Chapter 53: Plots and Shadows
"He is planning to wage war against a demon clan near the South's border, but that clan had never attacked the South Kingdom openly. I recall that it was even the merchants and bandits from the south that always make trouble for those demons." Larika explained. Those lands are barren and near the mouth of a volcano. Had the merchants gone insane? Trying to snatch a barren land?
"Somebody might be behind those attacks. No one is courageous enough to attack demons unless it is profitable for them," Midel commented. He was listening intently to their stories when something suddenly hit him. "He is trying to find an excuse to go into war with the demon clans and he's building an army for it, why?"
"He is one of them," Out of the blue, the deep cold voice answered them. His eyes were on Yllana as he recalled how Darion tried to snatch her and Larika just because he took an interest on them. "Red eyes, long slender and black arms…demon,"
Inside that cabin, Larika's grip on the hem of her skirt tightened. She covered half of her face with a hand. Her eyes were starting to dart anywhere in the room as if seeing what she feared the most. When Yllana saw her, she tapped her on the shoulder to break her out of her reverie. "Thanks," Larika muttered.
~~~~~~~~~
Boom!
Outside the cabin, the sky has turned dark and the rain clouds gathered thickly. Drop after more drops fell from the sky and crashed on the ground. With thunder and lightning, the weather turned a notch colder than before. Snow that has covered the ground heavily was now melting under the torrential rain.
Wind whistled loudly and the lights from the torches and lamps danced into its rhythm. Her red eyes looked outside of the cabin's window. Rain and snow both dropped from the sky. "She was his wife. I wonder what she experienced that made her loose her mind for a bit awhile back there," Yllana was watching the downpour with Midel on her side.
"Lucien and I saw his other side when we were fighting with him," Midel swallowed hard as he recalled how they fought and almost lost to that demonic emperor of the South Kingdom. "He fought equally with Lucien. Without that pendant, maybe he would have abducted you that day." Midel sighed. Lucien placed half of his powers on the pendant to protect the wearer, which was Yllana.
Yllana crossed her arms over her chest and tilted her head to the side. She thought of Lucien again when he gave her the pendant and the blue robe. "We must also get stronger. There are dangers ahead and we cannot rely on Lucien forever." She looked at Midel. "And you are getting involved too much already. Aren't you afraid of following me to death?"
Midel chuckled, "And you only thought of that now?" There was amusement on his eyes. "You should have known that trouble was painted all over you ever since I asked Shiiba to look for you."
Crack!
The thunder rolled as the night sky slashed with lightning. Yllana frowned then exhaled. After a moment's realization a laugh escaped her lips. "And here I was thinking that being a knight will give me peace after the war."
~~~~~~~~~~~
Lucien stood outside the cabin. He was sitting on a wooden bench perched by the door. Larika was helping Mariek with dinner and Midel and Yllana were talking inside the cabin. When he was sure that no one was keeping an eye on him. He whispered something under his breath in a low tone that no one would hear.
A shadow leaped from the trees and appeared by his side. The shadow was covered with black clothing with a red symbol written on his chest. If anyone would see this shadow, no one recognize the clan symbol on him. "Master," the shadow knelt beside Lucien with his head lowered. A sharp gleam flashed in his eye as he eyed the surroundings.
"When did you find me?" Lucien asked.
"Less than a week ago. The old master had his decision passed onto us before he died." The shadow's voice was monotonous. It did not carry any hint of emotion.
"I am not going back yet. I still have some things to do." The shadow did not reply. It just lowered its head and listened. "Continue guarding on the shadows. Remember that I do not want any of you to be found out. Go."
"Who were you talking to?" The thunder clapped once again when Yllana opened the door and called out to him. "The rain will not let up. You'll get wet if you stay outside."
The wind blew hard inside the cabin. It blew out the oil lamps and torches making the surroundings pitch black.
Crack!
Another thunder and lightning combo went down. Yllana stared at Lucien's profile. His lashes were thick and his eyes a shade of brownish black. There was even a halo-like glow in his irises every time the surrounding turns black. "Your eyes are beautiful," When she realized that the words already came out of her mouth, she felt her cheeks heat up.
He just gave her a meaningful smile. When she did not know what to say anymore, she turned her back and left the door open for him. "Come inside. It's cold." She shouted when she was already inside.
Lucien was shaking off some mist that were caught in his hair when Midel caught sight of him. "How is your shoulder?"
"Fine," Lucien did not even bother to look at Midel and just followed Yllana. "Yllana."
The moment he called out her name, she froze. Something in her head pounded. 'That voice…' At that instant, she massaged her temples. It was like her head was trying to make her remember something that she forgot, something important.
"Yllana?" Midel observed her from behind. Lucien also noticed Yllana's actions. He grabbed her hand and touched her forehead.
"Does it hurt?" Lucien knitted his eyebrows as he softly massaged Yllana's temples.
His touch made Yllana's mind more chaotic. "I-I'm fine!" She jumped away from him as she felt her cheeks burn again. It was a good thing that the lights went out.
"Flame," A small flame ignited from Lucien's fingertip. He swatted it to the direction of the oil lamps and torches inside the cabin. When he went to check Yllana's condition again, she was already lying on her bed covering her head with a blanket.
~~~~
"You saw through her too, right? Her and that man dressed in black robes. He is strong. I wish I could be like him someday." A boy with orange hair and blue eyes was jumping from one corner to another in another cabin.
"Kareem, you should just mention their names now. They already gave us their names." Mariek was busy preparing food with Larika and the old woman with them.
Larika giggled. "That girl is going to be as strong as that guy or even stronger. The Grand Oracle has been spreading this in the private circles."
Three pairs of eyes took a quick look on her. "Hehe. It seems that the emperor has picked up the wrong girl to sacrifice this time." Mariek noted.
"Weren't you a sacrificial woman?" Kareem's question halted the empress. She stayed still for a few seconds remembering the hell she went through when she was still inside the palace.
For the last three years, every full moon, he would visit her in another form. His eyes were still a shade of purple and his hair black as the night. But he was not the ten-year-old boy that he displays in the public. He was the monster that haunted to feed on her life force by copulating with her. Without the alleviating drugs that they let her smell, she would never submit to him. "I was special." It was all she could say.
Mariek's eyes glowed into a white color. Her orange hair slowly changed into white too and it floated in the air. The old woman with them rushed to her side, "What can you see?"
Lightning smashed down a treetop from the forest near the cabin. The tree caught fire and the people who saw the scene instantly called out to put out the fire. Along with Mariek's foresight, the fire on the treetop faded as the rain poured down. When Mariek returned to her consciousness, she looked at the old woman by her side. "Grandma, I saw someone building an army."
"The child emperor? It is not surprising anymore." Kareem exclaimed.
"No. I cannot see who the general is." The old woman's hidden eyes opened wide.
"Somebody else is building an army?" Worry was written all over her face. Her wrinkled face contorted as she thought of something. She did not say anything to them anymore as they continued to mull over their own thoughts. The future that had just given them slight hope earlier is now starting to take another turn.
"Let us just have a peaceful dinner for this day. Then let tomorrow worry itself." Larika smiled at them.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone