CHAPTER 40

THE FIRST NIGHT IN the Valley of Bones was uneventful. The aster path, which was a path made from a flower that glows in the dark, was easy to follow. Now everyone understood why Hakken suggested to wait for night to fall.

But even though it was an easy path to take, everyone was still on guard while walking in line. Grath was in front, behind him was Zassia, and then Sollel and Hakken both took the rear.

No one made a sound nor call forth a fire even if Zassia and Sollel could. They took Hakken's warning not to conjure light for their safety seriously. They didn't understand what Hakken meant, but they still listened and put their trust on Hakken.

Maybe it was the best for everyone to not see what surrounded them as they walked. It was a gory sight, something that could frighten anyone with a weak heart. Though Hakken knew what surrounded them, he opted to keep it to himself. It was better that way.

Meanwhile, Sollel was observing and listening to their surroundings as they followed the path. Hakken didn't tell them anything about the Valley of Bones, but by observing and listening, Sollel already had a rough idea of what was going on.

Sollel grabbed Hakken's hand and brought her lips close to Hakken's ear that they were almost touching. "Ghouls, wights, skeletons, or wraiths?"

Hakken knew it was not the right place and time to feel his heart jump because of his lady's closeness, but he had no control over his body when it came to his lady.

"A-all of the above," Hakken whispered back that only they could hear.

"Is that why you told us not to conjure fire?" Sollel's lips was so close to Hakken's ears that he was having a hard time controlling himself.

It took Hakken a couple of deep breaths before he could answer, "Y-yes. This aster path—the smell of the aster flower prevents them from going near us or sensing us. As long as we stay on the path and we don't conjure light, we'll be fine."

Sollel brought her lips over Hakken's ear again to whisper, "How did you know this stuff?"

"I researched it when I realized we have to pass the Valley of Bones to get to your friend. I want to be useful after you left me in the forest."

Sollel smiled in the dark; unfortunately, Hakken couldn't see it. And Hakken also didn't see Sollel tiptoeing and leaning in to press her lips quickly on his cheek.

"Thank you."

Hakken froze. He literally stopped moving that Sollel had to hold his hand tightly and drag him, but Hakken pulled Sollel back with force, making Sollel crash against Hakken's body and Hakken wrapping his arm around Sollel's waist to support and balance her footing.

"My lady...that was your lips, right?" Hakken didn't know how he managed to whisper those words amidst his sonorous heart.

Sollel could tell how anxious Hakken was, and she couldn't help teasing him. "Have you never been kissed on the cheek in your three lifetimes, Hakken?"

If Sollel could see, she would've seen how beet red Hakken face was.

"I, um, I was busy looking for you."

Sollel's teasing mood vanished at that. While she was imprisoned, someone was actually waiting and looking for her. While she was busy hating the world, she had become someone's world. "If you put it like that, it makes me feel like I owe you a kiss, Hakken."

Hakken stilled before hurriedly explaining himself in a low voice, "No. I didn't mean it like that. I waited and looked for you on my own volition. I didn't do it so I could make you feel that—"

"I know. I'm just teasing you," Sollel cut Hakken's hurried explanation to put him out of his misery. "But three lifetimes is a long time to wait for someone, Hakken. You really didn't have someone in those lifetimes?"

Hakken's hold on Sollel's waist tightened. "What can I do? I only want you."

Sollel didn't need nor want any distraction, and Hakken was a big distraction to her mission, but...maybe it's okay to be distracted just for a little while.

Just a little. Just for a few seconds.

Sollel raised her hand to cup Hakken's face. And before Hakken could react, Sollel's lips were already moving to press against Hakken's, but maybe Hakken's lips were meant to stay untouched because before Sollel's lips touch Hakken's, they heard Zassia's and Grath's voices.

"Your Highness? Why did you stop walking?"

"Lord Hakken? Are we on the wrong path?"

Sollel immediately leaned back to not get caught in a compromising position.

Hakken only saw the silhouette of Sollel's face moving closer to his and nothing else, but he was certain that the two interrupted something important. Really important!

Hakken nearly cussed when Sollel stepped back and softly pried his arm off her waist.

