CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Author: ALPHA-PEN ORIGINALS
last update Last Updated: 2024-10-29 19:42:56

Zyra heard knuckles crashing on the door. Whoever had knocked couldn't wait for an answer before knocking the second time. She gazed at the door without getting up to open it. Perhaps she did not even know what the sound meant anymore.

Castar's departure had triggered something in her. She lost track of time and did not even know she had been locked in the house for days. To her, it was as if Castar had left last night, but days had passed since then. It was like a fresh wound that needed to be tended to every time it was touched.

She had denied herself everything good; she had refused to eat. The reason she could not resist the thirst for water was to keep herself from dying, because she still hoped to see Castar again.

There was another knock, and she rose from the armchair she had been sitting in all day. Her hair was matted and sticking out in all directions. The last time she had oiled and brushed it was before that night. A blanket lay over her back to give her some warmth.

By t
Continue to read this book on the App

Related Chapters

  • Origin: Rooted Within   CHAPTER FIFTEEN

    Mafik swung his blade to cut the rope Castar was hanging from. Castar fell to the sand, groaning in pain as he landed on his bruised back. His hand closed around Castar's neck and he pulled him off the ground and led him out of the bush. Mafik led him to an open lot, somewhere. The land bore no grasses. The rocks were pale and the land looked like it was suffering from drought.Castar wondered why he was freed from the ropes. His hands were still tied behind his back, but at least he was no longer hanging upside down from a tree. From a distance, he could make out the figure of a man standing in the middle of open land. The hem of his cloak rested on the jagged rocks beneath the soles of his feet, his face obscured by the hood that protruded from his cloak. He held a sword in both hands.The sun had risen, and the blade reflected its light, casting it in Castar's eyes as he came at him. Mafik forced Castar to his knees the moment they both reached the cloaked figure. Castar looked up

  • Origin: Rooted Within   CHAPTER SIXTEEN

    Zyra still sat where she sat. The same could be said of them all.She coughed into her bent elbow again, and Callagh moved closer to her and squatted in front of her."Allow me," he said, extending two fingers toward Zyra's throat. Zyra was not sure what he was up to, and she did not know him well enough to trust him. She glanced at Era and she nodded to her, showing that it was okay for him to touch her neck.Zyra nodded to Callagh and stretched her neck. He placed two fingers on her throat and say a few spells. His eyes glowed blue and Zyra shivered."You have magic too," Zyra coughed."Why do you sound so much like the Kranians? The language you speak sounds so much like the dialect spoken by the tribe of kranía" she added, and Garissa nodded."Yes. In fact, I speak the Kraì dialect as well. The Kranians are the only tribe across the border, and though I am only a guard-an anchor between the two sides-I can speak both Kraí and Earthín."I understand!" said Zyra.Moments after Calla

  • Origin: Rooted Within   CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

    A sharp knock on the door drew Halbay's attention to the wooden door."Draia! Look who's at the door, my child!" he called out to Draia, who was already on her way out of the kitchen, as her father was still busy removing a poison from his patient's arm. One other patient waited in line for Halbay's treatment.Luck had visited him in the last few days. Earlier that day, his house was filled to the backyard with people waiting and begging for his attention. It was everything he had always wanted, but it still shocked him how much and how quickly things could change. He remembered the time he had chased someone up Alderis's mountain to convince him to stop by instead of walking up the mountain just to meet Castar.Castar was the best healer in the tribe. Most people came in search of him, not knowing that he was special because he used magic. Halbay envied him for the rate at which he was known for doing a great job. He felt it to be odd, seeing people rush into his house for treatment,

  • Origin: Rooted Within   CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

    RITORÁ-LORTÉ-BORDERThey moved side by side on their horses through the grasslands. Like puppets being controlled. They were aware of their every move, knowing that their movements were being monitored by Baraka. Era's mouth was full. She had so many things to say, but she did not want whoever was wearing the mirror to overhear her. Callagh noticed how uncomfortable she was and broke the silence."He's just watching. He can not hear us," he said, and Era was surprised that he knew what was going through her mind."Why are we traveling if we are just going to show him where Castar is? Will not that mean the end of our journey?" she said."Gitak loe jata! We have no common course. This is my fight. I only had you follow me so you could lead me to Castar's mother," he said, and Era frowned."Why are you letting me follow you now? If I remember correctly, you can track Castar now with your magic. Why did not you stop me?" She said."Because you are the one to find Castar. He's watching me

  • Origin: Rooted Within   CHAPTER NINETEEN

    Malak.Malak!The voice again, that one voice. It was always the same. It crept up on him and let the darkness invade his subconscious."There is a new message.""Listen to me."Darkness filled his eyes. He could not move an inch, he could not see light, he could see nothing but darkness in its entirety.It was like another realm, a realm where the senses must go into exile. The only sense that remained was that of hearing, that of perceiving words, and that of understanding.How he understood this remains a mystery. He heard it speak and translated it in Earthín.It was spoken in the same foreign dialects he had not been taught. This time, he could think. He was thinking of something when the horrified voice spoke to him."I wish you could hear my thoughts," he thought in a quiet voice in his head. It was not new to him what he was experiencing. It was not the first, nor the second time he had been visited by the unknown messenger, who always seemed to bring him messages that had no

