THE storm finally abated, but Malaika was nearly freezing. She tried to make a fire, but everything was still dripping wet. Although until now, she was still wondering where all these waters came from. No matter how she pondered about it, her memories were still hazy.
“Darn!” She repeatedly cursed in frustration.
“I told you to prepare for a hunt. There are lots of snow leopards around this area, preying on elks. Get the snow leopard fur to keep you warm and kill an elk to fill your stomach.” Xoxo lectured her as it was glued to her shoulder.
“I’m already chilling here, and I’m getting frostbite. Can’t you see that I might bleed to death once I step outside?” She tried to be rational since she didn’t even have her slippers on. The sharp diamonds that mixed in thick snow would cut her feet!
“Since when you became this coward, princess? Do yo
NEAR the western part of the Great Lake, Seti gave a pouch of gold to Baliq. The latter beamed as he checked the several gold coins that cost a fortune.“You’re indeed generous, lioness.” Baliq grinned.“I just want to make sure we’re safe once we cross the Great Lake.”“Of course! I’ve been in this business for years now.” Baliq said proudly, and he winked. He put the pouch in his pocket.“Smuggler,” Attisha murmured.Seti rolled her eyes and looked at Attisha. “You can still go back in case you change your mind. You know the possible outcome of this mission.”Attisha shook her head. “I’m ready for this. I want to help our friend.”The Escort clapped. “All right! I guess everyone is ready. I am doing this since my nephew also asked me to help you. You know Kane Gunther?”The ladies did not reply
MALAIKA spent the night with the couple, and at last, she had finally got a chance to fill her stomach. Frode helped her out to dry the leopard’s skin. He also cut a portion of his fur cloak to make a temporary cover for her feet. She was thankful for their generosity, especially now that she felt warm. Frode had excavated the ground to put on the leopard’s carcass. And he also gave his passing prayer to the dead animal. Everyone settled into the deeper part of the burrow to hide the smoke coming from the fire they created. “I guess we’re safe here tonight,” Frode reassured them. “However, this is not a safe place for you, dear—because this is Axum,” Helga said in the midst of their dinner as she focused on Malaika. She held a stick of roasted elk. “I know,” Malaika breathed out. She took another bite of the meat, and it tasted delicious. Just now, she realized how she was starving.She offered a small piece for Xoxo
MALAIKA, along with her newfound companions, walked at dawn amidst the freezing breeze. Xoxo was somehow giving her body warmth, just enough for her to function. “It’s a full day walk, Mala. Are you sure you can make it?” Frode asked. He carried the dried skin of the leopard and the remaining meat of the elk. “Of course, she’ll make it, darling!” Helga sounded optimistic. She clutched all the weapons to help her husband carry the load. Malaika only nodded and smiled. Despite the feeling that she would freeze anytime soon if Xoxo didn’t lend his magical warmth. Then she heard Xoxo’s voice in her mind. “This is the only temperature I can give, Princess. It’s enough for you to survive this harsh climate when you reach your destination. At least, your body is covered now.” “Yeah, thanks.” She murmured. The journey seemed an eternity for Malaika. The coniferous forest was vast as t
SETI remained alert as much as possible. She could see the barriers slowly disintegrating from the checkpoint. It wasn’t noticeable before, but the mana surrounding the place tells otherwise. The reason she still pursued to move forward than going back. They couldn’t waste more time since they only had a few days, and they must not return empty-handed.She pondered if she had made a mistake earlier. It was her fault they got captured. But one thing she was certain of, these guards were not as bad as she imagined. Maybe they would give them a fair trial once they brought them for further investigation. If not, they would find another way to escape. As long as they were still breathing, anything could happen. Seti had to remain positive.Meanwhile, Attisha unintentionally shifted to a large red mushroom that made the guards flabbergasted. But she quickly turned back to her original self after a few minutes. Maybe she was trying some ways to esca
ALLEKI’s team finally arrived at the Bridge on the Eastern Gate. Eight guards greeted them when they entered the border. The commander presented the scroll containing the invitation as delegates from Hala.“Dhagoz Tavee…” said one of the guards in the Virinan language. It means ‘welcome.’Alleki and his team lightly arched their heads to acknowledge the greeting. And they all gave a halan salute.Almost everyone expressed their admiration when they moved past the border.The guards escorted them in silence.This might be the way of Axum to make them feel welcome and to ensure their safe travel inside their territory.“I have never seen anything like this!” Kaca exclaimed as she studied around.There were mountain ranges, and some parts floated while waterfalls endlessly flowed.Everyone could feel the overflowing mana. The floating
WHILE on the northern part of Axum, Helga gave another pair of winter clothing to Malaika. She found Malaika inside her late daughter’s room while gently brushing her long, wavy hair.“Thank you, Helga.” Malaika smiled, and she looked back at her reflection in the mirror beside the fireplace. She only wore her underpants and covered her body with a fur cloak.Malaika had just finished her warm bath. It had been three days since she was here, and her energy returned after she rested well.And she felt comfortable. Malaika always expressed her gratitude to the couple for helping her despite being a stranger.“May I do that?” Helga stretched her arms, reaching for the comb.“Sure.” She handed her the hairbrush, and then she removed her cloak. Exposing her bare skin.“I like your body markings, Mala. You’re a warrior indeed.” Helga appeared to amaze a
YULLI alertly positioned himself beside the commander. He counted the guards surrounding them. They were twelve, and they appeared to be possessed. They only stared blankly, as their eyes were entirely white.“Are we allowed to kill them, Commander?” Yulli asked. They were surrounded, and everyone was standing still in a circular pattern waiting for Alleki’s command.“If they attempt to harm us, we don’t have a choice but to defend ourselves. For now, find the one controlling them.” Alleki ordered him.Yulli nodded and quickly shifted to his wolf form. He jumped high to avoid the possessed guards as his fellow warriors helped him out.He quickly vanished into the thick smoke, and he howled aloud as he heard the approaching footsteps based on the crushing of twigs and leaves on the ground. Then he ran in a circular motion, jumping from one tree to another until the enemies revealed themselves.
