THE EASTERN EMPIREMILES AWAY FROM WHITE MOUNTAIN PACKRiaz's Point Of ViewBreathing heavily, I set under a palm tree on the beach. I took off the hoodie of my cloak and reached for the bottle of water in my backpack. Like a thirsty camel, I gulped it down thirstily. I've been journeying for a whole week. I didn't know what I was thinking when I left the pack. Maybe I just couldn't take it. It was hard walking and seeing him. He rejected me. I was no longer a brother nor a friend to him. I was just Riaz. I thought, maybe I should pretend like I was not affected. Maybe I should act as I've always done but I couldn't. Even if I could, my pretense would fall the moment I see him with a woman so I decided it was best to leave. I wouldn't be able to bear the heartache so I left. I had nowhere to go. I didn't know where I came from. No friends from outside so I just kept walking. I kept walking until I got to this beach. Gosh, why is the sun so harsh over here? It's scorching hot and I f
Chapter Twenty-nineRAVEN PACKRaga's Point Of View"My Lord!" I got on my knees in respect in front of him. "And why are just just returning?" He asked as he drew in smoke from the tobacco in his hands. "I...we lost her. We lost her to the man." He faced me and I lowered my gaze. "So? Did you find out who he is?" "N..no, my Lord but he...he is a wolf." He raised his brow. "A wolf strong enough to take down five of the best vampires in the pack?" I nodded. "I also couldn't believe it. His wolf was huge. Bigger than any wolf I've ever seen before. He was of two colours, red and white." I left Alexa with my men to go check out a safe route for us to pass. I did not expect that they would go into blood lust. It was her scream I heard that made me come running. I did not expect that I would behold an amazing sight. His wolf was huge. Has huge as ten regular wolves combined. It was a fascinating sight - him tearing the vampires into pieces with just one blow. I knew if I joined the
Chapter ThirtyAlexa's Point Of View"You could have at least told someone before you left," I said. Ace turned to me and I raised a brow. He didn't notice me when he came in. I had been waiting for him in the hallway since morning. "You left home yesterday and came back a day later without dropping a letter or something." "I don't remember where it's stated that I have to report to you everywhere I go." "There is nothing like that but be considerate. You had everyone worried. I thought you had gone haywire like Riaz." I said. "Right. Sorry about that." He said apologetically and I hummed in understanding. "So...where did you go to? Did you go to search for Riaz?" I asked and he nodded. Gosh, poor guy. "Any leads?" I asked and he shook his head sadly. "It's okay. We'll find him. For now, just go and rest. You must have walked a lot." I said and he smiled wearily. "Thanks, Alexa." "You are always welcome.""Where is Akira?" He asked and I shrugged. "He's been gone since yest
Chapter Thirty-oneAlexa's Point Of View"Are we there yet?" I asked for the umpteenth time. "Calm down, Alexa, we are almost there." I rolled my eyes. "You've said that five times now." "Are you tired?" He asked and I nodded poutingly. He bent before me and tapped his shoulder. "Get on my back.""Really?" I asked and he nodded. I got on his back and he rose to his feet and resumed walking. I wrapped my arms around his neck and rested my head on his shoulder. "Alexa..." He called and I hummed. "What was your first thought when you saw me?" He asked. "Why the sudden question?""I just wanna know." "Wasn't it obvious?" He shook his head. "My first thought, huh..?" I thought deeply about that night. Our first meeting. The night the world stopped the moment he pulled me into that corner and I stared into his eyes. "He's got beautiful eyes," I said and he chuckled. "What? That was what I first noticed about you so I thought you had beautiful eyes. Well, until I found out abou
Chapter Thirty-twoAlexa's Point Of View"Oh, my days! He popped the question?" Luna mother asked and I nodded excitedly. She clapped her hands like a delightful kid as she squealed in happiness. Her action made me laugh in amusement. Raya wasn't left out. She jumped up and down excitedly, giggling like a baby. "Really?" She asked again and I nodded. "Ah! Finally!" She carried Cyan under her shoulder and began walking to and fro. "You'll need a lot of things. Clothes, shoes, bags, hair, make-up!" "What colours do you like?" Raya suddenly asked. "What food?" "Guys...""What about decorations?" "So you prefer flower crowns or a simple crown." "Guys!" I snapped, and they stopped fidgeting. "Jeez, I know you guys are excited but calm down, will you? You guys are just bombarding me with questions that I don't even know the answer to." "Ah," Raya mouthed. "Sorry." She said sheepishly and came to sit beside me. Luna mother sat on my other side and placed Cyan on my lap. I haven't
