The Ahana Forest

The Prince slipped on the wristlet, his heart pounding. He closed the hand with the Ruby Noir into a fist. It shook too much for his liking. He already saw what the gemstone could do. It couldn't possibly do something worse.

It would work or it wouldn't work.

No need for him to be nervous.

Tylen took a deep breath. His eyes caught the reflections of the sunlight in the ruby. His fingertips brushed its surface. It was smooth, similar to a polished jewel. He hadn't touched it for long but the gemstone began to ignite inside.

Its core flared like white hot flame.

The temperature of the air around his feet increased. Soon, it rose up, crawling over his legs. The loose fabrics of his clothes fluttered from the hot wind. It surged through the holes and rolled directly over his skin. It seemed like he entered a furnace.

"Let go of the gemstone when you're done." Raz shouted from behind him. She shook her head. The others had forgotten to inform the Prince on how to use it.

The moment Tylen lifted off his fingers, the atmosphere around him went back to normal. It may be gone but the sensation left an impression on his skin—just like the feeling after a person had gone for a swim. Their senses could still feel the waves of the water after they've left the water.

"Wow." He breathed out. He didn't know he held his breath the whole time. If the sergeant hadn't called out to him, he might have fainted from the lack of air in his lungs.

"Pretty neat, huh?" Cleon chuckled.

The Prince took off the wristlet and handed it back to the blue-haired pirate. Before Cleon could grab a hold of it, a hand snapped it away.

"You can borrow it after you've bathed." Deelah interrupted, placing the Ruby Noir back on her wrist, "I'd advise you to train first before that. Otherwise, you'd reek of sweat for the rest of the day."

The Pirate Queen spared no time and took out her rapier. Both Cleon and Tylen unsheated their swords, crossing them together when they blocked her attack.

"Such teamwork you have." Deelah smirked, "Let's see how much Raz taught you."

She swung her blade down then lifted it up. It slid against the two swords until the tip had been freed of their hold. She bent her arm and slashed the air in a wide arc. She charged too fast for the two boys to counterattack. They could only step back, avoiding her rapier.

The Pirate Queen repeated this move several times. Each one had been executed from a different angle. Among the Phantom Pirates, her speed was unrivalled. Her opponents usually try to keep up by dodging until they'd find a way to retaliate. Often, they'd widen the distance, creating their own chance for an opening.

Something the two young men didn't know about yet.

She backed them into the edge of the clearing.

The Prince was the first to notice the trees. He used it to his advantage and hid. It left the blue-haired pirate open for fire. Deelah focused her attacks on him. When Cleon managed to stumble on a tree root and fell, she turned and swung at Tylen's hiding spot. Then, she aimed for the pirate at her feet.

Cleon rolled and ran for a tree. The Prince also did the same.

The Pirate Queen laughed to herself. She glanced over her shoulder once and winked at the two girls. Then, she ventured further in the forest, on a hunt for her two new prey.

Raz stood up from her tree, stretching her back muscles. Not only her back but also her legs had cramped. She flinched from the seeping pain that shot up. Worrisome thoughts had preoccupied her the whole night. It seemed that she went too deep to forget about shifting her position.

Maia scrunched her eyebrows, crossing her arms over her chest, "Raz, did you even sleep?"

"I can't even if I wanted to," her leader replied with a sigh.

The redhead continued to scowl. Even if Raz happened to be the most skilled one out of their group, she wasn't immortal. She still suffered injuries. She still needed proper rest just as much as the next person. As a healer, Maia couldn't stand her habit of taking over the entire night watch.

As a friend, she felt concerned about her sleeping habits.

"Please let Deelah and I take over tonight," Maia instructed. The tone she projected was the tone she used whenever she scolded patients, "I don't like to do it often but I'd use sleeping powder on you if you won't sleep willingly."

Raz merely chuckled, stepping closer, "Don't worry. Deelah already glared at me when she woke up. Although she didn't say anything, I'm sure she'd knock me out with a punch if I try that again."