But Hakken had to answer the two, and while he was talking in a low voice to Grath and Zassia, assuring them that they were on the right path and that they didn't mean to stop, Sollel was silently standing beside Hakken, biting her own lip.

The kiss she planned to give Hakken didn't happen, and Sollel was thankful for that, not because she regretted her sudden decision but because she thought it'd be more interesting to give Hakken a kiss in broad daylight. She wanted to see his reaction.

"Let's keep moving," Hakken said, and as Grath and Zassia returned to the front, Hakken held Sollel's hand and asked her in a whisper. "May I?"

"You're already holding my hand, Hakken."

"No. I mean, may I do this?" Hakken interlaced their fingers so intimately that even Sollel stilled and Hakken felt it. "Am I...crossing your boundaries?"

In her mind, Sollel's answer was a yes, Hakken was crossing her boundaries. But Hakken was respectfully asking her, always being a gentleman that Sollel didn't mind if he crossed her boundaries. She knew she was safe with him.

But what am I doing, really? Sollel asked herself as she silently walked side by side with Hakken, with their fingers interlaced. No man had ever taken the Mistress of Flame's interest before. A lot tried, but no one really caught her attention. In my long life, this is the first time that I let a man hold my hand so intimately. I could burn his hand if I didn't want it, but I'm actually enjoying the feel of his calloused hand in mine that my blood of flame is calm.

Sollel sighed and shook her head. I don't need distractions, but Hakken is a distraction personified. He just had to stand there, and she'd be distracted. Even when I'm still not certain if he was being honest with me, I'm already this invested in him. Seriously, what am I going to do with Hakken and myself?

Sollel had never been in this kind of dilemma, but she also hadn't meet a man like Hakken before.

Waiting and looking for me for three lifetimes...

"Hakken?"

"Yes, my lady?" Hakken answered almost immediately while walking.

"What did you do in those three lifetimes?" Sollel was curious. "Besides looking for me?"

"Nothing. I spent those three lifetimes looking for you." Hakken's answer made Sollel's heart beat faster than normal.

"You didn't marry and had a family?"

"There's only one woman I want to marry, though I don't know if she'll accept me. She's a queen, after all."

Sollel's heart continued to beat faster. "Why are you so devoted to a woman who doesn't even know you?"

"My affection for you knows no bounds, my lady."

That made Sollel stop on her track and held her temples as a hazy memory assaulted her mind, making her wince in pain.

"My lady?"

Sollel remained calm, cool, and collected even after that hazy memory. "I...was imprisoned for nearly two centuries, and in Sappher's standards, that's already three lifetimes." Sollel was careful with her words. She didn't want to tip off Hakken that she already had an idea of who he was before. "Does that mean...you came to like me after I was imprisoned?"

Hakken was silent for a few minutes before he finally spoke in a quiet voice like he was confessing something he hadn't told anyone. "I waited and looked for you for three lifetimes, but I've known you for four."

So I was right...that hazy memory earlier. "You waited that long for me?"

"Of course," Hakken answered like it was a given, and Sollel stopped questioning him.

He will not answer me truthfully anyway, or he'll just evade my question. I have to think of other ways to make him confess. Sollel had two missions now—save Gatria and find out the truth about Hakken.

Silence fell on Sollel's group as they continued following the aster path. Hakken and Sollel spoke from time to time, but their topic was about the valley and their plan when the sun rises.

After hours of following the path, Sollel's group finally saw the sun peeking in the sky, and slowly, their surroundings became clear as the darkness disappeared.

And that's when Sollel's group saw the horror of the valley.

Skeletons. Rotting undead corpses. Wights. Wraiths. Ghouls. And everything that had to do with undead. Dead bodies and bones roamed around the valley, and the only thing keeping Sollel, Hakken, Zassia, and Grath safe was the small aster flowers.

♕♕♕

THE VALLEY OF BONES was large and dangerous; the armies of the kingdom and the empire knew that all too well, but they still entered and forced their way in. Killing any monsters that blocked their way—from skeletons to ghouls, the armies worked together to eliminate them.

