LETTING GO

After escaping from the hellish realm of the Red Beast through a portal, we landed on a high mountain.

While I scanned the environment, Freda remained calm. She gave me the impression that she'd been there before. I'd Also noticed that her face had lost it brightness, she looked sad.

I cleared my throat and asked: "Are you OK there?"

She looked at me and sighed. "I finally buried him." She said.

I chuckled a little. "That was not your husband Freda. That was a monster."

"Was he?" She asked while find a large stone to sit on.

"Yes he was a monster, a terrible one at that. If not for your intervention, I would be a dead Soul by now."

She smiled and said:

"I loved that man. He was the must handsome man I 'd ever seen, though he wasn't rich, I followed him.

I though if I could initiate him into our cult, he would keep up and stay wealthy, but I was wrong.

We pressurized him to death.

You see Sol, Gabriel might had been a monster who ruled hell, but I am a greater monster than he ever was and could ever be."

Her words angered me. I couldn't imagine a goddess like Freda referring to herself a monster. She could never be… She's a witch but so what.

"You could never be a monster. You are not Gabriel." I vented in an angry tone.

"Haha! Sol IbnuRah… Is it love that blinds your eyes or my beautiful face? Don't be deceived by the outer looks young man."

"Then why did you come for me?" I asked.

"I needed to redeem myself and that's because I actually loved you.

I never knew that sending you away would lead to your death. I was heart broken when I had the news.

I had to send the Pytra into the lands of the spirit to find you, and that was how I knew you were in hell with Gabriel."

My face squeezed in confusion. Other things she said, I understood but not 'Pytra'.

"Who is Pytra?"

"The phoenix bird that helped you get your Ice power." She answered.

I was amazed by her answer. "Huh? That was a phoenix bird? I didn't know they were real. I didn't know the bird was working for you"

"Well she works for me."

The moment her words faded, I heard a sharp loud out cry coming from the sky. Freda and I both looked up.

Freda smiled and said: "There she is."

I maintained my calmness as I watched the bird flew downward to us. She landed on the green mountain ground. She let out another loud cry before magically morphed into a gorgeous young fair-skinned lady.

"Wow!" Was all I could say.

Freda got up from were she was sitting and came close to the lady. She held both of her hands and kissed her on the forehead.

She brought the lady close to me and said:

"This is Pytra. She is my Spiritual daughter. She is a phoenix who can morph into human. She is a multi-dimensional traveler."

I couldn't say a word. I stared at Pytra in awe. After Freda, Pytra could be the must gorgeous woman I had ever set my eyes on. She was not only gorgeous, but she possessed the ability to travel multiple dimensional spaces. Who wouldn't fall for a woman as such?

"Sol!" Freda called out, snapping me out of my imaginations.

"Huh? Yes… Ah, nice to meet you P-Pytra." I gave her a welcoming handshake, which she refused to collect.

Freda chuckled and said: "She doesn't do that Sol. She does not understand your weird ways of greetings. To her, handshake means war."

"Ah huh… She is totally out of our world." I remarked.

Freda gestured her to sit on a large stone close to me. While still standing, she looked at us both and smiled.

She sighed and said:

"You two look good together. I believe working together would yield good result." She smiled, pinned her gaze on me and continued:

"Sol, from here henceforth, you will have to continue your journey with Pytra. She will help you get better with your powers and teach you to acquire even more skills. You in the other hand, will do all you can to protect her from any harm. So I leave you two into each other's hands."

Her words pierced through my Soul. If not for how strong I had already become, my tears would have filled the ground.

I sighed and asked her: "Why do you have to leave. I though we would continue our journey together?"

"Hahaha." She laughed. "You and I were never meant to be together as anything Sol. Perhaps you loved me truly. I did too but it was never supposed to be a thing.

Like I said earlier… I came here to redeem myself and I did. I only hope that you will be able to forgive me someday. I had helped in cutting short a blooming life."

Hearing Freda spoke those words soften my heart completely. I got all emotional and I even caught myself sobbing.

I got up from the stone I was sitting and walked up to her. I held both of her hands, looked into her magical charming eyes and smiled.

"I felt pains Freda, a vengful feeling but I am glad it was so. I was able to transform those pains and bitterness into strength and powers, I won Vo'ak and Ice King. All thanks to you, I wouldn't had made it out of the Red Beast's claws.

Everything happened really fast, but here we are, together again. I need you to know that I have forgiven you Freda. From the bottom of my heart, I no longer have any grudges against you.

I love you Freda."

Freda remain silent. My words truly got into her, and that too was because I truly meant every word. Being a witch, she was able to sense honesty in me.

Tears rolled out of her eyes and she replied: "I love you too Sol, but now, I have to go. I am still the Queen of my coven, and my witches awaits me."

With that been said, Freda pulled her hands away from mine and began to walk away from Pytra and I. She waved her right hand and SWOOSH… A portal opened and she walked through. Before the portal closed, she turned to us and smiled.

SWOOSH! The portal closed.

Few seconds later, I shook my head to clear it and sighed. I turned to Pytra who had been extraordinarily calm during the entire time and asked:

"So… Fine girl, where is this place exactly and where do we go from here?"

She smirked and replied in a chronic African accent: "If you call me fine girl again, I would conclude you are a flirt."

"Ah! Hey… Take it easy." I backed off.

"My name is Pytra, now that you know it, use it." She stood up and started walking.

I followed behind her without wasting any time. From the way she behaved, I knew she was not the kind of lady to joke with, worst of all, flirt with.

In every word she said… He voice sounded sure and steadfast. She was always sure of what to say. I hurried up and was able to catch up with her.

While we walked beside each other, she began to speak; "This is the Lucid dream realm. In here anything is possible. Whatever we do, we do fast and smart."

"OK finally you are saying something nicely." I replied.

"Dont get too comfortable." She said.

I sighed. "I don't intend to get too comfortable. Where are we going?"

"Somewhere safe, a place we can rest before anything else."

"Great! Lead the way Pytra and Sol shall follow." I said playfully.

"Alright then keep up." The moment she said that, she morphed back into her phoenix form and flew off.

I watched her flew and I knew I couldn't. I could only run pretty fast and when necessary during fights, I could somewhat teleport, but that's a power I didn't master yet.

"Hey Pytra! Not all of us can fly." I shouted.

She shouted back in reply and said: "This is the lucid realm Sol. Just think it, will it and you would fly."

"Lucid dream huh." I smirked.

Just as she said, I calm myself, imagined myself flying. "Huh! I can do this." I assured myself.

I closed my eyes, bent down putting my right knee on the ground, focused and… BOOF! up I went. I flew in a great speed. At first I couldn't stabilize myself in the air, but quickly got a hang of it. In no time, I was flying beside the beautiful Phoenix.

"You did it!" She said.

"Yeah! I am flying." I laughed in excitement.

"How does it feel?" She asked.

"Better than running fast." I joked.

Together, we pierced through the air in great speed like two rockets sent to space.

Freda might had cost me my life, but she came to my rescue. She wasn't still a good person, but I realized that she was someone who would do whatever she felt like doing.

She probably didn't really cared about Mr. Gabriel and myself, but she redeemed herself. I'd no longer needed to hate her. Forgiving her gave me some level of freedom.

Deep inside my heart while I flew, I prayed that she would be safe and perhaps never stop being a witch.

I'd still deemed her a goddess and my personal hero.