Chapter 7

It's been two days since we have our way to the north. The journey towards the boundary is not that hard, but it was challenging because of the tension between us and the Hunters. I do not know, but I think it is because the Hunters are that intimidating for us, or because they emit a certain kind of presense full of honor.

When we reach the a town next to the town we are targeting, good thing, one of the hunters told us to have our rest at the nearest inn we saw.

As soon as we go inside our respective rooms, I lay my brother to our bed and decided to take a bath before sleeping. Nightyleon is already asleep because of exhaustion while I had my few minutes in the large bathing pool, it is full of roses and many herbals so it was naturally soothing.

The bath made my mind wander, it soon reach the thoughts about the well being of our parents. I hope they are doing well, I couldn't fathom the thought of them getting hurt. I hope their mission will be a success and I am praying that all those who are behind the stealing that happened will be punished.

Everything that happened is still fresh, there are times that my brother is constantly asking for our parents, and I do not know how to tell him that it will take a long time before our family meet each other again... I just do not want to break his young heart, especially now that he is very smart and will immediately know about the possible danger they might be in.

After the bath I go the the bed early, and I drifted to sleep beside my younger brother.

But in the middle of the night I wake up due to sudden thirst. My footsteps were not heavy as I walk towards the door, I was just about to open it when I heard a faint voice. My forehead crease thinking who is awake at this hour, but I just shrugged it off.

When I walk gracefully at the dim hallway without creating any sound, I noticed that no one is around and it is awfully quiet. It remain like that til I reach the kitchen downstairs.

Thankfully, water was not that hard to find so I was able to quench my thirst that fast.

I look at my back and at the surroundings when I heard a noise again. Now, I am certain there is someone here.

I roam my eyes around and I can feel the intensity of my eyes, and as a goddess of the night, I am much more sensitive. I walk towards my left where the door of the kitchen is located, and as soon as I went out of the door someone grab my wrist. I was about to shout but thankfully, I recognized him!

"Aakil Sage! You—"

He position his pointy finger on my lips and interrupted me. His blazing eyes that has the same color as mine shows that he is wary.

"Did you wake up from the sound?"

That made my eyebrows furrow. I was just about to open my mouth again when I realized that his finger is still stopping me from saying something so I sigh and roll my eyes.

"Or were you the one I heard?"

I push him a bit away from me.

"I don't know, I wake up because I felt thirsty. But I did heard a noise, it must be you."

He nodded, but his eyes are still roaming around. I noticed that even though I pushed him awhile ago we're still quite close so I place my palm on his chest to push him again but before I could do that, we heard a noise from the left, coming from the stairs, and we both saw Azai Magnus coming towards our direction. His eyes went to Aakil Sage towards me and my hands on Aakil Sage's chest. Because of that, I immediately withdraw my hands from him.

"Having fun?" The first thing he said as soon as he come close to the both of us.

"Why are you awake at this hour?" Aakil asked, making the demon prince glare at him more.

Why do I feel like I did something wrong?

Azai Magnus sarcastically smiled.

"Why? Am I interrupting something?"

Wait. Wait. Is he misunderstanding the situation?

"I just—"

"Don't worry," Aakil tap the demon prince's shoulder, but I saw how his eyes flare more because of that.

"We just happened to wake up at the middle of the night," finally, I found my voice but I do not know why am I even explaining.

Azai Magnus bat an eye on me but he immediately tore it to look directly at Aakil Sage's eyes.

"Demon clan hold grudges."

The god of wisdom bark out of laughter as soon as he heard the threat, and I was still left confused. But Magnus' expression went really sour after he saw him laughing.

"Are you seeking death?"

"Pardon me— I, I just find it funny. You look really threatened. I am not planning to take anything away from you, demon prince, I actually know how to build a wall like that for someone," I saw how Aakil Sage became serious, but then a sly smirk form on his lips. And when I look at Azai Magnus, it looks like he calmed down. And finally, he noticed that I am still here!

"Go back to sleep." All that he said and walk away from us.

What was that?

I shrugged my shoulders and go back to my room after.

In the morning, as soon as we finished the breakfast, we immediately leave and return to our journey. According to the hunters intel, the thieves will come within these days. We might encounter them and there's a possibility that we could not at all. Those thieves are cunning and they are very meticulous.

