CHAPTER 60:The Sacred Grove

"SHE DID WHAT! Leo shouted. Bethran looking towards the now empty reading table nodded in affirmation of everything that Basi had said.

"Does Alexandre know about this? Leo asked through short breaths as he paced to and fro about the room. Bethran and Basi looked at each other before they both replied with a shake of their heads

"Should have seen this coming" Leo berated himself, eventually he calmed down for anger wasn't going to solve anything and at most Alicia probably just wanted the crystal in exchange.

"Where are we to meet? Leo asked.

"IN the sacred grove". Bethran replied. "And no, she didn't give a specific time or date.

"Am I just meant to go there and wait? Leo asked; knowing that the two couldn't probably have an answer to that, which was just made the whole thing frustrating. "I have a feeling that she already knows I am back".

"What makes you so sure? Basi asked with a hiss.

Leo simply smiled. "Among the Supremes, she and Gregory are the least known". And you know what that means".

Basi nodded in understanding. "She probably has more power than what Alexandre saw in the tower".

Bethran who had been rubbing his chin in thought, spoke up. "So are you going?

"It's not like I have a choice".

Basi hearing this raised his hood; a habit he had when saying something mischievous or serious. "You don't have to go alone; the old hag probably doesn't know of my existence".

Leo and Bethran agreed on this and so it was settled.

Leo was going to the Sacred Grove…

The Sacred grove also known as the Antler forest is a large forest grown by the Sun over the final resting place of Orus the silver stag. The grove could be accessible by all member of the four races since it was conveniently placed in the Green mountains; a wonderful place full of caves waterfalls and beautiful woodland species, that is also situated in where all the four races borders meet.

Over the years, the grove had gotten a lot of myths attached to it; one of which was the tale of how criminals who had wronged the Phoenix in early times normally went there to commit suicide because it was believed that doing so will give Orus the opportunity to give in a good word for their souls in heaven.

This myth however didn't last for long but was still being used by the Night as an option for criminals who didn't want the assassins to expose their misdeeds to the public.

The Night however didn't believe in this tale and they only gave that option to criminals in order to try and flush them out or sometimes just for harmless fun since they had never seen anyone take the first option.

Regardless of all the myths and tales surrounding it, the Sacred Grove was and still is a wonderful place that served as a refuge for all who just wanted to relax and enjoy nature.

Since it was basically indestructible because even if burnt or cut, the forest always regrew at astonishing speed with trees growing back in a matter of two days and anything unnatural placed in it always seemed to disappear including corpses that didn't belong to creatures from the forest which is more or less why the earlier myth started.

Finally, after two days of riding, and one day of running nonstop, Leo arrived at the Sacred Grove angry and pissed off that his break had been interrupted by a twofaced mage. Basi on the other hand slithered off his shoulder and up an adjacent tree to get a good angle on whatever was going to happen.

"Where are you? Leo asked out loud, but unfortunately heard no response. To his greatest surprise however, two more hours passed and yet there was no sign of the mage.

Leo was even beginning to wonder whether the mage knew that he was even in here, after all he had expected her to appear like the fairytales; hand on chin pretending to be uninterested as she sat on a big rock while reading an ancient book.

"I should really stop reading all this fantasy novels" Leo cursed, before he sat down in order to get some rest.

Sadly, the respite he needed didn't come since he was still being paranoid and was always opening one azure eye to see whether the mage had appeared. The whole thing was becoming frustrating and Leo couldn't bring himself to leave immediately because he knew that Alicia was just trying to frustrate him.

And there was no way he was going to allow that.

Or that was what the plan was.

"WHERE ARE YOU!! Leo shouted at the top of his voice before cutting down some trees with one angry claw swipe. "I don't have all day you know".

Eventually, as the bright blue sky started to darken, a soft chuckle was heard.

"And here I was, thinking you are one of the patient type".

Leo gritted his teeth and turned around to face the smiling golden robed mage.

"That's new". Alicia pointed as her turquoise eyes twinkled in weird delight.

Leo looked down at his now dark blue clawed hands and just scoffed. "What do you want?

Alicia ignored him for a while and took a sit on a nearby rock, an ancient book soon after appeared in her hands.

A silent growl was heard.

"Calm down" Alicia smiled as she stared right into his eyes. "I'm only here because I want to help you".

"I don't see how stealing my properties helps?

Alicia only gave him one of those elderly people stare and continued. "I know that you are a Huntran and so I believe helping you will be in all of us best interest"

"You could have just told me that". Leo frowned knowing that the cat was already out of the bag. "Instead of infiltrating my room and stealing my book".

"This little thing? Alicia chuckled before tossing the book. Leo caught the book giving it a look with his azure eye while still keeping Alicia in view.

"I was merely being curious and also your order did have what I wanted".

Leo didn't say anything and waited for the mage to say what he expected to hear.

"And as for the crystal". Alicia laughed. "I have no interest in it".

"Why? Leo asked.

"Because I have already presented the book to the Sun and let's just say that another one was present".

"That's nice" Leo told himself happy that at least the information didn't end up in the wrong hands and this also meant that Alexandre must have probably handed over the crystal to the rest of the Supremes.

"So with your permission I would like to mentor you on how to use your powers".

Leo raised an eyebrow in confusion on how she was supposed to do that but it was probably possible if she had been able to find out from the book that he was a Huntran.

"How do you plan to do that?

"We aren't so different" was what Leo heard before the tree in front of him split in half.

"Convinced?

Leo only nodded and just like that the Huntran had gotten a teacher but could she be trusted? Only time could tell.