CHAPTER 56

THE AQUATIC BEAST territory was massive. The different body of waters and its beasts' inhabitants that Sollel could see from the gryphon's back made her feel thankful that she was riding on Nessus back because if they crossed the aquatic beast territory by foot, Sollel didn't know if she would remain calm on their journey.

"You're such a very useful companion, Nessus." Sollel complimented the gryphon while caressing its feathers making Nessus purr while flying. "You like me more, right? Then why don't you become my companion? I will bless you with my flame, so you'll be known as a flaming gryphon. Do you like that?"

Nessus jumped in the air while flying to show his excitement and Hakken who was listening and watching the interaction just sighed, knowing his partner had become smitten. Gryphons were rare creatures that chooses their master through strength, and it looks like Nessus was drawn to his lady's strength which was understandable, really.

My lady is formidable after all, Hakken thought while watching his lady petting Nessus.

"Look, teacher, we're near the border," Zassia pointed the forest covered in mist on top that no flying creature could get through. "In a few hours, we'll reach that forest, and we'll finally walk." Zassia was excited since she hated height.

While Sollel was not feeling happy. She would love to keep riding on Nessus back, but seeing the dark mist above the forest, she knew they had to walk, or Nessus will be in trouble. And Nessus had been flying for the whole day, carrying four people. It needed rest.

Hakken's gryphon was a fast flyer, they reached the aquatic beasts' border in no time.

Jumping from Nessus back down to the muddy ground, Sollel sighed heavily and caressed Nessus beak affectionately. "You rest well, okay, Nessus? I'll see you soon."

Nessus rubbed his beak against Sollel's face, making Sollel smile and chuckle. The gryphon was so adorable that she felt a little lonely seeing it entering the enchanted animal bead to rest.

Setting aside the little loneliness she felt, Sollel looked at the forest in front of them. Unlike the other part of desolate land, this was full of life. It had colorful trees and glowing, beautiful flowers and it was beautiful, until Zassia hit them with ugly truth.

"We have to be careful," said Zassia while everyone was gazing at the forest. "The brighter the trees and flowers are, the poisonous they are."

The three sighed at what they heard and Grath pointed out the obvious.

"Every tree and flowers and are bright and glowing, Lady Zassia."

Zassia nodded. "It means very poisonous."

"It's a plant," Sollel summoned a flame in her hand. "Unlike those aquatic beasts, it'll burn."

"Yes." Zassia agreed and the three were back to being happy when Zassia added a caveat. "When these trees and flowers die by flame, they'll explode and create a toxic gas that could kill in an instant once inhaled."

Sollel willed her flame to disappear. "In short, my flame is useless in this forest."

Zassia nodded at Sollel. "Yes, teacher. Grath could use his claws, but not his flame claws to kill any human devouring plant. And Lord Hakken could use his war blades to secure our path. The only good thing about this forest even though it's long, it's not that wide. We can cross it in a day."

The three looked at Zassia who was explaining in full details what they should do, then the three shared a look.

"Zassia," it was Sollel and when Zassia heard her name being called by her teacher, she immediately gave her whole attention to Sollel.

"Yes, teacher?"

"You do realize you're the only human in our group," Sollel glanced at the forest. "That means the human eating plants will only want to eat you and not us."

Hakken nodded to help his lady teased Zassia. "True."

Even Grath joined in. "You're the delicacy in this group, lady Zassia."

Zassia glared at Hakken and Grath and pouted at her teacher. "How mean. It may be called human eating plant, but it eats any race. The plants here are not choosy and prejudice. They like to eat everyone!"

The three chuckled at Zassia and Sollel poked Zassia's cheek. "Don't worry, my little student. We were just teasing you. I won't let anything bad happen to you."

Zassia immediately felt better and beamed at the queen. "Thank you, teacher!"

Grath, and Hakken shook their heads seeing the sudden change of expression on Zassia's face just because of Sollel's simple words. Zassia had been praying to Sollel ever since she was little so for her, those simple words were literally a godsend.

After teasing Zassia for a little while, the group finally decided to enter the forest. No need for a torch or flame to light their path because of the glowing trees and flowers. Hakken was on the front with his war blades, followed by Sollel, then Zassia and Grath took the rare. No one said a word after they entered the eerie forest. Sollel called in eerie in her mind because the forest was filled with trees and flowers, but no sound of insect could be heard.

