ã€ŠThe Legend of The Su Baeraã€‹


 Intro

    Once upon a time, in a world that is different from the one you know, all was lost.

    The nations of that world lived in peace for a very long time but all that changed when the Uha Tamunaran came and conquered them all.

    The Uha Tamunaran were beings of great strength and power, some say their power could be compared to that of a god,

    The Uha Tamunarans came and used their great power to try to conquer and enslave the people of the world but the Su Baera, a warrior who was said to be the great protector of the nations of the world, possessing great power that rival that of the Uha Tamunaran, fought against the Uha Tamunarans and protected the nations from their rule.

    The source of the Su Baera¡¯s power was a steel wings created by the Su Ingi, the supreme being of order and harmony.

    The Su Baera fought the Uha Tamunarans with all his might and strength but eventually he fell and was defeated by them.

    Without the Su Baera there to fight against the Uha Tamunarans the nations of the world fell to them and the people became nothing more than slaves to them.

    As time passed the people, under the oppressive rule of the Uha Tamunarans had lost all hope in gaining back their freedom but the leader and king of the Uha Tamunaran, Datubo, offered them their freedom back if they could complete a task that seemed impossible.

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    Datubo told the people that if any of them could claim the steel wings of the Su Baera, become the next Su Baera and use their use to travel to a world know as Kiri Dumo and bring him the Dumo stone of life then and only then would he free them all from them all from being the slaves of the Uha Tamunarans.

    And so, it became a tradition that once every year one warrior from the each of the nations would come and take part in a tournament to win the honor of being the one to claim the wings of the Su Baera.

    Each time a warrior won the tournament he would be taken by the Uha Tamunarans to the place where the Su Baera fell and then attempt to claim the wings but each time a warrior went to claim the wings he would not return because the wings found them unworthy and destroyed them the moment, they placed their hands on it.

    Time passed and the people remained the Uha Tamunarans slave and were forced to do hard labor for the Uha Tamunarans, cultivating and tending to crops and animals in the fields for food for the Uha Tamunarans, the people also mined for gold, silver, diamond, coal and other resources the Uha Tamunaran needed, most of the people were builders and were forced to build everything from the houses to great machines for the Uha Tamunaran, and some of them were the Uha Tamunarans personal servants and they lived with them in their home and serving them.

    It was truly a sad time for the people, they had close to nothing and whatever little they had was given to them by the Uha Tamunaran so they could just barely survive as they still needed them as slaves.

    The only hope the people had to be freed was the tournament but each time someone won and was taken to the steel wings to claim its power the wings would reject them and find them unworthy of claiming its power and then destroy them.

    But a time was coming where someone would claim the wings of the Su Baera and use its power to free all their people from the Uha Tamunarans and this is where our story begins.

 Chapter 1

    In a small city called Ijawana found in the Nation of the South, a girl called Ibaeran was put to work in the fields along with most of the other people who lived in Ijawana.

    Each day she and the rest of the field workers would work all throughout the day in the fields, sometimes under the hot sun and sometime under the pouring rain, being watched of their Uha Tamunaran masters, and if they were too tired to work their Uha Tamunaran masters would use their powers to torture them immensely sometimes even to the point of death.

    Ibaeran did not like being forced to working in the fields by her Uha Tamunaran masters but she had no choice it was either that or face the Uha Tamunaran wrath which she and everyone in the nation feared, so she worked in the fields.

    Soon she was done with all her work for the day and was allowed to leave.

    Ibaeran went to her home after working extremely hard all day in the fields.

    On her way home, she saw some people that lived in Ijawana being tormented by her their Uha Tamunaran masters, they all looked sad, hopeless and miserable, which was normal for them as they Uha Tamunarans gave them little to no reason to laugh, smile or enjoy any form of peace and happiness.

    Ibaeran wished she could help but she knew better than to interfere or go against the Uha Tamunaran so she walked past the sad and miserable sight of her people being tortured and tormented by the Uha Tamunarans and continued her journey home.

    Ibaeran was about to reach her home she a poor girl who looked like she hadn¡¯t eaten anything in days.

    The poor girl was begging on the streets for a little food and people just walked past her, not wanting to share the little food they had with the poor girl.

    Ibaeran sighed looking at the girl, she knew the girl would not last long in the state she was in so she went her and offered her the food her Uha Tamunaran masters gave her after she had finished her work.

    ¡°Here you go, it¡¯s not much but it should be enough it easy your hunger¡± said Ibaeran.

    ¡°Thank you¡± said the girl accepting the food from Ibaeran.

    Ibaeran just smiled at the girl as she accepted the food from her.

    Ibaeran then left knowing that with the little food she gave the girl she might survive a little bit longer.

    She made her way to her home which was a poor broken down house that looked like it could collapse at any moment with broken windows and cracks on the walls and roofs which that leaked whenever rain.

    Everyone in Ijawana that worked for the Uha Tamunaran had homes like that, some homes were even far worse than Ibaeran from crumbling walls that could collapse to homes with foundations so weak something as gentle as a simple gust of wind could send the entire house tumbling down and most of the people did not even have homes, only the Uha Tamunarans had good and stable house that were well furnished with everything they would ever need and more.

    Most Ijawanans didn¡¯t even have homes because they did not work for the Uha Tamunarans as they were either too old, sick or injured to work for them and the Uha Tamunarans saw no need in wasting their time or resources on those people so they did nothing for them, providing no water, food or even a home for them, they would rather let them die on the streets than waste their precious resources helping them or even providing a roof above their heads.

    Ibaeran opened the door and walked in to her home.

    Ibaeran lived alone as her mother died when she was just a baby and her father raised her for most of her life but when the time for the tournament came, he went to fight in tournament and even won but never came back after he was sent to retrieve the wings like every other warrior before he him.

    The loss of her father made Ibaeran to stop believing that she and the rest of the nations of the world would even be free.

    Her father was the only one that gave hope for a better life, every day she would watch him work and train to get strong so he could win the tournament and free them all from the enslavement of the Uha Tamunarans.

    It broke Ibaeran after he left and never came back, her father was so dedicated and determined to get the steel wings of the Su Baera, he was convinced that he was meant to be the next Su Baera and be the one to save all the nations of the world.

    He was the only hope Ibaeran had for a better life and a future filled with beautiful and endless possibilities but now the only form of a future Ibaeran could see was one where she and the rest of the people of the world were slaves who must forever serve their Uha Tamunaran masters.

    She looked window in her house and sighed deeply as she stared at the broken and hopeless people of Ijawana as they roamed the streets either serving their Uha Tamunaran master or were homeless beggars on the streets who had nothing because they did not serve the Uha Tamunaran.

    It was truly a sad and miserable sight to behold and Ibaeran hated it all, the pain, the misery, sadness and the helpless state of everybody not just in Ijawana but the entire world but she could not do anything about, no one could.

    The only hope for any of them was the steel wings of the Su Baera but Ibaeran doubted that anybody would ever be able to claim it and even if they could it would be still be a difficult task to free them all and even if someone could claim the wings of the Su Baera it would still be an extremely difficult to get the Dumo stone.

    It would such a difficult task to retrieve both the steel wings of the Su Baera and the Dumo stone that Ibaeran believed it was next to impossible and as such she believes that the fate of her and everybody else is to forever serve the Uha Tamunarans.

    Ibaeran stood next to the window thinking about the sad reality of her life and lives of everyone under the Uha Tamunaran, it was truly a depressing state of living, that is if they could even count it as a form of living, they had no choice or will of their own and lived their entire lives in service to the Uha Tamunarans, and if they tried in any way to oppose or disobey any of their they would have to face the wrath of the Uha Tamunarans, she stood there for hours till the sun came down bring about the darkness of the night and only came out of her deep train of thought when she heard her door opened.

    ¡°Who is there?¡± asked Ibaeran as she went to the door to see who was there.

    ¡°Who do you think¡± said a girl about Ibaeran¡¯s age as she closed the door.

    Ibaeran just smiled upon seeing the girl before she went to the girl and hugged her.

    ¡°I¡¯ve told you a million times Preyina, knock at the door when you want to come in¡± said Ibaeran.

    ¡°We both know that that¡¯s never going to happen¡± said the girl jokingly causing Ibaeran to smile a little.

    Preyina was Ibaeran¡¯s closest and only friends, their friendship started from when she was first put to work by the Uha Tamunarans in the fields after her father¡¯s went to claim the wings of the Su Baera and never comes back, she was younger at the time and the only person working on the fields with her that day was about her age was Preyina, the two of them almost instantly became friends upon meeting each other for the first time.

    Preyina and Ibaeran grew closer the more they worked on the fields together, playing and joking around while they work which would often get them in trouble with their masters who yelled and punished them whenever they noticed them playing around instead of working but sadly as time passed they were not able to see each other as often as they would like as Preyina was chosen by one of the Uha Tamunarans to be a private slave working for him under his very own roof and so she had to go, leaving Ibaeran to go live with the Uha Tamunaran that assigned her to be his slave.

    Preyina however, would often sneak out of the house to come visit her friend though it was only at night when she was sure that her master was fast asleep.

    She did not visit as much as Ibaeran would have liked her to but it was still enough to make Ibaeran feel like she wasn¡¯t entirely alone.

    They would often talk about their lives and imagine how it would be without their oppressive Uha Tamunaran masters.

    Preyina had a way of making Ibaeran smile even when she didn¡¯t want to, putting a smile on her face even when she had no reason to smile.

    Ibaeran and Preyina were as close as sister even though they did not share blood.

    ¡°How are you Preyina?¡± asked Ibaeran.

    ¡°I¡¯m stressed, tired and exhausted, so pretty good¡± said Preyina jokingly.

    ¡°How about you?¡± asked Preyina?

    ¡°I¡¯m doing okay, today the sun was so hot in the fields that I felt like I had died and went to hell¡± said Ibaeran.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t hell be an improvement to whatever life we are living here¡± said Preyina jokingly.

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    ¡°Yeah, it would, wouldn¡¯t it¡± said Ibaeran with a weak smile as she went to the window and stared out to the sad and depressing world outside, looking at the city of Ijawana and all the people that roamed the streets with their faces worn out and void of any emotion as too tired and miserable to express their pain and sorrow.

    Preyina recognized the look on Ibaeran¡¯s face; she was lost in her thoughts probably thinking about the state of everybody not just in Ijawana but in every nation of the world, it was truly depressing to think about, they were being treated like livestock, raised and breed only to serve the Uha Tamunarans and if they tried to opposed them in any way they would struck down by their power or denied food, water and a roof of any kind over their heads as they Uha Tamunarans would never waste their precious resources over the people if they served no use to them.

    Thanks to the Uha Tamunarans, nobody in the four nations was truly living they were just surviving and barely at that, they had nothing to look forward to, no hope, just misery and pain, a fate that was only slightly more preferable than death.

    ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡± asked Preyina as she went to the Ibaeran¡¯s side.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, just thinking¡± said Ibaeran.

    ¡°About?¡± asked Preyina.

    ¡°All this¡± said Ibaeran looking at Ijawana from her window.

    Preyina then looked out the window and saw the sad and miserable state the city and the people living in it were in with the hopelessness in the eyes of the people below with those that had a home making their way to their broken homes with dread and sorrow in their tired and weary eyes.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s really something¡± said Preyina unable to find any kind words to describe the state of the city.

    ¡°Do you think things will always be this way or maybe someday things will change¡± asked Ibaeran.

    ¡°My father always says the most annoying thing about change is that it comes when you least expect it and in the strangest way possible¡± said Preyina.

    ¡°Your father sounds like a really wise man¡± said Ibaeran.

    ¡°He was until he died¡± said Preyina as she remembered how her father die in the hands of an Uha Tamunaran for not obeying the command the Uha Tamunaran gave him.

    ¡°Yeah, so was mine¡± said Ibaeran with a weak smile.

    The both of them stood there by the window watching the city down below without speaking for a few short moments as they both wondered if they would ever be free from their Uha Tamunaran oppressors.

    They both had heard stories of a time before the Uha Tamunaran had come and conquered their lands, a time were free to speak their minds without fearing death, when they could have meals, they were bland and tasted like actual food instead stale leather and could drink water with having to worry about why it was brown in color and tasted so bitter, such a time only existed in the realm of the minds where dreams live and not the bitter truth of their reality.

    Ibaeran was the one to break the silence by asking, ¡°Preyina do you think we will ever be free¡±.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know; I would like to believe it is possible but considering how powerful the Uha Tamunaran are compared to us I highly doubt that we would ever be free¡± said Preyina.

    ¡°Yeah, me too¡± said Ibaeran with a weak smile.

    There was a moment of silence between the two girls as they began to think about the fact that they and every single person in the city and nations would never be free from the Uha Tamunaran with a smile forming on Ibaeran¡¯s face as she thought about how nice it would be too able to take a long and deep breath without fear death in the hands of an Uha Tamunaran just for breathing the same air as them.

    The thought they both shared filled them with fears and horror, fearing that they would die slaves like every other person in the nations, a thought that seem to be the norm for everyone in the four nations as they were all under the boot of the Uha Tamunarans.

    ¡°Do you think it is possible for someone to claim the wings of the Su Baera and maybe, possibly, free us all¡± asked Preyina breaking the silence between her and Ibaeran.

    ¡°Well considering that fact that it has never happened, I highly doubt it¡± said Ibaeran with a deep sigh.

    ¡°But still, it¡¯s still a possibility¡± said Preyina.

    ¡°A very unlikely possibility¡± said Ibaeran.

    ¡°Yeah, but still it¡¯s a possibility which means there is chance it might happen¡± said Preyina.

    ¡°Yeah, I guess there is a chance but it¡¯s too small to actually hope for¡± said Ibaeran.

    ¡°Remember what I said about change, it comes when you least expect it in the strangest way possible¡± said Preyina.

    Ibaeran then smile and began to think about the slim possible chance that someone might actually find the steel wings and free them all from the Uha Tamunaran.

    As Ibaeran was lost in her thoughts Preyina noticed that it was getting late and she would need to go back to her Uha Tamunaran master¡¯s home before he found out she was missing.

    ¡°Listen, it¡¯s getting late Ibaeran, I need to get going before my master finds out I left¡± said Preyina.

    ¡°Really, can¡¯t you stay a little bit longer¡± asked Ibaeran wanting Preyina to stay awhile longer.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I have to¡­¡± before Preyina could even complete her sentence she felt dizzy and then collapsed on the ground.

    ¡°PREYINA!!!¡± screamed Ibaeran upon seeing Preyina fall collapse.

    Ibaeran then went to Preyina and shuck her in an attempt to wake her up.

    As she shucked Preyina, Ibaeran noticed something strange on Preyina¡¯s arm that was covered by her sleeves.

    Ibaeran folded up her sleeve to see what was hidden underneath and then gasped, shocked upon seeing what Preyina was trying to hide from her.

    All the veins on Preyina¡¯s entire arm had turned completely red.

    ¡°Preyina¡± said Ibaeran worried and frighten for her friend¡¯s life as she wondered what had happened to her and why her veins were red.

    She kept trying her best to wake Preyina up but no matter what she did Preyina refused to wake up.

    Finally, in a last a last and desperate attempt to wake Preyina up she brought a cup of what and splashed it on her face.

    As the water from the cup reached Preyina she slowly opened up her eyes.

    ¡°What happened?¡± asked Preyina weakly as she got up.

    Ibaeran then hugged her tightly with tears falling down from her eyes.

    Preyina was shocked at first but then she saw that her sleeve was folded up, she then understood that Ibaeran must have seen her veins and was now worried about her just like she feared she would.

    Ibaeran then pulled away from the hug and looked at Preyina with a look of both anger and worry.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong Preyina?¡± asked Ibaeran.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡± said Preyina not wanting to tell Ibaeran what had happened to her as it would only make her worried for her.

    ¡°Preyina, tell me what happened?¡± said Ibaeran with her arms folded and an ice-cold stare.

    Preyina upon seeing Ibaeran and the way she looked at her with a serious look on her face as she stared at her knew that there was no lie; she could tell that Ibaeran would believe.

    Preyina just sighed before opening her mouth to say, ¡°My master did it to me, he has the power to poison anybody with just a simple torch. The red veins on my arm are a result of my master¡¯s power¡±.

    ¡°What! Why would he do such a thing¡± asked Ibaeran both shocked and horrified that Preyina¡¯s master would use his power to poison her.

    ¡°It was my punishment for disobeying his orders¡± said Preyina.

    ¡°What! You disobeyed an order from an Uha Tamunaran, are you crazy!!!!! Do you know how dangerous that is, what if he¡­¡± Ibaeran could not even bring herself to finish her sentence before tears began to fall down from her eyes.

    Preyina then pulled Ibaeran in for a hug consoling her and allowing her to cry on her shoulder.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be scared Ibaeran, I¡¯ll be alright, it¡¯s not that serious. Lucky for me my master was not so offended that he would kill me, it¡¯s more of a warning¡± said Preyina with a playful smile.

    Preyina¡¯s attempt to console Ibaeran and undermine what her Uha Tamunaran master did to her did not work and Ibaeran continued to worry about to her.

    ¡°This is serious Preyina. You know how dangerous the Uha Tamunarans are. You know you can¡¯t just disobey them without facing their wrath. For goodness sakes these people could kill any of us if they wanted to and nobody would be able to stop them¡± said Ibaeran.

    ¡°I know and I promise I¡¯ll be careful next time¡± said Preyina.

    Then more tears began to fall down from Ibaeran¡¯s eyes before she said softly, ¡°I just don¡¯t want to lose you¡±.

    ¡°And you won¡¯t I promise¡± said Preyina as she hugged Ibaeran tightly.

    After a few moments passed Preyina and Ibaeran then pulled away from the hug.

    ¡°I have to go Ibaeran so my master won¡¯t punish me again¡± said Preyina.

    Ibaeran then helped Preyina up.

    ¡°Are you sure you are strong enough to go on your own I could follow you if you want¡± said Ibaeran offering to follow Preyina to her master¡¯s home.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure my master¡¯s house isn¡¯t too far; I¡¯ll be alright besides my master doesn¡¯t really like late night visitors especially when it¡¯s people who aren¡¯t Uha Tamunarans¡± said Preyina.

    Preyina was about to go but before she could Ibaeran hugged her one last time and then said softly to her, ¡°be safe Preyina¡±.

    The fact that Ibaeran cared about Preyina so much made a warm smile form on Preyina¡¯s face.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine I promise¡± said Preyina.

    Preyina then kissed Ibaeran on her forehead and wiped away all her tears.

    ¡°Don¡¯t cry any more, I¡¯ll come to see you in a few days I promise¡± said Preyina.

    Preyina then left but before she did, she turned to Ibaeran and smiled at her to reassure her that everything would be alright.

    Once Preyina was gone Ibaeran went back to the window and began to think about Preyina.

    She hoped that she would be alright and her Uha Tamunaran master would not harm her further than he already had.

    She did not want to lose Preyina, the only friend she had, she was the closest thing she had to a sister and Ibaeran feared would not be able to endure the pain she would feel from losing her.

    As Preyina made her way back to her Uha Tamunaran master she felt a tremendous amount of pain from her arm.

    She then looked at her arm and saw her veins were as red as flames with her blood feeling like it was blooding inside of her.

    She took a deep breath in, gathering the strength she needed to endure the pain and then continued her journey to her master¡¯s home.

    Upon arriving at her master¡¯s home, she went to her master¡¯s bed room to see her master.

    There she saw him lying down on his bed almost as though he was waiting for her to come.

    ¡°Why are you here slave¡± asked Preyina¡¯s master.

    ¡°To apologize for disobeying you my lord¡± said Preyina.

    Preyina¡¯s master then smiled upon hearing what she said before saying, ¡°I¡¯m afraid apologizing won¡¯t be enough for me to pardon your actions¡±.

    ¡°I know and I am ready to do what you asked of me¡± said Preyina as she bowed her head, ashamed of herself for what she was about to do.

    The smile on her master¡¯s face grew upon hearing what Preyina said, he then got up from his bed and walked up to her.

    ¡°Show me the arm that I poisoned¡± said Preyina¡¯s master.

    Preyina hesitated fearing he would increase the level of poison already in her arm and kill her.

    ¡°You know how much I hate it when you disobey me Preyina¡± said Preyina¡¯s master.

    Preyina then brought out the arm that was filled with his poison knowing he would do far worse to her if she did not obey him.

    ¡°Good girl¡± said Preyina¡¯s master as grabbed hold of her poisoned arm.

    Preyina¡¯s master¡¯s hand then began to glow as he held on to Preyina¡¯s arm and the poison in her arm gone.

    Preyina felt a sense of relief as the pain she felt on her arm was now gone and her veins were no longer red.

    Her master then let go of her arm.

    ¡°Think of this as a reward for submitting yourself to me¡± said Preyina¡¯s master.

    ¡°Thank you, sir¡± said Preyina.

    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me, just obey every command given you slave¡± said Preyina¡¯s master as he tapped her cheek lightly.

    Preyina felt uncomfortable as her master placed his hands on her cheek but pretended like it didn¡¯t bother her to avoid her master¡¯s wrath.

    Preyina¡¯s master then turned away from Preyina and faced the bed.

    ¡°Close the door¡± said Preyina¡¯s master.

    Preyina¡¯s entire body filled up with a feel of fear, shame and helplessness as she knew what was about to happen to her.

    She wished she could refuse her master but she couldn¡¯t, if she did, he would use his power to inflict tremendous pain upon her, pain far too strong to endure, that is if he doesn¡¯t choose to kill her instead.

    ¡°Preyina, I thought you agreed that you would do what I ask for, don¡¯t make poison you again because if I do I grantee you the pain you will feel will make you wish for death¡± said Preyina¡¯s master.

    Preyina just sighed upon hearing what her master said, knowing he wasn¡¯t joking and that was a serious threat before going to the door and closing it.

    Throughout that night she did not leave the room and spent the entire night on her master¡¯s bed as he did unspeakable things to her behind closed doors.

 Chapter 2

    That night as Ibaeran closed her eyes and went to bed she had very strange dream.

    In her dream she was in a strange cave which was too dark see anything and only thing she was able to make out with her eyes was a faint light shining from deep inside the cave.

    She decided to go towards the light, curious to see what could be making light in such a dark cave.

    As journeyed deeper in to the cave following the faint light, she noticed the light grow brighter and brighter as she came closer to it.

    Eventually she reached the source of the light and then gasped upon seeing what was making the light.

    It was none other than the steel wings of the Su Baera glowing brightly with all its raw power.

    Ibaeran could feel the raw overwhelming power of the steel wings from where stood.

    She then looked to the ground and saw the death remains of those that tried to wield the power of the wings including that of her father which recognized from clothes he wore.

    She then stood still in fear upon seeing the horrific sight of the dead remains of warriors that tried to claim the wings before her.

    Then a lady, wearing a white cloak that covered her entire face then appeared with wing that looked like they were made of light attached to her back fluttering and moving with grace and elegance.

    Ibaeran upon seeing the woman appear before stood there and just stared at her, amazed and mesmerized by the elegance and beauty of cloaked lady.

    Ibaeran then began to wonder if she was an Uha Tamunaran but she doubted she was as she had never seen an Uha Tamunaran that possessed such elegance, grace and beauty but also, she could sense something about her, a form of power emanating from her body which too pure to have come from.

    ¡°Hello Ibaeran,¡± said the lady.

    ¡°You know my name?¡± asked Ibaeran wondering how the lady knew her name.

    ¡°I know much more than that Ibaeran,¡± said the lady.

    ¡°Are you an Uha Tamunaran¡± asked Ibaeran.

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    ¡°No¡± said the lady.

    ¡°Then who are?¡± asked Ibaeran, wondering who the lady was if she wasn¡¯t the Su Baera.

    ¡°I¡¯m the Su Ingi, the supreme being of order and I need you help Ibaeran,¡± said the lady.

    Ibaeran upon hearing that the woman was the Su Ingi began to wonder why she, a god like being, the one who created the steel wings of the Su Baera would need her help with anything as she was being of immense power, far greater than even the Uha Tamunarans themselves and Ibaeran was just an ordinary girl.

    ¡°Why do you need help?¡± asked Ibaeran.

    ¡°Because you are the only one that can do what I¡¯m about to ask for,¡± said the lady.

    ¡°And what is that exact?¡± asked Ibaeran.

    ¡°To save your world from the Uha Tamunaran Empire,¡± said the lady.

    ¡°What?¡± said Ibaeran upon hearing what the lady said?

    She could believe what the woman just said as began to wonder why the lady would believe that she; an ordinary slave girl could save her people from the Uha Tamunarans.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry lady but you must have me confused with someone else, I¡¯m no warrior, you need someone great as the Su Baera do what you¡¯ve ask for¡± said Ibaeran.

    ¡°I agree and I believe I have found her,¡± said the lady.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what the woman said was confused at first but after thinking for a moment she finally understood what the lady meant was that she had chosen her be the next Su Baera.

    ¡°I think you don¡¯t understand I¡¯m not strong or as powerful as the Uha Tamunaran. I¡¯m just a regular girl, I¡¯m no warrior or some freedom fighter for that matter I¡¯m just me, an ordinary slave girl¡± said Ibaeran, not believing that she could ever be a warrior great enough to be the Su Baera.

    The lady then smiled at Ibaeran before placing her hands on the side of her cheek.

    ¡°It¡¯s strange, you have so much strength but yet you don¡¯t even realize it,¡± said the lady.

    ¡°I wish what you say was true but if I was truly who you believe I am I would be strong and not the weak girl you see before you¡± said Ibaeran as she thought about Preyina and the horrors she must have been facing in her Uha Tamunaran master¡¯s home and how she was powerless to save her from him.

    ¡°Like I said before, it¡¯s strange that you have so much strength and not realize it¡± said the lady with smile on her face.

    ¡°Believe it or not Ibaeran you are stronger than you know and you may not even realize it but beating deep inside you is the heart of hero. You¡¯ve seen the way your people are suffering and at the same time you feel their pain, those are not the qualities of an ordinary girl they are the qualities of a hero. It¡¯s because of these qualities that I have chosen to be the next Su Baera,¡± said the lady.

    ¡°What?¡± said Ibaeran unable to believe what the woman just said?

    She as the Su Baera, that was something she would never believe would happen even in her wildest and most bizarre dreams.

    The lady then placed her hand on a side Ibaeran¡¯s neck and then it began to glow for a few moments before she removed it.

    Then a strange mark that looked like a pair of silver wings then appeared on the side of her neck.

    ¡°You have great strength inside and with time you will discover just how strong you truly are¡± said the lady smiling at Ibaeran one last time before the dream ended.

    Ibaeran then woke up.

    She then sighed out of relief, glad that it was all just a dream.

    She then got up from bed, failing to notice the mark in the side of her neck that resembled a pair wing similar to the steel wings of the Su Baera.

 Chapter 3

    A few days had passed since had the dream and nothing really changed.

    At times Ibaeran would wonder if the dream she had was nothing more than an ordinary dream or if it was something much more than that.

    After a long day of work at the fields she would work home with her mind filled with thoughts about the possibility of her taking part in the tournament and actually winning and then claiming the steel wings of the Su Baera.

    She would often push the thought of taking part in the tournament aside though as she believed that it would be impossible for someone like her to win and claim the wings of the Su Baera when so many warriors who were far greater than her had failed.

    Even though she tried to suppress her thoughts of the possibility of winning the tournament and claiming the wings of the Su Baera they were still strong enough to push her but at least they were enough to make her go to the training grounds where the great warriors would gather and train for the tournament.

    She would stand from the top of a great hill and watch the warriors underneath fight and train to become the strongest and the mightiest in the land, driven by the possibility of earn them freedom back from the Uha Tamunaran.

    Ibaeran just smiled as she watched them all train from the great hill.

    She then remembered her father and how he would spend hours training to win the tournament and claim the wings of the Su Baera.

    Training was the first thing her father did after working as builder for Uha Tamunarans.

    He spent more time in the training grounds than he did at home.

    Ibaeran remembered how she would come there every day to bring him food and watch him train.

    Her father was determined to win as he wanted Ibaeran to know what it felt like to be free.

    To him, Ibaeran was his greatest treasure and he never wanted her to end up a slave like him and everyone else in the nations of the world.

    Ibaeran smiled with a small tear falling down from her eyes as she remembered her father and how much he loved and adored her.

    Ibaeran looked at the warriors as they trained and thought to herself if her father with all his training and determination couldn¡¯t claim the wings and free them all what chance did, she her.

    Ibaeran then left the training grounds and made her way home.

    Once there she stood by the window and began to think.

    She could not stop thinking about her dream.

    It had to be nothing more than ordinary dream because she could be the next Su Baera, she wasn¡¯t a warrior after all and there was no way the next Su Baera could be someone like her.

    The Su Baera was meant to be someone brave, daring and strong and those qualities Ibaeran could not find within herself.

    Ibaeran had accept the fact that she was a slave and was likely to always be one but yet a small part of her refused to come to terms with it.

    Ibaeran could not explain it but a part of her believed she could be something, something great.

    Ibaeran didn¡¯t want to give in to that part of her as it would make her believe and hope only to be broken when reality hits her and makes her realize that she was wrong in believing everything she thought she could be.

    Soon night came and Ibaeran was stuck in her mind, thinking deeply and wondering if it was possible for her to not only win but claim the wings of the Su Baera.

    Ibaeran came out of her deep thought upon hearing a knock at the door.

    She went to it wondering who it was.

    Ibaeran opened the door and saw Preyina standing outside.

    ¡°Hey Ibaeran¡± said Preyina with warm smile on her face.

    ¡°Glad to see that you actually knocked this time¡± said Ibaeran jokingly with playful smile.

    ¡°There is a first time for everything I guess so are you going to well come me in or leave me out here¡± said Preyina.

    ¡°I¡¯m considering it¡± said Ibaeran with a smile on her face.

    ¡°Come on Ibaeran, it¡¯s freezing out here¡± said Preyina as she tried to warm up her shoulders and began to shiver from the cold winds blowing outside the house.

    ¡°Alright then, come in¡± said Ibaeran, inviting Preyina in to her home.

    Preyina then went it.

    ¡°Are you feeling any better or has the poison gotten worse¡± said Ibaeran worried that the poison her gotten worse.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡± said Preyina as she showed Ibaeran her arm.

    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s completely gone¡± said Ibaeran shocked upon seeing the poison was no longer on her arm.

    ¡°Yeah, my master cured me¡± said Preyina.

    ¡°Really, Uha Tamunarans don¡¯t usually show any form of kindness to their slaves so I¡¯m surprise that your master agreed to cure you just like that¡± said Ibaeran finding it hard to believe her master would cure her when Uha Tamunarans are known for being cruel to their slave even willing to kill them if they feel they were unworthy to breath the same air as them.

    ¡°What can I say, my master has a kind heart¡± said Preyina with a deep sigh, not wanting to tell Ibaeran about what she had to do to get her master to cure her.

    ¡°An Uha Tamunaran with a kind heart¡± said Ibaeran as she burst in to laughter.

    Preyina did not laugh along with her which seemed strange to Ibaeran, knowing full well that Preyina normally could not resist laughing at a joke that had something to do with the Uha Tamunarans.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± asked Ibaeran sensing something was bothering Preyina.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine I¡¯m just tire, I had to do a lot in these past few days¡± said Preyina.

    ¡°Are you sure, you look like you are more than just tired¡± said Ibaeran.

    ¡°I SAID I¡¯M TIRED AND THAT¡¯S ALL I AM TIRED!!!!!¡± said Preyina aggressively shocking Ibaeran.

    Ibaeran had never heard Preyina talked like that to her before and the way Preyina was looking at her at that moment, so filled with rage, anger and pain, it frightened Ibaeran to her friend that way.

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    Preyina saw that she was beginning to scare Ibaeran so she took a deep breath and calm down.

    ¡°Look I¡¯m just tired, my master had been putting me to work nonstop. My entire body is aching from pain and exhaustion. I¡¯m sorry for the way I reacted I¡¯m just so tired and stressed out right now¡± said Preyina.

    Ibaeran then went to her and pulled her in for a tight hug.

    She could tell Preyina was lying and something else was bothering her but she didn¡¯t want to pester her with all her question because she could also tell that all she needed was a friend at that very moment.

    Ibaeran then pulled away from the hug and said, ¡°I get it, working all day every day for an Uha Tamunaran is not easy. Heaven only knows how many times I held myself back from punching a random strange on streets just because I was grumpy from exhaustion¡±.

    Preyina then smiled at Ibaeran and said, ¡°I¡¯m glad to have a friend like you¡±.

    ¡°I know, I¡¯m incredible aren¡¯t I¡± said Ibaeran jokingly with a smile on her face which caused Preyina to smile and nod slightly.

    Preyina and Ibaeran then went to the window and to look out at the streets of Ijawana.

    They saw the miserable state of everyone that roamed the streets of Ijawana at night; they looked broken, void of all joy and hope, like dead men and women walking aimlessly wanting nothing more than to feel the joy of life that had been ripped away from their reach by their Uha Tamunaran masters.

    Preyina stopped look at the window and took a moment to look at her arm where her master poisoned her, sighing as she thought about what she had to do to make her master cure her.

    Day after day after day she was forced to serve her master, following every command he gave her no matter how difficult or abusive they may be.

    Preyina felt disgusted with herself as she remembered everything her master made her do.

    Her master had left his mark on her and that mark made her feel filthy and ashamed of herself.

    Ibaeran noticed that Preyina was lost deep in her thought and so she asked Preyina, ¡°what are you thinking about¡±.

    ¡°Nothing¡± said Preyina as she came out from her deep thoughts.

    ¡°Stop lying, to me. I can see it in your sees, you were obviously thinking about something¡± said Ibaeran.

    Preyina sighed, not wanting to tell Ibaeran what she was thinking about as she would just worry about it if she knew but she also knew Ibaeran would not give up until she gives Ibaeran a believable answer to her question.

    ¡°I was actually thinking about our lives as slaves¡± said Preyina.

    ¡°Oh, what about it?¡± asked Ibaeran.

    ¡°Do you think we will ever be free from the Uha Tamunaran¡¯s¡± asked Preyina, that question seemed to do the trick as Ibaeran believed that Preyina was indeed pondering whether theirs and the rest of the people enslaved by the Uha Tamunarans could ever be free as it was a question, she often asked her and herself.

    ¡°You know the answer to that question¡± said Ibaeran as Preyina knew her answer and so she felt no need to give a reply to the question.

    ¡°I know but¡­¡± Preyina was cut off by Ibaeran saying, ¡°but nothing. The greatest warriors from all the nations have tried to claim the wings but none of them were successful, each and every one of them failed trying to claim those wings and become the Su Baera, the only person that could put an end to our suffering¡±.

    Preyina sighed, even though she only asked Ibaeran that question to distract Ibaeran from the fact that she was actually thinking about her abusive master and all the horrible things he does to her it still hurt to hear Ibaeran say that she did not believe that they could free from their Uha Tamunaran masters.

    Ibaeran saw that her reply hurt Preyina greatly.

    She then sighed before she held Preyina¡¯s hand saying, ¡°Look, I¡¯m just being honest with you, freedom at this point is an impossible dream. The Uha Tamunaran¡¯s have all the power and we have nothing, absolutely nothing but as long as we together we will be alright¡±.

    ¡°Yeah, you are right, as long as we are together¡± said Preyina with smile on her face, feeling a sense of peace and happiness that Ibaeran would always be by her side whenever she needed her.

    Preyina and Ibaeran then hugged each other and as they did so Preyina noticed the mark on Ibaeran¡¯s neck as the light from the night sky shun on them and so she pulled away from the hug and then asked, ¡°what¡¯s with the mark on your neck¡±.

    ¡°What mark?¡± asked Ibaeran as she still did not realize that a mark resembling a pair of silver wings was her neck.

    Ibaeran then placed her hand on her neck and felt the mark.

    ¡°What on earth¡± said Ibaeran as she felt the mark on her neck?

    Ibaeran then ran away in to the darkness of her home, returning a few moments later with a small mirror on her hand.

    She then used the mirror to look at the mark on her neck.

    Her eyes then widened with shock upon seeing that mark on her neck.

    Ibaeran then remembered the dream she had a few days ago and how the winged lady in her dream placed her hand on her neck on the very spot where that mark was before she woke up.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be¡± said Ibaeran unable to believe what she was seeing.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± asked Preyina confused and wondering why Ibaeran had that strange mark on her neck.

    Ibaeran then sighed deeply, not knowing how to explain the dream she had.

    ¡°It¡¯s complicated¡± said Ibaeran.

    ¡°Then simplify it¡± said Preyina.

    Ibaeran sighed once again before she began to tell her about the dream and how the Su Ingi told her she would be the next Su Baera.

    Preyina stood their speechless upon hearing everything Ibaeran said.

    ¡°It¡¯s probably a dumb dream¡± said Ibaeran

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it is¡± said Preyina.

    ¡°What?¡± said Ibaeran shocked upon hearing what Preyina said, wondering why she would take something as silly as the dream she had seriously

    ¡°I just told you I had a dream where a cloaked lady with wings made of light told me I would be the next Su Baera and you¡¯re saying you don¡¯t think it¡¯s just an ordinary crazy dream¡± said Ibaeran.

    ¡°Look I know it sounds crazy but what if that was no ordinary dream and you truly were chosen to be the next Su Baera¡± said Preyina.

    ¡°Did that poison affect you brain because you sound insane right now¡± said Ibaeran still refusing to believe what she saw in her dream was real.

    ¡°I know it sounds crazy but what if I¡¯m right and truly you are meant to be the next Su Baera. I mean if it really was just a dream you wouldn¡¯t have that mark on your neck¡± said Preyina.

    Ibaeran then sighed knowing that Preyina had a point, if it was really just a dream, she wouldn¡¯t have that mark on her neck.

    ¡°Look I¡¯ll admit the mark is strange and maybe there is more to my dream but that doesn¡¯t necessarily mean that I will be the next Su Baera. I¡¯m no warrior and you know it¡± said Ibaeran.

    Preyina then began to think for a few brief moments before saying, ¡°you are right, you are no warrior but maybe you can be¡±.

    Ibaeran could tell that Preyina had an idea and from the look on her face Ibaeran doubted if she even wanted to what it was.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on in that head of yours¡± said Ibaeran knowing that she would probably regret asking her that question.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard rumors of a man who lives in the forest outside the city. They say he was the only one who ever won the tournament and returned, despite the fact that he couldn¡¯t claim the wings. He is the only one that one won the tournament and is still alive to tell the tale¡± Said Preyina.

    ¡°Your point is what exactly¡± asked Ibaeran.

    ¡°They say the man claims he the one to train anyone he deems one worthy enough to claim the steel wings and become the next Su Baera¡± said Preyina.

    Ibaeran slapped her head out of annoyance upon hearing what Preyina said.

    ¡°Let me get this straight, you want me to go meet a guy in the forest who supposedly won the tournament of the Su Baera and returned without reclaiming the wings so he can train me¡± asked Ibaeran.

    ¡°Yes¡± said Preyina.

    Ibaeran then burst in to laughter before saying, ¡°I love Preyina but you¡¯re crazy and you need to stop believing very rumor you here in the streets. You are starting to sound as crazy as the people who create them¡±.

    ¡°I know it sounds crazy but¡­¡± Preyina was cut off by Ibaeran saying, ¡°but nothing, I am not the Su Baera¡±.

    Preyina just sighed upon hearing Ibaeran¡¯s reply.

    Ibaeran was so stubborn and unwilling to accept that she might be the next Su Baera; Preyina wished that she would at least consider it as a possible because if she was the Su Baera, she would bring hope to the people of all the nations.

    Preyina believed that if she truly was the Su Baera, she might be able to save her from her Uha Tamunaran master along with the others suffering under their master¡¯s.

    ¡°Look, it¡¯s getting late and I have to go. We¡¯ll talk about this some other time¡± said Preyina noticing that it was getting very late outside and she needed to return to her master¡¯s home.

    ¡°Alright then but there is nothing to talk about, I¡¯m not the Su Baera¡± said Ibaeran, still refusing to accept the fact that she could be the next Su Baera.

    Preyina just sighed at Ibaeran before walking to the door.

    Before Preyina could open the door to leave she said, ¡°would you at least think about it Ibaeran. If you became the next Su Baera, you would have the power to free us all. There are so many people out there who are suffering under the hands of their Uha Tamunaran masters, enduring tremendous pain and having to face unimaginable horrors. Don¡¯t you think you owe it to your people to at least try to save them¡±?

    Preyina could not hold back her tears as she spoke but tried her best to hide it as she thought about her Uha Tamunaran master and what she had to face in his home while serving him.

    ¡°Preyina¡± said Ibaeran softly sensing something was wrong.

    Preyina then quickly opened the door and rushed out not wanting Ibaeran to see her cry.

    Ibaeran stood their speechless thinking about what Preyina said.

    She then began to wonder, what if she had a point and she could be the next Su Baera.

    She went to the window and then brought out the mirror to look at the mark on her neck.

    Could she truly be the next Su Baera?

    Even though Ibaeran still wasn¡¯t totally convince she could be the next Su Baera her mind slowly became more opened to the idea.

 Chapter 4

    Ibaeran spent the days that followed wondering if it was possible for her to be the next Su Baera.

    She would often spend much of her time watching the warriors as they trained after she was done with all her work on the fields, sometimes even mimicking and practicing the way they fought while training.

    She still didn¡¯t believe that she could be the next Su Baera but she could feel something inside her like small faint voice whispering to her that she could be the Su Baera.

    The voice though wasn¡¯t loud enough to push her to want to be the Su Baera but it was enough to be noticed and at least make Ibaeran further consider the possibility a little more.

    One day after she was done with all her work, she went back home but once there she found a troubling sight, Preyina was on the floor with all her vein glowing blood red as she was once again poisoned by her master.

    ¡°PREYINA!!!¡± screamed Ibaeran before rushing to her friend¡¯s aid.

    ¡°Hey, Ibaeran¡± said Preyina weakly upon seeing Ibaeran.

    Ibaeran then carried her up and took her took the bed so she could rest.

    ¡°What happened, Preyina?¡± asked Ibaeran.

    Preyina then cough out blood before saying, ¡°my master¡±.

    ¡°Preyina, I thought I warned you about this. You shouldn¡¯t disobey your master in anyway¡± said Preyina.

    ¡°Did you even know what he told me to do¡± asked Preyina.

    ¡°That man is a pig that torments me all day and night. He abuses me in every possible where, he makes me do terrible things just to bring pleasure to him¡± said Preyina with tears falling down from her eyes.

    ¡°What do you mean by he made you do terrible things just to bring pleasure to him¡± asked Ibaeran, unable to stop herself from asking even though she knew she would hate whatever answers Preyina was going to give her.

    Preyina just smiled weakly as a tear fell down from her eye, feeling ashamed and disgusted by her master and the vile things he made her do.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just say by body is no longer pure¡± said Preyina.

    Ibaeran then looked at Preyina, understanding what she meant by those words and upon hearing them she couldn¡¯t help but feel rage and disgust towards the Uha Tamunaran¡¯s cruelty as she knew the Uha Tamunaran¡¯s were terrible to their slaves but she never thought there would go as far as forcing themselves on them.

    ¡°How long has this been going on for¡± asked Ibaeran?

    ¡°A few days ago, before that he tried to make advances on me but I always found a way to avoid it and when I couldn¡¯t take it anymore and asked him to stop so he did this to me¡± said Preyina.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything before now?¡± asked Ibaeran.

    ¡°There was no point in telling you. If I had told you nothing would have changed, I would still have to go back to his home and suffer under his abuse. All you would be able to do is worry and hope I would be alright while I suffer¡± said Preyina.

    Tears then began to fall down from Ibaeran knowing that she was right; even if she did tell she was powerless and would be unable to stop her master from doing what he did to Preyina.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t be there for you Preyina¡± said Ibaeran.

    Preyina then raised her hand and placed it on the side Ibaeran¡¯s cheek.

    ¡°What¡¯s done is done Ibaeran, my father always used to say all the tears in the world can¡¯t fix a mirror once it breaks¡± said Preyina.

    ¡°I still wish there is something I could do to help you¡± said Ibaeran.

    ¡°But there is nothing you can do. I like some many others is a victim suffering under the Uha Tamunarans abuse and torture. It¡¯s far too late for me and soon I¡¯ll die but the sad part is I¡¯m not the first person to suffer like this and if something isn¡¯t done to stop the Uha Tamunaran¡¯s I won¡¯t be the last¡± said Preyina.

    Preyina then held Ibaeran¡¯s arm.

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t save me and that¡¯s okay but you can still save countless others¡± said Preyina.

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    Ibaeran understood what Preyina was trying to say but believed deep with her heart that it was impossible.

    ¡°I can¡¯t Preyina, I¡¯m not the Su Baera¡± said Ibaeran.

    ¡°I know but you can at least try Ibaeran. You are destined for great things Ibaeran, I can see that and that mark on your neck proves it. Why is it so hard for you to believe?¡± said Preyina.

    Ibaeran remain silent, not knowing what to say Preyina at that moment.

    Preyina then began to feel the poison inside her begin to slowly kill her from the inside out; she knew she didn¡¯t have much time left.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have much time left. I can fill the poison flowing through my body, it feels like my blood is boiling¡± said Preyina smiling slightly with tears falling down from her eyes.

    ¡°It won¡¯t be long before¡­¡± Preyina was stopped from completing her sentence by Ibaeran saying, ¡°don¡¯t you dare complete that stupid sentence. I¡¯m not ready to lose you Preyina¡±.

    Preyina upon seeing the love and care in Ibaeran¡¯s face as she spoke smiled at her.

    ¡°Some people don¡¯t see death as the end but the beginning of something new. I hope that my death is the beginning of something new for you¡± said Preyina.

    Ibaeran could not stop tears from pouring down from her eyes, she didn¡¯t want to have to say goodbye to her friend, and she didn¡¯t have the strength to endure the pain that would come from losing her.

    Preyina then raise her arm up to Ibaeran and wiped away all her tears.

    ¡°Don¡¯t cry Ibaeran, it doesn¡¯t suit you besides you will need all your strength for the battle that is coming your way¡± said Preyina.

    ¡°But I can¡¯t be the Su Baera, I¡¯m not strong enough¡± said Ibaeran.

    ¡°And you don¡¯t have to be, all you have to do is try. Promise me Ibaeran that you will try¡± said Preyina.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Ibaeran hesitated to give a reply.

    ¡°Please fulfill my dying wish and promise me that you will try to save our people from the Uha Tamunaran¡¯s, I don¡¯t want someone else to have to suffer the same fate as me¡± said Preyina.

    Ibaeran could stop herself from opening her mouth and saying, ¡°I promise¡±.

    She knew that she might not be able to keep her promise but upon seeing Preyina in the state she was in Ibaeran could bring herself to refuse her.

    ¡°Good, now I know my soul will be able to rest in peace¡± said Preyina as she closed her eyes.

    Before she could take her last breath, she opened her mouth one last time to say, ¡°I¡¯m sure you will make a great Su Baera¡±.

    With those words said Preyina took her last breath and gave in to the cold embrace of death.

    Ibaeran watched as Preyina stopped breathing and her hands turned ice cold, she didn¡¯t need to be told that Preyina would never open her eyes again and that her soul was lost to death.

    Ibaeran, with a heavy heart then carried lifted Preyina¡¯s lifeless corpse and took her outside her home.

    There she began to dig a hole to bury Preyina in.

    This was strange to the people around who just watched her as she dogged the hole as slave to the Uha Tamunaran did not normally have burial when they died, the Uha Tamunaran would often use their dead bodies as fertilizer or as foods for their livestock they had.

    The Uha Tamunaran saw the people as a class far lower than them and thus did not even bother giving them a proper burial when they died.

    Ibaeran did not want Preyina to share the same fate as the many slaves that had died in the hands of the Uha Tamunaran before her so she decided to bury herself.

    Preyina was more than a friend to Ibaeran and even though they did not share blood the bond they had to one another was stronger than that of two sisters.

    When Ibaeran finished digging the hole she lifted Preyina¡¯s body and placed it gently into the grave before she began to cover it up.

    Tears overflowed from her eyes as she buried Preyina, with each time she covered Preyina¡¯s body with sand and dirt Ibaeran felt a tear fall down from her eye.

    It was torture for Ibaeran, having to say good bye forever to Preyina and when she was done burying her Ibaeran collapsed on the ground where she buried with tears falling down from her eyes.

    As she cried the mark on her neck began to glow.

    Ibaeran then saw a light so bright it covered her entire vision.

    Then the light began to die down and as she did, she saw a figure approach her.

    It took her a while to recognize the figure as it approached her but when she her eyes widen with shock.

    It was her but with the steel wings of the Su Baera.

    She then heard Preyina¡¯s voice echoing in the distance saying, ¡°you will make a great Su Baera¡±.

    Then everything went dark and then Ibaeran found herself lying on the grave she dug for Preyina.

    Ibaeran then got up and went in to her house.

    Once there she stood next to the window and began to think of everything; Preyina¡¯s death, the dream she had and the mark on her neck.

    And for the first time Ibaeran began to slowly believe and accept the possibility that she might be the Su Baera.

    She looked at the city of Ijawana from her window and wondered how many people are suffering like Preyina did, how many are being treated like animal and objects to be owned, how many people are helpless and are being forced to endure so much under their Uha Tamunaran master.

    They were countless people like Preyina out there and each of them are hoping and praying for one thing and one thing alone, to be free from the Uha Tamunaran who oppress and abuse day and night.

    The people needed a hero and Ibaeran was starting to believe she could be that hero.

    Ibaeran then began to think about how silly it was that she was actually starting to believe that she could be the Su Baera when the mightiest of warriors couldn¡¯t, when her own father couldn¡¯t.

    She then remembered the promise she made to Preyina before she died;

    ¡°Promise me Ibaeran that you will try¡±

    Ibaeran sighed as she remembered the promise, she made to Preyina before she died.

    She had to keep her promise after all it was the last thing her friend asked her to do before she died.

    Ibaeran had to try not just for Preyina or the people of all the nations conquered by the Uha Tamunaran but for herself.

    Ibaeran did not know why but she felt that everything happening to her was happening to her for a reason and she owed it to help to find out why.

    She knew that she may be the next Su Baera and everything she felt was all in her mind but she owed herself and Preyina to at least try, that was what Preyina asked of her after all.

 Chapter 5

    The next day Ibaeran left home but she did not go to the fields to work.

    She left the city borders and made her way in to the forest.

    Not entirely sure where she was going, she roamed about in the forest aimless.

    She was looking for the man Preyina told her about, the man who claims to be the one that would train the next Su Baera, she thought that if she found him, she could manage to convince to train her but that was easier said than done.

    The forest was a big place and Ibaeran soon discovered that she was lost.

    She couldn¡¯t turn back as she had already wondered too far from the city and did not know her way back so she had no choice than to continue her journey, going deeper and deeper into the forest.

    At a point she felt that all her efforts to find the man was in vain because even if she managed to find him in the vast dense forest, he may not even agree to train her.

    Ibaeran then pushed all her doubts aside and continued to go on knowing it was too late and she had gone too far to turn back so she continued to roam the forest, going deeper and deep in to the vast jungle until she found as small house hidden away in the thickness of the forest, it was a simple home made of wood with no distinct feature and nothing special about it but to Ibaeran, seeing a home like that, that didn¡¯t have a cracks or broken walls, standing firmly on its foundation with no broken windows and a roof that seemed stable enough to hold with no visible holes on it, Ibaeran was taken aback, at first wondering if the home could have belonged to and Uha Tamunaran before realizing that it was far too small for an Uha Tamunaran who often chose to live in massive mansions towering high above the sky but the very fact that there was a home there that was suitable to live in still greatly baffled her.

    ¡°Could this be the home of the man¡± Ibaeran wondered to herself before she began to approach the house.

    She reached the house and then took a few deep breaths in before she knocked at the door.

    A few moments later an old man stepped out of the house.

    He looked old and long past his prime so much so that Ibaeran wondered if this was the man Preyina spoke off, the one who won the tournament and survived and if he was, it would mean time had aged him well with a head that didn¡¯t have a single strand of hair and a sliver beard that stood at the bottom of his wrinkled covered face, the man that stood before her resembled a living relic.

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    Ibaeran also wondered if he would be able to train her due to his old age as he didn¡¯t seem like much of a fight in his current aged state.

    ¡°Who are you and why are you here?¡± asked the man.

    ¡°I¡¯m Ibaeran and I¡¯m here to for you, I want you to train me¡± said Ibaeran.

    The man after hearing what Ibaeran said took a long hard look at her, examining her to knowing if she was actually serious.

    His eyes then widened upon seeing the mark on Ibaeran¡¯s neck.

    ¡°So, you think you have what it takes to be the next Su Baera,¡± said the man.

    Ibaeran did not give the man a reply as she was still unsure about herself and the possibility, she might be the Su Baera.

    ¡°Since you don¡¯t have an answer to give, I cannot be the one to train you¡± said the man before went back in to his home.

    ¡°Wait sir, please¡± said Ibaeran as she rushed to the door and tried to open so she could get in and find a way to convince the man to train her but the door was locked.

    ¡°Leave now girl, you are not the next Su Baera¡± said the man from within his home.

    Ibaeran then bowed her head down in disappointment and shame upon hearing what the man told her.

    At that moment doubt consumed her heart and she wondered how she could be so stupid to ever consider that she could be the next Su Baera.

    It was simply idiotic to believe that she; just an ordinary girl could claim the wings when many warriors who outmatched her great in strength couldn¡¯t.

    Ibaeran thought she might have been the biggest fool for considering herself worthy of being the next Su Baera.

    Ibaeran was about to leave but before she could she remembered the promise she made to Preyina and stopped.

    She then sighed knowing that she couldn¡¯t leave as she needed to fulfill her promise to Preyina.

    She needed to try even though it seemed impossible she had to do it, she had to keep the promise she made to Preyina no matter what.

    The man who was secretly watching Ibaeran from a window and as he saw that she decided to stay even though he told she would not be the next Su Baera.

    The man continued to watch her thinking that she would leave when it gets late and the darkness of the night engulfs the forest but she didn¡¯t, she sat down by the door and waited for the man to come out so she could try to convince him to train her.

    The man greatly admired her determination as she refused to leave even as the cold forest winds blew around her and made her shiver and shake from the cold or when she heard the strange sounds of the wild beast that roamed around the forest even the blood sucking insects that roamed around her and continuously sucked her blood was not enough to make her leave.

    But even though Ibaeran was determined to keep her promise she was only human and eventually she collapsed of the floor next to the man¡¯s door and fell asleep.

    The man then opened the door and brother her in.

    The man then placed so sheets on the floor and then placed her gently on them so she could sleep peacefully.

    He then looked at her and smiled wondering if it was even possible for someone that looked so delicate and weak like Ibaeran could be the next Su Baera.

 Chapter 6

    The next day Ibaeran woke up lying down on a sheet that was placed on the floor.

    She then began to wonder where she was and how she got there.

    ¡°Good, you¡¯re awake,¡± said a voice.

    Ibaeran then got up and saw the man who was meant to train the next Su Baera.

    ¡°You?¡± said Ibaeran shocked and surprised to see the man.

    She then realized that she was in his home and he must have brought her in late at night when she was sleeping.

    She then began to wonder why he would bring her in to his home, could he actually believe that she was the Su Baera and was he willing to train her.

    The man then brought her a plate of food.

    ¡°Eat up, you¡¯ll need all the strength you can mutter¡± said the man as he gave her the food.

    ¡°Thank you¡± said Ibaeran as she accepted the food from the man.

    The man then left to his room, leaving Ibaeran to eat the food.

    Ibaeran then quickly eat the food the man gave her.

    The man then returned hold two small sacks that were filled with sad.

