THE warm temperature inside the portal made Jie calm his raging mind. He loosened up, thinking that he had been led into a trap. He walked in a straight path for a few minutes, but he felt like he was doing it for a long time. “Nyssa, we’re near the end of this. We’ll be free,” he mumbled as his grip on the little girl’s body tightened. Jie hastened his pace, and he reached the end of the portal. He suddenly materialized in an unfamiliar, barren forest. The gigantic trees were dried, and the burning sandy soil penetrated through his leather boots. “Is this in Asterig?” he asked himself. Jie recalled the masked man who helped him, and he imagined that the type of forest that would greet him was a lush one. He gazed around, looking for a possible water source to quench his thirst. He lost a lot of energy since they infiltrated the watchtower, and even though he successfully entered the portal, their safety was not yet guaranteed. Jie alerted his senses when he heard the snappin
FIRTH, CAPITAL CITY OF HANUM THE council chamber was full, and all the newly appointed aristocrats to oversee Hanum were there, sitting around the oval crystal table. Several minor fire orbs were put in each corner to serve as heaters to counter the freezing temperature. Duke Balrius headed the emergency council meeting because of the news that the holder of the Luominen was abducted, and the empire lost it at the expense of so much damage on the night of the Bestowing. “We will fortify Firth, they’ll surely be in Hanum in search of the Great Healer since the high mage gave her a sleeping curse,” Duke Balrius said. He was a man in his late thirties, young-looking enough to be mistaken for a man in his twenties. He assumed the position of Chief Minister of Hanum after his father died before his appointment. “But these lowly elves keep resisting, Your Grace,” an elder said. His name was Strauss, the deputy chief minister. “I thought they wouldn’t dare to show themselves in the capita
THE person waiting for Jie and his companions at Mosville Wharf was the one he least expected. “Zimus?” Jie was taken aback. Why would the second-in-command of the Black Destroyers jeopardize their guild to help them?He looked at Bucca with a confused face, but the elf only nodded his head in confirmation.“Master Ethros,” Zimus lowered his head and added, “I’ve come to your aid to return the favor of helping our guild master.”“Are you sure?” Jie gazed at Bucca again, who lightly shook his shoulder. Zimus cleared his throat as he straightened his back. “I reached out to Master Bucca after learning he was looking for a ship; he’s been popular in Fernwick Province helping the sick. This is a small price to pay.”“Oh, I see. I’ll appreciate your help then.” Jie carefully held Nyssa, whom he carried on his back. “Come in, my crew is well informed about you.” Zimus was smiling as they guided them in the largest ship of the Black Destroyers.“Bucca, isn’t this too flashy?” Jie asked af
FOUR DAYS EARLIERKAFLE and Izora were stuck on Amaris Island after they separated their ways with Ethros and the rest of their companions. Although they successfully reached the island, it made it hard for them to cross Endellion because of Admiral Zion’s presence along with the hundred ships belonging to Vatre’s grand fleet. “I'm sorry for being in haste to go home, Izora. Now we're stuck here for a few weeks already,” Kafle said.“It's okay, father. At least we're getting nearer.”They were hiding in an inn in the busy city of Bardunn—the center of trade since Amaris was composed of several smaller, uninhabitable islands. Bardunn City was the largest and thriving, and it was open to all the citizens of the Learaf archipelago. Compared to the temperature in most of Vatre, Amaris was less humid because the rainfall was frequent during this solstice season. “I will meet the other members of the Knights of Terra. They've finally responded after contacting them for a while. Most of th
THE biggest indoor auditorium in the heart of Bardunn City was filled with creatures of different races, mostly wealthy vatreans who were there to participate in the auction. Others were mercenaries and bounty hunters who would sell their most prized possessions.Mercenaries who traded slaves like elves and mermaids, who were capable of magic, were deemed for the highest price by the royals, who would not bat an eye at spending a fortune to get them.Junius, the one who captured Izora, finally let the little elf loose on the iron wire from the bamboo pole. He put a magic leash on her neck to limit her movement, and it also made her obey his command since the leash could electrocute her.“Let go of me!” Izora’s eyes were on her crystal flute, tucked on Junius’ hips. Junius planned to sell it separately once he sold her.“Behave yourself, little elf. Did you notice that a hundred pairs of eyes are on you? They're
JIE’S jaw flexed hard as the man riding on Kafle’s back whipped him, forcing him to crawl in front of the stage. Even Izora swallowed hard, watching her father do such a thing. She looked at Jie as if asking what to do, but Jie’s eyes remained calm despite his raging emotions. “Look at that! Isn’t it your father?” Junius asked Izora, pointing to Kafle on the stage while laughing. “He’s perfect!” Izora tried to break free, but Junius pulled hard on the magic leash, causing her to be electrocuted. “Oops, did I overdo it?” Junius smirked as he noticed that the little elf had quickly recovered. “Let go of me! I’ll make sure every one of you dies. You all deserve a cruel death for hurting my kind!” Izora couldn’t hold on any longer. Her eyes welled up as she watched a lot of child elves suffer this odious situation. Being a Hanumese, she knew that their race could not easily reproduce, which was why their population remained so small despite them living for up to a thousand years. A
“HOW the hell did you come here this quick? I was worried about you guys!” Jie asked Damien as they were flying safely in the sky on Habicht’s back.“Others are still injured, and we lost a lot of people in the guild.” He let out a sigh before he added, “To make a long story short, we use portals to reach here quickly.”Jie gazed at his companions, who rode Rave and Ifrita. “We have just arrived here, and then I saw that Izora was captured.”“We were informed about it. My knights relayed the information when Kafle failed to reach the meeting place.” Damien looked back at Deirdre and Izora. “Where is Nyssa?”Jie smiled. “She’s with Bucca; I need to fetch them.”Deirdre dived into their conversation. “I’ll inform my brother about the meeting place. However, I don’t know where the safest place is in Amaris.”&ldq
EVERYONE was in awe as they witnessed large, different sea creatures for the first time. Translucent jellyfish that glowed in different colors swam around the bubbles as if curious about them.“Whoa! I wonder if that giant squid is edible.” Jie’s eyes followed the gigantic squid with a gleaming turquoise lining. “Does anyone of you have been to Azuria?”Everyone shook their heads, except Kafle. “I was there long ago. During King Ragat’s reign, it was a good time.”Pearlie looked up at him. “You met my grandfather? I heard a lot of good stories about him. Too bad that he died before I was born.”“He was a good king who took good care of all his subjects.” Kafle smiled, remembering him. “Those were the good times. He maintained good relations with other kingdoms on the surface.”“Pearlie, how old are you, if you don't mind?” Jie queried. He carried Nyssa on his back.“I'm seventeen now. I ran away from Azuria three years ago to seek help on the surface. Only to find out that it's a lot