The whole forest was dead silence. No movement. And as they go deeper, the flowers were also getting bigger and bigger.

And after a few hours of walking, Sollel kept seeing the same tree over and over again, so she grabbed Hakken's arm, and she whispered in his ear to not make a sound. "Do you know the way? We're not lost, are we?"

Hakken sighed. "Unlike the two valleys, the Desolate Valley is the valley that I'm not fully familiar with. I'm sorry, my lady. I'm not much of a help this time."

Seeing Hakken bothered, Sollel sighed and poked his cheek. "It's okay. We'll find another way." Saying that, she pulled Hakken to stop and silently motion to Zassia and Grath to come closer.

When they were all huddled together, Sollel whispered. "We're lost," she glanced at Zassia, "anything in that brain of yours, little Zassia?"

Zassia's forehead furrowed as she thinks deeply, then a moment later, her face brightened, and she whispered to everyone. "I don't know if this can help, but according to some books I read, you'll know if you're close to the land beast's territory because the flowers are bigger. I don't know how big, but it was said that those big and tall flowers were the reason for the mist above the forest that's almost reaching the clouds. And also," Zassia immediately added. "There's supposedly a big tree, like humongous, in the center of this forest— it's called the Sangue tree— and it should be avoided because its nourishment is blood of anyone who dared trespass this valley. It is said that its roots were spread widely and deeply in this valley that it could feel when someone is walking on the ground."

Everyone looked at the ground.

"And?" Grath asked for more information. "Is there anything in that book that says how to kill it? Just in case?"

Zassia shook her head. "It didn't say. All it says is that it'll use its roots to stab you and drained your blood." Zassia's habit of explaining horrible monsters and things while smiling happily was at it again.

Hakken stood up straight and looked around for giant flowers, while Sollel was looking at the ground for roots.

"We're still far away," Hakken whispered and pointed the biggest flower that could be seen.

While Sollel pointed a large glowing root from the ground and whispered. "Let's avoid that."

Everyone nodded and they continued walking again. Now that they had additional information, they didn't get lost like earlier. When they were not sure of their way, they would only look for the biggest flower and follow its direction.

But maybe they were not cautious enough, or they were tricked somehow, because the tree that they were trying so hard to avoid, entered their line of sight. And everyone felt the chill when they saw it. Even Sollel, though the chill she felt was because of how eerie it looked.

The tree trunk had people's faces. It was huge with no leaves, just branches and limbs. It looked like a dead tree, but the faint red glow on it made it look alive. And it was surrounded by a deep bubbling red pool, and it reeks of the spoiled smell of blood.

Sollel's group just stared at it in astonishment with a hint of nervousness. No one dared move, a little afraid that a single movement could make the tree attack them.

Sollel who hated running away from enemies, stared at the tree intently as if she was burning holes in it.

It was a tree. Easy to burn. But is it? Even back then when Yther was still prominent, Gatria would always advise them not to go to these valleys. Said it was dangerous and that all she could do was trapped the creatures inside these valleys so they couldn't leave and harm anyone.

Sollel cursed herself for not asking Gatria what she did. At that time, she really didn't care about anything. She spent most of her time in the Dwarven Kingdom, learning how to make weapons that could help humans who was not given an elemental essence to protect themselves. I was so invested in it that I didn't care about anything. She was too focused on helping humans that she didn't realize that the help she was giving them would be used against them.

And thinking about it made her blood boil with anger that she had to calm her blood of flame.

"My lady—"

"Let's find another path." Said Sollel but before she could take a step, the tree's roots started wiggling as if coming alive to stop them. "Great. It's awake."

Everyone went into a fighting stance, but Sollel. All her life, she had met a fair share of powerful individuals and creatures and this 'thing' in front of her is definitely a powerful one. Still, it was not enough to intimidate her.

Before it could even move its roots to attack, Sollel summoned three gigantic flaming swords, all were aimed at the tree, then Sollel spoke as if the tree understood. "I may not be able to kill you with these before you suck us dry, but I'm sure the damage will be severe. So... Why don't you stand down and let us through? Win-win, don't you think?"

Sollel's companion was astonished when the roots stopped moving as if agreeing to Sollel. Then a path opened for them. But even so, Sollel didn't let the gigantic flaming sword disappear.