"We have list down the important things that this town has, but we are not sure which are they targeting. We have four on the list and they are on different location. We are still at the border bur as soon as we enter, we will scatter and group ourselves to guard these items on their certain location," one of the hunter said while we were waking our way towards the town.

As soon as we enter the town, the hunters divide us in four. I was grouped with a hunter, Clea with Azai Magnus, Serenity with Aakil Sage and the other hunter will go alone.

The hunter named Haia came with me and my brother towards the center of the town where a vintage and magical pot is.

Comapare to the other hunter, Hunter Haia is silent so our trip is smooth without any talk.

The center of the town is crowdy, I noticed that it where the market are, and a shrine is at the middle, the pot must be there.

"We'll go to that alley," Hunter Haia pointed the alley near the shrine.

We cannot come inside because this is a secret mission and the people inside the shrine won't believe us if we say that thieves are about to come. Hunters usually do their mission secretly, from what I heard.

I look at Nightyleon when he grip my cape. Our eyes met, and I can say from his frown that he is hungry.

"Uh..." I open my mouth but I don't know how to tell her I need to buy something when we are in the middle of the mission!

"What?"

I tore my eyes away, but it went back to my brother who is patiently waiting for me to feed him something.

"Go ahead. I can handle it here, and I don't see and suspect anyone yet."

I nodded with a small smile and walk away in hurry. The food stalls are near so it would not take that long to come back to where she is.

But as soon as I went out of the alley it was a completely different place.

Why are we in the middle of the forest so suddenly? I look back to where the alley is but it was not there anymore.

I started to panic when I felt someone's presense near us.

I embrace Nightyleon with my other hand while I stay focus on the surroundings.

This must be an illusion created by someone. But who? This feels really powerful, I already know that this is an illusion but it is still not breaking.

"Who are you?"

This is not a mere illusionist can do.

A blink of an eye, we are suddenly in another place... or illusion.

I look around and I turn my body looking at different direction when I heard a creepy laugh but it is from everywhere!

I bit my lips and tried to feel where the presense is the thickest but while doing so, a person wearing a mask was suddenly standing in front of me. With fast reflexes I jump away from him while making sure I am holding my brother carefully.

"Who are you? Are you the thief? What do you want?"

I step away, still trying to figure out his next move. I run away from my direction when I felt something at my back, and suddenly, there was an explosion.

My eyes widened because it felt real.

No.

That explosion is real. An illusionist that can create a real world.

My breathings hitch at the realization.

No.

What does he want from me?

Was he one of the thieves? But why is he here trapping me?

I am still training summoning my spirit animal.

While focusing on the enemy I made a protection barrier around me and my brother, it was the stronger one than usual, but as soon as I finished he attacked again, but this time head on.

"Silen.. tyus..." I heard Nightyleon called my name, but I can not look at him, because my eyes are focus on the fight.

I made a ball of darkness with a hint of blessings of the stars, it was like a starry night on my palm, and I throw it towards the direction of the masked man.

But he vanished and he appeared again in front of me. The next thing I knew, the baby carrier that was made out of strong and expensive fabric was tore apart and Nightyleon suddenly was away from us.

"Nightyleon!"

"My brother!"

I felt anger and worry rush down my spine and J continuously attack the man, he equaled my attacks with his seemingly real illusion.

I could not focus because I am looking at Nightyleon's direction while fighting, the reason why he had a chance to punch me in the gut with a very strong force. I fly away and my back landed on a large rock.

I felt the pain immediately. My eyes slightly blur, but when it went back to normal, I saw him walking towards the direction of my brother.

Without hesitation, and in spite the pain, I fly towards him at full speed.

"Don't you dare touch him!"

I do not know who this person is and why is he attacking us, but I won't hesitate to kill if he try to hurt my brother, not on my watch!

My eyes widened when he attacked him with a forceful punch.

I didn't know the world could spin this slow in front of my very own eyes, and better I could fully react, someone slash the illusion world and was fighting the masked man.

Hunter Haia. She found us.

But that is not my concern!

I run towards Nightyleon, and I almost passed out when I saw blood on the side of his lips. Never did I felt such horror in my entire life.

I look around and I noticed that we are in front of the shrine. People are looking curiously.

I roam my eyes around to look for a Healers presense, and when I found one on the crowd, I run after her without minding my wounds for my hurt brother.