CHAPTER 32

SOLLEL'S group set out for the city of Ager early in the morning. Sollel's fake identity as El was ready, so as their wagon. Grath was the one controlling the horses, while Xeke had been on standby just in case Grath would get tired and need to rest. Inside the wagon, there were Sollel, Cira, Zassia, and Naya.

Cira was scribbling something on her book, while Zassia was cleaning her staff. Naya was sleeping close to Sollel, her head using Sollel's lap as her pillow. She looked like a tamed cat, purring in her sleep. She looked really comfortable next to Sollel, her master.

The road to Ager was not as taxing as the route they took from Belrac to Sarnau where they had to cross the barren island. Maybe because Sarnau was close to Ager, the road was wide, and they could see here and there.

And everywhere, Sollel could feel Gatria.

Her blood. Sollel clenched her first. To combat the spreading barren land due to Gatria's resentment, they used her blood. Did the kingdom know that it was Gatria killing their soil? If they knew and they didn't set her free, then they're more moronic than I thought.

After a whole day of traveling, during their first night outside, Grath and Xeke chose to camp just meters away from the road to be safe. The two slept outside, while the women stayed on the wagon.

"Zassia, are you sure about this?" Sollel asked Zassia after Zassia prayed to the Mistress of Flame, which was Sollel. But Sollel was getting used to Zassia calling her name while praying. "It will put you in danger."

Naya stirred in her sleep and made an adorable groaning sound, so Sollel caressed her hair to calm her down while waiting for Zassia's answer.

"I'm certain, Teacher." Zassia's face was filled with determination. "I don't care if I was on the wanted list. When I helped everyone in the noble's hill, I know something like this will happen, and I'm ready. I will not abandon teacher."

Zassia was always pure and straightforward. "Zassia, if you did this, you might not be able to live with your grandfather in Ager."

Zassia looked at Sollel straight in the eyes, honesty and loyalty shone in their depths. "Teacher, please let me stay by your side and accompany you in your journey. I still have so much to learn from you. Please." Zassia bowed her head. "Grant my humble request."

"And your grandfather?"

"I'll visit him and explain," Zassia said then raised her head. "Please, Teacher?"

There's no turning back anyway. After what happened in the noble's hill, Zassia was already on the radar. "Come out of this one unscathed and I will grant your request. Traveling with me is dangerous, Zassia, so to stay alive and not hold me back, you have to be strong yourself. I will not always be there to protect you, so you should train harder to be able to stand for yourself and protect yourself."

Zassia nodded earnestly, and then she excused herself and stepped out from the wagon to train her flame again.

When Zassia left the wagon and Cira was deep in her slumber, Naya opened her eyes and sat straight, facing Sollel.

"Master, I have a question."

Sollel grimaced at the word master. "Naya, how many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?"

Naya pouted immediately. "I am not calling you lady or miss. I don't like it."

Sollel sighed softly. "Call me whatever you like, just not master."

Naya didn't even think about what to call her; she immediately smiled and said, "Can I call you Mamma then?"

Sollel maybe looked young coming from a long-lived race, but she was definitely not. So to be called mamma didn't really bother her.

"Whatever you want, Naya." Sollel wrapped the blanket around Naya's body. "We're outside, and it's cold."

"Hmm..." Naya wrapped the blanket around her tightly and looked up at Sollel. "Mamma, I have a question."

"What is it?"

"Are you planning to abandon me in Ager?"

Sollel's eyes widened at that. "What would you say that?"

Naya shrugged and answered in a matter-of-fact voice, "I'm weak, and I have no use. I was awake last night when you and Lady Cira were talking. I heard your plan, and reviewing it now, I know I will only slow you down. So if you're planning to leave me in Ager, I don't mind. Just sell me to a slave shop owner. You bought me when no one wanted me. You fed me and clothed me and let me sleep beside you. It's more than enough."

Sollel sighed while listening to Naya speak like an adult. Her voice did not quiver even when she looked like she was about to cry. "Naya, as you said, I bought you, and I'm not going to abandon you. If you listened to my plan, then you know that was never my intention."

Naya looked down. "But I'm going to slow you down."

"Yeah. I know."

"But you said to Lady Zassia not to slow you down—"

"Zassia is different from you, Naya," Sollel explained. "She's my student and a flame sorceress. She needs to grow to be able to wield her flame perfectly. I can cuddle her the way I cuddle you. You're barely a teen. You're still too young."

