CHAPTER 33

SOLLEL'S GROUP rented only one room when they found an inn. Everyone was inside, except for Xeke who offered to look around and check the situation outside. They immediately felt the tension in the air when they entered the city, especially when the guards let them in without a fuss after knowing that they're on a wanted list.

Indeed, a trap. Her highness was right, Cira thought as she peeked into her satchel to see if the moonrite stone was glowing, a sign that a moonrite stone was nearby.

Fortunately, the stone was not emitting a glow. That meant there was no moonrite stone nearby.

Meanwhile, outside, guards were very subtly surrounding the inn with their weapons ready. They had been briefed by the superior not to take the escapee's group lightly because it would lead to their deaths, so everyone was giving it their all. On the other hand, the wind sorcerer and sorceress of the kingdom were getting ready and was waiting for their orders. They'd be the one handling the delivery of the moonrite stone to the army in the city because of their flight ability.

The occupants and the owner of the inn had been relocated to a different location as to not get caught up in the fighting that was about to happen that night. Even the business owners in the area and residents were relocated as well.

The whole city was silent as General Kar Drue and Imperial Warlord Hakkeran Adral stood on top of the tallest building near the inn. The two had a clear view of their surroundings.

"What happened to your weapon?" Kar Drue asked Hakkeran, seeing that the war blades strapped on his back had changed.

"We're fighting the Mistress of Flame," Hakkeran said like it explained everything, but when Kar Drue frowned, Hakkeran explained further. "I don't think fighting fire with fire is a good idea. She could nullify my attacks. So I choose my second-best weapon."

Kar Drue nodded when he understood and then turned to one of his shoulders on his side to give his order. "Tell the wind sorcerers to deliver the stone now."

The soldier nodded and immediately flew toward the garrison. The soldier was a wind sorcerer, and sorcerers like him were used for transport and sending important messages. But before the soldier could even travel halfway to the garrison, a dagger appeared before him, halting his movement in the air. Then from out of nowhere, the dagger disappeared, and a man appeared in exchange. Before the soldier could react, a dagger slashed his throat. Then he fell from the sky, lifeless.

And the man who owned the dagger disappeared into the night.

When the soldier's body hit the ground, a commotion broke, and soldiers drew their weapons to fight, looking for the perpetrator. Inside the inn, Sollel's group all heard the commotion outside.

"It is starting," Cira muttered as her ears twitched a little.

Grath summoned his claws and awakened the flame essence inside him. "I'm ready," he said as he watched his now flaming claw.

Cira turned to her side. "Are you ready...Your Highness?"

Her Highness nodded and stood—a cue for them to move their asses and fight. They came here for this—to test the waters...and test it, they will.

Grath opened the large window that led outside and immediately saw the rows of soldiers surrounding the inn. "Can I burn them?" he asked.

Cira smiled as she readied her bow blessed by Queen Sollel and arrows from her quiver. "Her highness would be very proud of you, Grath. She hates humans after all."

Grath grinned. "That's good. Time to show her highness the result of my training." After saying that, Grath leaped out from the window to the street in front of the inn, fearlessly standing up in front of the soldiers, baring his fangs and claws.

"A demi-human?" the soldiers murmured to themselves, seeing Grath.

"Why is a filthy demi-human trying to do? Fight us?" one of the soldiers asked then chuckled.

Demi-humans were known for their brute strength, but against numbers of foes, they didn't stand a chance. And the soldiers knew that; that's why they were snickering at the demi-human in front of them.

But even hearing their insults and snide comments, Grath smiled. He could feel the flame inside him begging to come out and protect him. Ever since he started practicing how to awaken his essence without the queen's help, Grath had treated the flame essence inside him a partner and an ally. And now that its partner was in trouble, the flame wanted to come out and burn anyone who dared to defy its master.

"Let's go, partner," Grath muttered, and flames erupted from his claws.

The soldiers immediately became wary at the sight of flame engulfing the demi-human's body. They hadn't seen anything like it. Demi-humans didn't have an affinity with the elements.

"What's that?"

"You've got to be kidding me!"

"What's happening?"

"Is that demi-human wearing an item enchanted by the Druids?"

Hearing all that, Grath grinned. "Nope. This flame is given to me by Her Majesty, the queen."

"Who—"

Before the soldier at the front could finish his question, a flame claw slash ripped through him, and the last he saw was the demi-human's angry expression, his cold voice saying, "You are not worthy to ask for the queen's name."