Chapter Thirty-threeAlexa's Point Of View"Alice! Alice! Alice wake up!"It was my wedding day. I was clad in a wedding dress that weighed a ton. I imagined my husband taking it off me on the night of our wedding as we have our first night together as husband and wife. I thought my wedding would be the most joyous day of my life but here I am, standing beside my supposed husband, watching him try his possible best to revive a strange woman. His wedding clothes were stained with her blood. It angered me. I was frustrated. Why now? Why did she have to show up? Who was she to have him shaken up on the night that was supposed to be our happiest? Who the hell is she to stain his wedding clothes with her blood? I sound petty and inconsiderate right now but I hate the fact that all attention was on her, on my wedding! "This is not good. Let's get her treated." Xena said and before she could try to help carry the woman, Akira had already carried her in bridal style. He should just let
Chapter Thirty-fourAlexa's Point Of View"Akira," she called again. I cursed under my breath and looked up at Akira. He smiled apologetically and I rolled my eyes. "Alice," he called as he withdrew from the embrace. He kept his arm around my waist as we approached her. She was on crutches and her arm and head were bandaged. Did she fight a tiger or something? "Alice, you shouldn't be out here," Akira said as she came to a stop in front of us. "I couldn't find you anywhere so I decided to find you," she said smilingly. Her gaze met mine and she gasped. "You must be Alexa." I raised a brow. You must be Alexa? The audacity. I opened my mouth to talk but Akira beat me to it. "She's your highness to you, Alice." Akira corrected as his hand left my waist to hold my hand. "She's your Luna." He added. "Ah! I'm sorry, your highness," she said, bowing apologetically. She raised her head and said, "you must have been very annoyed about last night." She said sadly. "I didn't mean to crash
Chapter Thirty-five Alexa's Point Of View"So tell me. You must know where you're from, right?" I asked Cyan. He shook his head. "I don't know everything about where I'm from." "Even your mother?" He smiled. "I remember my mother. I've never seen her face but I remember how she smelt. While I was still in my shell, she would warm me up at night and keep me cool in the morning. She would sing me lullabies to put me to sleep too." "She sounds like the best mother. Wasn't she with you when you hatched?" "No. I was on my own. I had to live the first two weeks alone. I searched for her but I couldn't find her. I didn't want to rest until I found her. I never knew one of my searches would lead me to you." "Ah, you really scared me that day. I thought you were a tiger." He laughed. "I felt this sense of comfort when I saw you. You reminded me of my mum. Just one look at you, I knew you were a runaway who didn't know where she was going." "Good. Rub it in." "No, to be honest. Why wo
"All hail great Khan!" "All hail great Khan!" Riaz looked up at Ace who in turn squeezed his hand assuringly. Riaz let out a shaky breath and closed his eyes. I'll be fine. We'll be fine, he assured himself. He looked ahead and saw Akira and Alexa. Alexa smiled at him and he nodded. It's the Lantern Celebration today. All the people are present and surprisingly, the least expected person, Darco, is present. Who would have thought? Well, evil recognizes evil so it's no surprise they know each other. Khan came forward with a red unlit lantern in his hand. He raised his hand and everyone went silent. "It's so great to see all of you here again. Alive, and well." Cheers erupted in the crowd and Riaz rolled his eyes. "A lot has happened throughout the years, right?" "YES!!" "We all wouldn't be here tonight if it wasn't for the great and selfless sacrifices made by the heroic warriors in the past. We shouldn't let thier shedded blood go to waste." Every word Khan spoke made Riaz's
Riaz's Point Of View"So you mean our king is actually the villain?" Dandelion asked. "If your king, King Khan, is the same person Riaz's mum talked about then yes, he's the one." Akira said. "I can't believe this. He took the throne and spread lies about your family. Do you know what he calls you? White witches. He says you're evil and tried to take over the land forcefully." Clover said and I shook my head. "He's just the worst." Ace said. "We have to make him pay for what he did. He has been on the throne for decades now and everyone sees him as a good person." "That's the hardest part. Changing the view of the people. It would be hard to make them see how twisted he is since he's painted such pure picture for himself." Devan said and I nodded. "Then we'll just reveal it to everyone." Alexa said."But how?" "What do you mean how? With our mouths." Xena replied. "Ah!" Clover said in realization. "It's lantern celebration in two days time." I tilted my head. "Lantern what?"