ALLEKI waited until every member of his squad ran in a different direction. They had to take cover for now since it was the most sensible to do than fighting with all these magic users. He knew it would be a suicide considering their small numbers.Yulli stood beside the commander. They only moved until Kane and Luan passed from sight. It appeared that Luan was assisting the whale shifter, since his attribute was useless on this battlefield.Kane had to rely on the speed of his ride, unlike Luan, who could immediately shift into his lion form in case something happened to his halan cheetah.“Let’s go!” Alleki commanded before the swarming enemies reached them.He was in a defensive position before moving. They ran with the cheetahs and vanished into the thickness of the Vergifa forest.After an hour, they were regrouped as planned. All were startled to witness the heavily torn land bridge on their way. As if an exp
PIERRE’S group would take off after meeting General Iljun and the trackers to really information they gathered. The deliberation did not take long. And when they were dismissed, Pierre talked with his father.Raev gazed at his son, cheering in silence. “Be careful son. Always remember everything I’ve told you. However, you and your squad’s life will be the top priority.”“Yes, Father. I will not go back until I find Lazir’s whereabouts.” Pierre was determined despite his father’s warning.“We will wait for your return, son.”“Please look after Seti while I’m away.” Pierre’s face softened. He didn’t have a chance to say goodbye to his lioness since Seti’s team was already on the move. Pierre knew that this hunt would end in an expedition.Pierre’s squad left immediately on foot. The lynx twins were unusually quiet as they tracked Lazir’s scent. Kane was at the back and checking for a possible ambush. They rested after three hours of searching nonstop. Finally, they reached the cliff ne
CHIEF ZUYESH had an emergency council meeting because Lazir was nowhere to be found. The aerial army checked thoroughly around Hala, but there were no signs of the black wolf shifter. A whole squad of trackers was on the ground. Everyone was waiting to hear some good news, yet the search yielded an unfavorable result. It appeared that Lazir suddenly vanished out of thin air. “It’s unfortunate that our best warriors are still recuperating in the infirmary. They could easily track Lazir,” Raev said. He was seated on the first row facing Atekun, while Zuyesh was in the center. “Did you notice anything weird, Chief? Why would Lazir suddenly ask for a Hafukana and display his magic while everyone is watching? Then he is suddenly gone.” “That puzzled me, too. But I have a hunch as to why he did it.” Zuyesh looked calm. No one could notice that he was restless. “Lazir had been a member of this council for ten years, and we all know that his sharp mouth always put him in a tight spot. I won
THEY dropped by Niusa’s class, and the black elf seemed thrilled to see them. She hurriedly went out of her room to meet them in the hallway. “Whoa, I can’t believe you are here. Do you need help with schoolwork?”“Let’s talk in the garden. I don’t need many elf ears hearing about this crucial information.” Malaika strolled, and Niusa followed.As usual, they ignored the discriminating glances given to them. It was not Malaika’s concern at the moment.“Something wrong?” Niusa began to wonder because she wouldn’t talk until there were no elves nearby.“How well-versed are you in Tuara? How about Aigavan? I need your water healing ability and water purification magic,” Malaika said in a low voice.Niusa was confused. “My water healing magic is intermediate, but with Aigavan….” She hesitated, “I know only the basics of water purification. Why?”“Do you know other healers? I need them badly, Niusa. There’s a plague in the East, and Baraf turned a blind eye despite its plead for help. Time
YULLI spoke to ease Malaika’s worries. “There are a lot of things you need to know outside the wall barrier, Princess. I hope you’re ready once we set foot in Eastern Axum.”“Then tell me everything! I deserve it, don’t you think?” She clenched her jaw. “It’s been a while since I was taken away from Hala, and I don’t know how to get back without facing the consequences of breaking the sacred law. Hell is an understatement of what I’ve been through, Yulli. What other secrets are you hiding away from me?”Yulli gently shrugged. “Since you ask, the world is huge outside this island. However, the way life is a lot different. I heard that there is extreme drought, and water is a precious commodity. There is information that every water mage is captured so they could provide for the needs of the royalties.”“Are you certain?” Malaika seemed to doubt Yulli, only that the wolf shifter was serious.“I can’t be sure since the information came from my adoptive father. The chief and everyone in t