    ¡°Good, you¡¯re done follow me,¡± said the man.

    Ibaeran was immensely confused and did not know what the man was planning or where he wanted to take her to but she followed him anyway, sensing that she could trust him.

    The man took Ibaeran to a small river deep in the forest.

    Once there the man took some water from the river and poured it in to the sake of sand.

    ¡°Stand like you are seating on a chair¡± said the man to Ibaeran.

    ¡°What?¡± said Ibaeran confused by what the man said?

    ¡°Stand like you are sitting on a chair¡± said the man once again.

    Ibaeran then looked at the man wondering if he was serious and if he indeed wanted her to stand as if she was sitting on a chair.

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    She saw that he was not joking and was serious; he wanted her to stand as if she really was sitting on a chair.

    Ibaeran just sighed; feeling a bit annoyed by what the man asked her to do before she took a sitting position and stood as if she was sitting on a chair.

    ¡°Here hold this¡± said the man as he gave her the sack which sand and water to hold while she stood there like she was seated on a chair.

    ¡°Maintain this position and whatever you do don¡¯t let go of these two sacks or fall,¡± said the man.

    Ibaeran looked at him shocked, wondering how the man expected her to maintain that position and not fall while holding those two sacks.

    Her arms and legs were already getting tired; she knew she wouldn¡¯t last for too long.

    The man then made his way back in to the forest.

    ¡°Wait, where are you going¡± asked Ibaeran seeing that the man was leaving.

    ¡°Do you expect me to stay out here in the hot sun? I¡¯m going back to my house, maybe I might even take a nap,¡± said the man.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re just going to leave me out here to go take a nap¡± said Ibaeran.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m an old man after all, I need to rest. Don¡¯t worry I¡¯ll be back to check up on you¡± said the man before he left.

    Ibaeran could not believe the man left after given her such an impossible task.

    She hoped that he was joking about taking a nap.

    Her arms and legs were beginning to ache in pain, shaking and vibrating, slowly she began to lose her grip on the sakes and they fell down to the ground.

    Ibaeran then fell down to the ground as her leg gave in as well.

    Ibaeran was far too weak to get up as her arms and legs ached in tremendous pain.

    There was no way she could continue; her arms and legs were in far too much pain but then she remembered Preyina and the promise she made her.

    She then took a deep breath and endured all the pain she needed to get up.

    She picked the sacks up from the ground, took a deep breath and stood on the ground like she was sitting on chair once again.

    She had a promise to keep and there was no way she was going to break it.

    All she needed to do was try but her trying meant reach a point where there was no should be able to get back up and Ibaeran knew she had not reached that point; she still had the strength to endure the pain and strain on her arms and legs.

    She wasn¡¯t going to stop until she reached the point when she fell and could get up so she continued stand like that.

    She fell down a few times but each and every time she had the strength to get up and so she did, again and again, with each time she felt her pain grow and grow buts she chose to endure it and push herself further, through the pain and continue.

    But eventually, underneath the heat of the sun, she reached point where she could no longer continue, she had pushed herself too far and her body could no longer take the strain.

    She collapsed of the floor, weaken and drain of all her strength there was no way she could get up.

    ¡°Sorry Preyina¡± said Ibaeran softly with a tear falling down from her eye.

    ¡°I tried my very but I just couldn¡¯t¡± whispered Ibaeran softly before she closed her eyes.

    As Ibaeran closed her eyes the man came out of the forest with a smile on his face.

    ¡°Finally, after so long, I¡¯ve found you. The next Su Baera¡± said the man who had been watching secretly.

    He saw her fall and get up each and every time she fell, ignoring the pain she felt and continuing with that task assigned to her, seeing that alone we enough to convince him of her strength and that she had what it took to be the next Su Baera.

    He then carried her and took her back to his home so she could rest and heal, she had a lot of work to do if she was to win the tournament and claim the wings of the Su Baera.

 Chapter 7

    Ibaeran slowly opened her eyes and that she was once again in the man¡¯s home, lying on the sheet on the floor.

    She tried to move but felt a volt of pain very time she did.

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to get up,¡± said a familiar voice.

    Ibaeran then turned to see the man was sitting down on a chair not too far from her.

    ¡°What happened, how did I get here?¡± asked Ibaeran.

    ¡°You fell and I brought you back here,¡± said the man.

    Ibaeran then bowed her head down in shame and disappointment, thinking she had failed the task the man had given her.

    ¡°Oh, then I guess I¡¯m not the Su Baera then¡± said Ibaeran.

    ¡°Why do you say that?¡± asked the man.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t strong to stand and hold on to the sakes¡± said Ibaeran.

    The man then burst in to laughter upon hearing what Ibaeran said.

    ¡°Listen child being a warrior like the Su Baera has nothing to do with strength, if it did the warriors that came before to try to claim the wings would not have perished trying to claim it,¡± said the man.

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    ¡°But I¡¯m just a girl¡± said Ibaeran.

    ¡°Yes, but you did what most men can¡¯t, you got up after you fell down. Do you think that you are the first one to come to me to train? There were many before you, each one so determined to prove to me that they were meant to be the next Su Baera but each and every one failed the test I gave them,¡± said the man.

    ¡°Test?¡± said Ibaeran wondering what kind the man was talking about.

    She then realized that the task he gave her to stand like she was seated on a chair while holding the sacks filled sand and water was the test.

    But if that was true it would mean that she failed it because she was not strong enough to keep herself from falling or from letting go of the sack.

    ¡°I failed the test as well didn¡¯t I¡± said Ibaeran.

    ¡°No, you passed,¡± said the man.

    ¡°But I fell¡± said Ibaeran.

    ¡°Yes, but you also got up and continued, most of the warriors that came to me either gave up on the task or just waited for me to return and pretend like they did. But you, you continued to do it even when you were in immense pain, you gave all that you had and then some, pushing till you had nothing left. There is only one person I know that could that,¡± said the man.

    ¡°Who?¡± asked Ibaeran?

    ¡°The Su Baera,¡± said the man.

    Ibaeran¡¯s eyes then widened with shock, the man just compared her to the great Su Baera.

    ¡°You have all the traits needed to be a great warrior, a strong heart and will to push on no matter how hard or even impossible it may seem that is why I Bafuro will be honored to train,¡± said the man.

    ¡°Really¡± said Ibaeran with a smile on her far upon hearing that the man would agree to train her.

    ¡°Yes, but be warned your training will not be easy, in fact it might be the hardest thing you have ever done in your life. Are you ready child¡± asked the man.

    Ibaeran took a deep breath in and remembered the promise she made to Preyina before saying, ¡°I am¡±.

    ¡°Good, get some rest because first thing tomorrow morning your training will begin,¡± said the man.

 Chapter 8

    Ibaeran spent the days that followed training with Bafuro.

    It wasn¡¯t an easy thing and Bafuro certainly was taking it easy on her as even though he might have been old, he could still fight and every time he and Ibaeran would spar together he would always defeat before then telling her why she failed to defeat him and then proceed to start with another sparring match which he would once again win and then once again proceed to tell her why and how she failed.

    Bafuro did not seem to care that she was girl and he forced her go through excruciatingly painful and brutal training but Ibaeran did not fail to impress as she pushed herself to train harder and harder, driven by the desire to keep the promise she made to Preyina.

    Ibaeran got stronger as the days passed and slowly, she was molding herself to be a great warrior but even with all the progress she had made she still doubted herself and feared that when the time came, she would fail.

    Ibaeran, even with how far she had gone feared that she might fail and doubt continued to trouble, feeling her mind up with fear.

    Her doubt in herself and her abilities made her fear that after working so hard and coming as far as she did, she might fail.

    One night after a long day of train Ibaeran and Bafuro sat down on the floor enjoying their dinner.

    Bafuro barely torched his food though and just watched as Ibaeran ate.

    Ibaeran noticed the way her master was not eating

    She then asked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you eating¡±.

    ¡°No reason, I¡¯m just thinking about something¡± said Bafuro.

    ¡°And what might that be¡± asked Ibaeran.

    ¡°How many warriors had come to see with each of them believing they could be the next Su Baera yet the only warrior that ever came to me showing great promise doubts that she could be next Su Baera¡± said Bafuro.

    Ibaeran then stopped eating upon hearing what Bafuro said.

    ¡°Tell me child, why go through so much but still have doubt in yourself and your abilities¡± asked Bafuro.

    Ibaeran remained silent not knowing what to tell her master.

    ¡°Why do you want to be the Su Baera¡± said Bafuro.

    Ibaeran just sighed before saying, ¡°I had a dream and, in that dream, I saw a lady with wings made of light, she told me I would be the next Su Baera and then place her hand on my neck. When I woke this mark was on my neck, actually I didn¡¯t notice it was there it was actually a friend of mine name Pre¡­¡± Ibaeran stopped herself from completing the story not wanting to talk about Preyina as she was still healing and mourning over her death.

    Bafuro noticed her hesitation to complete the story; he also took a special interest to the part with the lady with wings made of light.

    ¡°The lady with wings made of light¡± said Bafuro with a smile on his face.

    Ibaeran sense from the way Bafuro spoke about the lady he knew about her or maybe he had even seen her before.

    ¡°Do you know who she is, the lady with the light wings¡± asked Ibaeran.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about her. After I won the tournament all those years ago, I was taken a strange cave by the Uha Tamunarans. They told me the steel wings of the Su Baera was in the cave and that I should go and claim it for myself so I did. The Uha Tamunaran themselves did not follow in; I guess it was probably because they were scared of the steel wing¡¯s power. I went in and found inside the cave the steel wings of the Su Baera. It truly was breathe taking as it shunned with a beautiful silver glow and its raw power could felt be felt through the air I breathed and the ground I walked upon. It was truly a sight to behold¡± said Bafuro remembering the unforgettable moment when he first so the wings for the first, how it shone brighter than any diamond or gem and The Overwhelming power he felt as he approached it.

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    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you try to claim it for yourself then¡± asked Ibaeran.

    ¡°Who says I didn¡¯t. I like every single warrior that ever won the tournament before me believed they were destined to be next Su Baera. Tried to claim the wings for myself but before I could someone stopped me¡± said Bafuro.

    ¡°Who?¡± asked Ibaeran?

    ¡°A cloaked lady with wings made of light¡± said Bafuro.

    Ibaeran¡¯s eyes then widened in shock upon hearing what Bafuro said.

    ¡°I myself didn¡¯t believe it when I saw her for the first time. I wasn¡¯t even sure of what she was as she did not seem like an Uha Tamunaran but yet she was not human either. I stood before the lady too frightened to move or even speak but then the lady spoke with an angelic voice, telling me not to be afraid. I calmed down after hearing her sweet angelic voice¡± said Bafuro.

    ¡°She told me that I could try to claim the wings of the Su Baera like many others before me but if I did and was not worthy its power would destroy me. After that she vanished and left me there to make a choice between claiming the wings of the Su Baera and risk being destroyed by it or leave without claiming it¡± said Bafuro.

    Ibaeran understood from the look on his face alone the choice he made.

    ¡°You left it didn¡¯t you?¡± asked Ibaeran.

    ¡°I¡¯m alive aren¡¯t I¡± said Bafuro.

    ¡°Why did you choose to leave, why not take the risk and claim the wings of the Su Baera¡± asked Ibaeran.

    ¡°Because I understood one simple thing and that was that I wasn¡¯t worthy. The Su Baera is a selfless warrior, a hero in every sense of the word; he protected all the nations of the world not because he had to but because he could. I like the many other warriors only wanted the wings because I wanted to be free not because I wanted to save our people or protect the nations of the world, I was just tired of being a slave¡± said Bafuro.

    ¡°And after that I came to the forest and made a home from myself far from the city and the control of the Uha Tamunaran¡¯s. I decided to train warriors who believed they could be the next Su Baera because I felt that if I couldn¡¯t become the next Su Baera, I was obligated to at least train him or her in this case¡± said Bafuro.

    ¡°And the Uha Tamunarans just let you leave?¡± asked Ibaeran finding it hard to believe that the Uha Tamunarans would just allow any of their precious slaves to leave.

    ¡°I was only one man, they probably thought I would need them to survive out here on my own and would most likely perish without them besides they would never waste their time to retrieve a single slave when they have so many¡± said Bafuro.

    ¡°So, you just left¡± said Ibaeran, shocked upon hearing how easy it was for Bafuro to leave the oppressive hands of the Uha Tamunaran.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you do the same thing when you chose to come here so I could train you¡± asked Bafuro.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what Bafuro said remained silent for a few moments, thinking but coming to the realization that he was right, she did the same thing Bafuro did and just left her miserable life as an the Uha Tamunaran slave, her Uha Tamunaran masters probably did not care enough about a single slave to be bothered by her absence after they had plenty of slaves to take her place.

    To the Uha Tamunaran the people meant nothing to them and because they were so many of them they would not really care if a few of them were hurt, went missing or even died after all they could always be replaced by another slave, the grim and saddest truth of being a slave to the Uha Tamunaran was that you were worthless to them in every single way, your life could at any moment end and they wouldn¡¯t even care enough to pick you dead body from the spot where your life ended.

    And the most painful and sad part of it all was that, they weren¡¯t really captive, they weren¡¯t caged or chained by steel shackles and they could leave whenever they wanted but they choose to stay with their masters out of fear of the power the Uha Tamunaran possessed and what they would do to them with that power if anyone of them were to stepped out of line, they were essentially prisoners who didn¡¯t have the luxury of being caged in a cell but instead were locked up in a cage of their immense fear for the Uha Tamunaran and their power.

    Bafuro then looked Ibaeran in the eye before sighing and then proceeded to ask Ibaeran a question that had been bothering him since the very day he found her standing in front of his door step, ¡°Why do you want to be the Su Baera?¡±

    Ibaeran looked back at him but could not give him an answer and the honest truth was she didn¡¯t have an answer to give.

    Ibaeran never even wanted to be the Su Baera and the only reason she was working so hard was only because she wanted to keep her promise to Preyina.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Ibaeran forced herself to say something but no word agreed to come out of her mouth.

    Bafuro just smiled at her before saying, ¡°I hope you figure it out Ibaeran¡±.

    Bafuro then finished his meal and then made his way to his room.

    ¡°Get some rest Ibaeran remember you have to wake up early to train. The tournaments will start in a few mouths and you have to be ready¡± said Bafuro before he entered his room.

    Ibaeran, after Bafuro left, lied down on the sheets on the floor and as she did so she couldn¡¯t help but think about what Bafuro asked her.

    As she thought about what Bafuro asked her she began to think about how big of a responsibility being the Su Baera was.

    She thought about all the power she would possess if she became the next Su Baera and what that would mean for.

    She would have to be the one to protect all the nations of the world.

    Everyone would be counting on her to fight the battle they couldn¡¯t.

    If she became the Su Baera, she would have to take on the responsibility of the Su Baera, to protect the nations of the world.

    Ibaeran feared that she would not be able to handle the power and responsibility if she became the Su Baera as she wasn¡¯t even sure that she wanted to be the great and mighty Su Baera.

 Chapter 9

    Ibaeran was now crouched down on her knees, panting profusely with her body cover with bruises and aching in tremendous pain, and standing above was none other than Bafuro who stood before her at moment as both her master and her opponent.

    ¡°Get up¡± Bafuro said with his voice void of any and all emotions.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what Bafuro said struggled to get back up on her feet only to get struck back down to the ground by a swift kick from Bafuro.

    ¡°Get up¡± Bafuro said once more while looking down at his student who was still down on the ground.

    Ibaeran then once again tried to get back on her own two feet only to be put back on the ground by a hit from Bafuro once again.

    ¡°You have grown Ibaeran and gotten stronger. I now see clearly, the small spark in you ready to ignite in to a magnificent ember whose light might be enough to give you the strength needed to fight the many battles you must fight to claim the power of the steel wings and become the next Su Baera. Will you let that spark ignite or will you let it die right there on the ground you are lying on¡± said Bafuro.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what he said remembered Preyina and the promise she made her before she passed, the promise that she would at least try to claim the steel wings and become the next Su Baera, with the hope that she would be the one to save her people, and even though she was still uncertain about herself and her abilities, with doubt lingering in her mind as she wonder if she could really be the one to save her people, she still found a way to muster need to get up and like before Bafuro just the opportunity to strike her but this time she refused to go down.

    Ibaeran stood with her legs planted firmly on the ground underneath her feet, ignoring the pain inflicted by Bafuro¡¯s many attacks and forced her arms which like the rest of her body was crying out in immense pain, in to two tight fists before proceeding to launch them both at Bafuro.

    Bafuro managed to reacted quick enough to Ibaeran¡¯s attack and his two arms to block her blows only to be struck by a kick from Ibaeran, forcing him to fall down on one.

    The master then looked up at his student with a proud look on his face before hearing her speak, with a strong and determined voice, ¡°get up¡±.

    Bafuro just smiled upon hearing what Ibaeran said as her words only served to reassure him that he had made the right choice by accepting to train her for she had shown the quality of not only a great warrior but a true Su Baera which strength and a will to keep fight even after falling so many times.

    Time passed and Ibaeran kept training under Bafuro, and slowly, no matter how many times she fell or how painstakingly hard it was, she got strong enough to match blows with the greatest warriors in the land.

    The time for the tournament was fast approaching and soon it would be time for Ibaeran to fight the greatest warriors in the nation just to claim the wings of the Su Baera and fulfill the promise she made to Preyina before she died.

    It was the night before the Tournament, Ibaeran and Bafuro were busy having their supper.

    Ibaeran as she ate could not help but think about how far she had come, she had trained hard and gained a strength she never knew she could possess.

    It was hard and heaven knows Bafuro did not make it easy for her but she pushed through and surprised herself with how much strength she had.

    Never in a million years did she ever think she would be in the situation she was in at the very moment, having trained to fight in a tournament see who would become the next Su Baera.

    But as she thought about how far she had come she began to wonder what if she failed, would all the hard work and dedication she put into her training but for nothing.

    She had come so far and the thought that it might all be for nothing frightened her.

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    Bafuro noticed that Ibaeran was trouble and tensed as her mind was now flooded with thoughts about the possibility that she might fail.

    ¡°What is wrong Ibaeran?¡± asked Bafuro bring Ibaeran out of her train of deep thought.

    ¡°Nothing¡± said Ibaeran but Bafuro could easily tell that she was lying.

    ¡°Stop lying child, it doesn¡¯t suit you¡± said Bafuro.

    Ibaeran then sighed knowing that she couldn¡¯t¡¯ lie to Bafuro who trained her and took his time observing her.

    Bafuro knew her like the back of his hand at that point and could easily tell when she was lying.

    ¡°I¡¯m just worried¡± said Ibaeran.

    ¡°About?¡± asked Bafuro.

    ¡°Failing¡± said Ibaeran.

    ¡°Hmm¡± said Bafuro taking a moment to think.

    ¡°Tell me child, why do you want to be the Su Baera¡± said Bafuro.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already told you, I had a dream¡± said Ibaeran not wanting to tell him why she wanted to be the Su Baera.

    ¡°That¡¯s not the entire truth and you know it¡± said Bafuro sensing Ibaeran was keeping something from.

    Ibaeran then looked away from her master for a moment as she remembered Preyina and the promise she made a tear then fell down from her eye as she did so.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong child?¡± asked Bafuro sensing once again that Ibaeran was troubled.

    Ibaeran then gathered every ounce of strength she had and then turned to her master.

    ¡°I made a promise to my friend before she died that I would at least try to become the Su Baera¡± said Ibaeran trying her best not to shed a tear as she spoke.

    ¡°Hmm, then why are you still here¡± asked Bafuro.

    ¡°What?¡± said Ibaeran confused by what Bafuro asked?

    ¡°If your friend only told you to try, why is it that you pushed yourself so far and hard, why did stay when I entered my house and shut the door in your face, why did you continue to train and get so strong, why do you fear failure when all your friend ask of you was to try¡± asked Bafuro.

    Ibaeran just looked at Bafuro speechless and unable to answer his question.

    ¡°You can¡¯t answer the question can you¡± said Bafuro.

    Bafuro then sighed before saying, ¡°the way I see it you are using that promise you made to your friend as an excuse and not a reason. There is another reason why you pushed yourself so hard and so far, and I highly doubt it was because of a promise you made. Maybe the promise you made brought you here but it certainly did not force to stay¡±.

    Bafuro then finished his meal and then made his way to his room.

    ¡°Get some rest, you¡¯ll need all the strength for tomorrow and Ibaeran think long and about what I said¡± said Bafuro before he entered his room.

    That night Ibaeran went to bed thinking long and hard about what Bafuro said.

    She been to wonder if he was right, the promise she made to Preyina made her come but she could have left whenever she wanted to after all she did keep her promise, she tried and if it was too hard she could always but she didn¡¯t, she stayed and faced all the challenges, training long and hard, earn strength she never knew she could possess, she even feared the possibility of failure, a fear that should be there if all she had to do was try.

    Ibaeran fell asleep that night with one thought lingering in her head that night, if the promise she made wasn¡¯t the reason she pushed herself so far then what was?

    The next day the Tournament began and Ibaeran made her way to the arena where she was to fight the best warriors in the land accompanied by Bafuro who was more than eager to see how Ibaeran would perform in the tournament.

    Ibaeran couldn¡¯t help but feel scared, nervous and anxious all at the same time.

    She had trained long and hard for this, and now that time had come for her to put all that training to go use, she feared that it won¡¯t be enough to win and she would lose to her very first opponent.

    Bafuro could sense the fear Ibaeran felt.

    Bafuro then said, ¡°Why is your heart filled with so much fear child, haven¡¯t you trained for this¡±.

    ¡°I know but what if it¡¯s not enough¡± said Ibaeran.

    ¡°But all you have to do is try¡± said Bafuro.

    Ibaeran then remembered what he told her the other day about the promise she made not being the reason she pushed herself so hard and why she feared failure.

    She then began to realize that she didn¡¯t just want to try; she wanted to do much more than that she wanted to win.

    Ibaeran did not know where the desire to win came from, all she knew was that she wanted, no, she had to do it.

    ¡°But what if I don¡¯t want to just try¡± asked Ibaeran.

    Bafuro smiled upon hearing what she said.

    ¡°Then you fight with everything you have and win¡± said Bafuro.

    Ibaeran felt a little bit better after hearing what Bafuro said.

    They soon arrive at the arena and it was time for Ibaeran to go in alone side the other warriors there.

    Ibaeran then looked at her master and hugged him tightly.

    ¡°Thank you for everything¡± said Ibaeran.

    ¡°Why are you thanking me child, if anything I should be thanking you¡± said Bafuro.

    ¡°For what exactly¡± asked Ibaeran.

    Bafuro then pulled away from the hug and then looked Ibaeran in the eye to say, ¡°for giving me hope when I was about to lose the very little of it, I had left¡±.

    A tear then fell down from Ibaeran¡¯s face as Bafuro said those words to her.

    Ibaeran then rushed in to the arena along with the other warriors.

    ¡°I have no doubt in my mind that you truly are the Su Baera child. I know you will win this tournament and free us all¡± said Bafuro with a smile on his face.

 Chapter 10

    Ibaeran made her way to the arena gates but then she was stopped by a deep voice saying, ¡°where do you think you¡¯re going young lady¡±.

    Ibaeran then turned around to see who spoke.

    She then froze up in fear upon seeing who it was; it was an Uha Tamunaran man.

    The Uha Tamunaran man resemble a monster with scaly skin that and a tale that looked like that of a lizard, snake like eyes and mouth filled with razor sharp teeth and green venom that burnt the ground like acid as it dripped down of his mouth and on to the ground.

    ¡°I asked a question, where do you think you are going little lady¡± said the man sticking out his tongue that looked like that of a snake.

    Ibaeran despite the fact that she was completely and utterly scared of the Uha Tamunaran, knowing he could kill if he wished stood her ground, she had come too far to leave because she was scared of a single Uha Tamunaran.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to contest in the tournament¡± said Ibaeran.

    The man looked at her with a shocked and confused look for a few brief moments, almost as though he did not hear what she said before bursting in to laughter.

    ¡°Did you just say you are here to contest in the tournament¡± said the man before he continued to laugh, mocking Ibaeran for daring to come to the arena and want to contest in the tournament.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disappoint you little lady but the tournament is only for strong able warriors, not soft weak girls. This place is not where you belong¡± said the man with a wicked smile on his face.

    ¡°I¡¯m not weak, I am a strong and able warrior¡± said Ibaeran boldly feeling her fear slowly begin to shrink away as she spoke.

    ¡°Hmm, you have so fire in your belly, I like that in a woman¡± said the Uha Tamunaran as he came closer to Ibaeran, making her feel uncomfortable.

    The Uha Tamunaran the brought out his serpent like forked tongue to lick the side of Ibaeran¡¯s cheeks but before it could reach her another Uha Tamunaran man came.

    ¡°Let her go Pirank¡± said the other Uha Tamunaran.

    The scaly lizard like Uha Tamunaran man then left Ibaeran; he then went to the other Uha Tamunaran who had stopped.

    The other Uha Tamunaran look like a normal man except of the fact that he had no eyes and the two hollow holes where his eyes were meant to be where empty but despite his lack of eyes it seemed like he had sight and clear vision.

    ¡°What on earth are you doing¡± said the eye less Uha Tamunaran to the lizard like Uha Tamunaran.

    ¡°She wants to contest in the tournament which is against the law since she is no warrior¡± said the lizard like Uha Tamunaran.

    The eyeless Uha Tamunaran then went to Ibaeran and just stood in front of her silently.

    Ibaeran did not know how but she could tell he was staring at even though he had no eyes.

    The man placed his hands on Ibaeran¡¯s shoulder.

    Ibaeran then felt then the Uha Tamunaran¡¯s presence through her entire body almost as though he was examining her from the inside which made her unbearably uncomfortable.

    After a few moments passed the man removed his hand from her shoulder.

    ¡°Go in girl¡± said the eye less Uha Tamunaran.

    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    The lizard like Uha Tamunaran was shocked to hear what the other Uha Tamunaran said and was about intervene but was stopped by the eye less Uha Tamunaran turning to him and giving him a powerful glare despite the fact that he had no eyes.

    Ibaeran just smiled nervously before she made her way in to the arena.

    The eye less Uha Tamunaran then went to the other lizard like Uha Tamunaran.

    ¡°Why did you do that, she¡¯s just a girl or do you just want to watch her beaten to a bloody pulp just for the fun of it¡± said the lizard like Uha Tamunaran with a smile imagining how amazing it would be to watch Ibaeran being brutalized by the other warrior¡¯s fight.

    ¡°Do you know what I saw when I looked in to her¡± said the eye less Uha Tamunaran.

    ¡°What did you see¡± asked the lizard like Uha Tamunaran curious to know what the eye less man saw.

    ¡°She was marked by a strange power; a power I could not recognize. It did not feel like anything that could come from any human¡± said the eye less man.

    The lizard like Uha Tamunaran then looked at the eye less Uha Tamunaran with a look of both shock and astonishment.

    ¡°Do you she could be the next Su Baera¡± asked the lizard like Uha Tamunaran.

    ¡°Possibly¡± said the Uha Tamunaran with no eyes.

    The lizard like Uha Tamunaran then began to feel fear towards Ibaeran and the possibility of her being the next Su Baera.

    ¡°Why did you let her in, what if she wins the tournament and becomes the next Su Baera, do you know what that would mean for us all¡± said the lizard like Uha Tamunaran.

    ¡°It is king Datubo¡¯s order, all able warriors who wish to participate in the tournament should and that girl is a more than able warrior¡± said the eye less Uha Tamunaran.

    The lizard like Uha Tamunaran then kept quiet knowing he couldn¡¯t do anything to stop Ibaeran from fighting in the tournament as technically there was no rule against Ibaeran fighting in the tournament but he greatly feared that Ibaeran might be victorious, claim the steel wings of the Su Baera and become the next Su Baera which may spell doom for all Uha Tamunarans.

    Ibaeran was now in a small room inside the arena along with the other warriors.

    She was the only girl in the mist of all the male warriors and this made her the center of attention in room as all the other warriors could not believe a girl would dare to contest in the arena.

    ¡°She must be mad, that¡¯s the only reason I can think out for a girl to come here¡± muttered one of the warriors.

    Ibaeran heard what he said and also noticed the way the other warriors were looking; she could tell they did not believe she would go far in the arena and would fall to the very first opponent she faced.

    Ibaeran took a deep breath and blocked them all out of her mind.

    She knew what they were thinking but she didn¡¯t really care, all Ibaeran had on her mind at that moment was to fight as hard as she could and win, no other thought came to her mind except to fight and to win.

    Soon the doors opened and it was time for them all to fight.

    Then one by one they all left the room and entered the door, going in to the battlefield.

    Ibaeran took a deep breath gathering all the strength she should need to fight before joining the other warrior on the battlefield.

    Once there, the first thing she saw were the people of Ijawana seated outside the battle field, screaming and cheering on the warriors as they came out because to them each and every warrior down below that was about to fight gave them hope that one day, they would be free from the Uha Tamunaran oppressors.

    Uha Tamunarans were there as well, seated above the people of Ijawana but the reason they were there was not because they believed that anyone of the warriors could be the Su Baera, it was because they saw the tournament as a source of entertainment believing that it was impossible for anyone to claim the wings and become the next Su Baera, seeing the warriors fighting below as hopeless fools clinging desperately to a dead dream.

    Ibaeran could feel the pressure as she stepped in to the battle knowing that she wasn¡¯t just fighting for herself but for all the people of Ijawana who were suffering under their Uha Tamunaran masters.

    Both the people and the Uha Tamunarans looked at Ibaeran in shock, surprised to see a girl of all people had dared to contest in the tournament.

    The Uha Tamunarans actually found it amusing, thinking that the people were so desperate to be free that they would even go as far as to allow girl contest in the tournament and fight.

    The people just murmured among themselves, wondering why a girl would want to contest in the tournament, finding it strange that Ibaeran being a frail little girl would want to fight a battle meant for strong able warriors.

    Ibaeran managed to find Bafuro seated in the crowd of people with a proud smile on his face, confident in his student¡¯s ability.

    Ibaeran smiled back at him, gaining so strength and courage from seeing the smile on his face.

    She then took a deep breath, preparing herself for battle.

    An Uha Tamunaran man then appeared in the center of the arena with bell on his hand.

    ¡°The very moment you all hear the ring of the bell the tournament will begin. No weapons are allowed in this fight, you may use your hands, legs or any part of your body but no weapons. Understood¡± said the Uha Tamunaran.

    They all nodded their heads.

    ¡°Good¡± said the Uha Tamunaran.

    The Uha Tamunaran man then rung the bell and then they all charged at each other, each of them determined to win.

 Chapter 11

    The warriors charged each other as the battle began.

    Ibaeran found herself face off against a man who looked at her with a smile on his face, thinking she would be easy to defeat.

    ¡°Listen girl, I¡¯m in a good mood and I don¡¯t really like hurting girls so I¡¯ll go easy on you,¡± said the man.

    Ibaeran recognized his voice, he was the warrior in the room that said she must have been mad, to come and fight in the tournament.

    Ibaeran then charged in, straight for the man, feeling immense rage over the way he insulted her.

    The man, believing she was weak smiled at her and allowed to come close to him, dropping his guard down and giving her the chance to deliver the first blow.

    The man eyes widened upon receiving a blow to his stomach from Ibaeran as he had never felt so much pain from a single blow.

    He then immediately fell down of his knees and then looked up to Ibaeran who stood before to him with her eyes still red with rage.

    He looked at her with a look of fear and horror, now knowing she was far stronger than she appeared to be.

    Ibaeran, wanting to end their fight quick kicked his chest and sent him fly before crashing hard to the ground.

    The man was now down on the ground unable to find the strength to get up as he was now down and defeated by the girl underestimated.

    Everyone both the warriors fighting, the people and the Uha Tamunaran¡¯s observing the battle looked at Ibaeran shocked that she just defeated one of the warriors easily.

    Then for brief moment the arena became silent as everyone even the warriors that were busy fighting each other stopped and stared at Ibaeran, unable to believe what she had done.

    They did not expect a girl of all people to be strong enough to defeat a warrior so easily.

    They all stopped staring once the Uha Tamunaran that rang the bell appeared to carry the warrior Ibaeran had defeated, after that the fight resumed this time though the warriors took Ibaeran seriously and refused to underestimate her not wanting to make the same mistake the warrior she defeated made.

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Bafuro just looked at Ibaeran with a proud smile on his face as the tournament continued.

    One by one the warriors that dared to face Ibaeran fell, losing to her immense skill and strength, she was so formidable that most of the warriors had to work together to face her but even that wasn¡¯t enough to defeat Ibaeran.

    Occasionally a warrior would manage to bring Ibaeran down to the ground but each and every time she fell, she got up and continued to fight until she was victorious.

    Soon there was no one left to fight and to everyone¡¯s surprise Ibaeran stood tall as the champion.

    Both the people and the Uha Tamunarans looked at her with a look both shock and confusion, unable to believe that a girl not only contested in the tournament she won, defeating each and every warrior in the tournament.

    Bafuro then stood up from his seat and began to clap then not too long after everybody apart from the Uha Tamunaran began to clap and cheered for Ibaeran.

    Ibaeran herself could not believe it; she had actually won.

    She wasn¡¯t sure if she was dreaming or if it was actually real.

    Ibaeran made her way out the arena where she was greeted none other than Bafuro.

    ¡°Congratulations Ibaeran¡± said Bafuro with a smile on his face.

    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe I won¡± said Ibaeran.

    ¡°I can and do you know why?¡± said Bafuro as he took a step closer to her and placed his hand on her shoulder.

    ¡°Because you are one of a kind, you have the soul of warrior and a heart of gold. That is why I believe you will make a great Su Baera¡± said Bafuro.

    Before Ibaeran could give a reply to Bafuro two Uha Tamunaran¡¯s approached them.

    Ibaeran upon seeing them felt uncomfortable and scared.

    Bafuro noticed Ibaeran¡¯s fear as the Uha Tamunaran¡¯s approached them.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay Ibaeran; they are not here to hurt. They are here to take you away¡± said Bafuro.

    ¡°Take me? Where?¡± asked Ibaeran.

    ¡°To the city of Porti Hara, the capital city of South Nation where you will have to fight in the national tournament¡± said Bafuro.

    ¡°What? I have to fight in another tournament?¡± said Ibaeran shocked to hear that she had to fight again in another tournament.

    ¡°Actually, you have to fight in two, the national tournament and the international tournament. Only after fighting and winning in the international tournament which is the main and final tournament will you be taken to steel wings to claim it and its power¡± said Bafuro.

    ¡°What?¡± said Ibaeran both shocked, enraged and annoyed by the fact that she still had to fight in two more tournaments and win.

    ¡°I know how you feel, I felt the same way when I won my first tournament but don¡¯t worry, you will win those other tournaments just like you this one¡± said Bafuro.

    ¡°How do you know I will win¡± asked Ibaeran.

    ¡°Because, you are the Su Baera¡± said Bafuro with a smile on her face.

    Ibaeran was about to say something to Bafuro but before she could the Uha Tamunarans held her by the hand and dragged her away.

    As the Uha Tamunarans dragged her turned back to see Bafuro, her master one last time.

    He still had that smile on his face.

    Ibaeran then thought about how Bafuro could be so certain that she was going to be the next Su Baera as she herself wasn¡¯t even sure.

 Chapter 12

    The Uha Tamunarans took Ibaeran to a gigantic machine that called a sky ship with a massive engine that spewed out fire, massive sliver steel propellers attached to two pair the wings by its side resembling that of a bird, made out of materials that was lighter than still but strong enough not to break apart when flying, the ships body was made of steel built by the labor of the slaves for their Uha Tamunaran masters.

    It was truly a magnificent machine and Ibaeran, having seeing such a flying machine could not stop marveling and staring at it with her eyes winkling with wonder and astonishment.

    She had heard of flying machine like this, built by the people from her father who was a builder before becoming a warrior to participate in the tournament to claim the wings of the Su Baera.

    Her father helped build many machines including some flying machines like the one Ibaeran saw.

    It was not an easy though and the presence of the Uha Tamunaran who would often beat builders for making the smallest of mistakes, at times they would even beat people for no reason at all.

    The Uha Tamunarans took Ibaeran in to the ship.

    The very first room Ibaeran saw in side was the power room, the source of all the power in the ship.

    Slaves were busy there carrying hips of coal to a burning furnace, the heat generated by the coals in the furnace was what supplied power to the entire ship.

    The slaved were forced to carry the coals in to the furnace that was so hot that sometimes they would get burnt if they went too close to it.

    Those that got burnt by the furnace were still forced to continue their work by an Uha Tamunaran who had the power to create a whip made of light that he would to whip anyone who refused to work due to an injury because of the furnace.

    The room was filled black smoke because of the burning coal which made it difficult of the slaves to breathe and see but the Uha Tamunarans who was watching over them had no problem due to the smoke as he wore a protective mask that shielded his face from the smoke and allowed him to see and breathing without any problems.

    Ibaeran felt her stomach twist and turn as she watched what was happening to her people.

    It wasn¡¯t right; they were treated far worse than animals, they had no dignity or respect and were used to do the work the Uha Tamunarans deemed were too degrading for them to do.

    She wanted to do something and at least try to save them but she knew there was nothing she could do, the Uha Tamunaran were too powerful for her to face and if she tried to do anything they could easily hurt both her and the slaves as she tried to save them.

    Ibaeran was then reminded of Preyina and how she too suffered in the hands of an Uha Tamunaran for so long and she could do nothing about it.

    Ibaeran could not help but shed a tear, feeling terrible for seeing her people in the state they were in but felt much worse for not being able to help them just like she couldn¡¯t save Preyina.

    ¡°Come¡± said the Uha Tamunaran as they began to lead her away from the room.

    Ibaeran left then room but was unable to get the horrifying images out of her head.

    She looked at the Uha Tamunaran that worked by her side, guiding her through the ship and wondered if all Uha Tamunarans were heartless and cruel creature incapable of showing love to anyone but their kind.

    Ibaeran felt a level of disgust she had never felt before.

    It went beyond anger and hatred; it felt like shame, shame for the Uha Tamunaran who chose to use the power they possess to oppress other people.

    Ibaeran could say proudly without an ounce of hesitation, that she had never seen a single creature that was as cruel or as heartless as the Uha Tamunarans.

    The Uha Tamunaran took Ibaeran to a room a small in the ship that had and a window.

    ¡°Stay here and don¡¯t come out, we will provide you with whatever you may need. Do you understand¡± spoke the Uha Tamunaran coldly and bitterly almost as if he felt ashamed and disgusted as he spoke to Ibaeran.

    ¡°I do¡± said Ibaeran trying her best to hide her disgust for the Uha Tamunarans.

    ¡°Good¡± said the Uha Tamunaran before the Uha Tamunarans left.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    Ibaeran then sighed deeply before she went to the window.

    There she saw almost all the people in Ijawana gathered outside the ship, chanting and screaming one thing, ¡°Su Baera¡±.

    Ibaeran could not believe it; the people actually believed that she could be the Su Baera.

    Ibaeran smiled a little at the people below before sighing deeply, she still feared that she might fail and if that happened, she would have failed the people and their hopes and dreams of one day being free.

    Ibaeran then began to feel the weight of an immense pressure that emerged from her fear of failure that slowly began to consume her but than in the mist of the crowd Ibaeran saw Bafuro with a smile on his face chanting along with the people, ¡°Su Baera¡±.

    Seeing Bafuro gave Ibaeran a little bit of confidence in heart, enough to push away her fear and doubts.

    She placed her hands on the mark on her neck, she still doubted the possibility that she might be the Su Baera but that doubt had shrunk immensely to the point where she could barely notice it, she could still feel it though but at that very moment it had no power over her.

    Soon the ship¡¯s engine started, igniting flames from the bottom of the ship that began to push high to the sky.

    The people took a step back as the ship engine started not wanting to get burnt by the flames or the smoke.

    Bafuro smiled as the ship took off.

    ¡°Good luck Su Baera, our freedom lies in your hands¡± said Bafuro watching the ship fly off high in the sky.

    Ibaeran sighed knowing that the journey ahead would not be easy and would be the hardest battle she had ever faced but she knew she had to do it, not just for Preyina or her people but for herself.

    She didn¡¯t know why she felt so driven though, all she knew was that she felt a strong desire to fight in the tournament and win.

    Even she knew nothing about why she felt the way she did as the feeling was too strong to ignore or even suppress.

    She had to fight not just for her people or the promise she made to Preyina but for herself and the feeling she felt deep within her.

    Ibaeran stood beside the window watching the clouds the ship passed by as it flew with a smile on her face.

    It actually quite peaceful high up in the clouds so peace in fact that at that very moment Ibaeran forgot all her fears and worries, focusing only on the beauty of the sky she watched from the window.

    Ibaeran as she watched the clouds saw a flock of birds flying passed the window.

    Upon seeing the birds, she could help but wonder what it would be like to fly and be free like the flock of birds that just flew passed her window.

    She then imagined herself flying with the pair of steel wings that belonged to the Su Baera flying high up in the sky without a care in the world.

    She was trapped in her fantasy of her flying with the steel wings of the Su Baera for a long time, feeling a sense of bliss and peace of mind as she imagined herself with the wings of the Su Baera, it was only when the sky darkened and the night sky began to form with the rising of moon and all the starts slowly appearing did, she finally come back to reality.

    She did not know why her imagination would wonder so far to the point where she would imagine herself with the steel wings of the Su Baera.

    Ibaeran did not know what to think about herself at that moment; did she secretly desire the power of the Su Baera so much that she would go as far as to imagine herself using it to fly high in the sky like a free bird.

    Ibaeran could not help but feel disgusted a bit at herself and her thoughts that she might secretly desire the power of the wings to the point where she would fantasize about it.

    Ibaeran came out of her train of deep thought when she heard a knock on the door.

    Ibaeran then wondered who it was, it might have been the Uha Tamunarans coming to check up on her but knowing how the Uha Tamunarans were she found it strange that they would knock instead of just come in to her room.

    ¡°Come in¡± said Ibaeran.

    Then the door opened up and a slave boy walked in to the room with a tray of food for Ibaeran.

    ¡°This is for you,¡± said the boy.

    Ibaeran looked at the boy, shocked to see him there in the room with a plate of food as she was excepting the Uha Tamunarans to be the ones to come in.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± asked Ibaeran as she began to examine the boy.

    He wore grey faded clothes that greatly resembled rages that stains of smokes and dust on them, she also noticed a few scars that looked like that were formed by whip meaning he was one of the slaves tasked with the duty of supplying coal to the fiery furnace that supplied power to the ship.

    The boy seemed to be about the same age as Ibaeran but also shows signs of maturity meaning he could be older than how her appeared to be.

    ¡°I¡¯m Tanya, I was sent here by the Uha Tamunarans to bring you food,¡± said the boy.

    ¡°Tanya¡± said Ibaeran with smile on her face as Tanya was the name of her late father.

    ¡°Thank you¡± said Ibaeran as she accepted the food from him.

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome¡± said Tanya with a smile on his face.

    The boy was about to leave but Ibaeran noticed that the boy looked like he hadn¡¯t had anything decent to eat in days with thin and skinny body that looked like it had more bones than flesh.

    ¡°Are you hungry, you look like you haven¡¯t eaten in days? I wouldn¡¯t mind sharing my food with you¡± said Ibaeran offering her food to the boy.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not really hungry, plus you will need all your strength to win the national and international tournament,¡± said Tanya.

    Ibaeran was shocked by Tanya¡¯s confidence in the way he spoke about her fighting and winning in the national and international tournament.

    ¡°How are you so sure I¡¯ll win¡± asked Ibaeran.

    ¡°My mother taught me that it takes something different to create change. Many warriors have fought in the tournaments before but they all failed to claim the wings. But you are different than them,¡± said Tanya.

    ¡°So, you have faith in me because I¡¯m a girl and not some strong tall man¡± said Ibaeran who couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit insulted by Tanya¡¯s statement.

    ¡°No, I have faith in you because you are different,¡± said Tanya.

    Tanya, before he left the room said to Ibaeran as a few words of advice to her, ¡°a woman though may seem weak at first glance may have the strength that outmatches that of ten thousand men but all that strength will be locked away if she doesn¡¯t realize she possess it in the first place¡±.

    Tanya, with those words said left the room and Ibaeran not only with food but with something to think about throughout the night.

    Ibaeran eat her food and used the hours she spent awake thinking about what Tanya said to her before finally drifting away to sleep.

 Chapter 13

    The next day the sky ship arrived at Porti Hara along with several other sky ships that came from different towns and cities in Nation of the South.

    A warrior came from each and every ship, each wanting to fight in the tournament, win and claim the wings of the Su Baera.

    Ibaeran could not help but feel a bit intimidated by them as they were all men and looked stronger than the warriors, she faced in the tournament back in Ijawana.

    The warriors were shocked and surprised by Ibaeran¡¯s presence as they had never heard of a girl participating in the tournament before.

    ¡°What a fragile thing like you doing in a tournament meant for true warriors¡± asked one of the warriors.

    Ibaeran though she felt insulted by what the warrior said did not want to give him a reply and so remain silent.

    The warrior smiled, seeing her silence as a sigh of fear and weakness.

    ¡°See, she is too scared and afraid to speak, clearly she is not meant to be here,¡± said the warrior.

    Ibaeran then noticed the other warriors as they began to whisper and murmur among themselves.

    Ibaeran knew that they were talking about her and wondering how she could even be allowed to participate in the tournament despite being a girl and looking so weak, frail and powerless.

    ¡°I wonder if the men from the land you came from are so spineless and weak that they would allow a girl to fight in their place instead of coming here themselves,¡± said the warrior.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what the warrior said could not hold herself back any longer.

    The warrior had gone too far, insulting not just her pride as a young woman but the men in her land that was an unforgiveable mistake.

    Ibaeran then went to the warrior, raised her hand and then slapped the warrior with some much power and force that the other warriors standing next them felt the fury and raw power in that one slap.

    The man just stood there with his hand holding the cheek Ibaeran slapped, feeling immense pain from that one slap she gave him.

    ¡°Meet me at the tournament and see just how fragile I am¡± said Ibaeran looking at the warrior as if she was going to kill him at the very spot he stood upon.

    The warriors that surrounded them said nothing and just stood there speechless upon witness the strength Ibaeran possessed in that one slap.

    The warrior Ibaeran slapped stared back at her, enraged that a girl not only had the audacity slap him but also by the fact that it actually hurt him.

    ¡°How dare¡­¡± the warrior was about to attack Ibaeran but stopped himself when he noticed the few Uha Tamunaran men approach them.

    All the warriors including Ibaeran froze up upon seeing the Uha Tamunaran as they all greatly feared them, Ibaeran felt more disgust for them though only fearing that they had the power to kill her if the wished.

    The Uha Tamunarans looked at all the warrior examining them all before saying, ¡°are you the warriors that are here to fight in the tournament¡±.

    They all nodded their heads yes as they were too scared to speak to the Uha Tamunarans.

    One of Uha Tamunarans walked to Ibaeran and examined her closely before asking, ¡°Aren¡¯t you a girl?¡±

    Ibaeran just nodded her head yes.

    ¡°Then what are you doing here?¡± asked the Uha Tamunarans.

    Ibaeran felt insulted about the question the Uha Tamunaran asked, so much so that she couldn¡¯t stop herself opening her mouth and saying, ¡°because I defeated all the warriors in the Ijawanan Tournament¡±.

    All the warriors then looked at her shocked that Ibaeran had the guts to speak to an Uha Tamunaran so boldly.

    Ibaeran closed her mouth immediately after she realized what she had done.

    She hoped the Uha Tamunaran didn¡¯t feel insulted or disrespected by the way she spoke to him because if he did there was nothing stopping him from ending her life where she stood.

    The Uha Tamunaran just looked at Ibaeran with her looking back at him fearing what he might do to her.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    The other warriors watch in anticipation, wondering what the Uha Tamunaran would do, the warrior Ibaeran slapped though wished he would use his power to end her life as he wanted revenge for her slapping him.

    The Uha Tamunaran to everyone surprise just smiled at Ibaeran before he slowly began to laugh.

    ¡°A girl fighting in the tournament, I never thought I would see the day but well as the old saying goes, live long enough and you¡¯ll see everything¡± said the Uha Tamunaran amused by that fact a girl was actually fighting in the tournament.

    Ibaeran then sighed out of relieve, glad that the Uha Tamunaran did not feel insulted or disrespected.

    The warrior that Ibaeran slapped however was greatly enraged by the fact the Uha Tamunaran did not do anything but laugh, he wanted Ibaeran to pay for that slap she gave him and hated the fact the Uha Tamunaran could have easily hurt or possibly kill her but choose not to.

    After that the Uha Tamunaran took them to the arena where the tournament would be held but because it was not yet time for tournament to begin, they were kept in a small room inside the arena.

    There they were served with food and water to give them the strength they needed to fight.

    Ibaeran took as much as she needed to eat, learning from Bafuro the value of food for a warrior during battle and how eating the wrong thing can drain and slow her down but eating the right thing could tremendously increase her strength so while the other warriors filled their mouths to the brim with beef Ibaeran to the green leafy vegetable most of them chose to avoid.

    Soon the tournament started and all the warriors made their way to the battle grounds.

    Just like the tournament in Ijawana an Uha Tamunaran appeared in the center of the battle grounds holding a bell.

    They all prepared themselves for battle knowing that the tournament would start once the Uha Tamunaran rung the bell.

    The Uha Tamunaran then rung the bell and the very moment he did all the warriors charged straight for each other in a heated battle.

    The warriors were far more skilled than the warriors Ibaeran faced back Ijawana but Ibaeran still managed to push through, fighting as hard as she could and even though the warriors were stronger than those, she faced back in Ijawana she still managed defeat all her opponents.

    Now only one warrior remained, burning hot with rage and hatred for Ibaeran, the warrior left standing was none other than the warrior Ibaeran slapped.

    Bitter and angry the warrior refused to be defeated as he wanted to face Ibaeran alone.

    He wanted to make her pay for daring to insult him with a slap to his face and fueled by nothing but pure anger he charged straight for Ibaeran and delivered a powerful to her.

    Before Ibaeran could recover from the first blow he delivered another and another, beating Ibaeran senselessly with his fist, refusing to give her chance to fight back.

    The people watching the fight closed their eyes out horror and disgust upon witnessing the brutality the warrior was showing as he continued to beat Ibaeran.

    Seeing such the way the warrior continued to hit Ibaeran without even giving her a chance to defend herself disgusted even the Uha Tamunaran who had enslaved them all seeing it a barbaric and shameful way to claim a victory.

    The fight was hard to watch some of the people and even the Uha Tamunarans had to look away as they couldn¡¯t stand the sorry sight of seeing such a display of brutality.

    The warrior then, after beating Ibaeran senselessly like a mad bull stopped when he saw that Ibaeran was now lying down on the ground with blood sipping out of the wounds.

    It seemed like the warrior had won as Ibaeran was down on the ground and seemed defeated.

    ¡°Let this be a warning to you, girl, nobody disrespects me and gets away with it¡± said the warrior bending down to look at Ibaeran lying on the ground.

    The warrior then turned his back away from Ibaeran thinking he had won only to hear the people and even some of the Uha Tamunarans in the arena stand up and cheer.

    The warrior raised his hands triumphantly thinking the people were cheering for him only to receive a blow from behind.

    The blow sent the warrior down hard to ground.

    The warrior then got up and saw Ibaeran still standing and ready to continue the fight.

    The warrior¡¯s anger grew upon seeing Ibaeran and he once again charged straight for her, delivering blow after blow to Ibaeran but this time she was ready for him.

    Ibaeran blocked and dodged all his attacks.

    The warrior became even more enraged as Ibaeran blocked and dodged all his attacks so much so that he used up very single ounce of strength he had to try to land a decent blow to Ibaeran but try as he may none of his blows could do anything to Ibaeran as moved too quick for him, dodging and managing to block every single attack he sent her way.

    Soon the warrior grew tired and drain, having exhausted all of his strength in attacking Ibaeran, panting and taking deep breath uncontrollably, he barely had enough straight to stay on his two feet.

    The warrior though weakened and exhausted did not want to be defeated by a girl as his pride would not allow him come to terms with the fact that a girl of all people bested him so the prideful warrior delivered one final blow to Ibaeran using the very last of his strength only for his fist to be caught by Ibaeran bare hands.

    The warrior then looked at Ibaeran with shock and disbelief.

    Ibaeran then smiled at him before saying, ¡°congratulation you have just been bested by a girl¡±.

    Ibaeran then delivered a single blow to him and then the prideful warrior fell to ground upon receiving that single blow.

    Far too tired to get up the warrior look at Ibaeran defeated with his pride broken and shatter in to a million pieces as she stood triumphantly before him.

    He then noticed the mark on Ibaeran¡¯s neck and smiled.

    ¡°You are one of a kind girl and not just because of your incredible strength¡± said the warrior who was still on the ground, finally swallowing his pride and acknowledging Ibaeran as a warrior.

    Ibaeran looked at the warrior, shocked and surprised upon hearing what he just said about her.

    ¡°I see now that you are the true Su Baera and the one who will set us all free from the oppressive hand of the Uha Tamunarans,¡± said the warrior.

    ¡°What?¡± said Ibaeran with surprise by the warrior said?

    ¡°I would never believe in a million years that a girl would be the next Su Baera but that was because I had never seen a girl like you, Strong and determined you have the two most important traits of a great warrior. You will make an excellent Su Baera¡­¡± with those words said the warrior closed his eyes exhausted and drained of all his strength leaving Ibaeran standing there to think about everything the warrior had said to her.

 Chapter 14

    After the tournament Ibaeran was taken back to the sky ship that would transport her to Nigerona head nation over all nations, a place very few people are opportune to go, in fact the Uha Tamunarans who lived there were not like the average Uha Tamunarans, they were the elites who were said to be far superior to every other Uha Tamunaran and they didn¡¯t have any need human slaves because they had great machines of different kinds to do all the manual labor they would usually be task upon the people.

    The nation of Nigerona was also where the Uha Tamunaran palace where king Datubo, the king of all Uha Tamunarans stayed.

    The fact the Ibaeran was going to a place that was filled with elite Uha Tamunaran far superior to the ones she had seen in the nation of the South was enough to send chills down her spine and on top of that the king of the Uha Tamunarans stayed there as well, the Uha Tamunarans themselves greatly fear the king¡¯s might and raw power meaning she, an ordinary girl would naturally be utterly frightened by him.

    Tales of Datubo¡¯s great power and strength had been shared among all the nations of the land, although they were all rumor spread by fear driven slaves who had heard tales about the king from their Uha Tamunaran masters.

    They say, according to those tales told, Datubo was far stronger than any Uha Tamunaran that came before him, some of them say he had the ability to drain the strength and power out anybody, and if anyone opposed him in any way, he would his power to drain them of every ounce of strength and power they possessed, instantly killing them and only leaving behind an empty husk in their place, draining not just the power but the very life from them.

    Other tales spoke about how he killed all of his siblings with some of them even going as far to say that he even killed his father as well to claim the throne for himself as he was the youngest in line for the throne and was determined to get it at any means even if it meant shading blood.

    Ibaeran, as she remembered those tales felt an immense wave of fear flow through her entire body, if the tales talked about Datubo were indeed true than he was truly the terrifying out of all the Uha Tamunarans not just because of the power he possessed but for his willingness to kill anyone that goes against him be it his own kind or his blood.

    Ibaeran could not stop her fear driven thoughts about Datubo to cloud her mind as he was a person that scared even other Uha Tamunarans but then she remembered Bafuro, Preyina and all the other people who cheered her own, even the warrior she faced in the tournament of Porti Hara believed in her even though he originally saw her as weak.

    It seemed like everyone for some strange reason believed that she could be the Su Baera.

    Ibaeran placed her hand on the mark on her neck as strength and courage began to flow through her body driven by the support from those who believed in her.

    She then thought about Preyina and how she pushed her to the path she now found herself.

    She then smiled as she thought about how Preyina¡¯s death could push her to go as far she had, she only made her make a simple promise and that was to try but Ibaeran had done more than try, she had pushed herself to a point every few people would dear to go.

    Ibaeran then took a deep breath knowing she still had a lot to do, she had to go and fight in the final tournament, the main tournament and if she won only then would she be given the chance to claim the wings of the Su Baera and save her people.

    She understood it was not going to be easy, the warriors of the nation of the South were strong but now she had to face off against the strongest warriors from all the remaining three nations apart from the nation of the South.

    The Nation of the North, East and West had notorious and fierce warriors who possessed immense strength, defeating them would not be an easy feat to accomplish but Ibaeran wasn¡¯t scared of the challenge, she had come so far and surpassed the greatest warriors of her land, surprising not only the warriors she faced but also herself, she knew that she could lose but also knew the strength she possessed was great and had faith in herself and her abilities as warriors.

    Ibaeran newly found strength in her abilities as well as her strength was good as she would need every single ounce of strength, she could mutter in the battle to come as it would not be easy as her other battles.

    At night in the Grand House of the Nation of the South, home of the governor of the South, an Uha Tamunaran administrator who ruled over the South Nations seated at his office table working on some of his administrative duties when a mist of darkness appeared out of nowhere and consumed everything around him.

    ¡°Hello governor¡± said a deep and cold echoing through the darkness.

    ¡°Who is out there¡± asked the governor wondering who was speaking as he could not see anything through the cloud of darkness.

    The sound of the snap of a finger echoed through the darkness of the cloud and as it did cloud of darkness disappeared.

    As the darkness disappeared the governor¡¯s eyes widen with pure horror as he found himself standing before the creature hidden in the darkness of cloud that could only be described with one word, monster.

    The monstrous creature that stood before the governor was tall with a thin almost sickly body that was made of what seemed to be black bones with spikes on its back and a horrifying skull for a face with eyes that were as pitch black as night as the night sky.

    The governor looked upon the monster with a look of fear, completely and utterly horrified by it.

    The monster then began to approach the governor and as it did the governor¡¯s fear grew and grew.

    The governor, driven by the fear that monster would devour him if it managed to reached him decided to attack the monster before it could.

    His skin turned back and hardened like stone as he summoned his power, then pieces of small black crystal flew out of his hands and straight for the approaching monster.

    The black crystals shattered and broke as the made contact with the hard bony skin of the monster.

    The governor¡¯s eyes widen with even more horror upon seeing that his attack had no effect on the monster.

    ¡°Guar¡­¡± the governor was about to call out to guards to come to his aid and save him from the monster but he was stopped by the monster summoning a cloud of darkness out of its body that held on to his entire body like a hand and covered his mouth, preventing him from speaking or calling out to his guards for help.

    ¡°Hush¡± said the monster with its deep cold voice as it walked to the governor.

    Once the monster reached the governor who could only stare at it with a look of pure fear and horror the monster began to change.

    Its bony body slowly turned in that of a pale skinned man like body with the spikes on his back retreating and disappearing in to its body, the monster¡¯s skull face turned in to that of a man, his eyes were the only thing that remained the same as they were still pitch black.

    Black clothing then appeared out of nowhere, covering the monster¡¯s nakedness man body with a black hat that appeared on his head.

    ¡°Sorry about that, I know how horrifying my true form is especially for the feeble mind¡± said the monster with a gentle voice that seem like that of a man and not a monster.

    The governor tried to speak but that darkness that covered his mouth did not allow him.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong governor, can¡¯t talk¡± said the monster with a sinister smile on his face almost as though he was mocking the governor as he watched him struggle to speak.

    ¡°I¡¯ll free your mouth on one condition and that is, when I do you won¡¯t scream to alert any of your guards. Do you understand,¡± said the monster.

    The governor nodded his head, agreeing with the monster¡¯s conditions.

    ¡°Good¡± said the monster before he snapped his finger, the darkness that held the governor in place than disappeared.

    The governor then stood before the monster looking at him with fear in his eyes.

    ¡°What kind of Uha Tamunaran are you and who sent here?¡± asked the governor assuming that the monster was some kind of Uha Tamunaran.

    ¡°I¡¯m not an Uha Tamunaran and as for your other question, I was sent by a being far more superior to the Uha Tamunarans, possessing power far greater than any Uha Tamunaran,¡± said the monster.

    ¡°Impossible, the Uha Tamunarans are the greatest race to ever live, there is no one who is above us,¡± said the governor.

    ¡°Oh, is that so¡± said the monster as he raised his hand, aiming it at the governor and striking him with a strange dark power, inflict unimaginable pain upon him.

    The governor screamed out in pain; he had never before felt something so powerful that filled every fiber of his body with such an unbearable level of pain.

    The monster stopped once he heard the sounds of guards matching to the room upon hearing the screams of the governor.

    The monster sighed before he snapped his finger and then the room doors shut and locked on their own.

    The governor then fell down to ground in immense pain, he then looked at the monster from the ground that he was now lying on filled with nothing but fear before asking, ¡°Who are you?¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    The monster then smiled sinisterly before saying, ¡°my name is unimportant but you can think of me as a servant carrying out his master¡¯s orders¡±.

    ¡°What kind of orders?¡± asked governor, wondering why that monster had come to him and the kind of orders he was assigned, hoping it wasn¡¯t something that would lead to his untimely death.

    ¡°Any order as long as my master command¡¯s it,¡± said the monster.

    ¡°So why did your master command you to come here¡± asked the governor wondering what kind of orders the monsters master might have assigned to him and how it concern him.

    ¡°To warn about the Su Baera,¡± said the monster.

    ¡°What!!!!! That¡¯s impossible, the Su Baera is dead¡± said the governor in disbelief.

    The monster then smiled sinisterly upon hearing what the governor said.

    ¡°This is not the same Su Baera that your kind killed all those years ago,¡± said the monster.

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible, nobody has won the tournament,¡± said the governor.

    ¡°Correction nobody has won the tournament yet,¡± said the monster.

    ¡°What?? But that would mean¡­¡± The governor remained silent as he realized what monster was trying to telling him.

    The governor then began to feel a fear not for the monster that stood before him but for the Su Baera and what it would mean for him and the rest of the Uha Tamunaran if the next person to win the tournament would be the next Su Baera.

    The monster smiled as he saw the fear on the governor¡¯s face, it was far greater than the one the governor felt for the monster.

    ¡°Good, you are scared as you have every right to be because you and the rest of the Uha Tamunaran can lose everything. The slaves and the resources of all the nations and without the power the Uha Tamunaran has over all the nations not just you but every single governor and those below the governors that are put in charge of nations would lose all their power and status,¡± said the monster.

    The monster then looked down at governor who was still on the ground.

    ¡°You would become nothing and would have no power or even status in the presence of your fellow Uha Tamunarans,¡± said the monster.

    ¡°No, I¡¯ve worked to long and hard to reach this level of power only to lose it all¡± said the governor fearing that he may lose everything because of the next Su Baera.

    ¡°There is a way to secure all the power and status you have acquired¡± said the monster.

    ¡°How?¡± asked the governor.

    ¡°Eliminate the Su Baera before she gets the steel wings¡± said the monster.

    ¡°She?¡± said the governor with disbelief, taken aback to hear the next Su Baera would be a girl.

    ¡°I assure you the next Su Baera¡¯s gender is part of the reason she should be feared more as she is threat that doesn¡¯t appear as a threat¡± said the monster.

    ¡°I have to tell the king at once,¡± said the governor.

    ¡°That won¡¯t be a wise choice to make,¡± said the monster.

    ¡°Why not?¡± asked the governor.

    ¡°The king for whatever reason wants to find the next Su Baera and if you tell him that the next champion of the tournament will be the next Su Baera, he would allow her claim the steel wings and become the Su Baera,¡± said the monster.

    The governor remained silent and took a moment to think about what the monster said and realized the monster was right, the king had truly invested a lot to finding the next Su Baera, nobody truly knew what his reasons were and no one dared to question him about them knowing it would greatly displease him which would end in only death for the poor soul that dared to ask.

    But the governor also knew about the risk the Su Baera possessed on him, his status and power along with the control Uha Tamunarans in general possessed over all the nations of the world.

    If what the monster said had any form of truth behind it then he and the rest of the Uha Tamunarans that had control over the nations would lose everything, their power and status would all be gone.

    The governor feared the king and his terrifying power but his fear of losing everything he worked so hard to achieve was greater, he was not ready to lose any of his power and control over the nation he reigned over even if it meant going against the word of the most powerful and feared Uha Tamunaran.

    ¡°I know what I must do,¡± said the governor.

    The monster smiled sinisterly at the governor upon seeing the look of fear and desperation on his face, knowing he would do anything to hold on to all the power he had.

    ¡°Good, my master will be pleased¡± said the monster before he turned away from the governor.

    ¡°Oh, and dare governor try not to get caught by the king because if he finds out you might not survive his wrath,¡± said the monster.

    With those very words said a mist of darkness began to form around the monster, slowly consuming him until he disappears in the.

    The doors then unlocked and the guards rushed not too long after.

    ¡°Governor, are you okay¡± asked one of the guards.

    The governor remained still and refused to say a word.

    He was a bit shaken up by what just happened and needed sometime to recollect his thoughts.

    A few moments pass and then the governor turned to his guards.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± said the governor.

    ¡°But sir we heard you screaming and¡­¡± the guard that spoke was stopped midsentence by the governor saying, ¡°I said I am fine, now leave¡±.

    The guards then obeyed the governor and left the room, leaving the governor alone to think about the monster and everything it told.

    The Su Baera was a big threat to him and all the power he had acquired as the governor of the Nation of the South and the governor would rather die than lose any of his power.

    He needed to think of a way to prevent champion of tournament from claiming the wings.

    The governor then had an idea, to ensure that the next Su Baera would fall before she even has a chance to claim the wings but the idea, he had was risky because if the king found out about it, he would have to face his wrath and no Uha Tamunaran has ever face the king and live to tell the tale.

    Even though his every life was at risk he valued the power he would lose if the next Su Baera wins the tournament and claim the wings more than his own life and this push him to go ahead with his plan even though his life was on the line.

    The next day the governor got on his own private sky ship that flew faster than the ordinary sky ships, he also sent a message to the other governors of the Nations to meet him at Nigerona a day before the Tournament to discuss and important matter but not to inform the king about it.

    He hoped that the other governors would listen and do what he told them to for all their sakes.

    The governor also gathered some information about the only female warrior to fight in the Tournament, Ibaeran.

    From the information he could get about her she was just a slave working in the fields in a city called Ijawana, he could not get anything about her other than that which was shocking to him as he was meant to believe the next Su Baera was nothing more than a slave girl.

    The governor then began to wonder how she could win both the two tournaments in Ijawana and Porti Hara, there was nothing that seemed remarkable or special about her but yet she was able to best the greatest warriors in the Nation of the South in the two tournaments.

    The governor upon receiving the information about Ibaeran couldn¡¯t even believe that she could be the next Su Baera as she didn¡¯t seem like a warrior of any kind but yet she had to be a truly incredible warrior to have made it so far in the Tournament and all she had to do was win one final tournament to be given a chance to claim the wings.

    The thought of Ibaeran winning and possibly claiming the wins of the Su Baera filled the governor with nothing and horror, so much so that he was determine to stop her from claiming the wings at any cost.

    The trip was long and lasted a few days but finally the governor made it to Nigerona before any of the warriors that would be fighting in the tournament including Ibaeran had arrived.

    He then made his war to High Hall, where officials like the king, his adviser and others holding administrative power came to discuss matters that involved all the Nations.

    There in the High Hall all the governors of the other nations were busy waiting for him to arrive under the pretext of wanting to discuss about the progression of the Tournament so not to attract the unwanted attention of the other officials and king.

    The governor of the south now stood before the other governors.

    ¡°Tell us why you call us here Bumai¡± asked Fika, the governor of the Nation of the North, red skinned Uha Tamunaran to Bumai, the governor of south with smoke escaping from his mouth as he spoke.

    ¡°This better be important because we are taking a big risk having this meeting without informing the king¡± said Nami, the governor of the west, an Uha Tamunaran who greatly resembled a normal man.

    ¡°Speak Bumai, this better good for your sake¡± said Enama, the governor of the east, an Uha Tamunaran who was a mix of both man and beast with razor sharp teeth, claws on his fingers and feet, a tale and his entire body was covered from head to toe with brown fur.

    Bumai, the governor of the south just took a deep breath before he started the meeting, taking a seat next to the governors and began to tell them about what happened to him the other night and how the monster came to him to warn him about the Su Baera.

    ¡°Anything else¡± asked Enama.

    ¡°Yes, the next Su Baera is girl from one of the cities in the south named Ibaeran¡± said Bumai.

    The very moment Bumai said those words both Enama and Fika burst in to laugh thinking that everything Bumai said was utter nonsense, Nami was the only person who remained silence but his silence did not necessarily mean he believed Bumai¡¯s story.

    ¡°I think you¡¯ve finally lost you mind Bumai¡± said Fika as he continued to laugh harder and harder with red hot flames spew out of his mouth each time he laughed.

    Enama laughed so hard that he could not bring himself speak and mock Bumai.

    Bumai ignored both Enama and Fika as expected he didn¡¯t expect much from them turned to the only person who was not laughing at him, Nami, one of the wisest Uha Tamunaran, maybe he would believe him.

    ¡°Nami, why don¡¯t you speak¡± asked Bumai.

    ¡°I¡¯m still thinking¡± said Nami.

    ¡°About?¡± asked Bumai.

    ¡°If what you are saying is true¡± said Nami.

    Fika and Enama upon hearing how Nami spoke to Bumai, he looked like Nami was actually taking Bumai seriously.

    ¡°You can¡¯t seriously be considering Bumai cock and bull story to be true¡± said Fika.

    ¡°I don¡¯t but at the same time I don¡¯t consider it to be a lie¡± said Nami.

    ¡°What are you trying to say Nami?¡± said Enama a bit confused by Nami¡¯s words.

    ¡°It is true that Bumai¡¯s story is hard to believe but that doesn¡¯t mean it is a lie, right now it¡¯s just a claim¡± said Nami.

    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious, he just told us a monster came in to his office at night and took the form of a man with black eyes and then warned him about the next Su Baera which is a girl apparently¡± said Fika refusing to believe to take anything Bumai told them seriously much less as truth.

    ¡°I know the story seems bizarre but that doesn¡¯t mean it is not true. I have studied about forces, creatures and even entire world that exist outside our own, it is quite possible that monster, whatever it is came from one of the other worlds I¡¯ve read about¡± said Nami.

    ¡°I¡¯m starting to believe you¡¯ve contacted the same form of insanity that is troubling Bumai here¡± said Fika jokingly, mocking Nami.

    Nami feeling both enraged and annoyed by Fika¡¯s comment about him, used his powers of telepathy to torment Fika¡¯s mind and make feel like a million hammers are bashing him in the head.

    ¡°NAMI STOP THIS NOW!!!!¡± said Fika as he screamed out in pain with red hot flames spew out of his mouth as he screamed.

    Nami just smiled being amused by Fika¡¯s pain and misery before he used his powers to bring him even more pain.

    Bumai and Enama watched with fear and horror as Nami tormented Fika with his powers, too frightened to say a word against him as they didn¡¯t want to suffer the same fate as Fika.

    Nami then stopped and free Fika from his torment as he felt tired of hearing him scream.

    ¡°Next time you speak to me in that manner I will twist your fragile little mind to such a degree that very little intelligence stored within it would be gone leaving you in a state lower than that of the human slaves you look down upon¡± said Nami.

    Fika did not give Nami a reply; he just glared at him as his fear for Nami would not let him utter a word.

    ¡°Now where were we?¡± asked Nami.

    ¡°We were discussing about the validity of Bumai¡¯s story¡± said Enama.

    ¡°Yes, like I said before, I believe that the creature that Bumai witness was not of this world¡± said Nami.

    ¡°Nami, I know you have a reputation for being one of the most intelligent of all Uha Tamunarans but that story seems too bizarre to be true¡± said Enama still refusing to believe in Bumai story.

    ¡°I agree but that doesn¡¯t necessarily mean it¡¯s a lie¡± said Nami.

    ¡°So how can we be sure it¡¯s the truth¡± asked Enama.

    ¡°I might have a way of finding out the truth¡± said Nami.

    ¡°How?¡± asked Enama.

    Nami just smiled before he snapped his fingers, then Enama, Fika and Bumai all began to feel a tremendous about a pain from their heads.

    ¡°WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO US NAMI¡± asked Fika feeling even more pain than went Nami tormented his mind before?

    Nami just smile sinister before whispering softly, ¡°oh you¡¯ll find out, now sleep¡±.

    Then all of them then began to collapse on their seats one by one until only Nami remain.

    Nami then smiled with a wicked grin on his face before his eyes began to glow and then everything went dark.

 Chapter 15

    Slowly each of the governors opened their eyes and saw that they were now in Bumai¡¯s office late at night.

    ¡°This is my office but how did we get here?¡± asked Bumai confused as to how they now in his office.

    ¡°I brought you here and this is not your office, it¡¯s actually a memory within your mind¡± said Nami.

    ¡°What?¡± said the governors shocked upon hearing that they were now in Bumai¡¯s mind?

    ¡°Why did you bring us here; of all places why did you bring us to this fool¡¯s mind¡± said Fika.

    ¡°Watch that tongue of yours, remember we are in the realm of the mind and inside here I reign supreme¡± said Nami with powerful and threatening glare that sent chills down Fika¡¯s spine upon seeing it.

    Fika after that remained silent, now harboring a great fear for Nami and his terrifying power.

    ¡°I do not mean to disrespect you Nami but why did you bring us here?¡± asked Enama.

    ¡°To find out if Bumai was telling the truth or was lying¡± said Nami.

    ¡°How do we do that?¡± asked Enama.

    ¡°Simple, you see my fellow governors, the mind is a powerful thing, in the right hands it can do many things but out of all its many qualities it has but one flaw, it cannot lie¡± said Nami as he snapped his fingers.

    Then Bumai felt a strange sensation in his mind before he began to recall the events that took place the night before.

    As Bumai recall everything that happened that night his memory began to take form and the governors were able to see the events as they took place in the office.

    They saw monster Bumai spoke of and how it restrained using darkness from its body before it told him about why it was there and revealed to them all the threat of the Su Baera.

    After they all witness Bumai¡¯s memory for themselves and realized he was telling the truth Nami brought them all out of Bumai¡¯s mind with just a snap of his fingers.

    They all sat on their seats speechless as their minds tried to understand what they saw.

    The silence was broken by Fika saying, ¡°that thing had to be an Uha Tamunaran playing some kind of trick on you¡±.

    ¡°You still refuse to believe what you saw with your eyes¡± said Nami.

    ¡°No, I just don¡¯t want to risk my life doing something the king would not allow¡± said Fika.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    ¡°So that¡¯s why you¡¯re so paranoid¡± said Nami before he chuckled lightly.

    ¡°Why are you laughing at something so serious¡± asked Fika.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing just that you are willing to risk losing all your power and status as governor just because you chose not to believe Bumai¡¯ story¡± said Nami.

    Fika then remain silent and began to think about what Nami said as did Enama while Bumai just stood there awaiting their reply.

    Enama was the first to speak, ¡°I agree the Su Baera is a threat but going against the king¡¯s command is an offense punishable by death¡± said Enama.

    ¡°Enama is right, the king has made it clear no Uha Tamunaran should interfere in the Tournament¡± said Fika.

    ¡°That is only if he finds out¡± said Bumai.

    They all then turned to look at Bumai upon hearing what he said with a look of utter shock, finding it hard to believe that he was actually suggesting doing something against their king¡¯s command.

    ¡°Are you out of your mind, king Datubo is a man that knows about all the affairs going on in all four nations so much so that even if a pin falls on the far north side of the Eastern Nation he would know about it¡± said Fika.

    ¡°Fika is right, king Datubo is not known and feared for his strength alone, he is a wise and ruthless man. If he even suspects us of breaking his laws, we are as good as dead¡± said Enama.

    ¡°Yes, but if we don¡¯t do anything we risk losing everything¡± said Bumai.

    The three governors continued argued among themselves while Nami just watched until he eventually grew tired of hearing them bicker among themselves.

    ¡°ENOUGH!!!¡± screamed Nami.

    The three governors then stopped fighting and arguing among themselves upon hearing Nami scream at them.

    ¡°In the time it took both of you to continuously bash your heads together arguing about the best step to take I¡¯ve formulated a plan that will not only secure our status and power but also ensure the threat of the Su Baera is eliminated¡± said Nami.

    They all then turned to Nami to hear the plan of his that would supposedly solve all their problems.

    They all nodded their heads in agreement once Nami was done, there was still a risk the that the king would find out but the chances of him finding out with Nami¡¯s plan were very slim at least that was how it seemed.

    ¡°So, we are all in agreement, Nami¡¯s plan is the best solution we have¡± said Bumai.

    ¡°I still say it¡¯s risky, if the king finds out?¡± said Fika as he had his doubts about Nami¡¯s plan.

    ¡°How can a man with a fiery temper like yours be spineless¡± said Nami, mocking Fika for being too scared of the king to go through the plan.

    ¡°I agree with Fika but if the threat of the Su Baera is indeed real, we have no choice¡± said Enama.

    ¡°I feel the same way¡± said Bumai.

    ¡°It¡¯s my plan after all so I have so support it¡± said Nami.

    The three governors were now all in agreement with Nami¡¯s plan and now only Fika remained and since all the governors need to be on board with the plan before any action could be taken his consent was needed for the plan to move forward.

    ¡°So Fika will you be a spineless excuse for an Uha Tamunaran and risk losing all your power as a governor¡± said Nami.

    Fika took a deep breath and began to think about the decision he had to take, if he were to go against the king¡¯s law and somehow the king found out he knew the king would not hesitate to kill him but if he didn¡¯t, he would be risking losing all his power as a govern, power he did not want to lose.

    ¡°You are sure the king will not find out about this¡± asked Fika.

    ¡°I assure you he won¡¯t¡± said Nami.

    Fika then sighed deeply before saying, ¡°fine, your plan better work Nami, for all our sakes¡±.

    ¡°You worry too much Fika, of course our plan will work, after all no matter how great the warrior is she is only human and will fall to the might of the Uha Tamunarans like every other human that came before her¡± said Nami with a wicked smile on his face.

 Chapter 16

    The next day Ibaeran arrived at Nigerona along with the other warriors who would participate in the tournament as well.

    At first, the warriors were shocked upon seeing Ibaeran, questioning how a girl could make it so far in the tournament but the shock slowly turned in to respect and admiration as Ibaeran was the only girl who had ever participated in tournament and made it to the final tournament.

    The warriors knew they could not underestimate Ibaeran, knowing only the skilled and strongest of warriors could make it that far in to the tournament and at the same time Ibaeran knew she could not underestimate the warrior either knowing they had to be the most skilled warriors in their nations to have been able to reach the final level of the tournament after all.

    Ibaeran knew the final battle would not be easy especially after seeing all the warriors that were there but she had worked too hard and come so far to be intimidated by those warriors, she was going to fight with everything she had and hold nothing back, knowing she was strong enough to win the tournament.

    Soon the Uha Tamunarans came to escort Ibaeran and the other warriors to the arena where they would all fight to claim the wings of the Su Baera and save their people.

    On their way to the arena Ibaeran could not help but look around nation of Nigerona; the entire city looked like it was made of silver with flying ships copying the sky above, the streets down below were filled machines of different shapes and sizes, each with a different function and all being operated by the Uha Tamunarans.

    Ibaeran felt as though she had not travelled to another nation but another world entirely as even the air itself felt different.

    Ibaeran could not see any slaves serving an Uha Tamunaran master but the Uha Tamunaran she did see looked at her and the other warriors of the tournament with astonishment as if they were looking at a rare breed of animals.

    Ibaeran felt her stomach twist and turn upon seeing the Uha Tamunarans who stared and pointed at them like they were animals in a zoo, she was so disgusted that she felt like attacking them, beating them in such a way that they would never dare to look at any of them in the same way.

    Ibaeran managed to calm herself down and allowed the anger she felt the Uha Tamunaran subside as she understood that fight them would solve nothing in fact it would only prove that they were right that they are nothing but savage creatures which deserved to be locked up in cages.

    ¡°Its disgusting isn¡¯t it¡± whispered a warrior to Ibaeran.

    Ibaeran then turned to the warrior who spoke to her.

    ¡°What is disgusting?¡± asked Ibaeran.

    ¡°The Uha Tamunarans,¡± said the warrior.

    Ibaeran nodded her head, agreeing with the warrior.

    ¡°They look down at us humans because we are powerless; treating us like slave even lower than animals it¡¯s barbaric. They kill more and more of our kind every day, forcing them to labor for them, obeying their every command and anyone who dares to go against them¡­¡± the warrior just crushed his arm in to a tight fist as his anger and disgust for the Uha Tamunaran¡¯s would not let him speak.

    Ibaeran could tell from the way the warrior spoke, with anger and disgust for the Uha Tamunarans, he had lost someone to their cruelty and wickedness.

    ¡°What did they take away from you?¡± asked Ibaeran.

    The warrior looked at Ibaeran shock as to how she knew he had lost someone to the Uha Tamunaran.

    ¡°It is evident in your voice; you speak harboring a great anger and pain in your heart that could only be created by pain, a pain of loss. I should know I¡¯ve felt the kind of pain you felt¡± said Ibaeran.

    The warrior just smiled at her before asking, ¡°So you¡¯ve lost someone to the Uha Tamunarans¡±.

    ¡°Yes, my closest friend. She was the rock I leaned, my strength to live in a world like this came from her¡± said Ibaeran.

    The warrior saw the pain in Ibaeran¡¯s eyes as she spoke, understanding that the pain she felt came from losing the friend she spoke of.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for your loss and like you I understand this pain well. I not only lost a friend, I lost my greatest source of joy and happiness, my mother. She, like your friend was to you, was the rock I leaned on, she loved and cared me with all her heart, she provided for me as best as she could but I lost her when I was still a boy¡± said the warrior with tears falling down from his eyes.

    Ibaeran saw the pain and sorrow in his eyes as his tears fell down, understanding the pain he felt was great after all it was a pain a son felt for his late mother.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± said Ibaeran.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be, you aren¡¯t the one who ended her life. They did¡± said the man looking at the Uha Tamunaran with a look of pure rage and disgust.

    ¡°I lost my mother to those monsters who made her work so hard, doing labor under the hot sun working in the fields, suffering under these cruel and heartless monsters until death came for her and freed her from them,¡± said the warrior.

    The warrior then wiped away his tears before saying, ¡°I made a promise to her and myself after she died to fight in the tournament, win and become the next Su Baera and then use the power of the Su Baera to rid the world of these savages known as the Uha Tamunaran¡±.

    ¡°Rid?¡± asked Ibaeran upon hearing the bitter and hateful way he spoke, she then wondered if this warrior harbored so much hatred for the Uha Tamunaran that he would wipe out every them all out if he had the power to.

    ¡°Yes, these monsters don¡¯t deserve to live and I will ensure that they are all gone to forever free us all from their rule over us,¡± said the warrior.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that that¡¯s a bit extreme, I know the Uha Tamunaran are monsters but that doesn¡¯t mean they deserve to be wiped¡± said Ibaeran, knowing how ruthless and cruel the Uha Tamunarans could be but still she lacked the immense hatred needed to want to wipe them all out.

    The warrior then sighed and nodded his head, disagreeing with Ibaeran.

    ¡°Listen girl, I respect you, you must be a truly fine warrior to have been able to make it this far but you are young both in body and mind and like my mother used to say, what an elder see sitting down a child standing from the top of the highest tree will never see. I am that elder and I see what you fail to see, the Uha Tamunarans are not people like you and me, they are monsters who hide behind their power to suppress and torment us all, they have no heart or soul only black holes in their chest. They all deserve to die like the monsters they are and if I win and become the next Su Baera, I will make sure they do,¡± said the warrior.

    Ibaeran could see the determined look on the warrior¡¯s face; he was angry, bitter and wanted revenge for his dead mother.

    Ibaeran could help but feel more afraid of the warrior at that moment than the Uha Tamunaran as she had never before seen such a level of rage and anger in a person before.

    Ibaeran then her attention away from the warrior and then saw woman holding a small baby from the window of one of the metal homes, next to the woman was man who lovely held on to the woman with his arms, it was clear that they were Uha Tamunarans.

    Ibaeran did not need to be told that the woman, the man and the child one the woman arms were a family and they shared a deep love for one another.

    Ibaeran then began to wonder if the Uha Tamunarans were capable of showing love to their own why couldn¡¯t they do so to other people.

    They treat her kind like worse than animals but treat their own with love and respect.

    Seeing the love, the Uha Tamunarans shared among themselves disgusted Ibaeran but at the same time Ibaeran could help but wonder if the Uha Tamunarans were all bad if they were capable of showing love even if it was only to their own kind, if so, it would mean they had hearts that could express love and Ibaeran believed that any creature that possessed the ability to love even if it was at a very small capacity could not be completely evil.

    Ibaeran thoughts about the Uha Tamunarans not being all bad end as she began to remember the fate Preyina met because of the Uha Tamunarans.

    Her hands tightened in to a fist as she remembered the look on Preyina¡¯s face before she died, remembering that looked reminded Ibaeran of who the Uha Tamunarans were and misery and pain that brought upon her and countless people enslaved by them.

    The warrior saw Ibaeran¡¯s tightened fist and then whispered softly to her, ¡°Save your anger for the tournament, let it be your strength, you will need every bit of it¡±.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°Why are you giving advice when I¡¯m one of you opponents?¡± asked Ibaeran.

    ¡°We are all fighting for the same thing, for our freedom. I honestly don¡¯t care who wins the tournament as long as that person frees us from the Uha Tamunarans¡± said the warrior.

    ¡°But what about the promise you made?¡± asked Ibaeran.

    ¡°I intend to keep my promise but if for some reason I can¡¯t I want someone else to claim the steel wings and free us all and that person can be anyone, even you¡± said the warrior.

    Ibaeran was left speechless after hearing what the warrior said but at the same time, she couldn¡¯t help but feel more determined to win after hearing what the warrior said and even though she still could understand why she felt that way she knew what she felt was too strong to ignore.

    The warrior saw Ibaeran determination in her eyes and smiled, she was unlike any warrior he had seen before; he could sense something inside her, spark fueling a flame inside her that burned within her pushing her to go and fight with everything she had.

    The warrior could help but feel a bit intimidated by her but at the same he was intrigued by her, he wanted to face her in the arena and see just how strong she was.

    The warrior could tell she was an opponent who would refuse to stay down and that made him even more excited to face her as he was a warrior who enjoyed a battle between him and a worthy opponent and he knew Ibaeran would be the worthy opponent he would ever face.

    ¡°Try not to be defeated easily girl, I want to be able to face in the tournament,¡± said the warrior.

    Ibaeran just smiled at him before saying, ¡°are sure you want to, I haven¡¯t lost in the other tournaments¡±.

    ¡°Neither have I but there is a first time for everything,¡± said the warrior.

    Ibaeran smiled at him once again before saying, ¡°That there is¡±.

    Soon there arrived at the arena and the tournament was about to begin.

    The Uha Tamunaran too came to witness the tournament with the four governors there as well alone with Datubo, the king of the Uha Tamunarans seated on a platform that floated above the tournament.

    Ibaeran upon seeing Datubo felt and overwhelming wave of fear flow through her.

    The king was far big than the other Uha Tamunarans, so big that if a fully grown man stood beside him while he was seating down on his seat the man would only be able to reach his knees, and the king had a single eye with an eye patch covering the hole where his other eye was meant to be.

    The king¡¯s incredible height was not the only thing that made Ibaeran fear him, she saw the way the other Uha Tamunaran shuck and shivered with fear just by being near him, even the governors could not help but sweat nervously from being near him.

    Seeing the fear, the other Uha Tamunarans had just by being near him was enough to send chill down Ibaeran¡¯s spine.

    The warrior who spoke to Ibaeran before they arrived in the arena saw the fear in her and whispered to her softly.

    ¡°I know the king looks threatening and his presence alone summons fear to even the Uha Tamunarans themselves but you must ignore your fear and remember why you are here. I don¡¯t want a warrior like you to fall because of a dishonorable weakness like fear but if you must fear something fear defeat,¡± said the warrior.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what the warrior said took a deep breath in and summoned all the courage she could muster, casting away her fears so she could fight with a clear mind.

    ¡°Good girl, I can¡¯t wait to face you in the battlefield¡± said the warrior making Ibaeran smile at a little upon hearing him.

    The tournament began with a bell rung by and Uha Tamunaran and with that all the warriors in the arena charged straight for each other in an intensely heated battle.

    Even though the warriors in the arena were small compared to the many warriors Ibaeran had to fight in Ijawana and Porti Hara they were far more skilled and stronger than the other warriors Ibaeran had faced.

    The battle was truly intense with the best warrior from each of the four nations colliding with one another, each driven by one goal and one goal alone, and that was to win and free themselves from the Uha Tamunarans.

    The battle was hard and difficult with each warrior fighting with everything they had but sadly not all of them could win.

    The warriors from east and north fell to Ibaeran and the warrior from the west, the same warrior that Ibaeran talked before the tournament began, now only Ibaeran and the warrior of the west remained.

    The warrior smiled at her, happy to see her come so far and now they were the only ones left.

    ¡°You are a true warrior girl; you fight with honor and the fiery heart of a warrior but only one of us can win and I have no intention of losing¡± said the warrior.

    ¡°Neither do I¡± said Ibaeran with the both of them looking each other in the eye as they prepared themselves for fight unlike any other.

    Ibaeran and the warrior the charged in, colliding with each other, delivering blow after blow to each other as they did.

    It was an immense battle as both Ibaeran and the warrior refused to stay down.

    The warrior fought Ibaeran, forgetting that she was girl as he could only see her as one thing at that moment, a warrior and so he held nothing back and delivered every single blow to her with all his strength making the battle even more difficult for Ibaeran.

    As the Uha Tamunaran watched the heated battle feeling they felt the heated tension between Ibaeran and the warrior as nether of them were willing to stay down.

    The governors watched the battle with closely waiting for to see who would come out victorious before they would commence with their plan.

    The battle was close with neither side making it easy as they fought with everything, they had but Ibaeran refused to lose, and so, with one final blow to the other warrior¡¯s stomach he fell down to the ground, defeated and unable to continue the fight.

    The warrior who was now on the ground, tried desperately to get up but he was too tire, beaten up and exhausted to do so.

    Ibaeran stood above him victorious but even though she had won and the warrior had lost he could not help but smile, happy to have at least lost to a true warrior.

    The warrior then spotted the mark on the side of Ibaeran¡¯s neck and then his eyes widened, he then realized who Ibaeran but before his mind could begin to ponder about Ibaeran he felt something come over him, a feeling he could not recognize neither could he describe.

    The warrior feeling completely took over the warrior and soon he lost himself and his mind to it.

    All the governors smiled upon seeing what happened to the warrior, pleased that their plan had now began to unfold.

    The warrior slowly rose up with his eyes completely white with pupils.

    The warrior then spoke with two voices one his own and other distorted and unrecognizable, ¡°the battle is not over girl¡±.

    The warrior then charged straight for Ibaeran and delivered a blow so powerful it sent her flying from the ground and straight in to the arena walls.

    The Uha Tamunaran¡¯s were shocked to see such a display of strength by an ordinary human warrior, the king though showed no expression of shock on his face but rather of suspicion.

    Ibaeran collapsed on the floor after receiving such a powerful blow.

    She felt weak and in tremendous pain, she didn¡¯t think she could continue the fight.

    The Uha Tamunarans looked at Ibaeran with a look of sadness as they had taken a liking to her and the way she fought in the tournament even the king had a look of disappointment on his face as he had seen great promise in Ibaeran and hoped that she was the warrior he was looking for.

    The only Uha Tamunaran that smiled were the governor who hoped Ibaeran would stay down so she could lose the tournament and would no longer be a threat to them.

    A tear fell down from Ibaeran¡¯s eyes, feeling like she had failed everyone, Preyina her closest friend, Bafuro the man who trained her and taught her how to fight, all the people who had faith in her and hoped that she would be the one to free them all from the Uha Tamunaran oppressive reign over them and most especially she felt like she had failed herself.

    She had work so hard and come so far but now it seemed all the hard work and effort she had put in to come that was all for nothing.

    Ibaeran at that moment felt lower than she had ever felt before, like an utter and complete failure, feeling like a fool for believing even if it was for a brief moment that she could be the next Su Baera.

    But then Ibaeran heard a voice whispering softly inside her, ¡°get up and keep fighting, you have come too far to fall down when victory is just within your reach. This is not the end Ibaeran, now get up and finish what you started¡±.

    Ibaeran was not sure what that voice was or where it came from but upon hearing she felt a wave strength and power flow through her entire body.

    Ibaeran then got up, shocking everyone especially the governors.

    Ibaeran then looked into the warrior¡¯s white eyes and said, ¡°It will take much more than a single blow to put me down¡±.

    The warrior became enraged upon hearing what Ibaeran said, he then charged straight for her like a raging bull.

    Ibaeran took a deep breath and prepared herself to fight.

    The warrior delivered a powerful blow to Ibaeran but Ibaeran dodged it, moving away before the warrior¡¯s blows could reach her causing the blow to strike the ground instead making it crack and break apart due to the warrior¡¯s raw strength.

    Ibaeran then struck the warrior¡¯s chest causing him to stumble back and before the warrior had a chance to recover from the blow Ibaeran gave him another, delivering many more blows to him, hitting him again and again with her fist, frustrating the warrior with her many blows without giving him a chance to strike back.

    The warrior¡¯s rage grew and grew the more the Ibaeran hit him with her many blows, he soon grew mad with anger and then struck Ibaeran with a powerful blow which sent her flying and crashing down on the ground.

    The blow the warrior gave Ibaeran hurt her immensely with blood sipping out of her mouth but still even though she was in immense pain she refused to stay down.

    Ibaeran stood up with a determined look on her face; she wasn¡¯t going to lose this fight, not after everything she had been through.

    She looked at the warrior and then wiped her blood away from her mouth.

    The warrior looked at her with a look of mad rage before charging straight for and then crushing his hand in to a tight fist to deliver a powerful blow using all his strength, one that would put Ibaeran down for good.

    The warrior launched his fist straight for Ibaeran but she caught the arm he wanted to use to strike her down with and then summoned every ounce of strength she had she used it lift him up and then used it to flip him down to the ground.

    Ibaeran then rushed to the man, getting on top of him began to deliver blow after blow to the warrior who was now on the ground.

    She delivered so many blows to the warrior that her fist were stained red with his blood, she only stopped when she was sure the warrior could no longer continue the fight and upon deliver the final blow to warrior a gust of air blew out of his mouth and then turned in to a man lying next to the warrior.

    Everyone including both Ibaeran and the Uha Tamunarans that watched the battle were shocked to see the man.

    The governors were less shocked and more worried and afraid, not only due to their plan failing but all they could hope for was that the king wouldn¡¯t find out what they did.

    The man that came out of the warrior in the form of air was an Uha Tamunaran who used his power to take control over the warrior giving immense strength which he used to try and defeat Ibaeran and the king upon seeing him was enraged so much so that he summoned his guards to go and capture him and take him to his private prison in his palace so the king may deal with him personally which filled the governors with even more fear.

    Ibaeran was now the clear champion of the tournament and not only was she the only one left standing after such an intense battle but she had also defeated an Uha Tamunaran in the process which greatly shocked not only the Uha Tamunaran that watched the tournament but Ibaeran as well as she unable to believe that she just bested an Uha Tamunaran, the thing she and her people feared the most.

    The crowd of Uha Tamunaran looked at Ibaeran with a look of fear as she did something they would never believe was possible, she defeated one of their own.

    Even though all the Uha Tamunarans looked Ibaeran with fear the king looked at her and smiled, certain that she was the warrior he was searching for, she was the next Su Baera.

 Chapter 17

    Ibaeran now stood in front of the warrior from the west who was now severely injured and covered in bandages at the arena gates as he was about to leave before he did, she wanted talk to him and apologize for being the cause of his many injuries.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t mean¡­¡± Ibaeran sentence was cut short by the warrior saying, ¡°If fire does not say sorry after burning then why should a warrior say sorry after fighting¡±.

    The warrior then placed his hand on Ibaeran¡¯s neck where the mark of the Su Baera was.

    ¡°It was an honor fighting you Su Baera, I¡¯m sure you will be the one to free us all from the Uha Tamunarans,¡± said the warrior.

    Ibaeran did not know what to say upon hearing what the warrior said so she stood there in silence.

    A group of Uha Tamunarans then came to take the warrior back to the Nation of the West.

    ¡°It¡¯s time for me to leave¡± said the warrior with a smile on his face.

    ¡°I may have not won and kept the promise I made but at least now I can rest in peace knowing that the next Su Baera has been found and she is as good of a warrior as she is beautiful¡± said the warrior as smiled at Ibaeran once more before leaving with the Uha Tamunarans.

    After the warrior left another group of Uha Tamunarans made their way to Ibaeran.

    The Uha Tamunarans that approached Ibaeran were none other than the king and his royal guards.

    Ibaeran upon seeing the king could not help but feel intimidated and afraid at the same.

    Ibaeran knew that even if half of the stories she heard about the king was true then he had the power to turn her dust right where she stood with nothing than a mere thought, such power would make any warrior shake and crumble down with fear even an Uha Tamunaran.

    The king walked with footsteps that made the ground shake with each step taken which he made Ibaeran felt even more afraid as he approached her.

    ¡°What is your name girl?¡± asked the king with a stern and restrict voice.

    ¡°I-Ibaeran¡± Ibaeran hesitate to speak as her fear made her mouth shake and hard to control.

    ¡°Hmm¡± said the king as he began to examine with his eye.

    Ibaeran didn¡¯t look like much to the king in fact she looked lesser than the other warriors that fought in the tournament before her with no features of her standing out to make her seem like a strong warrior.

    The king upon examine could not find any trace of her being a warrior through her physical appears, she seemed like an ordinary girl to his naked eyes and he would be convinced she was if he had not witness her defeat the best warriors from the Nations of west, east and north including an Uha Tamunaran.

    She may not look like it but the king was able recognize her strength as a true warrior.

    The king then noticed the mark on Ibaeran¡¯s neck and then smiled.

    ¡°Finally, after searching for, you for all these I finally found you Su Baera,¡± said the king.

    Ibaeran could not help but feel uneasy by the way the king spoke to her.

    The king then turned to his royal guards and said, ¡°Ready my private sky ship, I and this Ibaeran will leave at once to retrieve the wings of the Su Baera¡±.

    The guards nodded their heads before leaving to prepare the ship for the king and Ibaeran.

    Ibaeran just stood there a bit shocked and confused wondering why the king would want to come with her himself to retrieve the wings.

    ¡°Come girl,¡± said the king.

    Ibaeran did not wish to respect the king by refusing to follow him and so she did even though it made her feel incredibly uneasy and uncomfortable by it.

    The king took her to his private sky ship which was far big than other sky ships and made of gold.

    It truly was a sight to behold as its size alone was similar to that of a small city.

    Ibaeran was astonished and amazed beyond belief upon seeing the gigantic flying beast that was the king¡¯s private sky ship.

    The king then entered the sky ship with Ibaeran following from behind.

    Ibaeran was shocked to see the inside was the ship appeared to be much0 larger than the outside with thousands of doors that led to a different room in the ship.

    The ship had everything from a full stock kitchen where the finest of the Uha Tamunaran cooks were busy makes meals so sweet and delicious that the aroma from the made Ibaeran¡¯s stomach growl and her fill with saliva, rooms were the various staffs liked the guards, maids and cooks who worked in the ship sleep in, different bedrooms which was meant for anyone who accompanied the king on his sky ship and finally the king¡¯s room which was by far the most magnificent and elegant than any other room in the ship with a door made of solid gold and encrusted with diamonds and different kinds of crystal.

    One of the most incredible things Ibaeran noticed about the ship was that it was not powered by any slave but rather a strange engine which was far too complete for Ibaeran or any other person apart from the Uha Tamunarans that built it to understand how it works

    The king gave Ibaeran one of the rooms in the ship so she could rest, telling her she is going to need all the strength she could muster if she was to calm the steel wings of the Su Baera.

    The king also called an Uha Tamunaran what possessed the ability to heal to heal Ibaeran of all her wounds.

    Ibaeran was shocked and confused, wondering why he so was concerned about her, he even told all the staff he had on the ship to attended to her, giving her whatever she may need.

    Ibaeran felt strange, she had spent her whole life fearing the Uha Tamunarans and now for some strange reason the king of the Uha Tamunarans had order his Uha Tamunaran workers to attend to her like she was the master and they were her slaves.

    Ibaeran still couldn¡¯t believe it, she spoke to the Uha Tamunarans in the ship and they bowed down their heads and spoke to her with humility and humble voices which contrasted the harsh and rude way they spoke to her and the other humans normally.

    Soon night came and Ibaeran found herself, unable to sleep.

    The idea of Uha Tamunarans obeying her and the king showing so much concern for her made her feel uneasy.

    The king was an Uha Tamunaran other Uha Tamunaran¡¯s feared, with power that could not be matched by any other Uha Tamunaran in the land, he was the king of the monsters known as the Uha Tamunarans so why would he show so much concern towards her.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    Ibaeran¡¯s head filled with all kind of thoughts as she wondered why the king was treating her so well.

    Her thoughts prevented her from sleeping and soon she found herself roaming the empty halls in the ship.

    All the Uha Tamunarans that worked on the ship were fast asleep so the halls were empty and filled with nothing but silence.

    The silence filled Ibaeran¡¯s mind with worry and fearful thoughts about the king and what he might planning to do with her.

    She continued to roam the halls thinking about the king and what he was planning when she made her way to the balcony.

    Once there she saw the king who stood at the balcony¡¯s edge looking like he was lost in deep thought.

    Ibaeran upon seeing him felt her entire body fill up with fear as her heart raced fast, beating faster than it had ever beaten before.

    Ibaeran was about to leave, fearing what the king might do if he sees her but before she could turn around and walk away the king said, ¡°I know you are here girl, I can smell you and hear your heart racing from inside your chest¡±.

    Ibaeran stood there in shock upon hearing what the king said.

    The king did not even need to turn around to look at her to know she was standing right behind him.

    ¡°Heightened senses, a power I acquired over the years,¡± said the king.

    Ibaeran just stood there not knowing what to do and unable to stop herself from shivering and shaking with fear.

    ¡°Come girl, stand next me,¡¯ said the king.

    Ibaeran, even though she felt a great deal of fear towards the king agreed to go and stand next to him in balcony.

    ¡°The sky is beautiful tonight don¡¯t you think¡± said the king as he gazed up in the night sky.

    Ibaeran could not help but wonder what was going on in the mind of the king; the way he spoke to her and approached her was not at all how she thought the king of the Uha Tamunarans would treat someone like her.

    The king was feared by all, human and Uha Tamunarans alike and at very moment he was speaking to Ibaeran casual way, almost as though they were equals.

    Ibaeran did not understand why the king was treating her in such a manner and she could not stop herself from wondering why.

    ¡°You are probably wondering why I¡¯m treating you this way, treating you with respect when I am the king of the Uha Tamunarans, the very thing you and your people kind fears the most,¡± said the king.

    Ibaeran then looked at him and wondered if he was some kind of mind reader as he just guessed the exact thing that was bothering her.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a fool, girl; I know you and your kind fear me the most out of all the Uha Tamunarans. It¡¯s actually quite adorable how you tried to hide your fear from me¡± said the king before chuckling a little.

    ¡°You knew I was afraid of you¡± said Ibaeran, a bit shocked to hear that the king knew along that she was scared of him.

    ¡°Please, I could smell your fear a mile away and the fact that you tried to hide it just increased the odor of your fear,¡± said the king.

    Ibaeran stood still for a few moments and just watched the king; he looked happy and delighted with the fact that she was scared of him.

    The fact that the king of the Uha Tamunarans derived some kind of sick pleasure from her fear made her feel sick inside her stomach but it also made her fear him even more.

    ¡°What do you want from me?¡± asked Ibaeran with fear in her eyes, seeing no point in hiding it if already he knew she was scared of him.

    ¡°With you, nothing but with the power you will soon possess, oh I have a few plans. I have been waiting for years for the next Su Baera to be found so I can use him or in this case her to retrieve the Dumo Stone and claim the ultimate power,¡± said the king.

    ¡°Ultimate power?¡± said Ibaeran confused, unable to understand what the king was referring to as the ultimate power.

    The king just smiled at her upon seeing the confused look on her face.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think too much of it, girl. When tomorrow comes you will be taken to the steel wings of the Su Baera and once you claim the power of the Su Baera you will be able to bring the Dumo stone to me and free all your people in the process¡± said the king with a sinister on his face which sent chills down Ibaeran¡¯s spine as she looked at him.

    ¡°You should go back to your room and rest girl, tomorrow is a big day, not just for you but for your people. You¡¯ll need all the strength you can mutter,¡± said the king

    ¡°Yes¡± was all Ibaeran could say while her entire body shuck uncontrollably out of fear of the king before she left.

    Once Ibaeran was gone the king closed his eyes and took in a deep breath and once he let go, he sensed a familiar presence standing behind him.

    ¡°Niyanlafu, it¡¯s been a very long time since we¡¯ve spoke old friend¡± said the king without even turning his back to see who stood behind him.

    The person standing behind the king was none other than the monster that warned the governor of the south about Ibaeran and the threat she would pose if she became the Su Baera.

    The monster stood behind the king in his human like form.

    ¡°Hello Datubo¡± greeted the monster to the king.

    ¡°Why are you here?¡± asked the king.

    ¡°To warn you about the Su Baera,¡± said the monster.

    ¡°Hmm, do you mean the girl¡± asked the king.

    ¡°Yes¡± said the monster.

    The king just smiled before saying, ¡°don¡¯t worry old friend, I crushed the Su Baera that came before her and I plan on doing the same to the next after she helps me achieve my goals¡±.

    ¡°You still haven¡¯t changed Datubo, even after acquiring so much power you still seek more,¡± said the monster.

    ¡°Have you forgotten the first lesson you taught me, there is no such thing as too much power¡± said Datubo.

    ¡°Yes, but I also taught you power is an overwhelming thing to control, if you are not strong enough to control it, it will¡­¡± the monster was silenced by Datubo grabbing by his neck.

    Datubo then rose up his other arm and crushed it in to a tight fist which glowed violet as it filled up with his raw power.

    ¡°I have reduced entire armies to dust with a single blow; my power is so great that my fellow Uha Tamunaran fear me. I and I alone rule supreme as king of the Uha Tamunarans, no one dares to stand against me and no one ever will and I can handle any and every kind of power,¡± said the king.

    ¡°The power you possess is now clouding you mind and filling it with pride, the most dangerous quality as man can possess¡± said the monster before he a wave of dark energy flowed out of his body and hit the king, causing the king to let go of the monster.

    Then darkness sipped out of the monster¡¯s body and wrapped itself around the king, holding him in place.

    The king struggled, summoning all the strength and power he could mutter but it was no use as the darkness that held on him was too strong for him and his power.

    ¡°Look at you Datubo, because of the little power you¡¯ve gained over the years you think you are invincible but you are far weaker than you realize,¡± said the monster.

    ¡°Let me go Niyanlafu, I am king of the Uha Tamunarans and you will not disrespect me like this,¡± said the king.

    ¡°You may be king of the Uha Tamunaran but you do not rule over me, I serve a being form more powerful than you and every single Uha Tamunaran you rule over. The queen of chaos is my master, she rules over the realm of disorder and chaos, the source of all chaos. The combined power of you and the Uha Tamunarans you rule over is nothing more than a small speck of dust when compared to the vast infinite power she possesses. And I as her servant possess power that greatly surpass your own¡± said the monster before he snapped his fingers and then wave of pain flowed through the king¡¯s body causing him to scream and shout out in tremendous pain.

    ¡°I could kill you know, right here, right now but¡­¡± said the monster before snapping his finger and free the king from the pain he inflicted upon him.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t come here for that,¡± said monster.

    The darkness then retreated back in to the monster¡¯s body, freeing the king.

    ¡°I came here to warn you about the girl, she is more dangerous than you realize,¡± said the monster.

    ¡°How so?¡± asked the king.

    ¡°My master informs me that if that girl is given the chance, she would be able to surpass the power and strength of the Su Baeras that came before her, growing beyond even you in both power and strength,¡± said the monster.

    The king¡¯s eyes widened with shock and a little bit of fear upon hearing what the monster said.

    The monster upon seeing the worry and fear filled look the king¡¯s face smiled.

    ¡°You are right to worry, that girl has the potential to destroy everything you worked so hard to build. I suggest you take immediate action,¡± said the monster.

    ¡°No, you¡¯re lying¡± said the king, refusing to believe that something as significant, weak and pathetic as girl from one of the four nations of man could grow to be more powerful than him.

    ¡°And why would I lie to you¡± asked the monster.

    ¡°Because you know what I¡¯m planning and the power I would acquire if I am successful. You know the power would greatly surpass you and your master, that¡¯s why you are here, to try and stop me from acquiring the ultimate power,¡± said the king.

    The monster just closed his eyes and nodded his head in disappointed.

    ¡°Oh Datubo, how the mighty have fallen, I am disappointed to have once been your teacher, I revealed to you, the secrets to acquiring great power and now that you have the power you made the one mistake, I warned you not to make, you let the power control you,¡± said the monster.

    Then a cloud of darkness appeared around the monster, slowly consuming him but before the darkness could fully engulf the monster within itself the monster opened its mouth to say one last thing to the king, ¡°great pride always comes before a great fall¡±.

    The monster with those words said then disappeared in the darkness that consumed him.

    The darkness blew away as the cold night air blew and the monster was nowhere to be seen.

    The king sighed deeply with the monster¡¯s final words still echoing in his heart, ¡°Pride always comes before a great fall¡±.

 Chapter 18

    The next day the ship stopped and landed on solid ground; the king¡¯s ship had finished a journey in a day that would take a normal one a few days to finish.

    Ibaeran stood before the ship¡¯s steel doors next to the king and his guards, waiting eagerly for the doors to open up.

    She was finally there, after so many battle she had reached her goal and now the only thing that stood against her was a steel door that was about to be opened.

    The king could sense the eager in Ibaeran¡¯s heart, along with her doubt and fear that she might not be worthy of the steel wings of the Su Baera.

    The king found it strange that Ibaeran still doubted herself after everything she had been, fighting against not only the strongest warriors in the nations but also an Uha Tamunaran, she had done something no other warrior before her could do, she faced an Uha Tamunaran in battle and defeated him.

    The king though surprised that Ibaeran still doubted herself after accomplishing so much also saw the doubt and fear she had in heart as an opportunity, thinking he could easily exploit and control her through her fear and doubt because he needed her to accomplish his plans but if what the monster said about her last time was true if she was to go against him possessing the power of Su Baera he feared that he wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat her like he did the former Su Baera.

    ¡°Open the door¡± the king commanded.

    The guards then opened the ship¡¯s doors.

    With a bright light Ibaeran eyes widen but not with wonder instead with horror.

    Before Ibaeran stood a dry and barren waste land, sand and dust covered the everything, the only thing Ibaeran could see that was sand or dust were bones some of them looking human and others resembling like strange human like abomination as most of the had a third eye socket in the skull, horns on the head with most of the even having spikes that sprouted out of their bodies, then those that remained had features to bizarre and strange to describe, like a mix of man and monster.

