LOGINShare
Chapter 103: Sunset on the Treetop
Last Updated:
2020-12-14 21:12:03“But why would he lie?” Mira asked more to herself than to Wen. Suddenly, she felt the branch that she was sitting on shake. When she looked down, she saw that Casser had climbed the tree and was reaching out to sit on the branch next to her.
“Who lied?” Casser asked as he sat on the tree branch and faced Mira.
“You did!” said Mira.
Casser forced a laugh without taking his eyes off Mira. “What do you mean I lied?” Casser asked with a smile visible on his lips, but his eyes gave Mira a penetrating stare.
“You said you’re afraid of heights!” Mira replied and she looked at the sunset to avoid Casser’s eyes.
“And how did you know that I lied about being scared of heights?” asked Casser. This time, his tone sounded cheerful.
“You mean aside from the fact that you are sitting precariously on that branch very high up from the ground?” said Mira with sarc
Related chapters
Journey Through the Shadow Realms Chapter 104: What Eldion Showed Mira
Mira was glad that the seats had been cleared earlier and that she could lie down properly. She took one of Casser’s garments and piled them on one end of the seat to make a pillow. She had just lain down to sleep when she noticed Eldion looking at her.“What is it Eldion?” asked Mira. “Can’t sleep?”“There’s just something bothering me,” replied Eldion. He looked at the space near the front end of the cart from which he took the empty pigeon cage to make space for feet. “Maybe it’s nothing, but I can’t get it out of my head.”Mira decided to sit up, sensing that whatever it was that was bothering Eldion could be important. “Do you want to talk about it?” Mira asked Eldion. “I’m not that sleepy anyway.”Eldion paused and looked at the front side of the cart that was normally open when they travel and through which he could see Casser as he guided No
Last Updated : 2020-12-15Journey Through the Shadow Realms Chapter 105: Wen's Musings
Wen woke up from a gentle tap on her arm. She opened her eyes and saw Casser above her, rousing her to wakefulness. The lamp inside the cart had been extinguished by Mira before she went to sleep and it was dark. There was some light, however, that came from the fire outside and reached the leather cover of the cart such that Wen was able to immediately identify Casser.“I’m awake, Casser. Thanks!” said Wen and she sat up. Gathering the blanket she had thrown over her body, she got out and walked towards the fire while Casser took Wen’s place inside the cart. It was a cold night, but at least the sky was clear, as Eldion said. Wen sat on the protruding root of the nearby tree where Casser also sat in the last few hour. Wen saw that Noha was nearby, lying down on the ground and sleeping still. There were no
Last Updated : 2020-12-16Journey Through the Shadow Realms Chapter 106: Eldion Hopes for a Cure
It was still dark when Eldion opened his eyes. He heard Casser snoring as he slept on the seat across from Eldion. Momentarily, Eldion felt an impulse to feel around his pillow for something before he realized that his pillow was just a bunch of garments that Casser was selling. As for that something that he was looking for, Eldion was not exactly sure. Whatever it was, he forgot about it as he came to his full consciousness. He decided to sit up and take a few breaths before getting out of the cart.Not far from the cart was the small fire where Wen was still seated. Eldion approached her and sat by her side. Wen was surprised that Eldion was already up.“It’s still too early. It’s not your turn yet,” said Wen as she poked the fire using a stick to spread the embers.“Is it? I don’t know what time it is,” said Eldion.Wen pointed up. “Well, the moon is still overhead. It’s about midnight a
Last Updated : 2020-12-17Journey Through the Shadow Realms Chapter 107: The Creature
Eldion listened to the sounds of the forest and noticed the change as night eventually turned into day. The occasional chirps of nocturnal birds and the hum of insects gradually died down and was replaced with cheerful songs of swallows as well as monkeys high up in the branches above. Eldion could not see the creatures, but found them reassuring. Soon, the surrounding forest became visible as the sun started to rise and brightening the sky.The cart wobbled a little and from its back climbed down Casser. He noticed Eldion sitting by the fire and gave him a quick wave. He then approached Eldion carrying a small metal pan on which were some dried fish.“Time to cook breakfast,” said Casser, lowering her arms and placing the pan on top of the large stones that surrounded the fire. Casser had placed the stones the night before to protect the fire from wind and they also served as a stove. Casser poked the embers and coaxed the fire to grow larger by pushing mo
Last Updated : 2020-12-18Journey Through the Shadow Realms Chapter 108: The Plant With Enormous Leaves
Mira and Eldion squeezed through the thick bushes in pursuit of the giant lizard while Casser was not far behind, his taller frame making it more difficult to follow. Eldion placed an arm over his face to protect himself from the twigs while another hand pushed the branches away. Then, he heard a shout in front of him and realized that it was Mira. In a moment, he felt the ground give way under him and he found himself sliding on a steep incline of the ground.Eldion saw Mira in front of him and shouted in warning for her to get away. She had hardly moved her body to the side when a shout came from behind them and Eldion saw that Casser was likewise sliding down the slope towards him.Shaken, but otherwise uninjured, the three travelers looked around them and found that they were surrounded by broad green structures that looked like just one giant plant. Eldion stood up and brushed the dirt off his clothes. He looked up and saw the large opening through which the blue
Last Updated : 2020-12-19Journey Through the Shadow Realms Chapter 109: Rokuhari
Eldion felt a cool damp cloth over his face. It smelled slightly of mint along with a distinct floral scent. He felt as if his body were floating over a cool pool of water and he could hear faint dripping sounds along with the regular sounds of his breathing. He opened his eyes and saw a thin translucent fabric was covering his face. There were tiny openings between the threads that allowed him to breathe and he tried to see through them to discover where he was.Eldion remembered getting trapped inside the giant carnivorous plant that closed over him and his companions as tendrils reached out and coiled around his body. Then, he recalled how difficult it was to breath as the coils of the plants squeezed his body before he lost consciousness. He tried moving his fingers and realized that they were immersed in water. In fact, his
Last Updated : 2020-12-21Journey Through the Shadow Realms Chapter 110: The Healers
“When the debsina released its enzymes, it meant to kill its prey quickly and painlessly. The poison had been absorbed by your body through your skin. When I noticed that one of the debsina plants had closed its leaves and was filling up quickly with chemicals, I knew that it had captured something really big. At first, I thought it was a deer or a carabao, but I heard someone gasp and it sounded too human to be ignored. I immediately took out my knife and cut through the leaves to drain the enzymes. When I opened the leaves, I was shocked to see not a deer, but three humans bound by the debsina’s tendrils,” recounted Rolho to his small audience composed of five children and the three travelers who had just recovered from their ordeal with the carnivorous plant.Rolho and the children were all wearing white turbans that signify their status as healers-in-training. The children were amazed with Rolho’s story and a few
Last Updated : 2020-12-22Journey Through the Shadow Realms Chapter 111: A Request
Casser and Wen looked at each other, thinking of how they should answer Retta’s question.“You can say that.” It was Casser who answered. “We had barely left the gates of Alnoc when imperial forces marched into Alnoc. We know now that Dalik, one of the Emperor’s top officers had entered the city and installed himself as governor.”Retta looked disturbed. “Maybe I was too young to remember, but I don’t recall seeing any of the imperial officers in Alnoc. I was just a little girl when I was brought here to learn the healing arts. Perhaps it’s best that I don’t remember Alnoc much.”“How old were you when you came here?” asked Eldion. All that time, he was just listening to what his companions were telling Retta.“I was about five years old. I remember glimpses of Alnoc. I remember the t
Last Updated : 2020-12-23
Latest chapter
Journey Through the Shadow Realms Chapter 154: The Entertainers
The director placed the back of his hand over his forehead and closed his eyes. He seemed that he was going to faint, but he quickly dropped his hand after a moment and stared at the scene before him. The star dancer was able to sit on the floor, but she was still crying and holding on to her ankle while the other dancers crowded over her. The singer was kneeling before the dancer with his hands clasped tightly together as if praying that everything would be alright.“Do you think you can dance tomorrow?” the director asked the dancer.The dancer tried to stand up with the help of her fellow dancers, but when she tried putting some weight on her injured leg, she gasped and fell on a heap. The dancers gasped and crowded over the injured dancer.“Obviously, not!” said the director. “Quickly get her to the healer and pray that her injuries would heal soon.” Then, to himself, “Or pray that you’d dance at least half as
Journey Through the Shadow Realms Chapter 153: The Theater
It was early afternoon when the three men arrived in the center of Dagos. Gent held the reins up and the horses pulling the carriage stopped by the entrance of an imposing wooden building. The door of the carriage opened and a servant garbed in the green garments of local peasants came out. He bowed low while keeping the carriage door open for his master. After a few moments, a man in bright red and purple clothes descended from the carriage.Lankko appeared regal in his red shirt and crown of glorious blonde hair. The heavy gold chains around his neck as well as the sparkling jewels on his fingers completed his attire. He played the part of a wealthy merchant quite well and walked with his chin high, barely looking at the ground. At first, he made a slight tumble upon stubbing his foot on a protruding rock, but Enzir and Gent were quick to steady him.“Thank you,” said Lankko to his servants as he recovered his elegant pose. Then, he wiggled his arms to re
Journey Through the Shadow Realms Chapter 152: Precautions
There was a coded knock on the door and Lankko peeked through a hidden peep hole before removing the latch. Lankko insisted on the additional precaution, knowing that it would be very dangerous for his master as well as himself should they be discovered by the Imperial soldiers hiding in the cabin.Lankko saw that it was Gent standing at the door and he was holding several woven baskets. He appeared to be alone. Lankko opened the door to let his cousin in and immediately closed it behind him.“Are you sure no one followed you,” asked Lankko as the metal latches clicked, effectively locking the door. Then, Lankko slipped a thick wooden bar across the door.Gent nodded at Lankko. He then walked towards the kitchen where he placed the woven baskets on the table. Then, he methodically removed the contents of the baskets one-by-one, revealing them to be different food items for Lankko and Enzir. Lankko followed his cousin to the kitchen and helped h
