Chapter 20

Third Person's POV

Emilia was awakened by a spirit bird landing on the tip of her nose; she opened her eyes and looked around to see if the four knights were awake, but they were still sleeping. The princess looked up at the sky, as sunlight shone brightly from it, and stretched her arm, knowing they would soon resume their journey. She smiled back at the spirit bird.

"Hello and good morning! Wake the others up," Emilia gave a command to the spirit bird while thinking about what she would name it because she wanted a name for it.

The spirit bird flew and woke up the others, surprised that the spirit bird had woken them up so early in the morning. Luke stretched his arms and looked at Emilia, who was already standing.

"I thought the snake monster would still enter your dream. She's not yet dead, so we're always prepared." Luke took a deep breath in front of Emilia, and the princess was aware of it.

"Yes, I know, but she said the fight isn't over, which means she'll come after me at any time," Emilia explained as Luke tapped her shoulder.

"We will help again, my lady, if you need help. I know you don't want us to hurt, but it's our duty. You need to get used to it. We know each other since we were kids," Luke reminded Emilia, and she nodded because Luke was correct. The four knights are always there to support and guide her through the challenges that come their way.

"I'm sorry if I'm being selfish, but I just don't want to lose any of you; I can't go through what happened to my uncle." Emilia sobbed and apologized, and the spirit human emerged from the large tree.

"I heard voices and recognized the five of you; you two were already conversing in the morning. How was your sleep?" Asha questioned Luke and Emilia, who were looking at the spirit human. While the other three knights were still dozing off.

"We're fine now; we slept well and had no nightmares; thank you again, Asha," Luke said to the spirit human.

"Let's get ready for today, shall we? Today we will look for the second stone we require," Emilia reminded. Asha remembered that she would explain the five stones to everyone.

"Before you leave, you should eat something to replenish your energy. While you're eating, I'll explain what the five stones are and why people want them." Emilia looked at Luke as Asha offered.

"Yes, I am a little hungry. Who will prepare our breakfast?" Sean stood up from his seat as Emilia questioned the four knights.

"We'll look for food in this forest; we can also hunt for food; we'll be back soon," Sean suggested as Ryan and Caleb stood up from their seats and followed Sean.

"Since we're left here, do you want me to find a waterfall so you can wash?" Luke questioned the princess, and she was taken aback.

"I'll go look for it myself! Stay put, and if I need you, I'll yell so you can hear me," Emilia said. Luke smirked because he knew the other three knights would be disturbed while hunting in the forest if Emilia screamed.

"Maybe I can go with the princess since I'm also a girl," Asha suggested. Emilia paused in her preparations for her new clothes.

"All right, Asha, come with me," Emilia replied, and the spirit birds remained on Luke's shoulder.

"You don't want to accompany her?" Luke interrogates the spirit bird on his shoulder.

"Seriously? I'm a man, and I'm unable to attend," Luke laughs as the spirit bird answers.

Soon after, Emilia and Asha discovered a waterfall streaming clear water from the forest. Asha checked the water first while Emilia removed her armor from her clothes. After that, the princess is already naked, displaying her beautiful body and hair. Asha informs her that the water is safe.

"Thank you for being with me, Asha; I know why you attacked us; you need souls to live," Emilia said as she cleaned herself by swimming around.

"Once you've gone, maybe I'll try my hardest to become a permanent human since I'm a spirit human right now," Asha added, surprising Emilia by stopping swimming around.

"How are you going to accomplish this? Do you require anything to succeed?" While fixing her hair, Emilia pondered the human spirit.

"I need to improve my spiritual, so I can be a fighter and a human like you," Asha responded, and the princess nodded.

"I'm glad you won't do such evil anymore," Emilia applauded Asha for her good deeds, and she had finished cleaning herself.

"If I successfully have a permanent human form, I will look for you because the green leaf I gave to Luke has a power of mine, and I can track you," Asha said as Emilia put the clothes on her and then her armors.

"I didn't realize you gave Luke a green leaf to track us, but can you keep this secret between us about what I'm going to say to you about Luke?" Emilia asked as she styled her hair in a ponytail.

