CHAPTER 20

WHEN MORNING came, everyone made a full recovery of their strength, and they traversed the hellish barren land again. This time, they sent Xeke ahead of them to scout their route to avoid what happened yesterday. Xeke was fast that they covered forty kilometers in a day without running into trouble. Their walking pace was normal, and their only enemy was the scorching heat of the barren land.

Xeke was their scout, Hakken and Sollel were on the front, Cira and Zassia were in the center, trying to keep up, while Grath was in the rear, protecting their backs.

"Just how long are we going to walk before we reach Castetava?!" Cira complained while resting at night and massaging her own feet. "Elves love walking, but not the whole day!"

"In my estimation, we'll reach Castetava in three days," said Xeke who was playing with his dagger.

Zassia nodded. "This was a forest before, and according to history, this was the largest and widest forest in Azitera. It covers hundreds of kilometers."

"Great!" Cira clicked her tongue. "Another three days of walking."

Sollel sat beside Cira and gave her water. "Drink and stop talking. It'll dehydrate you."

Cira pouted but accepted the water nonetheless and became quiet. That didn't go unnoticed to Xeke. He realized, after traveling in this hellish barren land, that there was only one person Cira listened to, and that's El, the flame sorceress. Cira treated her with respect and sometimes reverence. She also called El Her Highness sometimes. Xeke was really curious who this El was.

"Where's Grath, by the way?" Sollel asked when she roamed her eyes around and didn't see the demi-human black wolf.

"Resting," Hakken answered as he sat beside Sollel. "He said he's not feeling well."

Zassia felt worried. "He was burning up when he carried me on his back earlier. He said he's okay. I thought it's just because of the heat."

Cira got up. "I'll go check up on him." Cira had a medicine that worked well with halflings and demi-humans. She was, after all, a renowned healer in Beastrela.

"I'll go in case she needs something," Xeke said and followed Cira.

Only Sollel, Hakken, and Zassia remained close to the small campfire they made.

Hakken scooted closer to Sollel. While Sollel noticed it, she just let him be. Even when Hakken subtly reached for her hand and played with her fingers, she just let him be as well. She could burn him alive for touching her without asking, that's a given, but she just didn't want to.

Then Sollel's eyes fell on Zassia. She was praying to Queen Sollel again, so earnestly, while holding her staff close to her heart.

"How was it, Lady Zassia?" Sollel could not help asking, and when Zassia heard her name, her eyes snapped at the woman wearing a dark red cloak. "Your prayer has been answered. Queen Sollel gave you her blessing. Why still pray?"

Zassia's expression softened. "I will not stop praying to her just because she answered my prayer and gave me what I wanted. I have been praying to her since I was a child. Even when there was no answer, even when some people belittled my belief, I continued praying. And now that my queen finally answered me, I'll pray even harder to show my gratitude and reverence."

Sollel took a deep breath, a small smile playing on her lips. "Queen Sollel will surely appreciate to have such a devoted follower."

Zassia smiled shyly and spoke regrettably. "I'm still weak though, even after my queen blessed me. I lack knowledge and experience. I'm afraid that I will just waste the blessing my queen has given me."

Sollel sighed inwardly and offered something she never thought she would after what these humans did to her. "I can teach you."

Zassia's eyes widened in shock. "T-truly?" She saw how amazing El was when it came to controlling her flame. "You will really teach me?"

Sollel nodded. "Only if you wanted to—"

"It would be an honor!" Zassia exclaimed and excitedly got up to sit in front of Sollel. "I will happily and gladly accept your teaching and knowledge, Master."

Sollel leaned back hearing Zassia's last word. "Could you not call me that? El would suffice."

"No!" Zassia shook her head. "It would be disrespectful of me."

Sollel sighed, regretting her decision a bit. "How about you just address me Lady El?"

Zassia blinked at Sollel before she grudgingly accepted it. "Okay, Master—I mean, Lady El. I will listen to you and respect your wishes."

"Thank you."

Zassia shook her head. "No. It's thank you for accepting me as your student." Then Zassia held up her hand and conjured a flame, and then she offered it to Sollel.

For a flame sorceress or a sorcerer, offering one's flame to form a covenant with her or his master was rare because offering one's flame was like giving one's soul to her or his master. Nobody wanted to hand their flame to just anyone since it was connected to their souls, and they would be an open book to the person who held their flame. But if one wanted to show their respect and loyalty, it was the most admirable way.

