CHAPTER SEVEN

ANALIA

ON THE short trip to my room with Auriana, I've been able to learn a few things about her. She's the first child of four children. Her father is a merchant, and her mother works at the palace as a cook. But all they earn isn't enough to pay up the tremendous debts that her family owes the nobles. That's the reason she enlisted as a companion. She also comes from a town called 'Ansyera,' named after the twin sister of the god Ansyer, meaning our two towns are close in proximity. She's also two years younger than me, to my utmost surprise.

She drops me off at my room with a bear hug, and I feel tears start to gather at the corner of my eyes. We just met today, yet I feel like I've known her for years.

"Promise me you'll survive till the end," I choke out, with her hands still firmly wrapped around me, and she laughs nervously.

"I'll try my best. I need to pay off my family's debts, after all." She stays quiet for a while before she sniffles, tightening her grip on me.

"You remind me of my little sister, you both act way older than you should." She comments. I snort inwardly at the irony while patting her back. She finally releases me and ruffles my hair with a sad twinkle in her eyes.

"I guess I'll see you soon, right? I also didn't catch your name." She gives a melancholic smile.

"It's Analia, and of course you will."

"I guess this is goodbye Analia. For now," She sets off with a wave leaving me to stand and watch her retreating figure. I stand there for minutes after she is gone and wipe off a stray tear that falls from my face before walking into my room to get my things.

The room may not be as fancy as a Noble's room but it's bigger and more comfortable than any room I've ever laid in before.

I make sure to carry all the things I deem important such as my jar of herbs, the past companion's diaries, and the tunic and pants I came with. I sling my bow over my shoulder and store my bows safely into the quiver attached to the back of my uniform. I also make sure to grab the map of Asha's land which was handed down to each companion.

Once I'm done, I start to head back to the ballroom. I made sure to take note of my surroundings when coming with Auriana so finding my way back is no hassle. The ballroom looks emptier than how I left it. It seems that some demigods have left with their companions. I sight some passing through what seems like a misty portal surrounded by grand mages in their green robes with hoods. Only grand mages are powerful enough to summon portals to other realms.

I finally reach the platform. On locking gazes with me, he rises to his feet and motions with his eyes to a duffel bag beside his chair that wasn't there before. I internally sigh at the size. It isn't big but in this form, carrying it will be quite problematic. I drop my satchel and walk past him to get the bag. My hands feel like they'll break at any moment.

"You just have to hold that till we get to Asha's land." I flinch slightly when I hear his velvety voice in my ear.

"Right," I mutter, watching as he starts to walk toward the grand mages who aren't busy transporting anyone to Asha's land at the moment.

I hasten my steps in an attempt to catch up with him. By the time I reach him, I'm panting and sweating profusely. I groan in frustration when I still realize that my things are still on the platform. I quickly mutter an apology and scurry back to get them.

My heart leaps as I sight Princess Kora standing across him when I return with my things. I can feel the tension oozing out from both of them and I shrink back at the intensity.

"Kun apologizes for not being able to send you off." She sweetly says whilst bashing her lashes but I can see beyond that facade of hers.

My brows furrow together slightly as I ransack my brain for the name I overheard Kora and Kun talking about.

Iyan was it?

So he's the demigod they want dead.

I feel bad for him because having me as his companion has increased his chances of dying.

I turn my attention to him and find that his eyes are dead calm. He may be completely oblivious to the fact that he is wanted dead, but he knows for a fact that Princess Kora is not as sweet as she pretends to be.

He raises his head slightly in a condescending manner as a smug smile tugs at his lips. "Thank you, Kora." He bows in mockery.

She smiles maliciously as disdain smolders beneath her icy emerald eyes, but her smile quickly falters when blood trickles down her nose, staining her white satin dress. Her face turns pale as she wipes the blood from her nose and stares at the smear on her hand, which visibly begins to shake.

I shudder at the psychotic smile on the face of Iyan. It takes me a moment to piece together the fact that he did something to her.

But how? He didn't even move an inch from his spot across her.

"Ah," he feigns worry as he inches closer to her, but she flinches back, still staring at the smear of blood on her quivering hand.

"You're bleeding, Kora. I almost forgot how fragile you humans are. I'm deeply sorry." He pats her hair with a satisfied smile on his face and throws a look at me before walking past her to the mages.

He didn't even hide the fact that he just made her bleed. His aloof attitude could get him killed but then again, he could simply just kill off the princess with a look.

Are demigods meant to have this much power?

