Chapter 6: The Knight-dom

Days have passed, and I am still on this stupid bed. I turn to Zale who was peeling apples, he noticed that I was looking at him so he also looked at me. "It's almost peeled, wait a sec." He said, I looked at his hands that has several cuts because of the knife. 

"Pass me the apples, no need to peel them." He looked at me worriedly and so I sighed and smiled. He looked at the apple, which is half-peeled before he passed it to me and so I ate it. I looked outside and saw the vast water greeting the land. "Looks like the storm has subsided?" I asked and he replied yes. I want to carry on with our journey. 

I looked at the blue-haired Zale and he was packing our things. So am I being discharged? He looked at me and smiled. I stood up and my long hair was swayed by the strong wind. I saw the red strands and just looked at them. My hair color changed after I saw my mother who has Bright red hair with highlights of black. I turned to the mirror and saw my red hair that was highlighted with white. 

We thanked the doctor and the nurse who has assisted us throughout the stay in the small clinic. We went back on the trail and this time, we were cautious in everything that was surrounding us. We fought beasts with beasts as we go further into the mountains. I was grateful that Zale was with me because I am still weak and am lack mana. I haven't fully restored my mana yet and so we just stuck into walking instead of flying. 

We rested for about 10 minutes or so because I was getting exhausted. I marked my words that I shall never drain my mana, it almost led me to my death. "Are you okay?"Zale asked me when he noticed that I am slowly running out of breath. I nodded and took a deep breath to spread the oxygen in my body. I lit one of my fingers with fire, though it was small and weak, then swallowed it, Zale looked at me with disbelief. "Why the heck did you eat fire?" He said and lifted my chin and opened my mouth. 

"It was the only way to subside my fever" I replied. The way that he looked at me was like questioning me if I really have a fever. "Didn't you know that once you drain your mana, you'll have hay fever, and the only way to subside the fever is to eat your own magic," I said while catching my breath and feel my fever that subsided? I sighed in relief when I felt that the load in my chest was finally gone. 

I stood up and looked at him and ask, "Didn't your father told you that? Or at the very least, someone? It is quite the most common knowledge ever taught to anyone in the four clans with elements." He shook his head and stood up and carried my backpack for me. He looked like a puppy that is sorry for not knowing anything. I felt kind of guilty though. Was I harsh with my words?

Hours have passed, all we did was walk and rest. I really am slowing down our journey. We even spent the night camping and him cooking dinner. I apologized many times for being a hinder and slowing the journey towards the duke's knight-dom. 

After a few days of adventuring, we finally reached the knight-dom, "We're finally here!" Said Zale. We walked in and were stopped by the knights guarding the Gates of the Heliutin Knight-dom. "Show us your identification certificate." 

Zale and I were taken aback. We don't own any identification certificates. From where we came from, which is the Southern Islands, we don't really need the use of this identification thingy, we just state our business and that's it. Our security is lame. 

Going back, my book slightly glowed and miraculously made a freaking identification certificate. The same does for Zale. So this book made by the Gods can do illegal things, convenient I must say. We didn't think twice and showed our certificate and the knights gladly welcomed us in the knight-dom. "Welcome to Heliutin Knight-dom travelers." 

Without any reaction, we silently went in and were amazed by how everything in this place was so clean and organized. "We look like someone who came from a faraway place and has never come to a big city." Said Zale. I was still in awe but when I heard those words from Zale, I said, "We really are from a faraway place. We live in the Southern."

Zale just laughed it off and I just wore a confused look on my face. We searched for a place to sleep since it was almost sunset when a kid suddenly came to us and offered us a place to sleep for free. It was quite sketchy but then again, we were kinda broke since we spent a little currency in the clinic on the harbor. 

We accepted the offer, not knowing what was going to happen. 

And so we followed him up to his house, we heightened our defense on ourselves in case the kid decides to just go and stab us and take our money. I've learned my lesson. I have a scar due to this similar situation in the past. We reached his house and saw a not-so-shabby house, but noticed that we were actually far from the main district of the town.

"We were placed here by the captain, the ruler of this knight-dom to protect us." Said the kid. To protect them huh? "You knew when you first entered the town, big sister." My senses were heightened thanks to my grandpapa's training. He helped me detect other elemental users. Zale looked at me with confused looks. He's strong physically and when he is using his powers but not by sense, in terms of enemies and other elemental users. 

"You can sense that kind of thing?" He asked, I sighed at how he is so innocent he is when it comes to this basic training we got from my clan. Especially when our Goddess is the Goddess of Fire and war. We followed the kid inside his house and saw there two other children. A boy and a girl. Looking at their eyes, it's bluish-gray. And one thing comes to my mind, wind. 

"How come you're here in this knight-dom?" Zale asked. The same question I wanted to ask actually, this clan is supposed to be located on high fields, not a place where it is surrounded by the tallest of mountains. "The Captain took us in. Our original place was burnt down by a group of bandits. Since the captain doesn't want us to reveal our element to some ordinary group of people, he decided to take our clan inside this town, but far away from the main district to keep us safe." The kid explained to us while organizing some of the other children's stuff. So, they are like our clan. But our difference is that the king of the kingdom of the southern kept us as their security to the other elemental users. 

"So it's like that. At least they are actually protecting you, unlike what they did to our clan." I said. He shook his head. "The exchange of our safety is the princess of our clan." What he said was shocking news. Their captain, he what? That news got me and Zale alarmed. The princess of their clan is as important as the elder. My mother, the one who took care of me, was announced as the princess of our clan before I was born, and is still the princess. No one dares to touch the princess of each clan. "The princess voluntarily went to the captain when he announced it. She said if it's for our protection, she would be glad to offer herself." 

I stood up, that's it! I'm going to save their princess. Zale held my hand to stop me. I budged but it didn't do anything. "You are not going there without a plan. We don't even know what she looks like." He said. He does have a point, going there without a plan is suicide.  

"You don't need to do this." The young boy said. "Kid, the princess of the clan is as important as an elder. The princess keeps the balance of each clan, you guys need her." Zale explained. Zale is smart, good-looking, a little bit innocent, and is kind. Thank goodness he is like this because I have no patience to explain these kinds of things. He is also explaining to the children that I am in a bad mood because of the story they told us. "Anyways, do you kids know what she looks like? Or what her name is?" I asked.

"All we know is that the princess is calm and kind looking, has long blonde wavy hair, and her name is Zephyrine Heaven"