Just like what Zassia was doing now—offering her flame to Sollel.

"From now on, I will be Lady El's student, and she will be my master. I offer my flame to show my willingness to learn and to prove my loyalty."

That stunned Sollel. She was not expecting Zassia to hand her her flame that was connected to her soul to show her willingness and loyalty.

She's too trusting. She didn't even know me. Sollel took a deep breath, raised her hand, and wrapped it in fire to accept Zassia's flame. "I accept your fealty, Zassia."

Zassia's face lit up, and with a wide smile, she bowed her head at Sollel before standing and jumping heartily. She was that happy because she knew how powerful Lady El was. Now that Lady El was her teacher, she would definitely learn a lot, and then she would finally be able to save anyone she wanted.

"You should rest. I will start teaching you tomorrow," Sollel said to Zassia.

Zassia nodded. Her face was still filled with happiness as she went to the other side of the boulder where they planned to rest.

When Zassia left the campfire, it was just Sollel and Hakken.

"I have a feeling that Cira would be jealous if she learned that you accepted a student," Hakken commented while a playful smile was playing on his lips.

Sollel could actually feel that too. "Cira is different from Zassia. She's my friend, while Zassia is my student."

"How about me?" Hakken glanced at Sollel. "What am I to you, my lady?"

"You're my hunter," Sollel answered honestly. "I don't trust you fully, but I always end up depending on you."

"I am that untrustworthy?"

Sollel chuckled at that question. "After what I've been through, I don't think I can ever trust someone easily again. One must move heaven and earth to earn my trust. It's not because I have high standards. It's just that...I don't want to feel the pain of betrayal ever again. To care and love someone, only to be betrayed—that feeling is not something anyone could forget in their lifetime."

Hearing the deep sadness and pain in Sollel's voice, Hakken felt as if his chest were being pierced by a thousand arrows.

Sollel smiled when she remembered what Hakken told her before leaving Belrac. "You asked me if giving me the world was enough to get my affection. And that got me curious. Just how on Azitera are you going to give me the world, Hakken?"

A smile formed on Hakken's lips at Sollel's question. And as he opened his mouth to answer, he looked up to stare at the dark sky. "Easy, really. I will fight the whole world for you, and after I win, I'll give it all to you."

"Did you not consider that I might be capable of seizing the world by myself?" Sollel asked.

Hakken's smile widened, still staring at the sky. "If that was so, then I will be your warlord, ready to fight the whole world for you."

Sollel flicked the tip of Hakken's nose. "That's too big for mere flirtation, Hakken."

Hakken chuckled and then sighed. "What would I not give to have your affection?"

Sollel flicked Hakken's ear this time. "Stop being flirtatious for once. I worry about you sometimes. That's affection."

Hakken sulked at Sollel. "That's different, my lady. Holding hands, hugging, and kissing—that's the affection I want."

"Sorry. I don't feel like doing that with you."

Hakken felt like the sky fell on him. "I get it. I'm going to sleep now." Hakken got up and left the campfire with every part of his body feeling down.

Looking at Hakken's sulking back, Sollel chuckled in amusement. "I already let him hold my hand..." What is he sulking for?

♕♕♕

XEKE WAS ALARMED when he saw Cira crying and sniffing after leaving to boil on the campfire. Contrary to Zassia who slept happily, Cira was crying as she went back to Grath's side.

"What happened to you?" Xeke sounded concerned. "I thought you're going to boil water on the campfire."

Cira sniffed and tried to stop her tears. "Nothing happened. I realized I don't need to boil some water after all."

"And you cried after realizing that?" Xeke's sarcasm was thick.

Cira just nodded and tried her best to control herself. She didn't want to tell Xeke the reason for her tears because it might be miniscule to others, but it was a big deal for her.

Who wouldn't cry?! Queen Sollel just called me her friend! She accidentally heard Hakken and Sollel's conversation when she was about to boil some water. Her annoyance that Queen Sollel made that flame sorceress her student disappeared after hearing who she was to Queen Sollel.

Cira felt emotional.

Xeke frowned and sighed at Cira when her tears didn't stop.

"Stop crying." Xeke reached out to dry Cira's tears. "You look horrible."

Cira glared at Xeke. "Go away. I'm having a moment here."

"You might need something—"

"I don't. Now go away. These are tears of happiness."

Xeke sighed and shook his head. "You are a weird elf."

Cira stuck her tongue out at Xeke. "At least I'm pretty."

