Chương 55: First Spell

The flame from the stove burned higher and higher. There was a black pot hanging over the fire with a bubbling green liquid inside. Yllana gulped seeing the thick green liquid that smelled like rotten fish with sweaty socks.

All the other eyes in the room looked at Yllana with pitiful eyes. One by one they patted her back before they went out of the kitchen. Yllana felt like she was going on a mission with her life on the line. "Are you sure that that is the last dose of antidote for the poison?" Her heart pounded inside her chest.

Kareem bit his lip as he scooped a bowl of the gooey liquid in front of her. "Most of the poison is gone. It is better to be sure to get rid of any remnants within your body. So, please just bear with it. I promise, if the discoloring disappears, you will not need to drink another drop again."

Anxious and scared of the stare behind him, Kareem hurriedly placed the bowl of medicine on the table and left. Yllana swallowed hard. She pinched her nose, took the bowl slowly, and tipped it to her mouth. Her face changed. Should all medicine really taste bad?

"It was that bad?" Lucien's hand was weaving his chin while watching Yllana's face turn from white to green and back to white again. She responded with a grunt.

She thought that she might start throwing up if she opens her mouth. She stayed on the chair for minutes. And while she was staring at the empty bowl, Lucien watched her on the side. The atmosphere was peaceful between them. With the melted snow and bright sun outside, everything looks normal like nothing dreadful happened to Yllana.

"Ugh, I hate this part when I was in the imperial army. The part when you have to eat medicine because of your injuries from the war." It was not war that she went to, but she still felt like it was the same context. (Just because of the medicine)

The feeling of the gritty liquid going slowly down to her throat irritated her and makes her feel like vomiting…again. "Here, take this." Lucien handed her a small candied fruit.

The sweet taste of the candy suppressed the threatening barf.

"Thanks,"

"Time to create your first spell. You failed last time. Hurry up and get your coat."

~~~~~~~~~~

She inhaled. The air was cold but calm unlike yesterday when the rain hit the village. Her eyes were clear although it was tainted with a blood-red color. No one can see guess what she was thinking. But as they watch her from afar, they could guess that she was trying hard to concentrate on the soul stone on her hand.

She took out a deep breath slowly while uttering a word, "Fire shield,"

Fwoosh!

A rush of red sparks came out of Yllana's hand and went to the soul stone. It burned the stone for a few seconds, but the fire did not harm Yllana. 'Strange,' she thought. When the fire was out, the stone is already colored red and she saw an engraved shape of a shield in the middle of the stone. In the middle of the shield was the symbol of fire.

Before she could still examine it, the stone glowed a bright red and fire started to ignite around it again. This time, the stone disappeared. 'Fire shield,' she heard that familiar voice in her head. It was the indication that she was successful this time and that the spell was already engraved in her soul.

"Did you hear the spell in your head?" Lucien asked her. He was guarding her from start to finish.

"Yes, where is the stone?"

"The exchange, remember?"

"In order for the spells to be created, nature must get something in exchange for it. Nature really is not that generous as I have thought."

"The heavens are crueler."

"Eh?"

Lucien already turned his back before Yllana could ask him more. She stared at the skies. The wind blew her hair. When Lucien looked back at her, he saw a red-haired girl standing out from the blanket of snow. Red standing in the middle of the white fields. A small smile crept out of his lips.

The heavens really are cruel.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Before we set out on our journey, we need to find both of you new weapons," Lucien declared after lunch.

"Weapons?" Yllana looked at Midel and Larika.

"My crystal broke when I used it against the emperor," Midel explained shyly. "I could just find another one along the way."

"Larika…" Yllana turned to Larika.

"I...do not have any weapon. I never learned to fight." She lowered her head. All the time that she was with them, she could not feel that she was an empress. Gone was her status.

"The first ingredient is for the sight spell is a dragon's eye that can be found in the dragon's eye cave. I never thought my lie to my father will turn out to be real." Yllana laughed dryly.

"This village is at the borderline of the South Kingdom. There is a cave that some of us found by accident. They say that the cave drains your life force once you enter it, so no one dared to go inside. You could even feel the great force in the entrance. There is a huge chance that there could be something precious as weapons inside it." Kareem revealed to them. There was an expectant look in his eyes.

"That sounds dangerous," Larika commented.

"The market is more dangerous for us now that the emperor will surely be looking for you." Midel placed stroked his chin while looking at Larika.

"I think we could give the cave a try. If you feel any discomfort, you could just get out in an instant," Yllana eyed Larika. She was also concerned about the empress' welfare since no matter what happens, she is still the empress of the South Kingdom. And now, she is even her disciple for protection's sake.