"I would too if my fist was made of steel." The redhead scoffed mockingly.

"Damn, Maia. How violent of you."

"Thank you."

Raz patted her head with a smile. Then, she pulled out their team's Ruby Noir from her black vest. She handed it over, gently pushing the redhead towards the pond, "Go bathe. I'll keep a lookout. I don't think Deelah will let the boys come back soon though."

Left with little choice, Maia huffed and did as told.

The boys practically jumped to the pond the moment the Pirate Queen freed them from her training session. The cool water washed off their pain in their limbs and refreshed their hot skin. The three of them found another clearing, one that had no source of water. The scorching of the sun had been merciless.

Whenever they landed in a crouch, the sun rays blocked out their vision. They've rolled around just to avoid several of Deelah's attacks. Not only were they drenched in sweat but also damp soil clung to their skin.

"Are all Teralyn males this weak?" The Pirate Queen rhetorically. She folded her arms over her chest, staring at their exhausted male companions.

The two young men groaned from the pond. She cackled merrily at their misery.

"I think Sir Hayden is currently the best swordsman." Maia said after she sipped from her canister. She twisted the cap back and wrapped it over her torso.

Deelah turned her head towards the redhead, "Darkwood? The Shield of Hope?"

Maia nodded, "The one and only."

"Pity." The Pirate Queen breathed out heavily, "I would have liked to spar with him."

"Maybe you can once this mission is over." Raz added to the conversation.

The three of them enjoyed the shade of the trees. Besides their training, Deelah and Cleon managed to ensnare some rabbits for breakfast. Raz reignited the fire for cooking. They watched over the meat while the boys soaked in the pond.

They would march again once they finished breakfast.

====

The group trekked deeper into the Ahana Forest. Despite the place's reputation, they encountered little to no problems on their path. It helped that most of the animals kept their distance from Deelah's predator aura. They passed by trees, clearings, rivers and small caves. They spotted the top of several towers but the Pirate Queen denied a detour.

She further stated the towers they were looking for were circular, different from the square ones they saw. They were built that way since they had better resistance to sieges. Since they were located near the Sol Palace, the kingdom took more consideration and thought into their construction.

"None of these towers had been used for a long time though," Deelah explained. She took the lead like she did yesterday. This time, the group spread apart from each other, a tactic used in case arrows would target them, "Even before the fire, the three kingdoms haven't been at war for centuries. They've most likely sealed the entrances. How on earth did your Princess even get in one?"

Tylen tilted his head. He hadn't been there when Ariene went missing. If he was, he would have gone with her in the first place, "I'm not entirely sure. Maybe the locks rusted with age and broke off easily."

"Yeah, that seems possible." The Pirate Queen nodded.

Cleon entertained himself by hopping from rock to rock. If there was none nearby, he'd opt for a tree root. Their hike offered little excitement. Oh, how he'd give anything for some bandits to ambush them. All he could do was try to jump and reach the lowest branches of the trees.

Unfortunately, that slowed down their pace.

"Cleon, stop playing around!" Maia scolded him. If he didn't move faster, Raz would be stuck standing at the back.

"Okay, okay." The blue-haired pirate rolled his eyes, "Just one last branch."

He dug his heels on a tree root. Bending his knees, he leaped over a rock and clasped his hands on a branch. His body swayed back and forth from the momentum. He ignored the others's looks of disapproval and laughed at his achievement.

"Oh, don't be such downers." Cleon complained, still hanging from the branch, "With Deelah, I hardly get any game from wild predators. I am very bored."

"That's because you're a boring person."

"Hey!" He glared at the redhead who snickered at him, "At least, I'm taller than you up here."

Forgetting about Maia, he surveyed the area with his new viewpoint. The forest seemed different from this perspective. He could see over a few thick branches with large leaves. He also spotted bird's nests from several places.

Then, right up ahead, in a narrow space between two tall trees, a round tower loomed.

Cleon cheered in victory, "I can see our first tower!"