Riaz's Point Of ViewMy heart thumped wildly against my chest as I felt his hands around my waist. I dug my fingers in his hair as I got on his lap subconsciously. His hands traveled up my back as he pushed his tongue in my mouth. My legs felt jello. He kissed me passionately and dominantly. I gasped when I felt his hand on my bare back. Our chest heaved heavily as we tried to catch our breaths. His hand was still trailing my back. I looked into his eyes and I felt shy. I hid my face in his shoulder and he chuckled. "Still shy, huh?" I can tell he's smirking teasingly. I hit his shoulder, "stop," "Stop," he mimicked and I twisted his ear. "Ow ow. Okay okay, I'm sorry." I let him go and raised my head. I couldn't meet his eyes. He held my face in place so our eyes could meet. "Riaz..." He called softly. "Hm?" "I have something..." "Are you guys done in there?" Dandelion questioned from outside. I turned to the door and sighed. I turned back to Ace and he smiled at me. "We sho
Riaz's Point Of ViewI held her hand tightly in fear of her disappearing again. "Mum..." I called and she smiled at me. Oh how much I've missed the warmth of her smile. "I've missed you." I said tearily and she held my face tenderly. "I'm here, my love. I'm here." I sniffled. "What happened? How come you're here?" She heaved a heavy sigh and looked ahead. "This was the only way I could survive, Riaz. My body is no more. Only my soul remains." "Is...is dad like this too?" Her hands shook at the mention of my dad. I tightened my grip assuringly and she threw her head back to stop her tears from falling. "He couldn't make it. He was killed. Before my eyes. He...he just..." I embraced her, consoling her as I fought back my tears. Crying would not calm her down. "It's okay, mum." "They killed everyone, Riaz. They killed mum, dad, your father and even my little flower. She didn't get to see the world because of those bloody creatures. I wish I could make every one of them feel the
Alexa's Point Of View"Shall we move now?" Akira asked and I nodded. I agreed to help Venusa on one condition. I would only let her take over my body when we finally meet. She has no chance to take over my body without my consent and she agreed. We can communicate telepathically so that helps whenever I have something to say to her or vice versa. Akira, Xena and I set out of find Riaz two days after I regained consciousness. "Do you know the way?" Akira asked and I shook my head. "Then how are we going to get there?" Xena asked. "Let me ask her." "How do we get there?" I asked Venusa. "You'll have to let me take over my body so I can teleport us there. Is that okay with you?" I turned to them. "She has to take us there herself." I said and Akira's grip on my hand tightened. He smiled at me and nodded. "Go ahead." I nodded and closed my eyes. In seconds, I felt my soul leave my body. I felt energy rush through me and I took control of my body again. I met Akira and Xena beside m
Ace's Point Of View"I saw my mother." He gasped sharply and I held him tighter. His eyes were beginning to glow glow again. "Riaz, Riaz!" I yelled out but he was long gone. The wind blew the tress strongly but this mystic tree remained still. I shook Riaz but he didn't respond. He was mumbling things that sounded like chants. His voice was like three people talking. I don't know how to snap him out of this. I looked around, trying to find something but I couldn't look past the wind. I did the one thing that came into my head. I leaned down and placed my lips on his. He let out a soft gasp as I claimed his lips as mine. I broke the kiss and looked at his face. "Ace..." I sighed on relief. "What...what did you -" He touched his lips and his eyes widened at me. "I had to. You were in a trance and I feared something bad would happen if I didn't snap you out of it." I told him and he batted his lashes. "Are you okay?" I asked him and he shook his head. "I feel weak." I nodded. "Y
Ace's Point Of View"I'm not going back Ace, and that is final!" I couldn't believe it. I took a step closer but he didn't step back. He was staring at me dead in the eyes, as if challenging me to say one more word. He was different. Yes, he was the same Riaz but there was something about him that seemed different. His hair was longer. Made me remember the first time I saw him. He had such long hair that I admired it every day back then. "Riaz, I..." "Is everything okay here?" Someone asked from the doorpost. I turned and saw him. What was his name again? "Devan," Riaz said and I hummed in realization. Yes, Devan. The one who saved Riaz. I should say thank you to him for taking care of Riaz for me. "We are okay." I said. "Oh...I just heard some noise so I thought -" Riaz shook his head. "We're really fine, Devan. Let's go. Weren't we planning to prepare breakfast?" Riaz walked up to him and linked his arm with his. Why would he link his arm with Devan's? What's going on here? D
Riaz's Point Of ViewI stood up, unable to believe what my eyes was seeing. "Riaz..." My heart skipped a beat. It was real. He was real. My feet moved on their own towards Ace. "What...are you doing here? How did you get here?" He held my hand and I tightened my grip around his. I ran away from him. Because of him, I left my family to this strange land to find myself. Throughout my stay here, I prayed I wouldn't run into him but seeing him standing here, my eyes just can't help but water. He might have rejected me. Hurt my feelings but he is a great part of my life. He was the first friend I made at the pack. The first person who smiled to me and showed me kindness. He took care of me and raised me to what I am today. Whenever I was sad, he was there. Whenever I was happy, he was there. When I threw tantrums and fits, he didn't grow tired of me. Rather, he was patient and embraced me rather than pushing me away. "Riaz, I..." I jumped on him and he caught me by my waist. I held
Riaz's Point Of View "Up! Up!" "Come on, Devan." I groaned in annoyance. I heard him chuckle and I covered my head with my blanket. I grinned when I couldn't hear his voice again. Is he gone? I was about drifting back to sleep when my blanket was pulled off my body."Stand up!" "Devan..." I whined and he laughed. He grabbed my wrist and pulled me up. He widened my eyes with his fingers and I swatted his hands away. "I'm tired." "What exactly did you do?" I rubbed my eyes to clear my vision. My eyes met with his smiling face and I huffed. He's annoying but stupidly handsome. "My head hurts." I said. My heart skipped a beat as he leaned in and placed his palm on my forehead. "You have a fever." He said and I bit my lip to stop myself from blushing. "I'll make you hangover soup." He said and I smiled. He ruffled my hair and walked to the door. "Clean up." I nodded and he left. I fell to my bed and hugged my pillow to myself, smiling sheepishly like a little kid. What will do I