CHAPTER 8

ON FOOT, Gatria and company reached Belrac in seventeen days. In those days, monsters plague their path that Treven was thankful that they were traveling with two more people that could slaughter monsters with ease. And since Gatria was conserving her essence, she only helped with her sword when needed. Along the way, the whole group managed to hoard monster materials to sell, much to Treven's happiness.

For Gatria, those seventeen days didn't pass in vain. She tried thinking of ways on how to work hand-in-hand with other races in taking care of Azitera, including humans. Though she didn't trust humans, she knew she couldn't disregard them since they're the major populace of Azitera. Unless, of course, she killed them all.

But she was trying to understand how Drago views humans. It baffled her than even though it was those humans who hunted and killed Drago's young kind, he didn't hate them all.

Gatria didn't know if a time will come that she would think that way, because even after all those days, her hatred for humans didn't dissipate even just a little.

To have such a large heart, Gatria thought about Drago. Is it because Dragons had been living here in Azitera longer that Ytherians did? A wisdom cultivated through experience and living longer than anyone in Azitera.

Though it was rude to ask, but Gatria was curious how old Drago was. She would bet he's just as old as Warlord Hakkeran who was the only remaining ancient Sappherian in Azitera.

After the ancient beings numbers declined to the point of extinction, the four supreme deities needed overseers — that was when Ytherians were born. After that, different races appeared. And in fear that the new civilization would decline once again if left on its own, the supreme deities sent an oracle to the Ytherians to raise and train four strong and promising individuals to oversee Azitera in their stead while bearing their blessing.

The four supreme deities were also known in ancient history as the four supreme elemental deities:

Ignis, the deity of flame and destruction. It was said that her anger and temper were explosive that no deity would want her anger directed at them. And Sollel was the perfect embodiment of her blessing.

Nati, the deity of nature and life. It was said that she was the core of Azitera, the one responsible for breathing life to the land. Gatria received her blessing of nature and life in a form of healing and therefore became the executive overseer.

Ishka, the deity of water and fate. It was said that her water was the only living force that could rival Ignis' flame and it's destructive strength. And Aenwyn who was blessed by her inherited that said force and the ability to see chains of fates.

And Anima, the deity of wind and souls. It was said that she was the counterpart of Nati who ruled over life and the fiercest of the supreme deities. And Astrid received her blessing, allowing her to control the wind and bestowing her with a pair of pearly white wings to freely govern the air and the inhabitants below.

After the blessing was conducted, Sollel, Aenwyn, Gatria and Astrid were trained by the deities in their respected temple in Yther for a whole year. Following that, the four supreme deities declared that that would be the last time they'll ever meddle in Azitera. It was now the responsibility of the queens of Yther to oversee the land and make sure that no harm befalls it as the bearer of the deities blessing.

A lot of things happened since then. When Yther was sieged and fell, that was the time that the people of Yther realized the reality and truthfulness of the deities words that they would only come down and meddle if the civilization was close to extinction.

The four blessed queens of Yther were imprisoned and exploited.

The Infernal Empire wanted the Mistress of Nature for her blood and presence. Sollel never kept it to herself what her blood could do. To help the humans and everyone who wanted to forge, she had gifted them her blood. But that was enough to humans whose greed knows no bounds. They wanted all of Mistress of Flames blood. Every last drop. So Queen Sollel was imprisoned in the empire.

While the kingdom took and imprisoned Gatria for her presence alone could alleviate the land and its agriculture. Knowing about the Mistress of Flame's blood ability, they too harvested the Mistress of Nature's blood to use as a fertilizer to their land— to make it more bountiful. But what they didn't count on was Queen Gatria's resentment that turned the kingdom's one's bountiful land into a barren land. As a result, they needed more of the Mistress of Nature's blood to survive in the barren land that they had become dependent on her.

The next was the archipelago who chose and imprisoned the Mistress of the High Seas. They knew that they could not fully weaken Queen Aenwyn because her prison was under the water, but the presence of the Mistress of the High Seas could alleviate sea hunting and calm the raging humongous waves that pester the archipelago. As long as Queen Aenwyn was in prison, the citizen of the archipelago will have a peaceful, prosperous and safe life. What they didn't count was Queen Aenwyn's boredom and the form of entertainment she wanted to ease her boredom away.

