Chapter 3

Zyair was seated beside the person he detested most on earth and he couldn't help the many fantasies which plagued his mind, depicting possible attacks he could perform on the other. His annoyance was justified because deep down he knew the journey was not that difficult but for some reason, Silas took Xander's side and now the incredibly hateable guy has joined them. 

The urge to stomp his feet like a child and abandon the mission weighed on his mind. His pride however stopped the thoughts from manifesting into anything realistic. 

He would expect Silas to act like this, not himself, the guy who accomplished great feats without even being expected to do so. He was a nobody who proved himself through his talent.

Rather than focusing on his homicidal thoughts, he attempted to slow down his breathing, which helped divert his attention and brought him to some sort of realisation. 

He elbowed the other to get his attention.

"What?" Xander asked, Irritated by the sudden throbbing on his right side. 

Ignoring his rude tone of voice Zyair went on with what he had intended to say:

"Since you are in charge here could you not have just sent one of your little minions on an errand for you and let them guide us?-- Or better yet you could have just taken a separate carriage, one befit for a chief." 

In response, with a flashy smile, Xander turned to him.

Zyair noted the look of amusement the other seemed to wear. 

"Anything that would serve as a displeasure to you is something worth sacrificing my time for." 

Obnoxious. 

"You're mentality is far too infantile for a chief."

"You think so?" he replied, raising an eyebrow. 

"Im surprised your position has not been challenged." 

His remark left a fairly sour look on Xander's face who turned to the window with a scowl. 

As a result, Zyair could feel Silas shooting daggers with his eyes, opposite him. 

In response, he shrugged: mouthing 'not my fault.'

It was his nemesis who started to taunt him first, all he did was defend himself.

Silas as well as the two rivals were to journey together for about a day or so and it was evident that the start of the journey was far from positive.

However, to lighten the mood, Silas would often exclaim at famous landmarks from the Southern region; which in turn prompted Xander to explain the deep histories of each place. 

He seemed to be proud of the land he owned because he knew a great deal about each location Silas mentioned. Zyair didn't want the two to become friends, but he could not help but notice how his words were thrilling Silas.

Zyair was enraged by the seeming unity between the two because, although Xander was a former heir and Silas a current heir, the two had a deeper bond that Zyair would never comprehend. People in high positions in their sectors naturally have a link that they share with people in similar circles. It's not that he desired the status or power that came with being an heir.

Moreso, he didn't like that the heir of one region was friendly with that of another sect —who wouldn't? It was peculiar. Perhaps Silas's youthful age and his naivety affected his judgement. He did not see any drawbacks to mingling with someone who might turn out to be an enemy. It is not a given that Xander would support the East in a conflict. 

Zyair thought his worries were irrelevant at this moment because he needed to concentrate on the task and aiding Silas. Thus, he decided to bring this topic up later on to Chief Emmanuel Andres. 

Xander instructed his men who surrounded the carriage on horses to get ready, it seemed as though they were nearing Maximilianos' rumoured lodgings.

Zyair witnessed Silas let out a sigh of relief, he too was glad to be finally exiting the stuffy, quiet and awkward setting. 

They had survived the journey.

Exiting the vehicle one after the other, the three stood shoulder to shoulder in front of the lodging they had driven a great distance to see. That was where Maximiliano lived, and he had to help with this mission; without his assistance, Silas wouldn't be able to go on or even take over his father's role. 

Zyair was experiencing flashbacks to his own mission, which coincided with the recollection of the reasoning behind his intense animosity towards Xander. Recalling how much of a bother Xander had been in the past, he could not resist reaching for his sword instinctively–though he did not draw it.

Whether he could have made it through such a trying time without the chief's assistance back then; he would never know.

Reminiscing led to negative thoughts about Xander and so Zyair could not help but speculate. 

He had the following thoughts:

That darn jerk even has the audacity to attempt to thwart Silas's mission. It is unknown whether his intention was to undermine him. Perhaps overcoming the obstacle of others attempting to obstruct the mission's goal is the real mission.

 Zyair couldn't recall if they had explained to Xander their reason for coming here.

Ideally, he hoped they hadn't.

The less he knew, the better it was for everyone.

All he could hope was that while he was away, the easily impressionable Silas did not divulge any information about the mission. 

According to him, Xander was a cunning chief who would do anything to achieve his goals. Zyair was irritated by how frequently he had thought of the other; he was a powerful but self-centred adversary. He desired to rid his mind of him, but Xander was always there, no matter where he looked. It surprises him that he hadn't encountered Xander during his travels in search of the star and moon. 

Simultaneously, he questioned why Xander had not punished him in any way for not referring to him as chief. He had a lot of questions and needed to find the answers. 

Upon further reflection, he questioned whether everything had really happened by coincidence—him joining Silas on this mission despite his past relationship with Xander, and surprise, surprise—Xander happens to be the chief of the location where the mission is based. The facts didn't sit right with Zyair. Something was amiss.