THE MARK

"Master? Are you alright?" 

Darcy bent down beside Megara who was seating on the sword. They had no option but to invoke their swords and get out of the clan as soon as possible. Once they were out of the clan then only did they breathe out.

Megara who was sitting on Darcy's sword up in the air was somewhere in a trance, worrying her disciples riding the swords around her. Her left arm was pulsing in misery but she endured it like she always did. 

"Yeah, we must step down in the Yarin village and immediately depart for the sect," Megara said and looked around at her disciples. Her expressions were stern like steel and her eyes were cold as usual. The expressions on her disciple's face were somewhat looked distressed. They looked defeated. 

Yarin village was located between the Linya Clan and Liberation front sect. They left their horses in the inn they paid for and immediately sat off for the Linya Clan. Now they were heading back to the village.

Megara lowered her gaze and looked down at the huge trees, their leaves were fluttering in the air just like her robe was. Her heart was heavy but her face looked cold. 

"Master, your left arm. Before we sat off for the sect, please, let me see it." Ida said, she was riding her sword beside them and her worried gaze was fixated on Megara's left arm. She immediately noticed her master's Injury because she is a disciples in the healing department. The others were shocked to learn about Megara's injury. This was probably the first time their master got injured this severely. 

Only if Megara said, Evandros was holding back. These kids might even not proceed to learn anymore. She also wanted to save her face because he almost bodied her. He could have easily ended all five of them but he deliberately held back. 

The reason was very much apparent.

"Fix it for the time being, we don't have much time," Megara said and soon all of them landed in the Yarin village. They did not waste any time and walked into their respective inns getting freshen up for the next voyage while Ida was scanning Megara's arm in Megara's room.

"How is it?" Megara questioned, her jaw clenching and unclenching as Ida touched her swollen arm. "Master, I can fix it but you must go to the healing master Zhan," Ida said and Megara nodded. Her brows threaded in a scowl as Ida started to fix her arm with her spells for the time being. 

By the time she was healing Megara's arm, her other comrades entered the room. Helice closed the door behind her as they all stood in line beside each other. "We are ready to vacate, master," Syloson said and Megara nodded.

"There is something I must show you guys," Megara said and slowly opened her right palm, on which the green shining stone was resting. All of their eyes lit up in pleasure as they eyed the stone in their master's palm. 

"Nothing less expected from Master. I knew you will get it." Helice said. Her delicate hands joined together with a wide smile playing on her lips. Megara nodded and tightened her grip on the stone. Her eyes suddenly darkened upon realizing her clan can be in danger.

"Let's depart," Megara said, and once Ida was done treating her. All of them grabbed their horses and rode out of the town towards their denomination.

******* 

By the time they reached their sect, the four disciples went to their chambers to rest as it was still very early in the morning as the sun was just rising while Megara on the other hand went towards the peak of the mountain where the hall was located. She wanted to hand the stone to the headmaster of the sect. Others masters must know she succeeded in her mission and did not die as soon as they woke up but that can be really harsh on the sect. Deep down she loathed most of them except Evenor. If it wasn't for the headmaster she wouldn't be here.

She is not just that kind-hearted. She holds grudges deep down and maintains her distance from those she doesn't like. They are probably the ones who talk behind her back. She is cold and speaks right to the face. She doesn't like talking behind people's backs and she knows they call her a bitter witch behind her back. It's so out of a character for a master so in her eyes only Evenor is the real master.

The huge golden entrance door of the hall was opened for her once she climbed up almost a hundred stairs. Her footsteps echoed in the hall, waking the headmaster from his slumber. He was sitting on the stage of the hall, on his respective throne. 

The ceiling of the hall was engraved in gold. The pillars were tall and had dragons made out of stones rolling around the pillars. His eyes widened and he stood up from his throne once he saw Megara walking towards him.

"Blossom."  He said, his pupils dilating and a wide smile spreading on his lips. "Uncle Zale,"  Megara said and stopped in front of the stairs. Zale is her deceased mother's brother. He is her respective uncle and had done so much for her. Even when she was being forced to go to the Linya Clan, Zale put up a lot of effort to somehow stop her from going but the rules were applied to everyone. Even though others didn't treat her well, her uncle treated her like an uncle should. He was her only family.  

"Oh my, dear." He walked downstairs and immediately grabbed her hands in his. "Thank God, Thank God...Thank God thousand times. Your back."  He said, a frown making its way on his happy face when he saw her bloodied collar. 

"Did you overdo your magic?" He asked and she just sighed. "Stop worrying about me. Won't you ask if I brought the stones?" She asked and he narrowed his eyes at her. He was a joyful and simple-minded person. There were many times Megara guided him and he did not mind it all, instead, he followed her guide because he was aware of his simplicity. 

"Who cares about those evil stones? Are you alright?" He asked, the corner of her lips twitched and she could not help but faintly smile. If it wasn't for this old man she would be lonely. Even he was lonely...the mark on his arm was now colorless as he has lost his soulmate long ago due to sickness and just a few years after that he lost his sister in a battle, his sister, Megara's mother.

