Chapter 16

The early morning rays of sunlight pierce the woven leaf roof. I blink open my eyes and look around. Thoron is sound asleep on the floor in a very awkward position. I'm glad that he had fun last night. We both needed a release from what has recently happened. I needed it. The past couple weeks, I've been doing nothing but training, gathering, and the hunt last night even wiped me out. Scion's words still echo throughout my head. How are we going to even get across the ocean without any money to spend for a ship? Maybe the Goddess will shine down... oh right She isn't watching us. I look down at the Ice Crystal. The Goddess is around my neck waiting for me to reach the Ice Castle and defeat the monster that is holding Her powers hostage.

What beast is so strong that it has the power to take the powers from a being as powerful as the Goddess. She's the one who created us humans. She's what started life. Without her, we wouldn't be here today. If she didn't exist, would the world be a better place, or one of hell? I don't even want to think about that right now. All I know is that my stomach is still full from the feast last night. The elves know how to cook I'll give them that. I've never had deer meat so tasteful as I did last night.

The fresh air of the dew ladden forest hangs in the air. It calms my thoughts down and makes me feel relaxed. This may be the last time I even get to relax. If the journey south is as long as Scion and Myriani has said, there will be many trials to overcome. I get up off the comfortable bed. The bed is made of gigantic leaves that I've never seen before. What tree could they have come from? In fact, the hut roof is made of the same leaves. How come I've never seen these before?

"If you're wondering about the leaves," Myriani's voice says coming from the entrance, "they come from the ancient trees around here. We call them the Gigano. They have small leaves in the warm seasons, but in the cold seasons, they have these large leaves and they stay green even after they drop. We collect them for many things: Building, clothes, gathering, and the hilt of some of our blades. They are very useful around here. I'll send some with you. Maybe you can find another use for them that we have not found."

"Thank you," I bow to her, "I appreciate the gift. So what brings you over here?"

"I only came here to make sure that you've woken." She smiles, "You had a lot to eat last night!"

She turns to exit, but stops and turns back around, "Oh there is one more thing."

"What's that?" I ask looking round. What else could she want? I want to get a move on as soon as I wake Thoron.

"I would like to travel with you to the far south." She says staring at me with blazing eyes, "I want to see more of the country that no elf has seen in hundreds of years."

"Is that safe?" I ask concerned.

"Of course." She smiles, "It's only customary that the Elven queen heads through the Speaking Mountains and gathers a flower that only grows in the moonlight and bring it back to the village. I'll see you to the city and make sure you get a ship to traverse the vast ocean that lies between here and the next country. The people there know me and this village well. We trade frequently with them and have good relations. I'm sure they can spare a ship for you."

"Why that's too much." I say trying to make her back out of it, "There's no need for that. You've already shown us much kindness already."

"My mind is made up." She says sitting down against the wall, "The flower I have to gather was my mother's favorite. I want to gather one for her and one for the ceremony."

"What ceremony?" I ask sitting next to her.

"The ceremony is for me to become a full queen." She answers looking up at the light coming through the roof, "You see I've only been queen for a few weeks."

"Seems like you've been the queen for years." I say surprised, "You have excellent leader skills."

"That means a lot coming from the chosen one." She looks at me with a smile, "I have been happier since you've arrived. You've gotten my mind off of my mother's death. You have grown a lot since you've been here as have I. I learned that death is only a part of life. The Goddess has a path for everyone. That stranger and my mother's path was meant to cross each other. I'm glad that our paths crossed. Without you, I would still be a grumpy child with a could shoulder towards every visitor that would've passed by."

"You mind quieting down over there?" Thoron rolls over and looks at us, his hair a mess, "Is it morning already?"

"It sure is." I smile at him and walk over to him. I kiss him on the cheek and smooth out his hair, "Come on we've got a long day ahead of us."

"Right," Thoron slowly stands up, "that we do... that we do. Myriani, it's nice that you are here to see us away."

"I'm coming with you until we get to the southern most city on the sea." She stands up, her black robe swaying in the breeze, "I need to go and change into my traveling clothes. Meet me at the vines and we'll get on our way."

Myriani bounds out of the hut. She does seem different since we've arrived. Chaos may thrive in this messed up world, but happiness can still be found despite everything going on.

****Fiore****

The forest looms ahead of me. I don't know what lies in here but the elves. I don't want to cross their paths at all. I am no match for the elves at all. They would destroy me before I could even draw my blade. They will know that I'm not a kind person. I've met elves in the past who were kind to me until I went to sleep. I woke up one night with a knife to my throat. It's like once they meet you, they know your entire past. The power of Rias has grown tremendously in the past day. Could she have mastered the Ice Crystal, or did she master the ancient blade she holds? At the rate she's going, I won't be a match for her at all. That may already be. I don't want to be killed by her, but I don't want to be killed by Nefal either. I've tried to remove the curse he's put on me, but it can only be removed by the caster. I won't allow myself to be killed! I take my first steps into the forest; they may be my last.