"You can put your trust in me, princess." Asha reacts.

"Well, I've liked Luke since we were kids, the day we entered the academy to learn how to cast a spell and control it, we also learned how to use weapons, martial arts, and how to excel in academics, I don't know how to tell him but I will soon if we don't have many problems," Emilia admitted. Asha smiled because she knew the princess liked Luke when she noticed the two were very comfortable with each other.

"I already feel that since the yellow dragon imprisoned me, I can see in your eyes and how you felt yesterday how worried you are about him," Asha noted, and Emilia blushed.

"Will it be obvious if I continue?" Emilia inquired.

"I believe one of your knights, Sean, can feel it," Asha explained, and Emilia was taken aback.

"What? How did you find out what his name was? Do you have the ability to read people's minds?" Emilia interrogates Asha.

"I heard Luke and the others call him that," Asha explained, and the princess nodded.

"Let's return to the big tree. If I don't return in a long time. I believe Luke will be concerned," Emilia said, and Asha nodded, and they returned to the two large trees.

Luke looked at Emilia, who had returned, and the princess saw the three knights who had also returned with a dead wild boar they had hunted. They were chopping it and lighting the bonfire in the middle, Emilia looked away, and she didn't know you could eat it because she was raised in the kingdom.

"I told you the princess wouldn't like to see a pig being chopped," Luke advised, and Sean looked at Emilia, who was looking in the opposite direction.

"Continue. I need to get used to it. We need to eat so that we don't starve to death," Emilia muttered, and Luke approached the princess to console her.

"Did Asha say anything to you?" Luke was concerned that Asha would say something terrible to the princess.

"No! She's now my friend; she didn't do anything; we just had a girls-only conversation," Emilia concurred, and Luke nodded.

"While the three is cooking, I can explain the five stones you will obtain on your journey," Asha proposed. Emilia looked at her as she floated because she was a spirit at the time, not a temporary human form.

"All right, start explaining it; we'll listen," Emilia responded.

Asha began to explain what the five stones are, telling the five that the five stones they will obtain will be used to create a new power or a powerful spell. The person who led them to the five stones desired a new power for himself, and the five stones granted a wish. If one wish is granted, the five stones will be scattered throughout Eryen. You will need to look for them again to wish for another new power, but finding the five stones will be difficult due to the obstacles.

"I get it now. I think John is keeping something from us that he hasn't told us," Emilia said, looking at the spirit bird on Luke's shoulder.

"Tell us more about John since you are his spirit bird." Emilia made a request to the spirit bird, and he looked at her.

"My apologies, but I don't have permission to tell you; I need my master's permission first," the spirit bird replied. The princess rose from her seat and approached the spirit bird.

"If you don't tell us, we won't look for the other stones," Emilia said, and the spirit bird was afraid if John didn't obtain the five stones.

"Okay, I'm going to tell you everything! Please keep looking for the other stones!" Emilia smirked as the spirit bird admitted.

"This is all I know for now, but Master desires a new power, which he intends to use for good, believe me. He wanted to protect the Garmend Kingdom if an enemy attacked because the last time he helped the Garmend Kingdom, the people spread false information about him, and he wanted to prove them wrong. So he wanted to demonstrate his strength." Emilia takes a deep breath as the spirit bird explains.

"Is that the case? If he wanted to be strong, he should go out and get the five stones rather than assign the task to someone else." Emilia made a suggestion, and the spirit bird chirped.

"I'm not sure why he asked someone. Maybe he likes the five of you and can trust you," the spirit bird added, and the princess was surprised when she smelled the pork cooked on the bonfire by Ryan.

"I'll ask him when we finish getting the rest of the stones. Perhaps I should name you Zurk, I found that name in a book I read when I was in my kingdom, and I think I'll call you that." Emilia insisted, smiling at the spirit bird.

"I gladly accept it, and I thank you for naming me." Zurk happily thanked Emilia, and Ryan and Caleb began preparing the food by slicing the boar meat.