Travel preparations

After having a thorough discussion with her dad, Ambai walked back to her room in a daze. She was leaving Miriafa secretly in two days. It was a tough decision for her parents, but it was an easy one for her. 'Yes, I need my alone time to process all these unwanted feelings,' she thought with a downcast look.

On the way, the guards stationed throughout the corridor gazed at her with a pitiful look.

'Dont look Ambai, just keep walking with your head down,' She walked ahead without looking up. These people had seen her at her worse state and most probably think that she is a wimp now.

'crying and running dramatically was the worst decision ever,' she internally cried, holding the veil closer.

"Eru, are you okay?" someone shouted from behind her. It was Deric. His husky voice was quite recognize from anywhere.

"I'm fine," she whispered without looking back. She really wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone.

All she wanted to do was to reach her room and bury herself under her soft duvet. So she quickened her pace.

But Deric insistently followed behind.

Without any word, he followed her to her room. He even opened the door for her. Thanking him softly, Ambai dashed in. she plopped on the bed and rolled herself into a sad sandwich.

Even though she tried not to think about it, everything that happened today was harder for her to forget.

Deric sat next to the end of the bed and softly caressed her blond curls. "can you tell me what happened?" he whispered in a pleasing tone.

"I...don't wish to remember any of that," she mumbled from inside the blanket.

Deric played with one of her curl. "I really want to know. What made you to devastated enough to cry, so that I Can...."

"What can you do? 'sniff', what can anyone do? It's in the past and no one can change it. Please, don't bring it up .... I want to forget it all," Ambai mumbled.

He could not complete his sentence. what would he do if someone hurt this precious person? 'will I kill him? maim him? what will I do?' Deric thought as dread filled his heart.

He had no power, no army. even if his precious person was bullied, he could not do anything about it. 'In order to protect the people I love, I need power,' he gazed down at the rolled up bundle.

He patted the blanket one last time and left.

Ambai peeled the blanket from her face and peeked out. 'was I too harsh on him? I know he was trying to help but... I just want to be alone right now.'

Just thinking about Deric reminded her something else, 'wait.... oh God I lied to the devil that I love Deric. what if he hurts him? oh no... maybe I should go back and let Zhong know the truth,'

She shot up from the bed and rolled out. 'but.... I don't feel like meeting him... uwaaa why is this so hard?'

Lying upside down she hung her head down letting her shoulder-length blond her down. Blood pooled into her head, but she didn't bother. 'what to do.....'

Ambai kept rolling in and out of bed.

Just then someone knocked on her door. "come in.." she shouted, but no one came in.

She rolled over and shouted, "come in," again. Yet still no one came. Sighing she opened her door. There was no one outside.

but a black book laid silently near her doorway.

It was the ancient book of enchantments she found in her dad's secret room.

she slowly picked it up and held it close to her. The last time she remembered Zhong hugging the book to his chest as if it was a precious treasure.

"I guess he doesn't want to see me again either," she mumbled. Her mood plummeted even more.

Ambai banged on the door and dashed back into her room. "so what.... I was the one who told him that I don't like him. I have the upper hand here," she plopped onto her bed.

She opened her drawer and carefully lifted unconscious Fynn out. "baby, at least you love me, right? I love you too muahhh," she kissed his little twitching nose.

Last time Zhong had mentioned that Fynn was having his breakthrough and that he might succeed or fail. Currently Fynn had been unconscious for a day now and he was showing no signs of waking up.

Ambai reallyyy wanted to consult with Zhong about Fynn again.

"Fine, why should I feel awkward? I need his help so I should not care about anything else," she placed Fynn carefully in her pocket and dashed out of her room.

Her mood swings these days were so unpredicted. Just hours ago she was sobbing like a pig. Now she was happily running to him.

As she wound around a corridor she saw Zhong standing in the corner 'speak about the devil and the devil should arrive,' she thought gazing at him. He was talking animatedly to someone.

Ambai peeked out to find her father next to him. 'what are the talking about? is it about me?'

"Eru come out," her father said, gazing at her general direction.

'Nope, I'm not here,' she dashed away.

"I know you are sneaking around there. Come out we need to have a talk about your 'training'," her dad shouted behind her emphasizing the word training.

'about my secret training?' she slowly peeked out and whispered, "what about it?"

Rukle glared at her and gestured her close. as she walked closer, she did not dare look up at the devil standing next to her.

"Your uncle... I talked to him he will come pick you up tomorrow," he said.

Both Zhong's and Ambai's head snapped up at his statement. "you are going somewhere?" Zhong whispered.

"umm...I..." she gazed up at her father with her eyes wide open. 'dad, you pig teammate! It was supposed to be a secret trip! why did you expose me like that?'