CHAPTER 61

DRAINED AND WEAKENED, Sollel was kneeling in the middle of the throne room, in front of the emperor while Warlord Hakkeran was standing behind her. The Mistress of Flame was too weak that even her forehead was down on the floor, as if she was bowing.

And the sight of the Mistress of Flame being weak made the emperor smile.

"What a great job, my nephew!" Emperor Gabrien exclaimed in delight as he stood up from his chair and walk down from his throne to Sollel who was almost crouching on the floor. "I know that I can always count on you. I'm very glad!" He gripped both of Hakkeran's shoulders to show her appreciation more. "I'm so proud of you, Hakkeran!"

Hakkeran simply nodded his head to accept the praise. The emperor was already used to his nephew's silence that he didn't mind.

"We will throw a feast!" The emperor declared to his trusted aide and Prime minister that were also present in the throne room before he looked down at the Mistress of Flame that was immobile on the floor.

The emperor's trusted aide and the Prime minister clapped their hands to show their support.

"We will show the whole Azitera that the Mistress of Flame, one of the most powerful beings in Azitera, is not a problem to the empire and that we will continue our prestige!" Emperor Gabrien smiled triumphantly. "This will surely quench any unrest in our kingdom."

Hakkeran frowned at that and asked the emperor, "unrest, Your Majesty?"

Emperor Gabrien sighed and nodded. "Yes. These weak and lowly races were trying to destroy our empire just because the Mistress of Flame escaped. Hah!" The emperor kicked the Mistress of Flame in the gut, sending her rolling on the floor. "What can this useless woman do? Nothing! Aside from her blood, she's useless!"

The emperor kicked the Mistress of Flame again and again until he was satisfied because of the problem she caused and the stress she had given him.

"You will not escape again, do you hear me?!" The emperor gripped the Mistress of Flame's hair and pulled her head up to slap her multiple times while snickering at the superiority he was feeling.

Imagine, the Mistress of Flame, one of the most powerful beings, were his slave and prisoner! Emperor Gabrien was gloating.

Hakkeran was boiling with rage inside, but outside, his face remained passive and expressionless.

"Hakkeran, my nephew, you have to join our feast." The emperor finally let go of the Mistress of Flame and face Hakkeran. "This feast is for you."

Hakkeran nodded. "I will gladly accept your invitation, Your Majesty. May I bring my warriors? They also helped me trapped the Mistress of Flame. It was not just me."

Emperor Gabrien snorted at his nephews modesty. He had always been like that, always giving his warriors their due credit. Maybe that's what makes the Adral Warriors strong. The emperor didn't care, really. As long as Warlord Hakkeran Adral was under him and he works for the empire, he didn't care what the Warlord does with his warriors.

"Whatever you want, my nephew." The emperor was too happy that Hakkeran caught the Mistress of Flame to reject Hakkeran's humble request. "You can bring all your warriors. We will all throw a feast for them as well! Will you like that, my nephew?"

Hakkeran nodded and showed a small smile. "Yes, Your Majesty. I will like that very much."

Emperor Gabrien patted Hakkeran's shoulder in delight before he went back to his throne and commanded his aide and Prime minister. "Send the news to every corner of Azitera that the Mistress of Flame, the evil queen, had been caught and will be back to her prison. Our weapons will continue outstanding as ever and wealth will be upon us once again!"

Then another order was issued by the emperor. "Put the Mistress of Flame back to her cell! Double the moonrite stone and double the guards patrolling and guarding the chamber. Make sure that no one could go in and out except for me and the Master forgeman. Drain all her blood until there's nothing left and strengthen our weapons again! And then ready for a feast! We will celebrate!"

The emperor's trusted aide immediately called for the general to bring the Mistress of Flame to her moonrite prison while the Prime minister went to share the joyous news and ready the feast.

Meanwhile, the emperor asked Warlord Hakkeran to stay in the throne room to hear his whole narrative of what happened. And the warlord recounted every detail to the emperor, of course, he omitted anything that had something to do with him and Sollel being together in close proximity.

After his report, the emperor finally let Hakkeran leave to return to his home town, Adral.

Upon Hakkeran's arrival at his castle in Adral with his gryphon, Treven welcomed him with a smile when he entered his castle's great hall.

"Look who just arrived," Treven sipped his liquor from the goblet he was holding while sitting on Hakkeran's throne. "How's Queen Sollel?"

Hakkeran gritted his teeth. "Imprisoned. Again."

Treven left Hakkeran's chair to give way for the warlord who owned it. "Isn't that your plan?"

