CHAPTER 4

Soriana, the queen and leader of the celestials. She sat on a throne of gold and had her head resting on her left arm on the throne. After she told us to stand up, I took a good look at her and to say she looked intimidating was an understatement. She had golden brown hair which I think should be as long as Zoriana’s hair and her red eyes were blazing like fire. She had an uninterested look on her face and the gaze she had was enough to cause someone to go unconscious. Just by looking at her gave me goosebumps and a very bad feeling. A feeling that I haven’t felt in a while. FEAR. But I stood still and gulped down the saliva I had in my mouth. I took a quick look at Bellora and saw that she was trembling a little. I held her hand and she calmed down a bit but I could tell that she was still feeling scared. And the throne room felt like we were standing in a furnace that had been set to burn as hot as the sun.

What is this feeling? I said in my head. I looked at Soriana and I had a feeling that this must be her aura and her power that surrounds the entire room.

“You’re feeling that right? That’s just the aura of the queen. It’s always like this in the throne room and wherever she goes.” Alvaro said but he whispered it to me so that no one else will hear it.

“And what brings you to the royal palace Commander?” Soriana asked. She had a calm yet intimidating voice and just by hearing it can make a normal person wet themselves.

“I have brought the half-breeds that my second-in-command and I encountered the other day while we fought the monsters that appeared in the human town.” Zoriana said.

Alvaro gave us a sign to take a few steps forward which we did. Soriana took a quick glance at the both of us and scoffed.

“So these are the two half-breeds that took care of the monsters that you couldn’t?” she asked which Zoriana answered with a nod.

“So you really are just as incompetent and as weak as I thought you were.” Soriana said which left all of us in shock. I looked at Zoriana and she had a calm expression on her face. But I could feel her anger rise a bit just as her power had slightly risen.

“This isn’t going to end well.” Alvaro said in a low tone.

“They were able to defeat the monsters because I was caught by surprise once the boy used magical abilities.” Zoriana said with her calm expression.

“Which still shows that you are weak. If this boy was able to defeat the so called monsters that you should have defeated then you have no right to be the Commander of our army.” Soriana said.

I could tell that she was saying all that just to provoke Zoriana and by the looks of it, it was working. Though, Zoriana was trying her best to remain calm and not let her emotions get the best of her.

“I am sorry for being useless my queen.” Zoriana said with a bow. As of right now, it was really hard to tell if these two were actually sisters. The difference in their characters was just too much.

“You should be. And you,” Soriana said as she turned her gaze towards my direction, “I heard from her that you are a half-breed. And to top it off, you’re half celestial.” I answered with a nod.

“Then that gives me every right to kill you.” She said nonchalantly while resting her head on her hand while we just stared at her in shock.

Saying that I was shocked was an understatement. I stared at the queen and tried talking but no words could come out of my mouth. Zoriana stared at her sister with a look of utter disbelief. I could feel her power rise gradually which signified that she was getting angry. And all this while Soriana had a bored look on her face.

“This wasn’t what we agreed on during our discussion, Soriana.” Zoriana said with a menacing tone while she slowly reached for the hilt of her sword.

“I am the queen and that means I can do whatever I want.” she said. “He’s a half-breed which means that there’s a chance that he’ll become a danger to the world. His existence alone is a taboo though the same can’t be said for the mermaid since those creatures never gave a care about inter-species breeding.”

“That doesn’t mean anything Soriana!” Zoriana said as her voice got louder. “You had agreed to allow the boy to be trained in the camp so that he would master his powers and be of use to our race when grows up.”

“I changed my mind on that.” she said. Zoriana continued to stare at the queen with disbelief and anger. “I would advise you to also lower your aura. It’s really messing up my breathing space.” She added with a yawn.

All this while I stared at the ground thinking of what she had just said. What sort of queen will just change her decision just because she feels like and just because of my race? Bellora held my hand but got uncomfortable when my grip on her hand became tighter. I was trying to hold in my anger until what I heard next.

“Plus, he’s a human which means that if I let him leave and he gets to master his powers, his feelings of greed will take over and then he might have a chance to go against us.” Soriana said with another yawn. Hearing that statement broke whatever was holding me back from talking to her.