As the soldier fell to the ground, ripped and burned, Grath released another flame claw slash, and the soldiers broke their formation to eliminate the demi-human. The human soldiers couldn't accept that a mere and filthy demi-human could kill one of them.

The soldiers had this notion in their head that the supreme beings of Azitera were humans since they had the largest numbers of population; it was taught to them since they were kids. But Grath, with his flaming claws, was about to prove to them that humans' superiority was nothing but an illusion to true strength.

Just as the soldiers was surrounding Grath, four arrows flew from the inn's window and hit four soldiers straight through the heart, making the soldiers step back and look at the inn's window warily.

"Soldiers!" the commander of the troop shouted. "Divide into two. One division for the demi-human and one division focusing at the inn!"

The soldiers immediately heeded the order and grouped themselves. The first group attacked Grath. Meanwhile, the other group was getting ready to siege the inn, but unfortunately, fireballs flew out from the inn's window, burning the soldiers who tried to climb it.

Seeing that the soldiers were at a disadvantage, the general and the imperial warlord finally decided to join the fight. Both knew that quantity could never beat quality, seeing the uncanny demi-human who could wield flame, an elf, and the Mistress of Flame.

"Be wary with the warrior wielding a dagger," said Hakkeran while jumping down to the ground. "He's with them."

"A traitor to our race?" Kar Drue's face darkened. "He's a descendant of Sappher."

Hakkeran shrugged and landed on the ground safely. Next to him was Kar Drue, who immediately drew his war hammer when he saw a cloaked figure step out from the inn's window.

"The Mistress of Flame is mine." Kar Drue's eyes narrowed at the cloaked figure. "You can lend a hand if you want."

Without waiting for the imperial warlord's reply, Kar Drue ran toward the inn and jumped high to meet the cloaked figure midair. With his war hammer raised, Kar landed his blow, but the cloaked figure dodged his attack. A smirk made its way to Kar's face, seeing the cloaked figure fleeing.

As if I will let you! Kar gripped his war hammer, and the power of his arcane weapon immediately manifested. A strong air current surrounded the cloaked figure, sucking her back. But before Kar could grasp the figure in his hand, the cloaked figure turned around and released three enormous fireballs, cutting Kar's arcane weapon ability and giving the cloaked figure time to run.

Kar cursed as he jumped back to escape the fireballs, but it was too late for his shoulder. It was scorched, but it didn't stop Kar from throwing his war hammer at the fleeing cloaked figure.

Sandwiched between the soldiers and Kar's war hammer, the cloaked figure called her staff, and by her will, flames dropped from the firestone of her staff. The flames crawled, surrounding and trapping the soldiers inside, while the figure faced the flying war hammer toward her.

"Here goes..." the cloaked figure, Zassia, muttered under her breath before she gave all her essence to summon a flame wall to block the war hammer that her teacher taught her.

Zassia had her eyes closed as she summoned the firewall. She was not hoping that she could form a firewall as thick and as powerful as Sollel's since it was just taught to her a few hours ago to block the general's war hammer, if ever. But when she opened her eyes to peek, her lips parted in shock upon seeing the firewall she created.

"I did it!" she hissed to herself, but just as she was celebrating, the firewall she made started breaking. The cracking sound was so audible that it made her heart thunder in worry, but she didn't move.

Zassia knew that the plan could be dangerous. Her teacher told her time and time again that it might cause her her life, but Zassia stood her ground because she didn't want to disappoint her teacher. She wanted to earn her recognition.

"Teacher, did I do well?" Zassia whispered as she stared at her now broken firewall and the war hammer that was about to smash into her.

Closing her eyes, Zassia already accepted her fate—her death. It was bound to happen.

But the war hammer didn't crush her. She didn't even feel its touch. So she opened her eyes again, and they widened when she saw a transparent barrier, replacing the firewall she made, blocking the war hammer that was about to smash her.

And from behind her, she heard the voice of his grandfather. "Zassia! Move!"

Before Zassia could react, she felt her body being hoisted by air toward the inn's roof, and when she looked down to the street, she saw how her grandfather pushed back the war hammer with his transparent barrier.

"I will not let you hurt my granddaughter!" Zassia's grandfather hissed as he did a fighting stance. The greenish white, almost transparent wind stone on top of his wrist bracer armor glistened against the moonlight.

If Zassia had a staff to wield flame, her grandfather had a wrist bracer armor as a medium used to wield wind. Though in the hand of other element wielders and to people with no affinity to any elements, the wrist bracer was useless. But in the hand of Zassia's grandfather, it was a force to be reckoned with.