"It is, but seeing my queen in that state..." Hakkeran was so close to exploding and killing the emperor.

Treven sighed and finished his liquor. "And Gatria?"

"Out."

Treven nodded. "Thank you for keeping your promise."

Hakkeran sat on his chair. "A promise is a promise. And you also did your own part splendidly. I'm satisfied with your work. By the way, how was your trip? Did you finally seduce someone?"

Treven chuckled while playing with his crystal balls. "I did meet someone interesting. A half-demon."

That piqued Hakkeran's interest. "Another warlord?"

Treven nodded while a smile was playing on his lips as if he saw something really interesting. "His arcane weapon is a cursed scimitar. He had blind folds around his eyes and he has a very demonic handsome face."

Hakkeran raised his eyebrow at Treven. "That's not what I want to know, Treven."

"You're always no fun, Hakkeran." Treven chuckled and face Hakkeran. "Yes." Treven said as if he was confirming what Hakkeran wanted to know. "He's strong, but not easy to sway. He's a very upstanding warlord, opposite to you in every sense of the word."

Hakkeran grimaced and Treven just innocently grinned, making Hakkeran sighed.

"Is he an ally or not?" Hakkeran didn't care about the other stuff.

"I don't know," Treven sighed. "He's handsome though. Totally my type. I might seduce him. Who knows, he might be willing to be our ally if he fell for me."

Hakkeran sighed at Treven. "Is he even interested in men?"

"No."

"Then don't bother him. Let him choose whether he wants to be an ally or not."

Treven narrowed his eyes on Hakkeran. "I know you, you nasty warlord! You'll kill him if he turned out a foe."

"Yes." Hakkeran didn't even bother denying his intention.

"Fuck you, Hakkeran. He's a very handsome man!" Treven glared at Hakkeran. "He's totally my type!"

"Bur you're not his type."

If a glare could kill, Hakkeran would be dead in an instant after Treven's sharp glare. "Don't you dare kill him! He's my type, Hakkeran!"

"If your type could ruin my plan and hurt my Krahika, I will not hesitate to kill him." It was a warning. "As long as he stays out of my way, I won't do anything to him."

Treven grumbled and cursed Hakkeran to no end in his mind. "Whatever! Don't touch him. He's mine."

"No, he's not. You're not even his type."

"Go, die!"

"I already have."

Treven clicked his tongue. "Whatever. I'm going to my room. Inform me once Gatria is awake. We both have a bone to pick with that idiot Kar."

Hakkeran just sighed as he watched Treven leave the great hall.

Now alone in the hall, he felt a vibration inside his ring. Opening it, he took out the item vibrating. It was an enchanted communication in a shape of a flat crystal made of Athezerite. One of the most well known crystals in Azitera. Any Druid could enchant it to make it a communication device. Thought it was very expensive and only nobilities and some merchants had it.

Seeing the name that flashed on the flat crystal, Hakkeran tapped the surface of the crystal to answer it.

"Gabin. Any news?"

"Yes. We can't find Queen Gatria and Queen Sollel's companion. We've been looking, but nothing."

Hearing that, Hakkeran immediately changed his plan to adapt. "I'll give you a new route. You have to intercept them and bring them to me before the big day."

"Yes, Your Excellency."

"Good. And oh, the emperor is throwing a feast for us. Be sure to be here before that." Hakkeran smiled. "It's a very important day. Be sure to ready our warriors before the feast starts. It's a feast for us, after all."

Gabin on the other side of the enchanted communication crystal smiled. "Yes, Your Excellency. They'll definitely be ready for the feast."

"Good. Make sure to accomplish my orders with flying colors, Gabin."

"Yes, I will, Your Excellency."

Hakkeran ended the connection and sighed when the sight of his queen earlier entered his mind again now that he was alone and not talking to someone.

I will accept any punishment after this. Whatever my Krahika wanted, I will do it to redeem myself. But for now, he had to be stone hearted. He had to do all the dirty work to clean his queen's path. This is all for you, my Krahika. All for you.

Closing his eyes, Hakkeran rested his head on the back of his seat. The memory of everything he did to get where he was not flashed through his mind.

From rounding up every race that still believed in the Yther's queens, to formulating a plan— a crazy plan they say— and mapping everything out to make sure his queen's route would not be as dangerous. He dedicated his three lifetimes for the coming big day. He lived and died for his Krahika. Everything he did was all for her.

His love for her couldn't be measured by the words 'I love you', but it's the only words he knew to express how he felt for his queen.

