Perilous Journey (1)

"Do we have everything we need?" Larika counted again all the items she was packing in a space ring. She has been busy asking for items from the village people and exchanging them for the jewelry that she brought with her when she escaped. Some even helped her find items from nearby villages.

"These weapons are a bit dull, but we could still use them," Midel examined the rusty sword that Kareem handed over to him. "I couldn't imagine how you survived in the wilderness with just these."

Life was already hard since the falling snow was relentless in this region, but what made it harder was that they were all young and with almost no battle experience at all. Good thing that there was one elder who have been with them all along and that half nymph Biel also helped them in some ways like farming and hunting.

"Are you sure you're not coming with us?" Yllana looked skeptical. Grandma, as what all the youngsters call her in the village, just shook her head.

"I am too old for adventures and the children have to move now before it's too late. We will be seeing you again, no worries."

Mariek's eyes were getting misty as she holds on to Kareem's sleeve. "Cousin…it will be the first time that we will part. Return to us safely, ok? We will be waiting near the Beastland's territory in the east."

Kareem messed up Mariek's hair and laughed. "Hehe…we will surely see each other again. And you are going to ask that guy Midel to teach you how to be a good oracle, right?" he whispered to her.

Mariek's eyes searched for that silver-haired man with deep blue eyes. She blushed at the thought of Kareem's words. Would she have the courage to ask him though? Maybe she must gain her courage first in the future. She nodded in agreement with Kareem. She still has time to work on her courage.

Yllana observed everyone from the side of the forest. She just waved at the villagers before they set off. "I was never good in goodbyes," she said to Larika.

"You never said goodbye to anyone before battles?"

"No. My family weren't there when it was time to go,"

"Weren't you afraid that something bad might happen?" Larika's eyes widened in surprise. Most warriors would bid long goodbyes to their families before they go to a mission.

"I guess I never thought of that before. I just had one mission in my mind back then, to kill demons."

~~~~~~~~~~

The green trees swayed with the wind as a group of six people made their way through the snowfields. They weaved through the thick snow on horses. Kareem's eyes surveyed the area they were passing through. "These were the fields that Biel had taught us to cultivate, but the snowstorms had ruined most of it." It was once a green field with vegetables and herbs growing abundantly, but now it was just an empty lot with broken fences and some dry twigs.

"I'll stay in front, Lucien you guard the back," Yllana suggested. When the group agreed, Lucien gazed at Midel with a knowing look. Midel nodded.

The bitter cold seeped through their clothing and armors. Larika pulled her coat tighter about her and blew on the air. A puff of cold smoke formed in front of Larika. She giggled. "It's like breathing new air again."

Kareem beamed at her. "Although the air is cold, it is still better than in the kingdom."

"Yllana,"

There was a cold sinister tone in the voice that rang inside Yllana's head. Instantly, her vision turned black and her hair stood on ends. She felt a slow chill that started to crawl from the tip of her fingertips to her back. 'Who owns this voice?'

She covered her face with her hands. Her chest tightened and her breathing became rapid. She couldn't see the horse she was riding nor the reigns she was supposed to hold. 'That voice,' her own mind echoed over and over again. Cold sweat started dripping from her temples. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably.

She shook her head hard from side to side trying to escape from the nightmare. Her vision was still as black as ever. She tried to blink harder. Nothing changed. Then, from a distance in the darkness, she saw one red dot slowly growing. No, it was not growing. It was coming near her. After a few seconds, there was another red dot beside it. Two bright red dots just like her eyes. 'Eyes!'

"YLLANA!"

All of a sudden, she heard her name and felt something warm covering her face. There is warm air fanning on and off her face. Was someone…breathing on her?

"YLLANA!" There it goes again. Someone just called out to her. Her hands stopped shaking as she felt something warm inside her. She closed her eyes. Her head started aching badly.

"It hurts," she whispered in hollow breaths. "Lucien, it hurts." She repeated. Although something was clouding her mind, she could still clearly think that Lucien might be the one calling her. She felt her eyes getting heavy and her mind relaxed.

~~~~~~~~~~

"What happened?!" Larika held tightly on Yllana's hand. She saw how Yllana was lost her mind while they were on the road. It scared her seeing how Yllana's eyes glowed a bright red but her face full of pain.

Lucien gritted his teeth and did not answer. He was holding Yllana's face the whole time she started blanking out. Even as a Holy-ranked mage, he couldn't do anything about her curse. He felt helpless.

"Your majesty, we both don't know. Only she could answer you," Midel sighed. Kareem and his friend who was leading the way were also troubled while watching them from behind. The group stopped in the middle of the journey. Now, Yllana is lying on the ground with her head in Lucien's arms.

"I'll carry her. We have to continue." Lucien carried her on his arms and placed her on his horse. He secured her robes and wrapped an arm around her waist. She had already fallen asleep. Whatever she was seeing, it was evident that it was making her scared.

"Gather close," he requested. He raised his free hand in the air and a dome of white and silver light showered on top of them. "Shield," he shortly explained.

"Uhm, use these small packets for emergencies. It's a small bag of poison. Just throw the contents in the front of the enemy's faces and make sure it doesn't come in contact with your skin." Kareem gave out small black pouches to each of them. "And this is the antidote," he added as he distributed a small white bag.

"Why? What does it do?" Larika asked as she inspected the small black pouch.

"It will melt your skin and bones. It's called the Bone Melting Poison. It was just a product of an experiment on some deadly plants and some rare beast blood."

Larika blinked at the thirteen-year-olds explanation. He seemed to be just talking about the weather when he explained how he invented a deadly poison. 'Good thing the emperor did not succeed in taking this child to his side or else…'

"Vandier, stay close to Midel in the front," Lucien ordered the other teenager with Kareem. This one only has one eye. The other is covered in a bandage. Although his looks can be considered as ordinary-dark brown hair and blue eyes- as any young teenager could be, one could tell that he had a bearing of a learned scholar. He had a straight back and could handle a horse pretty well.

With a simple nod, Vandier pulled his horse to the front beside Midel's. They resumed their journey while Yllana was sleeping.

Lucien kept an eye out on Yllana and another on the shadow behind them. Midel also noticed the shadowed figure looming over the trees and bushes but did not say anything. Since it was there since their journey began and never attacked them, he did not mind its presence.

~~~~~~~~~~

"What? You failed to look for them again?" small white hands traced a pair of cold lips. The child emperor was donned in his purple royal robes with a sling on his arm. He was sighing endlessly inside the courtroom as a shadowed figure clad in strips of black cloth was kneeling in the center.

It had long slender arms and a face with only three holes positioned for a nose and a mouth. Its chin was longer than an average human's and the smell coming off its body is as putrid as a retched graveyard that has been dug out. The smell of death surrounded the kneeling figure and the room was soon full of it too. But the emperor never frowned about it. He was used to the stench. He also reeks of it too when the full moon rises.

"Who killed the first batch?" The emperor asked.

"Three… other… half-bloods… from… another… master…" the figure talked so slow with pauses between its words. The deep and cold voice it had could bring a chill to anybody who would hear it. It was creaky with a cold tone like death was about to befall anyone who gets near it.

In an instant, the figure spun its head in a direction. He disappeared from the room with a black puff of smoke.