MALAIKA was too stunned to speak when she opened the door. She heard loud knocks earlier, and Xoxo gave her a signal that it was safe to check it out. They made a pact that they shouldn’t just open the door with random knocks knowing they were hated in this place. Dealing with another death threat would only bring more stress instead of focusing on their studies.“Oh, goddess! What happened?” Malaika gaped.Yulli carried an unconscious woman. It was almost daybreak, and the wolf shifter was worn out, trying to catch his breath.“She needed immediate medical care.” Yulli peeked inside. “Where is Xoxo? The healers I found along the way wouldn’t help us. I guess a traditional healer can’t aid her terrible condition.”“Get in! I have been practicing my mana control all night because I cannot sleep while waiting for you, Yulli. Our kind is being hunted in this elf territory!” Malaika assisted them inside the house.Xoxo was so engrossed in making a potion in the kitchen, but as soon as she
“WHERE is my horse?” Yulli came to them unbothered by the intimidation they were showing. He had no plan of getting into trouble, but it seemed inevitable, especially since he saw his horse a few meters away with a female tied in it.At a glance, Yulli could identify the female was not an elf. Her tangerine-colored dress matched the thick fur scarf covering her neck. She was muddy, especially her feet, which had one shoe on. These elves probably had fun chasing the poor lady. Based on her scent, she had a faint smell of being a shapeshifter. “This one is more valuable!” One of the elves shouted. Among these brigands, he had the biggest physique and blade scars on his cheeks. He might be the leader in the way he gave an order. Everyone laughed. “We can sell him at a high price! This night is indeed auspicious for hunting!” said another who could not contain his excitement.“Hey, Scarred Face! Give my horse back, and that lady or I will kill all of you without a trace,” Yulli turned
“D-DID I summon you?” Malaika finally got back to her senses and asked.The goddess shook her head. “I came out on my own. But because of my depleting spiritual energy. This is the form I can sustain for a short while.”“I am not dreaming this time, right?”The goddess smiled. “What do you think?”Malaika slowly motioned her hand and touched the translucent form of the goddess. Her hand went through, feeling like cold water had slipped into her skin. “You are real.”“I can take any form I want. But since we are one, we have to be in sync so that we both live without harming each other, even unintentionally. I will guide you with your mana control. You must quickly learn because if you fail, both of us will cease to exist, along with the people of this island.”“I understand. I am at your disposal, goddess. I will serve you until my last breath.”Malaika thought that mana control would be the easiest part of learning since she had already wielded powerful types of water magic. But now
WHEN Malaika and Yulli entered their special class, they were not spared from the discrimination as soon as they got inside. All eyes were set on them, sharing bothered expressions. But everyone immediately shrugged them off, which Malaika found amusing since no one had uttered a word, and they continued to their usual chats and ignored the two of them completely.Malaika made a quick mental count of how many students belonged to the class. There were approximately twenty, including her and Yulli.“Don’t mind them. We are here to learn,” Yulli said. They were seated on the last row, and no one wanted to be acquainted with being with them.“As if I’m bothered. I’m expecting the worse, and I’m starting to like this class.” Malaika silently winked to make Yulli feel at ease.Yulli gave him a nod of approval. “I’m glad to hear that from you, princess.”Malaika thought of the positive side of the indifferent treatment towards them. It could work to their advantage since she could fully con
THE crowd started murmuring again when the chieftain announced that the warrior delegates that gave honor to the tribe would face one of the heaviest sanctions due to negligence and insubordination.“Warriors, be ready!” Alleki faced the members of his squad.“Yes, commander!” Everyone said in chorus.When Alleki turned around, he started walking on the part of the battlefield that was not affected by the destruction from the chieftain’s attack earlier. It would take time to rehabilitate the damage since magic was forbidden, and they’d all resort to physical labor, which was mainly the cultivator’s job.Despite the commotion created because of Lazir’s use of forbidden magic, the warrior delegates were not exempted from the rough treatment. And although some of the spectators from the royal clan had already exited, many people still left to witness them receive their punishment.One of the elders came to them. He was Carius, the head of the council of justice. The man was a little youn