And last was Caelum Kingdom. A small, but the most advance of all kingdoms. And they had one goal, to turn their kingdom into a floating one, for they believed that through that, they will reach the deities and have their blessing to be deities themselves. And the Mistress of the wind was the answer to their plight. Using their latest technology and Queen Astrid's presence and blood, the Caelum Kingdom had become the Sky Castle. Floating in Azitera above everyone else.

Gatria found out the reason why the four kingdoms imprisoned them through Treven and Warlord Hakkeran. When she read the real history after the Yther's sieged, she nearly exploded in anger. But not wanting to harm the people in Adral, she reigned her anger in.

And now, she had to curl her anger again. For the sake of Azitera.

But seeing the state the Belrac was in when they arrived, Gatria couldn't explain the mixed feelings that overcome her.

Belrac had now become a barren town. Gone the bustling town and the bountiful forest that the citizen of Belrac was so proud and thankful of. Now, instead of the forest, monsters pestered their town and soldiers and hunters alike surrounds the town's wall to fend off the monsters, but it was a failing battle.

There was never a day that there was no large numbers of casualties and as days passed, the people in Belrac started abandoning their own town for greener pasture which was understandable for everyone, but still a hard truth to swallow. But what else could they do? Belrac was no longer safe and everyone knew that.

"... and that's the situation here in Belrac." Said the man at the town's gate when Treven asked him what happened to the town when they entered and saw its state.

The man was Count Salas, a noble of birth. He stayed in town instead of escaping to the capital to try and save his home. He was on the front line and Treven didn't even know that he was a Count until he introduced himself when Treven asked what happened to the town.

"We need all the help we can get," Count Salas did not hide his intention in Gatria's group who all looked like strong warriors. The group, after all, entered Belrac from the barren land and they all looked unharmed, not even a sign of fatigue was seen. In Count Salas' understanding, they had to be strong to be able to cross such dangerous terrain. Only hunters ever dared to traverse the barren land and there was no assurance that they'll reach their destination in one piece. Of course, he didn't know the woman that seemed to be the one in control of the group was the Mistress of Nature.

Drago advised against Gatria introducing herself as such, and since Gatria was curious how Drago would help her, she listened.

"Please, let me hire all of you. Any amount will do, just please, I beg of you, help us protect our town." Count Salas bowed his head. It should have been a surprise to everyone who saw him since he was a noble, but he had been bowing his head to protect his town that the people around him had gotten used to it and even respected him for it.

Treven glanced at Gatria as if asking for permission.

Gatria didn't answer Treven, instead she turned her attention to Count Salas. "Why do you want to save your town so bad? It had become a barren land. Whatever you do, it'll only get worst. You cannot defeat nature, even if you desperately try."

"Because this is our town," Count Salas answered as if it was the most natural thing to do. "This town is our home. It is our responsibility to take care of it and protect it. All the nobles in different towns and villages already run and escape to the capital. Even the famous noble's hill who's only high ranking nobility could enter was abandoned." Exhaustion was evident on his face. "I, myself, know how hopeless and scary the situation is. We are not fully equipped and ready to fight the monsters, and it seemed that the kingdom had forgotten about us as well, but if we, too, run, what will happen to our home that we worked so hard to build for so many years? We can't just abandon Belrac. We can't— I can't..."

Gatria stared at Count Salas for a long minute before she glanced at Drago. Taking care of Azitera together. Gatria remembered Drago's words. This was what he meant by that?

Gatria turned her attention back to the Count. She wanted to know his opinion on something, and her decision to help Belrac depends on his answer. She would not pretend that her hate towards humans had lessened, but she had to curl her anger for the betterment of Azitera.

"Tell me, Count Salas," Gatria's eyes were narrowed on the Count. "Do you know of the Yther's queens?"

Count Salas nodded solemnly. "They are wicked beings who tried to end the human race."

"I'm hearing a 'but'." Treven was quick to pick up on Count Salas' tone.

Count Salas sighed heavily and lowered his voice as he speaks. "But... one of the four queens of Yther is the Mistress of Nature. If she could breath life in Azitera with her essence, then it makes one wonder if she was truly evil. Why would a blessed queen like that be wicked? I'm certain that the deities wouldn't bless an evil being the ability to nurture nature since it was such an important rule."

"That's because she's not a wicked person." Said Drago, who was just silently standing behind Gatria like a dutiful guard. "I'm from a long-lived race and I had the pleasure of meeting the Mistress of Nature."