Naya blinked at Sollel, her eyes shining in deep veneration and happiness. "Really? Y-you're not going to throw me away?"

Sollel nodded. "And I hate slave traders, so why would I sell you back to them? I didn't burn down the slave store in Sarnau for nothing."

Naya's awed looked was replaced by a happy grin as she launched herself at Sollel and wrapped her arms around Sollel's waist. "Thank you, Mamma!"

Sollel smiled and caressed Naya's hair. "You should sleep more. It will be hot tomorrow, so you won't be able to rest."

Naya nodded and eagerly lay on the wagon, her head on Sollel's lap.

And seeing Naya closing her eyes to sleep, Sollel took a controlled breath. She knew Naya would be a drag, but she just couldn't leave the girl. She was weak and had no means to protect herself. She was too vulnerable in this dangerous world.

Should I teach her how to wield a sword to protect herself? Sollel smiled at that. If Gatria was here, she would gladly take on the responsibility of teaching Naya how to wield a sword. But first, I have to buy her a sword that would suit her stature.

Sollel closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep. Her body already lost its ability to tell time after being imprisoned for nearly two centuries; thus, she didn't get sleepy at night.

With her eyes closed, she could hear Grath snoring, Xeke moving a lot, and Zassia practicing her flame.

And then, she felt another unfamiliar presence, snapping her eyes awake.

Slowly, she carefully laid Naya's head on the wagon and stepped out, looking around as she did. Her eyes were sharp as she examined the whole area. But nothing.

"Teacher—"

"In the wagon. Now," Sollel ordered Zassia in a hurry, afraid that the presence might attack them.

As Zassia entered the wagon, careful not to wake the two inside, Sollel felt the presence again. It was overwhelming but familiar. And it's coming from above her!

Hurriedly looking up, her flame ready to burn and devour, she saw a gryphon flying around them like it was doing a surveillance.

With gritted teeth, Sollel waited with bated breath for the gryphon to fly down, but it didn't. It continued circling down that Sollel wished she had her full strength back. She could have summoned her flaming wings and fly, but she was still too weak.

Sollel squinted her eyes to see the gryphon clearly, and her lips parted open in worry when she saw that the gryphon had a mount. Someone was riding the gryphon.

"Who is...that?" Someone from the empire or the kingdom?

But before Sollel could find out, the gryphon flew away, and Sollel watched it until it disappeared from her sight.

Taking a deep breath, Sollel clenched her fist and stared at where the gryphon flew. It's the direction toward Ager.

And that's when Sollel remembered Hakken's letter...

A warlord from the empire is in the city. Is that him? Sollel thought. The presence was overwhelming that she was sure that whoever was riding that gryphon was an experienced and dangerous warrior.

Sollel let out a relieved breath when the presence completely disappeared. She didn't know why it was circling them, but Sollel had a feeling that the person riding the gryphon didn't do it for kicks.

Just as when Sollel was about to get back to the wagon, he saw Xeke awake, looking up at the sky, while Zassia was stepping out of the wagon, clutching her staff.

"Wh-who was that?" Zassia might not feel the immense presence, but the little presence she felt was enough warning to her.

Xeke answered, "A powerful warrior."

Sollel glanced at the sky and then at Xeke. "Do you have any idea?"

Xeke shook his head.

"It's heading to Ager," Sollel informed the two.

Zassia gaped. "Are we still...continuing the plan?"

Sollel nodded without hesitation. "That's the only thing we can do. But if you want to back out, please tell me now, Zassia."

Zassia fervently shook her head. "No, Teacher. Let's continue the plan."

Xeke turned to Sollel. "Does your hunter know about the plan?"

"No," Sollel answered. "I don't want to drag Hakken into this. He's already in too much trouble because of me. I don't want to add more trouble for him."

Xeke stared at her for a couple of seconds before he said, "I'm pretty sure he wouldn't mind. He liked you too much."

Sollel didn't answer and urged Zassia to stop training and rest.

The next morning, The next morning, Sollel's group was back on the road, traveling to the city of Ager, and there were two pouting inside the wagon: Naya who kept complaining about the heat and Cira who disliked Naya calling Sollel her mamma.