    ¡°Incredible isn¡¯t it¡± said the king with a smile on his face.

    Ibaeran said nothing as she was too horrified by what she saw to speak.

    ¡°This place was where I and my army fought the former Su Baera for the very last time. He put up quite a fight, defeating wave after wave of Uha Tamunaran solider, he was one man but despite that fact he had the strength of a thousand. It seemed like no one could match in power but then he met an Uha Tamunaran that possessed power so immense that not even the Su Baera could match him¡± said the king as he touched his eyes patch, remembering how he lost his other eyes.

    A blast of the raw power and energy that flowed out of the Su Baera¡¯s hand¡¯s as they fought destroyed the king¡¯s eye completely, leaving behind a gaping hole in the place where his eye was meant to be.

    ¡°I might have lost an eye that day but the Su Baera lost his life,¡± said the king.

    Ibaeran¡¯s eyes widen with fear upon hearing what the king said, now realizing that king was the one that ended the life of the former Su Baera.

    ¡°Come, girl, I¡¯ll lead the way,¡± said the king.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    The king and his guards lead Ibaeran through the waste land until they reached a cave that stood behind a mist of sand and dust created by the wind as it blew about.

    Ibaeran recognized the cave from Bafuro¡¯s story about how he was brought there to claim the wings of the Su Baera.

    Upon reaching the cave Ibaeran froze up, losing all feeling in her legs with her heart racing and beating so hard that she felt like it was about to burst right out of her chest.

    The king sensing Ibaeran was nervous went to her and said, ¡°Control yourself child, I have waited far too long for this day for it to be spoiled by you and your nervous heart¡±.

    Ibaeran, upon hearing what the king said calmed down as she had more fear for him than nervousness over finally reaches the cave where the wings of the Su Baera laid.

    ¡°Are you okay now?¡± asked the king as he sensed that she had claimed down.

    Ibaeran nodded her head.

    ¡°Good, now come¡± said the king as he led the way in to cave.

    As they ventured in deeper in to the cave Ibaeran could sense fear coming from the Uha Tamunaran guards as they murmured among themselves in a fearful tone, the king though seemed claim, not showing a single ounce of fear in him.

    Ibaeran then began to wonder if it was even possible for the king to feel fear as she only knew him to be a source of fear but never the one to feel it.

    The deeper they journeyed into the cave the darker it got and soon every single ounce of light was gone and all Ibaeran could see was nothing but patch black darkness.

    Then a ball of light formed from the king¡¯s arm illuminating the cave and allowing Ibaeran to see.

    Ibaeran was amazed to see the king create light out of his hand even though she knew it was just a small fraction of his true power it was still incredible for her to see the king use his power even though it was a small amount of it.

    The king continued to lead the way until they saw a light far greater than the one processed by the king¡¯s arm from afar.

    They followed the light in to a tunnel.

    Soon they reached the end of the tunnel and then Ibaeran gasped upon seeing what lied at the very end of the tunnel.

    Floating underneath a large hole at the top of the cave was none other than the wings of power that once belonged to the form Su Baera and below the wings where piles of bones and remains of those were not worthy of being the Su Baera.

    ¡°Go on girl, claim the wings and become the next Su Baera,¡± said king.

    Ibaeran just looked at the wings as an unexplainable feeling took over her entire body, the feeling felt like a strange force pulling her towards the wings, almost as though it was calling out to her to come and claim it.

    Slowly Ibaeran moved her feet and took the first step, as she did so she remembered everything she did to reach this point, all her training, battles she had to fight, the people she met along the way and those she lost, she remembered everything as she took that first step.

    Ibaeran then took another step and another and another, moving closer and closer to wings still unable to believe how far she had come, from girl who doubted everything especially herself to warrior, she had come so far and couldn¡¯t help but feel proud of herself and even though a small part of herself still doubted if she was worthy of being the Su Baera a larger part was at peace knowing she had come as far as she did.

    Ibaeran soon reached the wings and now all eyes were on her as king and his guards watched her from afar as she was about to reach for the wings.

    Ibaeran stretched out her hand and reached of the wings, and the very moment her hand made contact with the wings she felt and overwhelming wave of power flow through her entire body.

    The mark on her neck then began to glow and then a bright light emerged from the wings and Ibaeran was engulfed by the light.

    The light slowly died down.

    Then Ibaeran opened her eyes and saw that she was no longer in the cave with the king and his guards nowhere to be seen.

    Ibaeran had now found herself in what she could only described as a white void.

    ¡°Hello Ibaeran, you are finally here. I¡¯ve been wait patiently for you to come¡± said voice from behind her.

    ¡°I can¡¯t be¡± said Ibaeran upon hearing the voice, recognizing who it was but refusing to believe it until she slowly turned around and saw none other than the Su Ingi standing before her.

    ¡°You?¡± said Ibaeran shocked to see the Su Ingi.

    ¡°I glad to see you have finally made it this far, we have much to discuss, Su Baera,¡± said the Su Ingi.

    Ibaeran then turned to her back and then gasped upon seeing a power of steel wings attacked to her back.

    ¡°It¡­it can be¡± said Ibaeran.

    ¡°But it is,¡± said the Su Ingi.

    ¡°But that means, I¡¯m the Su Baera¡± said Ibaeran with a smile and a shocked look on her face.

 Chapter 19

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it, I¡¯m actually the Su Baera¡± said Ibaeran with a smile on her face, still a bit shocked that she actually claimed the steel wings and became the next Su Baera.

    ¡°Yes, you are Ibaeran but your journey isn¡¯t over,¡± said the Su Ingi.

    Ibaeran then remembered what she had to do as the new Su Baera; she had to free her people from the suffering, torment and torture inflicted upon them by the Uha Tamunarans so that what happened to Preyina, her closest and dearest friend would not happen to another soul.

    ¡°I understand Su Ingi¡± said Ibaeran with a deep sigh.

    The Su Ingi then went to Ibaeran and placed her hand on her shoulder before saying, ¡°no you don¡¯t¡±.

    ¡°What?¡± said Ibaeran upon hearing what the Su Ingi said?

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± said the Su Ingi.

    ¡°But I have done so much, fought so many battles, gotten strong and even claimed the steel wings of the Su Baera¡± said Ibaeran.

    ¡°Yes, that is all true but tell me why did you fight so hard and come so far, was it to keep a promise you made to your friend on her death bed, for your people or did you do it for yourself¡± asked the Su Ingi.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Ibaeran did not know what say, she could provide an answer to the Su Ingi¡¯s many questions as she didn¡¯t have answer to give.

    It is true that she made a promise to Preyina on her death bed but that was not the reason she continued to fight and it was true too that she hated seeing her people suffer under the suppressive hands of the Uha Tamunaran¡¯s but that only fueled the desire within her to continue to fight but wasn¡¯t the main reason she fought so hard, then if she didn¡¯t do it all to honor the promise she made to her dead friend or for her people she must have done it for herself but that was not the case.

    Ibaeran fought hard but not for herself, for something she felt deep within her, a driving and uncontrollable that force that pushed her beyond her limit but she didn¡¯t understand what that force was or why is pushed to fight so hard.

    After a few moments passed Ibaeran could not utter a single word as she still did not have an answer to give.

    ¡°Alright then, since this question is too complex for you to answer I have a simpler one for you. Who are you, the Su Baera or Ibaeran?¡± asked the Su Ingi.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­I¡± Ibaeran once again did not have answer as she wasn¡¯t even sure who she was anymore.

    She had worked and fought so hard to claim the power of the steel wings and now that she finally acquiring the power, she wasn¡¯t sure who she was anymore.

    She knew she was much stronger than she was before and now possessed all the strength and power of the Su Baera but other than that she didn¡¯t feel any different from the person she was before but at the same time she knew she wasn¡¯t the same as before.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    Ibaeran at that very moment, after everything she had been through, all the battle she had fought could no longer tell if she was still herself or the Su Baera.

    The Su Ingi just smiled underneath her cloak at her before placing her hand on the side of her cheeks and saying, ¡°you don¡¯t understand but in time you will, you have to¡±.

    ¡°And what if I don¡¯t¡± asked Ibaeran.

    ¡°Then the same fate that came upon the former Su Baera before you will be your fate as well,¡± said the Su Ingi.

    Ibaeran eyes then widened with fear upon hearing what the Su Ingi said.

    ¡°Be strong Ibaeran, you have to be for the battle ahead requires tremendous strength; it won¡¯t be easy in fact it would be the hardest thing you have ever had to do. Be strong, fight with all you heart and most importantly be true to yourself, if you can do all this you will the answer to the question¡± said the Su Ingi and with those words said a flash of light appeared out of nowhere and Ibaeran found herself within the cave, standing in front of the king and his guards who just looked at her with a look of complete and utter shock.

    ¡°Finally, my search is over, after all these years I finally found the Su Baera¡± said the king as he went to Ibaeran with a smile on his face.

    ¡°You will accompany me to my palace, there you will train and master the power of the Su Baera after that you will retrieve the Dumo stone for me,¡± said the king.

    ¡°Then will you free my people¡± asked Ibaeran.

    ¡°You have my word, if you get me the Dumo stone, the Uha Tamunarans will leave your people in peace,¡± said the king.

    Ibaeran was not entire if she could trust the king but she didn¡¯t have much of a choice in the matter as the former Su Baera had fallen to the king¡¯s great power even with all the power he possessed as a Su Baera, even Ibaeran now had all the power of Su Baera she feared that she would fall like the former Su Baera did to the king¡¯s power if she tried to go against him.

    ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s go¡± said Ibaeran.

    The king upon hearing what Ibaeran said was pleased that she agreed with him so easily.

    ¡°Come Su Baera, you have much to do¡± said the king with a smile on his face.

    The king, Ibaeran and the guards that followed them then with back to the sky ship and then left the dead waste land.

    Ibaeran sat next to the window as they left with a look of uncertainty on her face as she thought about the power she now possessed as the new Su Baera and all the responsibility that came with it.

    She then sighed, feeling the overwhelming weight of responsibility that came from being the Su Baera slowly crushing her as she thought about all the nations of the world and how they were counting on her to free them from their Uha Tamunaran oppressors.

    Ibaeran then sighed once again, this more deeply with a sad look on her face as the fear of failure began to fill mind with thoughts of her failing as the Su Baera, failing to free the nations of the world and more importantly failing herself after fighting so hard and coming so far.

    The very thought of failing made Ibaeran¡¯s heart with fear and her hands to shake with sweat overflowing out of her body river.

    But as Ibaeran began to feel overwhelmed by her thought she remembered Preyina and the promise she made.

    ¡°You can at least try Ibaeran¡±

    Her friend¡¯s words echoed in her mind and as they did Ibaeran felt a wave of strength and power flow through her, like nothing she ever felt before.

    Ibaeran at that very moment realized that she had come too far to fall and crumble because of her fear of fail, she was now the Su Baera, fill with all the power and strength of the Su Baera, she was now determined to not just try but to save her people.

    And as the feeling of fear disappeared, replaced with determination Ibaeran felt power flow out of the steel wings and in to her.

    Ibaeran then crushed her arm in to a tight fist which then began to glow as she did, feeling the power of the Su Baera flow through her entire body.

 Chapter 20

    The ship took them to the royal palace in Nigerona.

    The palace stood firmly, made out of pure gold and diamonds encrusted on the walls that shun brightly as rays from the sun hit it.

    Beautiful and massive, standing higher than any other building in the land, the palace was so high that passed the clouds above the sky.

    Ibierana upon seeing the palace for the first time could not believe her eyes.

    She the first person that wasn¡¯t an Uha Tamunaran to be invited to stay in the palace, people from the other nations had only spread rumors about how glamorous the palace was, creating a mental picture in their minds about how the palace looked without actually seeing it themselves.

    Ibaeran, being the first human being to see the palace could testify that its beauty far out classes any description created by the rumors she had heard.

    The ship landed in front of the palace and once there a group of Uha Tamunaran royal guards came to greet the king.

    Upon seeing Ibaeran with the steel wings attached on her back they froze up with a look of disbelief and a little bit of fear on their faces.

    It was shocking for them to see, after all the years that had passed, the Su Baera had finally been found but it was even more shocking to see that the person that wielded the wings of the Su Baera was girl who didn¡¯t even resemble a warrior.

    ¡°My lord, your back and I see you have finally found the Su Baera¡± the head guard spoke looking at Ibaeran, still shocked that she was the next Su Baera.

    ¡°Escort her to the guest room, the Su Baera will be my honored guest and you all are to serve her like royalty, provide her with whatever she may need. Understood¡± said the king with a look that made the guards shake and shiver with fear.

    ¡°Yes, my lord¡± said the head guard before turning to Ibaeran.

    ¡°Please, Su Baera, come with me¡± said the guard to Ibaeran which made Ibaeran feel strange as she was not used to the Uha Tamunarans speaking to her or any other person that wasn¡¯t an Uha Tamunaran humanely.

    ¡°Alright¡± said Ibaeran softly to the Uha Tamunaran guard before following the guards in to the castle.

    The kings smiled sinisterly as he was Ibaeran enter the castle, thinking that finally after wait for so long his quest for ultimate power was finally within his reach to accomplish.

    Ibaeran, to him was nothing more than a tool he could use to accomplish his goals but the king also knew that power of the Su Baera is something he could not afford to underestimate as it was the only power; he knew that could rival and might even be greater than his.

    It is true that he was the one that ended the former Su Baera¡¯s life but it was a long and difficult battle, a battle that made the king fear for his life, the Su Baera nearly defeated him in that battle and even though it was so long ago all the wounds inflicted upon him from that battle were long pasted gone, the scars remained and the king remembered how struggle to win that battle.

    The king, while thinking about the battle he had with the former Su Baera touched his eye patch and remembered how he had lost an eye during their battle.

    He then sighed, coming out of his train of deep thought and entering the palace.

    Within the palace Ibaeran roamed the massive halls, being led by the Uha Tamunaran guard.

    Everywhere she turned to she saw gems and jewel of unimaginable beauty, floors and walls seemed like they were made of gold.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Ibaeran, upon seeing all the overwhelming beauty hidden within the castle, for a brief moment forget that she was in the home of the most dangerous Uha Tamunaran and thought that she must have been in some kind of paradise.

    The guard led Ibaeran to door of the many rooms in the palace.

    ¡°This will be the room assigned to you Su Baera¡± said the guard trying his best to compose himself and hide the fear he had for Ibaeran as the new Su Baera.

    Ibaeran didn¡¯t even notice the fear the guard was hiding, rather she was more concern with room the guard her take her too.

    Ibaeran then upon the door and saw the inside of the room, massive, with a window that showed a spectacular view of the garden outside the palace, a bed fit for royalty and the entire room was decorated with beautiful and stunning gems.

    ¡°If this is not to your liking, we have many other rooms within the¡­¡± before the guard could finish his sentence Ibaeran stopped him by saying ¡°it¡¯s quite alright, you may leave now, I need some time to rest¡±.

    The guard then bowed his head before leaving Ibaeran alone in the room.

    Once the guard was gone Ibaeran lied down on the bed but upon doing so she felt a great discomfort in her back.

    Ibaeran then realize that her discomfort was due to the fact that the massive steel wings of the Su Baera were now attached to her back.

    She had still not gone used to the fact that she was now the Su Baera and the steel wings were now a part of her.

    The steel wings didn¡¯t allow her to find comfort in the massive bed no matter how much she tried.

    And so, out of frustration and desperation to get some well-deserved rest after doing so much to acquire the wings Ibaeran said out,¡± I wish the stupid wings would just disappear¡±.

    The wings then, obeying her command disappeared, allowing her to feel comfortable on the bed.

    It was strange; although the wings of the Su Baera were gone Ibaeran could still feel the power of them with her.

    She, however, didn¡¯t let her mind think too much about it as she only wanted to rest at that moment, after all she had been through a lot and all she wanted to do was rest.

    As Ibaeran fell as sleep she had a strange dream, in the dream she saw people from every nation being tormented and suffering under the rule of the Uha Tamunarans including Preyina.

    All the people then turned to Ibaeran and slowly made their way towards her.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you save us Su Baera¡± the people said in unison as they slowly made their way to Ibaeran.

    Ibaeran filled with horror and fear upon seeing the people approach her slowly took a few steps back, not knowing what to do or say to the people as they approached her.

    Ibaeran, as she continued to move back felt a presence from behind her.

    She then turned around to see what was behind and upon doing so gasped with even more fear and horror in her eyes.

    Now before her was Preyina, her old dead and closest friend covered from head to toe with blood that slowly dripped down from her body.

    Ibaeran upon seeing her fell down on her knees with, feeling massive wave of pain and guilt upon seeing Preyina.

    ¡°This can¡¯t be happening¡± Ibaeran said to herself with tears falling down from her eyes, wanting desperately for her nightmare to come to an end.

    ¡°Why can¡¯t it Ibaeran?¡± asked Preyina as she slowly approached her along with other people who had been suffering torment and torture under the hands of the Uha Tamunarans.

    ¡°Stay away from me¡± said Ibaeran, not wanting the people to come too close her as they reminded her about the doubts, she had herself and her ability, fearing that she would fail as a Su Baera, falling to the Uha Tamunarans as the former Su Baera before her did.

    Preyina and the people then finally reached Ibaeran and there was no where she could run to as they had completely surrounded her.

    Ibaeran, now had to face her face her greatest fear, looking Preyina, her closest friend, someone she wished she was able to save from the Uha Tamunarans, and Ibaeran¡¯s greatest regret is the fact that she could save her.

    ¡°Why Ibaeran, why could you not save me¡± asked Preyina.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what Preyina said broke down with tears falling down from her eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± Ibaeran whispered softly to her dead friend.

    With those word said Ibaeran woke up from her slumber and immediately she did so she felt something falling down from her eyes, remembering the dream she had.

    That dream reminded her of a painful part of her past, one she could not escape or forget, and she would have to leave with it her entire life.

    Ibaeran then remembered the promise she made to Preyina and upon remembering it she thought about how far she had come being driven by that promise.

    Even though she doubted herself, she was able to do so much, she had even managed to claim the steel wings and become the Su Baera, now she was no longer weak, having the power of the Su Baera flowing through her entire body but even with all that power she was still scared and doubted herself.

    Ibaeran then took a deep breath in and calmed down.

    Even she was scared and doubted herself, she still her a job to do, she was the Su Baera after all, and she had to fight for the freedom to her people, to ensure that tragedy they be fell Preyina would not be fall anyone else.

    For the sake of her people, she had to continue the fight despite her fears and lack of faith in herself, she still had to fight.

 Chapter 21

    Ibaeran heard a knock on the door.

    She then, wondering who it was, went to door and opened it.

    Upon opening the door, she saw two young women standing before her.

    From what they were wearing Ibaeran assumed that they were either servants or maids sent there by the king.

    ¡°Who are you two and why are you here¡± asked Ibaeran to the two women.

    ¡°We are servants of the king, sent by him to prepare you to attend a royal dinner with the king and the rest of the royal family¡± said one of the young women.

    ¡°Prepare me to attend a royal dinner?¡± said Ibaeran, a bit confused upon hearing what the young woman said.

    ¡°Just come with, the king instructed us to make you look presentable before him and the rest of the royal family,¡± said the other woman.

    ¡°Presentable?¡± said Ibaeran even more confused.

    ¡°Please, it¡¯s an order from the king himself and if you refuse us, he would see it as an act of disrespect and anyone who dares disrespect the king often suffers a fate that makes death look resemble an act of mercy¡± said one of the women.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what the woman said knew she could not refuse the king, fearing the power he possessed.

    ¡°Alright, take me to wherever want me to go¡± said Ibaeran.

    Ibaeran followed the women as they led her through the palace halls.

    The women looked; having no monstrous or bizarre appearance most other Uha Tamunaran had which made Ibaeran feel strange.

    Ibaeran though had seen Uha Tamunarans with human appearances before but back then she was nothing more than a slave.

    Those Uha Tamunaran abused her and her people, seeing and equating her and her people¡¯s value to be the same as that of cattle.

    And although Uha Tamunarans with monstrous features were just as abusive as those which seem human in appearance, Ibaeran feared those that look like regular people the most because to her the only thing more frightening than being beating and abused by a monster was being beaten and abused by a monster that wears the same skin as you.

    But even though she feared though Uha Tamunarans that human at that very moment fear wasn¡¯t what she was feeling.

    She had acquired the power of the Su Baera, a power all Uha Tamunarans feared.

    Feeling that power flow through every fiber of her being Ibaeran¡¯s fear of the Uha Tamunaran had lessened, though the fear was still there as Ibaeran still had her doubts about herself and her ability to fulfill her responsibility as a Su Baera but the fact that the power the Uha Tamunaran feared was within her made her have a little bit more confidence in herself.

    Fear wasn¡¯t the emotion that Ibaeran felt as she roamed the castle halls with the two women, no, what she felt was a strange sense of comfort.

    She actually felt safe around the two Uha Tamunaran women which both shocked and confused Ibaeran as she wondered what happened to the overwhelming fear she once felt of the Su Baera.

    Was it because of the power she now possessed, she asked herself wondering why she was not scared.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe he actually found you¡± muttered one of the women.

    ¡°What?¡± asked Ibaeran upon hearing what the woman said?

    ¡°Mind your tongue Minji, and remember who you are taking to¡± said another woman, scolding the woman the spoke.

    The woman, after scolding the other woman turned to Ibaeran and said, ¡°Please forgive my sister here, she sometimes forgets her place¡±.

    Ibaeran was shocked upon hearing not just what the woman said, but how she said it.

    There, within her voice was fear and respect, something she never believe to from the voice of the Uha Tamunaran.

    ¡°It¡¯s quite alright and please feel free to speak your mind¡± said Ibaeran which caused the two women to look at her with shock and confusion.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Ibaeran noticing how the women were looking at him.

    ¡°The way you spoke, you didn¡¯t yell, scream or insult us¡± said one of the women that spoke.

    ¡°Why would I?¡± asked Ibaeran, shocked upon hearing that they were expecting her yell at them.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, we just weren¡¯t expecting to speak to us in a... well humanely¡± said the other woman, carefully choosing her words as she didn¡¯t want to enrage Ibaeran.

    ¡°Why on earth would you two think that I wouldn¡¯t speak you humanely¡± asked Ibaeran.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re human and according to what we¡¯ve been told, human is aggressive and dangerous like wild animals, and there is no human alive more dangerous than the Su Baera¡± said one of the women.

    Ibaeran, upon hearing what the woman said couldn¡¯t help but giggle a lot, finding sweet irony of an Uha Tamunaran, beings who out classed normal human being both in strength and raw power, considering that to be dangerous.

    ¡°What on earth would make you believe that humans were dangerous?¡± asked Ibaeran, wanting to understand why the Uha Tamunarans considered human as dangerous.

    ¡°Our king, Datubo¡± said one of the women.

    ¡°What?¡± Ibaeran, shocked to hear that it was the king of all Uha Tamunarans that brought about the idea that humans were dangerous.

    ¡°Why does the king believe we are dangerous when the Uha Tamunaran out match us in both strength and power?¡± asked Ibaeran, wanting to know why king Datubo considered humans as dangerous.

    ¡°It because you humans can build machines¡± said the other woman.

    ¡°Machines, how does that makes us dangerous?¡± asked Ibaeran confused as to how the simple ingenuity of her people made them dangerous.

    ¡°Our king told us that you humans were capable of building massive machines that were capable of wiping out with a single attack. He told us that your kind was planning to attack and conquer us all with your machines that¡¯s why we attacked first¡± said one of the women.

    ¡°What?¡± said Ibaeran, shocked to hear what the woman said about humans, was that really what all Uha Tamunarans thought about all humans, if so, that would explain why they treated them so poorly.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    The Uha Tamunarans believed that humans were their greatest threat and so they attacked and subdued them, turning them in to nothing more than their slaves.

    Ibaeran, upon hearing why the Uha Tamunaran considered humans as dangerous could not help but wonder, why would the king of the Uha Tamunaran tell his own people that humans were dangerous.

    The women led Ibaeran all the way to the royal bathing room.

    Once there Ibaeran saw a golden pole, so large it resembled a small river.

    ¡°Why did you two bring me here?¡± asked Ibaeran.

    ¡°We told you, to make you look presentable before the king,¡± said the women.

    ¡°Presentable?¡± said Ibaeran, still not unable to understand what the women meant by ¡®presentable¡¯.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about a thing, just let us do our work¡± said the women before they began to strip off Ibaeran¡¯s clothes.

    Ibaeran tried to protest, telling the women to stop as she felt immensely uncomfortable being, now being naked before them.

    The women then lifted Ibaeran and placed her gentle on the tub.

    The water in the tub at first was cold but it began to heat up the moment on of the women placed her hand on it

    As the water heated up Ibaeran felt a sense of comfort in the warmth of the waters.

    Once women saw that Ibaeran was relaxed they began to scrub and clean her entire body.

    That was the very first time Ibaeran had ever taken a bath because clean water was hard to come by so she only kept water for drinking and not for cleaning her body.

    Ibaeran, at that very moment at peace, forgetting all her worries as the warm water flowed on her bare skin and the soft hands of the women moved about on her body, cleaning her.

    Soon the women were done and Ibaeran had to come out of warm waters that filled her troubled mind with peace, she wished she could spend a bit more time in the tub as it made her forget, even though it was for a brief moment, all her worries.

    After bathing the two women brought clothes for Ibaeran to wear.

    The clothes were vibrant and colored unlike the doll, tore and raggedy old clothes she normally wore, with smooth soft fabric that felt like heaven on Ibaeran¡¯s skin as her usual clothes were as rough as sand paper.

    Once Ibaeran was clothed the women brought a mirror so she could see how she looked like, now clean and wearing clothes so elegant and beautiful that it made her look like royalty.

    ¡°Is that me?¡± Ibaeran asked, unable to recognize her own reflection in the mirror.

    Ibaeran, for the very first time in her entire life, she looked at her reflection and didn¡¯t a hopeless slave she once was.

    She had come a long way and seeing her beauty in reflection of the mirror reminded her of that was now a warrior, fighting for fate her people.

    ¡°Are you alright¡± asked one of women upon seeing the look of shock and amazement on Ibaeran¡¯s face as both her and the other woman, upon seeing the look on Ibaeran¡¯s face wondered if that was the first, she was seeing her reflection in a mirror due to how shocked she was.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡± said Ibaeran with a confident smile on her face.

    The women, now having cleaned and clothed Ibaeran were ready to take her to the dining table, where she would dine with the king and his family.

    Ibaeran felt a little nervous about dining with the king of all Uha Tamunarans, even though she wasn¡¯t as afraid of the Uha Tamunaran as she was when she was still a slave girl living in Ijawana, she still feared the king and the very thought of being anywhere near him made her heart race and an ice-cold chill go down her spine.

    The women lead Ibaeran through the empty halls and Ibaeran, in an attempt to distract herself from thinking about the king and the fear she harbored in her heart for him, looked around the castle, observing more things about it from the massive firm strong pillars that held the castle structure in place to the beautiful carvings caved on the castle walls.

    As Ibaeran looked at the art on wall she realized that they told story, a story about past of the Uha Tamunaran.

    ¡°What are those drawings on the wall?¡± asked Ibaeran pointing on the art works.

    ¡°Our history¡± said one of the women.

    ¡°Why is it on the castle walls?¡± asked Ibaeran.

    The other woman then asked, ¡°why do you want to know?¡± wondering why Ibaeran was asking so many questions.

    ¡°Just a little curious¡± said Ibaeran.

    The women looked at each other, wondering why the Su Baera of all people was so concern with their history as they still believed that the Su Baera and the rest of the human race were dangerous and destructive creatures.

    After a moment of silently contemplating the women decided to tell Ibaeran about the story behind the carvings on the castle walls as Ibaeran, despite being the Su Baera didn¡¯t seem too dangerous or as destructive as originally thought.

    ¡°Those drawings as you call them on the walls tell the story of our past, the past of the race Uha Tamunarans¡± said one of the women.

    ¡°So, they are like records of your past¡± said Ibaeran.

    ¡°Yes, records past carved in to the castle walls, telling the stories of past so we may never forget them,¡± said the other women.

    ¡°Each drawing tells a story about a particular part of our history¡± said one of the women.

    Ibaeran then went closer to the drawings on the walls, wanting to know more about it partially due to curiosity but mostly because she wanted to understand the Uha Tamunaran more.

    Apart from the immense power the Uha Tamunaran possessed Ibaeran and other humans knew very little about them.

    Ibaeran hoped that by examining the drawings she might be able to learn more about them.

    Preyina during the time she was alive, had taught her a little bit of about the Uha Tamunarans including what most of the symbols used by the Uha Tamunaran¡¯s meant, at the time Ibaeran thought that the knowledge of the Uha Tamunarans would be useless as she was nothing more than a laborer but now, she was glad Preyina taught her as that knowledge was what helped her understand the story the drawings were trying to tell.

    Ibaeran from observing the drawings on the wall, managed to understand a bit of the history of the Uha Tamunaran, although it wasn¡¯t an accurate one as they were some symbols drawn on the walls Ibaeran couldn¡¯t understand but she was able to understand enough of the history of the Uha Tamunarans from the drawings on the walls to better understand the Uha Tamunarans.

    ¡°If I¡¯m reading this correctly, there was a war of some kind between the Uha Tamunarans and some kind of monster race¡± said Ibaeran looking at one of the drawings of an army of what looking like human like Uha Tamunarans fight some kind of monster race.

    ¡°Yes. The great war of races, back then the Uha Tamunarans divided between two races E¡¯Uhas and E¡¯Tamunarans¡± said the women pointing at the drawing Ibaeran was looking at.

    ¡°Wait, are you saying that these two armies at war are ancient Uha Tamunarans?¡± asked Ibaeran, shocked upon hearing that the Uha Tamunarans were once divided and at war with each other.

    ¡°Yes, it is actually because of blood of the E¡¯Uhas that most Uha Tamunarans look more like beast than they do man¡± said the women as they pointed at the drawing of the monstrous race on wall.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re saying every single Uha Tamunaran that looks like a beast is a descendant from the E¡¯Uhas¡± said Ibaeran.

    ¡°Yes and the Tamunarans are made up of humanlike E¡¯Tamunarans like us¡± said one of the women.

    ¡°What started the war?¡± asked Ibaeran.

    ¡°Nobody really knows for sure; some legends say it was the E¡¯Uhas were the ones who started the war as the ancient E¡¯Uhas were believed to be as primitive and as barbaric as beasts they resembled¡± said one of the women.

    ¡°While others say it was actually the Tamunarans who believed they were superior to all other races including the E¡¯Uhas,¡± said the other woman.

    ¡°How did the war end?¡± asked Ibaeran.

    ¡°That is another mysterious that nobody really knows. All we know is that a force greater that both the E¡¯Uha and the E¡¯Tamunrans forced them both to unite,¡± said the women.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what the women said was both shocked and astonished, wondering what kind of force could be great enough to end a war between the E¡¯Uhas and the E¡¯Tamunrans.

    ¡°Enough of this, we must get to the dining room as soon as possible. The king hates it when his invited guests are late¡± said one of the women.

    Ibaeran sighed upon hearing what the woman said as she didn¡¯t wish to leave; partly because the mere thought of being anywhere near the king brought chills down her spine but mostly because she wanted to hear more about the rich history of the Uha Tamunarans

    Even though Ibaeran did not want to, she knew she had to go, fearing the king¡¯s immense power and understanding that even with the power of the Su Baera due to her lack of control and mastery over the power she may not be able to survive if he got angry and attacked her with his great power.

    Ibaeran then, with fear in heart followed the women to the dining room.

    Once in front of the doors the women said, ¡°The king is waiting for you on the other side of this door. While you eat, try your best not to enrage him. The king is usually calm but when he gets angry not even an army of Uha Tamunarans can stop him¡±.

    Ibaeran smiled at the women for being caring enough to give advise her even though she didn¡¯t need it as she already knew firsthand how cruel Uha Tamunarans could be when enrage and excepted the king of all Uha Tamunarans, being the most power Uha Tamunaran to far much worse than other Uha Tamunarans when enraged.

    ¡°Thank you...er...I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m actually not sure what to call you two as I don¡¯t know your names¡± said Ibaeran.

    ¡°My name is Minji and she is Finita¡± said one of the women, feeling that they could trust her enough with their names.

    Ibaeran gave the two women a friendly smile before turning to face the door.

    She then, with a deep breath, opened the door and then, summoning all the courage she could muster went into the room to dine with someone she feared much more than death itself.

 Chapter 22

    Ibaeran soon found herself seating on a dining table with none other than the king of all Uha Tamunarans and his son, prince Tanyino, an Uha Tamunaran that looked like the unholy combination of a lizard and a man with scaly skin that greatly resembled that of a man, snake like forked tongue which extended out of his mouth each time he opened it and a long slender scaly tail.

    Ibaeran wished she could leave as her entire body was completely tensed up with fear, so much so that her entire body was shaking and as she attempted to use her shaking hand to hold the spoon so she can begin to eat she spilled so the food on herself.

    Prince Tanyino, upon seeing Ibaeran make a fool of herself with her food, couldn¡¯t help but smile as he closed his eyes and nodded his head, finding it her to believed that she was the Su Baera his father had spent so much time and energy searching for.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe a thing like you is actually the Su Baera,¡± said the prince.

    Ibaeran felt insulted upon hearing what the prince said and wanted to give a fitting reply to him but then remembered where she was and the repercussions of her insulting the prince of the Uha Tamunarans.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me Tanyino that you¡¯ve forgotten about the lessons I taught you¡± said the king annoyed with his son for the remark he made about Ibaeran.

    ¡°I know father, you taught me to respect power above all else but honestly father look at her. Seriously father, there nothing special about her, in fact she even looks weaker than...¡± the prince was stopped mid-sentence by the king using some of his power to send a jolt of pain through his entire body.

    The prince, now in incredible pain bowed his face down to the table with tears falling down from his eyes due to the pain inflicted upon him by his father.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry father; please pardon my insubordinate behavior,¡± said the prince.

    The king then sighed before snapping his fingers and freeing his son from his power which inflicted pain upon him.

    Ibaeran was beyond horrified at that very moment, whatever fear she had for that king had greatly intensified upon seeing him, without even an ounce of hesitation use his own power inflict pain upon his son, his very own blood.

    ¡°You¡¯re lucky I¡¯m in a pleasant mood son, otherwise I would have left you in that state for an entire week¡± said the king to his son.

    ¡°Thank you, father,¡± said the prince while bowing down his head before continuing his meal.

    Ibaeran then looked at the king with even more fear in her heart for him but apart from fear she felt a great deal of disgust for the king over the way he treated his own son, using his own power to inflict pain upon him for such a minor act, it was an act crueler than anything she had seen an Uha Tamunaran.

    Ibaeran then looked at the prince, pitying him for having the king as his father.

    The king noticed the was the way Ibaeran was looking at his son the spoke, with a voice that made Ibaeran shake with fear, ¡°Don¡¯t pity or feel sorry for him, his knows the rules that governor the action of everyone within the walls of the palace and he just broke the most important one of all¡±.

    ¡°And what might that be?¡± asked Ibaeran with fear still in her eyes.

    ¡°Respect all powers greater than your own. That is the number one rule in this palace and anyone who breaks it will be punished. Do you understand Su Baera¡± asked the king, looking at Ibaeran almost as though he was threatening her.

    ¡°Yes, your majesty¡± said Ibaeran softly, understanding what he meant.

    ¡°Good, so for your sake I suggest you don¡¯t break it¡± said the king before getting up from his seat.

    ¡°I¡¯ve had enough food for the day, you two may continue your meal¡± said the king before leaving.

    Ibaeran and the prince were now seated alone in the dining table having their meals.

    Ibaeran could see that the prince was struggling to eat due to the overwhelming pain inflicted upon him by his father; even though the pain had stopped his body still ached and was incredibly weakened.

    Ibaeran, feeling sorry for the prince could stop herself from asking, ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    The prince upon hearing her speak replied softly, ¡°I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m fine¡±.

    ¡°Are you sure, you don¡¯t look fine?¡± said Ibaeran.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡± said the prince once again, focusing solely on his food and ignoring Ibaeran.

    Ibaeran just sighed before continuing her meal, giving up on talking to the prince and focusing solely on her meal.

    The prince, feeling every part of his body aching in pain could barely hold his spoon as his hand shook uncontrollably while he held it.

    Putting food in to his mouth was an even worse story as he would often miss his mouth whenever he tried to eat.

    It was sad to watch and even though Ibaeran tried to ignore the prince and focus on her meal the sorry sight of the prince struggling to do something as simple as eating thanks to something his own father did to him made Ibaeran¡¯s heart ache out of pity for the prince.

    ¡°I¡¯m not really hungry¡± said the prince after several fail attempts in trying to put a single morsel of food in his mouth.

    Ibaeran knew he was lying but did not say anything, knowing that the stubborn prince would just lie and deny it.

    The prince was about to leave but as he tried to get up, he felt his feet ach and shake, far too weak to support his body standing up.

    The prince tried to ignore his aching legs, not wanting Ibaeran to see him as a weakling and tried to plant his firmly on the ground and walk away only to immediately collapse on the floor the moment he tried to take a step.

    Ibaeran upon seeing the prince collapsed on the floor rushed to his aid, not caring that he was the prince of the Uha Tamunarans and simply just wanted to help him.

    ¡°Take my hand¡± asked Ibaeran as she walked up to prince and extended her hand to him.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t need your help. I can get up on my own¡± said the prince, refusing to accept her hand.

    Ibaeran seeing that the prince was still being stubborn and refusing her help just sigh out of annoyance before saying, ¡°You don¡¯t have to pretend to be strong you know¡±.

    ¡°I¡¯m not pretending, I am strong,¡± said the prince.

    ¡°Alright then, if you¡¯re not pretending, prove it by getting up¡± said Ibaeran, wanting to prove her point to the stubborn prince.

    The prince, too stubborn to admit his own weakness, tried to get up only to collapse back down to the ground.

    ¡°Like I said before, you don¡¯t have to pretend to be strong. Because whether you want to admit it or not, in the state you¡¯re in at the moment a simple breeze would be enough to bring you down to your knees, so please, for your sake let me help you¡± said Ibaeran.

    The prince looked away from her for a few moments, feeling a great deal of shame for being too weak to stand on his two feet before begrudgingly accepting Ibaeran¡¯s hands.

    And the moment the prince stretched out his hand to accept Ibaeran¡¯s both he and Ibaeran felt the immense power of steel wings of the Su Baera flow out Ibaeran¡¯s body and in to the prince, healing him and restoring his strength.

    Ibaeran then pulled him up and upon doing so the prince found that his body no longer ached or felt weak.

    ¡°What did you do to me?¡± asked the prince softly, feeling a small sense of gratitude for Ibaeran for helping him up and healing his body.

    ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure myself¡± said Ibaeran while looking at her trying to understand what she had done and how she did it.

    The prince, now fully healed and able to hold his spoon firmly and aim for his mouth without missing took his seat and continued his meal.

    Ibaeran knowing she was not going to hear the prince say thank you went back to her seat and continued eating as well.

    As soon as Ibaeran and the prince were done eating and were about to leave, the prince called out to Ibaeran, saying ¡°Su Baera¡±.

    Ibaeran, upon hearing the prince turned to him.

    The prince then cleared his throat before saying, ¡°I was wrong. You may appear to be nothing more than a weak and frail girl but possess an acceptable level of power, power I must respect¡±.

    ¡°Thank you, your majesty,¡± said Ibaeran, knowing that that would be the closest form gratitude she was going to get from the prince.

    After that both Ibaeran and the prince left the dining table and went to their rooms to rest for the night but as Ibaeran left she couldn¡¯t help but sense that something was lurking in the shadows, watching her every move.

    She looked back several times to see if someone truly was watching her only to see that no one was behind her each and every time.

    Ibaeran eventually stopped turning back to check her surroundings and convinced herself that whatever she was feeling was all in her head.

    Ibaeran then made her way to her room.

    Ibaeran then immediately lied down upon her bed and then began to think about everything that had happened since she stepped foot in the palace.

    Ibaeran thought about the two servants that came to prepare her to dine with the king and what they said about humans and how they saw them as a threat because of the machines they built.

    Ibaeran then thought about how strange and bizarre it for the Uha Tamunarans to fear them because of the machines they built especially since they possessed the power to destroy anything they could have ever built with ease.

    Ibaeran then thought about the war between the E¡¯Uhas and E¡¯Tamunrans, finding it hard to believe that there was once a time he Uha Tamunarans were divided.

    She then wondered what overwhelmingly powerful force would have been able to force the two races to stop the war and come together.

    Thinking about how a power that could cause fear between both E¡¯Uhas and E¡¯Tamunrans frightened Ibaeran a bit as she thought that such a power would be greater than the king of all Uha Tamunarans himself.

    Ibaeran already knew from the rumors that spread around all the nations of the king and his overwhelming which was said to be greater than any Uha Tamunaran that has ever lived, that simple fact alone was enough reason for Ibaeran to fear but if there was indeed a power that was greater than his Ibaeran would not only fear it but also tremble before it as she felt that anything that was above the king¡¯s power would far exceed any form of power she could ever imagine.

    As Ibaeran slowly drifted away to sleep for the night, she hoped that whatever it was that was powerful enough to end the between the two Uha Tamunaran races she would never have to encounter it.

    But as Ibaeran slept soundly in the room given to her by the king, shadowy figure slowly opened and peeped through the door, watching Ibaeran as she slept before one of the royal guards who was be roaming the palace halls slowly began to approach the room forcing the figure to flee, moving faster than the naked eyes perceive.

    The figure retreated to the massive forest like garden outside the palace.

    Once there it stood in front of palace, looking at the window of room where Ibaeran was sleeping before making its way back to a small wooden house that rested on top of a great hill within garden.

 Chapter23

    A loud bang on the door was the first thing Ibaeran heard before waking up the very next day not too long after the sun appeared.

    Ibaeran, tired from having to wake up so suddenly due to the sound of the banging door went to the door before opening to seeing who the one responsible for waking her up from her peaceful slumber.

    Upon opening the door, she found one of the royal guards standing on the other side of the door.

    ¡°Come with me¡± said the guard before leaving.

    Ibaeran shock and confused as to why a guard was at her door so early in the morning, followed the guard, knowing that it must have been an order from the king and if she was to disobey, she would have to face his wrath.

    The guard led her to small room.

    Once there the guard opened the room¡¯s door and said, ¡°Get in¡±.

    Ibaeran did as the guard said and entered the room and upon entering the room, she saw that there was nothing in the room apart from a chair and desk with a massive book on, and a small window which served as the only source of light in the room.

    ¡°Do you know how to read?¡± asked the guard.

    ¡°Yes¡± said Ibaeran with a shocked and surprised look on her face as she wondered why the guard would want to know if she read.

    ¡°Good, see that book over there¡± said the guard, pointing at the massive book on the desk.

    ¡°The king wants you to read it,¡± said the guard.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what the guard said began wonder why the king would want her to read a book.

    ¡°Why does the king want me to read that book¡± said Ibaeran.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I have no business questioning the king so I did not ask. My duty as guard to listen and obey only¡± said the guard before the shutting the door with Ibaeran still inside.

    Ibaeran upon realizing the guard had left her inside the room rushed to the door and tried to open it but it was no use, she was lock inside room.

    ¡°Hello, guard please open the door¡± Ibaeran pleaded from within the lock room.

    ¡°I cannot for I am under strict orders from the king him to not allow you leave the room until you¡¯ve finished reading the entire book¡± said the guard.

    ¡°Why?¡± asked Ibaeran wondering why the king was concern about her reading a book.

    ¡°Like I said before, I don¡¯t know. It is not my place to ask or question the king¡¯s commands, I simply obey all commands given¡± said the guards.

    ¡°And don¡¯t even think about lying to me and say that you¡¯ve finished reading because have the ability to tell when are lying¡± said the guard.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what the guard said just sighed, seeing as she no choice but to obey the orders given to her turned to the book on the table and then began to read it.

    Ibaeran, even though she could read found it hard to the book as it was written words far too hard for her to understand, she was a slave after all as such even though she was taught how to read her reading abilities were limited as she was only exposed to words had had something to do with commands given to her by her master.

    But even though Ibaeran could understand half the words in the book she continued reading and even though she could completely comprehend what the book was about she was able to understand a little of what the book was about.

    The book was about another world that existed outside hers, Ibaeran failed to make sense of most of what the book said about the world but after reading the entire book she was able to understand that world was Kiri Dumo, home of the Dumo stone.

    Ibaeran upon realizing the book was about the Kiri Dumo and understood that the reason the king wanted her to read the book must have something to with Dumo Stone and her, as the new Su Baera, having to retrieve it for him.

    Meanwhile, the king seated on his throne room waiting for the four Governors to arrive.

    He had sent for them to discuss the incident with the Uha Tamunaran that possessed the warrior that fought Ibaeran during the last tournament.

    The governors, knowing why the king called for them, feared for their lives, fearing that the king knew about their involvement with the incident.

    Fika, Bumai and Enama didn¡¯t want to go, fearing that the king¡¯s wrath would be laid upon them if they went to him but Nami persuaded them to go, saying that the king may not even know about their involvement with the incident and if they don¡¯t go whatever little suspicion the king may have about their involvement with the incident would be confirmed.

    Nami further stated that it would be better if they went to see the king as doing so would save them from wrath of he didn¡¯t know about their involvement but if he did not they could always beg and plead for their lives or at the very least a swift and painless death as they all knew the rumors of her terrible the king tortures and torments those who dare to go against him, inflecting so much pain that the thought of death bring pleasure and relive to the heart before stopping and allow his victim suffer with the pain inflicted upon them while he tortured them before finally they die on their own with last thing their bodies are able to feel being but sheer unimaginable pain.

    The thought of such a fate befalling any of them was enough to force them, despite the great level of fear they had for the king go him.

    King upon seeing the governors walk in through the door and stand before his throne smiled amused with the face that they actually came to him despite the great fear emanating from their bodies.

    ¡°Great king Datubo, lord of all Uha Tamunaran you called for us?¡± said Bumai as they all kneeled down before king with sweat drawing down from his brow as he spoke.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s about the incident that happened in the last tournament. Tell why, despite the fact that I gave clear instructions that no Uha Tamunaran interfere with the tournament did an Uha Tamunaran disobey me and interfere with the tournament¡± the king spoke with a calm voice the governors could tell that he was furious with them.

    ¡°My lord I assure you that we had no involvement with the Uha Tamunaran that interfered with the tournament¡± said the Fika while trying his best to hide his fear and nervousness.

    ¡°Is this true, do you all have nothing to do with the incident because if you did and you¡¯re lying to me well¡­¡± said the king before bringing out a severed head and throwing it to the governor¡¯s feet.

    All the governors with Nami being the only exception looked the severed head placed before them by the king with a look of both horror and shock as it was the head of the Uha Tamunaran they sent to possess the warrior that attacked Ibaeran.

    The governors, now looking at the head with looks of pure fear and horror looked back at the king, realizing at that very moment that the king knew about what they did.

    Nami then got up from his knees and approached the king, shocking all the governors before saying, ¡°See my lord, I told you they would not confess to their crimes against you so easily. I suggest you reward such insolence with death¡±.

    The governors, upon hearing the words that came out of Nami¡¯s mouth looked at him with shock and disgust, realizing that he had betrayed them all and had told the king about what they did and blamed them for it even though it was all planned by him.

    ¡°My lord we meant no disrespect, please have mercy¡± Bumai begged, knowing that was all they could do in that situation.

    Fika and Enama followed Bumai¡¯s lead and begged for mercy from the king, hoping that doing that would allow them to at least see another day.

    The king upon hearing them all beg and plead for mercy over their lives just smiled at them before silencing them all with a simple raise of his arm.

    The governors, not daring to speak while the king¡¯s arm was raised awaited his judgment, hoping and praying that they could leave the palace with their lives that day.

    ¡°As you all know I am a king that pride himself with having no weaknesses, my strength and power is absolute, and do you why?¡± asked the king.

    ¡°N¡­no, my lord¡± Enama stuttered while answering as only fear filled his entire body.

    ¡°Because I crush, break and destroy all who oppose me. I don¡¯t care if it is one of my own or an outsider, all who come to my presence must submit to my power or fall to it¡± said the king as he got up from his might throne, standing about all the governors and looking down upon them as if they were nothing more than ants crawling below him.

    ¡°Please, have mercy¡± begged Fika one last time as they all knew what the king was about to do.

    ¡°Mercy is a weakness and as a king with no weakness it is a quality I lack¡± said the king before he began to his great and overwhelming power upon them.

    The governors then beg scream and yell out in immense pain as they felt everything, from their life force to their very essence being ripped out of them.

    They continued screaming and screaming, from the sheer unbearable pain they had to endure until they finally stop and their now lifeless body fell to the ground, having been drain of everything they had and now being nothing more than empty lifeless husks.

    The king upon draining the lives out of the governors, increase in size, growing slightly larger than he was before.

    ¡°What a waste, those fools did not deserve the power given to them¡± said the king.

    Nami then cleared his throat, drawing the king¡¯s attention towards him.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°My lord, now that you¡¯ve finished dealing with them may I leave, I have some argent matters to attend to in the west¡± said Nami.

    The king upon what Nami said couldn¡¯t help but chuckle lightly.

    ¡°My lord, if I may ask, what¡¯s so amusing¡± asked Nami unable to understand why king was chuckling.

    The king then turned to Nami and then with a sinister smile on his face he grabbed him by his neck and then lifted him off the ground.

    ¡°The fact that you think you would get away with opposing my rule alongside the other governors¡± said the king.

    Nami¡¯s eyes then widened with both shock and horror upon hearing what the king said.

    ¡°You knew¡± said Nami softly as he struggled to speak with king¡¯s massive arm placed on his neck.

    ¡°I¡¯m no fool Nami; I¡¯m your king after all¡± said the king as he began to crush Nami¡¯s neck with his massive arm, slowly suffocating him in the process.

    ¡°I knew from the very moment you came to tell after the tournament about the other governors involvement in the incident you only wanted to save yourself¡± said the king as he tighten his grip on Nami¡¯s neck.

    The king at that very moment could crush Nami¡¯s neck and end his life with relative ease, all it would take was for him to tighten his grip just a little bit more and then it would all be over but that would far too easy of a death for someone like Nami who thought himself to be clever enough to fool Datubo king of the Uha Tamunaran and the most powerful Uha Tamunaran to ever walk the earth the king thought to himself.

    The king then let go of Nami, freeing him from the tight grip of his massive arm.

    ¡°Thank you my lord¡± said Nami while gasping for air, thinking that king was showing mercy to him but little did he know mercy was the last thing on the king¡¯s mind.

    The king¡¯s eyes then in to green serpent like eyes before saying, ¡°I don¡¯t need your thanks all I want to hear from you is your screams¡±.

    Nami upon hearing what the king said realized that terrible fate that that befell his fellow governors would be nothing compared to what the king was about to do to him.

    A green light then flashed from king¡¯s eyes upon doing so both Nami¡¯s arms and legs were turned in to stone.

    ¡°Did you really think you could get away with looking me straight I the eyes and lie to me¡± said the king as he used broke and completely shattered Nami¡¯s now stone legs with a single blow which Nami to yell and scream out in pain with blood sipping out of the place where his leg once stood.

    ¡°As if lying to me was not enough, you lied to me without an ounce of fear in your heart which means you either saw me as a fool or you failed to comprehend just how powerful I truly am. Whatever the reason may be, the fact that you actually thought you could get away with this is was an insult to me and my power, and I don¡¯t like being insulted¡± the king spoke with rage and bitterness in his voice as he grabbed the two stone arms of Nami and then like he did with Nami¡¯s legs crushed and broke them, leaving Nami with no arms and only two shoulders with blooded dripping out of them.

    Nami screamed out in agonizing pain, unable to put in words the level of sheer pain he felt flow through his entire body at the moment.

    Nami then looked at the king who was looking down on him with a wicked smile on his face, finding a form of pleasure from seeing him in such a miserable state.

    Nami, upon seeing the way the king was looking down at him with a smile on his face felt a sense of anger of rage flow through his entire body for the king and at the moment he didn¡¯t care if the king was the most powerful Uha Tamunaran, he was determined to make him pay for the pain he inflicted upon him but this however, was a feat easier said than done.

    Nami used his psychic powers to attack the king¡¯s mind, hoping to inflict upon him the same level of pain the king made him feel upon breaking both his hands and legs but as Nami attacked the king he quickly realized why he was the king of all Uha Tamunarans and the most power of them all as every mental attack from him to the king was rendered ineffective due to the fact that the king far out classed him and every other Uha Tamunaran power to the point that every attack, be it physical or mental would not be enough to harm him.

    ¡°Are you done yet¡± the king asked, sensing the Nami was trying to attack his mind.

    Nami upon hearing the king¡¯s voice looked at him with a look of pure and utter horror before asking, ¡°What, in the name of all things sacred in this world, are you?¡±.

    The king, upon hearing what Nami said went down on one knee so his eyes could meet Nami¡¯s before saying, ¡°Your king¡±.

    The king then flashed he¡¯s green eyes at Nami once again and upon seeing the kings emerald green reptilian eyes the outer skin of Nami¡¯s head had turned in to stone leaving the flesh within still alive before placing one of his massive arms on it.

    The king, before taking any other action looked at Nami¡¯s stone face which was now frozen in place due to it being turned to stone but even though it was frozen the king could still tell that Nami, even though his face could not express it through his face, was begging for his life to be spared but that was a wish the king would never grant.

    The king then, without a moment of hesitation grabbed hold of Nami¡¯s head, began crushing tightly with his massive hand, taking his time, wanting Nami to suffer excruciating levels of pain until his stony head finally broke causing blood to splattered everywhere from his head, breaking apart like a fragile egg, killing him instantly.

    The king then threw Nami¡¯s lifeless body next to the dead shriveled bodies of the other governors.

    The king then sent for his guards which upon coming to the throne room were taken a back with horror upon seeing the governor¡¯s dead bodies.

    ¡°Send word out to all the vice governors, they are to be promoted as governor. They can assign anybody they wish to be their vice and rule over the nations under them on my behalf. And as for the bodies send it to them, it will serve as a worthy reminder that nobody, not even my governors can oppose my rule¡± said the king.

    The guard upon hearing what the king said obeyed his command and took the bodies of the fallen governors and then left the left the room.

    As the guards left, Ibaeran, accompanied by the guard assigned to keep an eye on her and make sure she finished reading the book on Kiri Dumo walked in.

    Ibaeran upon seeing the dead bodies of the governor, was able to recognize them from the last Tournament she fought in, she then noticed hand of the king was soiled in blood and the immediately realized what had happened.

    Ibaeran, knowing that the king had killed one of his own in cold blood made her feel a mix of fear and disgust towards him as she found it difficult to understand how cruel and ruthless of a king he had to be to be able to end the lives of his people.

    ¡°Did she finish the entire book¡± asked the king.

    ¡°Yes my lord¡± said the guard.

    ¡°Hmm, go, get me so water to wash away the blood on my hand¡± said the king.

    The guard, obeying the command from the king, bowed down his head before leaving to the water leaving Ibaeran alone with the king.

    Ibaeran, now alone and in the presence of the king who stood like a giant before her, slightly larger than the last time she saw him although Ibaeran was not sure whether or not her perception of his increased size was a product of the immense fear she had for him.

    ¡°Tell me Su Baera, did you really finish the entire book¡± asked the king.

    ¡°Ye-s, yes I did¡± said Ibaeran, finding difficult to speak clearly due to her fear for the king.