What he feels was more than love itself. It was more than what those three sweet words could explain. More than what he could express. More than anything he knew and understand. Even he didn't understand himself. He just loved her. Plain and simple.

I love her. I'm in love with her. I will always love her.

Hakkeran sighed and massage his aching temple. Ah, I missed her already. I wonder if she hates me now after sending her back to the place she hated the most?

♕♕♕

THE QUEEN who could answer Hakkeran's question and worry was back in her moonrite prison, chained to the wall and to the ground, surrounded by moonrite stones.

With double the quantity, Sollel's flame essence was severely depleted. She couldn't even move her body and her mind was starting to get hazy, but she was fighting her mind's feebleness by thinking of her Hakken.

When she was imprisoned here before, she kept on passing out and when she was conscious, her mind was just blank and when it's not, it was always filled with rage and vengeance. But now, things have really changed for her.

There was still fury, her thirst for revenge hadn't changed, but now, she had Hakken and Hakkeran, Cira, Zassia and Grath. She had all these people she cherished now and she didn't want to lose them. She wanted to protect them with every fiber of her being.

She didn't know Hakkeran's plan, why he put her back in her prison, but she knew he was planning something. Her Solaris would burn him to crisp if there was an ounce of betrayal in his mind. But even knowing that Hakkeran had a plan, she still hated being back here.

She just hoped that Hakkeran's plan was enough to compensate for what she's enduring right now. Because if it wasn't, she will really smack Hakkeran in the head and burn him to crisp. Thought getting mad at him would be difficult since she agreed to his plan.

She used herself as bait so her companions could get to Gatria, and she was only confident to do that was because of Hakkeran. She knew that even if she was weakened and she got caught again, Hakkeran will be there to keep her safe.

But she was not expecting him to bring her back to the empire. That warlord! Whatever you're planning, it better be good.

That was the only thing keeping Sollel calm in her moonrite prison for days while her blood was being drained again. The Master forgeman immediately went to her cell after she was chained. Her arms were cut to make her bleed fueling her rage.

And as her blood dripped down, she kept replaying in her head how she would burn everyone who took advantage of her in this empire. Everyone who used her blood flame. Everyone who knew she was caged and chained. Everyone who thinks highly of themselves. Everyone who belittle other races. Everyone who abused and enslaved other races. She will not let any single one go.

Only by doing so will she right her wrong.

She could never take back what was lost because of her thoughtless decisions, because he chose to help the wrong race, but she could promise to keep what was left. And if keeping what was left safe meant waging war against these greedy humans, she's enough to annihilate any armies standing in her way.

But all that, was just in her mind. She could only do that if she escaped. Again.

She knew that she couldn't escape by herself, but she's not worried at all. Why would she be? The person who freed her will surely come back to free her again and she couldn't wait to see them. She couldn't see that person before of how weak she was, but her situation now was different. She may be weak, but she could still open her eyes and her hearing was still sharp.

She just had to wait.

Yes. That's all she could do, really. Wait and worry.

Wait for her freer and worry about Gatria's safety. But she trusted Hakken. She left Gatria to him. She was sure that he will not let anything bad happen to her. She just hoped that General Kar will not block their path.

Oh, well, I'm sure Gatria will be able to take him on even though she just escaped. Gatria's prison was underneath the ground, she could always draw strength from the soil around her. And that's what makes Gatria more dangerous than her to be honest.

Gatria could control the whole Azitera if she wanted, while she only controls flame. That's what makes Gatria more dangerous than the rest of the Yther's queens.

Meanwhile, Gatria was still unconscious while in King Tirac's arms. And the group was still underground without any idea how long they had been there already. Hakken, Grath, Zassia and King Tirac didn't know how long and far this tunnel went, they just kept on moving, following the tunnel with Zassia's staff as their source of light.

The whole group didn't know if a day had already passed or if it had been days already. That's how long the tunnel was. And as they tried their best to reach the end of the tunnel fast, they were all left in awe at how long it went. It only shows how powerful Queen Gatria was even at a weakened and unconscious state.

Though Gatria's unconsciousness was affecting Hakken. His wound was bleeding and festering and the pain was causing his head to spin. But he was trying to hold on. He had a promise to keep to his lady.

But as they continue to reach the end of the tunnel, as his wound continue to fester, bled and hurt, Hakken was not sure anymore if he could keep his promise to his lady. I have to hold out. My lady will be very mad at me if I didn't keep my promise. But as Hakken thought of that, his vision started spinning before it darkened and he lost consciousness. 

CECELIB | C.C.