2024-01-01 15:03:10TAFTANI gazed intensely at the crystal full of green luminous liquid as if it were a state of the art. He was proud of himself since they successfully retrieved the Creation Orb, and it would not be long for it to be in their possession. Once the new holder lost her will to live, the orb would be transferred to the empty round casket he made.
Nyssa was inside the crystal; at a glance, one would think she was in peaceful slumber. But it was the complete opposite. For the young girl, every apparatus connected to her body that was meant to extract the power of the orb brought excruciating pain.
The scream that wanted to come through Nyssa’s throat was muffled by a mask covering her mouth. She could not explain the searing torment that went through every vein in her body. She was stripped of her clothes as soon as she was brought into this chamber.
Brother, I will wait for you... Tears cascaded down Nyssa’s cheek that couldn’t be seen because of the green liquid.
I want to live…
She had always been fighting for her life since the day she was born. And she got to experience a second chance to live happily after obtaining the orb. Nyssa vowed to keep resisting because she knew Ethros would come to save her.
Nyssa’s body shook when Taftani pushed a black button at the base of the crystal.
“Don’t be stubborn, little girl!” The high mage clenched his jaw. He couldn’t hide his disappointment. “Come on! Give up the Luominen; that is not yours to begin with.”
Taftani repeatedly pressed the button but could not yield his expected result. He only stopped torturing Nyssa when a group of imperial guards barged in.
Recognizing the emperor’s presence, the high mage quickly arched down his body.
“Your Imperial Highness!” His eyes remained down; he could only see the emperor’s red robe moving along with his golden boots.
Emperor Alav rarely visited the high mage’s chamber, unlike the king. And being the holder of the mighty Candela, the magic crystals around him kept vibrating because of the emperor’s presence. Among the four mother orbs, they believed that the Fire Orb was the strongest.
“What is the progress of the extraction?” the emperor inquired. He studied the crystal for a while.
“The holder is clinging to her life. But rest assured, we’d get the orb in no time.” Taftani sounded sure.
“Get up. Tell me how long I will have to wait.” The emperor did not conceal how impatient he was. “Terra would be at its weakest; even if the forces of Zephyra came to their aid, we’d surely claim victory as long as we could wield the Luominen to its full potential.”
Taftani slowly got back to his feet. “I understand your predicament, Your Imperial Highness.”
“I don’t want to lose the orb again, Taftani. We already lost the Water Orb! How can I gain immortality without it?” The emperor glared at the high mage.
“My wizards are still in search of the lost water orb. Hanum is still within our grasp. Once the extraction is complete, Terra will not have a chance, even if Zephyra is behind them.”
“We are in perpetual conflict with Zephyra. Landing on their territory is almost impossible for us because of their wind magic. We suffered significant damage, and I can’t let it continue.”
Taftani remained silent. He was careful not to agitate the emperor. Knowing that in the empire his edict couldn’t be broken, he wouldn’t dare risk his life.
The emperor took a closer look at the child inside the crystal. “I can’t believe the Creation Orb chose a child to be its new holder, considering she is not of royal bloodline but came from a savage tribe.”
“This child is full of enigma, Your Imperial Highness. However, that might be one of the consequences for the Terrans for not securing the mother orb in their royal bloodline. Either way, it works in our favor. Your path to immortality is within our reach.”
“The power of the Candela is consuming my life span; the more I use it, my life is at risk. Magic in this world is not free; you know it well. But I do appreciate your sorcery for finding a way to lessen the rapid decrease in my life span.” Emperor Alav sauntered around the crystal as if scrutinizing every inch of the child’s body. “Amazing, how can such a small frame hold such great power?”
“I am analyzing her blood. She is a human yet different, perhaps of an unknown race. Semme found her on an isolated island located in our very own Dezertus District. We didn’t know a certain tribe inhabited it, despite the hostile conditions.”
“My grandfather had told me that the island has been unhabitable for a thousand years, and since no resources can be found, it is deemed useless. Not to mention that the most ferocious monsters can be found there.” The emperor fixed his gaze on the girl’s bare chest, and a small light flickered. “What is that?”
Taftani stared at the girl. “The orb inside her must be reacting to the extraction. I am just waiting for her to succumb to her life. Once she loses her will to live, it’s done.”
Emperor Alav chuckled. “I am expecting it to be done sooner, Taftani. Especially now that insurgents are making their move.”“I understand, Your Imperial Highness.” Taftani gulped quietly. He brushed off the uncertainties in his mind. He knew his capability, and extracting the Creation Orb successfully would give him a firm position in this empire.
IN Glana, the capital city of the Terra Kingdom, General Mord was patrolling the vicinity of the palace when a gigantic falcon suddenly landed, and its rider in a dark green cloak came to him.“Damien, you’re back!” The general’s face lit up.
Damien removed his mask and revealed his face. He had a leaf tattoo on the right side of his temple.
“General!” Damien quickly gave the general a Terran salute by tapping the back of his left hand with the other and arching his body down to a ninety-degree bow.
“I thought you were still in Senara, evacuating the children.”
Damien stood up straight. “I had to make a hard decision to fly in Shu. My network received a piece of valuable information about our Luominen. My men are now securing our future generations once war breaks loose.”
“You came to Shu? That’s exhausting travel.” General Mord was surprised. Shu is the capital city of Zephyra, the Wind Country. They were in constant war with the Vatre Empire since their geographical locations were near each other.
“It’s worth what I’ve found out, General.”
Mord nodded. “What is it all about?”“The empire already found the new holder of the Creation Orb—a little girl from a remote island. And she’s being held in the high mage’s chamber to extract it.”
General Mord’s usual stern face suddenly looked agitated. “Are you certain?”
“Yes, I am. We need to act fast.”
“Gather the Knights of Terra. You need to go to Ankhe!”
“Yes, General!”
“Oh, don’t be too formal when it’s just the two of us.” He attempted to lighten the mood.
Damien smiled and hugged him. “It’s nice to see you again, brother.”
The two had an uncanny resemblance, their tanned skin was impeccable, and some people had mistaken them for twins. They were cousins from the well-known family of warriors—the Winward Clan.
After General Mord dismissed Damien, he hurriedly came inside Prince Thespian’s library. He kept starting his portrait, and he’d walk back and forth.
“I will get the Luominen back.” He clenched his fist. However, his countenance instantly softened as he remembered the prince’s last words before he died.
“The Luominen will soon return to its rightful master... So are the other mother orbs. Be sure to witness when it happens, General. I’m afraid we are doomed to experience the second wave of the Great Catastrophe.”
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