Skeletons, wraiths, rotting undead, wights, and ghouls were low-level monsters, even a weak army can defeat them. But what the soldiers didn't know was that their enemy could defeat them in number and that they couldn't die. As the battle progressed, the monsters' numbers kept on increasing until they doubled.

"General!" A lieutenant of the kingdom's army went back to General Kar while catching his breath. The lieutenant's uniform was dirty and bloody. "General!" He saluted. "There is no end to these monsters! They don't die, and our fight attracted a lot of them, doubling their numbers! What are we going to do, General?"

General Kar glanced at Warlord Hakkeran, who was on the horse next to him. "Any news from your soldiers?"

"Same with what you have." Hakkeran sighed and looked around. "They're losing too."

Gabin, the warlord's right-hand man, spoke. "Your Excellency, do you remember when we cleaned up the forest next to Adral? We fought with these kinds of monsters too, and flame was their weakness."

Hakkeran ran his fingers through his hair. "We only brought one, Gabin. And he's here to help us subdue the Mistress of Flame. We can't risk his life."

"What if we helped in the front line?" Kar suggested.

"Those monsters will keep coming until we exhaust ourselves." Hakkeran clicked his tongue and ordered his right-hand man, "Send the flame sorcerer to the front line and order him to make a path for us. We can't stay idling here and wait for those monsters to be defeated because that's not going to happen."

General Kar sent out the same orders, and the two flame sorcerers were sent to the front line.

Only minutes later, the army started to advance, the flame sorcerers making a path for them.

As Hakkeran's horse moved at his signal, his eyes settled on the small aster flower few meters away from them.

A small smile appeared on Hakkeran's lips. "I wonder how many soldiers are going to die before we reach the center of the valley."

Gabin subtly kicked his lord's feet to send him a warning when he heard him whisper that. "Your Excellency, mind your words, please."

Hakkeran wanted to roll his eyes at Gabin. "The empire's soldiers will surely die— serves them right, but our warriors will not fall. They know what to do."

Gabin sighed heavily. "Your Excellency, don't antagonize the empire and the kingdom if you wanted your plans to work," Gabin reminded his lord. "You've been planning this for a long time. Let's not make mistakes that will make you miserable again."

Hakkeran knew Gabin made sense, so he closed his mouth and only opened them when he heard Kar spoke.

"There're so many monsters in this valley, it made me wonder why that town outside is still not overrun by them."

"I heard it was because Queen Gatria, the Mistress of Nature, trapped these monsters here in the Valley of Bones to keep the other races safe, especially humans," Hakkeran answered as his eyes lingered on the aster flower, "though I don't know how she did that, but she did it."

Kar became silent. "Queen Gatria...why does that name sound so familiar?"

"Maybe you've read the name from the ancient's books of Sappher?" Hakkeran offered an explanation.

"There are ancient books of Sappher?" Kar frowned at Hakkeran.

Now it was Hakkeran frowning at Kar. "Yes. It's one of the books we, the warlords of Sappher, need to read in order to understand our lineage and past."

Kar was now confused and bothered because nothing of the sort happened to him. "Everything I know about the Sappher was shared to me by my father."

Now Hakkeran was as confused as Kar. "That's strange. Maybe your family lost the books?"

"Maybe."

"Want to borrow mine?" Hakkeran offered. "I don't need it anymore. There're tons of things you'll know and understand after reading the ancient writing."

"You'll lend it to me?" Kar was grateful. "Thank you. I appreciate that. Are there...more stories about this Queen Gatria in that book?"

"I believe so, yes."

"Then I'll borrow it after we're done with the Mistress of Flame."

Hakkeran nodded before facing forward.

It struck Hakkeran that Kar Drue's family didn't give him the books. It was an heirloom passed from generation to generation, especially if one underwent the arcane ritual of rebirth. The ancient books served as a reminder and a tool to jog one's memory at an early age.

Usually, the memories of one's last life would come back slowly once they reached adulthood, which was twenty years of age. And to help freshen one's memory, the ancient books were given.

Thought I didn't need the ancient books to remember. Everything that had happened in his life was still crystal clear to him. No memory was forgotten. The reason he was doing what he was doing now was because he felt miserable.

But not in this lifetime. I will live it as I please. 

CECELIB | C.C.