SAMALAH:
As soon as Dahlia said yes, I put my hands over her eyes, feeding on the power coming through our connection.
My body started to itch starting from the center of my trunk until it reached the tips of my toes and fingers as I feel the fulfillment of our promise.
“It’s done,” I whispered in a half-smile against myself.
As soon as the spell had fully consumed us, I heard Lord Irvan’s mad calling. I pushed Dahlia away from the side of the road by instinct.
Just a second away after this, Lord Irvan descended upon me. He grabbed my hair forcefully that I felt like my very scalp will tear away.
“You b*tch! You dare run away from us!”
He started to drag me back from where we came from. As my body was still weak from the magic that I had utilized, I could only thrash about in the mud.
In the distance, I can positively hear the sound of horses.
“No,” I screamed “Help me!”
Just then, Lord Irvan turned towa
SAMALAH: The moment I opened my eyes, I was in absolute pain. “Ugh,” I moaned sharply as ample amounts of tears flowed down my cheeks. I tried to blink the pain away, but it didn’t disappear. Why?... Why was I in such terrible amounts of pain? It felt as if the ends of my digits were all dead. Dead… Just then, everything that had happened to me came flooding back in my memory. The last time I was awake, Lord Irvan was there. He kicked and punched me as if I was nothing but a mere rag. He was still hell bent on inflicting pain on me when suddenly someone pushed him violently from the left side… I remembered that he rolled around with a wolf for some time, and the next thing I realized, a blazing tree trunk descended from where I was slumped on the ground… I gasped as I tried to peer down at my body. That’s right. A burning tree came down on me, sending me into pain I never knew existed. My eyesight was still hazy. I trie
DAHLIA: I blinked and the girl in the water blinked. I turned my head from left to right, and she had done the same. I have stared at my reflection for a full minute now, but everything was as it was. Staring back at me as if it was really me was Samalah’s own face… I was drawn into the horror of what I was seeing. Goddess, what was Samalah thinking? Between the two of us, wasn’t she the one who have likely caused this? I was sure that the spirit stone couldn’t have had the power to change my appearance. Plus, she did say some really weird things before pushing me towards the side of the road. “My request – that you are giving yourself to me completely – say you permit it!” Was that why she made me say yes? Was this her idea of saving me?... “Hey, miss, are you alright?” I looked back from behind me, and finally, I saw the face of Efiro’s father for the first time. He had the same green eyes and long da
KAIST: My ears picked up the unfamiliar sound of an intruder in the nearby bushes. I hugged Dahlia’s body closer towards me. If this was another attack by those blasted rogues, I came in prepared to lay my life on the line. Just then, Dahlia started groaning. I cautioned her to stay quiet, but she didn’t listen. She pointed her bandaged arms towards the bushes where the sounds were coming from. What was she trying to tell me?... Just then, an enormous wolf as dark as the night emerged from the thicket. On his head, a dark violet rune glistened malevolently. I was positive I had seen this wolf before… In fact, I had battled with him back in Payn! I put Dahlia gently behind me and faced the wolf before me. “You rogue! Come closer if you want your death!” He was not just an ordinary rogue, for I am sure that he was just like me, a Shadow Rune wolf… “Prince Kaist,” he growled. “It’s me…” I cannot believe my
TRISTAN: “Don’t you remember, Dahlly? When I chased you inside a cave one time, we were able to do it. You loaned me your powers. We could do that again. I could help heal you.” That’s right. We didn’t need any doctors. If I could channel Dahlia’s powers and use it towards her, she would definitely feel better in no time. I thought it would make Dahlia light up with excitement. I knew she was suffering a lot too. But why did she tremble and look as if I just gave her a horrible idea?... “Dahlly, I know what I’m trying to suggest must be scary for you… Maybe it’s because you haven’t remembered it well, but I assure you, it would work.” “Ahhh,” she shook her head vehemently. “Why not? Don’t you want it?… Don’t you want to use your leg once again,” I asked, trying to swallow the lump that had formed on my throat. “Once you get better, Eva and us could run again. I know your wolf would want that… You can run freely again, away from
TRISTAN: I flinched. How did King Maurus know who I was? He smiled weakly. “I see my senses haven’t dulled yet… I never forget a face when I see one. Besides, you have a touch of your mother’s look, so it’s impossible not to see her in you…” “If you knew who I was then why did you rescue me,” I asked angrily. “Ah that… Out of guilt, I guess. I’m not as heartless as you think, kid…” The king’s nonchalant attitude sent me into a frenzy of emotions. “Not heartless? You killed my whole pack and kidnapped my pregnant mother, how heartless can you still get after doing all those things?!” Almost instantly, the visions of seeing my mother being taken away and my father being slain before my eyes came back to me, fueling my hate and anger for this person – King Maurus Lyon - even more. He looked back with somber eyes at me as if he was also having a bit of bittersweet memories replay in his head. “You’re right. I
TRISTAN: I can’t believe it! King Maurus – the mastermind behind the slaughter of my pack has really gone insane! “Wait, what are you -?” Before I could complete my protest, a bright, white light shone from our conjoined hands. The succession of rights ritual was really starting to take place! “No, I don’t accept this,” I screamed in protest. “I’m sorry, kid… You have no right to refuse it…” What kind of madness is this? I tried to free my hand from his palms, but it was locked in an iron grip. How can the old fool have strength enough to do this trickery? When the light subsided, I felt a shiver escape my body. I looked at the white teeth mark that revealed itself in my left wrist – a symbol of the White Fang Pack. “What did you do,” I roared as I pulled my hands away from the old man. “I gave you the rights to the throne…” “Why?” “There are forces much stronger than you and my son who m
SAMALAH: When I saw Tristan’s wolf emerge from the bushes during daybreak, I couldn’t help but be relieved. Three days ago, I thought I had lost him. I hated Dahlia for it because if she didn’t challenge Lord Irvan, Tristan wouldn’t have died a violent death like that… At the same time, I hated the fact that Tristan had foolishly risked his life for someone as unworthy as Dahlia Hurst. She was an enemy… our enemy! How can he be crazy enough to love her so deeply that he was willing to die just like that? Thus, after the cave had collapsed, I was determined to make Dahlia’s life so miserable, she’d regret that she had survived! However, that was all before Lord Irvan started to assault Dahlia… As soon as she dragged her out of the burning cave, he kicked her so hard, I knew she was bound to lose the child – Tristan’s own flesh and blood. If I hadn’t been in possession of a Dragon Stone, Dahlia Hurst would have surely los
DAHLIA: “Dahlia!” I gasped as my eyes opened wildly. Did I really hear that correctly? It sounded like Tristan’s voice… I cupped my throbbing forehead. Of course it couldn’t be him… It was only a dream… “Samalah, you had a nightmare again,” I heard a youngish voice speak beside me. It was followed by a hug against my side. I smiled. By now, I was so used to Efiro’s hugs that it didn’t feel strange to me at all. Rather, this little one’s affection was making me look forward to the day I would meet my own child in my arms… It has been less than a day when we entered Camdress, and the first thing that Thesla had done for me was to locate the house of the healer in the small, tight-knit community. “What is it,” I heard an old man’s voice speak behind a wooden door. “Sir Morland, sorry for troubling you at this hour… I brought a guest.” I wasn’t expecting it, but the healer before me was also a dragon… And he