Chương 87: The Other General

Discovering the truth beneath a ton of lies had never been this painful for her. There is no denying now that she just saw a demon who looks exactly like her. She gripped the Lightning Sword in her hand. As she looks at her reflection on the blade, she couldn't help but shed a tear silently. The blade started shaking, she could feel the growing rage within her.

Those red eyes…she thought of killing demons who have red eyes. But now she is one of them. She stared at the four corpses, seemingly charred bodies of the demons. Since she carved out their hearts, they had breathed their last. But the other two were not there. Darion and the red demon that battled with them earlier. She was sure it was Darion with his purple robes.

Most days, Yllana could just wake up feeling the searing pain all over her body as if it was breakfast. But now, the pain she was feeling can't be cured by any potion.

'Father, I think I am a half-blood demon,' would that be alright as an opening conversation between a father and a daughter? Once she gathered all the things she needed to cure her elder sister, will she still have the courage to call Theoden her father? She pinched herself, making sure she was awake. "Ow!"

"Idiot,"

That familiar voice calmed her senses and brought her back to reality. He was shaking his head in the corner of the room. When did he come near her? She was sitting on a nearby tree where they fought earlier. The valley folks still hid within their doors afraid that the two demons would still come back. Even the soldiers did not even come to their rescue.

"Now that I'm sure I smell like them, I noticed that we are the same. How come you were in the Cursed Lands at that time we first met?" She pointed her sword a few inches away from his throat.

He walked nearer. Yllana froze when she saw a drop of his blood flowed down her blade towards her.

"I will tell you when you reach the High-Saint rank,"

"You know I trust you, right?" She looked at him straight in the eye. If this guy also wanted something from her, he could have just killed her that day when she was unconscious on the battlefield. She could not mistrust her savior. And …there is nothing she can hate him for.

Lucien smiled at her. It was one of those moments that he would smile simply, not the creepy demonic smile he usually gives when he faces an opponent. "I know,"

"Yllana nightfall flower got stomped. We need to get a new one." Midel examined her

"They say you were looking for the nightfall flower," they heard a small voice call out above the tree. When the three pairs of eyes examined the leafy branch. A little boy with a single toothy fang was hanging upside down and staring back at them.

"The names Gio Miserath, I'm a hunter. I could take you to the spot on the top of the mountain where the flower blooms for a good price." The way the boy grinned with one tooth fang longer than the others was infectious. It reminded them of Fourteen when they first met her.

Lucien and Midel looked at each other. Yllana saw the hesitant look in their eyes. "What? He's a kid." The two did not say anything. They just looked at her. "Seriously? You cannot trust a kid?" Lucien squinted his eyes at Midel.

"Wha-What?! You also thought we should not..geez. You decide!" He turned his back while scowling at the two.

"How much?"

"100 gold coins, take it, or leave it." Lucien immediately declared.

Gio jumped down from the branch. Blag! The ground shook a little as the little boy hit the ground. "Well, that's better than nothing, right?" But they all gaped at what they saw hanging at his back. Two large axes with a black symbol of a phoenix were tied to his shirt.

Yllana saw Lucien's eyes grow dim. "Let's go before those two come hunting me again."

And while they were going to the mountains peacefully, somewhere in the South Kingdom, people are still trying to figure out where could the new ruler be.

~~~~~~~~~~

South Kingdom Palace

"Where…is…she?!" Elder Evin's veins almost popped out of his neck. His eyes were bulging and his neck almost stretched out the window as if whom she was searching for would magically fly by. He turned to Larika and pointed a finger on her. "You…You let them get out of the palace, didn't you?!"

"Hehe…I could not say no to the empress, can't I?" Larika nervously raised her hands and waved in front of the elder. When Elder Evin tried to walk near her, a teenage boy suddenly blocked his path. Vandier, when he got back to his normal form, was only two inches taller than Larika with a slim body. He was appointed too as a council member of the minority meaning he has an equal position as the elders.

"Elder Evin, the lady has her orders. And the empress currently gave out all there is needed to be prepared until she gets back. I suggest that we also prepare drafts for the relocation of both the villagers and the Desonians, shall we?" his swift and gentle manner of urging the elder calmed everyone's nerves. They all went to the meeting room to prepare as he suggested. When he turned to Larika…

"Thank you," Larika folded her hands and bowed a little to Vandier. His face instantly turned pink and he looked at the side.

"We should also go with them, Your High-…I mean Lady Larika."

As they opened the door of the meeting room, everyone was gaping and whispering at each other. "What happened?" Vandier asked one of the guards.

"Sir, the oracle is having a-" the guard swallowed hard. His eye kept blinking fast and his hands were shivering.

The oracle? Mariek? The ten-year-old oracle? Larika remembered the orange-haired girl with freckles on her face. A few years ago, Mariek had a foresight about a demon causing the death of the council elders of the kingdom. Months passed and nothing happened. Nobody believed her then and the emperor banished her for causing alarm. But now…what could she be seeing now? Mariek was suspended on the ground.

"Time is running out…the demons… they are spreading. An army…It's…" The white light enveloping her faded. She was struggling until that last ray of light escaped from her body. Her vision turned dark. And she went limp on the floor.