"I want to call you Mamma too!" Cira exclaimed, but when Sollel replied no, Cira had been pouting and sulking ever since.

On the other hand, Zassia was sitting on the edge of the wagon and practicing her crawling flame on the ground as the wagon moved. Zassia's dedication to practice was moving Sollel, but every time Zassia would utter a prayer to the Mistress of Flame before eating, Sollel also felt she's in a predicament. She was getting used to it, but being prayed to really was not Sollel's cup of tea.

They camped outside again during the evening, and the next morning, they're back on the road. Fortunately, when afternoon came, they finally saw the city walls of Ager and its humongous gate.

And as they neared Ager, Sollel's group moved as planned.

♕♕♕

HAKKEN WAS ON THE MOVE. He was near the city gate, hiding in the alley, watching the people who entered the city. He had been there for hours, hiding, because his face was all over the city. They did draw me handsomely, he jokingly thought to himself. But still...

After evading the city guards, Hakken finally saw Xeke enter the city, followed by the rest. But Hakken's eyebrow furrowed when he counted, and one was missing from the group.

Zassia? He didn't see someone holding a staff. Where's Zassia? Did his lady purposely hide Zassia, knowing that she was the center of the wanted list?

Knowing that approaching them in the middle of the city was a bad move for all of them, Hakken went deeper into the alley and hid himself until the right time.

♕♕♕

KAR DRUE WAS standing on top of the city wall, overlooking the city below, when he felt a presence coming from his side. When he turned around to look, he saw the renowned imperial warlord striding toward him with his bloodred-and-black full armor, his two blades' hilts peeking from the warlord's back.

Kar had met the warlord yesterday after he got home. After finalizing the plan, they parted ways. The warlord was not really a friendly man, and Kar arrived at that conclusion when the warlord didn't even introduce himself as a sign of respect. But Kar didn't give a fuss about it even when his subordinates became offended for him.

Respect is earned, after all. Even Kar didn't fully respect the king like how the other official did. He was only working for the kingdom because it was his father's dying wish, not because he revered the king.

"They have entered the city," Kar informed the warlord who stopped and stood beside him, his eyes on the city's streets like he was looking for something. "May I ask where you have been since this is a joint operation between the kingdom and the empire?"

The warlord massaged his own shoulders. "I woke up late. Where are they, and when did they arrive?"

"Fifteen minutes ago," Kar replied with his cold tone. "According to the report, seems like they are looking for an inn."

"An inn?" The warlord chuckled like he was amused. "How waggish of them not to take the empire and the kingdom seriously. Or was it because of the gag order issued by the kingdom? Did you see the Mistress of Flame?"

Kar nodded. "She was wearing a cloak and not carrying her staff, but she could never hide from my senses. And she's with the same group. It was easy to tell."

The warlord nodded. "When do we ambush them?"

"Tonight. As planned."

"With moonrite stones?"

"Yes. But even without the stone, she can never escape from me," said Kar while holding the hilt of his war hammer strapped on his back. His war hammer's ability was to drag back an escaping opponent and strike.

The warlord took a controlled breath. "She's the Mistress of Flame, known for her fierce and scorching strength. Can you win?"

Kar nodded. "I am a descendant of Sappher. And so are you." Kar glanced at the warlord's war blades—an arcane weapon that only a descendant of Sappher can wield. The warlord didn't tell him, but Kar could tell. "No one could match her strength other than us."

"You're right," the warlord said as he took a deep breath. "But we did lose the battle hundreds of years ago."

Kar shrugged like it meant nothing. "Different arcane weapons and different warriors. Basing our chances of winning by comparing us to the warriors from before is nothing but a joke. We have already surmounted our ancestors' strength. It's time to get even, don't you think?"

The warlord raised his head and looked at the orange-red sky. The sun was setting, and the night was about to fall. "Different, huh?"

When Kar didn't answer, the warlord faced Kar and offered him his hand.

"Imperial warlord, Hakkeran Adral, a warlord from the royal family of Adralleous, descendant of Sappher."

The corner of Kar's lips slightly tugged up, knowing that it was the respect he was waiting for, as he accepted the warlord's handshake. "Kingdom of Treterra's general, Kar Drue Ymbert, a warlord from the royal family of Ymbertous, descendant of Sappher. Honored to make your acquaintance."

"The honor is mine."

CECELIB | C.C.