  • Origin: Rooted Within   CHAPTER TWENTY

    "We almost lost hope. We thought you would stay that way until you join your fathers," she said, and Castar's mouth dropped open."What were you doing there all by yourself, and how did you get those bruises on your back?" she asked. She was asking too many questions at once. She had more. Castar was there, but his mind was not with her, his thoughts were elsewhere. He still wondered. It was not like he'd been hit on the head or anything. He wondered if the magic he had used had sent him into a six-day slumber."I do not know," he said."I was out in the field. I can not remember everything that happened, but I know I was suffering from dehydration..." He said and the old lady interrupted him without letting him finish."Just do not mention that you were dehydrated. The field where we found you is near to the river. To get to the field, your part must have crossed the river," she said. She had no intention of doubting his words, but she was only in disbelief.Castar's head dropped, an

  • Origin: Rooted Within   CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

    Her ears listened as she watched from her perch in the tree, like a predator marking its prey. She pulled off her hood to get a better view.The gathering of 5 men - all of whom looked like bounty hunters - was so unfamiliar to her. They did not know she was above them, under the fig tree they were camped under for the night. She blended so well with the darkness that reigned in the treetop that even the fire that was lit amid the men to ward off the wild animals and keep them warm could not reveal her.Two fingers of her right hand caught on an arrow of the quiver of arrows that hung over her back, and she also clung to the bow that was still crossed.Her gaze circled over the weapons of the others. Some had clubs, others had hammers, and one had a sword. And then there was that thick shackle hanging from an even thicker chain that lay in the middle of them. She wondered what they were up to.She watched until her attention was drawn to two other male figures coming at them from the

  • Origin: Rooted Within   CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

    There he was, having traveled to the land of infinite mystery. Someone like him, with eyes that were not ordinary, knew why it was called the Land of Infinite Mystery. Where was that land located? In the eyes of men, it is an open garden, shrouded in beautiful flowers and narrow-leaved grasses that would reach to the heel. A land as colorful as rainbows, changing from beauty to beauty as time went on. That was all they could see.He looked at the little children running and playing in the sunlight and thought to himself, “If they could only see...”The children and their parents watched him as he walked into the middle of the extensive garden and took off his hood. They looked at him as if he came from another world, but that was indeed the case, but they did not know that.The moment he pulled his spear from behind his cloak, the children ran to their parents. They all wondered what kind of man he was and why he held the golden spear with such ferocity. Some took their children in th

Latest Chapter

  • Origin: Rooted Within   

    CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE

    . . . . . . . . . .R I T O R À. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A L D É R I S’ H O U S E. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The sound of the cockcrow from a distance hit Isher's ears and his eyes opened. His eyes first met the wall that was staring back at him, and when he turned around, he saw Zyra sitting beside him on the bed. Zyra smiled at him, and it gladdened his heart to be showered with so much love. He had missed all of these as a boy, because Castar was always there to steal it from him, but now he was a grown man, and even at this, it still brought smile to his face. The smile on his face ceased after a thought came to him. The love was there, he was getting everything he ever wanted —everything that had ever made him jealous— but he was not fulfilled. Zyra noticed how fast the smile on Isher's face ceased, and she was surprised —wondering of she did something wrong. Isher's attention was drawn from her and his eyes wander

  • Origin: Rooted Within   

    CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

    C A T A N I S — R I T O R ÁY I L L I U S’ T A V E R NThe night was a busy one in ritorà, especially In a place like this. Yilius’ Tavern was extremely loud this night, nothing close to the usual. It amazed even Yilius himself. He was so surprised that many customers were still patronizing him even till that time of the night. The night was also not young at this time, Yillius stood behind his counter, letting his eyes wander as he takes note of all the customers that were present. All of the regular ones were present, and he also saw faces that were not that familiar. They were a couple of new faces there, and he knew from that moment that his business was indeed flourishing. He brought out his pouch and pulled it open, what caught his eyes brought a huge smile upon his face. There were lots and lots of money, in fact, he had not made such an amount in months. To him, it was definitely the best day of his life that year. He closed his eyes and took time to smell the coins afte

  • Origin: Rooted Within   

    CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE

    . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .L A K E O F Z U B R I S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .[ T R I N I K A, M E T R A ]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .K I T A’S H U T. . . . . . . . . . . . . .The sun spilled across Trinika, and it blinded Era as she walked through the door. Trailing her behind was Kitá. She stood by the door, and Era turned to her after stepping away from the door. “You have been like a sister to me. I won't forget you in a hurry. Keep learning so you would teach me more from where we stop, only if we meet again,” Era said, and she embraced Kitá. Kitá Pat her back twice and and broke from the embrace. She grabbed Era’s shoulders tightly. . .“Surely, we will meet again. Fate will permit our paths to cross some time in the future, and then I can teach you how to discharge,” Kitá said to her and she turned towards Lyris after she gave