He was, after all, a renowned general in his youth.

"What do you think you're doing to my grandchild, General Ymbert?!" Zassia's grandfather hissed, his face dark. "I did not defend the capital from beasts and monsters just so you could treat my granddaughter badly!"

Seeing the former general, Kar called back his war hammer. That's the Mistress of Flame... was the reply Kar wanted to say, but when he looked up, the figure was not wearing the cloak's hood anymore. He then saw the color of her hair and eyes—they were brown. A human.

Kar looked at the former general. "She's on the wanted list. She may not be the Mistress of Flame, but she aided her. She must be brought to trial."

"Over my dead body," Zassia's grandfather hissed, and a strong current of wind surrounded him, knocking back everyone who tried to get close.

And just in time, an elf and the dagger-wielder warrior appeared beside the former general. It was three versus one. The soldiers would never be of help because the demi-human was taking all their time without exhaustion. The demi-human flame still burned brightly, and the soldiers banded together to defeat him.

Looking up, Kar couldn't see any wind sorcerer flying around. His message should have been received, and they're supposedly here by now. But unbeknownst to Kar, his messenger had already been disposed of by Xeke before he even arrived at his destination.

"Zassia! Run!" the elf exclaimed, but Kar would never allow anyone to escape.

He threw his war hammer to the woman on the roof, but before it reached her, the transparent barrier of the former general appeared, blocking his war hammer.

Kar Drue's expression darkened even more. The former general was known for his indestructible shield. It was said that, against the monsters and beasts, as long as you're inside his barrier, you would never die even if you want to.

"Go!" Zassia's grandfather hissed at his granddaughter who was hesitating.

"G-grandpa..."

"Go, Zassia!"

Zassia steeled herself and ran.

That's when Kar felt Hakkeran's presence beside him.

"I'll follow her," Hakkeran said in a low voice. "She might lead me to the Mistress of Flame." Then he ran toward the direction Zassia was running to.

"I'll help," Kar offered, but before he could move, the elf, the former general, and the dagger wielder surrounded him, blocking his way.

Kar hissed when he saw that the demi-human was also still alive, giving the soldiers a hard time. Where are the sorcerers?! They should be here by now!

Kar Drue had no time to worry about the plan. He had three opponents blocking his path. But Kar was not worried. When it came to brute strength, he knew no one could best him.

With his war hammer in his hand, General Kar Drue was indomitable.

♕♕♕

CIRA, XEKE, and Zassia's grandfather were fighting General Kar Drue, Grath was fighting the soldiers, while Zassia was running away without her knowing that the imperial warlord was following her. She just kept running toward the gate, attacking every soldier she came across.

Zassia was running and fighting, mindless of the wound on her leg, when she tried to get down from the roof and fell.

Hakkeran didn't move to attack Zassia. He was waiting where the woman would lead him. If the Mistress of Flame was not in the city, then wherever Zassia was running to, he assumed it would lead him to the Mistress of Flame.

When Zassia reached the gate, she turned around, and when she saw someone following her who looked like a warrior as strong as the general she fought, she smiled and kept running.

Zassia was not supposed to fight the general; she was supposed to draw the strong ones out of the city, toward her teacher. She didn't know why the plan was like that and just followed it. And now that a strong warrior was following her, she was in glee.

Yes! I didn't fail! That's what Zassia thought as she ran toward the place where they left the wagon with her teacher and Naya.

Following the woman, Hakkeran was led to the forest and then to a clearing.

A frown made its way to his eyebrows when the woman stopped in the center of the clearing and faced him bravely. To see someone who had been running away, facing him head-on, Hakkeran had a bad feeling about it.

And he was right.

Out of nowhere, a flame appeared. It was crawling on the ground, encircling him. Then the flame roared as the flame surrounding him heightened, reaching four feet tall.

Hakkeran grimaced when he felt the scorching heat inside the circle of flame. If he was not wearing his armor, he would've been blistered and scorched after being inside the circle of flame for a few seconds.

But Hakkeran's attention was not on his well-being but at the being who appeared behind the woman he was following.

Tall and beautiful. With bewitching bloodred hair and piercing bloodred eyes. Flames were dancing at the ends of her long bloodred wavy hair, both of her hands wrapped in scorching flame. And her eyes...it looked like molten lava was swirling inside them.

It's definitely her. "Queen Sollel..." 

CECELIB | C.C.