But he had a son, he was a year older than Megara. He is always roaming around the world, experiencing different spells, magics, and people. He is never home. He doesn't even care about his soulmate. He is just too much into experiencing things and becoming stronger which uncle doesn't mind at all because the father and son relationship is good.

"Uncle, I failed to get all the stones," Megara said and he shook his head, his faint smile remaining on his face. "It's fine as long as your alive." He said and she shook her head. Her uncle's kind heart always surprises her but she is afraid this kind heart of his can be his downfall.

"I got one." She said and took out the stone from her small pouch. The green stone was shining in her hands. "Oh, nothing less expected from you. You did great, tremendous work." He said and Megara handed him the stone.

A worried expression made its way onto her face.

"Uncle I suggest you not tell everyone about this," Megara said and he frowned, shrugging in no seconds. "Why? Everyone should know you succeeded in your mission. You did it. No one will look down on you then."   

Megara did not interrupt him and listen to him until he was done talking.

"No uncle. You should not show off. I'd say only tell about this to those masters who you trust blindly such as Master Shin." Megara said and Zale nodded in understanding.

"Your so kind-hearted," Zale said and examined the stone. "I'm just protecting my uncle's sect. I don't even know how you got this throne with this simple mind of yours, maybe because of your wood magic." Megara said and he shake his hand in front of his face.

"First you insult me then you praise me," Zale said and Megara shook her head. "I didn't praise me," Megara said and he looked at her shocked, a little dramatic too. "When will you stop insulting your old uncle? You are just like your ruthless father. Get out now, go rest. I won't tell anyone but only those who I have faith in. You can tell Evenor yourself." He said, his tone changing from dramatic to teasing one in no second.

"Uncle don't," Megara said.

"Okay, Blossom. You must go to Zhan and get yourself checked. You better take a good rest. Come back at night with your disciples. I must keep this stone somewhere secure." He said and quickly hid the stone under his wide sleeves. She nodded and walked out of the hall after that she went straight to master Zhan. 

He checked her arm.

"Who healed you?" He asked and Megara stared at him blankly before answering. "My disciple, Ida." Megara said and the old man made an 'oh' face and sound.

"Hahaha, that little child is very good with her healing skills. She did a very good job." The old man said and Megara slightly smiled. He properly healed her arm and told her to not use it very harshly for two weeks. After that, she went back to her chamber. 

All this time she's been feeling very heavy.. For some reason, her chest is burning. She massaged her chest as she slowly walked towards her chamber. While she was making her way there, she met Evenor. 

He was walking towards her.

His eyes lit up once he saw Megara. He quickly walked up to her and stopped right in front of her. 

"Blossom, your back." He said and looked at her bandaged left arm. His happy expression turned into a worried one. "You are hurt." He said and Megara looked down at her arm. "I'm fine now." She said and looked up at him. Her expression was warm and her eyes were soft. These expressions were only for him.

Only him.

"Did you get the stones?" He asked. She parted her lips to say yes but found herself being reluctant. She would have hide it from him but since Zale will tell his trustworthy man about the stone she does not have any reason to hide it from him.

"Yes, I did get one stone." She said and his eyes lit up. He was so excited he almost hugged her but..he tightly grabbed her arms. His long spiky red hair which was tied up in a ponytail was swaying in the atmosphere.

"Really? You did great. This will be a great slap on those who said you can't." He said but she shook her head. "No, keep it to yourself. Don't tell anyone about this." She said and a frown appeared on his face.

"Why not?" He asked and she sighed. 

"I don't trust anyone." She said and his frown disappeared, suddenly his ears turned red as he stared at her. She trusted him....he felt like he was on cloud nine. She looked at his red ear which was almost matching his hair. She couldn't help but faintly smile. Her faint smile vanished in an instant when she felt her chest burning.

It was always her throat that burnt for a while when she overused her magic, it was never her chest. She was confused within and thought the stone that she kept within her chest had done something.

"Y-you should rest, you must be tired. Let's see each other tonight." He said and she nodded before both of them went their way. She entered her chamber and locked the door behind her. She massaged her chest and decided to take a bath. 

She quickly walked towards the other door of her room and opened it. The sun's rays hit her face, almost blinding her eyes. She closed her eyes and looked down at her small pool which was surrounded by a huge mountain and trees, there was once a time she didn't put a barrier around this place but then she put a barrier once she catches a man trying to have a peek at her. That bastard had a soulmate but he was such a deviant.

When she catches him, she left him half extinct.

The words spread around the sect like wildfire but the disciples didn't bring it up much. Some of them truly respected her and some of them were just scared of her.

She ensured the barrier was around and took off her maid robe. She threw it away and walked inside the slightly cold pool. The water was till her stomach. She kept her left arm away from water and with her own help, she slowly started to roll off the cloth around her breast which looked almost like a bandage.

Once she was done unwrapping she threw the bandage away and massaged her chest from between with cold water. She finally looked down at her chest...her eyes pausing on the mark between her bosoms. 

It was a fire mark.

A mark of a soulmate.

She kept staring at the mark blankly until her orbs started to throb in realization.