Covenant

Contrary to the hilmir's regal attitude, the young man placed his hand on his chest and bowed his head.

"I am Zagan, a paladin and the Saintess' escort." His voice was restrained but soft, and his body language reflected his modest nature.

Then Duman turned to Elisha, who was standing behind him and pointed with his chin at the turquoise-haired woman. Elisha, who had barely quelled her nausea, forced a gentle smile on her now pale face.

Zagan immediately noticed that something was off, but after glancing at the girl in the tree, he decided not to comment on it and talk about it later with the Saintess in private.

"My name is Elisha from the House of Lezabel," she introduced herself with great effort. Her voice sounded weak, but this only managed to awaken and intensify a protective instinct in both women and men. Just like a defenseless bird in need of attention and care.

The saintess, also a head shorter than the paladin, wore a light pink dress that enhanced her white skin, but sadly it clashed with her beautiful navy-blue hair that fell in waves to her waist. Thin eyebrows above a pair of large, round eyes the same color as the dress, outlined with long, curved lashes that added points to her sweet, gentle air.

"I am the Saintess of the Holy Creed… and delegate of the Eloah of Spring," she added, swallowing hard as she held the hem of her dress with one hand and the other lay on her chest.

"Elisha... Lezabel...?" She mumbled in doubt as she gently massaged her temple.

Her pupils widened at the stimulus and brief images flashed through her head, among them, the scene where she was sitting in front of a device that emitted light was the most striking. Her own hands were moving diligently over a flat object with many letters and numbers on it. The rapid tapping echoed through the dimly lit room as the bright screen gradually filled with familiar letters.

[Elisha Lez...ake…sain…eed…instead…lamia.]

The voice that came out of her mouth was different, but not foreign. The only word she could understand was someone's name, and the rest of the words were incomprehensible, slowly fading into the haze of her consciousness.

The memory then vanished like a wisp of smoke.

When her eyes refocused on Elisha, her lost gaze seemed to have finally found its way home.

'I found one of the puzzle pieces', the woman thought, determined to stay as close to Elisha as possible in order to further stimulate her memories. 'But it was sooner than I expected.'

An uneasy feeling crept up her spine as if the threads of fate were being spun by someone to facilitate their meeting.

"So, will you be coming with us to Iabet?" Duman inquired when he heard no answer

"Ah... yes, I'll go with you," the woman agreed. Then she turned her attention to the vines and asked them in another language to take her to the ground.

The vines, who had been moving around in a good mood, suddenly became depressed like a deflated balloon. Still, they followed the woman's wishes and carefully brought her down close to the intruders.

Once the turquoise-haired girl placed her feet on the cold, damp earth, the vines backed away from the group but stayed close enough to respond in case the deceitful humans went back on their words.

The first to approach her was the hilmir, ready to seal the deal.

"I will ensure your well-being and, when the time comes, you will give me the Legacy."

The woman did not reply.

Duman took it as her consent and extended his fist in her direction. The woman took a step back thinking he would resort to violence to extort a promise from her, but the hand stopped at an adequate distance.

"This is what we do in my kingdom when we make a promise or a deal." Demonstrating his fist with the back of his hand up, he stretched out two fingers forward. "The index finger means commitment and the middle means pledge. The person offering is the first to extend their hand, and the other person must do the same, but with the palm of the hand pointing upwards as a sign of approval."

The woman looked silently at the man in front of her and then at his outstretched hand. After a few seconds, she walked over to him and mimicked his hand gesture. Duman placed his two outstretched fingers on the woman's and closed them, drawing them together until they collided against his palm. Their hands remained facing each other, one above and the other below, in a strange handshake

Unlike the hilmir's high body temperature, the woman's hand was cold, but not to the point of freezing. Duman frowned slightly at the strange sensation.

Hathor is a kingdom that has a hot and humid climate throughout the year. Because of this, the Hathi tend to wear clothing made of lightweight fabrics with absorbent properties. Their skin colors may vary depending on their exposure to the sun, but one thing they all have in common is a high body temperature.

Duman examined her carefully from head to toe. Apart from the torn and dirty clothes, the woman had no external injuries, no signs of fatigue, or perspiration. Not even the high humidity within the Milbong rainforest seemed to affect her in the slightest.

She didn't look like a person who had been struggling to survive in this deadly trap full of wild beasts, but more like she had tripped while taking a walk in her garden.

The veil gave the impression of being translucent but nothing could actually be seen through it. Duman was sure it wasn't made of normal material, but skin with reflective properties of some beast. He even noted that the dress, made from the same skin, was of a very old-fashioned design for the current era. It was similar to the garments worn by Ernas centuries ago, though less extravagant.

Uneasy, but curious, the girl did not refuse the contact, but after a while, the discomfort increased. However, before she could pull her hand away, the man backed away first.

"Let's move on. We have to look for one of our comrades," he announced while turning around and walking back towards the paladin and the saintess.

The woman followed him quietly, reading the new screen that popped up.

[ The covenant has been registered! ]

[ You've joined the team! ]