That made Xeke smiled. "Yeah. Pretty."

Cira clicked her tongue at Xeke. "Whatever. Now go away. I'm busy."

Xeke had no choice but to go away and sit meters away from Cira, just watching the elf that caught his attention.

Feeling Xeke's gaze, Cira didn't mind him, and she focused on wrapping Grath's body with her essence. Wrapping her essence and imbuing someone with her essence were two different things. Wrapping her essence on someone did not weaken her because she was just analyzing someone's body with the assistance of her essence, while imbuing someone her essence to heal them—like what she did to Queen Sollel—was draining to Cira. That's why she would seldom do it.

Closing her eyes, Cira controlled her essence to examine Grath's body so she'd know which one to do. Cira immediately felt the heat on the surface, and as her essence delved deeper, she finally reached Grath's core, but she immediately pulled back after sensing that familiar heat. I can't be mistaken! I've felt that flame before! It can't be...

Cira stared at Garth in shock before running back to the campfire to speak to Queen Sollel. Her mind was in a mess that she didn't mind when she bumped into a sulking Hakken.

"Your Highness!" Cira grabbed Sollel's hand and dragged her away where they couldn't be heard by anyone.

"What is it, Cira?" Sollel asked after she let Cira drag her away from their campsite.

Cira caught her breath before talking. "Your Highness, I have a very important question."

"Okay..."

Cira took a deep breath. "How do you bless someone? I mean, what's the process? I know you blessed Zassia, but I didn't see it, so I'm wondering."

To be dragged away, Sollel knew that Cira's query was not that simple. "I gave her a piece of my flame, weakening me a bit."

"And the process?"

"My flame enters the body and carves itself into one's soul, and if the soul doesn't reject it, then he or she can wield a part of my flame," Sollel answered. "And that flame will be passed down to his or her lineage, but it'll be a little bit weaker because it's not a direct blessing from me." Sollel frowned. "Why are you asking me this?"

"Grath." Cira exhaled. "Grath has your blessing."

Sollel's eyebrow furrowed even deeper. "What? But I didn't..."

"I know. That's why I'm confused!" Cira ransacked her brain how could that possibly happen. "But I couldn't be wrong either. My essence is very familiar with your flame, Your Highness. I can't be mistaken. The reason why Grath is burning up is because the flame, your blessing, is trying to engrave itself on his soul, and his soul is rejecting it because it doesn't know. But what I don't understand is why it is happening when you didn't bless him with your flame. Is there another way that you could bless someone without you realizing it?"

Cira's last question made Sollel's head throb. She was confused earlier how Grath could possibly have her blessing, but Cira's last question made her remember a ceremony that transpired in Yther every year—the naming of the infants.

Ytherian parents would visit a temple of their choosing, either the temple of flame, the temple of nature, the temple of the wind, or the temple of the high seas for their infants to receive their blessing through names. And the child named by the queen would be blessed by the same power that the queen possessed. Example, if Queen Aenwyn named an infant, that infant, in due time, would be able to control water.

Sollel massaged her forehead. "I didn't know. I've forgotten about it. And I thought it only works on Ytherian's infants."

Cira frowned at Sollel. "What are you talking about, Your Highness?"

Sollel sighed. "I might've blessed Grath without me realizing."

"When?"

"When I shortened his name and gave him the name Grath."

Cira's lips parted, and in an instant, she demanded, "Give me a nickname too, Your Highness. I want to be blessed too! I don't mind changing names!"

Sollel chuckled a little and flicked Cira's forehead. "You're amazing just the way you are, Cira."

Cira pouted. "This is so unfair..."

Sollel shook her head at Cira's antics. "If I blessed you with my flame, yes, you'll be able to wield fire, but you'll lose your own essence. You will lose your power to analyze living and nonliving things. Your eyes will no longer be special. Who would analyze the moonrite stone?"

Cira's shoulder fell. "It's still unfair."

"I could bless you bow though."

Cira's immediately became happy and her whole face lightened up. "Yes, please!"

Sollel chuckled at Cira's sudden change of emotion. "Come on. Let's go back. I'll bless your bow when everyone is already asleep."

"Yes!" Cira jumped up and down, and she and Sollel returned to their campsite.

While Sollel was massaging her temple at what she had done with Grath without the latter's consent, she vowed to herself that she would not carelessly name someone again, even if it was just a nickname.



CECELIB | C.C.