    ¡°Good, now travel to the land of Kiri Dumo¡± said the king.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what the king said looked at him with a look of shock and confusion; she had just gotten the powers of the Su Baera and lacked both training and control over them so asking her to travel to Kiri Dumo at that moment was a feat that she did think she could accomplish.

    ¡°Your majesty, I don¡¯t know how to¡­¡± Ibaeran while speaking softly out of her fear for the king was cut off by the king saying in a threaten tone, ¡°That was command not a request and as you king you must obey or else¡±.

    Ibaeran upon hearing the king¡¯s words remembered the four lifeless bodies of the governors she saw upon entering the throne room; the memory reminded her that any threat coming from the king was one she should not take likely because if he was able to end the lives of one of his own then he could easily do the same to her.

    Ibaeran just sighed, knowing that trying to refuse the king¡¯s commands may lead to him using his power against her, either harming or ending her life.

    Ibaeran then closed her eyes and with a deep breath began to force out the power of the Su Baera in a desperate attempt to try and travel to Kiri Dumo.

    Drawing the power out of her body wasn¡¯t easy as she could feel it fighting and resisting her will.

    The power within her began to rise and rise until it could no longer be contained in her, her body then began to glow with the overwhelming power of the Su Baera pouring out of her.

    The wind then began to blow uncontrollably around her, the ground underneath her feet then began as well before finally the steel wings of the Su Baera appeared on Ibaeran¡¯s back and as they did a tremendous wave out flowed out of her.

    The power flowing out of her body was now so great that it began to worry the king.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough¡± said the king, fearing that if he allowed Ibaeran to continue her power may continue to rise and eventually be great than his.

    Ibaeran, overwhelmed with the power flowing through her entire body, could not hear what the king said.

    The power within her continued to rise with no sighs of it stopping anytime soon which turned the king¡¯s worry to fear as he began to recall memories of his battle with the former Su Baera and how he had lost an eye and had even almost lost his life during that battle.

    ¡°I SAID ENOUGH!!!!!¡± screamed the king before using his power against Ibaeran in a desperate attempt to try and subdue her before her power grows beyond his.

    As the king¡¯s power flowed through her body, Ibaeran felt a surge of pain like no other flow through her entire body, causing her to yell and shout as she had never felt that kind of pain before, it felt as though every single part of her body was being ripped apart.

    Ibaeran then collapsed on the ground, unable to endure the pain inflicted upon her by the king and as she fell, her power stopped rising with the steel wings attached to her back disappearing.

    The king, seeing that Ibaeran was now collapsed on the ground and her power was no longer rising stopped using his powers on her.

    Ibaeran, feeling the pain in her body slowly beginning to fade away felt a sense of relief flow through her before finally closing her eyes out exhaustion partly from the pain inflicted upon her by the king but also due to the level of power that flowed through her.

    The king seeing Ibaeran now unconscious lying on the ground thought about the immense power that flowed out her mere moments ago and how the power kept rising, if had had not acted as soon as he did Ibaeran¡¯s power might have even surpassed his and that was something he was determined to never allow happen.

    The guard the king sent to get him water to wash off the blood on the king¡¯s hand then came in with a bowl of water for king.

    Upon entering the guard noticed Ibaeran lying on the floor unconscious with the king standing next to her and before the guard could even begin to process what he had seen the king called out to him saying, ¡°Bring me my water so I may wash this disgusting blood off my hands¡±.

    The guard then rushed to the king while carry the bowl before presenting it to the king.

    The king then watched his blood covered hands with water in the bowl before looking at Ibaeran¡¯s unconscious body.

    ¡°Take her back to her room and when she wakes up give something to eat¡± said the king.

    ¡°Yes my lord¡± said the guard before going to Ibaeran¡¯s body and lifting her off the ground.

    Once the guard had left carrying Ibaeran the king, seated on his throne, sighed deeply as he thought about the power he felt coming from Ibaeran and how it continued to rise.

    The king the thought about the strength and power of the former Su Baera and how he almost stopped him from ruling over the four nations all those year, he then wondered if Ibaeran somehow Ibaeran was to gain the same level of strength and power as the former Su Baera and went against him would he be able to defeat her.

    The king¡¯s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a voice he knew all too well, laughing and mocking him, saying ¡°Oh great Datubo, king of the Uha Tamunaran who fears the power of a small frail girl¡±.

    ¡°Show yourself now Niyanlafu¡± said the king before Niyanlafu revealed him, appearing before the king¡¯s throne.

    ¡°Hello again Datubo I see you¡¯re still going along with this foolish plan of yours. Did you honestly think that by having her read a book she would be able to travel to Dumo Kiri¡± said Niyanlafu while laughing the king¡¯s idiotic plan.

    ¡°Why are you here Niyanlafu?¡± said the king, annoyed and displeased with Niyanlafu¡¯s presence.

    ¡°The same reason as last time, to warn you, the Su Baera¡¯s is not someone that should not be underestimated and that was proven today by the level of power the girl could reach from simply tapping in to the power of the Su Baera for a brief moment, you should be able to understand how much powerful she could be if she fully masters all the power the wings of the Su Baera bestowed upon her¡± said Niyanlafu.

    The king upon hearing what Niyanlafu said understood that he did have reason to worry as the power he felt from within Ibaeran and the way it keep rising was indeed a valid reason to worry for it meant that if Ibaeran was able to control and master the powers of a Su Baera she would unstoppable, a force so great, even the king and his great power, would not be enough to stop her.

    But the king was still determined to finish what he had started and claim the power he sought for and the desire and hunger for power far exceeded his fear and worry about the power Ibaeran possessed.

    ¡°I will admit the level of power that girl possesses is worrisome and can potentially be problem in the future *sigh* but I¡¯ve worked too hard on my quest for power to back down after coming so close¡± said the king.

    Niyanlafu just sighed before saying, ¡°power is like a fire, a little can light up a dark room, a little more provide warmth in cold home but too much can burn everything down¡±.

    ¡°I don¡¯t fear fire, I command it¡± said the king.

    ¡°No you don¡¯t, it commands you and if you¡¯re not cautious it will burn you along with everything you¡¯ve worked so hard to achieve¡± said Niyanlafu before disappearing, leaving the king who was still seated on his throne thinking about what he said.

 Chapter 24

    Ibaeran woke up lying on the bed in the room given to her by the king.

    Ibaeran the remembered how the king commanded her to travel to the Kiri Dumo and the tremendous power that flowed through her entire as she attempted to do as the king commanded.

    She remembered the way she felt as the power flowed through, it was a strange feeling, one that Ibaeran lack the words to describe.

    The power overwhelmed her and made her lose herself within, it raw and great for her to control and it kept rising and rising, reaching a level of power higher than most Uha Tamunarans and if allowed to continue to grow it might have even surpassed the king himself.

    Ibaeran at the moment realized the amount of power she possessed and it frighten because she had just realized that lying within her was power to bring down entire nations and if did not find away to master and control the power within she may end up destroying everything around.

    Ibaeran came out of her train of thought when she heard someone knock at the room door.

    Ibaeran then went to see who was knocking on the door, upon opening the door she saw a guard holding a tray of food for Ibaeran.

    It was the same guard ordered by the king to take Ibaeran away and bring her food once she was awake.

    ¡°The king instructed me to bring you food once you had awakened¡± said the guard.

    ¡°Thank you but how did you know I was awake¡± asked Ibaeran.

    ¡°My power as an Uha Tamunaran allows me to sense thing like when person is, hungry, tired, confused, sad, angry, happy, awake or sleeping¡± said the guard.

    ¡°Oh, what an interesting power¡± said Ibaeran never having heard such a power like the one the guard possessed.

    ¡°It¡¯s more of a curse than power¡± said the guard.

    ¡°Why?¡± asked Ibaeran, wondering why an Uha Tamunaran would see his very own power as a curse.

    ¡°My power allows me to sense whatever someone else it makes me unsure of what emotions are mine and which emotions are coming from someone else. In a single day I feel fear, rage, hatred, happiness, regret, sorrow, sadness and pain, and I don¡¯t know if those emotions are mine or come from someone else. I have never known what I truly felt about anything because of this power¡± said the guard.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what the guard said could help but feel sad for him as she couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine what it must feel like to live a life where you won¡¯t even sure of what you¡¯re feeling, the thought of such a life alone seemed miserable, she could only imagine how terrible it would be to actually live like that.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± said Ibaeran, softly.

    ¡°I know. I can sense it and thank you. Your feelings of sadness for me are more bearable than the constant feeling of fear, rage and hatred I constantly feel while I¡¯m within the palace walls¡± said the guard before handing Ibaeran the food and leaving.

    Ibaeran upon receiving the food went back to her room, thinking about what the guard said as she ate the food.

    She had never had never heard of Uha Tamunaran¡¯s power being a source of pain or sorrowing so the idea of an Uha Tamunaran experiencing and kind of pain due to their own power was foreign to her.

    She continued to think about the guard even after she had finished her meal, unable to begin to imagine what it must be like to possess a power that alienates you from yourself in such a way that you are unable to know what you¡¯re feeling, such a life in her mind would be a fate far worse than any form of death but yet that guard had managed to live with it for the entirety of his life till that very moment feeling emotions of different kinds unsure of which ones were his and which ones came from someone else.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    Ibaeran sighed deeply as thought more about the guard before hearing a knock at the door.

    Ibaeran then went to see who was at the door, this time it was the two maids, Minji and Finita.

    ¡°Oh it¡¯s you¡± Ibaeran, a bit surprised to see the two maids again.

    ¡°The king sent us to check up on you and see if you were alright¡± said Minji.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I just used the power of Su Baera for the first and I guess my body couldn¡¯t handle it¡± said Ibaeran.

    ¡°Power of any kind is not easy master and control; it took me and my sister a very long time before we learnt to control our own abilities¡± said Finita.

    ¡°You are right about that, when I used the power of the Su Baera it was too much for me to control and I ended up being overwhelmed by it. I still can believe all that power lies within me¡± said Ibaeran remembering how it felt using her powers as a Su Baera for the first time.

    ¡°Nobody ever forgets the first time the used their powers, for us Uha Tamunarans the first time of using ones power is as special being born¡± said Finita with a small smile on her face remembering the first time she and her sister first discovered and used their powers.

    Ibaeran then thought about the guard that brought food and then out of sheer curiosity asked, ¡°Can I ask you question about your powers¡±.

    ¡°What do you wish to know about our powers¡± asked Finita.

    ¡°Do they cause you pain of any kind¡± asked Ibaeran.

    The two maids upon hearing what Ibaeran said were shocked, wondering why she wanted to know if their powers inflicted and kind of pain to them.

    ¡°Why do you want to know?¡± asked Finita.

    ¡°I¡¯m just curious¡± said Ibaeran.

    The two maid then looked at each other, not entirely sure of how they could answer such question as it was a question that did not have straight forward answer to.

    ¡°Well, most Uha Tamunarans are born with abilities that inflict some level of pain or discomfort to them those that possess such abilities such as the ability to change forms and appearance which involves breaking down, restructuring and reforming of several body parts feel a great deal of pain whenever they use their abilities while most like me and my sister can make use of our powers and abilities without feeling any form of pain¡± said Minji.

    ¡°So your powers don¡¯t harm Uha Tamunarans like you two in anyway?¡± asked Ibaeran.

    ¡°Not exactly, it is true we don¡¯t feel any physical pain from using her powers but our powers like every other Uha Tamunaran is connected to our life energy and if we continuously use them within a short span of time we may harm ourselves and even die¡± said Finita.

    ¡°You mean to say, you two could die from over using your powers?¡± said Ibaeran, shocked to hear that Uha Tamunaran¡¯s great power, the thing made them feared by everybody within the four nations could kill them if they use it too much.

    ¡°Yes but only if we us continuously use within a short span of time¡± said Minji.

    ¡°I always thought that you Uha Tamunarans were unstoppable god like beings. I would have never believed that anything could end one of you much less your very own power¡± said Ibaeran.

    ¡°We are far from being gods for despite all the power and strength we may possess we have an equally or sometimes even greater flaw¡± said Finita.

    ¡°Does every Uha Tamunaran really possess some kind of flaw, even the king?¡± asked Ibaeran who was unable to believe that all Uha Tamunarans including the king had some kind of flaw.

    The maids upon hearing what Ibaeran said remained almost as though they were afraid of answering the question.

    ¡°We cannot answer such a question¡± said Finita.

    ¡°Why not?¡± asked Ibaeran, wondering why they could not give her answer.

    ¡°Because it would be safer for all of us if that question is never answer for the king would not hesitate to end the lives of anyone who attempted to answer it¡± said Minji.

    With that said the two maids left the room, carrying the now empty tray of food served to her by the guard who sense the emotions of the people around him but was left unsure which were his and which came from others.

    Ibaeran was now, once again left alone in her room, thinking about the Uha Tamunaran¡¯s and how they were different from the way she originally saw them back when she was just a slave.

    She thought about how the great powers the Uha Tamunaran¡¯s possessed could end their lives if they used too much of it, to think, the very power the Uha Tamunarans used oppress and subdue her people was their greatest weakness.

    Ibaeran also thought about the way the maids reacted upon hearing the question she asked about every Uha Tamunarans having a flaw of some kind including the king and what they said about the king ending the lives of anyone who attempted to answer such a question.

    Ibaeran, upon thinking about what the two maids said her fear for the king grew as she thought of the king being able to end someone¡¯s life just for attempting to answer a question greatly terrified her and made her realize just how easy it was for the king to get enrage and end a life.

    Her sense of fear for the king also worsened upon remembering what she saw upon entering the king¡¯s throne room, remembering the terrible and inhumane sight of seeing the dead bodies of the former governors and the king standing like a towing giant over her with his blood over hand, completely unfazed after taking so many lives.

    The king was indeed a cruel and heartless person who was capable of doing anything in order to achieve his goals, something Ibaeran was only beginning to fully understand at that very moment.

 Chapter 25

    Night soon came and the king, seated on his throne, was deep ithought, thinking about Ibaeran and the threat she possessed if she was somehow able to master the power bestowed upon her by the steel wings of the Su Baera.

    A guard then entered the room.

    ¡°You called for me my lord¡± the guard said while going down on one knee and bowing before the king.

    ¡°Yes, bring me the Su Baera¡± said the king.

    The guard then got up and left the room to get Ibaeran as the king instructed.

    While the guard was gone the king pondered a little more about Ibaeran and the power he felt coming from her, even though he had faced the power of a Su Baera before he had never felt anything quite like the power Ibaeran possessed, and the way the power kept raising was astonishing to him as he had never seen such a display of power before even from the former Su Baera which he only managed to defeat after a long and hard battle.

    Soon the guard returned along with Ibaeran who looked upon the king with a look of pure fear and terror.

    ¡°You asked to see me your majesty¡± asked Ibaeran, trying her best to hide her fear.

    ¡°Yes¡± said the king as he stood up from his massive throne and went to Ibaeran, with each foot step he made to her Ibaeran would felt her heart begin to faster and faster due to the overwhelming fear she had for the king.

    The king now stood in front of her with Ibaeran struggling to see his face due to his immense height.

    The king then bent down so he could Ibaeran¡¯s face before saying, ¡°You know what I can¡¯t stand above all else within my kingdom¡±.

    ¡°No, I¡­I don¡¯t know¡± Ibaeran stammered as she struggle to speak due to overwhelming feel of terror she felt as the king was now so close to her.

    ¡°Disobedience, I can¡¯t stand it. I am the king so everything and everyone should conform to rules; obey all commands given to them or face my wrath¡± said the king before grabbing Ibaeran with one of his massive arms.

    ¡°This morning I gave a command, for you to travel to Kiri Dumo but instead of doing so you decided instead to display your power as a Su Baera to me¡± said the king before he began to slowly crush Ibaeran with his massive fist.

    ¡°Please stop, have mercy¡± Ibaeran begged the king as she felt her bones begin to crack and break from within her.

    The king then flung her to the ground as she was nothing before saying to her, ¡°Know your place girl, you may be the new Su Baera but I am and will always be your king and even with the power you possess you are and will always be beneath me¡±.

    The king then called for a guard to get Ibaeran off the ground and carry her back to her room.

    Once Ibaeran was gone king sighed deeply, hoping his display of power would make Ibaeran doubt herself and the power she possessed as a Su Baera and maintain the immense fear she had for him, knowing that doing that was the only way he could keep her in line and maintain control over her.

    The king however feared that doing that may not even be enough, understanding the more time passed the greater the risk of Ibaeran mastering and understanding the power she possessed grew and he needed away to make Ibaeran get him the Dumo stone before he has a chance to fully master her powers.

    Ibaeran was taken back to her room and placed on her bed by the guard before leaving the room.

    As Ibaeran lied on her bed still unconscious her room door opened and shadowy figure black figure walked out and made its way to Ibaeran.

    Upon reaching Ibaeran¡¯s bed the figure bents down to her ear and whispered softly, ¡°Wake up Su Baera¡±.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Ibaeran, upon hearing the figures voice, acting on pure instinct woke, grabbed the figure by the neck and then, moving too fast for the figure to react, got up and pinned it to the wall.

    ¡°Who are you and what are you doing in my room?¡± were the first words uttered by Ibaeran before she began to examine the figure¡¯s appearance.

    The figure was an Uh Tamunaran man who looked like a strange combination of man and beast as he was covered from head to toe with black fur which were larger and thicker on its head, making him resemble a lion, with razor sharp on both his hand and feet along with a long tale that was covered as well with black fur.

    ¡°Impressive Su Baera, you¡¯re quick and alert, two qualities that make a fine warrior¡± the figure said before wrapping his tale around Ibaeran¡¯s waist and flung her back to the bed with it.

    Ibaeran, now on the bed, was about to get up but before she could the figure jumped and landed on top of her, pinning her to the bed.

    Ibaeran tried to free herself and push the figure off her but the figure was too strong for her to overpower.

    ¡°HEL¡­¡±Ibaeran¡¯s attempt to scream for help was thwarted by the figure wrapping his tale around her mouth and preventing her from screaming.

    ¡°Look, I know how things may seem being that a total stranger just snuck in to your room in den of night and is now currently on top of you but I assure, I¡¯m her to hurt you in anyway¡± said the figure.

    Ibaeran, upon hearing what the figure said calmed down but still did not trust the figure or his intentions for coming into her room so late at night.

    The figure, seeing the Ibaeran had calmed down, removed his tale from Ibaeran¡¯s mouth, allowing her to speak once more.

    ¡°Get off me¡± were the first words that came out of Ibaeran.

    The figure then got off Ibaeran and came down from the bed.

    Ibaeran, now free from the figure¡¯s hold, looked at the figure cautiously, wondering why he came to her room.

    ¡°Like I said before I¡¯m not here to hurt you Su Baera¡± said the figure.

    ¡°Then why are you here?¡± asked Ibaeran.

    ¡°To help you¡± said the figure.

    ¡°Help me, how?¡± asked Ibaeran.

    ¡°By training and teaching how to master and control the powers bestowed upon you by the steel wings¡± said the figure.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what the figure said looked at him with a shocked and confused expression on her face.

    ¡°Did the king send you here?¡± said Ibaeran, wondering if he was sent to her by the king.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t answer to that monster¡± the figure said with venom and bitterness in his voice as he spoke, shocking and confusing Ibaeran even more as she had never seen or hear anyone speak about the king of all Uha Tamunarans in such a manner before.

    ¡°If the king didn¡¯t send you, then why are you here?¡± asked Ibaeran.

    ¡°I told you, to teach you how to master and control your powers as a Su Baera¡± said the figure.

    Ibaeran remained silent for a few moments as she thought about everything the figure just said, he wanted to teach how to control the powers of the Su Baera and from the way he spoke about the king it was clear he wasn¡¯t fond of him.

    Ibaeran wasn¡¯t sure she could trust the figure especially after considering the fact that he snuck in to her room so late at night.

    ¡°Why do you want to train me?¡± asked Ibaeran, curious as to why the beast like Uh Tamunaran wanted to train her.

    The Uha Tamunaran was about to answer hear when he heard the footsteps a several guards making their way to her room.

    ¡°Come to the garden tomorrow night and I¡¯ll tell you¡± said Uha Tamunaran before jumping out the window, landing on one of the branches of one of might tall trees that grew within the castle¡¯s garden.

    Ibaeran could only watch as the shadowy figure ran on all four legs through the jungle like garden until he finally disappeared within the dark corns of the garden.

    The guards then arrived, opening the room door only to see Ibaeran standing next to the open looking at the guards with a confused look on her face as she was still trying to process everything that had that night.

    ¡°You alright Su Baera¡± one of the guards asked.

    ¡°I am but why are you here, in my room?¡± asked Ibaeran, wondering why the guards had come to her room.

    ¡°The king orders us to keep an eye on you and to protect you if you were ever in danger, calling you in his own words ¡®an asset too valuable to lose¡¯¡± said a guard.

    ¡°We heard strange sounds coming from your room so as per the king¡¯s orders we came to check and make sure you were alright¡± said another guard.

    ¡°Oh, alright then¡± said Ibaeran, understanding the guards were only obeying the orders given to them by the king.

    ¡°What was sound coming from your room¡± asked one of the guards and it was clear from the tone on his voice he was demanding answer.

    ¡°It was¡­¡±Ibaeran paused for a moment, wondering if she should tell the guards about the strange Uha Tamunaran that snuck in to her home.

    ¡°It was what?¡± asked the guard once again.

    ¡°It was me, I had a bad dream and couldn¡¯t sleep so I decided to open the window and get some fresh air¡± said Ibaeran, choosing to lie to the guards as she didn¡¯t want to say anything about the strange Uha Tamunaran that snuck in to her room as she was curious about him and wanted to know more about him before saying anything.

    The guards, upon hearing Ibaeran¡¯s story about having a nightmare, were satisfied and so they left.

    Ibaeran, now alone in her room sighed deeply before looking out the window once again, wondering just who was the strange Uha Tamunaran and why was he so interested in helping her master the power of the Su Baera.

 Chapter 26

    The next day, Ibaeran was called to the king¡¯s chambers.

    Once there Ibaeran stood before the towering giant that was the king of all Uha Tamunarans, seated on his mighty throne and looking down at her from it, as to him, due to his massive height, Ibaeran was comparable to an insect.

    ¡°You call for me your majesty¡± asked Ibaeran, summoning every ounce of strength she had to fight away the overwhelming feeling of fear she heart for the king in her heart.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve decided the fate of the four nations¡± said the king.

    ¡°What?¡± said Ibaeran, shocked and confused to her what the king said.

    ¡°What do you mean your majesty when you say you¡¯ve decided the fate of the four nations?¡± asked Ibaeran.

    ¡°The four nations are no longer any use to me. You humans may be extremely product and efficient in creating marvelous machines and tools of different kinds but you all are also weak, frail and pathetic when compared to the Uha Tamunarans and thanks to the time we¡¯ve spent with you all we¡¯ve learnt how to create the machines and tools ourselves, and so your value and worth have significantly reduced. If anything you humans cost more than your worth, why tell ten human slaves to do the work one Uha Tamunaran can manage alone¡± said the king.

    ¡°What does that mean for us humans¡± asked Ibaeran, fearing the worst for her people.

    ¡°It means the same thing as when every other thing out lives its usefulness, it is thrown away, discarded, or in some very special cases eliminated. Do you understand Su Baera¡± said the king.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what the king said bowed her head with fear and sadness in her heart, as she understood what the king was trying to tell her about the future of her people.

    Small droplets of tears then began to flow down from Ibaeran at that moment felt as though she had failed her duties as a Su Baera in protecting her people from the wrath of the king of all Uha Tamunarans.

    The king, upon seeing the look of sadness and despair on Ibaeran¡¯s face upon hearing that he was planning to eliminate her people as they were no longer useful to his Uha Tamunarans Empire, smiled.

    ¡°You know, I could be persuaded to let you weak and pathetic little human live¡± said the king.

    Ibaeran, upon hearing that there was a chance that her people could be saved, raised up her head.

    ¡°What would it take for you to spear the lives of my people?¡± asked Ibaeran.

    ¡°The same thing I asked of your people the very moment I conquered you human, the Dumo Stone¡± said the king.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what the king said bowed down her head once again, wondering how unearth was she going to get the Dumo Stone for him when she lacked control over her powers as a Su Baera.

    ¡°Your majesty, you have to understand. I just got this power and I have no mastery over it. I promise you I will deliver the stone to you but I just need more time to fully master my powers¡± said Ibaeran.

    ¡°Hmmm¡±, the king thought for a moment before saying, ¡°a month, I¡¯ll give you a month to travel to Kiri Dumo and retrieve the stone for me and if you fail to get me the stone before a month¡¯s time, you people will suffer a painful, slow and agonizing death¡± said the king.

    Ibaeran upon hearing the king could only bow her head down, agree to the king¡¯s terms, fearing that it she dared to say another word the king may do something to her or her people.

    ¡°You may leave, I expect you to be ready with my stone within the span of 30 days¡± said the king.

    Ibaeran then left the throne.

    Once Ibaeran was gone the king heard the sounds of someone clapping slowly.

    The king the sighed before saying, ¡°come out Niyanlafu¡±.

    Niyanlafu then appeared before the king¡¯s throne, slowly clapping at him with and amused look on his face.

    ¡°Well played Datubo, using her people to manipulate her in to doing your biding. Cowardly but an effective plan none the less, too bad that despite your careful planning this will all end up blowing up in your face¡± said Niyanlafu.

    ¡°Can anything positive ever come out of that filthy mouth of your¡± said the king.

    ¡°I speak only the truth your highness. That girl is a threat to everything you¡¯ve built and you¡¯re too blinded by your lust for power to see it¡± said Niyanlafu.

    ¡°She is only a threat if I give her chance to fully realize her power as a Su Baera. As long as I keep her distracted and focused solely on free her people and getting me the Dumo Stone she won¡¯t be a threat but rather my greatest tool¡± said the king.

    Niyanlafu just sighed before saying, ¡°You¡¯re a fool Datubo, a miserable, sad, power hungry fool. Try as you may eventually she will realize just how power she truly is and when that day comes this empire you built for yourself will all come crashing down and you¡¯ll be left with nothing¡±.

    ¡°That day will come when the sun refuses to set¡± said the king.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    ¡°Stranger days have come and a dark day when the sun refuses to shine will be no acceptation¡± said Niyanlafu.

    The king upon hearing what Niyanlafu said just sighed before saying, ¡° Are you done because if you are you may leave, go back to the queen which you serve and adore like a foolish loyal dog¡±.

    Niyanlafu just smiled at the king before saying, ¡°I serve her because she deserve it for she possesses power far greater than anything you or any other mortal can or will ever possess¡±.

    ¡°Then I will be the first mortal surpass her power with an even greater power¡± said the king.

    Niyanlafu just smiled and nodded his before saying, ¡°My queen, throughout the existence of this world and many of the other worlds has had only one rival, her equal in both power and strength, and that rival is not, cannot and will never be you Datubo¡±.

    Niyanlafu, with those words said began to slowly disappear in a black cloud surrounding him.

    ¡°You are a fool in every sense of the word Datubo, a foolish man who wants to be a god¡± said Niyanlafu before disappearing completely within the darkness of the dark cloud, leaving the king alone to think about everything he told him.

    The king then sighed before saying, ¡°I don¡¯t care what that fool say¡¯s, I will obtain a power far greater than any man or god and become a supreme being above all, even the queen of pure chaos¡±.

    The king was determined to gain power above all else, so much so that he was blinded and could not see beyond his lust for power, Niyanlafu¡¯s words were in did true because at that moment the king was truly a blind fool and a mortal man who sought be become a god.

    Ibaeran stayed in her room for the rest of the day with thoughts of what the king said about the fate of her people flooding her mind.

    Her people¡¯s fate was now in her hands but she feared she wouldn¡¯t be enough to save them as to do that she would have to do something that was next to impossible at that very moment.

    She would have to somehow, learn to master and control the power of the Su Baera, retrieve the Dumo Stone from Kiri Dumo and then give to the king but how could she do all that within the span of a few months.

    Night soon fell and as the dark shadow of the night sky consumed everything in the land Ibaeran remembered the strange Uha Tamunaran that came to her room the night before.

    He had told her that he wanted to train and help her master the powers of the Su Baera bestowed upon her by the steel wings but she wasn¡¯t entirely sure she could trust him.

    Ibaeran then looked out the window, remembering how the Uha Tamunaran told her to meet him in the garden, wondering if she should indeed go and see him.

    The Uha Tamunaran seem strange, unlike the rest of the other Uha Tamunarans in the palace, he spoke with confidence and without an ounce of fear in him, he openly exhibit his anger and quite possibly even hatred for the king through the way he spoke about him, calling the king a monster, a word she had only associated the king with only in the realm of her mind.

    But what was even more stranger about the Uha Tamunaran was his attitude towards her, it didn¡¯t seem like he minded or even care that she was human or the Su Baera, he spoke to her like a normal person, even though the circumstance were not the best of ones.

    There was no doubt her mind that the Uha Tamunaran was indeed peculiar and unlike the others but Ibaeran still couldn¡¯t help but wonder why an Uha Tamunaran who have any intention of training her if he wasn¡¯t sent by the king as the king was the only Uha Tamunaran who seemed interested in the power of Su Baera.

    Ibaeran, wanting to know more about the Uha Tamunaran from last night and if he truly could help control the powers of the Su Baera, decided to meet him in the garden.

    Ibaeran, in the den of night, then silently came out of her room and made her way out of the massive Uha Tamunaran palace and in to the garden.

    Once there, Ibaeran wondered through the massive forest like garden, seeing trees that seemed tall enough to touch the night sky and flowers of different kinds, colored beautifully by nature.

    Ibaeran could help but lose herself to the overwhelming beauty of garden for a brief moment before remembering why she had come to the forest in the first place.

    Ibaeran then began to wonder through the massive garden, not entirely sure where she was going, yelling out, ¡°I¡¯M HERE UHA TAMUNARAN!!!!!!¡± but was only answered by the definite silence of the garden.

    Ibaeran, after a while of wondering through the forest, grew tired, thinking that Uha Tamunaran would not come and her coming to the forest was just a waste of time.

    Ibaeran just sighed, thinking about how she might have to learn how to control the power of the Su Baera on her own and within the limited time of a month no less, a task seemed next to impossible the girl to perform.

    But then, just as she was about to leave, she heard something moving about through the forest.

    ¡°Hello, who¡¯s there¡± Ibaeran said cautiously.

    She then caught a glimpse of a mysterious black shadow moving about through the on all fours, like some kind of animal, moving too fast for her eyes to keep track of.

    The mysterious shadowy creature circled around her, hidden by the shadows of the massive trees in the garden and moving far too fast for Ibaeran to see clear, before charging straight for Ibaeran at lightning fast speed and struck her with its razor sharp claws.

    Ibaeran yelled out in pain upon being scratched by the mysterious shadowy figures claws before falling down to her knees.

    Ibaeran felt her back bleeding and was pain due the wound inflicted upon her by the creature claws; she then heard the mysterious shadowy creature moving about through the forest, once again circling around her.

    She would sense that it was about to strike and with it being about to move at speeds her eyes could not comprehend and being cloaked by the shadow of the trees, she was very vulnerable.

    Her only hope was for her to, how be able to move and react faster than the beast could attack but she doubted would be able to do that, remembering her fast the creature moved before attacking, she could barely see its shadow much less move out of its way before it attacked.

    Ibaeran then heard a voice whispering softly in her ear, the same voice she heard whisper to her when she was fighting the Uha Tamunaran possessed warrior in the tournament, saying, ¡°Tell me Ibaeran are you really going to give up now? After coming so close and doing what no warrior before you could. Is your story truly going to end her, in a garden while being attack by a beast that can¡¯t even look in the eye?¡±

    Ibaeran, upon hearing the voice then got back up.

    The voice had remind her of something she seemed to have forgotten, she had come too far and fought hard in too many battles to be taken down by a beast who only attacked from the shadows.

    Ibaeran then took in a deep breath and as she did so she felt the power of the Su Baera flow through her entire body and as the power flowed through her it heal her of the wound on her back inflicted on her by the beast.

    The beast then attacked, once again moving at lightning fast speed but this time Ibaeran caught it by the neck before it could strike her with its claws.

    ¡°Well done Su Baera, you passed your first lesson¡± the beast spoke with a familiar voice which Ibaeran immediately recognized as the Uha Tamunaran from the previous night.

    Ibaeran then, annoyed and slightly enraged by the Uha Tamunaran who attacked her, threw him straight in to a tree.

    ¡°Ouch, I think you broke something¡± said the Uha Tamunaran who was currently on the floor next the tree Ibaeran threw him in to.

    Ibaeran then approached the Uha Tamunaran with a serious look on her face before saying, ¡°Who are you and what you want from me¡±.

 Chapter 27

    The Uha Tamunaran, now standing on his two feet, upon hearing the question Ibaeran asked and seeing the look of seriousness on her face, simple asked, ¡°Can you fly yet?¡±

    Ibaeran upon hearing what the Uha Tamunaran said looked at him with a look of shock and confusion, unable to understand why he would ask her such a strange and bizarre question.

    ¡°How on earth is me being able to fly relevant in this situation?¡± asked Ibaeran, annoyed and at the verge of losing her temper.

    ¡°It is very relevant because to answer one of your questions I will need to know if you can fly¡± said the Uha Tamunaran.

    ¡°Why?¡± asked Ibaeran, why the Uha Tamunaran needed to know if she could fly.

    ¡°Do you want your questions answer or not?¡± asked the Uha Tamunaran

    Ibaeran just sighed, knowing that she would have to go along with him and answer the Uha Tamunaran¡¯s bizarre question if she was to get him to answer her own.

    ¡°I can¡¯t¡± said Ibaeran, begrudgingly answering the Uha Tamunaran¡¯s question.

    ¡°Oh, that complicates things quite a bit but, oh well, I think I manage¡± said the Uha Tamunaran, pondering to himself, confusing Ibaeran even more with his behavior.

    ¡°My name is Tonja¡¯Ofurinama but for the sake of simplicity you may call me Ton¡¯Onama¡± said the Uha Tamunaran.

    Ibaeran upon hearing the Uha Tamunaran¡¯s name, thought that it was strange even for and Uha Tamunaran.

    ¡°And as for your second question, I can¡¯t answer it with mere words but I can show you¡± said Ton¡¯Onama.

    ¡°What do you mean by you can¡¯t answer with mere words?¡± asked Ibaeran, wondering why he couldn¡¯t just answer directly.

    ¡°If I tell you my reasons for wanting to help you, you may not believe me and because I need you to trust me and my intentions it would be easier if I just showed you¡± said Ton¡¯Onama.

    Ibaeran thought about what the Ton¡¯Onama said and had to admit to help that he did indeed have a point, Ton¡¯Onama did not make quite a good first impression on her due to the fact that their first encounter with each other was late at night while she was unconscious on her bed and when she came to see him in the garden like he requested he attacked her, she would be a fool to blindly believe anything Uha Tamunarans without doubt or question.

    ¡°Just how do you intend on showing me?¡± asked Ibaeran, wondering the Uha Tamunaran wished to show her his reasons for choosing to help her.

    ¡°Like I said, I can¡¯t tell but if you let me, I can show you¡± said Ton¡¯Onama as he extended his hand to her.

    Ibaeran hesitated at first but eventually accepted, curious to know more about the strange Uha Tamunaran and why he was so keen on helping her.

    Ton¡¯Onama upon receiving Ibaeran¡¯s hand just smiled at her before saying, ¡°Thank you for giving me a chance. I promise I would waste it¡±.

    Ton¡¯Onama then, without warning, lifted and carried Ibaeran off the ground with his bear black fur cover hands.

    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± asked Ibaeran, shocked, worried and confused as to why Ton¡¯Onama had lifted her from the ground.

    ¡°Please just trust me¡± said Ton¡¯Onama.

    Ibaeran, just from looking in his silver eyes as he spoke and saw something shocking, it was a look of desperation and Ibaeran wasn¡¯t sure why but upon seeing that look of desperation in his eyes she felt safer and more at ease with the strange Uha Tamunaran.

    Ton¡¯Onama upon seeing that Ibaeran had calmed down said to her, ¡°Hold on tight and try not to look down¡±.

    Then, before Ibaeran could even utter a word to question what he meant by ¡®hold on tight¡¯, the Uha Tamunaran leaped and in a single bound went high enough to reach the night sky before falling back down to the ground outside the castle gates.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± asked Ton¡¯Onama; worried that he might have somehow hurt her as they came back down to the ground.

    ¡°I¡¯m alright¡± said Ibaeran, who perfectly fine as Ton¡¯Onama made sure to hold on to her tightly but yet gently enough for her to feel somewhat comfortable on his arms, preventing her from getting hurt in anyway.

    ¡°Good¡± said Ton¡¯Onama with a smile on his face before leaping in to the sky once more; holding Ibaeran tightly and making sure she was safe did so.

    Ton¡¯Onama continued leaping until he and Ibaeran had left Nigerona and arrived at another city.

    The city greatly resembled Ijawana from the Nation of the South with broke down house and people wondering about in the streets looking miserable and helpless with a few of them not even having the luxury of having a roof above their heads but the strangest part was that every single person there was an Uha Tamunaran.

    ¡°What is this place?¡± asked Ibaeran looking at the city and the sorry state of those within it.

    ¡°Welcome to Kiripapaboa, also known as the land of those deemed useless by the tyrant known as the king¡± said Ton¡¯Onama with bitterness in his voice as he spoke about the king.

    Ibaeran watched the way the Uha Tamunarans were struggling, barely having any food to feed themselves and slowly dying away, some of them were so hungry that they were even eating dirt and stones of the ground just to sustain themselves, some had no homes or a roof of any kind to put above their heads and were exposed the harsh elements.

    Ibaeran upon witnessing the Uha Tamunarans struggling in a state that was equal to that of her people couldn¡¯t help but feel sad for them and wonder how and why they were in such a state.

    ¡°Come along, there is more to see¡± said Ton¡¯Onama as he led her in to the city.

    As they roamed around the city streets Ibaeran saw even more of the sad state the city and its people were in, people selling whatever that could as little as a few grains of rice and a cup of water, helpless and homeless children roaming about the streets scavenging, begging and even stealing anything they could put in their mouths to satisfy their hunger.

    ¡°This place is where Uha Tamunaran the kings deems too weak to serve him call home. The Uha Tamunaran kingdom provides nothing for them and they are forced to fight and struggle for scraps, that¡¯s if they can find any¡± Ton¡¯Onama.

    Ton¡¯Onama then led to her to special spot in the city where they saw a couple of young Uha Tamunaran children playing.

    ¡°Ton¡¯O¡± one of the children, a young girl with red skin girl and said upon spotting Ton¡¯Onama along with the rest of the children.

    The children then rushed toward where Ton¡¯Onama and Ibaeran stood, gathering around Ton¡¯Onama with smiles on their faces.

    ¡°What did you get us?¡± asked the red skinned girl.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°Did you bring food?¡± asked a boy who looked like he was only made up of skin and bones, being so thin that he looked more like a skeleton than a boy.

    ¡°I don¡¯t really care if you brought food or anything for us I¡¯m just happy that you came to visit, we missed you¡± said another boy who seemed to have no bones at all as his body was made up of only flesh and skin causing his body to shake and wobble like gelatin.

    Ton¡¯Onama just smiled at the children before bending down to their level and saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry little ones, I¡¯m afraid I came empty handed today but I brought a friend¡±.

    The children then looked at Ibaeran with a look of both shock and astonishment as they didn¡¯t think that anybody apart from Ton¡¯Onama would want to come to Kiripapaboa.

    ¡°Ton¡¯Onama, who is she?¡± asked the red skinned girl.

    ¡°A friend¡± said Ton¡¯Onama.

    ¡°Why did she come here?¡± asked the boneless boy.

    ¡°Because she needed to see something¡± said Ton¡¯Onama while looking at Ibaeran before turning back the children.

    ¡°Alright kids, I need to continue showing this lovely lady around the city, you all can go play and I promise to get something for you all the next time I come visit¡± said Ton¡¯Onama.

    ¡°Promise¡± all the children said in unison, wanting to make sure Ton¡¯Onama kept their promise.

    ¡°Promise¡± said Ton¡¯Onama.

    The children then left and resumed their play, leave Ibaeran and Ton¡¯Onama alone.

    ¡°Who are those children?¡± asked Ibaeran.

    ¡°The red skinned girls needed Kolar; she was born with the ability to change the color of anything, the skinny boy who looks like he¡¯s made of only bones with little to no flesh is Etar, he was born with the ability to be able to eat anything from rocks and stone to stainless steel, even extremely harmful things like poison without being harmed in anyway, and the boneless boy is Felesh, born without any bones but can twist and stretch his body in to various shapes. I come to visit them along with people in the city, I try my best to help them out with whatever I can but no matter how much I do it¡¯s never really enough to alleviate their pain¡± said Ton¡¯Onama.

    Ibaeran, upon hearing what Ton¡¯Onama said, turned to look at the children as they played together; they were busy playing a game where Kolar and Felesh would compete against and try to get a piece stone in to Etar¡¯s wide open mouth.

    Felesh stretched and twisted his fingers to form a sling shoot which he used to throw the stones at Etar, aiming at his mouth, Kolar on the other hand, used her powers to change the color of the things around her to turn the color stone she held to resemble that of bread, in order to deceive Etar to catch and eat the stone.

    Kolar was the one that won in the end as Etar, knowing ful well that stone was not food, still caught the stone, hoping that the flavor of the stone changed along with its color.

    ¡°Oh come on Kolar, you cheated¡± said Felesh, annoyed that he lost.

    ¡°No I didn¡¯t, I just changed the color of the stone, Etar was the one who jumped and caught it¡± said Kolar with smile on her face.

    Ibaeran upon seeing the way the children laughed and played each couldn¡¯t help but smile, forgetting for brief moment that they were Uha Tamunarans and seeing them as no more than children.

    ¡°Charming little things aren¡¯t they¡± said Ton¡¯Onama upon seeing the smile on Ibaeran¡¯s face as she watched the children play.

    ¡°Why did you bring me here?¡± asked Ibaeran.

    Ton¡¯Onama, upon hearing what Ibaeran said just sighed before saying, ¡°So you can understand that both Uha Tamunarans and humans alike are suffering under the king¡¯s rule¡±.

    ¡°But why?¡± asked Ibaeran, unable to understand why Ton¡¯Onama wanted her to see the Uha Tamunarans suffering.

    Ton¡¯Onama then glanced at the children who were still playing before saying, ¡°do you know what it means to be the Su Baera, to possess the power you currently possess¡±.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what Ton¡¯Onama said remained silent and simply just watched the children play alongside him.

    ¡°As the Su Baera you inspire hope not just to the nations of man but also to the Uha Tamunarans. The great burden of protect this world and those we live in it, be it man or Uha Tamunaran, is yours and yours alone to bear, our fates rest in your hands¡± said Ton¡¯Onama.

    ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡± asked Ibaeran.

    ¡°It¡¯s because I, the nations of man, and the Uha Tamunarans cannot continue to live like this, under the rule of a man power hungry mad man. So please Su Baera, I, the nations of man and Uha Tamunarans alike need your help, we need you to put an end to the king¡¯s reign¡± said Ton¡¯Onama.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what Ton¡¯Onama said could not believe what she just heard, an Uh Tamunaran, pleading with her to put an end to the king of all Uha Tamunarans.

    ¡°But he is your king¡± said Ibaeran.

    ¡°And these are my people and I owe them much more than I owe that mad man wearing a crown¡± said Ton¡¯Onama.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what Ton¡¯Onama said looked around the city, seeing the sorry state it was in under the king¡¯s rule as the people were deemed worthless by him because of nothing more than the power they were born with.

    It was truly sad and sorry sight to behold, and Ibaeran was trying her best not to shed a tear of the people, understanding their pain as she remembered her life as a slave and the hardship she had to face everyday like so many of her people.

    Ibaeran then took a deep breath before saying, ¡°I truly wish I could help you people but I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t. The king¡¯s power far outclasses my own and on top of that I lack control of my powers as a Su Baera¡±.

    Ton¡¯Onama upon hearing what Ibaeran said couldn¡¯t help but smile a little before saying, ¡°A wise man once said that a warrior¡¯s greatest strength is his mind and heart, the mind opens the warriors eyes to the many possibilities including that of failure but the heart pushes the warrior to continue fighting even when they can see clearly, the possibility of failure and if a warriors listens to one and ignores the other failure becomes less of a possibility and more of a certainty¡±.

    ¡°Wise words¡± said Ibaeran.

    ¡°Indeed they are, so tell me Su Baera, as a warrior, why do you choose to listen to your mind alone and not your heart?¡± asked Ton¡¯Onama.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what Ton¡¯Onama said just remained silent, confirming what he said was indeed the truth with her silence.

    Ton¡¯Onama then sighed once more before saying, ¡°if training is what you lack I can help train you on how to control the power within you *sigh* and I won¡¯t demand anything from you afterwards. My only wish is that once you have full mastery of your power Su Baera you will choose to use it to free us all from the rule of our wicked king¡±.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what Ton¡¯Onama said looked at him with a look of shock and confusion; he was willing to train her without her having to offer something in return with his only request being for her to choose to help free them all from the king.

    Ibaeran then turned to look at the strange Uha Tamunaran that stood next to her, speechless and wondering how an Uha Tamunaran, beings she and her people had learned to fear, could be so kind and caring, at that very moment the Uha Tamunaran seemed more than any person she knew.

    ¡°I can¡¯t make any promise you know, the king¡¯s power is greater than anything I¡¯ve ever seen and I don¡¯t know if I can face it even with the power of the Su Baera¡± said Ibaeran.

    ¡°And you don¡¯t have to, you are not under any obligation to help free us from him, I know you only became the Su Baera for the sake of your people and not the Uha Tamunarans, your duty is to them and not us, and I respect that. All I¡¯m asking of you is, please, if you¡¯re willing, to fight for us as well¡± Ton¡¯Onama.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what Ton¡¯Onama sighed just sighed deeply before saying, ¡°Can you please, take me back to the palace¡±.

    Ton¡¯Onama then simply nodded his head before slowly lifting her off her feet and then leaping high in to the sky, making his way back to Nigerona with Ibaeran on arms.

    They arrived back inside the garden in royal palace.

    Ibaeran and Ton¡¯Onama went their separate ways, with Ton¡¯Onama going the small cabin within the garden and Ibaeran making her way back to her room in the palace.

    Ibaeran was still trying to process and come to terms with everything Ton¡¯Onama, as the sight of Uha Tamunarans of people suffering under the rule of their very own king was a sight she believed she would never see and having witnessing it for herself had no words describe what she felt at that moment.

    Pity, a word she never believed she would ever associate with the Uha Tamunarans much less use it to describe what she felt for them, was the only thing she feel for the Uha Tamunarans she saw in Kiripapaboa.

    Ibaeran was once a slave to the Uha Tamunarans, she had suffered under them and even lost Preyina, her closest friend, someone she loved and cared for with all her heart to the Uha Tamunarans, most people put in the position she was in would laugh with joy in their hearts, enjoying seeing the Uha Tamunarans by the hands of their own king but to Ibaeran there was nothing to laugh about, to her what she witness in Kiripapaboa was fate far worse than anything she and every other human being had ever had to face in the hands of the Uha Tamunaran because humans suffering under the Uha Tamunarans was different and far more humane than Uha Tamunarans suffering under their fellow Uha Tamunarans.

    Ibaeran at that moment forgot that there was a clear distinction between the Uha Tamunarans and humans, and saw them both as equal suffering under the same wicked king.

    Ibaeran wanted to help both Uha Tamunarans and the humans but then she remembered the king¡¯s power and how it was greater than all Uha Tamunarans, even greater than the Su Baera that came before her and her power may not be enough to go against the king.

    Ibaeran had a chance to free her people but she risks losing it if she choose to fight for both her people and Uha Tamunarans as if she wasn¡¯t powerful enough she would fall to king a like the Su Baera before her, destroying whatever hope her people had of being free.

    Ibaeran, now lying on her bed thinking about what she was going to do, ether she try to save only her people and let the Uha Tamunarans continue to suffer under their king or fight for both the Uha Tamunarans and her people and risk losing the only hope her people have on being free if she failed.

    Ibaeran sighed deeply while thinking about the dilemma she had found herself in, having to choose between saving her people or risk her people¡¯s freedom while trying to save both her people and the Uha Tamunarans.

 Chapter 28

    The next day Ibaeran was called to meet the king, once there she saw him seated upon his mighty throne looking down on her like an insect that he was about to crush underneath his boot.

    ¡°You¡­you wanted to see me your majesty¡± said Ibaeran as she bowed down her head while trying her best to hide any signs of the overwhelming fear she felt while being the presence of the king.

    King just smiled; amused by the fact the Ibaeran still feared him and the fact that was still trying to hide her fear from him.

    ¡°Yes, I just wanted to remind you that you only have a mouths time before I paint the streets of all four nations red with your people¡¯s blood¡± said the king.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what the king said felt heart skip a beat, knowing that he was serious about ending the lives of her people and with all the terrifying rumors she has heard about him and the level of cruelty she had witness him display to his very own people, she had no doubt in her mind that he would be more than capable enough to end the lives of every single soul in the four nations with hesitation or even an ounce of remorse, a fact that filled Ibaeran with a strange mix of fear, hatred and disgust for the king.

    ¡°This is the first day out of the thirty days you have to get me the Dumo Stone. I just want you to know I¡¯ll be count every single day that passes and the thirtieth day if you haven¡¯t brought me the Dumo Stone, I will fire rain down upon the four nations, wiping out every single one of your kind from earth and leave only behind their ashes be scattered about by the wind¡± said the king before getting up from his throne and then going down one knew so he could look Ibaeran in the eye.

    Ibaeran looked at the king¡¯s one good eye which shone with green like glowing emeralds as he looked at her with a look that sent chills down her spine.

    ¡°Do you understand Su Baera¡± asked the king.

    Ibaeran felt heart begin to race, pounding harder than a beating drum as she heard the king speak before taking in a deep breath, comporting herself as she tried to hide the ever growing fear she had for the king.

    ¡°I¡­I understand¡± Ibaeran voice cracked as she spoke, feeling the immense weight on her should, the fate of her people was in her hands and if she were to fail they would all pay for her failure with their lives.

    ¡°Good, you may leave now¡± said the king as returned to his throne.

    Ibaeran then left the kings chambers.

    The smile formed on the king¡¯s face as he watched Ibaeran leave, knowing that all he had to do was wait for thirty days to claim his prize, the Dumo Stone, and once he acquires it he would have power over life itself, the ultimate power.

    Datubo¡¯s thoughts of acquire the ultimate power were soon interrupted by a voice saying, ¡°I bet you think you¡¯re really clever Datubo¡±.

    The king, upon hearing the voice, just sigh in annoyance as he already knew who it was.

    ¡°Niyanlafu, show you spineless coward¡± said the king, with annoyance and irritation.

    A cloud of darkness then appeared before the king.

    ¡°Look who is calling a coward and spineless, a king who is so terrified of the power of a girl so much so that he has to blackmail her with the threat of ending the lives of her people if she refuses to do what you ask of her¡± said Niyanlafu as he emerged out of the cloud of darkness.

    ¡°I fear no one, much less a little twig even if she possesses the power of the Su Baera¡± said the king.

    ¡°If that is the case why threaten her with the lives of her people?¡± asked Niyanlafu.

    ¡°I only did that because I was tired of waiting, the ultimate power is at my grasp and I refuse to let it slip away from my fingers¡± said the king.

    ¡°Denial of fear is one of the greatest signs of foolishness Datubo¡± said Niyanlafu.

    ¡°I fear nothing¡± said the king, wanting to make it abundantly clear to Niyanlafu that he feared nothing.

    ¡°Yes and that¡¯s the reason you will fall in the end¡± said Niyanlafu with a wicked smile before disappearing in to the cloud of darkness he emerged from.

    Once Niyanlafu was gone the king was once again left alone with Niyanlafu¡¯s final words echoing in his mind causing him grind and grunt out of annoyance and rage.

    He refused to believe the words Niyanlafu spoke about him fearing Ibaeran and the power she possessed as the Su Baera after all he had no reason to fear, he was the king of the Uha Tamunarans, feared across the land for being the most powerful Uha Tamunaran to walk the earth and believed to be the only being powerful enough to not only match the Su Baera in strength and power but also the only one to end the life of a Su Baera.

    With everything he had achieved, the empire he built through fear and spilling the blood of those who tried to oppose him, all the power he gain after defeating and ending the lives of his enemies, the king had little to no reason to fear a little seemly worthless and pathetic girl like Ibaeran whose presence he only tolerated because of the power of the Su Baera she now possessed but yet a part him understood that he had to be cautious with her, remembering the massive level of power he felt from her the first time she tapped in to the power of Su Baera, the power was overwhelming and just kept rising and rising, if he hadn¡¯t acted quick it might even surpassed his.

    The king was no fool and understood that Ibaeran might be a threat if she learnt how powerful she truly was and what she would be capable of if she ever learnt how to control the power she now possessed.

    The king knew it was a dangerous game he was playing that was why he continually mounted pressure upon her by threaten the lives of her people while also reminding her about how insignificant and pathetic she was when compared to him.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    He knew he was playing with fire and if he didn¡¯t tread carefully he would get burnt but the king was stubborn and too blinded by his determination and hunger to claim the ultimate power.

    Ibaeran made her way back to her room, once there she went to the window and looked at the garden down below, her mind clouded with thoughts of the king and what he would do to her people with her if she could find away to travel to Kiri Dumo and get him the Dumo.

    Ibaeran just sighed as she felt the overwhelming pressure resting on her shoulders; the countless lives of the people living as slave under the Uha Tamunarans were on the line and now that she was the Su Baera it was her responsibility to protect those lives but how could she when she lacked control and mastery over her powers as a Su Baera.

    Ibaeran then thought about Ton¡¯Onama and how he had offered to help her but also remembered how he requested for her to help put an end to Datubo¡¯s reign, a feat she doubted she would ever be able to accomplish but his offer to help was unconditional and he said he would do so even if she refused to stop Datubo.

    Ibaeran was considering going to him for help but she questioned his motive behind him helping her, there seemed to be nothing he would be getting out of it in return even his request for her to put an end to Datubo¡¯s reign was optional, this made her doubt his intentions as Ibaeran found it hard for Uha Tamunaran to be able to help someone who was an Uha Tamunaran without having some kind of ulterior motive behind it, even if she was the Su Baera.

    Ibaeran¡¯s thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.

    Ibaeran then went to answer it and upon opening the door she found none other than Finita and Minji standing outside her room holding a tray of food.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you two¡± said Ibaeran upon seeing Finita and Minji.

    ¡°The king told us to bring you something to eat and to tell you that if you need anything that will help you in mastering your power all you have to do is ask¡± said Minji.

    ¡°Thank you¡± Ibaeran said with a warm smile on her face before accepting tray of food from the two maids.

    A thought about Ton¡¯Onama then flashed in her mind, making her wonder if the two maids could tell him anything about who he was and what possible motivation he might have want to help her and why he hated the king so much.

    ¡°Would you two by any chance know anything about an Uha Tamunaran known as Ton¡¯Onama?¡± asked Ibaeran.

    The maid paused for a moment, thinking the name of the Uha Tamunaran Ibaeran mentioned before Minji said finally said, ¡°Are you by any chance referring to Tonja¡¯Ofurinama¡±.

    Ibaeran simply nodded her, remembering that Tonja¡¯Ofurinama was the name Ton¡¯Onama called himself before telling her to call him Ton¡¯Onama for simplification.

    ¡°Hmm, we don¡¯t know much about him, he has been here longer than we have and he is a bit of a mystery. He lives in a small house in the garden so we just presumed him to be the gardener or one of the king¡¯s servants assigned to tend to the garden but however there is a rumor that is believed by most of the servants and guards within the palace walls about him being king¡¯s nephew¡± said Finita.

