Chapter 5

Chapter 5

When the sun started to go down, they were still riding down the road. Amasir was thirsty for water, but she knew they couldn't stop here. There were people around this place. Some were staring at them, while others focused on walking.

Amasir knew that if she leaned back even a little, her back would rub against Mikhaz's chest. There was little to no space between them. Aware that anything could draw attention to her, she didn't say a word. She tried to ignore the feeling of Mikhaz's arm around her waist.

The pace was slow as they rode through the middle of a market in a rural village. As more time passed, Amasir felt pain in her back and found herself leaning against him.

The scarf around her face was tightly secured, and she prayed it would remain that way until they had passed out of sight.

It wasn't just his arm she felt—she could also feel his warm breath on her face. She knew this was very wrong because she was the Kadum, and he was her guard. She would have to scold him later for this.

Once they arrived at Suvark Village, things would be over between them because she would claim her mother's dragon and ride it down to the capital, Dhunark, where she would secure her position as the Queen. With that thought, she relaxed and let the sensation of the wind brushing against her face soothe her.

They soon traveled past the market and found themselves riding through the farmlands at a high pace. There was no sign of anyone around. She saw nothing but endless fields of grain.

It wasn't that the people were lazy about coming to their farms, but they feared for their lives. Humans had always been terrified for their lives since the beginning of gods' existence.

It all started many years ago when a great storm swept through Khazanar. This was no ordinary storm—it came with lightning that tore the sky apart and struck the earth.

When the storm ended, something appeared. It was a substance that was neither liquid nor solid, moving with energy. The people called it Aether, a gift from the heavens.

At first, Aether was feared because it made their land barren. It turned their rivers into blood, and dead flowers littered the ground.

Those who came too close to it felt its power and fell to their deaths.

Desperate to end this, the people summoned the witches of the land.

The witches were able to harness the power of Aether. However, their attempts to control it failed. And in their efforts to destroy Aether, they mistakenly created the first immortal beings.

The first gods of Khazanar were born from Aether. These gods learned to control its power, and with it, they created and birthed more gods.

The gods acted as protectors and granted favors to those who were loyal. If humans committed an evil offense, they were either executed or imprisoned. The problem was that everything the gods did was considered right, while mortals were punished for their actions.

As time went on, the gods became more aggressive and violent toward the people. Humans believed this was because of the influence of Aether inside them.

With their growing anger, the gods turned on each other, waging war. In the process, they created creatures to serve them in battle. These creatures, too, were made from Aether and the breath of gods.

But it was these creatures the people feared the most, for they roamed the land, taking souls. Most of them fed on the Aether of weaker gods, leaving them dead.

Amasir opened her eyes after some time to see they had ridden past the farms and into the forest. They had been riding for too long without rest. Not only was she thirsty now, but her legs had gone numb.

She tried to shift to allow blood to flow back into her legs but ended up leaning against Mikhaz.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"My legs are numb," she replied.

"We have been riding for a long time," he said. "I almost forgot you would need to drink water and eat some food."

"What do we have?"

"Some dried meat, cheese, and a loaf of bread."

"That will sustain us for the next few days until we reach Suvark."

"Yes."

"Why are we not stopping now?" she asked.

"We need to find a good place to rest," he said. "Somewhere with flowing water."

"Not only that," she murmured. "We should be more vigilant. There could be creatures roaming around."

"Masnak," Mikhaz muttered.

Masnak were wild creatures made by the gods in ancient times. They fed on the energy of people. Their skin was often pale white but turned gray when they hadn't fed in a long time. Their veins darkened and became more pronounced. Their eyes blackened, losing their original color.

"We'll need to be cautious," he said. "One touch, and you're dead. Since you're a god, they'll be drawn to you."

Their horse carried them forward, and Amasir couldn't help but glance around every few moments, searching for any sign of Masnak.

Masnak were not the only creatures in this world, but they were the most dangerous of them all.

Her stomach churned, and her legs felt weak. She attempted to use Aether to fix the numbness in her legs but remembered that using Aether here could attract wild creatures.

She saw skulls and bones scattered on the ground and knew without a doubt they belonged to humans who had been killed by these creatures.

They rode forward until they reached a small stream.

"We should stop here," Mikhaz announced. "And rest for the night."