“That is just wrong, Soriana.” I said as I took a few steps forward while letting go Of Bellora’s hand. She and Alvaro called my name but I chose to ignore it. Zoriana tried to call my name but I stopped her while I looked at the so called queen with my eyes full of anger.

“What did you just say?” she asked as she sat up on her throne and looked at me. If looks could kill then I would have definitely been dead by now. “You, human, half-breed or whatever you are, dare to address me by my name!”

“Yes I do.” I replied which earned gasps from everyone that was there right now. Soriana’s eyes briefly changed their colour from red to orange before returning back to their original colour.

“Watch what you say next, boy.” She said in a low growl.

“What you said was wrong.” I said. “How can you just change your decision just because you felt like it and just because I’m human?”

“That’s enough Ezra.” Zoriana said. ”It wouldn’t be wise to get her angrier than she already is.” She rested her hand on my soldier to calm me down but I just brushed it off and walked a few steps forward towards the throne.

“And how could you say all that about Zoriana despite all that she has done to make sure that your people are safe. What sort of ruler says things that demoralizes her own commander despite all that she has done? And on top of that she’s your younger sister!” I said which was technically me yelling at her.

“That’s enough Ezra!” Zoriana said. She had signaled Alvaro not to get closer, meaning that she was going to take care of whatever was happening.

“You dare talk to me in that way, half-breed.” Soriana said. The pressure in the room had changed which was as a result of Soriana power increasing. A flaming aura had slightly surrounded her and her eyes were changing between their usual red and fiery orange.

“Yes I do.” I said as I looked at her with anger. “You look down on everyone who is way less powerful than you. Especially to humans and I don’t need anyone to tell me that. And because of that, I can say that some humans are better than you in every way.” She was getting angrier at me as her aura was rising more by each word I said.

“You think because I’m half human that I’ll just wake up one day and decide to rampage throughout the land. That’s low even for you.” I said as I turned back and started walking back to Bellora. “You being in charge, is the worst possible thing that can ever happen to the Celestial race and all of Elmanda.”

The last statement I made broke her completely. Soriana’s aura had sky- rocketed and it caused the entire place to tremble and because of that I lost my balance and fell down. I looked at the queen and what I saw literally shocked me. Her eyes were blazing like fire and her aura made it look like she was engulfed in flames which didn’t burn her. She raised her hands up and formed a large fire ball.

“I will burn you and make sure that there will be nothing left of you.” She said with murder in her voice.

I was terrified. I turned to look at Bellora and saw that Alvaro was guarding her. A few palace guards had entered the throne room but from the looks of it, either Alvaro or Zoriana had told them to stand down. I turned and saw the fire ball heading to me with speed that I couldn’t match with my eyes. I tried to stand up but then something or someone rushed in to protect me from the fire ball which caused an explosion that made me fall again. I coughed as the smoke started to clear and saw Zoriana standing with her sword pointed towards Soriana. Her aura had also surrounded her body. It was just as if the wind was swirling around her and her eyes had taking a lighter glow.

“That’s enough Soriana. I won’t allow you to harm the boy.” Zoriana said.

“So you’ve stooped so low as to defend this half-breed.” Soriana said while giving me a murderous glare. Zoriana didn’t reply her but tightened her grip on her sword.

“Suit yourself Zoriana. But know this,”Soriana said as she took her sword which had been beside her throne, “once I’m done with you, I’ll make sure that that boy will regret ever being born.”

“That won’t happen. I won’t allow you touch Ezra.” Zoriana said.

These two’s auras were clashing and it caused the entire throne room to tremble even more. I was still on the floor watching the two of them when Alvaro grabbed me by my shirt and dragged me to stay beside him.

“It’s best to be as far away from those two when they’re like this.” he said while using his body to shield us.

Before things could get any worse, we heard a familiar voice. One that I haven’t heard in a while.

“It seems that if I had gotten here later than I did, the palace would be destroyed.” The voice said. We all turned to the direction from where the voice came from and I was a bit surprised by who I saw.

“You.” Soriana said with a growl.