****

The forest scents drift through the air. I'm not used to these scents. I grew up in Argostia and then the mountains in which no one lives in but me and the few dragons that are under control of Nefal. I didn't know at the time when I was learning their magic. It seems that Nefal has planned out the future already. I've never met such a brilliant strategist in all my years. He made sure that I learned powerful ancient magic. He made sure that Rias escaped successfully which is why he called the dragons back before they crossed the Iceltic Strait. He made sure that Rias found the Ice Crystal. I wonder if he's planned on her getting to the Ice Castle and restoring the world. He may think that it's not possible, but she isn't a pushover. My thoughts preoccupied, I didn't notice the net trap in the middle of the path and is slammed into the ground before getting caught and hung from a tree. I try using my magic to escape, but nothing would work. The work of elves has surprised me yet again.

****Nefal****

I gather my things to head to the Ice Castle. I know she'll make it their. I will be her final opponent. She may not know it, but it is I who stole the Goddesses powers allowing me to control the dragons around the world. I could easily kill her when I find her. All I need is the Ice Crystal so that I may claim the rest of the Goddesses powers and turn the world into a pure Hell in which only the strong survive and the weak don't exist. That is the world I desire. I love the one now, but I will feel more at home with the world I want.

I call my guards that I specifically asked for. They are my own personal guards that have extraordinary abilities. Clia is a legendary swordswoman from the edge of the mountains. The magic she imbeds into her swords cannot be matched by anyone. I found her one day slicing a tunnel through the mountains. I found it strange for someone to try and do that, but also intrigued. Her bloodthirsty personality matched my own and asked her to join my dark army. I didn't even need to cloud her thoughts at all; she joined before the words were out of my mouth.

Matorra is a powerful magician who knows the forbidden spells that control nature itself. I found him in the dungeon when he was brought in for nearly killing someone. He was reluctant to join, but once I told him my actual plan, he wanted to join right away. He's the one who made farming possible in this arrid landscape.

And finally, Nada. She's a quiet person, but once she's in battle, she gets into the minds of her opponents and destroys their minds killing her foes instantly. I found her when the wall was first getting built. She's the one who made the dragons bend their will to me before I could control them completely. I found her skills necessary for when I need to persuade my rebellious daughter to hand the Ice Crystal over to me.

With these three, I made an elite killing army. Just the three of them alone are equal to my entire army. If I ever sent these three into battle, the war with Iceltic would've ended years ago, but I want the war to continue until all the weak are dead. Everything and everyone I have met are just pawns in my grand scheme. The three will make it in the new world. My daughter might if she gives in to the darkness inside her. The three cannot rebel against me or they will die. I put the same curse on them as I did Fiore. That fool will die by the hands of my daughter. She's already learned one power of the Ice Crystal. A few more and I won't even be a match for her. I gather the three around me and tell them what is going on:

"The plan is in complete motion and is acceleration at a tremendous pace." I tell them, "We head out for the Ice Castle once I am finished speaking. We will make it there well before Rias does. Matorra, you have the ship ready for us correct?"

"Of course master," Matorra says in his raspy voice, "it is ready."

"Right," I nod to him, "Clia we'll drop you off at the location. Once there, you will attempt to take the Ice Crystal from Rias. If she gets past you..."

"Matorra will be at the next location just before the Castle," She finishes, "but she won't get past me. Nothing can beat my skills with the sword. I'm the fastest with a sword! I'm the greatest swordswomen to exist! She will die at my hands!"

"I like the entusiasm." I smile, "Nada you'll be with me at the castle in case Rias makes it there. If she gets there, you will bend her will and make her give me the Ice Crystal."

"Correct," she says, "You command... I will do."

"With the plan in place," I begin, "let us be on our way."

****Rias****

After getting Thoron up and ready to go, we arrive at the vines. I've been practicing on them in my free time. I'll miss the thrill and the wind in my hair. Maybe once everything's is done and over with, maybe Thoron and I can make a life here if Myriani allows it. The forest calms me down more than it ever has in the past. I've learned much from it.

Thoron and I lean against the railing with his arm around me. I move closer to him. This little adventure has brought us closer together, with nothing and nobody holding us back. I even let him sleep with me one night just to see how it was. It felt weird and awkward. I've never been with someone I truly loved before and when he was laying down with me, I felt feelings that I've never had before. I had to prevent myself from doing things I would never do before coming to the village.

"Enjoying ourselves I see." Myriani's cheerful voice sounds from behind us, "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"You're not don't worry." I turn around and am surprised to see that Myriani's travelling clothes are nothing but a cloth around her top and a small cloth skirt, "Is that really what you're going to wear the whole time?"

"Does it bother you?" She asks looking at herself, "I can change into something different if need be."

"I just find it a bit revealing is all." I smile nervously.

"If you haven't seen the other females around here, they dress this way all the time, sometimes they just go around in the nude depending on the season." She laughs, "I just find this comfortable and easy to move around in than my robes. If we get into a fight, this will ensure that we will win with ease."

"I see." I say scratching my head. I hope I don't have to dress like that if Myriani let's us live here, "So shall we get started?"

"Not quite." She holds up a finger, "A trespasser was caught not long ago and will arrive any time. I want to have a word with this person. Ah speak of the devil."

I look over the railing and see someone being hauled in a net. I've seen those nets around Icelia. The army uses them to defeat any magicians they come across in battle. Every man and woman in the army is required to have one just in case. So the elves are the ones to make such a powerful trap. Myriani flashes by and jumps over the railing grabbing a vine on the way down, slowing her descent until she reaches the forest floor.

"Shall we?" I hold out my hand.

"I-I guess." He looks a little freaked out as if he's seeing a ghost, "I know that man. That's my old teacher!"