It was like an intense fire was lit in Count Salas' eyes. "W-What was she like?" It was the Count's first time meeting a person who had met one of the queens.

Not all humans believed the history that was taught to them while they were growing up. And one of them was Count Salas. And the reason for that was his great-grandfather's journal and his other predecessors. He had read it from start to finish and his grandfather had nothing but praise and gratitude towards the Yther's Queens.

That was the start of Count Salas' doubts. But he couldn't possibly voiced out his doubt to the kingdom, afraid of being charged with treason. He had a family to protect, so he kept his silence until the Mistress of Nature became the talk of the town many weeks ago.

She had escaped, they said.

But according to history, all the queens were dead. But now, whispers on the street say that they weren't dead, but imprisoned. No one knew, but this was thanks to Warlord Hakkeran who's spreading this news through whispers and gossips. The kingdom hadn't addressed this issue and was keeping silent, but Count Salas was certain that the whispers on the streets were true. And what happened to the Infernal Empire capital and outside Adral weeks ago was the proof of that.

That kind of formidable strength, it was unfathomable and unreachable by human standards. Who else could wield that much power, but the beings blessed by deities?

"Is it true that she was walking amongst us now?" Count Salas asked again when Drago did not answer his first question. "And if she was, will she help us?"

"Why are you so interested in the Mistress of Nature?" Grath did not want to doubt the Count's intention, but he had bad experience with humans, and for him, humans couldn't be trusted. They were twisted, entitled and greedy. "And why would she help? After what you humans did to her, you have no right to ask for anything."

That silenced Count Salas and a tense air surrounded the group.

Treven cleared his throat. "Well, it's still up to the Mistress of Nature to decide whether she'll help or not, but as of now, my advice is to not hope that she will. She had been betrayed and imprisoned by you, humans. It's not easy to forgive and forget. Maybe the Mistress of Nature could forget what happened if it was just her who got hurt, but her kingdom was burned and her people were slaughtered. It was not something a person could just brush off, even if she's an over-powerful being."

"I — I understand..." Count Salas whispered before he raised his head. "If I was in her shoes, I would be enraged too."

Silence fell on everyone until Drago broke it. "I will lend you my strength if you lent me your great-grandfather's journal."

The Count's eyed widened at Drago's choice of compensation. "J-just the journal? Are you sure?"

Drago nodded with a small smile on his lips, making more attractive. "Yes. Just the journal."

Gatria faced Drago. "I thought you're in a hurry to Ager..."

"I am, but..." Drago met Gatria's eyes. "I promised someone I'll help and I think reading that journal will help her, albeit a little."

Gatria's lips parted and her face visibly softened that even Treven saw it and was stunned. "She'll appreciate it."

Drago smiled, his golden eyes glistening. "A thank you kiss is always welcome."

Gatria glared at Drago, who still had a teasing smile on his lips. "Careful. She might gut you in your sleep."

Drago let out a hearty laugh before giving his attention back to the Count. "Well, Count Salas...? What do you think of my compensation?"

"You have a deal!" Almost immediately, Count Salas answered and in a hurry, he excused himself. "I will get the journal immediately!"

With the Count gone, Zarek turned to Drago. "Are we lending our strength too...?"

Drago shook his head. "No. This is my deal. I will fight alone. You can leave me here. I don't mind. I will catch up to you once I'm able."

Treven was ready to leave Drago behind since Belrac had no decent tavern that sells booze, but Gatria spoke, ruining Treven's plan to leave.

"Treven, stay with Drago and protect him."

"What...?" Treven couldn't hide his disagreement. "Why...?" He complained. "Why me...? Grath can stay with him!"

Meanwhile, Drago was stunned. He was not expecting that. He was expecting to be left behind, not to be protected by the queen's order. And Drago couldn't deny the elation he felt, even though he knew that it will only cause him pain, he was still happy.

For such a small gesture to bring him immense happiness, it was the second time in his long-live life that he felt terrified.

"And what protection?! He's a fucking dragon!" Treven pointed Drago. "He had thick, impenetrable skin! He doesn't need protection. It is I who need protecting!"

Gatria didn't heed any attention to Treven's complaints. "If I see any cuts or bruises on Drago," Gatria warned Treven, "No booze for you, and I might tell Zarek about your exciting escapades before."