  • Origin: Rooted Within   

    CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO

    . . . . . . . . . .R I T O R À. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A L D É R I S’ H O U S E. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A sound hit the front door of the house, and Zyra woke up from her slumber. She had not had a good night rest in a while, and last night was different. She just made up her mind to stop grieving her sons. Garissa’s words finally managed to sink deep into her.Zyra brought down her legs from the bed and the cold floor grazed her feet as she stood up and went for her door. . .“Garissa, Is that you?” She asked and before she could say another word, she head a loud sound again, and to her it almost sounded like someone was throwing himself at the door. She made her way out of the passage that led to her room, and she went to the sitting room quickly and walked up to the door. “Who’s that?” She asked, but got no response. . .Her hands curled up around the handle of the door and she turned slightly and pulled towards herse

  • Origin: Rooted Within   

    CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

    . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .L A K E O F Z U B R I S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .[ T R I N I K A, M E T R A ]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .K I T A’S H U T. . . . . . . . . . . . . .The three of them sat by the fire. A fire was lit in their midst to provide them with warmth in the cold night. The night was no longer young, it had grown old into the dark. The sounds of the stubborn insects was all they heard. Kitá’s gaze was on the burning woods as she waited for Lyris’ next question. Lyris had been throwing questions at her, some of which she could not answer, because she genuinely did not know what to say. She was able to answer so many others, but that was not enough. Lyris wanted to be sure she was to be trusted. Like Lyris said, she deemed the magic that Kitá was harnessing to be evil, and the fact that she was comfortable with teaching

  • Origin: Rooted Within   

    CHAPTER FIFTY

    . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .S O U T H L A N D. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . .D I G A R. . . . . . . . .S Y R N E M P I R E * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *M A L A K’S C H A M B E R. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .The night wind blew across Malak's face as it journeyed through the window of the top floor into his chamber. It was so strong and cold that it blew off the only source of light in the room which was the lantern by the table beside the bed. . .Even as the wind was cool, it could not dry up the beads of sweat that formed incessantly on Malak's forehead. His eyelids fluttered violently and his subconscious felt the urge to burst them open and meet the actual world he was in.The breathe in his lungs thickened and the panting persisted. He was scared, even in his subconscious —his subconscious is not aware of how powerful he is in the outside world. He was just like a child to the vision that struck his subconscious mind, and he wa

  • Origin: Rooted Within   

    CHAPTER FOURTY-NINE

    L A K E O F Z U B R I S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .[ T R I N I K A, M E T R A ]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .K I T A’S H U T. . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lyris placed two fingers on Era’s forehead, and Era screamed in pain. Kitá tried to go after Lyris, but she was sent to sleep with a spell line that came out of Lyris’ mouth. . .Era’s eyes tore open that very moment, and she felt a sharp burn in her head as fragments of her lost memories began to assemble back in her head slowly, and then some moments after, it came in a flash, and she could remember every single thing she was not able to remember, including the day she killed Callagh to save Castar, and the bitter moment in all that was the part where she saw Castar pushed her off the hill.Lyris released her from the influence of her magic. Her eyes watered as she saw Lyris in tears. Lyris was in such great pain. She went through Era’s memories as well and she saw the image of the time Era pl

  • Origin: Rooted Within   

    CHAPTER FOURTY-EIGHT

    7 D A Y S A F T E R T H E S E I G E. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .L A K E O F Z U B R I S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .[ T R I N I K A, M E T R A ]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .K I T A’S H U T. . . . . . . . . . . . . .Era had been practicing. She was now skilled in two areas. It was not an easy road, but she believed it was worth the struggle. She was halfway through the process of harnessing the magic, and the only step she had not learn yet was the process of discharging, that was the actual point where the magic would be put into use. Assimilating and storing without learning how to discharge it was useless.Kitá was so impressed with the fact that Era had learnt so much even while she was recovering. Era had not retrieved her memories yet, but she was physically strong. She could do all manner of trainings that Kitá made her go through, some of which she performed excellently well and wondered how she

  • Origin: Rooted Within   

    CHAPTER FOURTY-SEVEN

    * * * * * * * * F Y R M O T, * * * * * * * *[ A L A N D T O T H E E A S T OF E A S T L A N D ]* * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *N I N I A S, F Y R M O T* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *There was silence, and only the sound of the disturbed waters stood dominant. The morning sky was pale, and there were few clouds that stood noticeable. The water that rested under the sky above Fyrmot was, well, the only source of water in the whole of Fyrmot. . .Fyrmot was only an outskirt of the great desert of Deñark, and for this, it only escaped the wrath of the sands by accident —causing the land to be dry in every other region apart from the small water body that was found at the edge of Eastland.A pale young woman who had just clad herself in an attire made of black leather, had just walked out from within the sea, and no single drop of water dripped from her hair. Her pupils emitted a bright blue light, and her hair had not lost its sheen.She looked around to see if anyone had s