    ¡°Nephew, as in the son of a sibling of the king but that would mean¡­¡± Ibaeran stopped midsentence, realizing that if Ton¡¯Onama was Datubo¡¯s nephew then the royal blood of the Uha Tamunaran Empire flowed through is vein making him basically a prince.

    ¡°It¡¯s only a Tamunaran rumor but nobody knows for sure, he¡¯s a mystery who has never talked to anyone and has never been seen within the palaces walls¡± said Minji.

    ¡°Su Baera¡­if I maybe so bold to ask, how did you come to know about Tonja¡¯Ofurinama and¡­ why did you call him Ton¡¯Onama instead of Tonja¡¯Ofurinama¡± Minji ask with a shy and nervous voice, scared that she might upset Ibaeran with her question.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what Minji said looked at her a bit taken aback by the way she spoke to her so shyly and timid with hints of fear as she spoke, reminding her of the way slaves would often speak to the Uha Tamunaran masters.

    Ibaeran now felt so comfortable talking with them that she seemly forgot they were Uha Tamunarans and she was merely a human being, the two Uha Tamunaran however had not forgotten that she was the Su Baera and so they were cautious about the way they spoke to her, only speaking when asked or spoken to and terrified to ask any questions, just like the slaves often behaved with their masters.

    Ibaeran, even though she was a bit shocked by the Minji asked her question, sighed, knowing she had to provide an answer as to how she knew Ton¡¯Onama and why she called him Ton¡¯Onama instead of Tonja¡¯Ofurinama as she didn¡¯t want the king to hear about it, at least not until she knew more about Ton¡¯Onama and the relationship he shared with the king.

    ¡°I just heard his name somewhere in the palace, probably being whispered by a few servants or maids and I became curious, and as for me calling him Ton¡¯Onama, I must¡¯ve misheard it¡± said Ibaeran, hoping that it was a convincing enough lie to fool the two Uha Tamunaran maids.

    The first thing Ibaeran heard was a faint sigh of relief from Minji before Finita finally spoke up, saying, ¡°My apologies if my sister spoke out line, she sometimes has trouble controlling what comes out of her mouth¡±.

    ¡°It¡¯s quite alright, thank you again for the food¡± said Ibaeran before stepping back in to her room with the tray of and the shutting the door behind her.

    After eating, she retreated back in to her thoughts, thinking about Ton¡¯Onama and what the two maids told her about him, how he was a complete mystery and the rumor about him being the king¡¯s nephew.

    If the part about him being the king¡¯s nephew was indeed true that would explain his hatred towards the, remembering how he spoke with bitterness and hatred whenever he spoke about the king, like a snake spitting out venom Ton¡¯Onama had nothing good to say about the king, and if the rumors of how the king killed every single one of his sibling the ensure his seat on the throne and Ton¡¯Onama was the son of the siblings the king murder in cold blood that would justify his hatred towards the king but that wouldn¡¯t explain his attitude.

    Ton¡¯Onama was a strange Uha Tamunaran; he seemed more gentle and kinder than the other Uha Tamunarans she had encountered both as a slave working on the fields and the new Su Baera within the palace walls, in fact the only sign of enmity or hatred presented in him was aimed solely at the king himself and it wasn¡¯t blind rage, fueled by the desire to seek vengeance, it was a rage that seemed to have direction and purpose, from what she saw last night Ton¡¯Onama¡¯s anger towards the king did not seem to come from a simple desire for revenge but because of the horrible state the people Of Kiripapaboa were in.

    She could still picture it in her mind, the horrendous state of the people, they had nothing, living by on scraps and barely having the strength to draw a single breath with eyes void of hope and joy of any kind as they reflect the their broken souls.

    Ibaeran then remembered the children she met in Kiripapaboa and how they were the only people there that seemed like they were actually happy which might have only been because of Ton¡¯Onama.

    Ibaeran could see the hurt in his eyes as he looked at the them and the rest of the people living their wretched and miserable lives as best they could, it broke his heart immensely, Ibaeran could tell from the sadness in his eyes as he watched them all.

    Ton¡¯Onama indeed was a mystery that seemed to go against everything she once believed the Uha Tamunaran were, he was kind, caring and understanding especially when it came to his people, qualities she would have never in her entire life believed she would ever associate with an Uha Tamunaran of all people.

    Upon coming to the palace, meeting and interacting with the Uha Tamunarans that stayed within the castle walls Ibaeran had found her view on the Uha Tamunarans slowly begin to change but Ton¡¯Onama was the only one that had managed to change her views on the Uha Tamunarans enough to actually make her empathize and feel sorry for them.

    Ibaeran then sighed as she stopped thinking about Ton¡¯Onama and the situation she was currently in, she had to find a way to gain control over her powers and retrieve the Dumo Stone for the king otherwise he would wipe out her entire people.

    Ibaeran then remembered Ton¡¯Onama¡¯s offer to help train her and even though she didn¡¯t still fully trust him she currently didn¡¯t have much of a choice, she needed to master her powers and save her people and Ton¡¯Onama was her best chance in doing so.

 Chapter 29

    Ibaeran made her way to the garden wanting to meet Ton¡¯Onama so he could help her fully master her power as going to him was the only option she was presented with and the only way she could possibly think of to save her people, so despite the fact that she still had her doubts about the strange Uha Tamunaran and his intentions for wanting to help she could not afford to refuse his offer as they were too many lives on the line.

    Ibaeran roamed about through the soft grass cover ground, her eyes moving about, looking for a glimpse of Ton¡¯Onama moving about through the corners of the tall trees in the garden, her ears listening attentively to every sound coming from the garden hoping to hear his feet racing through the garden¡¯s grassy floor.

    ¡°TON¡¯ONAMA!!!!¡± Ibaeran yelled out, hoping that Ton¡¯Onama would hear her and come to her.

    She continued yelling his name as she made her way deep in to the garden, only stopping once she heard something from the trees above her head.

    Ibaeran then looked up to see what made the sound so high up on the trees only to see a shadowy figure jump down from the trees the moment she raised her head.

    Ibaeran, seeing that the falling figure was falling towards her, quickly moved out of the way, ducking before it could reach her.

    The figure collided on the ground where Ibaeran once stood before standing on its feet.

    Ibaeran then slowly got up and upon doing noticed the figure and upon seeing its black fur and mane that made it resemble a lion realized who it was.

    ¡°You¡¯re quick on your feet, good¡± said Ton¡¯Onama as he made his way to Ibaeran.

    ¡°Must you attack me every time I come looking for you¡± asked Ibaeran with an annoyed look on her face.

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t an attack, it was a test. If I wanted to attack you I would have done something like this¡± Ton¡¯Onama said before, without warning, launching his hand with his claws fully extended out straight for Ibaeran¡¯s face.

    Ton¡¯Onama claws however, never made contact with Ibaeran as he stopped his hand mere inches away from her face.

    Ibaeran stood there speechless, her heart racing from fear and shock with her eyes fixed on the razor sharp claws inches away from her face which seemly just appeared in the blink of an eye.

    ¡°That¡¯s disappointing¡± said Ton¡¯Onama before putting his hand away.

    ¡°You¡¯re too slow and if that were a real attack, that pretty face of yours would be as good as gone. Looks like I have my work cut out for me¡± said Ton¡¯Onama.

    Ibaeran upon hearing everything Ton¡¯Onama said looked at him with a look of both shock and confusion.

    Ton¡¯Onama just sighed before saying, ¡°What? I said I was going to train you did I? I mean that is why you¡¯re here right?¡±

    Ibaeran just nodded her head slowly before saying, ¡°I need to master my powers before a mouth time¡±.

    ¡°A month but why so soon?¡± asked Ton¡¯Onama.

    ¡°The king, he told me that if I don¡¯t get him the Dumo stone within a month¡¯s he would end the lives of everyone within the four nations¡± said Ibaeran.

    Ton¡¯Onama upon hearing what Ibaeran said spoke with bitterness and disgust in his voice, saying ¡°Leave it to that spineless power drunk fool to go as far as resorting to black mail to get what he wants¡±.

    Ton¡¯Onama then sighed before turning to Ibaeran and saying, ¡°I take from your desperation to want to master your power before a month¡¯s time you¡¯re not planning on fulfilling my request to put an end to the king¡¯s reign¡±.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what Ton¡¯Onama said couldn¡¯t help but feel ashamed and guilty as she had known that both Uha Tamunarans and humans alike were suffering under the oppressive boot of the mighty king Datubo but she was choosing to only protect her people.

    ¡°I¡­I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t risk the lives of my people fighting a battle I¡¯m not sure I can win¡± said Ibaeran with her head bowed down, feeling the full weight of shame on her shoulders.

    Ton¡¯Onama upon hearing what Ibaeran had to say just sighed before walking up to her and placing his hands on her shoulders, making her feel uncomfortable and a little sacred that he would her due to her in willingness to help free the Uha Tamunarans.

    ¡°I get it, you¡¯re afraid of fighting a battle you can¡¯t win and risk the fate of you people. I don¡¯t blame you after all the king has blinded everyone with fear that¡¯s why no one dares to utter a word against¡± said Ton¡¯Onama, a bit disappointed by Ibaeran¡¯s decision.

    Ibaeran, upon hearing what Ton¡¯Onama said sense of relieve as it didn¡¯t seem like he was angry with her decision not to help the Uha Tamunarans but at the same time she couldn¡¯t help but feel even more ashamed and guilty, feeling like she was failing as the Su Baera for not helping the Uha Tamunarans but what was she meant to do, risk the fate of her people fighting for both them and the Uha Tamunarans or take the only chance she has to freeing her people.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s begin your training¡± said Ton¡¯Onama.

    ¡°Just like that?¡± said Ibaeran, taken aback at how eager he was to start her training.

    ¡°Yes, just like that. A month¡¯s time isn¡¯t much so we will need to start your training right away¡± said Ton¡¯Onama.

    Ibaeran stood silent for a minute as Ton¡¯Onama casual attitude still felt strange to her as she still hadn¡¯t fully come to terms with the fact that he was an Uha Tamunaran and yet he was treating her humanely with memories of the horrible way her masters treated her and the rest of the people enslaved by the Uha Tamunarans, making her ponder to herself even more about why Ton¡¯Onama seemed much more kinder and gentler than other Uha Tamunarans.

    Ton¡¯Onama upon seeing Ibaeran face just chuckled lightly before saying, ¡°Are you coming, the sooner we get started the sooner you people will be save¡±.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what Ton¡¯Onama said snapped back to reality, realizing that she didn¡¯t have time to question Ton¡¯Onama¡¯s character or motives behind him wanting to help her, her biggest priority right now was to her people and so for their sake she will have to ignore every single fiber in her being that was telling her to be weary of Ton¡¯Onama and trust because he didn¡¯t have much of a choice in the matter, her people¡¯s lives were on the line and if it meant they would be finally safe and free from the Uha Tamunaran, she would put her trust in Ton¡¯Onama.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Ibaeran then took a deep breath, not knowing what exactly she was getting herself in to before following Ton¡¯Onama, praying and hoping she was making the right decision.

    Ton¡¯Onama led Ibaeran to a special spot in the garden where stood a massive boulder rest beside a tree.

    ¡°For your first lesson, I want you to lift that boulder¡± said Ton¡¯Onama as he pointed at the boulder resting on beside the tree.

    ¡°You want me to lift that?¡± said Ibaeran with a look of shock and disbelief as she used her eyes to examine the boulder, it was massive, so large that she doubted that even ten of the strongest warriors from across the land could come close to lifting it.

    ¡°Yes, it shouldn¡¯t be a challenge for the great Su Baera after all, according to the legends the strength of the Su Baera is so great that it could level an entire mountain with little to no effort¡± said Ton¡¯Onama.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what Ton¡¯Onama said looked at her hands, remembering the brief moments she had managed to tapping in to the power of the Su Baera although she did so unwillingly and without an ounce of control, she could not deny the power she felt, immense and raw, like nothing she had ever felt, that power was within her and if Ton¡¯Onama¡¯s words had an ounce of truth in them then that would meant she had barely scratched the surface with her power.

    Ibaeran, after taking a moment to think, took a deep breath before approaching the boulder and began to lift it but however, the boulder seemed to be too heavy for to lift because no matter how much she tried to lift it, the boulder still remained planted firmly on the ground.

    Ton¡¯Onama watched as Ibaeran continuously tried to lift the boulder, chuckling and giggling with each and every failed attempt she made much to Ibaeran¡¯s annoyance.

    Ibaeran, despite the constant chuckling and giggling from Ton¡¯Onama, remained undeterred, summoning ever single once of strength she could muster to try and lift the boulder before finally, after exhausting herself of all the she had, fell to the ground and panting profusely from exhaustion.

    Ton¡¯Onama upon seeing that Ibaeran was now on the ground drained of all her strength just sighed before walking up to her.

    ¡°You know you¡¯re going about this the wrong way right¡± said Ton¡¯Onama as he offer his hand to her to help her back up on her too feet.

    Ibaeran although hesitant at first, accepted his hand and allowed him to pull her back up on her feet.

    ¡°What other way is there?¡¯ asked Ibaeran.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, you¡¯re the Su Baera, you tell me¡± said Ton¡¯Onama.

    Ibaeran looked at Ton¡¯Onama with a look of confusion, unable to understand what he meant by his words.

    Ton¡¯Onama upon seeing the look of confusion in her face just sighed before saying, ¡°You really don¡¯t know how you¡¯re powers work do you?¡±

    ¡°If I did I wouldn¡¯t need you to train me now would I?¡± said Ibaeran.

    ¡°Fair point¡± said Ton¡¯Onama with a slight smile on his face before walking towards the boulder.

    ¡°The reason you can¡¯t lift that boulder isn¡¯t because you lack the strength and power to do so, it¡¯s because you have the power to do it but you can¡¯t quite get it out¡± said Ton¡¯Onama as he grabbed hold of her hand and then guided her back to the boulder before placing the hand he held on the boulder.

    ¡°Power like that of the Su Baera¡¯s can¡¯t be forced out, it has to come out from within and to bring it out you¡¯ll have to dig down deep in yourself and find it¡± said Ton¡¯Onama.

    ¡°So how do I do dig down deep into myself?¡± asked Ibaeran.

    ¡°Close your eyes and reflect, think about who you are, your journey everything that led you to this point, see yourself through your own eyes¡± said Ton¡¯Onama.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what Ton¡¯Onama said just sighed before closing and began to think about her life, starting from her time as a slave working in fields for her Uha Tamunaran masters, Preyina, her death and the promise she made to her, training with Bafuro, all the battles she had to fight and finally claiming the steel wings and becoming the Su Baera, she had come along way and upon remembering how far she had come she couldn¡¯t but feel a sense of pride in herself for had managed to do what so many warriors before her couldn¡¯t, she successful claimed the power of the Su Baera, giving hope to not just her people but herself as well for a better tomorrow, one where they were free from the Uha Tamunaran.

    Ibaeran upon remembering all she had accomplished so far couldn¡¯t help but smile and upon doing she felt it, the power that lied within her, the raw and immense power of the Su Baera.

    She felt the power flow through her entire body, it felt nothing she had ever felt before, it power felt pure and peace but yet at the same time Ibaeran could feel the raw and immense fury it possessed.

    Ibaeran then grabbed hold of the boulder which, much to her shock, felt incredibly light like, like a feather or a small speck of dust, she could lift the entire boulder with little to no effort at all.

    Ton¡¯Onama watched with a smile on his face as seeing Ibaeran¡¯s display of strength as she lifted the boulder gave him hope.

    Ibaeran could not believe it, the power most say was the equivalent of that of god; great enough to shake the entire and break the heavens above her head, were at her finger tips but then she began to think about the king and his terrifying power, fearing that even though the power she possessed was great I was nothing when compared to the king¡¯s as his power was great enough to end the life of the Su Baera that came before her.

    As Ibaeran¡¯s mind began to fill up with fear full thoughts about the king and how her power was nothing when compared to his she felt the power of the Su Baera begin to fade away and as it did she lost the strength need to lift the boulder so the boulder she held so firmly on hands began to get heavier and until she felt the crushing weigh of the boulder about to crush and flatting her right on the ground on which she stood but just as it was about to do so Ton¡¯Onama rushed in and with a single wipe from his razor sharp claws reduced the boulder to nothing bit small bits of rock and stone.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± asked Ton¡¯Onama as he went to Ibaeran to see if she was alright.

    Ibaeran just bowed down her head in shame and disappointment as she remembered the immense power she had just felt flow through her and instead of holding on it, for the good of her people and the four nations, she lost it just as quickly as she felt it.

    Ibaeran couldn¡¯t understand why she could hold on to the power as she felt it coursing through every fiber of her being, feeling her with strength and power she could barely fathom, only to lose it all.

    Ton¡¯Onama seeing the look of disappointment and shame in Ibaeran¡¯s face just sighed before saying, ¡°Don¡¯t blame yourself Su Baera, power like that yours isn¡¯t something that can be mastered overnight. It will take time¡­¡±

    Ibaeran stopped Ton¡¯Onama before he could complete his statement by saying, ¡°time is exactly what I don¡¯t have. My people and the four nations are counting on me and if I can¡¯t master this power I won¡¯t be able to save them and the more time I waste trying to master my power the closer they are to their deaths¡±.

    Ton¡¯Onama, upon hearing what Ibaeran said just sighed before saying, ¡°You are more powerful and capable than you know. You already accomplished so much and fought in so many battles so why do you continue to doubt yourself and your abilities. The wings chose you for a reason, you are far stronger that you know and until you realize that fact, you won¡¯t be able to master you powers and save you people¡±.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what Ton¡¯Onama said remained silent as she thought about all she had done to reach the point where she currently was, her loss, her training and the battles she had to fight through, it wasn¡¯t an easy battle but she made it through it all and claimed the power of the Su Baera, giving her and her people hope for better days to come, one where they would be free from the oppressive reign of the Uha Tamunaran.

    Ibaeran then crushed her hand into a tight fist, refusing to let everything she had gone through to reach this point in her life be for nothing, her people were counting on her and she didn¡¯t want to fail them and make a mockery of all the faith and hope they had for her in being their savior, she had come too far to fail now.

    Ton¡¯Onama just smiled as he saw the look of shame in Ibaeran¡¯s eyes now replaced with a fierce look of determination.

    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you have the unbreakable spirit of the Su Baera¡± said Ton¡¯Onama with a proud smile on his face.

    ¡°Now, for you next lesson¡± said Ton¡¯Onama with a smirk on his face.

 Chapter 30

    Ibaeran stood before Ton¡¯Onama with an unimpressed and annoyed look on her face as she had been watching him stretch and limber up almost as though he was getting for some kind of race.

    ¡°Are you done yet¡± said Ibaeran, unable to hide the annoyance in her voice as she spoke.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what she said instinctively shut herself up, remembering that even if he was helping her, he was still an Uha Tamunaran and if her experience as a slave had thought her anything, it was that she needed to mind what she said around them especially since she knew next to nothing about Ton¡¯Onama but if the little information she could find about him were true and he was related by blood to the king then he could be just like him.

    The thought of being so close to a person who could be exactly like that man that was willing to slaughter countless number of people in all four nations just to push her into doing his biding frightened her right down to her core.

    Ton¡¯Onama upon hearing what she said simply cracked his neck and his fingers like someone that was preparing for a fight before turning to Ibaeran.

    Ibaeran upon seeing him turned to face her feared that he him attack or lash out at her over what she said however, much to her shock Ton¡¯Onama just gave chuckle at her.

    ¡°Sorry about that, my body was just felt a little stiff that¡¯s all¡± said Ton¡¯Onama with a playful smile on his face.

    Ibaeran upon seeing the playful smile he wore on his face and the friendly way he spoke to her without an ounce of irritation or rage calmed down.

    ¡°Now then, you next lesson is simple one. All you have to do is run around the garden with me, and if you can keep up with my speed or even surpass it you pass¡± said Ton¡¯Onama with a smile on his face.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what he said thought back to when she had come looking for him in the garden the night before and he attacked her, remembering how fast he moved through the trees before striking her with his claws, Ton¡¯Onama moved too fast for her to see and was able to attack her and retreat back in to the trees before she could lay a single finger on him, now he wants her and him to run around the forest with her goal being to keep up and or surpass his speed, it sounded like an impossible task to her especially after witnessing how fast he could move first hand.

    ¡°Are you seriously asking me to race you, are you forgetting what happened last night?¡± asked Ibaeran.

    Ton¡¯Onama just smiled and nodded his upon hearing what Ibaeran said before saying, ¡°No, I remember every single detail of what happened last night including how you managed to catch me, grab me by the neck and throw me straight in to a tree¡±.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what Ton¡¯Onama said then began to remember how she had managed to briefly tap in to the power of the Su Baera to defend herself from Ton¡¯Onama¡¯s lightning fast attacks and also how she ended throwing him straight to a tree out of anger and annoyance upon discovering that he was the one who attacked her.

    ¡°Sorry about that, I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you¡± Ibaeran spoke softly with her head bowed down out of shame and embarrassment upon remembering how she sent Ton¡¯Onama flying straight in to a tree.

    Ton¡¯Onama upon hearing what Ibaeran said could help but chuckle lightly before saying, ¡°No need to apologize, I was the one who brought that unfortunate fate to myself by attacking you that night¡±.

    Ibaeran could stop herself from smiling a little upon hearing Ton¡¯Onama said only to stop once she noticed Ton¡¯Onama was looking at her out of fear that she might have offending him causing Ton¡¯Onama to just smile before nodding his head.

    ¡°Anyway if you can summon the strength and power you used against me that night you should have no problem matching me in speed or maybe even surpassing me¡± said Ton¡¯Onama.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what Ton¡¯Onama said remembered the power she felt flow through her entire body the night Ton¡¯Onama attacked her, immense and strong, the power of the Su Baera, the power that give her the power and speed she needed not only to match Ton¡¯Onama but also the strength she needed to sending him fly straight in to tree, could she really summon that power again.

    Ibaeran remembered how she summoned the power moments ago to lift the massive boulder that would take at least ten able men move, lifting like it was nothing, feeling the immense weigh on the palms of her arms and comparing it to that of a feather only to lose the power in an instant and almost be crushed by the weight of the massive boulder.

    She had the power in her fingers tips and just like that it was gone, her failure to sustain the power of the Su Baera made her doubt herself, fearing that she wouldn¡¯t be able to mast her powers in time before the king decides to slaughter her people.

    Ton¡¯Onama sensing Ibaeran¡¯s doubt placed his hand on Ibaeran¡¯s should before saying, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you still doubt yourself Su Baera. The power within you is yours to command and wield, don¡¯t doubt or hesitate just remember who you are and how far you¡¯ve come to reach this point. The power will come to you but only if you have faith in it and yourself¡±.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what Ton¡¯Onama said a little more confident in herself and the power within herself, and even though she was not entirely sure she would be able to summon and sustain the power of the Su Baera she was will to try her absolute best, there was far too much on the line for her to falter due to her doubts.

    Ton¡¯Onama smiled upon see Ibaeran¡¯s face lit up with fierce look of determination on her face.

    ¡°Shall we start?¡± asked Ton¡¯Onama.

    Ibaeran simply nodded her before she and Ton¡¯Onama went down on one knee as they prepared to race each other.

    ¡°Are you ready for this?¡± asked Ton¡¯Onama.

    Ibaeran then closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening her eyes back up and saying, ¡°I am¡±.

    Ton¡¯Onama upon hearing what she said could help but smile a little.

    ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s run¡± after Ton¡¯Onama said those words he and Ibaeran were off, running through the forest as fast as they could with Ton¡¯Onama wasting no time to leave Ibaeran in a thick cloud of dust behind as he ran.

    Although it was clear to Ibaeran that there was massive gap in speed between her and Ton¡¯Onama she still pushed herself to keep running, moving as fast as she could all in an attempt to reach Ton¡¯Onama but no matter her hard she pushed herself she could never close the gap between herself and Ton¡¯Onama.

    Eventually Ibaeran began to tire with her legs aching, her lungs burning as she struggled to breath, she began to reduce in speed as her feet grew tire with ever step she took, it hurt immensely as she felt her legs began to slowly give in to fatigue but still she kept running as quick and fast as her weak aching legs would allow, enduring the pain of exhaustion and continued but as she the pain in her feet grew and grew, her lungs continued to burn with her struggling to take a single breath. It soon became too much for her and after pushing herself, running for miles on end without being able to reach Ton¡¯Onama Ibaeran¡¯s vision began to get blurry and unclear, feet too weak to support her weigh and finally she collapsed on the grass covered fall.

    Ton¡¯Onama upon seeing Ibaeran had collapsed immediately stopped running and went to her aid.

    ¡°Ibaeran you okay?¡± Ton¡¯Onama asked with worry and concern, fearing that he might have pushed Ibaeran too hard.

    But as Ibaeran lied on the unconscious she couldn¡¯t help but thinking about everything she had been through, her struggles and how hard she had to fight to reach this point in her life and want failing would mean for her people, the lives of everyone in all four end all because she could master the power she had fought she hard to get.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    She then thought about Preyina her closest friend and how she had to watch her die in front of her eyes, she had failed to protect her from the Uha Tamunaran and she had to bear the pain of watching her die, back then she was weak and lacked the power to keep herself but right now, at that exact moment she had the strength, she had the power and even though she couldn¡¯t protect Preyina she would use the power she now possesses to protect her people, there was no way she would allow another soul to fall in the hands of the Uha Tamunaran.

    As thoughts about Preyina and how she needed to protect her people from the threat of the Uha Tamunaran raced through her mind she felt it, the power flow through her once again.

    Ton¡¯Onama , not to far from where Ibaeran¡¯s unconscious body laid, watched with utter shock and astonishment as Ibaeran¡¯s body began to glow with the overwhelming power of the Su Baera flowing through her.

    She then slowly got up, standing on her own two feet and then opened her eyes, and as she did so a surge of power so great it shock the ground underneath her feet and forced Ton¡¯Onama to take a few steps back, flowed out through her body.

    Then in the blink of an eye, before Ton¡¯Onama could take another step, Ibaeran was off, speeding passed Ton¡¯Onama at unbelievable speeds.

    Ton¡¯Onama, although taken aback a bit by Ibaeran¡¯s display of speed, couldn¡¯t help but smile, please to see that she was making progress in mastering her powers before chasing after her.

    As Ibaeran and Ton¡¯Onama raced through the garden, their roles seemed to have reversed with Ibaeran being the one ahead while Ton¡¯Onama was the one struggling to keep up and even eventually having to resort to running on all fours just to try to keep up with Ibaeran¡¯s speed but try as he may no matter how fast he ran he still could not keep up with her as Ibaeran kept increasing in speed with each step she took.

    Ibaeran couldn¡¯t begin to find the words to describe what she felt at that moment, the strength and power flowing through her entire body made her feel invincible, like there was nothing in the world that could hold her back, and with each step she took she felt more power flow through her, filling her with a drive to run even faster, wanting to know how much further she push herself and see just how powerful she could become.

    And as Ibaeran ran, seemly entranced by the overwhelming power flowing through her, Ibaeran did not notice the pair of silver steel wings appearing on her back and extending outward like that of a bird about to take flight.

    Ton¡¯Onama upon seeing the steel wings on Ibaeran¡¯s back stopped running, knowing that there was no use trying to outrun her as she had reached a level that far out classed him and with a proud look on his face the Uha Tamunaran stood still with eyes glittering with hope and astonishment as he watched as Ibaeran was about to feel, for the very first time, what it was like to be a Su Baera.

    The wings were now fully extended and with a simple flap from them Ibaeran¡¯s feet left the ground and was sent, along with the rest of her, flying straight to the sky.

    And upon noticing that she was no longer chained to the ground below Ibaeran couldn¡¯t help but smile and then laugh a little, feeling a sense of bliss and peace flow through her entire body before she began to soaring through the sky, flying higher and higher until she reached a point above the clouds and the sky itself that once seemed impossible to reach.

    Ibaeran, from that very height, was above all this in her world and upon looking down at flat sphere that was her world, seeing the massive ball of flames that was the sun shining brightly on one side and the dimly lit silver glowing moon on the other side, all four nations on the earth down below, the many cities within the nation and the people living there.

    She then thought about how every single one of the people living down below looked up to her as their savior and the hero meant to free them from the oppressive boot of the Uha Tamunaran and upon thinking about that Ibaeran remembered what was one the line if she were to fail and upon doings the nations down being slowly began to morph and change in to something truly horrific.

    The cities crumbled with its people yelling out in pain and agony as they were tortured to death by their Uha Tamunarans masters who no longer found any use for them, deeming them useless and unnecessary as such found it fit to end their lives in the most inhumane was possible and seated on his mighty throne was the king of all Uha Tamunarans, Datubo himself, watching with a wicked smiled as the four nations of man were reduced to ruins with piles upon piles of dead lifeless bodies of the people buried underneath the rumble.

    Ibaeran felt her heart begin to race out of fear upon seeing the future that was waiting for her people if she was to fail and as the fear within her began to grow the power of the Su Baera shrunk down until it left her completely and as it did, she felt the force of the world below drag her back down in to it.

    She began to fall, moving at twice the speed it took her to reach the height were she stood above it all and as she fell she watched as the nations began to slowly grow in size as her perspective of the world she saw when she was above changed to be how it was when she was within it.

    Ibaeran knew if she were to reach the grown from the height was currently plummeting it would be the end of her so she tried desperately to summon back the power of the Su Baera, trying to force it out as best as she could but not matter how hard she tried the power refused to come

    It seemed as though her fate was seal as she continued to fall straight down with no hope of being saved but as she fell she saw her entire life flash before her eyes, replaying the many roles she had played in her life, as slave girl, a friend, a student, a warrior and now the legendary Su Baera but her vision of the life she lived did not end there, she also saw deep in to the not so distant future of a world were all hope was gone, wear piles upon piles of dead lifeless bodies covered the streets and painting it red with the blood that oozed out of them, this was the grim fate that would be fall her people if she were to fail and Ibaeran upon seeing that remembered her mission and her duty as the Su Baera to her people.

    She couldn¡¯t just die like this, when her story as the Su Baera had only just began for she had fought and earned the power of the Su Baera, and she was going to allow herself fall, not after flying so high and right such a great height.

    Ibaeran upon remembering that she was the only hope of a better future for her people, the one that would ensure the tragedy that befell Preyina would never befall anyone else, she, using all her might, commanded the power within to come out and it obeyed.

    The steel wings reappeared; seemingly sprouting out of her back bathed in a divine light and stopped her from descending any further.

    Now that she had stopped falling the fear and panic she once felt slow disappeared and as it did she was able to bear witness of the world below her, now being closer she could see more of it and it was a grim.

    It was the same sorry sight she had seen more than a million times, slaves being beating to a bloody pulp for seemly minuscule offense, hungry homeless face roaming about the streets begging for simple scraps because they were deemed at being too useless by the Uha Tamunaran to be worth feeding or having a roof above their heads, the slave toiling all day for scraps and grains to little to fill their hungry bellies.

    A truly sorry and horrendous sight that would bring anyone to tears, and even though Ibaeran had seen this countless times and had gotten somewhat use to it after all she had been seeing it her entire life, this she felt different, not longer seeing the horrific sight as just another norm of the day but an inhumane, barbaric and unjust act, an act she couldn¡¯t possibly end with the power of the Su Baera.

    Ibaeran then slowly raised her hand, aiming it at the nations below, pondering on how if the power flowing through could be enough to put an end to the threat the Uha Tamunaran possessed on her people and as she did so her raised hand began to glow, ready to strike down the Uha Tamunaran with the immense power of the Su Baera, that is if she wished to.

    Ibaeran was tempted to strike the Uha Tamunarans, an act which she could easily accomplish with the power she now possessed, it would be so easy especially since they deserved it for the way the treated them all, slaving, tormenting and torturing them, treating them like cattle to be slaughtered and not caring that they were living breathing people, to them, they were nothing, they didn¡¯t care about them or lives so Ibaeran had no reason to care for them as well.

    But even though Ibaeran could easily reign down her fury as the Su Baera on the Uha Tamunaran and would be rightly justified to do so she couldn¡¯t bring herself to do it, even having watched an Uha Tamunaran take the life of her people too many times, whether directly or indirectly, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to do the same, remembering all the Uha Tamunaran she had met in the palace like Minji and Finita who were scared of her, the guard who was cursed with the ability to feel the emotions as others, Ton¡¯Onama who offered to help her master the powers of the Su Baera, though she still had her suspicions on why he offered to help her, and finally all Uha Tamunarans she saw Kiripapaboa and he bleak and sorry state they were.

    Seeing those Uha Tamunarans and how they were so similar to her and her people made her feel even less compelled to carry on with the act of using her powers as a Su Baera to make the all suffer a similar fate to as her people.

    In the end Ibaeran put her hand away as she couldn''t go through with the deed because, due the time she had spent with Uha Tamunarans; the way she saw them had changed, no longer seeing them as the barbaric conquers with godlike powers and more as regular people who just happen to born with unique abilities, seeing the only real difference between an Uha Tamunaran and a human being the power one side possessed and the power one side lacked.

    Ibaeran just sighed thinking it was for the best she didn¡¯t go through with the act, largely because she didn¡¯t feel right doing it and partly because she knew such an act would enrage the king and she doubted, even with the power of the Su Baera she would be able to match him in strength and power.

    Besides that, there was a better way to free her people that would require her to strike down anyone with her power, and that was to do what the king commanded, travel to Kiri Dumo and find the Dumo stone, at least that was what Ibaeran believed.

 Chapter 31

    Ibaeran made her way back to the garden; descend down elegantly to the grass covered garden floor.

    Ibaeran then sat on the garden¡¯s floor; her back leaned against a tree before she began to slowly drift away in deep thought, thinking about the power she now possessed and everything she could do with it with flashing back brief moment not so long ago, where she was tempted to use her power against the Uha Tamunarans that had oppressed and tormented her people for so long.

    Remembering how she wanted to make that pay and use the power of the Su Baera to inflict just as much pain to them as they did her people, a wicked deemed she would have gone through with if she hadn¡¯t stopped herself at the last minute.

    Ibaeran upon remembering her brief moment of temptation, where she was willing to 0use her power as make all the Uha Tamunaran who had made her people suffer to endure the same level of pain and torment as her people, she began to feel fear the power of the Su Baera, fearing that it may turn her in to the same kind of monsters the Uha Tamunarans that enslaved her people were.

    ¡°There you are, I was wondering when you would finally come down¡± a familiar voice brought Ibaeran out of her train of deep thought.

    Ibaeran then turned her head to the direction the voice was coming from and found none other than Ton¡¯Onama standing not too far away from her.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just you¡± Ibaeran spoke with a soft and tender voice before turning away from the black fur covered Uha Tamunaran.

    Ton¡¯Onama upon hearing the way Ibaeran spoke could tell that something was troubling her and so he went and sat down on the grassy garden floor next to her.

    ¡°What wrong Ibaeran?¡± asked Ton¡¯Onama with worry and concern emanating from his voice as he spoke?

    ¡°I¡­¡± Ibaeran stopped herself, unsure if she should reveal her fears to the strange Uha Tamunaran.

    Ton¡¯Onama upon seeing her hesitation just sighed before saying, ¡°I know you don¡¯t fully trust me Ibaeran and I can¡¯t blame, my race did enslave your people after all. It must not be easy for you being in the mist of the very people that has inflicted nothing but torment, pain and misery your kind and for that I¡¯m truly sorry. But please understand that I¡¯m not an enemy, I do not seek to harm or use Ibaeran, I simply want to help you but I can¡¯t do that if you don¡¯t trust me¡±.

    Ibaeran upon hearing everything Ton¡¯Onama said couldn¡¯t help feel a sense of sincerity in his voice as she spoke, enough to make her, against her better judgment, trust and be willing to upon up to him.

    ¡°I¡¯m scared¡± said Ibaeran softly.

    Ton¡¯Onama upon hearing what Ibaeran said just sighed before saying, ¡°fear is a normal thing especially for someone like the Su Baera who is staked with the overwhelming responsibility of protecting the world¡±.

    ¡°No, I mean I am scared of failing my people and dooming them all to be slaughtered but that¡¯s not what I fear right now¡± said Ibaeran.

    Ton¡¯Onama upon hearing what Ibaeran said became intrigued and curious to know what could frighten Ibaeran much more than the fear of failing to protect her people.

    ¡°Is it that foolish man with the title of king then?¡± asked Ton¡¯Onama wondering if the king was the source of all her fear.

    ¡°No¡± said Ibaeran softly as she thought about how the fear was feeling right now had nothing to do with the king and in some ways was even greater than her fear for the frightening king of all Uha Tamunarans.

    ¡°Then what is it?¡± asked Ton¡¯Onama wanting what could possibly frighten Ibaeran if not the king or the fear of failure.

    ¡°The power I now possess¡± said Ibaeran shocking greatly Ton¡¯Onama as he began to wonder why Ibaeran would fear her very on power.

    ¡°Why are you scared of your own power¡± asked Ton¡¯Onama.

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    Ibaeran then sighed before answering, ¡°When I flew high up, above the clouds and pass the sky¡¯s peak I saw the world differently, the massive nation, people and even the Uha Tamunarans all seemed so small, like ants on the ground underneath my feet and then I got closer to the nation was reminded of how I suffered and how my people are still suffering in the hands of the Uha Tamunarans. Seeing my people in the miserable state they were in, watching them from high up in the sky I felt something I¡¯ve never felt before, disgust and unrivaled rage enough to make me want to use the power of the Su Baera to make the Uha Tamunarans suffer just like they made my people suffer¡±.

    As Ibaeran spoke Ton¡¯Onama noticed the small droplets of tears forming in the eyes before they slowly made there was down her cheeks to the grassy ground below and upon seeing that he was able to understand the pain having to see her people suffer brought to her.

    ¡°I wanted to, I could have and I part of me still wants to¡­¡± Ibaeran sentence was cut short by Ton¡¯Onama saying, ¡°But you chose not¡±.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what Ton¡¯Onama looked at her hands before saying, ¡°This power is terrifying, I was so close to forsaking my humanity and becoming just as bad as the Uha Tamunarans that constantly oppress and torment my people¡±.

    ¡°But you chose not to and maintained your pure and innocent heart. Most people think that power alone is what makes a person a Su Baera, the strength to level entire mountains with a single blow, power great enough to shake and crack upon the earth, are all one needs to be warrior as great as they Su Baera but they are wrong. The Su Baera is a warrior of power but of peace, and to be that one has to understand and recognize the dangers of having power as great as the Su Baer. As what can protect can just as easily destroy¡± said Ton¡¯Onama.

    Ibaeran what Ton¡¯Onama said just sighed before saying, ¡°I know my decision restrain myself was right but at the same time when I think about what everything my people have had to face in the hands of those mon¡­¡±.

    Ibaeran stopped herself from completing her sentence upon remembering that she was currently talking to an Uha Tamunaran only to be taken aback by Ton¡¯Onama completing it by saying, ¡°Monster¡±.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what Ton¡¯Onama said just sighed before speaking softly, ¡°Yeah, monsters¡±.

    Ton¡¯Onama then took a deep breath before saying, ¡°You know there was a time when the idea of the Uha Tamunarans conquering the nations of man was an absurd one¡±.

    ¡°Really?¡± said Ibaeran, shocked to hear that there was a time Uha Tamunaran the think about conquering and enslaving her people.

    ¡°Yes, although it was very long time ago before the tyrant known as Datubo became king of the Uha Tamunarans. Don¡¯t get me wrong; the Uha Tamunarans weren¡¯t that peaceful, some may even say they were barbaric people who believed that might equaled right and the value of a person was solely determined by their level of power. Plus, there was always a Su Baera there to keep them in line in case they had and funny ideas¡± said Ton¡¯Onama.

    ¡°From the way you put it, it doesn¡¯t sound like much really changed apart from them not wanting to conquering the four nations, the Uha Tamunarans still value power above all else, isn¡¯t that why the Uha Tamunarans follow Datubo as there king¡± said Ibaeran.

    ¡°You¡¯re not entirely wrong, the Uha Tamunarans of now and then are still pretty similar in many ways but there¡¯s one notable difference between them. And that was, despite the fact that the Uha Tamunarans of old valued power; they valued their own kind even more. Uha Tamunarans with more power may have been higher in status to that of an Uha Tamunaran with lower power but the Uha Tamunaran with a lower power would still be entitled to his rights and dignity as an Uha Tamunaran, albeit, not with as much privilege as the Uha Tamunaran with higher power. In summary, no matter how powerful or weak you were as an Uha Tamunaran, you were still valued among other Uha Tamunarans as one of their own but now thanks to the mad man the Uha Tamunarans call their king any Uha Tamunaran with power the king doesn¡¯t deem useful has no value are deemed as worthless. Datubo was the one who wanted to enslave your people and not the Uha Tamunarans and whatever monster you perceive all Uha Tamunarans to be was created by Datubo and was not the will of any Uha Tamunaran¡± said Ton¡¯Onama.

    ¡°Why are you telling me all this?¡± asked Ibaeran wondering what Ton¡¯Onama was telling her some much about the Uha Tamunarans.

    ¡°To help understand that Uha Tamunarans aren¡¯t the monsters you perceive them to be. They, just like your people, are slaves, subject to a cruel dictator who values power above all else. In fact, if most of them had the choice in the matter I doubt they would have any interest in enslaving your people¡± said Ton¡¯Onama.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what Ton¡¯Onama said just sighed before getting back up and saying, ¡°The Uha Tamunarans aren¡¯t my concern right now, my people are, and to save them I have to master the power of the Su Baera as soon as possible¡±.

    Ton¡¯Onama upon hearing what Ibaeran said sighed softly before nodding his head with disappointment and then getting up.

    ¡°Fine, follow me¡± said Ton¡¯Onama as made his way deeper in to the garden with Ibaeran following him.

    As Ibaeran walked alongside Ton¡¯Onama she couldn¡¯t help but think about everything she said about the Uha Tamunaran and how they used to value their own over the level of power they possessed, she then remembered the Uha Tamunarans she saw in Kiripapaboa, remembering how the Uha Tamunarans their seemed just as hopeless if not more hopeless than her very own people.

    Ibaeran just sighed unable to believe that at that very moment she was beginning to feel pity for Uha Tamunarans with a part of her even wishing she could help them in some way.

    A part of her contemplated about using her powers as a Su Baera against the king but as they quickly as that thought came to her mind they quickly disappeared upon remembering the immense power the king possessed.

    Ibaeran just sighed, not wanting anymore and just wanted to focus solely on her mission to save her people.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± asked Ton¡¯Onama upon noticing that Ibaeran was lost in her train of thought.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡± said Ibaeran, snapping out of her train of thought and back in to reality.

    Ton¡¯Onama didn¡¯t really think much of it and simply continued to lead the way through the garden.

    Ibaeran then began to think about Ton¡¯Onama and how he was different from the other Uha Tamunarans she had met, he more open and not afraid to speak his mind about the king when every other Uha Tamunaran was too scared to even utter his name.

    She then thought about how she once believed the Uha Tamunarans were nothing more than heartless monsters that enjoyed tormenting and torturing her people but now perception of them had completely changed from them of monsters to that of people under the rule of a man who was much more deserving of the title monster.

    Ibaeran then sighed deeply before thinking about how, for better or worse, the way she the Uha Tamunarans had changed and whatever form of hatred and fear she had for them turned to pity and a little bit of sympathy as began to realize that both her people and the Uha Tamunarans were slaves of the same cruel king, forced to bend to his will or be crashed by his overwhelming power.

    This realization made Ibaeran feel a sense of disgust towards the king to the point where she was even considering going against him and actually fighting but she stopped herself, remembering that it wasn¡¯t her life on the line but the lives of every single human being within the four nations, not believing she was strong enough to go against the king directly without being crushed by his overwhelming power and dooming the lives of her people in the process.

    Following the king¡¯s orders was the only way, at least in her mind, to secure her people¡¯s lives.

 Chapter 32

    Ton¡¯Onama led Ibaeran to a large lake in the middle of the garden.

    Once there Ton¡¯Onama bent down and scooped a little bit of water from the lake with his hands and then drank it.

    ¡°There is nothing quite like fresh clear water to quench a dry throat after long day. Try some¡± said Ton¡¯Onama, inviting Ibaeran to try some of the water in the lake.

    Ibaeran, although a bit hesitant, decided to try some of the lake water.

    Bending down and then using her hands to scoop some of the water in to her hand and drank the water.

    It water tasted strange to her, having unique taste and flavor she could only describe as sweet, clear and cool as the clear liquid made its way from her mouth down to her throat.

    Ibaeran had never tasted water as pure or as fresh like the one from the lake before, as a slave all she was given to drink was brownish color liquid that had flavor that made swallowing dry dirt preferable than drinking it, and in her time in the palace, the water she was served was too pure and tasted to the point where the only indication she had something in her mouth when she drank it was the way the water moved, apart from that however there was no difference between the water in her mouth and dry air.

    Ibaeran was so intrigued with the taste of the water from the lake that she couldn¡¯t stop herself from drinking more and more water, scooping it down her throat like she was dying of thirst.

    ¡°Relax, you¡¯re drinking the water like it¡¯s some kind of divine nectar¡± said Ton¡¯Onama with an amused smile on his face, finding it hilarious how Ibaeran was busy gulping down water so though it was the sweetest of wine.

    Ibaeran finally stopped drinking, after having her feel and satisfying her thirst for the clear refreshing lake water.

    ¡°That was¡­incredible¡± Ibaeran spoke while gasping for air after having drinking so much without taking a moment to breath.

    ¡°You talk as though you had refresh water before¡± said Ton¡¯Onama.

    ¡°No, I¡¯ve never had water quite like this. From my time as a slave I was given a brown bitter liquid they claimed to be water and from my time in the castle the water was clearer but it had no taste or flavor compared to this. This is my first time of having something so refreshing¡± said Ibaeran.

    ¡°I wish I can say I¡¯m surprised but knowing that man we have as king removes every single ounce of shock I would have otherwise had of how sad what you just said is¡± said Ton¡¯Onama as he got up and then looked down at the lake, seeing the beauty of the lake as it reflected the vast blue sky above their heads with Ibaeran doing the same, standing by Ton¡¯Onama¡¯s side and looking down at the lake.

    ¡°Beautiful isn¡¯t it¡± said Ton¡¯Onama with a smile on his face.

    ¡°Yes, the lake really is¡­¡± Ibaeran was stopped midsentence by Ton¡¯Onama saying, ¡°Not the lake the person in it¡±.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what Ton¡¯Onama said then realized he was talking about the reflection on the lake, her reflection.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call her beautiful¡± Ibaeran spoke with her head bowed down.

    ¡°And why not?¡± asked Ton¡¯Onama.

    ¡°Because she isn¡¯t, she¡¯s just simple¡± said Ibaeran.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with being simple?¡± asked Ton¡¯Onama.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what Ton¡¯Onama said remained silent, unable to find or think of any word she could use to reply.

    ¡°If simple girl like her could fight as many battles as she just to claim a power as great as the Su Baera so she could be able to save her people then this world would have been in a much better state that is today if they were more simple people like her in it¡± said Ton¡¯Onama as he bent down to get a closer look at Ibaeran¡¯s reflection.

    ¡°She¡¯s strong but she doesn¡¯t know it, allowing her fears to dictate every action she takes and failing to recognize just how powerful she truly is. That is the only flaw I can find in this girl¡± said Ton¡¯Onama before turning away from the lake and looking directly at Ibaeran.

    ¡°She has the potential to be something truly great, a protector to all but yet she holds herself back¡± said Ton¡¯Onama.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what Ton¡¯Onama said felt a wave of shame and guilt wash over because even though she may say otherwise, part of her knew that there was truth in his words, even though it was a truth she was fear too scared and hesitant to believe.

    ¡°I thought you brought me here to train me not babble on about a reflection on the lake¡± said Ibaeran, not wanting to here another word about her, her power or her potential.

    Ton¡¯Onama upon hearing what Ibaeran said just sighed before saying, ¡°Very well, let¡¯s get right down to the lesson shall we¡±.

    Ton¡¯Onama the shifted his gaze right back to the lake before saying, ¡°You see that lake, I want you make it all the way to the other side by walk across it¡±.

    ¡°What?¡± said Ibaeran upon hearing what Ton¡¯Onama told her to do?

    Ton¡¯Onama just smiled upon seeing the shocked looked on Ibaeran¡¯s face upon hearing the seemly impossible task he had just asked her to do.

    ¡°You are now the Su Baera, a being able to reduce entire mountains in to rubble with just a single blow, torch the very heavens above our heads and able to shake the entire world with your raw power alone. Why should you fear a task as simple as walking on the surface of a lake?¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s an impossible task¡± said Ibaeran.

    ¡°Impossible? But that shouldn¡¯t be the case for the Su Baera because the Su Baera is the living embodiment of the impossible as everything you can do is far beyond what any man or Uha Tamunaran can¡± said Ton¡¯Onama.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what Ton¡¯Onama looked at her hands, feeling the overwhelming power of the Su Baera within her and then remembering the incredible things had accomplished moments ago, lifting a boulder many times her size and then taking to the skies and seeing the entirety of the world for what it was, high above it all, after doing so much just a few moments ago who was she to detain what she could or could not, for the power felt flow through her immense, raw and overwhelming, and she knew not the limit of she could do with it.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll try to do¡± said Ibaeran causing a smile to form on Ton¡¯Onama¡¯s face.

    Ibaeran then looked at the lake, taking in a deep breath and then raising her feet to take the first step, upon sinking her feet in to the surface of the lake she felt go down to the bottom like anything normally would.

    Ibaeran upon seeing her feet now soaked in the lake just sighed, even though she didn¡¯t believe she could actually do something as unfeasible as walk on water, she still felt disappointed in herself upon failing to accomplish the feat she deemed as impossible.

    Ton¡¯Onama just smiled and nodded his head unsurprised by Ibaeran¡¯s failure to accomplish the task.

    ¡°Tell me Su Baera, when you took to the sky what did it feel like¡± asked Ton¡¯Onama.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what Ton¡¯Onama said just sighed before taking a moment to think about the way it felt when she first took flight, remembering the overwhelming power that flowed through as the steel wings manifested themselves and extended out before her feet along with the rest of her body slowly began to detach from the earth down below.

    She remembered the overwhelming feeling of bliss and freedom that washed through her as she soared through the sky; it felt like she was unhinged like she could do anything.

    ¡°Cannot put it in to words but at that moment I felt truly free in every sense of the word¡± said Ibaeran.

    ¡°Good, and get your feet off the water and try again but this time remember that feeling and hold on to it¡± said Ton¡¯Onama.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what Ton¡¯Onama said what just sighed before following his instruction and focused on the way she felt when she flew for the first time, remembering the wind as it blew against her, thrill and rush she felt as she continued soar high and high in to the sky, the overwhelming power that flowed through, thrusting her higher and higher until she flew past the sky itself.

    Ibaeran remembered it all and held on to the overwhelming feeling of freedom that washed over her as she flew, and as she did so, she felt it, the power of the Su Baera manifesting itself once again through her.

    Ibaeran then took a deep breath before extending out her feet once again to take another step but this time, as her feet made contact with the ground, it didn¡¯t skin down, no, it stood firm, almost as though it was still stepping on hard earth.

    Ibaeran looked down to the lake in shock, unable to believe what she had just done before taking another step, which, upon doing so, like that last, her feet stood firmly on the water¡¯s surface.

    Ibaeran couldn¡¯t stop herself from smile on upon seeing what she had just accomplished before turning to look Ton¡¯Onama who just looked at her before saying, ¡°What are you looking at, get going¡±.

    Ibaeran just smirked before racing off, running on the water¡¯s surface like a track, with her feet refusing to penetrate the water¡¯s surface each time they made an impact on it.

    She continued to run all the way to the other side of the lake and as she did she began to think about all the thing she had had accomplished in just a single day, lifting a massive boulder at least ten times are her size, taking to the sky and soaring so high that she could seeing the entirety of the world and now, was walking on water.

    Ibaeran just smiled as she began to wonder what else she could and if there was limit to what she was capable of, then almost as though her mind was answering her questions about her capabilities and limits, an image of king Datubo, the monster that towered above all, both man and Uha Tamunaran¡¯s appeared in her mind as it did, a wave of fear and doubt shrouded mind, as she believed despite the fact that she possessed a power as great as that of Su Baera, compared to that of the king, she was still nothing.

    Suddenly all her accomplishments in just that single day felt insignificant and pointless, she lifted a boulder, the king could crush mountains, she flew above the earth, the king conquered the entire world she flew above, and now, she was walking on water but the king could probably tame entire seas.

    Compared to the king, she was nothing, even with the power of the Su Baera, this was what she believed, this was her belief, and this was her truth.

    Ibaeran then raised her feet to take another step, with the thoughts of how her insignificant she was when compared to the king racing through her head, upon bringing her feet down to meet the surface of the water; she felt it sink down and then before she realized it, she herself began to plummet down in the depths of the water below.

    Ibaeran felt herself drowning in watery depth below, feeling as water rushed in to her lungs as she struggled to get back to the surface but try as she might, no matter how hard she tried the water continued to pull her down, seemed as though the water¡¯s strength was stronger than her own.

    Ibaeran, feeling herself about to close her eyes shut, tired and exhausted from struggling so much trying to resist the water¡¯s hold on her, looked up to the ever faded light above her head before weakly raising her hand up towards the light in a final desperate to fight the water¡¯s hold on.

    She then slowly closed her eyes but just as she did she felt someone grab hold of her and pull her out water.

    She slowly opened her eyes, coughing out water as she got up before taking notice of her surroundings and realizing that she was now at the other side of the lake, seated on the sandy ground.

    ¡°I made it?¡± Ibaeran questioned, remembering vividly how she almost drowned moments ago.

    ¡°No quite but you were close¡± said a familiar voice.

    Ibaeran then turned her head to the direction the voice was coming from and saw none other than Ton¡¯Onama standing not too far away from her.

    ¡°What happened?¡± asked Ibaeran.

    ¡°I¡¯m not entire sure, I minute you were dashing across the surface of the water like it was a field of roses and the next you were plummeting down to the bottom of the lake¡± said Ton¡¯Onama.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what Ton¡¯Onama said just sighed as she recalled what had happened.

    Remembering the power of the Su Baera flowing through her entire body and how the water felt like solid ground as she raced across it, it was incredible but then, the power left almost as quickly as it surfaced as it did, she fell in to the water that once felt solid and firm ground below her feet and would have drowned if it wasn¡¯t for Ton¡¯Onama.

    ¡°I lost it again¡± Ibaeran said softly with her head bowed down.

    ¡°I had it, I could feel it flowing through my entire body, giving me the strength I needed to do the impossible and then I lost it¡± said Ibaeran, feeling like a total and utter failure for failing to hold on to the power of the Su Baera long enough to reach the other side of the lake on her own.

    Ton¡¯Onama just sighed before going Ibaeran and taking a seat next to her.

    ¡°The power bestowed upon you is great but the burden weighing on your shoulders is greater. I know you feel a sense of responsibility to protect your people but to do that you need to know who you are and what you are capable. You are strong but yet so weak, brave but still scared, you are human and yet so much more. To be what you¡¯re meant to be you need to cast away your fears and doubt, and embrace yourself for who you are. Accept your strength, look pass your weakness and become something truly great¡± said Ton¡¯Onama.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    Ibaeran, upon hearing everything Ton¡¯Onama said couldn¡¯t help but sighed deeply as she began contemplate and ponder deeply about them.

    Ton¡¯Onama then turned to the horizon, seeing the sun slowly make its way down, giving way for the darkness of night.