"For insurance," Sollel told the tree before they took the path and left.

Sollel made sure that they were far enough before she withdraws her gigantic flaming sword and release a heavy sighed. "Damn, that tree was huge."

"It actually stopped..." Zassia muttered under her breath before she looked at Sollel. "You're really amazing, teacher!"

"Not really," Sollel confessed. "I was actually just trying my luck if it's afraid of flame since I'm the nemeses of any vegetation. Looks like I'm lucky."

"No wonder no aquatic nor land beasts crossed this territory to invade one another," said Grath after a little while. "It's dangerous. That tree alone will devour them."

Zassia nodded. "Yes. I think that's the reason too."

"Let's keep moving," Hakken said and took the front again.

While Sollel, Zassia and Grath resumed their position from earlier. And as they continue their journey, they came across many plants— plants that tried to devour them. Thankfully, Hakken and Grath were strong. The plants weren't able to prey on them. But as a result of that, they attracted some plants' attention that from carefully walking, now they were running.

"This way!" Hakken bellowed when he spotted the largest and tallest plant. "Move! Hurry!"

"Grath! Carry Zassia!" Sollel ordered and she asked Hakken to give her a war blade. "I promise I won't melt or lose it."

Hakken sighed and gave in. He gave one war blade to Sollel from his arsenal and slashed 'beheaded' the flower that was about to bite Zassia's head off.

With now a war blade in her hand, Sollel took the rear and helped Hakken slashed stems to clear their path and slay flowers that elongated their stem to reach them and hoist them up so they could devour them.

Sollel honestly didn't know what she was doing anymore, if she was hitting or slashing something with her war blade at how many flowers were trying to block their way and eat them, but she continued slashing, moving her arms and the war blades in her hand, Sollel made sure to guard the rear while Hakken was securing the front.

Alas, after hours of running away from the human devouring plants, they could finally see a light up ahead.

Hakken, Sollel and Grath with Zassia on his back sprinted like mad. They didn't turn back, their eyes focused on the light and when their foot finally stepped out from the forest, the relief they felt while breathing rapidly was palpable, except for Zassia who only looked so pale.

"I was nearly hoist away," Zassia muttered as she gets off from Grath's back. "Good thing Grath was holding me right."

Grath chuckled at Zassia. "I told you're the delicacy."

Zassia pouted and Sollel messed Zassia's hair. "Thank Grath, little Zassia—" Sollel didn't finish her words when she saw Hakken wrapping a cloth around his arm where there a long wound.

Sollel immediately went to Hakken and checked his wound. "What happened?"

Hakken sighed. "A flower nearly got my arm."

Seeing the wound, Zassia commented. "It's poisoned. It had no cure."

Hearing that, a lava-like liquid swirled in Sollel's eyes, and her body emitted a scorching heat as her eyes narrowed on the forest. With furious glare, blood boiling in anger and gritted teeth, Sollel raised her arm and from where everyone was standing, they saw four gigantic flaming swords appeared above the forest and fell, shaking the land. Followed by balls of flames raining from the sky. And in more than ten heartbeats, the forest was engulfed in hellish flame together with a toxic gas that the flowers released after being killed by fire.

And as the flame spread, so did the toxic gas. Even if the kingdom and empire's people saw Sollel's flame, they wouldn't be able to follow.

"Let's get out of here," Sollel grabbed the cloth Hakken was holding, and she hurriedly but carefully wrapped it around his wound. "We have to reach Gatria before your wound start to fester. She can heal anything. She can heal you."

Hakken who was still stunned at his lady's burst of anger just because he was wounded just nodded his head.

"What's the fastest way to reach the Hallowed Valley?" Sollel asked Hakken.

"With Nessus," Hakken answered, "but we'll have to deal with other flying monsters, and we can't take any covers. We'll stand out too much. It'll be risky and dangerous. Unlike if we traverse by land, we have ways to avoid danger."

"But your wound—"

"I'll be fine, my lady."

Sollel pressed her lips together before she took a deep breath as if calming her nerves. "Fine. We'll walk."

Though Sollel was against it because she wanted to reach Gatria fast, she was still a bit thankful that they're walking because they found a stream with clean water and Sollel couldn't wait clean herself and bath together with Hakken. 

CECELIB | C.C.