I walk past a dumbstruck Kora and stand some feet away from Iyan with our things as the mages start to mutter words in Astur. He looks over his shoulder at me and for a moment I marvel at how his midnight black hair shimmers in the room and compliments his eyes.

"let's go."

A Misty portal appears and he grabs his duffel bag from my hands taking me by surprise before walking into the portal. I take in a shaky breath before following him in with my satchel.

For a short moment, it feels like I'm being drawn into a vortex of mist, and by the time I open my eyes, I am blinded by a beam of sunlight. I quickly avert my eyes from the sunlight, only to step back in awe at the paradise before me. Colors of orange and pink blend harmoniously with the azure blue skies as birds soar above the pine trees that surround us and entrap us in a Grove.

"Paradise!" I exclaim, with my eyes twinkling in excitement. The serenity of this place makes me feel extraordinarily calm, almost like I could stay here forever. Soft tufts of grass tickle my feet, and I crouch down and let it brush my bare hand.

"We need to start moving," Iyan instructs, tightening his grip on his bag, and I nod my head, still transfixed by the meadow that stretches around us.

"Also, I think it's high time you took off that relic. Don't you think?"

"Yes, my liege," I quickly bow as I stare down at my feet. When he doesn't answer, I then realize that he probably wants me to take it off now. I rise from the ground as I take in a deep breath and mutter an apology to my outfit-it pains me deeply knowing that it will get ripped in the process of changing.

I take off my hood and unclasp the necklace from my neck. The familiar feeling of nausea I hadn't felt for years begins to wash over me. I can't say I've missed this feeling because I hated it-the feeling that I could puke out my guts at any moment, the feeling that I can't control my body. If someone were to try stabbing me right now, I'd be too weak to fight back.

The feeling finally vanishes, and I open my eyes to find my clothes ripped at several parts. At least my chest is still covered thanks to the fact that my breasts are small, apart from the rips on my laps. Everything else about the attire is fine.

I'm back to normal. I actually missed the feeling of my wavy, ash-blonde hair.

"How old are you?"

I'm brought out of my thoughts by Iyan's voice and my cheeks redden as I realize that he has been watching me this entire time.

"Twenty, my liege," I answer him unconsciously using my fingers to brush through my wavy locks of hair.

"I see," he muses aloud. "I'm just a year older than you so you don't have to do all this." His usual velvety voice is laced with annoyance that makes me shoot up my head in surprise.

"What?"

"You don't have to bow, or call me that."

"I don't understand," I say because, in truth, I don't understand what he's saying.

"I have a name," He sighs. "Having you call me by a title makes my ears bleed."

I feel my cheeks redden in embarrassment at his statement. I didn't know he would want me to call him by his name.

"I'm sorry," I apologize, and he takes in a sharp breath before he starts to walk ahead, completely ignoring me. I take a moment to gawk at how he struts majestically with an air of confidence before I'm caught off guard by his voice.

"Open up the map and find us the nearest cave to our location; we've wasted too much time chattering." He orders. I hastily open up the map that I kept safe in one of the pockets of my attire. I also stuff the necklace into my pocket before staring blankly at the strange words on each highlighted landscape on the map.

I walk faster in an attempt to catch up with him. I may be taller now, but he still towers over me effortlessly. It almost looks as though I didn't revert to being an adult.

I chew the insides of my mouth before opening it to speak. "I can't read," I pause, remembering that he cautioned me not to call him by a title.

He eyes me from the side, and the glare makes me shrink back and lower the intensity of my steps. "I thought everyone was required to learn Astur?"

"Ah, my mother didn't deem it fit to teach me, you see. She never thought I'd need it since I wasn't supposed to leave Ansyer-" I cut my rambling short when I notice his outstretched hand, and I quickly hand him the map. He goes through it in less than a minute and then turns back to the direction we just left.

"We're going the wrong way," He explains and starts to walk. I try my hardest to keep up behind him as my pace increases.

We walk for what seems like an hour, before the sky starts to darken. The sun that had been shining so fiercely has now been replaced by a sudden darkness that swallows it up in an instant. It happened so fast, I could barely comprehend the fact that we were just walking under sunlight a few minutes ago.

Is something about to happen?

My hands can't seem to stop shaking

The satchel I've been carrying is suddenly ripped off my hand by Iyan, whose pace has increased the more. I don't know what's happening, but adrenaline suddenly rushes through my veins, almost as though my body knows something dangerous is about to happen.

My fear intensifies as Iyan quickly turns to warn me.

"We're almost there. Keep walking and don't look back, no matter what."

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