    ¡°It¡¯s getting late. You should return back to the palace and get some rest. We¡¯ll continue tomorrow¡± said Ton¡¯Onama.

    Ibaeran, having heard what Ton¡¯Onama, looked at the sky as it slowly darkened with small flickers of star light slowly forming.

    ¡°Thank you¡± said Ibaeran, feeling a sense of gratitude towards the Uha Tamunaran for helping her drawing out the immense power of the Su Baera and even though she couldn¡¯t sustain or maintain the power for very long, the fact that she was able to feel flow through her, imbuing with tremendous strength and power unlike anything she had ever felt before, making it possible for her to the heavens above her head, albeit, for a short and brief moment, that was enough for her, to give her hope that she could fully master the power of the Su Baera and save her people from having their innocent blood spilled.

    Ton¡¯Onama upon hearing what Ibaeran said just smiled before saying while bowing his head, ¡°No need for thanks Su Baera. It¡¯s an honor not many can boost of, to be able to guide a being as great as the Su Baera. If anything I should be thanking you Ibaeran for such an opportunity¡±.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what Ton¡¯Onama said couldn¡¯t help but smile slightly before departing and making her way back to the palace.

    Once she was gone, Ton¡¯Onama looked up to the sky, seeing that the twinkling stars had fully formed and the moon was shinning bright about beautiful star littered night sky with thoughts of Ibaeran feeling his mind.

    ¡°She is strong, just like he was but yet so doubtful of herself and her ability. There is no doubt in my mind that she had what it takes to be a great protector and Su Baera but for that to be, she needs to learn t let go. Let go of the chains and shackle of fear and doubt that hold her bind her so far down and keep her away from everything she can be. A prisoner of doubt and fear, and if she doesn¡¯t learn to overcome this of wall hindering her and blocking her path, I fear that even darker days will come, days of true despair and hopeless, days where the world will not have the Su Baera as a protector¡± Ton¡¯Onama said, feeling both hopeful and afraid of what the future held for Ibaeran and her destiny as the Su Baera, hoping and praying she learns to overcome the overwhelming fear and doubt that weighed heavily on her heart so she could fully embrace who she was as the Su Baera.

    As Ibaeran wondered through the garden that night she couldn¡¯t help but feel a pair of eyes hidden away in the dark shadows of the forest but whenever she turned around to look she saw nothing but the green leaves, trees and bushes that made the massive forest like garden.

    Ibaeran just sighed deeply, thinking that it must have just been her tired and exhausted mind playing tricks of her, choosing to ignore the feeling and continue her journey back to the palace but as she left she failed to notice the rustling of the bushes behind her, almost as though something was passing through them, something her eyes failed to see.

    Ibaeran made it to her palace and once there she headed straight to her room before collapsing on the bed.

    It had truly been a long and Ibaeran felt extremely tired, drained and exhausted, all she wanted to do at that moment than to simple just eyes and drift away to sleep but before she could the words of Ton¡¯Onama.

    ¡°You are strong but yet so weak, brave but still scared, you are human and yet so much more. To be what you¡¯re meant to be you need to cast away your fears and doubt, and embrace yourself for who you are. Accept your strength, look pass your weakness and become something truly great¡±

    Ibaeran began to internalize those words as she did so she began to wonder why Ton¡¯Onama thought so highly of her when she was only human and he was an Uha Tamunaran, a race so powerful that her people feared them as though they were gods.

    Was it because she possessed the power of the Su Baera?

    But the king possessed a power that could match that of the Su Baera, after all he was the one that took the life of the former Su Baera but yet Ton¡¯Onama never hesitated to express his hatred and utter disgust for the king, seeing more like a barbaric tyrant obsessed with only power and could careless for the people he ruled over.

    Ton¡¯Onama saw the king as nothing more than a monster, one who would only cared about himself and would do any and everything to get what he desired the most, power.

    Ibaeran would be lying if she said she didn¡¯t understand and at the sometime, agree with Ton¡¯Onama views of the king, he was indeed a monster in very sense of the word, she could still remember how he causal washed the blood off his hands after killing all four of the governors, unfazed and unbothered by the fact that he had just taken the lives of his own kin.

    Then flashes of the sorry state of the Uha Tamunarans in Kiripapaboa appeared in her mind, she never imagine, not even in her wildest of dreams seeing Uha Tamunarans in such a sorry state, hopeless and living off of scraps, it was a truly heart breaking sight, one which made Ibaeran actually feel sorry for the Uha Tamunarans and what made it even sadder was that all that suffering was brought about by one of their own, the king himself, it was one him for him to slave her people and it was another to subject your very own people a fate that made being a slave sound like a luxury.

    There was no denying it; the king was a monster, cruel in ways that made the Uha Tamunaran masters who subject some many of people as their slaves to treatment akin to that of cattle or livestock, seeing little to no value in them or lives, if a few of them died, it made no difference to them after all they many of them that could easily replaced those that pasted.

    The Uha Tamunarans masters were monsters yes, but at least they didn¡¯t extend their cruelty to themselves, they valued and respect themselves and kin, treating each other with a sense of dignity for being one of their own but for the king, there was no difference between Uha Tamunarans, human and the ants that crawl underneath his feet, ants he would not hesitate to crush if he got too irritated by them. That fact alone made Ibaeran well up with disgust as she wondered if such a being, who cared not of anyone, not even his own kind, could actually exist, selfish and prideful believing that his power placed him above everything.

    Ibaeran felt her blood boil at the thought of how wicked the king truly was, with a part of her even wishing she could do something to end his reign and as that thought crossed her mind, her hand tighten in to a fist which then began to glow with the power of the Su Baera flowing through it.

    Ibaeran looked down at her now tightened glowing fist and began to wonder about something she believed to be impossible, if the strength and power bestowed upon her by the steel wings of the Su Baera would be enough to put an end to the king¡¯s reign, remembering how Ton¡¯Onama believed that she could.

    She then remembered the vast and immense power that flowed through her entire body when she first summon the power of the Su Baera, flowing through every ounce of her very being, imbuing her with strength and power she couldn¡¯t believe was possible, in that state, as she felt the power coursing through her, she felt free and unstoppable, like there was nothing she couldn¡¯t do, there was no wall blocking her paths, no chains holding her down and no master commanding, it was a falling that as a slave she could only dream of but for that brief moment when she felt the power flow through her and she took to the skies for the first time, she felt it and it was more peaceful than words could describe.

    Ibaeran wondered if the overwhelming power she felt flow through her when she summoned the power of the Su Baera would be enough to face the king but then she remembered the pain she felt when the king used his powers on her, it was unbearable, unlike anything she had ever felt before, like dying slow agonizing death only to be reborn just dying in an even painful way, it maybe whatever form of torture and torment the Uha Tamunarans would put their slaves through to punish them or for their sick amusement seem humane, as that pain, for the brief moment she felt the power of the king flow through her body, was as good as taking a trip through ten hells.

    As the thought of the king¡¯s monstrous power and the pain she felt engulf her entire power as the power flowed in to her made Ibaeran realize that even with the power of the Su Baera, she might still be too weak to face the king after all he was the one the killed the former Su Baera.

    There was no use daring or even entertaining the thought of going against the king, he was truly ruthless and cruel as well as having a power that could not be matched by anyone, not even the Su Baera, that was what Ibaeran believed at least.

    And as the depressing and crushing thought of she being too weak to face the king, even after all the evil he was responsible for, filled her heart with an intense sense of fear, sadness and shame as she felt helpless despite having so much power at her finger tips.

    Ibaeran hard tightened fist with glowed with the immense power of the Su Baera then soften with the radiant glow of power being emitted from it deeming down until it completely faded away.

    She then sighed deeply, choosing it would be best not to entertain such thoughts after all her main goal was to end the reign of the king, it was to free her people, nothing else should matter to her except that.

    So she choose to ignore the shame and cowardice eating her up from the inside as well as the immense guilt and shame weighing on her heart for not at the very least trying to set the world free from the reign of the king

    Meanwhile, the king, seated on his might thrown watched as the down opened up but nowhere stood at the other side.

    The sounds of footsteps then echoed through the path to the throne before a the invisible Uha Tamunaran man making them decided to make himself visible as he bowed down to the king.

    ¡°Speak, what methods is she using to gain mastery over the power of the Su Baera¡± asked the king.

    ¡°She is being trained by someone My Lord¡± the man spoke with his head still bowed down, almost as though he was scared to raise it to face the king.

    ¡°Oh, and who might that be?¡± asked the king, curious to know who would dare to train someone as great as the Su Baera and why.

    ¡°Tonja¡¯Ofurinama¡± said the man.

    The king eyes widened with shock upon hearing what the man said.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± the king asked with a hint of worry and concern in his voice.

    ¡°Yes My Lord¡± said the man.

    ¡°Hmm, was training all they did together¡± asked the king, wanting to know everything that happened between Ibaeran and Ton¡¯Onama, knowing that his involvement with her training may be problematic, especially since he was well aware that he was fond of him, in fact he was the only Uha Tamunaran who openly expressed his feelings of disgust and hatred for him without fear or hesitation.

    The only reason the king hadn¡¯t dealt with such insubordination from Ton¡¯Onama was because, as much as distasted being disrespected in any form or way and would even go as far to end the lives of anyone who dared not to respect and honor as their king, he couldn¡¯t forget the fact that Ton¡¯Onama was blood and that was one of the only relationships the king valued.

    ¡°Yes from what I could tell My Lord¡± said the man.

    ¡°Hmm, how did the training go, the she manage to gain control of the power of the Su Baera and if to what extent¡± said the king, wanting to know to the extent of Ibaeran¡¯s mastery over the power Of Su Baera, knowing the possible threat she would pose if she fully mastered the power.

    ¡°From what I could tell, all she had managed to do was summon the power of the Su Baera but she unable to sustain it for every long¡± said the man, recalling how he watch Ibaeran train from afar while used his power of invisibility to hide himself.

    ¡°Hmm¡± said the king as it thought himself that it was good that Ibaeran was at least able to so draw out the power of the Su Baera but at the same time it greatly worried him Niyanlafu and the astonishing level her power rose the very first time he witnessed the power manifest within.

    It felt just raw and intense as the former Su Baera before her, and that fact alone gave him reason to worry especially when considering that fact that it took an entire army of Uha Tamunarans and alongside him using every single ounce of power he could muster at the time in a battle to the death, a battle he almost lost.

    The king still remembered how he felt as he fought the Su Baera all those years ago, the agonizing feeling of pain and boundless fury that washed over him as he fought the great Su Baera, a being which, as much as it pained him to admit to himself, was far more powerful than him and he actually found himself struggling against him, at a point, the proud king even feared for his life.

    Suffice to say, the only reason the king managed to survive that battle was because he was the last to face the Su Baera, he watched how he slaughtered countless of his very own men from away and waited for him to tire for the constant and seemly endless battle, as wave after, after wave, after wave of the best soldiers the Uha Tamunaran had to offer fell to his monstrous and seemly boundless power before he finally stepped into the battle field to face him.

    A cowardly tactic yes, but still, it was effective as by the time the king stepped out to face the Su Baera he was already drained of most of his strength, a fact which, although didn¡¯t make the battle any easier, was the ultimate reason his victory.

    Now that girl possesses the same monstrous power and if she was allowed to realize her full potential with it, it may lead to a threat to the king and his empire.

    ¡°Tell me something, you were there to witness the power the girl possessed for yourself correct?¡± asked the king.

    ¡°Yes My Lord¡± said the man.

    ¡°Do you believe that it was greater than my own¡± said the king.

    ¡°No My Lord¡± said man.

    ¡°Alright then, but if given enough time do you believe that she could surpass me in power?¡± asked the king.

    The man was taken aback to hear what the king said so much so that hesitated to speak for a moment but before he could open his mouth to utter a single word and all consuming flame was sent his way by the king, reducing him to ashes.

    ¡°The fact that you didn¡¯t give a reply instantly proves that you doubt my power and as such are not worthy to be a part of my empire¡± said the king.

    ¡°So one¡¯s insecure¡± a voice echoed through the room.

    The king upon hearing it just sighed before saying, ¡°What do you want now Niyanlafu?¡±

    Niyanlafu then appeared next to the patch of ash that was once the man the king had assign to watch over Ibaeran.

    ¡°Poor thing, his only crime was serving a foolish man who thinks himself to be a god¡± said Niyanlafu as he looked down at the patch of ash next to him.

    ¡°No, his crime was failing to understand just how great the power of his king truly is¡± said the king.

    Niyanlafu upon hearing what the king said just burst in to laughter, finding it amusing that the king actually his level of power he possesses is great.

    ¡°Do you actually believe that Datubo¡± said Niyanlafu.

    ¡°Are you forgetting that I¡¯m the one who single handedly¡­¡± the king was cut short before he could complete his sentence by Niyanlafu saying, ¡°Please, you defeated a Su Baera who was already weaken and a hollow shell of his founder self, and on top of that you needed an entire army and still ended up losing an eye to him. If that Su Baera was at his peak of power, you and your army would have been defeated in the blink of an eye. You¡¯re weak Datubo and that fact that you don¡¯t know where you stand is amusing to me¡±.

    ¡°NIYANLAFU!!!!!!¡± Datubo yelled out with sheer unrivaled rage upon hearing Niyanlafu say that he was weak.

    Driving solely by his anger and rage, the king got up and summoned all his power in to a single fist before launching it straight at Niyanlafu who, upon seeing the flying first headed straight for him just smiled before raising a single finger.

    That single finger raised by Niyanlafu was enough to stop Datubo¡¯s fist brimming with all his power and strength, greatly shocking the king as it seemed as though Niyanlafu didn¡¯t put a single ounce of effort in to nullifying his attack and that again with only a single finger.

    ¡°Seat back down Datubo¡± Niyanlafu spoke with his deep and monstrous voice.

    The king than felt a force pull him back to his throne and forced him to seat.

    Niyanlafu then disappeared and then proceeded to reappear near the king¡¯s ear to say, ¡°Know this Datubo, there are beings out there that make the feeble and utterly pathetic power you¡¯re so proud of look like nothing more than an insignificant speck of dust floating about aimlessly in the wind, beings who have the power to bend, break, created and recreate entire world thousands of times over, the makers and shapers of reality itself. These being perceive people as foolish as yourself as nothing more than a nuisance and annoyances, like an ant which they could, at any given moment, squash underneath their feet. And on the very long list of people who make the feeble power you¡¯re so proud of stands the Su Baera, the most power being from your world, the girl you keep underestimate and the one that will ultimately lead to your destruction if you don¡¯t eliminate her before it¡¯s too late¡±.

    Datubo, too stubborn to heed the warning of the Niyanlafu, turned to look him in the eye and say, ¡°If the power I possess is so feeble then I shall gain even more power, greater than the so called makers and shapers of reality. I shall rule over all and known shall be my equal in power¡±.

    Niyanlafu upon hearing everything Datubo said just sighed before speaking with his more gentle voice, saying, ¡°You know, I don¡¯t know who is more foolish at this moment, you for not listen or me for trying to actually advice a fool like you¡±.

    Niyanlafu then left the king¡¯s side and then turned his back at him.

    ¡°You path you¡¯ve chosen will only lead to your doom and utter destruction Datubo and the sad part of this unfortunate tale is, you¡¯re too thick headed and stubborn to see the grave you¡¯re busy digging for yourself. Goodbye Datubo, I sincerely hope that you see reason before it¡¯s too late, for your sake¡± were the late and finally words to leave Niyanlafu¡¯s mouth before he departed, walking towards the door only to completely vanish before reaching it.

    The king, now alone with those finally words echoing and plaguing his thoughts, they greatly irritating him and filling him with rage so intense it burning through his very being like an unquenched ember.

    The king grinding his teeth and crushed the handles of his throne as he thought about the events that just transpired, Niyanlafu not only undermined his power and his great feat of that was ending the life of former Su Baera but also had told him that there were others out there who surpass him in power and among them, in a very long list, was that slave girl that managed to claim the wings of the Su Baera.

    The king had never been insulted so deeply, not only was he told that the power he worked so hard to acquire was nothing more than a speck of dust when compared to the beings that had the power to bend, break, create and recreate entire worlds thousands of times over, but just add salt to gaping wound, Niyanlafu had the guts to tell him a slave girl, someone who was scared of his very own shadow was more powerful than him.

    The thought of Ibaeran, a human, someone lesser than the Uha Tamunarans that served him, being more powerful than him, the king of all Uha Tamunarans, was something he would never accept for he was Datubo, king of the Uha Tamunarans, the one who ended the life of a Su Baera, there was none mightier or possessed greater power than him, at least that what was what he believed.

 Chapter 33

    The very next day Ibaeran was summoned to the king¡¯s presence.

    Once there, she gazed upon the king towering over her before being gripped tightly the fear summoned just from being in the king¡¯s presence alone.

    ¡°You asked to see me Your Majesty¡± Ibaeran spoke as boldly as she could muster while bowing her heard down, trying her best to mask her immense fear.

    The king then, without warning, raised one of his massive arms and the grabbed her, trapping her entire body in a tight grip before lifting her up to the height of his face.

    Now that Ibaeran was so close to the king and seeing his one good eye glowing with an emerald hue, the fear she felt from within increased exponentially to the point that she began to shiver and shake uncontrollably, heart pounding from within her chest almost as though it was trying to escape the horrific monster seated on the throne before her.

    The king then spoke with a voice that echoed throughout all round them, saying, ¡°Who do you think you are girl?¡±

    Ibaeran could sense hints of anger, rage and frustration in his voice as he spoke making her wonder what she might have done to enrage the king while also fearing for her life.

    ¡°I asked you a question. Who do you think YOU ARE!!!!¡± the king¡¯s voice grew as he spoke, to the point where it was strong enough to make the ground underneath his feet shake.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Ibaeran tried to answer the question but, maybe due to the fear or the fact that she didn¡¯t have answer to give, no words refused to escape her lips.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you who you are. You are neither a warrior nor a champion; you¡¯re just a little insignificant girl who got lucky enough to be the only one out of your insignificant and utterly pathetic race to willed a power as get as that of the Su Baera¡± the king then began to tighten his hold on Ibaeran, crushing her immense with ever tightening grip.

    ¡°Know this and know it well, the only reason I haven¡¯t crushed underneath my feet like the ant you are is because I need you to retrieve the Dumo stone. You and the pathetic little power to wield as the next Su Baera are nothing when compared to me and my unrivaled power¡± those were the final words the leave the king¡¯s mouth before casted her away, discarding and throwing her away like she was less than nothing.

    Ibaeran crashed down hard on the down, her body scraped and bruised due to her rough her impact to the ground was as she tossed away by the king.

    ¡°Seven days, that¡¯s all the time I¡¯m giving to get me the Dumo stone. If you don¡¯t procure the stone with that time, I¡¯ll make you watch as every single one from your pathetic race is slaughtered one by one by my hand,¡± said the king.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what the king said couldn¡¯t believe what she had just heard.

    Seven days, that was all she had, how unearth could she master the power of Su Baera, journey in to Kiri Dumo and retriever the Dumo stone within just a span of seven days, such a feat was next to impossible.

    ¡°Your majesty, please I¡­¡± Ibaeran pleas were put to an end by the king summoning his great power and then used it crush her down on to the ground.

    ¡°My word is final¡± the king spoke with bitterness and venom in his voice before lifting her up with his power and sending her flying out the door.

    Ibaeran found herself on the floor outside the king¡¯s throne room, her mind racing with fear pulsing through every fiber of her very being as she tried to gather her thoughts and make sense of what just happened.

    Look of anger, rage and disgust from the king¡¯s emerald eye was now burn in to her mind and even though she was no longer in the king¡¯s presence she could still filled his emerald eye watching her with a gaze so menacing that it felt as if she was staring in to the eyes of death itself.

    And then there was the power, immense and great, Ibaeran have never felt anything as great as it before, remembering used it to grab hold of her and then crash her down to the ground, remembering how it felt, like a force greater than the gravity that bound her feet to the ground, stripping her of whatever control she had over her body.

    Ibaeran then recalled how scared and helpless she felt at that moment and upon doing so she felt a wave of shame and disgust wash over her as thought about despite growing so much and gaining so much power she could still be brought down so easily and even though the power she felt came from that of the king of the Uha Tamunaran¡¯s, the most powerful Uha Tamunaran in existence, Ibaeran still felt ashamed of herself for not trying to stand her ground and resist the power used to bind her.

    The fact that she did nothing but freeze up with fear while the king used his power against her felt like an insult to everything she had been through, her training, all the battles she fought and the loss she had had to endure, and that was something that did not seat quite right with Ibaeran.

    Ibaeran then, summoning all the strength she could muster, got back on her feet and then looked at her palms.

    Rough, stiff and hard, they had lost their smooth, soft and tender features long ago, those were the hands of a slave who lost her closest and dearest friend, a slave became a warrior and fought with everything she had to achieve something many before her had tried to achieve, now after so many long and tiring battles, those hands had made it to this point but still they tremble and shake like they were till smooth, soft and tender.

    Ibaeran then sighed deeply before thoughts of how pointless it would have been to try and fight the king¡¯s power as she had already accepted that his power was greater than hers and how daring to stand her ground when against an unstoppable force as great as the king of all Uha Tamunaran would most likely lead to her stand on the precipice of death, mere inches away from the door leading to the place of death.

    Ibaeran then put her hands away, not wanting to dwell on how pathetic she was when she faced the king and instead choosing to play back the last few words he told her before sending out.

    Seven days, seven days to master the overwhelming power of the Su Baera, travel to Kiri Dumo, retrieve the Dumo stone and bring it the king, seven days to do what she seemed to be impossible to Ibaeran.

    She could barely summon and maintain the power of the Su Baera, how on earth was she suppose to master the within just seven days, she wasn¡¯t even sure she could do it in thirty days.

    Remembering the overwhelming power the flowed through her as she summoned the power, a power greater than anything she had ever felt before, free and pure, a power that faded away just as quickly as it appeared, just how on earth could she master such a great power within the span of seven short days.

    Ibaeran just sighed before looking down at her hands.

    It was an impossible task but has anything she had done so far been in the realm of possibility; she had fought in a tournament with the greatest of warriors from across the four nations and won, she claimed the power of the Su Baera and for the first time in what felt like ages, gave hope to her people, if she could do all these impossible tasks what more could doing just one more impossible task.

    Ibaeran looked at hand once more with a smile forming on her face, she wasn¡¯t entirely sure how but she was determined to do that impossible, a feat which had constantly been accomplishing since this tale began, for her people and the promise she made,

    With those tough, stiff and hard hands, she would once again accomplish the impossible, not matter what it takes.

    Ibaeran then made her way to the garden, once there she began to yell and scream, calling for Ton¡¯Onama but no one replied to her calls.

    After a few moments of yelling out to the vast forest like garden, Ibaeran gave up on calling out for Ton¡¯Onama and decided to go search for him, a task which she would find frustratingly difficult as she soon found herself lost with the vast green of the garden,

    ¡°TON¡¯ONAMA!!!!!!¡± Ibaeran screamed out a final time out of sheer frustration, having wondered the garden for what felt like hours but just like her earlier attempts, no one answered.

    Ibaeran then grunted out of frustration as she wondered where Ton¡¯Onama could be, that strange black fur beastly Uha Tamunaran was the only one who could help if she was to have a chance to master the power of the Su Baera within The limited time given to her by the king.

    ¡°Where unearth could he be?¡± Ibaeran asked herself as she desperately looked around for any trace of Ton¡¯Onama but just like before she found nothing.

    Then wondered to herself, how unearth was she going to find Ton¡¯Onama in the thick and vast forest of the garden, she didn¡¯t have enough time to search every nuke and cranny of the forest, she needed to find Ton¡¯Onama as fast as she could, remembering that time was not be her side as the king¡¯s voice hunted mind, reminding her that all she had was seven days to save her people..

    Ibaeran couldn¡¯t afford to waste any time, for her people, she needed to master the power of the Su Baera within the confines of seven short days, and to achieve this she needed Ton¡¯Onama help.

    Ibaeran just sighed deeply as she thought about how she could find Ton¡¯Onama within the vast forest that surrounded her, then an idea then sparked in her head.

    Ibaeran then turned looked down on her hands and wondered if the power of the Su Baera could aid her in finding Ton¡¯Onama, remembering how with the power could venture in to the sky and reach the unreachable havens above it, surely if the power of the Su Baera was powerful enough do that, it could be used to find Ton¡¯Onama, Ibaeran thought to herself.

    Ibaeran then took a deep breath, not entirely sure if what she was about to do would work but it was the only way she could think of find Ton¡¯Onama.

    So, after breathing in and exhaling, Ibaeran shut her eyes and then summoned the power of the Su Baera, remembering how it felt when she did it for the first time and as she did so she felt the power flow through her entire body.

    As the power followed through her, Ibaeran had a single thought in her mind, find Ton¡¯Onama.

    Ibaeran then felt as though her every essence was flowing out of her body and becoming with her surroundings and as she did so could feel everything within the forest, from flapping wings of the birds flying high up in the sky, to the insects and critters that roamed the soil down below.

    Ibaeran couldn¡¯t quite explained what she felt at that moment, it felt as though she had become one with the world around her, seeing through the air itself and feeling through the earth.

    It felt strange but at very same time incredible, almost as though the world itself had become an extension of her very being.

    Ibaeran wanted to amerce herself in sensation of having her every essence fuse with the world outside her body but she had to focus on find Ton¡¯Onama, not forgetting why she there and the limited time she had to save her people from the threat of the Uha Tamunarans.

    Ibaeran then, with another deep breath, focused all her senses on one thing, finding Ton¡¯Onama.

    Then, in an instant, she found him, sensing his presence not too far away from where she was.

    Ibaeran then wasted no time and dashed off, moving too fast for the naked eye to comprehend, driven by the so desire to find Ton¡¯Onama and the power of the Su Baera coursing through her veins Ibaeran ran faster than the wind itself.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    It didn¡¯t take long Ibaeran to reach Ton¡¯Onama.

    There, near a small lake Ton¡¯Onama sat down peace next to the water looking at the bright blue sky above his head before the sounds of footsteps dashing through the forest and making their way to him caught his attention.

    Ton¡¯Onama upon hearing the footsteps couldn¡¯t help but smile, knowing who was standing right behind but still he refused to shift his gaze from beautiful sky above his head.

    ¡°Ton¡¯Onama¡± Ibaeran said with a mix of annoyance and frustration in her voice as she spoke.

    Ton¡¯Onama chuckled faintly before finally deciding to turn to see Ibaeran and acknowledge her presence.

    ¡°Ibaeran, you sure took your time¡± said Ton¡¯Onama.

    ¡°Took my time¡­wait, did you know I was looking for you?¡± Ibaeran asked as she processed the words she heard come from Ton¡¯Onama¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Yes, I could hear you yelling my name from a mile away¡± said Ton¡¯Onama.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what Ton¡¯Onama said couldn¡¯t help but explode with anger and rage over the fact that even though Ton¡¯Onama was fully aware that she was looking for him, he refused to come to her.

    ¡°THEN WHY DIDN¡¯T YOU COME WHEN I CALLED YOU!!!!!¡± Ibaeran yelled, releasing all her pent up frustration in her voice as she spoke.

    ¡°To test your senses, you know as the Su Baera raw strength and power isn¡¯t the only thing you possess, you also have heighten senses so strong that you could feel a pin drop from a mountain¡¯s peek hundreds of miles away¡± said Ton¡¯Onama.

    Ibaeran, then as quickly as her anger appeared, it soon faded away and was now replaced with a look of sadness, hopeless and desperation, remembering what the king and the short time span of seven days which she had to save her people.

    Ton¡¯Onama saw the look of sadness, fear and desperation in Ibaeran¡¯s eyes and understood that something was troubling her.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± asked Ton¡¯Onama with a look of worry and concern on his face.

    Ibaeran just sighed before speaking softly and with a low faint voice, almost as though she was whispering, ¡°Seven days¡±.

    ¡°Seven what?¡± asked Ton¡¯Onama, confused by what Ibaeran just said.

    ¡°Seven days, that¡¯s all the time I have to save my people. If I don¡¯t master the power of the Su Baera, travel to Dumo Kiri and retrieve the Dumo stone with the span of seven days, my people will be wiped out¡± said Ibaeran.

    Ton¡¯Onama upon hearing what Ibaeran said; remain silent for a moment as he gathered his thoughts.

    Seven days, that was all that fool of a king gave her, that means the king understand just how much of a threat Ibaeran was to him if she was given enough time to fully realize just how powerful she was as the Su Baera, the short time frame of seven days must be his way of maintaining his control over, fear and desperation, were always his favorite methods to ensure and maintain control, it didn¡¯t surprise Ton¡¯Onama in the slightest that the king would pull something like this, though it did complicate matters.

    Ton¡¯Onama¡¯s original plan was to make Ibaeran just who she was and the power she possessed as the Su Baera, giving her the strength to do what needed to be done to save both hers and his people, within the original span of thirty days that was a possibility but now, with just seven days, the additional pressure from the short time frame would only worsen Ibaeran¡¯s fears and make her even more desperate to save her people, turning her in to the perfect pawn for the kind to exploit for his wicked plans.

    Ton¡¯Onama just sighed, knowing how difficult of a task it would be to try and convince Ibaeran not to submit to the king and instead fight against him, to free not just her people but his as well but he still needed to try, he couldn¡¯t let the legacy of the Su Baera end like this.

    Ton¡¯Onama then sighed deeply, thinking of only one thing that can help Ibaeran realize just who she was and the power she possessed, and if it didn¡¯t work¡­he couldn¡¯t bring himself to imagine the horrors that would be fall but Uha Tamunaran and mankind alike.

    ¡°Follow me¡± said Ton¡¯Onama as he made his way to the forest.

    Ibaeran, desperate and eager to save her people, followed without protesting or questioning Ton¡¯Onama.

    Ton¡¯Onama led her deep in to the forest, to small cabin hidden away in the dense foliage of the forest like garden.

    Once there Ton¡¯Onama placed his hand on handle of the cabin¡¯s door, taking a moment to take a deep breath in before opening the door and stepping in with Ibaeran following him in.

    ¡°What is this place?¡± asked Ibaeran.

    ¡°It¡¯s the home the king gave me¡± said Ton¡¯Onama.

    Ibaeran then looked around, examining the interior of the cabin; it was made out of fine stone with a single small bed next the only window by the side of the wall, there was no furniture in sight, not even a small wooden stool, and the only thing apart from the bed in the cabin was a large chest.

    ¡°You live here?¡± asked Ibaeran, shocked that Ton¡¯Onama lived in such a place, it almost reminded her of the slave homes her people lived it, the only difference was that the cabin seemed to have stood firmly on a strong enough foundation and there were not cracks on the walls and roofs.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s not much but its home¡± said Ton¡¯Onama with a deep sighed as he looked at his humble aboard.

    ¡°Come, I need to show you something¡± said Ton¡¯Onama as he made his way to the chest with Ibaeran by his side.

    Ton¡¯Onama then drove one of his dark claws in to the lock of the chest, using it as a make shift key to open it up and revealing what was hidden within it.

    Ton¡¯Onama then began to ravage the chest in search of something, bring out a few items from it to make his search easier, items like a telescope, a mapping compass along with a pair of dividers, a guiding compass and a hand drawn map before finally finding what he sought for.

    ¡°Here¡± said Ton¡¯Onama as he hand Ibaeran a dust old book he brought out from the chest.

    ¡°What is this¡± asked Ibaeran, wondering why Ton¡¯Onama was giving her a book.

    ¡°It¡¯s a guide, something that will help you understand the power you possess Su Baera¡± said Ton¡¯Onama.

    ¡°What?¡± said Ibaeran in shock and confusion?

    ¡°I just told you that I have only seven days to master the power of the Su Baera and you hand me a book. You¡¯re supposed to be training me no giving me books¡± said Ibaeran, her shock turning in to outrage as to how Ton¡¯Onama would only give her a simple book instead of training her on how to master the power of the Su Baera.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Su Baera but I can¡¯t train you for there exist no master within this world or any other that can train a warrior as great as the Su Baera other than the Su Baera¡± said Ton¡¯Onama.

    ¡°What on earth is that suppose to mean?¡± asked Ibaeran.

    ¡°It means exactly what it sounds like, I can¡¯t train you to be the Su Baera, no one can¡± said Ton¡¯Onama.

    ¡°But yesterday, you helped me summon the power of the Su Baera. I flew for the very first time because of you¡± said Ibaeran, remembering everything she was able to accomplish the other day thanks to Ton¡¯Onama¡¯s guidance.

    Ton¡¯Onama just sighed deeply before saying, ¡°mastery over a power as great as the power of the Su Baera isn¡¯t something that can be taught. Just like fish doesn¡¯t need to be taught how to swim, beast doesn¡¯t need to be taught how to devour flesh, and I and you didn¡¯t need to be taught how to breathe. It is something innate within each and every Su Baera from the moment the steel wing bestowed them with its power and as for what I did yesterday, just told you to do something you already knew how to¡±.

    Ibaeran then looked Ton¡¯Onama, hearing him speak about the power of Su Baera so passionately and intimately, without an ounce of uncertainty in his, speaking a truth she could not bring herself to deny.

    ¡°How do you know so much about the Su Baera, you speak as though you know just who the Su Baera is?¡± asked Ibaeran.

    ¡°That¡¯s because I do, at least I knew a Su Baera¡± said Ton¡¯Onama before he reached in to the chest and brought out a small faded black and white picture and then handed it over to Ibaeran.

    Ibaeran¡¯s eyes widened with complete and utter shock, unable to believe what eyes were beholding as she laid her gaze at picture on her hands.

    ¡°I still remembered when that picture was taken even though I was merely a child back then¡± said Ton¡¯Onama as Ibaeran still examined the picture.

    In it was a young Ton¡¯Onama seated on the shoulders of a large, tall and muscular man who stood near a woman with skin as green as the forest itself, and then finally, standing in between the muscular man and green skinned woman was none other than the former Su Baera, the one who came before Ibaeran and fell to the king and his army.

    Ton¡¯Onama then went to Ibaeran¡¯s side with her still holding the picture shocked look on her face.

    ¡°My father, prince Sothorgo, a strong and mighty man who was strong enough to shake and rumble the havens themselves¡± Ton¡¯Onama spoke as he pointed at the muscular man.

    ¡°My aunt, Princess Akira¡¯Oflorak, she appreciated life in every form especial the green beauty of the life that emerged down from the soil¡± said Ton¡¯Onama while pointing at the green skinned woman.

    ¡°And finally, the Su Baera or as I knew him as uncle Menjikiri¡± said Ton¡¯Onama as pointed at the picture of the Su Baera.

    ¡°We were a family once. I still remember it like was yesterday. It was my birthday and to celebrate it uncle Menji decided to treat me by taking me along with my aunt and uncle on a journey around the four nations. It was a fun trip, I got to see and experience so many things that day, I saw the beauty of your world and even the wonderful and amazing things your people built, from ships that cruised across the bright blue skies, a simple small box that, with nothing more than just a flash of light, capture, forever, such a beautiful memory¡± said Ton¡¯Onama.

    ¡°How is this possible?¡± Ibaeran managed to speak, still visible shocked at the news that Ton¡¯Onama not only knew the former Su Baera but was raised by him along with his aunt and father.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Ibaeran asked, wanting to know now more than ever just who Ton¡¯Onama was.

    Ton¡¯Onama simply sighed, knowing that he had no choice but to reveal his true identity to Ibaeran, an identity he detested for its relation to the king but still it was his.

    ¡°My name is Prince Tonja¡¯Ofurinama, son Sothorgo and grandson of the late king Aniye¡¯Boa¡± said Ton¡¯Onama.

    ¡°Prince? But that would mean¡­¡± Ibaeran could not even bring herself to finish her sentence before it began to dawn on her that the rumors, she had heard about him and the king being related by blood being true as he was son of Sothorgo making a prince born of the royal bloodline of the Uha Tamunarans.

    Ton¡¯Onama just said before saying, ¡°Yes, I and the king share blood, but it is not a fact I am proud of. He¡¯s my uncle, the first born of Aniye¡¯Boa¡±.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then is it true that the king had his sibling slaughtered just to secure his place on the throne?¡± asked Ibaeran.

    Ton¡¯Onama upon hearing what Ibaeran said bowed his head, feeling a tremendous way of pain and sadness wash over him as her question made him recall the death of his father that still weigh heavily on his heart still that very day.

    Ibaeran upon seeing the look of sadness on Ton¡¯Onama¡¯s face couldn¡¯t help but feel guilty for the question she had asked, understanding the pain of loss well and ashamed of herself for not consider that she might be inflicting that kind of pain to Ton¡¯Onama when she asked about his father¡¯s passing and the king¡¯s involvement in it.

    Ibaeran, bowing her head down in shame and guilt was about to apologize to Ton¡¯Onama for her intriguing in to a topic that didn¡¯t concern her but before she could open her mouth to speak, she was stopped by Ton¡¯Onama saying with his voice sunk and heavy, ¡°The king was not directly responsible for my father¡¯s death but he played a crucial death in it¡±.

    Ibaeran could feel the pain and hurt coming from Ton¡¯Onama¡¯s voice as he spoke and upon looking down, she found his fist clinched tightly and shaking as the pain and sorrow he tried to contain within himself began to slowly sip.

    ¡°I never knew my own mother because of that monster, I wasn¡¯t raised in with my kind, and I had to watch the only family I knew slowly tear apart because of him¡± Ton¡¯Onama spoke with venom and bitterness in his heart, recalling everything he was denied and all he had lost all because of that monster the Uha Tamunarans bow down to and call their king.

    Ibaeran just stood there with look of shock on her face upon hearing everything Ton¡¯Onama said, seeing the pain behind his eyes and fury that laid within his heart, hungering for vengeance.

    ¡°Is this why you want me fight against the king because he wronged you?¡± asked Ibaeran, finally understanding why Ton¡¯Onama expressed only hatred and disgust for the king, he was angry because of everything the king had done to him and his family and just wanted him to for everything he had done to him.

    ¡°That monster did much more than just wrong me, he took everything away from me, my home, my family, the peaceful life I lived as a child, all burnt down in ruins because of him. And as if that wasn¡¯t enough, he sentenced me to a fate where I had to live knowing that that monster still lives¡± said Ton¡¯Onama, speaking with only the pure malice he had for the king.

    ¡°Is that why you wanted to train me so badly, so I could make the king pay for everything he had done to you? Tell me, did truly believe that I had a chance to be as great as the Su Baera that came before me or did you only wanted me to believe so that I could so I could fight for your vengeance¡± Ibaeran spoke with tears slowly streaming down from her eyes.

    Ton¡¯Onama upon hearing what Ibaeran said realize what he had done, exposing the truest depths of his anger and hatred for the king and making Ibaeran question his intentions for having an interest towards her in wanting to training and help understand just who she was as the Su Baera.

    ¡°Ibaeran I¡­it¡¯s not like that¡± Ton¡¯Onama was lost for words, not knowing what to say to Ibaeran to assure her of his intention.

    ¡°Then tell me honestly, did you want me as the Su Baera, to go against the king and put an end to his reign just so you could get your revenge for what he did to you or did you do it for your people¡± asked Ibaeran.

    Ton¡¯Onama upon hearing what Ibaeran said remained as he contemplated her words and his true intention on wanting to help her know her place as the Su Baera, he couldn¡¯t lie to himself and had to accept that fact that inherently within him there existed a form of selfishness within that prevented him from letting go of his pain over the loss of the only family he knew to king Datubo, and he would be lying if he was to look Ibaeran in the eye and tell her his selfish desire to see the king suffer and lose everything just like he did was not part of the reason he wanted to help her.

    Ibaeran looked at Ton¡¯Onama and his hesitation to speak, taking it as confirmation of what she believed, he didn¡¯t really care about her fate and the fate of her people, no, the true driving force behind him wanting to help was for revenge.

    Ibaeran then looked at the book Ton¡¯Onama gave her and then looked back at him, with the feeling of betrayal, anger and disgust as her gaze met his.

    She then threw the book at him which he caught with shocked expression on his face.

    ¡°I¡¯ll find my own way of mastering these powers and save my people. I¡¯m not willing to gamble my life or the life of my people fight for your revenge¡± said Ibaeran before turning her back to Ton¡¯Onama and walking away, leaving Ton¡¯Onama alone in the cabin to think about everything that had just happened.

    Ton¡¯Onama then looked down at the book on his hand, thinking about his beloved uncle and everything he stood for as the Su Baera before raising his head up to look at the open down which Ibaeran, the one who currently held the power shake both the havens and earth and the only hope for the legacy she and his uncle was a part of.

    Ton¡¯Onama could only sigh deeply, hoping that his actions had not caused the annihilation of the great legacy of hope, that gave the people of the world faith of better days to come, a legacy they, both Uha Tamunarans and human alike needed at this moment, may this not be the end of the Su Baera.

 Chapter 34

    Ibaeran rushed through the thick vegetation that surrounded the garden, with each step take a tear escaped down from her eyes, her heart sunken down with an aching flowing from it to the rest of her body, her mind racing with thoughts of how Ton¡¯Onama helped draw out the power of the Su Baera within her as she wondered if it was all an act all performed to fool her and if it was, it was great performance because it made Ibaeran believe, even if it was just a moment, that she, someone as feeble and insignificant as her could make a difference, stand up against the king and fight for both her people and Uha Tamunaran¡¯s he forcefully subjugated there fear and the immense power she possessed.

    Ibaeran then tripped and then feel down to the ground, soiling her body with the filth from the ground below.

    Ibaeran, now on the floor, looked at her hands, those were the hands that had accomplished so much, the hands of a slave, a warrior, and now the Su Baera, as she wondered how despite accomplishing so much she was seen as nothing more than a tool, remembering how even before her journey as warrior, fighting in the various tournaments, all to acquire the power she currently possessed, she, just like the rest of the slaves of the Uha Tamunarans, were tools would purpose were to serve their Uha Tamunarans masters and were disposable with little to no value a human being, and now, despite having the power of the Su Baera, she was still seen as a tool for either acquiring power or for revenge.

    As thoughts about how she had only been used like an inanimate object, one that lacks a beating heart and couldn¡¯t feel, would one and only purpose was simply to serve, and now, after acquiring a power as great as the Su Baera, she was still treated like a tool, she crushed her hands in to a tight, with the feel of pain and frustration welling up inside as those thoughts filled her, and then struck the earth below her, again and again while pondering to herself, ¡¯Why, even after gaining all this power, do I feel like my actions are no my own. Why do I allow them dictate it for me, why do I still fear them, I do I still feel so worthless¡±.

    Ibaeran continued to strike the ground almost as though she had lost her mind, with each strike driven by her frustration, insecurities, and the painfully agonizing realization that despite having coming so far, fighting long and hard in many battles, she was still the same, a slave and tool others sought to use to achieve their desires.

    Ibaeran continued this act until she heard a voice speak to her, asking her a single question, ¡°what are you doing¡±.

    Ibaeran upon hearing the voice then stopped striking the ground and looked around her to see who spoke only to find no body standing by her side.

    Then again, seemingly as though it arose from thin air, the voice echoed once more in Ibaeran¡¯s ear, asking this same question, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Ibaeran upon hearing the voice once more began to pounder if she had truly gone mad before looking at her hands once more, seeing that it was now cover in layer of dirt with her knuckles worn out and covered bruised as a result of them constantly colliding with the hard earth below.

    Ibaeran then heard the voice once again, asking the same question, ¡°What are you doing?¡± But this time as it spoke Ibaeran felt the power of the Su Baera flow through.

    Ibaeran, feeling the power of the Su Baera flow through entire body, was reminded about who of she was and all she had done to achieve the power she possessed, it wasn¡¯t easy but she did it, training, fighting, and learning to bear the overwhelming fear she felt as walked this path before finally gaining the power that now flowed through her veins.

    She then heard the voice once more, this time even louder, almost as though it was screaming to her, ¡°What are you doing¡±.

    Ibaeran upon hearing the voice this time understood what it was trying to tell before rising up from the floor.

    Ibaeran then sighed once more before looking down to her hands once more, remembering everything they had been through, how she had to learn how to be strong after being weak for so long, how to strike and fast hard after being too soft to deliver a single blow, and finally how to push her and the rest of her body up after falling.

    Ibaeran realized something, something she never really realized until that moment, and that the simple fact that she wasn¡¯t that same slave girl in Ijawana who was weak, fearful and complacent, the girl who accepted a grim fate to be born a slave and die slave, no, she was far stronger that that girl and dared to do things she would have never dared to dream of and the power she felt flowing through her at that moment was testament to that fact.

    But still, the truth remained, that even despite the fact that she and that girl were not the same, one thing still attaches them to each other and that was the fact that despite everything she had done and been through she was still scared and did not have faith in herself or her abilities.

    Tears then began to fall down from her eyes, reaching the her dirt covered hands, soiling them further in her own tears as she pondered to herself, how could she be so different from that girl but yet so the same, be so strong and yet so weak, feel so much power flowing through her but yet feel so powerless, like a bird with big, beautiful wings that wishes to soar through the sky and enjoy the joy and wonder that came with freedom but still chooses to stay in an unlocked cage.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    Ibaeran sighed deeply as she couldn¡¯t help but think about just how pathetic she was, having all this power but yet being so powerful, forced to bend to the will of others her entire life, even now that she had the power she still choose to continue dancing to the melody of others instead of hers.

    Ibaeran¡¯s thought was then interrupted by the sounds of something moving through trees that surrounded her.

    Ibaeran, with the power of the Su Baera currently flowing through her body, could sense who it was moving through the trees which was why she remained unfazed as the dark figure jumped down from the tree tops and landed next to her.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± asked Ibaeran with a low voice and without even turning around to acknowledge the figures presence.

    Ton¡¯Onama upon hearing what Ibaeran said just sighed before saying, ¡°I think you know why I¡¯m here Su Baera¡±.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what Ton¡¯Onama said just sighed before saying, ¡°I¡¯m not helping you get your revenge; your battle is yours to fight so I suggest you leave me out of it¡±.

    Ton¡¯Onama upon hearing what Ibaeran said just sighed before saying, ¡°I know and I would be lying if I said part me wouldn¡¯t love to, above all else, see that monster of a king suffer in the most gruesomely painful way possible for everything he took away from me *sigh* but a greater part of me knows who the Su Baera is, what those who bear name represent, and what they are, champions of the weak, warriors of a doomed world, and heroes of hope. And I think, deep down, you know that as well¡±.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what Ton¡¯Onama said remain silent, not having the strength to speak or deny his words.

    ¡°You¡¯re scared Ibaeran but not of the Uha Tamunarans or even the king, you¡¯re scared of yourself and what might happen if you allowed yourself to believe and hope in who you are and what you know deep down that you are capable of doing¡± said Ton¡¯Onama.

    ¡°SHUT UP!!!!¡± Ibaeran yelled, enraged by Ton¡¯Onama¡¯s words before turning to him with teary eyes.

    ¡°Stop trying to convince me that I¡¯m something that I know I¡¯m not¡± Ibaeran spoke, crushing her hands in to a trembling fist as she did.

    ¡°I¡¯m strong, can fly, and even walked on water, I can do all these amazing things and possess such a great power within but still I feel weak, caged, and powerless, slowing being crushed and suffocated under the weight of the responsible that was placed upon me the moment steel wings gave me this power¡± said Ibaeran.

    Ton¡¯Onama upon hearing what Ibaeran said, just sighed before saying, ¡°When I witnessed the first time you manifested the power of the Su Baera I was taken back to when I first time I witnessed my uncle wield that very same power and for the first time in a very long time, I felt something I thought I would never feel again after my uncle¡¯s death, hope¡±.

    Ibaeran¡¯s eyes then widened in disbelief upon hearing what Ton¡¯Onama said.

    Ton¡¯Onama then took a few steps closer to Ibaeran, stopping when he stood before her and then proceeding to wipe away her tears.

    ¡°The Su Baera is much more than just a warrior or a protector, its symbol and a beacon, something to remind us all that even during moments of weakness, fear, and doubt, hope still lives on. This is what everyone in the world who hears the name Su Baera believes, this is what they have to believe to give them the strength and courage to keep living their lives as best they can even during the darkest of nights and bleakest of days. And no one needs to believe this more than the Su Baera herself¡± said Ton¡¯Onama.

    ¡°You¡¯re only saying this because you want revenge. You don¡¯t really mean any of it¡± Ibaeran said, refusing to believe Ton¡¯Onama¡¯s words, convinced that he was only trying you use and manipulate to do his bidding in his quest for vengeance against the king, that was what she told herself.

    Ton¡¯Onama upon hearing what Ibaeran said just smiled before bring out the very book Ibaeran threw to him in a fit of anger, the very one he claimed could help her master the power of the Su Baera, and also one of the hand drawn maps within the chest he brought the book from.

    Ibaeran upon seeing the book was to speak, wanting to deny his help once more but before she could Ton¡¯Onama opened his mouth to speak, saying, ¡°I am not the one who wields your power and thus I cannot command or dictate how you use it. The power of the Su Baera is yours and yours alone so it¡¯s your choice to use it how you deem fit, whether you use it against the king or use it to save your people and I won¡¯t try to convince you on what you should or shouldn¡¯t do. This book belonged to the former Su Baera and I believe it help understand who you are as the Su Baera *sigh* and if after reading it you still wish to follow the king¡¯s command, this map will help on your mission¡±.

    Ibaeran upon hearing everything Ton¡¯Onama looked at the book and map he presented her with before slowly stretching fort her hands to receive them both.

    ¡°It¡¯s a map to Kiri Dumo, hand drawn by my uncle, the former Su Baera. If you still wish to retrieve the Dumo stone, it will help guide to it¡± said Ton¡¯Onama before walking away from Ibaeran.

    As Ibaeran watched Ton¡¯Onama leave call out him, asking, ¡°Why are you helping me?¡± wanting to know why Ton¡¯Onama was doing all this even when he realized that if he help her retrieve travel to Kiri Dumo and retrieve the Dumo stone he would invariably helping the king, the person he hated and despised above all else.

    ¡°Like I said before, the Su Baera is a symbol of hope, a truth that you have to realize before it¡¯s too late¡± said Ton¡¯Onama before making his way in to thicket trees that surrounded them, disappearing in to the shadows of the trees from where he emerged from, leaving Ibaeran alone with the map and book in her hands while pondering his words.

    After a moment or two of look at the book and map on her hands, Ibaeran decided to return back to the palace.

    Once there she made her way to her room, and then, in the seclusion and silence within the four corners of the room, Ibaeran opened the book and began to read its content.

    ¡°Dear new Su Baera, if you¡¯re reading this then my time in this life has long passed and my soul has been received in the place of death. I¡¯m sure you have many questions, doubts and fears. It¡¯s natural every Su Baera that came before and will come after you will always have those doubts and fears. I did as well but with time you¡¯ll learn to move past those fears.

    You shouldn¡¯t look at this book as manual on how to be the Su Baera I assure no book can teach you that, rather see it as a guide to realize what it means to be a Su Baera. You may and most likely will make mistakes; there will be moments of doubt and fear far greater than whatever you¡¯re feeling right now but in those moments you have to remember one thing and one thing alone.

    As a Su Baera, you are more than just a warrior of tremendous power; you are the guiding light for every living soul in this world, a protector and guardian. You stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves and fight for those who are too weak to fight for themselves. This is the first and most crucial lesson every Su Baera must learn¡­.¡±

 Chapter 35

    ¡° I feel it¡¯s only fair to start off from the very beginning, before I was chosen by the Su Ingi to be the next Su Baera.

    I came from a somewhat humble background, born without a silver spoon in my mouth in to a home that wasn¡¯t the most ideal of places to be born in. I was born in Bugrula, a small city in the nation of the east.

    I was raised alone by my mother, and as for my father, neither I nor my mother knew who he was. You see my mother didn¡¯t have the most noble of profession; she was a lady of the night who provided pleasure to all those wondering men that roamed night streets looking for away to enjoy themselves and I was conceived by one of my mother¡¯s many customers.

    I don¡¯t know how many men my mother had pleased before having me and frankly, if I¡¯m being honest, that knowledge deserves to be lost for all of eternity.

    I know I wasn¡¯t the first to be conceived as a result as a hard night at work for my mother, I know she had many others before me, others which never left her womb and made it to this world. I never got to ask her why I, out of all of my many siblings who weren¡¯t fortunate enough to see the living world before being born, was spared and allowed to born in to this world, all I know is, for reasons I am yet to understand, she choose to give birth to me and be my mother.

    My childhood wasn¡¯t as fond as most. Being the son of someone like my mother wasn¡¯t something I could say I was proud of and if I¡¯m being honest, nether was she.

    I spent my early years being home schooled, learning the basics like how to read and write by my mother. I didn¡¯t really have any friends growing up as parents weren¡¯t really fond of having the son of a mistress of night befriend any of their children and since I didn¡¯t attend proper school like the other children my age, I didn¡¯t really have a chance to make any friends.

    I was a lonely child but at least I had my mother, granted she wasn¡¯t the best mother in the world, I still remember days when she would have to leave late at night when she thought I was fast asleep to work, returning home early in the morning, her entire body covered with the smell of liquor and the musk of those ravenous beast she called her clients. Some days she would even come home with some bruises, sores and sometime even open wounds.

    It hurt seeing my mom in that state and whenever I tried to console her but she would just push me away and lock herself in her room for the entire day each time I tried.

    I could sense her pain and even though at the time I didn¡¯t know why she was hurt, I still wanted to help but she wouldn¡¯t let me.

    As I grew up I slowly began to understand what was wrong and the nature of my mother¡¯s profession and the terrible toll it was taking on her as she spent most of her days lying on the bed sleep, she barely eat and her body was usually covered in ether sores and wounds whenever she returned home from work.

    I tried confronting her on several occasions but each time I did she would ether casts a deaf ear to my words, yell at me or beat me. I knew she was hurt and didn¡¯t like the work she had to do but we needed the money. But even at that, I couldn¡¯t bear the fact my mother had to suffer so much and all to make earns meet, so one day I decided to leave home and journey out to look for job with the hope that by doing so I might be able to solves our money woes and possibly make my mother quit the job that brought her nothing but misery.

    I searched and search, but I couldn¡¯t find anyone will to hire me. I was ether too young or by virtue of my mother¡¯s status, not qualified to be hired. I was willing to do anything work assigned to me but still no one was willing to put me to work. But just when all hope seemed lost an old man called out to me from his workshop.

    The man was a tinkerer who collected old worn out machines to fix them and then sell them off. He was in search of an assistant and unlike the others, his only qualifier for the job was to have hands that work, be smart and quick, always obey his instructions. And, according to him, I looked good enough to meet those requirements. So, I was put to work as his assistant.

    I knew if my mother found about me working, she wouldn¡¯t take it well, so I decided not to tell her. During that time, she had to work extra hours which led to her coming back home later and it a mood that made her resemble more of a walking corpse than a living thing she would then spend the rest of the day sleeping before working up later in the evening. This routine of hers made it easy to hide the fact that he had a job, as I would usually wait for her to return home and go straight to bed after which I would rush straight to the old man¡¯s workshop and began to work.

    I word hard all day, helping the tinkerer repair and fix different kinds of machine and as I did, I learnt a little in the process. It turns out fixing a broken machine it¡¯s a lot like trying to solve a puzzle, you just have to find the missing piece and fit it in at least that¡¯s how I saw it anyway.

    As time passed my mother¡¯s condition grew worse and worse, I barely saw her during the day and the only time I did manage to see her was when she felt let at night to work. This made me worry about her even more and eager to work harder to save her from her terrible job before it was too late. So I worked hard and did work that was assigned to me well, and after about a mouth, I was paid for my labor by the old man.

