"What is it mother?" Princess Jiyanah interestedly asked. "I have meditation books in the royal library. It will help Méah to learn to control her thoughts and emotions." Queen Jainah simply glanced at Méah. "Chah, get those books here now," she said to Chah. "Yes, your majesty." Chah bowed and left place as soon as possible. Méah did not expect for the queen to do this. She have known that the queen disliked her in the first place and had built a wall between them. And now, she somehow felt like the queen had loosen up towards her. But whether Méah liked the queen's idea of helping her or not, she would still have to acknowledge her and appreciate it for the sake of respect. "Thank you, your majesty. I gladly appreciate it," Méah said, sincere and serious. Queen Jainah just nodded once lightly at Méah. But her face was still the same–cold and serious. "Oh, by the way, mother," Princess Jiyanah interrup
"Are you sure you're going to be fine?" Princess Jiyanah asked Méah with worried eyes. "I don't know. But I will try to be," Méah replied honestly. "I don't know why mother have to do this to you." Princess Jiyanah sighed at Méah's answer. Of course she couldn't help not to worry about her. "Don't worry too much. I will make sure to carry out this task successfully," Méah assured the princess because from the looks of her, she's stressfully worried. "Alright." The princess nodded lightly at her. She then turned to the group of a hundred soldiers behind her. "Listen everyone. Whatever happens, you are not to leave your brothers. You have to stick with each other. Together you will stand strong. The fight of one is the fight of all," she told them to remind them and of course to make sure they won't abandon Méah if something happens on their way knowing that some of them might still have the influence of the queen's past plan which was to lea
"Those two outside your tent were Roy's trusted men. Her highness had been suspicious on them the moment the news broke that you are going to be the new general instead of Roy. I did not believe it at first but when I saw them look at sharply during the dinner, I was convinced that her highness's suspicion was true. It might sound ridiculous to you since I know how strong you are and need no one to defeat a whole army of enemy but her highness told me to kind of watch over you for her. She was too worried about you," Vlad explained. Sweats rolled down Méah's forehead. Her whole face was now glistening and damp with sweat. She just realized that feeling when she saw them at the entrance of the tent awhile ago indeed meant something. It was her fault for letting it slip off her mind, thinking that it could be just because of her tiredness. "I actually felt something weird when I saw them earlier," Méah revealed. "Thank you for informing me." "No need t
"General!" Vlad cried as he froze when the sharp, cold edge of the dagger touched the skin on his neck. His chest was pumping rapidly as he chased his breath. There drops of sweat dropping off his forehead down. He could feel his hands grew sweaty cold and shaking. Méah automatically turned to Vlad's call for help. But when she felt the man under her feet move, she stepped harder on him as she pushed the sword closer to the skin on his neck–one move and the blade will pierce through it. "Don't try to do anything stupid!" She yelled at him, slowing panicking from the inside. The man just scowled at her. "General! Help me!" Vlad pitifully begged Méah. Méah couldn't think properly at this moment. How will she be able to help Vlad when she was also had someone to deal with at the same? If she goes to save him right away, the man will surely escape. And so she have no choice anymore. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply to gather all her strength.
The day faded into dusk and the stars began twinkling above the moonless stars. The melodies from the night creatures mingled with the soft brush of the waves on the shore. The blow of the breeze grew colder as the night fell darker, giving more icy chills on the skin rather than its usual soft, gentle caress. Three men hid behind the gigantic rocks near the shore; each were carrying sharp swords on their waists. One had age struck him at its finest though still stood mighty and strong whilst the other two were twice younger than him. They watched as the lonely, white fortress disappeared before the vast view of the ocean ahead. After it was concealed by the darkness after the sun had sunken down, a light broke into one of the window at the center tower that faced the vast grounds. And then it spread to the bridge which connected the eastern and western towers. But that wasn't all of it, on top of the center tower, a much more blinding light poured out as though
"Stay back," Bo whispered to them younger ones and motioned his hand to keep a far distance from him. Keir and Prince Zaeius did as they were told and prepared their swords. Bo felt the coldness of the iron doorknob crawl throughout his palm as soon as he touched it. However, he still bravely turned it clockwise to open it. They held their breath as soon as they heard it clicked. Bo pushed it slowly into a tiny opening just enough for him to see what was going on inside. To his confusion, he didn't see anything but a pitch black room, not even a single dot of light along with its eternal silence. But they were sure they had seen a flash of purple light earlier. Bo looked at the two behind him who was also trying to take a peek inside. "I think we were cheated on," he said to them seriously. "But rather, we have to play along with this trick. Come." Bo slipped inside silently first and the two followed after sharing a confused look. They c
"Ferlah!" Prince Zaeius ran towards her. Keir and Bo followed him from behind. Ferlah was chasing her breath as her vision was threatened to get covered with black patches. Her purplish mouth gaped half open on her pale face, trying to breathe more air. "Ferlah, hang on! Take this!" Keir sat down beside the prince as he offered her a pill of pain reliever from his pocket. Ferlah struggled to swallow it in so Keir held her head up and she finally manage to do so. She couldn't utter a word anymore as she felt her tongue froze from the pain that was attacking her entire body to the bones. After Keir had gently put back Ferlah's head on the floor, blood began pooling underneath her. She was heavily wounded by the arrows on her tentacles. Though she had pulled out all the arrows with her power, it still cannot save her from being critical. For the arrows were poisoned by a purple poison, a poison that only Purple Smoke have but not
It was only then that Purple Smoke realized her mistake. "Curse you, rotten old man! Kill them!" Purple Smoke screamed furiously. All of her men charged at them desperately. Bo was about to toss the weapon to Keir but before he could do it, it already vanished from his grasp. He saw Purple Smoke smirk in the corner of his eyes. He was expecting the weapon to be fake. Keir wasn't waiting for it either. He fought fiercely on his own along with the prince. Bo had no choice but to fight with them, three against half a hundred men. While the three of them looked tiny ants in the swarm of locusts, Purple Smoke was also doing her own business. She was confident that none of them could escape alive from her elite men, mainly composed of skilled, rouge barbarians, bandits, murderers, and those who committed filthy deeds. "Do you think your trick will work on me, bitch?" Purple Smoke said as her right hand found its wa