Treven gasped in horror. "You mean queen!"

Gatria smiled so innocently at Treven. "Whatever do you mean?"

Zarek frowned at Treven and Gatria before he turned to Gatria, "exciting escapades of Treven? Oh. I would like to know that—"

"No! You don't!" Treven exclaimed, and dragged Drago away while he was looking at Gatria over his shoulder. "We're leaving and I will protect your dragon so you better protect my image too!"

Gatria smiled triumphantly. "What image? You have one?"

Treven gasped in horror again, but still continued to drag Drago outside Belrac. Meanwhile, Zarek was looking at Treven's back, curious about Treven's exciting escapades.

It was Zarek's first time to travel with companions. He was always alone in the Demon kingdom and even when he arrived here, he had no one. So to travel with everyone was an exciting escapade for him, that's why he's curious what kind of escapade did Treven do that it was so 'exciting', enough to make Treven exclaimed. I'll ask him later, Zarek thought.

Concurrently, Gatria was watching the curiosity played in Zarek's face and she couldn't help smiling to herself. Looks like Treven had a lot of explaining to do with this innocent half-demon. With that thought, she stayed close to the gate, her eyes watching Drago and Treven, fighting monsters.

Well, Drago was fighting and Treven was just sitting there, yawning with his soulshard shield around him and Drago. The soldiers and hunters on the gate was in awe at the two, especially at Drago, who could easily split a humongous monster in two in just one slash of his great sword.

After some time, Count Salas finally came back with his first born son and was beyond grateful to see Drago and Treven fighting monsters that he immediately gave the journal to Gatria and ordered the soldiers and hunters on the gate to attack and fight with Drago.

"Fight for our town...!"

"Fight...!"

"For Belrac...!" Count Salas bellowed together with his son before running to the front line with his sword to fight for his home.

The morale of the soldiers and hunters were high, seeing Drago slaughtering monsters with ease. Shouts of triumph filled the gate, but Gatria had tuned them all out as she opened the journal to read the first page.

'I am a very lucky person to be able to receive a blessing from her highness, Queen Gatria, the Mistress of Nature. I never thought that I would have the honor to heal people, but through the queen's blessing, I was able to perform a miracle. I was taught by my father not to cry for anything, but my tears just fell the first time I used my healing ability on my mother. I was beyond grateful to her Highness for blessing me with miracle and words couldn't describe how grateful I am to her..."

Gatria closed the journal and looked outside the gate, at Count Salas and his son, who were fighting with their sword while selflessly healing the wounded hunters and soldiers around them.

So he has my blessing... Gatria mused as she narrowed her eyes on the Count and his son. Are they one of the good apples?

Before Gatria could answer herself, one of the monsters, a scorpion, buried its tail on Count Sabas' son's chest and carelessly threw the wounded against the town's stone wall.

A howl filled with grief from Count Salas seeing his own son dying in front of him echoed in Belrac.

"No...! No...! My son!" Count Salas trembled as tears fell one after another from his eyes. He wanted to run to his son! To save him! To close the hole in his chest to try to save his life! But it was not only his son who needed his healing and he was not even certain if he was powerful enough to close that hole in his chest. There were more soldiers and hunters whom he could save, but it meant sacrificing his son!

The pain in Count Salas' heart was unbearable that he howled for the second time. He was raised in a family where healers shouldn't be selfish and greedy. He was raised with a principle that it was acceptable to sacrifice one patient to save hundreds more.

But this was his son! His own blood!

In the midst of his turmoil, he heard a woman's voice. It was gentle, but cold. Yet, her voice was soothing.

"Go on. Keep healing. I will take care of your son."

Count Salas was frozen in place when he realized who spoke. And in awe, he watched as his son was enveloped with soothing light green mist and when the mist started to fade, his son was healed and alive. It was as if there was no hole. Even his clothes that were destroyed by the scorpion's attack was good as new.

It was a miracle beyond miracles.

'... when the Mistress of Nature heals, whether a person or vegetation, a light green mist will arise and materialize. It was the Mistress of Nature's soothing essence and to be able to witness such miracle was an honor of a lifetime...'

Count Salas was lost for words as he stared at the woman holding his great-grandfather's journal.

The Mistress of Nature. Her Highness, Queen Gatria. She couldn't possibly be... her?

CECELIB | C.C.