Chapter 7

Chapter 7

When Amasir woke up the next morning, she couldn't believe how deeply she had slept. She groaned, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

If it hadn't been for the voices outside the tent, she would have still been asleep.

She slowly stood up from the blanket and walked outside to find Mikhaz and Nakar leaning against a tree.

"We should reach Suvark by nightfall," Mikhaz said.

Upon noticing her presence, they both turned around and bowed their heads.

"Good morning, Princess."

"We can't stay here for long," she said, looking around before meeting Mikhaz's gaze.

"I know," Mikhaz replied. "If we move fast, we can make it to Suvark by midnight or in the morning."

"Then we should start moving," Amasir said.

"Are you not going to eat something before we leave?"

"No," she shook her head. "I don't feel hungry."

Before she could take a step forward, he grabbed her arm.

She turned her head to him with a small frown.

"You have not been eating anything these past few days," he said. "You are looking thin."

"I ate last night."

"You could not even finish the loaf of bread," he said, turning to the slaves who were packing up the things from the tent. Mikhaz called for them, and they walked closer with their heads bowed.

"Make sure the Princess has something to eat before we leave," he said.

Her skin prickled and turned hot with embarrassment. Ever since her mother died, he had grown protective and possessive of her, and she didn't like this side of him.

When the slave left, Nakar followed behind her. Mikhaz turned to her, folding his arms across his chest.

"Did you sleep well?"

"I did," she replied.

"I know," he said with a light smile.

"Did I perhaps let my Aether out while I was asleep?" she asked.

"No," he replied, closing the distance between them as he helped her arrange her hair.

"I would need some time at the stream to take care of myself before eating, and then we can leave."

He nodded.

She took a step forward before turning around, and she flashed him a small smile.

"Thank you for last night," she said. He had stayed awake just to keep everyone safe.

...

Amasir didn't understand why Mikhaz was growing close to her all of a sudden, and it was getting to her.

Amasir bit her inner cheek. She really needed to be reminded of her duties. She might still be Amas, a commoner here, but once she reached Suvark, she would need to fulfill her duties by claiming the throne.

She shook her head. She should keep her thoughts away from him. Right now, she needed to focus on their journey and hope they would leave this forest unharmed.

She blew out warm air from her mouth, feeling the wind brush her face. They had ridden deep into the forest, and it was dark with no sign of the sun filtering in.

Branches twisted, and Amasir turned her head to see nothing. She took a deep breath. She really needed to take her mind off the possibility that there could be creatures around.

A few hours later, they came across a small stream in the forest, but they continued riding. They had already fed the horses water, and their bottles were also filled. They had nothing to worry about.

She had no scarf around her face and would only wear it once they had left the forest.

As they continued riding, Amasir realized the forest was endless. How many hours would they continue riding before they left this place?

Hearing the sound of a branch twisting, she turned her head again and saw nothing. This time, Amasir was concerned.

She turned to the others to see if she was the only one who had heard it, and she realized she was not alone. The others had heard it too, and they had slowed their pace.

All of a sudden, the place was filled with thick fog. One of the soldiers' horses reared and made a loud sound.

Everyone was alert, and they turned to Nakar, who was riding the horse.

"What's going on?" one of the soldiers asked, looking around.

Nakar shook his head and brought a finger to his mouth, signaling everyone to stay quiet.

Amasir looked around. She didn't hear or see anything strange. The place was only covered with fog. If only she could use her Aether to trace what was going on. But that wouldn't be possible because Aether drew the attention of wild creatures.

One of the slaves began to shake, and Amasir turned her head to see her holding a doll while chanting something under her breath.

Amasir raised a brow. Did she believe the doll could save her life?

One of the other slaves wrapped an arm around her shoulder to keep her calm.

"We should continue moving," Mikhaz said.

They began to ride at a slow pace, all the while staying alert. Amasir's hands went down to the sword secured in the gown she wore.

All of a sudden, a creature came from nowhere. The Masnak creatures rushed toward their horses, and the slaves screamed.

Their skin was the color of grey, and Amasir knew instantly they hadn't fed for a long time.

The creature attacked Nakar, dragging him down from his horse. Suddenly, it grabbed Nakar's face tightly. It was about to take his soul.

Amasir screamed.

The soldier next to Nakar leaped down from his horse, stabbing the creature from behind. Nakar tossed the creature off him.

As he managed to get to his feet, he grabbed his sword, cutting off the creature's head.

She breathed out in relief as she stared at the Masnak lying dead on the ground.

"I think there are more," Nakar said before turning to the soldier who had helped him. "Thank you."

"There are more," Amasir said. "We need to get out of this place fast."

Before Nakar and the other soldier could get on their horses, a group of Masnaks appeared from the fog.