~~~~~~~~~~

Nighttime

"The nightfall flower should be picked when it first opens its petals and then secured in a sealed wooden box." Explained Gio. He handed Yllana a wooden box. "20 gold coins," and he grinned. She was about to give him the coins she fished out of her space ring when Lucien held her hand with the coins. He glared at Gio.

"Ok, ok! 10 gold coins,' he muttered while looking down on the grasses. As soon as Lucien heard him, he let go of Yllana's hand and let her pay only 10 gold coins.

"Miser*," she whispered when she walked past him. He only grumbled as an answer.

Midel searched the area for any clues about the nightfall flower and saw small bushes of other medicinal herbs. "There's a ton of herbs here that can be used for potions and spells too. We can collect some while looking for the nightfall flower, right?"

"Just don't pick up fruits. Some are guarded by the forest beasts-" Lucien glared at him again. "Fine, pick anything you want. Just be careful." Gio was grumbling something under his breath as he walked fast in front of them. He took out his axes and poof! He disappeared in a ray of light.

Lucien grabbed Yllana's sleeve when she was about to go after the little boy. "What?! You heard him. There are guardians of the forest, and you let him be? He's just a child."

Lucien leaned closer to her and widened his eyes, "He is not a child." He emphasized every word until Yllana got his message clearly.

When Gio returned after a few minutes, Yllana saw a few strips of blood on his cheek. He was wiping his axes with a dirty cloth. He looked at the confused Midel and Yllana. "What? I am a hunter." He shrugged his shoulders and placed back the axes on his back.

The blowing wind on the top of the mountain was freezing cold since there is a thin layer of snow on top. Yllana pulled her blue robe tighter. When Lucien saw her shifting her robes, he placed his own blue robe over her shoulders and took out another one from his space ring. He was too fast that Yllana didn't have the chance to say thanks when he already turned his back to her and looked around for the flower. He was, as usual, carrying his usual cold glare.

"The dewdrops have frozen. Be careful." Midel was soothing his finger while looking at the small icicle on a leaf. "This looks like the spirit grass. You needed the dewdrop, right? But it should be harvested after a rain," He pointed at the small bundle of grass growing on a mossy fallen tree. It was giving off a faint bluish-white glow. And if you don't look closely, you will miss the faint glow.

"It rained and the drops have frozen. You can collect the dewdrop too. Did you carry a bottle?" Gio was grinning from ear to ear while waving a small glass vial in front of Lucien. "20 gold coins,"

Lucien was about to glare at him again when Yllana grabbed the bottle and dropped the gold coins on Gio's hand. "We didn't expect to run in some good fortune today. Be kind even for just a while." She gave Lucien a smirk before going to Midel and handing him the bottle.

They had to scour over a forest at the mountain top to reach the highest peak. "That is the highest place on this mountain. I bet there could be six or five flowers there where the moonlight shines best. But only one could climb that steep slope." He scratched his head and looked at Lucien, waiting for an answer…or just another glare.

Gio pointed out at a slope. Numerous slim stones were piled on top of one another that makes up the steps for only one person to pass through. On the side of the slope was a deep cliff with a seemingly endless bottom.

Midel rubbed his chin. "The thinnest among us is…" he looked at Yllana. So far, she had the slimmest body among them. Even Gio has a little more flesh than her. Lucien looked at the two men who were both looking at Yllana.

"Ahhhhh!"

In one swing, Gio was already pushed in the steep slope grabbing the wall of stone behind him. He must walk on the edge on the slope to get to the highest peak of the mountain. One wrong step and he might slide down the cliff and land who knows where.

"Why?! Why me?! If I die here, you… you will lose me!" Gio wasn't staring at Yllana. His teary eyes were glaring back at the man in black robes.

Yllana's face went red when she realized what Gio said. Lose him? But isn't he just a kid? For Lucien to…a kid. Her face went even redder as her thoughts continue to go astray.

Lucien peeked at Yllana's face and shook his head. Thunk! A red dot soon appeared in the middle of her forehead. "Idiot,"

"Get the flower or lose your post," he commanded Gio. The child sniffed as snot started to drop from his nose from crying. His arms were still shaking as he inched closer and closer to the edge of the slope. Midel clenched his fist in front of his face and almost bit his finger while watching Gio.

"G-General…" Gio whispered. It was so low that Midel did not hear it. Lucien peered at Yllana's face. She was still busy touching her own forehead. Lucien gave out a sigh of relief.

Ylana, on the other hand, was massaging her red dot on her forehead with a frown on her face. She could see how Gio picked up the steps on where his foot would land. 'He is an expert. He already knows where the safe steps are.' She realized. So, this kid was just messing with her.

After what seemed like hours of waiting, Gio managed to go to the bunch of nightfall flowers located at the top of the slope. "Give me the wooden box!"

That phrase gave Yllana and Midel a sigh of relief. The flower will soon be harvested. 'Sister, wait for me. I will bring back your sight.'

(Miser*=Cheapskate)

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