Chapter 2 - Alina

A thousand Sahmaads flew up into the air as Alina held on tightly to her sister. The Sahmaads – Green and red birds that were known for their speed carried a person each and were organised into a line, two Sahmaads flew at the front each bearing the two men that had saved her from the monster, although they did not very much look like saviours.

She was right behind the two men that Amina came to know as Anju and Maze.

"So you some kinda princess huh?" A voice sounded out, disrupting her thoughts.

Alina turned around and looked at the voice. It was the person riding the Sahmaad that she and her sister were on.

"Former princess," Alina said.

The voice which Alina heard was one of a large man, easily the size of two men combined spoke out once more as he said: "Still don't matter, you guys stink of money and the last time the boss was this happy was at Harley's funeral, can only mean you fetch a lot."

Alina's heart stopped as the thought of her sister being sold. That was something that she could not even think of.

She knew from the conversation the two men had before that they saw her to have no value other than lining up their pockets. However, she would have to prove valuable if she and her sister did not wish to go back to that wretched empire.

Alina was quickly stripped of her thoughts as the Sahmaad made an abrupt stop, they stopped in the skies, barren land of golden sand visible to her eyes.

One of the men that saved her stood up on the Sahmaad and looked down, a moment of hesitation evident on his face, he jumped to the golden sands. The man sped down at a blistering speed.

The man, his figure gone as a wall of clouds blocked Alina's view. Soon enough the reason for their stop had revealed itself.

Sand tornadoes destroyed everything as they moved at breakneck speeds.

The golden whirlwinds were not far from the Sahmaads and were cause for alarm as they approached the Sahmaads.

Fear tucked at Alina's heart as she watched her death approach closely evermore by the second. She looked around her and saw that none of the men seemed worried and in fact looked relaxed.

Confused and bewildered by this Alina looked back at the golden twisters. Certain death was inevitable if it was to reach them, strong winds howled as their screeching made way to Alina's ears.

Alina closed her eyes and held her sister firmly, waiting for what was bound to happen. Seconds trickled by and turned into minutes. The ear-deafening noise that her ears had received for the last minute was replaced by silence, and then another sound made way to her ear.

"Spirits of the Ocean, heed my call and disperse all that threatens my heart. Nine Aquatic Hearts, First form: Storm Lords Heart."

The origin of the spell caster made way to her ears. Opening her eyes, she quickly located the man that cast the spell. He had great snowflake - white hair, his hair danced in the chaotic winds as a large black heart materialised behind him.

Poison dripped down the centre as a menacing aura encircled the heart.

The man had fang-like teeth, and a huge smile adorned his face as he looked at the golden twisters. Turning her eyes back to the heart Alina saw the black core of death travelling at speed no mortal could see; the golden sands its destination.

The sand tornadoes twirled as if it recognised the danger coming towards it. The disordered winds had strengthened, and a collision between the two disasters was destined.

The impact between the two catastrophes created a shockwave that threatened everything in its path. However, a jaundiced-looking transparent barrier formed in between Alina and the scene of destruction.

A column of gold smoke was all that could be seen; hindering the outcome of the powerful impact from the shocked eyes that witnessed it. Soon enough, waves of energy erupted as they flew mid-air. The battleground cleared, allowing Alina to view the result. The man-Anju stood in the middle of the desert.

His clothes tattered but no apparent injuries on him. On the other hand, the once violent sand tornadoes were now dispersed, leaving a wake of destruction in the small path that it had traversed before being stopped.

"Can you never create a scene, Anju?" The other man that had accompanied Anju- Maze said.

"You know I can't Maze, the splendour and fever that completes you are incomparable. You should try it out sometime. " Anju Replied back.

"I don't have time for this nor do you, hop on the Sahmaad and let's go. We are already late." Maze said

"Whatever you say, your majesty." Anju sarcastically said as he did an exaggerated bow.

Soon enough they were on there way again. Going through the desert, the Sahmaads passed by mountains and jungles. After a long trip that seemed endless, the Sahmaads came to a sudden stop; stopping by an area that Alina was weirdly familiar with. The Lifeless Gardens.

It was said that the Lifeless Gardens caused death to all who entered and this seemed to be correct as none who had ever entered the gardens left them. Hence the name Lifeless; meaning no life existed within these gardens.

Contrary to its name the garden was huge, light, and budding. Its canopy was monopolised by twinkling lights which were bursting through their crowns allowing for a medley of shrubs to spread in the soft, rich soils below.

The one thing that the gardens lacked was the cacophony of noises, belonging mostly to insects that inhabited forest and gardens. This distinguished the Lifeless gardens from all other woods. The Sahmaads travelled through the gardens until they reached the centre of the garden. A misty fog-shrouded one's eyes from what hid in it but for some reason, Alina felt something to be there.

"Sister where are we?" a small voice made way to Alina's ears, ripping her away from the brilliance and lustre of the gardens. Looking down to her sister Amina who previously slumbered on her lap Alina opened her mouth to speak for her to close it once more as she had no idea what to say.

"You wanna know where we are, kid. We are at the place where nightmares originate and your new 'home': The Bloodfall Tower" The large man that rid the Sahmaad said. A sequence of chuckles coming from him as he spoke.

Confused at what he meant, Alina was quick to find out as the Sahmaads started to land, and the mist began to disperse revealing a large and intimidating structure.