Chapter 5

~Hemira~

"Be careful, Hemira, on your journey. You are the one we expect to rescue the princess," said lord Sueret to me.

I bowed to him. "You can count on me, my lord. I will not let you down."

We are now outside the palace, and the once lush green land filled with plants now seems drenched in blood, with scattered shields, swords, and other battle weapons.

I mounted the white horse given to me by lord Sueret for my journey.

"That horse knows where to take you because I have used magic on it. Your journey to Syierian may take five days, so you need to endure the fatigue."

I nodded to him and looked up at the palace. Even though I have only been a general here for a month, I have been truly happy staying here.

I gazed at the upper part of the palace where the king's chamber is located. I did not expect to see the highest royalty there. He peeked out of the window and looked down at me.

I bowed to him as a farewell, but when I looked again, he was no longer there.

I adjusted the large fabric pouch slung across my back. It is called a Lagan. It holds the supplies I will need for the journey, as well as food.

I looked again at lord Sueret, who was smiling at me. I smiled back at him and then held the rope attached to the neck of the horse I was riding. "Hiyaaah!" I kicked the side of the horse's belly, and it neighed and started running fast away.

I will truly leave Gemuria, the kingdom considered the highest on this earth. It is revered by various beings from other kingdoms.

Its king, King Herman, comes from the first clan of the White Mages, the Primum. They are the strongest of the three races of White Mages. Their magic is unique, but King Herman is different because he has inherited the power of Regnum.

This is the power passed down to him by his ancestors who also possessed it.

What I know is that the beloved queen comes from the kingdom of fairies. She is a human but was adopted by the fairies there, so she lived and grew up there.

The king fell in love with her when she was still a prince. Many opposed their love during those times because it was not allowed for the future king to marry someone thought to be a fairy, since there was already someone arranged to marry him, a woman from the second clan, the clan of Secundo.

It is a tradition that whoever possesses the power of Regnum must marry someone from the second clan, but the king fought for his love for Queen Devora, and that is why she became the king's wife and the current queen of Gemuria.

This was only told to me by my Nana.

My Nana and I come from the third clan, considered the servants of the first and second clans. Lord Sueret and lord Remus also belong to that clan.

My Nana tried to teach me how to use magic back then, but I did not learn anything from it. However, despite that, I am skilled at fighting and weapons. I even defeated the former general of warriors in a fighting competition in the kingdom, which is why lord Sueret chose me to be the new general, even though I am a woman.

It has only been a month since I became a general, and already this calamitous event has happened in our kingdom. Our princess, Princess Ceres, has been captured. She is a very kind maiden, and she often accompanies me because I was chosen to be her protector. I became close to her because of her kindness, so I cannot accept that she might perish because of my shortcomings.

Now, I will begin my journey to find the first being I need to accompany me in saving her.

According to the paper of secrets, I will find my first companion in the depths of the Syierian ocean, and it is a speaking book. This book will guide me to the places of our other companions and also to our destination in Abellon, where Princess Ceres was taken.

I kicked the side of the horse's belly again to make it run faster.

I am excited about meeting a legendary being who is half-thing and half-human. I have only three months, so I must hurry because if I am late in rescuing the princess, evil will seize our kingdom and the world.

~In the king's Chamber~

Sueret went to the king's chamber because he had something to ask.

He had been the king's caretaker since he was a child, so they were close, and he could speak to and question him without hesitation.

He knocked on the door, and it opened immediately.

The king was looking out the window.

He bowed to him even though he was turned away. "Your Majesty, I apologize for entering your chamber without notice, but I have something to ask you that has been troubling my mind for some time."

"It's all right, Sueret. I guessed you would come here. Speak your mind." He moved away from the window and faced him.

He lifted his face and looked him directly in the eye. "Why did you choose Hemira to rescue Princess Ceres? Isn't that mission too dangerous with the princess's life at stake? Furthermore, your majesty, Hemira does not know how to use magic. How can she defeat Abellona if all she knows is how to wield her steel sword?" he asked in a flurry of confusion over this decision.

He smiled. "I know you are also confused by my decision to send our general to Abellon, but when Ceres was still a child, I was on a journey to visit other kingdoms when we encountered an old woman on our travels."

His brow furrowed. "An old woman?"

"Indeed. She was wounded and was about to die, so I dismounted from my horse to help her, but she whispered some words in my ear that I dreamt about last night."

Curiosity gleamed in his eyes. "What were they, Your Majesty?"

He seemed to ponder, clearly recalling something very important. "'Send... the female leader... the oppressed princess... to be rescued from the red... offered loyalty... a new chapter will open... twenty-two... Everything will change.' That is what she whispered to me, and then she passed away."

His brow furrowed even more as he did not fully understand what had been said.

He walked around with his hands behind his back. "My understanding of some of her words is that 'send... the female leader' refers to Hemira, for she is the general and leader of our warriors. The 'oppressed princess' is Ceres. The 'to be rescued from the red' means Hemira will rescue Ceres from Abellona, who is a red witch, but I cannot yet comprehend the true meaning of the rest."

He thought about what he explained. "I believe, Your Majesty, that she is a seer and foresaw what will happen in our kingdom."

"You are right. I dismissed her words back then, which was a huge mistake, and now this has happened. My poor Ceres. I am sure she is terrified and alone." Regret and worry filled his eyes.

"If that is the case, then Hemira is indeed the one referred to by that old seer, the female leader who will rescue Princess Ceres. We must trust her, King Herman."

The king nodded in agreement.

"When I saw that girl, I saw in her eyes the determination to save Ceres, so I gave her my full trust."

~Hemira's Journey~

Three days passed, and Hemira decided it was time to rest and sleep. During those days, she had occasionally stopped to eat and drink water from the lagan slung over her back. She had also tended to her horse, Nyebe, feeding her and offering water. Nyebe's skin was as white as snow, as was her long tail, which inspired Hemira to give her that name.

After only brief rests, Nyebe was slowing down, perhaps from exhaustion. They had traveled far, and now they found themselves in a forest that felt eerily quiet. This forest was peculiar; the leaves of the trees and the plants were a riot of colors, unlike the typical green. Gray, purple, yellow, blue, white, red, and various other hues shimmered in the sunlight, creating an almost magical atmosphere.

Hanging vines matched the colors of the leaves, yet no living creature could be sensed in the area. The absence of animals or humans added to the unsettling silence.

After giving Nyebe food and water, Hemira tied her to a vibrant yellow tree. The horse eagerly devoured the provisions, clearly hungry from their journey. Hemira noted that her supplies were running low, but she felt confident she could gather fruits or vegetables along the way and find lakes or rivers to drink from.

Finding a comfortable spot, she leaned against the tree where she had tied Nyebe and placed the lagan beside her. Closing her eyes, she surrendered to sleep, the weariness of three sleepless days weighing heavily on her. The sky darkened, signaling that night was approaching.

As Hemira drifted into a deep sleep, the young warrior maiden wore armor that protected her body, arms, and legs up to her knees. Though the armor felt heavy, she was accustomed to moving with it and managed well. Her hair was tied back, and she donned a metal helmet, with two swords strapped at her waist. Skilled in wielding both swords, she could also fight effectively without any weapons.

As night fell, Nyebe lay down to rest beside her. It was then that black snakes began to emerge from the underbrush. These creatures, known as Hypnalis, were venomous and deadly, capable of growing up to a foot long, and many slithered silently into the forest.