Fall of the South Kingdom (4)

Mariek and Larika were both silent as they huddled up their horses while sweeping glances at Yllana.

"Afraid?" Yllana gazed at them. She mounted her horse.

"No," Larika mounted too and looked straight at Yllana's eyes. They have changed back into their original looks. The fruits of disguise that Azimuth gave them already lost its power. Larika pulled her horse closer to Yllana. "I'm afraid not because of what you are, but for who you might become when you lose control."

"Like him?" She chuckled. There was a hint of contempt in her tone.

Midel quickly held onto Larika's arm and pulled on her harshly. But Yllana tugged on his sleeve on the side. She smiled at him weakly. "Once this is over, she'll have her freedom."

The horses galloped. They traveled day and night. They only rested when the horses needed to. After a week, they arrived at the Fairkeep Forest. In the middle of the forest was the falls.

"Odd...how come there are no animals nor flowers in this area?" Midel gave it a sweeping glance.

"I remember we were near here," Mariek sighed helplessly. Something could have erased her memories. "Yllana, I just know it. We were here. I just don't know where they are. Grandma!"

Mariek started to call out their names louder and louder, but no one answered. She bit her lower lip. Her heart beat rapidly and she felt her chest tightened. 'Grandma, where are you?'

"Grandma! Kareem!" They all shouted.

Azimuth peered over the trees looking for any small sign of life when his eye caught something from the distance. "Mistress!" He pointed at a grove nearby. A few hundred meters away, there were two small heads.

"Kareem!" Mariek instantly beamed when she recognized him. She nudged the horse to run into the trees.

"Mariek!" Three voices called out. They followed her at the same time looked at the direction she was heading. There were two people indeed, but they were so far they don't recognize their faces.

"Is that really Kareem?!" Midel asked from behind.

"Yes! I know his face anywhere!" Mariek shouted back. When she saw the orange hair from his head and a silly grin on his face, she knew it.

"I thought you would be here with the others?" Kareem asked when they all stepped down from their horses.

"I was. I just didn't know what happened. See?" She pointed at her right eye that turned white. "Maybe we were caught off guard. That's strange, I didn't have any foresight about any danger."

"That really is strange. I hope grandma and the others are fine." Kareem and Vandier have been searching for any shadow in the forest for days but saw no one. They heard rumors about the forest being cursed by a certain kind of demonic entity, but when the two camped for two days, they did not feel anything weird.

"Shall we head to the South Kingdom? It was the emperor who wanted to have the banished people's talents in the first place." Midel whispered to Yllana. They left the camp to fetch water in the brook.