Journey Through the Shadow Realms Chapter 151: A Talk Between Enzir and Lankko
Enzir remembered the Imperial soldiers whom they fought at Remuel’s den. Those he hit with his energy bolts collapsed to the ground and turned into dust as smoke rose to the air. He also remembered how those whom he thought to have been stunned and lay unconscious would suddenly stand up when an Imperial officer held up a glowing necklace in his hand.Enzir was filled with concern as he realized the forces that he would be up to if he joined the resistance to topple down Terdu’s regime. “What can we do then, Lankko?”“I have to admit that I don’t know, Jad Enzir. Terdu has become too powerful that I don’t even know if it is too late to resist him,” answered Lankko.“You mentioned that the people could rise against him. Why don’t they?” asked Enzir.“As I said, Jad Enzir, people are afraid. They need a leader to rally them into action like Rodan did during the time of Sukram, however&n
Journey Through the Shadow Realms Chapter 150: A History of Magic
“If those healing stones really do work, I think it’s bad that there aren’t many of them left,” remarked Enzir.Lankko nodded. “I don’t know if you still remember, Jad Enzir, but we used to have a lot of sun stones at the fortress. You place them under the sun during the day and they will shine at night when activated, replacing the need to burn candles or oil.” Lankko’s face brightened as he remembered how it was when the use of magical artifacts was ubiquitous.“I remember that. I had a lot of those in my bedroom,” said Enzir.“When Terdu banned the practice of magic, I think we lost a lot of our simple joys and freedoms,” said Lankko, hanging his head.“Why did he ban magic in the first place, Lankko?” asked Enzir.“You really don’t know, Jad Enzir?” asked Lankko, scratching his bald head. “I thought your teachers in magic history covered
Journey Through the Shadow Realms Chapter 149: The Healing Stone
After serving breakfast and washing the dishes, Lankko decided to go to work in extracting energy from an old healing stone that he was able to get his hands on. It was an old magical artifact that he got from his cousin who also managed to get it from an old friend. According to Gent, the stone worked by rubbing it vigorously between the user’s palms and placed over the painful area. The stone would produce enough heat to warm the area it was applied on and helped in the healing process. Lankko that there was not enough energy in the healing stone to extract but still went on the laborious process of finding out how it worked and develop a method for extracting its power. After several tries, Lankko was finally able to discover that the stone drew energy from the sun and placed it outside. He then directed several mirrors towards it before dropping the stone inside a glass vessel filled with a mixture of salts and minerals. Only then did the stone start to create bubbles that
Journey Through the Shadow Realms Chapter 148: Lankko's Plan
The following morning, Enzir woke up early with the sound of Kora’s nervous clucking. He looked out his window and found that the chicken was not without company. A rooster was walking around her excitedly and after flapping his wings, gave out a loud crow that could have woken even the heavy sleeper. Enzir smiled as he saw the two chickens eyeing each other and flapping their wings in some form of dance. Slowly, Enzir lowered his window to give the chickens some privacy.There was the sizzling sound of frying along with the delicious smell of garlic being fried. Enzir stretched out his arms and then got out of bed to see what Lankko was cooking. He walked to the kitchen and saw Lankko busily adding ingredients on a frying pan where there was already a steaming pile of rice.“Good morning, Jad Enzir!” said Lankko to his master after giving him a quick glance. “Did you sleep alright?”“Slept like a log,” replied Enzir. “W
Journey Through the Shadow Realms Chapter 147: Dinner With Lankko's Family
Dinner with Lankko’s family was a rowdy affair, but Enzir did not mind. After all the chaos and not being able to eat at a proper table in the past few weeks, he realized that dining with other people on plentiful was really a luxury. He remembered the many times that he did not even recognize the efforts of his own cook who feisty as she was still made the most wonderful dishes that he had ever tasted. Lankko and Darla tried to control their children, especially the little ones who kept on arguing while trying to outdo each other in telling stories of their journey to Dagos. The children really do miss their father, thought Enzir. He had not really thought of Lankko’s family and failed to recognize that his Keeper of Secrets did have his personal life outside his work. Enzir did make Lankko work a lot, especially after he discovered that he could extract energy from the magic artifacts to make an elixir capable of infusing power to whoever drinks it. He had Lankko
Journey Through the Shadow Realms Chapter 146: Enzir's Mother
“What are you saying, Lankko?” asked Enzir, his voice rising as he felt his blood rushing through his veins. “What do you mean my mother may still be alive?”Lankko suddenly felt warm. He felt sweat forming on his forehead and he wiped it off with his hand. He could not look at Enzir whose eyes seemed to drill into his own. “I have to apologize, Jad Enzir. Your father forbade everyone to speak to you about your mother and I had to obey his orders.”Enzir felt weak. He wanted to shout at Lankko and destroy everything he could have his hands on, but there was nothing to break, nothing to smash against the walls.“Aaahh!” cried Enzir. He finally managed to pick up a rock and threw it hard towards the lake. He felt his breathing quicken and he stood on the slope watching the rock he threw fly through the air and landing on the water.“Please, Jad Enzir,” pleaded Lankko. “Please don’t be angry wit