~~~~~~~~~~

Nighttime

*Yawn*

Mariek stretched out her arm while walking through the cabin. Her other hand was carrying an oil lamp which was the only one lit inside the wooden house. The others have gone to their rooms and waiting for sleep to visit them. When she passed by Yllana's door, she abruptly stopped and saw the door slightly open. She saw the red-haired girl standing by the window and gazing at the moon. "Yllana…"

A little head full of orange hair peered through the door. Yllana gently lifted her head. Her eyes were brightly shining. There was a white halo within her irises that Mariek noticed only now. 'Was that there before?'

"Are you all right? Do you need some tea to help you sleep?" she curiously asked hoping to offer help.

"I…feel a bit uneasy. *sigh*But I cannot sleep. Thanks, but I do not think tea will also help at this rate." She smiled.

"Do you need Lucien to help you?" Mariek's words made Yllana blink twice.

That is right. Lucien has been helping her sleep once. Maybe he could…Yllana cut her thoughts. She should not always depend on Lucien. She already said that. But before she could speak, s flash of black robes entered her room and shut the door tight.

"Lu-"

Her eyes were covered with a huge palm and everything went black. Her head started feeling heavy as her thoughts clear up one by one. "Lucien…" she managed to breathe out his name.

"Mh-mm?"

"I couldn't sleep. You have to teach me how you do this…*yawns*"

"Nope,"

"Why?" Her voice was beginning to soften. With another yawn, she poked his hand that was covering her eyes.

"Because you would not need me before you sleep then."

Before Lucien could finish his words Yllana's head was already heavy against Lucien's shoulder. He stayed still for a few more minutes making sure that Yllana was in a deep sleep before he could move her to her bed. As soon as he felt her steady breaths, he lifted her up and carried her to her bed. He sat beside her and whistled towards the corner of the room.

A shadow sprung up from the corner and formed into a man in black clothing before Lucien. "Master," it bowed with one knee in front of him. The face of the man in black robes was covered in a silver mask. Only his eyes and lips can be seen. Under the moonlight, Lucien could see the faint trace of a wound across the corner of the man's lips.

"What happened?" his deep voice was so low that only the two of them could hear it.

The man in a mask looked at his master. "The emperor's spies were trying to get inside the banished village. They were about to find the entrance when one of us saw them. They were half-bloods, Master."

Lucien's gaze fell into the trees outside the window. His stare turned cold upon hearing the report from his subordinate.

"Try to find out where the emperor got this half-bloods." He waved his hand to dismiss him. With a flick of a finger, the man in the silver mask disappeared again in the shadows. Lucien walked beside Yllana. He bent down and softly left a peck on her forehead before getting out of her room.

~~~~~~~~~

Halfbloods are demons that were bred with one parent as a human and another as a demon. Most of them are physically stronger than humans and have greater talent in cultivating since they have acquired strengths from demons and intelligence from humans. But there are so-called 'failures' resulting from human-demon pairs that were not compatible with strength or talent. Pairing up humans and demons should be carefully considered in both aspects to make a perfect half-blood. Although half-bloods are strong in the human world, back in the demon clans, these half-bloods are no match for pure-blooded royal demons. (They will be presented in the coming chapters.)

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