"We might see some clues there. He's planning something, I know it." She took out her silver sword and wiped it with her sleeves. She saw her reflection from the blade. 'This time, it'll be the emperor's blood that will stain this sword.'

~~~~~~~~~~

South Kingdom

Darion wore his armor, his belt, and his sword. He was not in his ten-year-old form today. Facing the five hundred thousand soldiers of the South Kingdom, he raised a hand.

"I, Darion Anavel, will give you honor and wealth!" The soldiers yelled. 'Typical of humans. Disgusting. Once they hear wealth, they cave in. How lowly.' He thought.

"The people from Dimshade Valley have arrived, Your Highness." General Rua reported.

"Get the witches?"

General Rua sighed, "Isn't this army enough? The North Kingdom is still recovering from the attacks from the Cursed lands. They have nearly fifty thousand knights only."

"Uncle, I never asked for your opinion." He walked away leaving the general in front of the imperial army. Five hundred thousand knights against fifty thousand, isn't it called massacre?

At a forest near the gates of the South Kingdom, a small group of young men and women gathered. They were dressed poorly and have some sort of defects on their bodies. Their eyes were sharp as eagles. They waited in silence.

"Farra," Kareem's voice rang in the air. They heard the soft sound and alerted each other to stay silent. Mariek and Kareem hugged them in complete silence then hurried back to hiding in the bushes.

"They have Grandma," The guy named Farra explained. "Mariek, you escaped?"

"Huh?" Mariek explained the things that she could remember. They stayed silent. "I really couldn't remember being caught with grandma." Tears formed at the corner of her eyes. It has been days since they were traveling. All the villages they have crossed only had women and children. Something is wrong. She could feel it in her bones. Her mind kept racing back to her grandma.

"Grandma isn't that weak, Mariek. Don't worry so much. Let's just think of a way to get inside." Kareem reassured her. He patted her head. "Call Elisha out. She can protect you."

A bright orange light slid out of Mariek's hand and formed a woman's figure behind her. Long red hair and orange eyes sparkled as it settled on Yllana's image. Their group had been silent the whole time at the back letting Kareem and Mariek reunite first.

Yllana felt her breath being squeezed out of her entire body as the woman hugged her tightly in what seemed like a death grip.

Black smoke instantly appeared out of nowhere and gathered between Yllana and Elisha. Two cold hands gripped Elisha's neck. Veins were bulging out of the huge hands and two dark eyes stared back at her. "Lu-"

Mariek covered Elisha's mouth. Everything ended up in a muffled sound. Everyone felt the temperature around them dropped into coldness. The snow was already falling but this was a degree colder. Lucien's appearance left the others unable to talk. Some even had sweat forming on their foreheads.

Yllana tapped his shoulder and made a smiling gesture. "At least say 'hi' when you pop in," she suggested.

Lucien grabbed Yllana's hand and presented it in Elisha's face (which was still being hushed by Mariek's dainty little hands).

"Mine." He declared.

Yllana let out a small smile to Elisha. 'I'm sorry Elisha. This crazy mage is somewhat mental sometimes.'

Midel and Larika smiled at Lucien and waved. Lucien just grunted as a response. When Elisha got the message clear, she clung to Mariek instead and displayed her puppy eyes at her.

"Why are you going inside the South Kingdom?" Lucien asked Yllana.

"Grandma is missing."

"Azimuth?"

"At the back."

"Master," Azimuth crouched behind Lucien and bowed his head. "The half-blood army is inside."

"It's not safe if the army is there." Lucien glanced at Yllana, but she did not budge. She still looked at the gates with determination.

"Then I'll find a way to sneak in."

"How?"

Yllana bit her lip. She was going to say that she was agile, but Lucien beat her to it.

"The emperor knows about the villagers and you. He's using them to lure you in the kingdom and you are going to take the bait? Idiot."

"And what am I supposed to do? Leave them to go to the battle like this? Would I even dare to call myself a knight if I turn my back on people who need me?"

Lucien poked her forehead. "Tch, then there is no helping it." He called the two more half-bloods with Azimuth. "Protect her."

The three shadows nodded and vanished. Lucien placed his hand on the ground and summoned his serpent snakes. He took down the two guards at the gates silently, without blood spilled. "Half-bloods are sensitive to their own kinds' blood," explained Lucien.

Larika heard Lucien's comment and eyed Yllana's reaction. She held out her hand to somehow comfort her, but Midel held her back. "But…Yllana…" she whispered.

"She's fine. You're worrying too much." Midel's brows furrowed. He looked at the villagers and nodded when they saw the two guards at the gates unconsciously lying on the ground.

Lucien raised a hand to signal them. Once his finger goes down, they have to move in as fast as possible and without any sound. Midel and Larika focused on Lucien's hand, waiting for the signal. Three puffs of smoke appeared in front of the gate. Azimuth and his companions eyed Lucien.

Larika's eyes couldn't help but gaze Yllana's image from time to time as they all ran. She held her bangles and anklets in a space ring first to avoid any noise. She was starting to sweat. She could sense her fingers slowly starting to tremble from fear.

There will be bloodshed, she knows. 'The Accursed One has to survive,' she thought. The rescue will only involve a few people. The others will be standing guard on some points around the kingdom. And she was told to stay close to Midel and the others since the emperor is still targeting her.

Kareem handed out three small packets to Lucien and Yllana. "Poison. Antidote. Explosion." His three words already explained what he gave to them. Two more men will be coming with them to search for Grandma in the whole kingdom. They picked out the fastest among the group and those who will not stand out too much.

~~~~~~~~~~

Character's Diary Entry:

My name is Larika Nymphiel. Born of a human…and a nymph. Hated by the nymphs, used by humans. I am nowhere near happy with my life. But when I heard that the mainland is going to have a great shift, I held on to that prophecy, to that curse…to her.

I am Larika. And I attest that whoever will lay a hand on our savior, Yllana Saber, shall meet a tragic death. I may always want to be saved, to be safe, and to survive. Isn't that our nature as human beings? That even in death, we struggle to survive.

I am half-human.

I want to live.