk ever again.”

Kalo’s snowy face turned a uniform deep scarlet, and he looked so adorable that Felin could resist himself no longer. Forgetting all about his painful chest, he did as his heart desired and pulled the prince in for a hug.

Then the adorable prince of his dreams elbowed him right on his chest and sent him yelping in pain. It hurt so much it’s hard to believe everything was a dream. And Kalo’s furious blue eyes were so horrifically furious he could never duplicate.

“If you’re still not wide awake, I can wake you again if you like.”

His voice was icy cold and distant. Then the Prince of Kanoval stormed outside, leaving Felin to caress his throbbing chest confusedly, too painful to speak.

Didn’t they say you could have it your way in dreams? Dammit!

“Only you are enough of an idiot to think it’s a dream.”

Said Kil mockingly, gazing at Felin, who had on an awkward expression. Scratching his head, he refuted.

“You wanna try and be me? I sliced myself open, you dolt, not a toy!  I was dead sure I was dead. Then those two ghosts came a-calling and you guys popped in all happy and well. If it’s not a dream after you die then what?”

“But if your wound hurts, then at least your common sense would’ve clicked in, wouldn’t it?” Kil persisted.

“Well, it did!”

“Oh yeah, so much sense you go declaring you and Kalo’s love in front of the public?” 

Felin’s face heated up at that and he retorted desperately.

“What declaring love nonsense are you talking about!? I was just driving him nuts!”

“Sister!” Vivien scolded her sister, who wasn’t acting in the least appropriate of her gender.

“Well, it’s the truth! And look how he elbowed me. I’m still sick!”

“Ha. Because you’re still sick, that’s why. That his highness gave you the elbow and not the boot.”

Kil’s horrific statement had Felin gulping and he quickly changed the topic.

“So what’s it all about? I’m still alive but with two ghosts for company.”

“Well, it was bad alright. When you killed yourself, Kalo went raving crazy. I thought I told you to talk to him nicely, and you go in all worked up and stupid.”

Felin bared his teeth at that.

“Then he squeezed out all those spirits in the wand and that drove all the dwarves away too. But three of those spirits won’t leave.”

“Three?” Felin repeated and pouted. Was there another ghost he hadn’t yet met?

“They’re the warrior, the Ghost Lady and the Godsend healer, Sister.”

Felin frowned at Vivien’s reply and talked of something else.

“And why am I not dead?”

“Kalo chanted some thingy that stuffed your insides back where they used to be.” Kil clarified so appealingly he gulped.

“Not just some thingy!” There’s the Ghost Lady again. “He used magic to heal you. He ordered the warrior guy to get him Circling Wind and reverse your blow, that’s how your organs went back in.”

Felin still feel queasy.

“And the diamond?”

“Of course it must go back in also. It’s become a part of your organs.”

The Ghost Lady had him gulping yet again. Feeling his freshly mended chest fearfully, Felin steered clear of the topic.

“And Vivien?”

“Vivien’s still alive when Prince Kalo released the souls and the power in the wand, so Vivien’s power returned.”

Felin nodded in understanding. Gazing at the wand rolling nearby, he grabbed it and studied the pattern on its body. Yes, the human patterns had all vanished. All but three.

“He’d set you free, sis, why stay? It’s no fun being imprisoned.” Felin sighed softly.

“We’re not imprisoned. Master gave us a place to stay. We wore ourselves out begging him to let us stay on, so we’ll never leave easily.”

Felin raised his eyebrow at the poke and sniggered hilariously.

“If you want to be with him that much, what can I say? But really, sis, what’s so charming about a haughty, stupid jerk like that?”

The Ghost Lady glared at him with sharp, translucent eyes and thrust her nose in the air.

“That warrior dreamt of serving a talented master. Master’s brilliant, that’s why he doesn’t want to leave, as for Uncle Doc…ever since he was trapped in here, he never had a chance to do his job. No-one ever used the wand for healing, you see? Master’s the first. Master has a gentle heart, that’s why he wants to stay. As for me…”

The Lady laughed triumphantly when she got to her part. Her eyes swerving back to Felin, she continued with immense pride.

“Of course! I won’t find such a handsome master for eons! I’d rather die than go anywhere! Rather you, Mistress. Better start being a good girl if you want to be with Master for a long time.”

Felin bared his teeth at those words, especially at the appalling title.

“For Master and the Wanebli clan, I will teach you what you should do and what you should not, and what you should say and what you shouldn’t.”

“That’s great! Vivien agree. There’s a lot of good things about you, sister. But some things should be changed. Think you’re doing it for either Baramos or Kanoval.”

Vivien showed her support. Felin chuckled hilariously.

“I think everything’s already fine this way. Besides, it’s got nothing to do with the jerk.”

“That’s the first thing you must change!” The Ghost Lady blurted out all of a sudden. Felin raised his eyebrow.

“You need to change your referring. You could try referring to yourself by your name. And not the jerk. You should change the way you refer to Master. You can call him Love, Darling or Honey instead.”

Felin felt his hair stand on end and his face turn scarlet. In a flash, he flung the wand out the window as though it was the most hideous creation to ever exist.

Love. Darling. Honey.

Dream on!