    The pay wasn¡¯t much but it was a descent amount, enough to support me and my mother a week or two. And once I received the money I rushed home, with an ecstatic heart, eager to present my earnings to my mother but, upon reaching home, the excitement and joy I felt for finally being able to earn enough money and save my mother from her work was destroyed in an instant and replaced by dread, sadness, pain and misery.

    That day will forever be stamped in my heart as the worst day of my life, a day I still remember oh so clearly even though I tried my very best to forget it.

    I remember rushing home and headed straight in to my mother¡¯s room, not caring that she would probably be upset with me for budging in to her room, money in hand and ready to present it to her but when I called out to her, she gave no response. Called out to her again, thinking she was in some kind of deep sleep due to her exhaustion, but like before, she gave no response. I called out to her several more times but, like the previous times, she gave no response. A mix of fear, worry and concern then washed over me as I went to her bed and shook her, but just like when I called out her name, her cold, lifeless body, gave no response.

    That was my first experience with death and the pain of loss, my mother, the woman that birth me, and the only person I had, was gone, and no matter how hard I shook and begged her to open her eyes, they remained sealed shut.

    I remember looking down at the money in my hand, it worth and value disappearing in my eyes as I thought about how my mother was slowly dying and instead of being there for her I was out there, working for those meaningless pieces of papers on my hand.

    I know now that it was wrong of me to blame myself, but at the time, that was all I could do. My sadness and pain over the loss of my dear deceased mother blinded me to the fact her death was out of my control, after all, I was just a child, powerless and weak to do a thing.

    The very next thing I did upon witnessing my mother¡¯s dead corpse was run. To where, I knew not, all I wanted to do was run away, leave home and everything being because I didn¡¯t really have anything to begin with. My home was always me and my mother; she was the only person that was there for me and took care of me, she meant everything to me and I couldn¡¯t picture a life without, and now that she was gone, I felt like my entire world was falling and shattering apart. So I ran away, my mind racing, praying and hoping it was a nightmare and I would wake soon to be greeted my mother¡¯s warm and loving smile.

    But as I ran, I tripped and stumbled down on the ground, hitting my face on a puddle on the floor. And upon getting up and seeing my reflection on the murky and dirty puddle water, I was faced cooled and painful truth, what had happened was not a dream and my beloved mother was gone.

    I remember tears beginning to fall down from my eyes as the bitter and horrific realization of my mother¡¯s passing began to slowly sink in to my young mind. Then the weather changed, almost as those, it was reflection the dread, pain and sadness I felt at that moment , with little droplets of rain descending down from the sky and dark grey cloud forming with roaring thunder and lightning echoing from the above.

    I watched as every rushed in to their homes to escape the storm while I just stood there without an ounce of care for my drenched and soaked body. In that moment, I didn¡¯t mind the cold winds and rain droplets that soaked me, the flash of lightning and roar of thunder didn¡¯t bother me much ether. I didn¡¯t want to return home, I didn¡¯t want to have to face my mother¡¯s lifeless corpse, so I chose to roam through the streets aimless. With teary eyes and weak shaking leg, I walked through the streets with my head bowed low and tears falling down from my eyes harder than the pouring.

    Wondered about aimless through the streets not minding the pouring rain like some kind of walking corpse until I walked passed an alley where a scream drew my attention. I then turned my attention to the alleyway. There, trembling with pure and utter fear was a lady surrounded by a group of pity thugs who were planning on doing things I don¡¯t have stomach strong enough to describe.

    The matter was none of my concern; I could have easily ignored the lady and continuing wondering about aimless but as my gaze met that of the woman, her terrified and frightened face slowly morphed and changed in to that of my mother. Suddenly, my feet refused to take another step and my gaze fixed on the woman, scared and frighten at what may transpire between her and the men if someone, anyone, doesn¡¯t come to her aid. And upon seeing the fear in her eyes, I felt as though I was seeing the same fear mixed with a hint of shame, I saw in my mother¡¯s eyes each time she left our home at night to her job where she would be continuously devoured by animals just like the ones that surrounded the woman. Then, as I watched the hungry look of the men, I felt anger and disgust from the deep depth of my being rise up and consume me.

    Then my legs moved but not to walk away or run, it moved towards the thugs. Then before I could understand what was going on, I launched my fist straight for one of them, hitting him as hard as my little fist could muster. The thugs then turned their attention to me, allowing the lady to slip away, leaving there to face their wrath alone.

    I still remembered how I felt in that moment, frightened, scared and helpless but yet I did not regret helping the woman. I don¡¯t know why but that woman reminded me of my mother and by saving her, I felt as though I was saving my mother even though in reality that was far from the truth.

    The gang leader held me by the collar and then proceeded to look me in the eye with a sinister and devilish grin as his mind began to fill up with ways he could make me pay for interfering with whatever sinister plan they had with that woman. I didn¡¯t know what he and his men were planning on doing with me and I honestly didn¡¯t want to find out. So, thinking fast, I decided to act before that could do anything to me. I then brought out two of my finger and then used them to poke the leader¡¯s eyes causing him to let go of me. Then I ran, as fast as my legs could carry me while the enraged thugs weren¡¯t too far off, chasing after me with blood lustful eyes.

    I ran and I ran but it seemed like my pursuers were hell bent on catching me. As my legs ached from the pain and strain as I ran, I knew that sooner or later they were give out and when they did, I was as go as dead in the hands of the thugs. If I knew that if I wanted to see another day I had to find somewhere place quick to hide. So I looked around my surroundings and found a cargo port, where sky ships came by the dozens to transport their precious cargo.

    Seeing as I didn¡¯t have much of a choice and with the thugs still in hot pursuit of me, I decided to hide in the cargo port. Slipping in to one of the cargo crates and hiding there so the thugs couldn¡¯t find me. But seemed like my luck was out to get me that day because upon entering the cargo, one of the cargo workers decided to seal the crate shut with me inside.

    I wanted to scream and shout for him to let me out but upon seeing the thugs searching for me all over the port, I decided I was be best if I remained silent and stayed put within the cargo until they left. Another decision by me that ended up backfiring as the crate I was in was then being taken to one of the sky ships.

    It took a while but the ship¡¯s crew eventually found out that someone was trapped inside one of the crates and they freed me but not before the ship had already departed, leaving Bugrula and was already soaring high up in the sky.

    The captain, Mr. Toni, was furious upon find a stowaway on his ship. I swear that man¡¯s face looked like it was going to explode with his face as red as fiery embers and veins that looked like there were going to pop right out of his face. I swear that man¡¯s furious face still hunts my dreams till this day.

    The captain wanted to turn the ship around and send back to where I came but we were already too far from Bugrula and a trip back to drop me off would waste too much time as they were on a tight schedule and needed to deliver their cargo to its destination as soon as possible. So the captain, reluctantly, allowed me to stay in ship until they delivered the cargo.

    My time with the captain and his crew was one of the most memorable time of my life. The captain, not enjoy the thought of someone stowing way in his ship for free with being punished, decided to put me to work, in his words: ¡°If you are crafty enough to get unbound my ship without my permission, you¡¯re crafty enough to use a mop¡±. So I was tasked with moping and cleaning the ship all throughout my stay on it, which a job I deeply loathed. As not only was the ship colossal in size, housing a hundred different rooms, it seemed as though the crew weren¡¯t the most hygienic bunch. I remember the smell that came from those rooms and the way it make my nose cry and beg me to put it out of its misery, the strange stains on the floors and the walls that were both sticky and slippery at the same time, and I don¡¯t even want to begin to describe the kind of horror I had to face in the toilets. In summary, it was a messy, disgusting, and vomit inducing job I have ever had the displeasure of doing.

    I cleaned the entire ship for days and for my work I was rewarded with a corner and a few corners to sleep in, the captain also provided for some food and water for me, saying he didn¡¯t want to have to explain to the authorizes why the body of child who died of starvation was on his ship, he also added that I was a great cleaner and if I were to die of starvation there would be nobody else who could clean as well I could. I was indeed grateful all the captain had provide for me while I was unbound his ship, even though I reek of putrid mix of decomposing sewage and a rooting corpse, a smell I never got used to in all the days I spent in that ship.

    During the time I spent in the ship I found myself missing my old life, even though I didn¡¯t have much to miss. All I had was a small rickety old house and a mother who did what she to do to provide for me. Tears slowly dripped down from eyes every time I remembered what I¡¯d lost, a home and mother. I cursed my luck and fate for what I had lost, and I constantly asked myself why I did have to suffer and loss so much at such a young age. I remembered how I watched by mother suffer and every godforsaken day of my life if not from the overwhelming shame felt for what she had to do earn money so I and her eat, then it was the wounds that were inflicted on her while she was being manhandled by those monsters. I had to come to terms with the cold bitter realization that the world was unfair; I and my poor late mother were proof of that fact.

    I couldn¡¯t sleep much while I was on the ship, nightmares of that horrific day plagued my dreams every time I dared to shut my eyes, it was the main reason I was always the first to wake while the rest of the crew was fast asleep and start my disgusting work. I figured that while I was awake, I could get some work done that way the mold and fungus wouldn¡¯t have a chance to spread and the rats were usually tired during that time and didn¡¯t put up much of a fight when I tried clearing them out. But one I woke a bit earlier than usual, it seemed as though the night terrors were at their strongest that night as they jolted me away even before the sun had a chance to set.

    It was still dark out but I still choose to work, not because I enjoyed it, believe me when I say, there is no living soul that can ever enjoy cleaning that bloody ship. But because cleaning those unspeakable horrors distracts and keeps my mind away from having to confront what I saw in my nightmares as each time I drifted away to sleep, I¡¯m taken back to that day, standing in that house, in that room, seeing her, lifeless and empty. I¡¯m forced to relive that misery day, over and over again in my nightmares. So when I¡¯m awake, I try as much as I can, to keep my mind from thinking about that day. During the night while I slept I had to endure a fate comparable to the greatest hell and there was no way I would allow myself to endure such a fate during the day.

    So I worked as hard I could, sweeping, scrubbing, washing and mopping, I did all. Fighting through gunk, strange indescribable stains, and smells that made want to cut my nose clean off. I did it all in a desperate attempt to push away the painful and agonizing memories of that day. I didn¡¯t want to be reminded of what I¡¯d lost.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    During that fateful day I did all work faster than usual, the sun hadn¡¯t even risen yet and everyone in the ship was still fast asleep. It seemed as though all the time I spent cleaning had made proficient at my unfortunate job. But I didn¡¯t that as a good. I didn¡¯t having to clean all day but it was a far better fate than being able and then having the horrors of that accursed plaguing and tormenting my mind.

    The fact that I no longer had any other work to do left me with only me with only one of two options, either try to fall back asleep and face the horrors of his nightmares or try my very best to stay awake while also avoiding recalling the horrific events of that fateful day. The latter of the two seemed more preferable, so I decided to try and stay up. But sadly my body, tired and exhausted from all the work, was against me and after a few short minutes I my drowsy and sleepy.

    I tried my very best to keep myself from falling asleep but no matter how hard I tried my tired eyes lids just grew heavier and heavier. I tried slapping myself to stay away, but my hands grew tire of constantly striking my cheeks after they had gone red from my constant slapping. I tried pouring cold water on my head but the cold air along with the cold water just made me want to fall asleep even more. I even tried bashing my head against the steely metal walls of the ship but try as I may, all my attempts seemed to be for not as I lids, despite my best efforts, kept growing heavier and heavier. It seemed as though I would soon succumb to sleep and return back to the dreadful and horrific world of my nightmares, reliving that fate and damned day.

    In a last dish effort to stay awake, I tried roaming about through the empty halls, passing the many rooms in the ship, hoping that the activity of walking would be enough to keep me awake. That¡¯s when I noticed some light escaping one of the rooms in the ship. It seemed as though one of the crew mates, Mr. Akidi, the ship¡¯s resident engineer was up and from the sounds of something sparking in the room, it seemed as though he was busy so early in the morning working on a project. Curiosity got the better of me and I wanted to see what he was working on, so silently made my way to his room door and peeped from small opened corner.

    I couldn¡¯t get a clear view of what he was working on but I could see other projects displayed all over the room. Mr. Akidi seemed to love tinkering in his spare time as littered about in his room were hundreds of handmade machines, ranging from miniature mechanical carriages, to air ships, mechanical limbs that seem to provide him with whatever tool he may require while working, and many other crafts I can¡¯t find the words to begin to describe.

    The Akidi soon stood up from his seat and made his way to the door. I didn¡¯t want to be caught by him out of fear that I might end being in some kind of trouble so I hid behind the corner of the door. Luckily due to the fact that he was so eager to leave the room, Mr. Akidi failed to notice me, as he rushed out of the room, headed straight for the toilet. I vividly remembered having to clean the worst disasters in those accused toilets later that day and soon realized that Mr. Akidi contributed greatly to my suffering.

    Anyway, seeing that Mr. Akidi was gone, I, driven by intrigue and curiosity, venture in to the room, against my better judgment, to see for myself the wonders of mechanical parts, steel gears, tools, and beautiful works of metal crafts laid within the four walls of the room. It was truly a magnificent sight, teaming with wonderful works of craft a like a mechanical band made of iron and pure steel, mechanical dog, he even had mechanical woman whose curves and features greatly resemble that of a real woman. But out of all the wondrous works that filled the room, what caught my eye the most was a pair of silver metallic wings hung on the wall. They were elegant in design, almost looking angelic to the naked eye. I stared at it for a while, my gaze firmly fixed at the splendid beauty of the metallic wings. However, my attention on the wings was soon captured by what was on work desk.

    Next to metal lamp, was a small and incomplete compass, it passed lying next to it along with its blue prints, hand drawn, given precise and meticulous instruction as to what part goes where. I was impressed at dedicated Mr. Akidi was to his craft, he was truly a skilled man and just by take a quick glance at his work I could tell that he was indeed a man of his craft. I then felt an itch, my hands; seemingly having a mind of their own made their way to one of the uninstalled part of the machine. Just by looking at it I could easily tell where it needed to, but I couldn¡¯t just insert with my bare hands. I needed a tool. I then glanced down at the desk, seeing many levers on it and on each of them was an engraved symbol of a tool. I looked through each of the lever until I found the one I was looking for. I then pulled it, then a mechanical limb extended forth towards me and handed me the tool I needed. I was taken aback a bit upon being handed the tool by a mechanical limb but I graciously accepted and then immediately good to work. Finishing the compass was too difficult thanks to my prior experience as a tinker coupled with the clear and detailed instruction on the blue prints. Soon I was almost done, and only one piece remained, that was when I heard the sound of someone clearing his throat from being me.

    I then froze up, recognizing the voice and knowing exactly who was behind me. He then called out to me, saying, ¡°What are you doing here son¡±. I then slowly turned to him, my entire body shaking and feeling my heart pound from within my chest and on my shaking hands was the almost finished compass. I closed my eyes, awaiting the beating I anticipated I was going to receive but that beating never came, instead Mr. Akidi simply grabbed the compass, inspected and then asked ¡°Did you do this on your own¡±. To which I answered by simply nodding my head. The man just smiled and nodded his head before saying, ¡°Impressive, not only did you follow my instruction but you so accurately without making any blunders¡±.

    Upon hearing praises from Mr. Akidi, I couldn¡¯t help but feel embarrassed by it as compared to all his works in that room, a messily compass was nothing. But I seemed as though that something I and Mr. Akidi did not agree with as he began to praise my workmanship on the compass and even questioning me on how I became so skilled at the craft. I then opened up to him about my former profession as an assistant to a tinkerer, attributing whatever skills Mr. Akidi believed I possessed to it.

    Mr. Akidi upon hearing what I said burst in to laughter, finding it amusing how, in his own words ¡°¡­ a young boy blessed with fine hands like you skilled with talent and potential wasted it all away being an assistant¡±. The man then burst into laughter once more, leaving me baffled and confused as I tried understanding what was going on in Mr. Akidi¡¯s head. After a few long moments of heavy laughter, Mr. Akidi, asked me what my name was, I then proceeded to introduce myself. The mechanic then gave me an offer saying, ¡°look, I¡¯m the only freaking mechanic in this is entire ship and you¡¯d be surprised how many times something needs fixing around here. The workload tends to get a bit overwhelming at times and I¡¯m in desperate need of a pair of fine hands like you. So if you¡¯re willing would you care to be my apprentice¡±. The offer caught me by surprise, I mean all I did was fix a compass that was already halfway finished and that just by following the instructions already laid out by Mr. Akidi in his blue prints, I didn¡¯t believe that there was anything special about what I did but the old man seemed to have believed otherwise.

    It took me a moment to give a response to him but I ultimately accepted his offer, having missed the joyful sensation that came from spending hours toiling and repairing machines of all kinds as a tinkerer¡¯s assistant and the additional bonus of doing some work that didn¡¯t make me reek of an odor that was potent enough to make anyone willing want to forgo their ability to breath just to avoid the that heinous stench. It was an offer I was all too eager to accept and with a rough and excruciatingly painful handshake from a man whose hands I swear are capable of bending pure steel, I was made the proud apprentice of Mr. Akidi. Being an apprentice to the mechanic, much to my annoyance, didn¡¯t mean I was free from my task as a cleaner, it just meant I had addition work added to my already dreadful job, oh well at the very least I had other things to do than cleaning those filthy toilets all day.

    Anyway, as I began my work as the mechanic¡¯s apprentice I discovered that Mr. Akidi execrated a bit when about his work load, in reality, he didn¡¯t need to do much apart from the daily inspection of the ship¡¯s engines and navigation tools he didn¡¯t need to do much. Sure every now and then the captain or one of the crew members would bring some kind of broken device to him to fox which he does but not before yelling at them about how they always come to disturb whenever he was busy. In Mr. Akidi¡¯s defense, he was indeed busy but not with work, you see, during Mr. Akidi¡¯s free time, he likes to tinker a bit, creating new, sometimes bizarre machines and devices for he wasn¡¯t just a mechanic, he was also an inventor who spent every moment he had, when not busy with his work as a mechanic, creating marvelous and amazing contraptions like the mechanic dog that can bark and walk on all fours like a real dog or the mechanic woman who he designed to dance, the mechanical band which played music that was a beat hard and rough but pleasant to the ear, even the mechanical limbs that brought him his tools were his own creation. But his most passionate works were small toys and figures he made, often spending hours on end meticulously, paying attention to every fine detail, to create them. He loved working on them, I swear I could see his eyes winkle oh so slightly every time he finished putting the finishing touches on them. We spent a vast majority of our time making those toys with Mr. Akidi not wasting a moment wailing on me whenever I got the intrinsic and delicate mechanics of a miniature flying ship, always going on about if the measurements of the ships wings or the rotation of the propels are off even if slight, the ship would not fly. He had a bit of an obsession with toy making at a point I was beginning to worry of the man but apart from that, he was a good man and an even better teacher. While the tinkerer I worked as his assistant did teach me the basics, Mr. Akidi greatly expended on what I learnt from me.

    He changed the way I saw tinkering, allowing me to understand that despite the fact it¡¯s a lot like puzzle and you¡¯re the one tasked with putting together the broken pieces, the puzzle can be and is whatever you make of it. If I remember correctly, he¡¯s exact words where, ¡°If it¡¯s already broken you can do the boring thing and fix it exactly as it was before, changing nothing and leaving it exactly the same or you can take the fun approach and fix it to be whatever you want it to. You can something as plain and simple like a mechanical carriage into a flying machine¡±. He thought me that something doesn¡¯t necessarily have to be fox in a certain manner or way to be fixed, if it does what you indeed it to do and doesn¡¯t cause any fires and blow up in your face, then you should be proud of your work.

    Mr. Akidi was a good man and a great mentor. While working alongside him if felt something I had felt before, I¡¯m not entire sure how best to put it but for the first time in my life I felt a sense of acceptance, like I wasn¡¯t some kind of a bounden or mistake placed upon someone. I felt wanted and acceptance. It was a feeling I didn¡¯t realize I had been denied my entire life before then.

    I worked hard each and every day from the very moment the sun rose up to even when it disappeared and the shadow of the night fell. I worked myself to the bone, partly because I enjoyed the work and partly because I was scared of having to rest and fall asleep and return back to those horrific nightmares. Working as Mr. Akidi¡¯s assistant was the perfect d excuse I needed to stay awake as much as possible in other to avoid those dreadful nightmares but as time passed Mr. Akidi realized something was wrong, noticing how reluctant I was to take a break from working and rest my tired body. At first I was brush away his worries with the excuse that I was just so excited and happy to work and he would just assume it was my passion for the craft but as time passed he began to notice something, the fear and sadness in my eyes every time we finished our work. I soon realized that I wasn¡¯t just eager or passionate about working; I was outright horrified to stop. Mr. Akidi knew something was wrong and no about of excitement or enthusiasm from me would be enough to convince him otherwise.

    So one night, after we had finished putting the finishing touches on project we¡¯ve been working on, clock that also acted like a calendar, capable of telling but the time, days, months, and even years. It was something the captain had been asking Mr. Akidi to make for days, only finally getting on it and finishing that night after putting it off for so many days. Once we we¡¯re done, I, in a desperate attempt to lengthen my waking hour suggested we do something else, maybe making another flying ship or mechanical carriage, but all my suggestions were turned down.

    Mr. Akidi then brought out one of his miniaturized mechanical carriages, winded up its gears and then placed it on the table and allowed it move about on the table until it stopped on its own. He then asked, ¡°Why did the carriage stop¡±. The question seemed like an absurd question at first which greatly shocked and baffled me as I wondered to myself why Mr. Akidi would asked me such a question. Mr. Akidi then gave a reply to his seemly absurd question by saying, ¡°It stopped because that was what it was designed to do, run a little while its gears are turning before ultimately coming to a stop. That¡¯s what ultimately every machine ever made was designed to do. Do the work that it¡¯s required to do and then stopping because if it doesn¡¯t stop, it will overwork itself and then break down¡±.

    Upon hearing Mr. Akidi¡¯s words I was able to understand what he was trying to say. That man wasn¡¯t just brilliant when it came to machines and that was a fact I realized during that moment.

    ¡°Do you want to know the difference between you and a machine?¡± Mr. Akidi asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s that when it breaks¡± he spoke before smashing the carriage on the ground, breaking it was in to hundred tiny pieces. ¡°It can easily be fixed; all you need are the right tools. You on the other hand, once you break, there is almost nothing in this world that can put you back together¡±.

    Upon hearing what he said I remained silent and just bowed my head, gathering all the strength I could muster to avoid shedding a tear. I then felt a hand on my shoulder, before raising my head up to see Mr. Akidi looking at me with a comforting and warm smile an his face before opening he mouth to say, ¡°What¡¯s wrong son?¡± Eyes reflecting the fear, worry, and concern he had for me in his heart.

    Then, with tears flowing down through my eyes like an endless stream, I opened my mouth and began to tell my sad and grim tale. I told him everything and left nothing out including who my mother was and her profession, what I did to save and how ultimately I was too late for her in the end. Mr. Akidi listened attentively to it all and once I was done he sighed deeply, before chuckling lightly and saying, ¡°Your life it pretty messed up son¡±.

    That was statement could not refute nor deny as he was right, the life I had lived up until that point was a bleak, messy, and extremely far from being perfect. Mr. Akidi then questioned me on if the painful ordeal I had faced in my life was the reason I refused rest even when it was blatantly clear I needed to rest to I replied yes before proceeded to tell him about the nightmares of fateful day that had been haunting my dreams. Mr. Akidi, upon finding out the reason I¡¯ve been refusing to avoid any form of rest after a hard day¡¯s work decided to seat me down tell me a story, similar to me, who lost everything.

    The boy was the son of an ¡®exotic dancer¡¯ and similar to how my mother was a mistress of the night, it wasn¡¯t a proud profession but it was one that ensured both her and her son had something to eat. The boy¡¯s father abandoned both he and his mother a long time ago before he was even born which was the main of the reason her mother had no choice but accept any work she was offered even if it was one a deplorable as dancing with barely a piece of fabric on her, her body exposed for all the drunk s and intoxicate men to pine over. Despite the shame and distain brought upon her and her line of work, she still earned enough to get a home. The boy didn¡¯t have any friends except for his small scruffy looking dog he found one day abandoned by the dirty gutters as a child near his home. The boy had an exception skill, always tinkering about with scrap metal and discarded parts and pieces of broken machines, always trying to find away to turn them in to a toy of some kind to play with since the money his mother made was not enough to buy him any toys of his own. The mother seeing this talent of her young child, wished to nurture it with the hope that may that skill would be able to provide brighter future than she could ever. So she asked one of the local mechanics to train and teach the boy.

    For a time, the boy¡¯s life seemed good; he had a loving mother who did her very best to provide for him, a dog which he adored, and was trained to hone his skills to ensure a bright future, then tragedy struck. A war started but it an ordinary war, it happened far off, outside the borders of all four nations but still its effects could be felt in every nation. Earthquakes, dust and thunderstorms, red hot balls of flames raining from sky, these were the effect of that war. From the war he described with, with dread, horror, pain, and sorrow in his voice, it didn¡¯t seem like a war between men, and it wasn¡¯t. In Mr. Akidi¡¯s words, ¡°It was a bloody war between gods and demons¡±.

    This wasn¡¯t my first time hearing of this very war, for it was a common tale in all four nations about the war between perfect and divine godlike being name the E¡¯Tamunarans waged a great war between the beastly, barbaric and demonic E¡¯Uha. These two titans clashed in a great war that shook the very foundations of the Earth and transformed the entire world into a living hell with the nation, despite the war happening outside its borders, being gravely affected by it. In fact, according to the tales and whispers spread amongst the people, the war would wiped out every living soul in all four nations if it wasn¡¯t for the intervention of a being dawning wings sliver steel with power greater than both sides of war, a warrior known by name as the Su Baera.

    That was the first I was hearing an account of the war in such detail from a person who actually lived through it, as I only heard murmurs and whispers about how truly horrifying the war was but never a firsthand account. Mr. Akidi continued his story and told me the grim fate that befell his beloved mother, dog, and so many others due to that war. Death, misery, and destruction filled the air during those days, and the young tender little boy had stand above the rubble that was once his home where his beloved mother and dog were buried under.

    That was, sadly how he ended his tale. But that was an ending I could not and refused to accept as the definite end of the tale. So, refusing to believe that such a grim end, I asked Mr. Akidi, ¡°What happened to the boy?¡±

    To which he replied, ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy, and the pain and sorrow that came from his loss did greatly weigh over his heart but he eventually found the strength to bare it and go on living his life. He even eventually became a man and a mechanic in a beaten up old ship with crew that can¡¯t give him a moment of peace, and a brilliant little apprentice¡±.

    Upon Mr. Akiri¡¯s words I realized what should have been blatantly obvious, that he was the boy in the story. The realization of the fact that the grim story I just heard was the past of a man who, despite the occasional outbursts of annoyance whenever someone disturbs him while he was ¡®working¡¯, seemed happy without a trace of sorrow and pain in him, made me wonder how can someone go through that much and still end up like he did, happy and content.

    ¡°How did you move past the pain?¡± I asked with a low voice, genuinely wanting to know how he pushed passed his pain. Mr. Akidi just smiled before pointing at the pair of steel wings mounted on his wall. ¡°A warrior dawning a pair of wings made of pure steel that shun like sliver, brighter than the sun and the combined lights of stars in the night sky, descended from the heavens, with a power so great, it forced both the E¡¯Tamunarans and E¡¯Uhas to stop fight and make peace to save the four nations¡± Mr. Akidi spoke with a smile on his face while his tears while his remained fixed on the steel wings.

    ¡°The fact that a being power greater than the gods and demons who looked down at us like ants stopped them from waging a war that threatened the lives of everyone in all four nations, including myself gave me strength I needed during those dark times. Life isn¡¯t easy son, especially for people like us. From the very moment you¡¯re born it feels like the entire world is against you, trying to break you in every conceivable way. But the fact that someone out there was willing to go against literal gods and demons so I and everyone living in the four nations could live, makes the pain of living slightly more bearable¡±,

    That was the first I ever truly understood what the symbol of the Su Baera stood for and what people saw when they saw those pair of steel wing, it was hope for better days to come, a sign to give you the strength to bare through the agony and pain life brought you way, knowing that even if life was rough, there someone out there willing to fight for you. I still remember how I felt as a child hearing those be uttered by Mr. Akidi, the way my heart eased up are days of being gripped by fear and tension. I felt lighter and calmer, and for the first time in what felt like a life time, I allowed myself slumber and even though I still had to face the nightmares in my dreams, I found the strength I needed to bear them¡­.

 Chapter 36

    Ibaeran flapped through the final pages of the book before closing it and then letting out a deep sigh. That was a story unlike any other that narrated the lost history of a true legend and a hero. Ibaeran then turned to look at the window, seeing the sun was slowly rising and casted away the shadows of the night to usher in a new day. Ibaeran just sighed once more as she realized that she had spent the entire day reading the book before shifting her gaze away from her window and to the book. Her mind then began to recollect the tale that laid with the pages of the book and she did so she realized something, she and the Su Baera before her alike in a sense as just like her, he had experience the pain of loss and had suffered immensely before finally being bestowed the power of the Su Baera, they were even moment after he gained the power of the Su Baera that he doubted himself and his abilities to protect people of the four nation but despite that he was still ready and willing to fight when the people needed him.

    Ibaeran then looked at her hands before she wondered to herself, if Menjikiri could push passed his fears and doubt to fight for his people to fight for his people with everything he had even if it came at a cost of his own life, why couldn¡¯t she. Why was it so hard for to push away her fears and dare to fight for her people instead of silently submitting. She had the power, she could feel within her, flowing through her entire body but yet she couldn¡¯t bring herself to use it.

    Ibaeran looked at the book once more with eyes filled with shame and guilt before shifting her gaze away from the book. Recalling that she didn¡¯t have much time and only six days remain for her to retrieve the Dumo Stone to her people from the king¡¯s wrath, she decided to put into practice what she learnt from the book, recalling the words in pages of the book;

    ¡°¡­think about where I wanted to go, and then focus on it, the power of the Su Baera did the rest¡­¡±

    Ibaeran then took a deep breath and then closed her eyes, focusing her mind on the one place she wished to go with all her heart. She then felt the power of the Su Baera flow through her entire body. The steel wings then extended forth from her back and then, with a flash of blinding sliver light, Ibaeran was gone.

    Ibaeran then slowly opened up her eyes only to find herself floating about in a black void surrounded by doors that floated about aimless.

    ¡°Where am I?¡± Ibaeran asked herself as she took in her surroundings, wondering where she had just appeared in.

    Looking at her surroundings was reminded of a page in the book written by the former Su Baera, describing one of the many worlds he had travelled to during his time as the Su Baera.

    ¡°¡­The world was a pitch black void filled only with door too numerous to count. This was a world every living soul would eventually travel to, for it is the last world a soul can continue to exist before e it meets its evitable end. It is called the Kiri Fe¡¯e, the place of death¡­.¡±

    Ibaeran then wondered to herself if the world she was currently in was indeed the place of death. Looking around and seeing doors that surrounded her, filling the seemingly endless void with numbers so great they could be comparable to all the sands of desert. Ibaeran then remembered what the book said about the place of death and how it served as a reward for every soul that had ever lived, from the words stripped out of the book itself;

    ¡°¡­the place of death served as a reward of sorts for every living soul born or created, it mattered not if the soul was cruel or wicked, kind or just, from ever world and realm in existence, where souls could come to rest in a world of their own creation, where they would live and rule over their world as gods, creating their paradise. This was the fate of every soul that will eventually breathe their last, to spend the remainder of their existence in world forged by their own hands¡­¡±This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    Ibaeran looked around once more, seeing the trillions of the doors that surrounded her that even outnumbered the night sky before thinking to herself, is this truly where everyone goes to when they die both the poor and rich, weak and strong, wicked and kind. It didn¡¯t seem right to Ibaeran as she wonder to herself how could this be true when they lived monsters so cruel, heartless, and selfish that they cared very little about spilling blood and causing countless to suffer if it meant achieving their goals. An image of the king flashed in her mind as she asked herself internally if even he, someone as cruel, vindictive, and heartless, deserves such a fate, to spend the rest of his existence in death living a world of his creation where he ruled and lived as a god, how was that fair for the people inflicted so much pain and misery on, lives he ruined and reduced to nothing more than a living hell, and the needless bloodshed, he didn¡¯t even have the decency to spare his own people. Ibaeran looked at all the doors that surrounded her, silently wondering to herself, how was the existence of the place of death a just thing.

    Ibaeran just sighed, deciding that it didn¡¯t really matter, that was how it was, the place of death was a reward for everyone who had ever lived and would eventually meet death, it didn¡¯t matter if she believed some soul didn¡¯t deserve such reward after all she lacked the right and power to question the reality she was facing. Ibaeran at the moment had more passing matters to concern her mind with like how and why did she end us in the place of death in the first place when she was trying to travel to Kiri Dumo. Ibaeran then spotted something, something that made her eyes widen with shock upon seeing it.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be?¡± Ibaeran questioned before propelling herself with a single flap of her steel to one of the doors.

    The door looked like an old and worn out door that looked like it was going to fall apart at any moment. Ibaeran didn¡¯t know why but she felt something within her upon spotting that one door in the midst of an infinite ocean of door, Ibaeran couldn¡¯t understand what it was, though, or even why she felt it, it felt a form feeling of familiarity almost as though she was seeing an old friend for the very first time in ages. Then, as Ibaeran finally reached the door, it dawned on her on why the door felt so familiar, now recognizing the beaten up old door as the door of her former her former home during her time as slave. Ibaeran then looked at the door before her with a single question in her head, why was that door in the place death?

    Ibaeran didn¡¯t need to waste too much time pondering as the answer to the question was obvious. She only knew of one departed soul that could be responsible for that, a soul that was close to her, closer than anyone ever was, the sole reason she decided to walk the path she was currently on. Tear escaped Ibaeran eyes as she realized just who was on the other side of that door.

    ¡°Pre¡­Preyina¡± Ibaeran spoke with a heavy voice, her heart sinking from with her chest as she placed a hand on the door.

    She could sense her presence from the other side of the door, it almost felt like she was calling out for her, waiting on the other side, with a heart just as eager as hers for her to open the door. Ibaeran then looked down at the door¡¯s handle, the one who she wanted the most was just at the other side of the door and all she had to do was grab hold of that handle open. Then she and her would be together again and this time they would be able to enjoy the freedom that was denied from them from the very beginning their lives. The freedom to be together that was all the two of them always dream of and now that dream can be a reality and all she had to do to make it so was open the door.

    Ibaeran¡¯s reached for the door¡¯s handle, heart racing with excitement and eagerness to see her old friend once but just as she was about to open the door she heard a voice echoing in her head;

    ¡°Seven days, that¡¯s all the time I¡¯m giving to get me the Dumo stone. If you don¡¯t procure the stone with that time, I¡¯ll make you watch as every single one from your pathetic race is slaughtered one by one by my hand,¡±

    Ibaeran then stopped herself, realizing that the path she was about choose might have been the one she wanted and desire to take above all else but if she did, she would casting away her entire race to meet an agonizingly painful end in the hands of the king. Ibaeran, not having the strength to bare such a weight on her conscience, choose to leave the door closed, a decision hurt her much more than anything else could, she doubt that even the king himself could inflict a pain greater than the one felt for having to lose someone so close to her for the second time.

 Chapter 37

    Ibaeran appeared back in her room and then immediately collapsed on her knees. Feeling an intense pain flow through her from her, so deep and agonizing that was impossible to put in to words. Tears dripped down from her eyes and on to the floor below as the memory of what she had just done moments ago flooded her head, reminding her of the painful truth that she had willingly foregone an opportunity to have something that have evaded her grasp from the very moment she was born, true happiness and freedom, void of all of the pain and misery she had ever experienced in her life, and she could have shared it all with the person she loved the most, all she had to do was open a single door.

    Ibaeran felt like scream and curse herself for choosing leave being a chance to truly happy with the person she loved with all her heart but she knew that there was no point in doing that. She had made her choice and no matter how painful and agonizing it may be she reassured herself in heart that it was the right one. Understanding that for the very moment the steel wings attached themselves to her back and made her the Su Baera, she had a responsibility to her people, a responsibility she could not deny for her own personal happiness.

    Ibaeran then heard a knock at the door. She then summoned all the strength she could summon to get and then went to the door, making sure she wiped away all her tears before opening the door. On the other side of door were Minji and Finita.

    ¡°It¡¯s you two, why are you here?¡± Ibaeran questioned upon seeing the two maids standing in front of the door.

    Minji and Finita, upon seeing Ibaeran¡¯s swollen eyes and the dried up tear tracks on her face, looked her with a look of worry and hint of concern.

    ¡°S¡­Su Baera¡± Minji spoke, her voice cracking with fear and caution.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Minji completed her statement, greatly taken Ibaeran aback as she never expected an Uha Tamunaran to show enough concern or compassion towards her to ask of her wellbeing.

    ¡°Minji¡± Finita yelled at her sister, thinking that she may have offended Ibaeran by asking such a question.

    Finita then turned back to Ibaeran, bowing down her head before saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my sister talks a bit too much for her good¡±.

    ¡°It¡¯s quite alright¡±, Ibaeran before turning face Minji who looked at her with a look of fear, scared that she might have offended Ibaeran with her words.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, just a little tired that¡¯s all¡± Ibaeran spoke with a voice filled with gratitude, happy that someone, even if it was and Uha Tamunaran, was able to notice that something was troubling her and care enough to ask her if she was alright as that was something she only expected from one person but that person was no long in the realm of the living.

    Ibaeran, summoned every ounce of strength she could muster to keep her tears at bay as flashes of Preyina filled her mind, not wanting the two maids before her to see her shed tears and so vulnerable.

    ¡°Why are you two here?¡± asked Ibaeran.

    ¡°It¡¯s the king, he wants to see you¡± said Minji.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what the two maids said sighed out in exhaustion as she doubted she, in her current state, could muster the strength to face the king but it was command and if she were to refuse him, the consequence was be to dire for her to face.

    ¡°Very well¡± Ibaeran spoke, knowing that she couldn¡¯t refuse the king and even though the king was the last person she wanted to lay her eyes on during those moments, she still had to go.

    The king, seated on his massive throne, waited, with an irritated and frustrated look on his face, in front the doors his eyes had been fixed on since the moment he commanded for Ibaeran¡¯s presence. A few moments then passed and the doors finally opened up and Ibaeran then step in, making her was to his majesty before bowing before his throne.

    ¡°You asked to see me your majesty¡±, Ibaeran spoke to the king with her heard a bowed down.

    The king was taken aback a bit by the way Ibaeran just walked in his chambers and the she spoke to him, sensing that there was something wrong with her but he what it was and that greatly troubled him.

    ¡°Have you made any progress in retrieving the Dumo stone¡± the king asked in his usual menacing and degrading tone, like a giant talking down to an ant.

    ¡°No but¡­¡± the king did not allow Ibaeran to complete her sentence before grabbing with one of his massive arms.

    The king then began to slowly crush and squeeze within his grip.

    ¡°It seems as though you¡¯ve forgotten who you¡¯re talking to, I am your king, your lord, your god. You, your race, even the Uha Tamunarans owe my yours lives, for it¡¯s simply because of my mercy that you all till breathe. If I wanted I could slaughter you and your pathetic race in a heart but no, I allowed you all to live simply because of you Su Baera. You are the key to my grand plans, my ascension to an even high realm, a realm that have been denied for far too long¡±, the king spoke bitterness, anger, and frustration in his voice as he grip grew tight and harder.

    Ibaeran could feel her bones slowly began to crack with a great surge of pain flowing through her entire body as the king¡¯s grip over hard grew tighter, she tried her best to summon the strength needed to free herself from his grasp but try as she may, as stared into eye of the monster that was king, she felt an overwhelming of fear grab hold of her, stripping her of whatever fear she could muster.

    ¡°You are nothing but a weak and frail little thing who¡¯s only purpose is to be used as a tool for my ascension and if you don¡¯t start functioning like you are meant to, I won¡¯t hesitate break you alongside the rest of you pathetic race¡±, the king spoke like a cobra spewing venom of his heart, stinging Ibaeran¡¯s heart with his cruel.Stolen novel; please report.

    Ibaeran couldn¡¯t take it anymore, with the king¡¯s words echoing in her head, constantly reminding her of her place as his tool and the weight of the overwhelming pressure placed upon her to free her people, Ibaeran felt something within snap like thread that had been stretched too thin. Then suddenly, all her pain and frustrations, along the feeling of helpless she had been harboring within her heart for what felt like an eternity, manifested itself, in an immense fierce and fiery fury. Her entire body began to glow with raw power from it as she felt everything within her, the pain, the frustration, the helpless, fear and shame, beginning to rise.

    The king upon seeing glow of Ibaeran¡¯s body froze and looked at her with a mix shock, dread, and fear. He felt his grip grew weaker and weaker as the force from the power emanate from Ibaeran began to free her from his grip. The king then tightened his hold on her, refusing to go her, believing that no matter how great the power, it was nothing compared to his but no matter how tighter his hold on her got, the power emanate from her refused to allow her remain in his grasp, and slowly his grip grew weaker and weaker, slowly overtaking the power of the king¡¯s grasp before finally, with massive burst of power and flash of a blinding light, Ibaeran was freed from the king¡¯s grasp.

    As the light dimmed the king winced out in pain as he looked down at the arm he used grab hold of Ibaeran, severely wounded due to the power the escaped Ibaeran¡¯s body. The king looked up, his eyes fixed on the image above his head, of girl that he once tightly on his arms and floating above his head with a pair of steel wings extending out of her back and her body glowing with divine hue. The king, upon seeing the sight of Ibaeran hovering over him was taken back to time in the past where he witness with once dual vision, the Su Baera before being, single handedly reduced entire legions of armies to ashes with his raw power alone. Feeling in those moments what he felt upon seeing the former Su Baera back then as he dealt with his army, a feeling thought he would never feel again, a feeling of absolute and utter fear.

    Ibaeran, drunk of the power flowing through her entire body, could not feel anything but pure unbridle fury, feeling the overwhelming frustration she had been keeping at bay for so long take over, she wanted nothing more than to let it all out, releasing all her fury in a single spontaneous burst but then, her eyes caught a sight, a sight she never expected to see. Ibaeran, looking down at the king, saw something, something she couldn¡¯t believe to be through, and that was fear from none other than the king himself. Seeing that shocking sight reminded her of herself and her people, remembering the feeling of fear the Uha Tamunarans inspired in the hearts of her people and herself with power, and upon seeing the same fear the king of the Uha Tamunarans himself, she couldn¡¯t help but feel, not a sense of pride or pleasure for instilling the same fear his kind instilled in them all, no, what she felt complete and utter disgust as the thought of making any person be them it man or Uha Tamunaran, the same unbearable feeling of fear and dread the Uha Tamunarans instilled in her and her people.

    Ibaeran then felt the intense fury within her heart slowly begin to fade away and disappear, and as it did, so did the power that flowed through. She then slowly, begin to make her descent down to the ground before collapsing due to how strained and tired her body felt after exhorting so much power.

    The king just stood here and watched as the power he dreaded and feared slowly disappeared with the pathetic spineless girl that hovered over him, wielding that very same power; descend down to the ground before collapsing before. The king then felt sense a wave of intense fury and rage watch over him, enraged at the fact that little worm who laid on the floor before his feet was able to make him feel a sensation he dreaded, feeling he swore to himself he would never feel again, a feeling that was beneath the great king of all Uha Tamunarans, and that was complete and utter fear.

    The king then, blinded by his anger and rage, decided to use his powers against Ibaeran, extending his hand forth to her and allowing it to flow out of him. Ibaeran then felt a crushing weight mounted upon her and pushing her against the ground unable to get back up on her feet. She tried summoning whatever strength she could must but it was all in vain, the power was too great for her to overcome. The weight and pressure on her kept growing and growing, crushing her entire body and causing her bone to begin crack from within, she struggle breath as the pressure refuse air to enter her lung. She felt as though she was at the verge of death itself. Weak and on the floor like insect and before her a towering giant, slowly crushing her to death with his monstrous, that was how she felt at that very moment.

    The king wanted nothing more that to crush her with his mighty power but no matter how great his rage and fury was, it did not blind him to the point where he forgot he true, determined to claim the greatest of powers and ascend to heights so high that nobody not Niyanlafu or his master, and certainly not the fable little pathetic girl lying before his feet could reach, to reborn as true god. But for his dream to be a reality, he needed the power the girl possessed and so he needed her to live, even though he wanted nothing more than to crush her and watch life escape from those pathetic little eyes of hers.

    The king then brought down his hand, free Ibaeran from the crushing weight of his power.

    Ibaeran then gasped out for air, feeling her entire body ache from within due to the overwhelming pain coursing through it. Then, before she could even get back on her two feet, she heard the booming voice of the king saying, ¡°Six days remain Su Baera. If you fail to retrieve the Dumo stone within those six days then¡­¡±The king slammed his fist on the handle of throne causing it crumble and break apart before saying ¡°You along with every single one of your people will know my wrath¡±.

    Ibaeran upon hearing the words of king felt a wave of fear consume her heart, having never before seen him so furious and consumed by rage before. He, in her eyes, resembled a raging beast, ready destroy and devour anything that crosses his path.

    With those words said, the king dismissed Ibaeran, allowing her to return in her room. Once there Ibaeran fell down to the ground, her knees too weak to lift her off the ground. Her mind was scattered with different on the events that had just pasted, recalling how the king grabbed hold of her with his massive arms, squeezing and crushing, how the horror and fear she felt during those moments, then that fear slowly began to morph and change in to something Ibaeran could not recognize. A raw fury, fueled by all her frustration over her fears, loss, and feeling of helplessness, manifested itself in a way that truly shocked Ibaeran. Recalling all the immense anger and rage she felt at them, like a raging bull free from its shackles and chains, she felt as though she was ready to set the world ablaze with her fury, and what frightened her the most was she, with the overwhelming power of the Su Baera that flowed through her body at that moment, might have actually been able to just that.

    Ibaeran then thought about the king, the source of all her frustration and the one she truly wanted to inflict as much pain and suffering as possible. Ibaeran couldn¡¯t believe the emotions she felt rising within, anger, rage, and utter hatred all directed at the king. She believed that fear was the only emotion that king could inspire in her heart but she was wrong, for in those very moments she discovered something her fear refused her to see, and that was that, she truly and deeply loathed the king and all that he was. He was a monster, a beast that couldn¡¯t even be merciful to his own kin. Ibaeran had never allowed herself to harbor any true form hatred to anyone even the Uha Tamunarans, not seeing the point in hating something that was over you in power but at that very moment, while her body was consumed by the raw power of the Su Baera, she allowed herself, first time in her entire life, to experience, true and genuine hatred for none other than the king himself.

    Ibaeran then remembered she saw in the eye of the king, something that truly shocked her right down to her, never expecting to see such a thing his eyes, fear, a feeling she knew well, having been inflicted by it her entire life but never expecting it to exist within the heart of someone as powerful and ruthless as the king. The sight was now arched in her mind with her still questioning herself on whether or not what she witness was real or just her mind playing tricks on her. Her recalling seeing the king in such a state, consumed by the very emotion he inspire and thrusts on all who are in his presence, made her wonder if the king¡¯s power was truly as great as she believed, and was she wrong to fear him. Ibaeran¡¯s mind then went back to fearsome display of power by the king, recalling how she felt her bones begin to crack and slowly break from within her, remembering the crushing weight his power placed upon her body and how she felt as though she was knocking on deaths door about to be ushered in to the place of death. Those recalling those moments reinforced her belief that the king¡¯s power was truly something to fear but at the very same time she couldn¡¯t ignore the fact that the power that resided inside her was great as well and maybe it might be just as great as¡­Ibaeran stopped her mind from straying too far as, at the moment, it really didn¡¯t matter, the king was still king, he commanded entire arms of Uha Tamunarans, being who were so powerful that they were next to being gods themselves, and he was the most powerful of them, the one who claimed the life the Su Baera that came before her.

    Ibaeran just sighed deeply, believing that no matter how great the power she possessed was, it didn¡¯t really matter as at the end of the day, he was the king and she, was she, even though at moment she was struggling to understand who she was.

    Ibaeran then found the book left behind by the former Su Baera that came after her lying on her bed and next to it was the map Ton¡¯Onama gave her. The echoing voice of the king began to ring in her ear, reminding that only six days were left to save and free her people from the king¡¯s wrath. Ibaeran then summoned the strength she needed to get back up on her feet, knowing she still work to do and her people were counting on her. She managed to get up and move her tired weak legs to the book and map, grabbing hold of them and then shut her eyes. She then began to focus on where she wanted to go, trying her best to clear her mind and feel it with thoughts desiring only one thing, to go to Kiri Dumo. Then with a flash of blinding light, she was gone.

 Chapter 38

    The king seated on his throne with images of Ibaeran looming over his head with the power of the Su Baera flowing out of her body. He cursed underneath his breath, feeling his blood boil with rage and a fury so great, he felt as though he was ready to reduce everything around him to ashes. Remembering the way he felt upon seeing the power that flowing out of that little, insignificant, and pathetic girl. It was degrading and humiliating, to think that he, the great king Datubo, ruler of the Uha Tamunarans, who possessed a power great enough to crush entire mountains felt his heart pound against his chest with fear all because of a girl who he considered to be nothing more than a stepping stool and means to his ascension.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you Datubo¡±, a familiar voice echoed air around the king.

    King, knowing exactly who the voice came from, did not even bother ask and simple gritted his teeth in annoyance and frustration. Niyanlafu appeared before the king¡¯s throne with a grin plastered on his face, pleased to see the troubled look on the king¡¯s face.

    ¡°Why, if I may ask, is the great king Datubo wearing such a distress look on his face? I thought he was supreme with power so great he was akin to a god¡±, Niyanlafu spoke in a mocking tone, adding fire to the already sieving inferno of anger and rage that dwelling within the king.

    ¡°Surely it is not because of that little frail girl as the power she possesses is nothing compared to¡­¡± Niyanlafu¡¯s statement was cut off mid way by Datubo bursting out in rage, his monstrous power flowing out of his body before opening his mouth to speak in a threaten voice, ¡°Watch your tongue Niyanlafu¡±.

    Niyanlafu upon hearing what the king said paused for a moment before bursting out in laughter.

    ¡°You are still as arrogant and prideful as ever¡±, Niyanlafu spoke as stopped laughing before talking a moment to glance at the king with pitch black eyes.

    ¡°It seems as though even now you fail to grasp your true place in all of this¡±, Niyanlafu spoke with his monstrous voice.

    The king then felt Niyanlafu¡¯s dark power wrapping itself around him before gripping on to him tightly, keeping still and in place seated upon his mighty throne.

    ¡°You are not as great as you perceive yourself and no matter how much power you possess, there will always be heights you¡¯ll never be able to reach¡± Niyanlafu then took a step closer to the king.

    The king upon seeing Niyanlafu step closer to him, felt a wave of fear wash over him, fearing what the monster before him was planning to do with him.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you satisfied, you rule over this entire world and are feared by all, your power is already greater every single Uha Tamunaran in existence but yet you still seek more. Why Datubo¡± Niyanlafu asked as he took another step closer to the king, and the king, seeing that he had once again taken another step closer to began to struggle to try free him.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it enough, you took the throne from you brother along with his bride, isn¡¯t it enough that you crushed every soul who dared to question your rule and you even managed to succeed in eliminating the former Su Baera, the one obstacle that stood against your conquest¡± Niyanlafu spoke about all the king¡¯s achievement before taking another step to the king, sending another wave of fear down the king¡¯s spine.

    Niyanlafu then vanished in cloud of darkness before appearing before the king himself, looking at him with his pitch black eyes, sensing the fear in heart both their eyes lock on to each other.

    ¡°Tell me Datubo isn¡¯t it enough¡±, asked Niyanlafu.

    Then, with his gaze locked on Niyanlafu¡¯s pitch black eyes, dared to, despite the fear he felt flow through his entire before, opened his mouth to speak, ¡°No, it¡¯s not¡±.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    Niyanlafu upon hearing Datubo¡¯s answer smiled at him in amazement.

    ¡°You may look down on me or think of me to be the fool, blinded by pride and arrogance, but I couldn¡¯t care less of what you think. All I seek for is power, power to break and shatter entire worlds, power greater than any being be it man, Uha Tamunaran or even gods. I want to transcend everyone and everything, to make god tremble at just mention of my name. I refuse to be seen as the pathetic little worm of prince, denied of his birth because of the power he lacked, I refuse to be a weakling, for I am king Datubo and I will make sure I reach a level of power where all in both the heavens and earth below, a well as the lower depths of all worlds, shall to bow on their knees and acknowledge me as their king¡±, Datubo spoke defiantly at Niyanlafu.

    Niyanlafu upon hearing what Datubo said, simply chuckled before saying, ¡°Poor little prince, even after growing so much you are still oh so na?ve and still can¡¯t grasp your place in this story. I¡¯ve tried my very best to guide you down the right path up until now but if you insist on continuing to be this arrogant and prideful fool fine then. I suppose I¡¯ll still be there when you eventually shatter and break apart like the frail little stone that you are after falling so far down from grace¡±.

    Niyanlafu then turned his back away from the king before he began to walk away from him, ¡°Goodbye Datubo, try not to crash too hard on that heavy head of yours that you¡¯ve adorned with that an even heavier prideful crown. Don¡¯t worry, I will still be there for you when you inevitable meet your gruesome and humiliating end, like I always am little prince¡±.

    Niyanlafu then vanished in cloud of darkness, living the king alone, seated on his throne with his crown above his head.

    The king then sighed deeply before pondering about Niyanlafu¡¯s words, knowing that they were not spoken senselessly, recalling the great display of power he had witness moments ago from Ibaeran. He would be a fool to overlook her power especially after witnessing that it for himself and part of him wanted to take action, to end her before she became a true threat to his rule and the empire he had built but yet, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to and put an end to his plans.

    Datubo then looked down on his hand, seeing the wound on it, inflicted on him by the little frail girl he looked down. It had been ages since his body had experienced any form of physical pain, many had tried in the past but their weapons, whether of steel or fire, could not penetrate his skin, and even the Uha Tamunarans that dared to oppose his rule lacked the power to leave even a single scratch on his skin. He was invincible, at least that was what he and every living soul under his rule believed.

    Datubo then lifted his wounded arm and placed it upon his eyes, feeling and recalling the last time he felt sensation of pain and fear flow through his entire body, when he battled the former Su Baera, remembering how he felt when he saw the Su Baera single handed dispatch an entire army of Uha Tamunarans and still had the strength to remain standing on his two feet and continue the fight. The king also remembered how the Su Baera warned him to turn back and end his conquest while he still could or else. Datubo would be lying if he said the Su Baera words held no sway over his heart, recalling how after hearing what the Su Baera said he began to contemplating on turning away, falling back along with what remained of his tropes but in the end he chose to ignore his fear and stood his ground, fight with every ounce of power he had and as for why? It was because of the same reason he wouldn¡¯t end his plans even after witness the power of the Su Baera that laid within Ibaeran, for it was his quest to wield the ultimate form of power for himself.

    Recalling a distant memory from eons pasted, on how the first born prince was born frail, weak, and worst of all, completely and utterly powerless, mocked, ridiculed and denied of his birthright, living a life less than a peasant despite the fact that royal blood flowed through his veins. The young prince had to grow up envying his brother who was born with a power that could shake the heavens and the earth, and if that wasn¡¯t enough, everything from love and adoration by all, and his birth right, his claim to the throne as the first born son, was given to him all thanks to the power he was born with.

    That was why when Niyanlafu came to him all those years ago; offering away to acquire power beyond his wildest dreams and reclaim what was rightfully his, he did not hesitate to accept. Niyanlafu revealed to him a to claim the power of others for himself, stripping them of their life force, making what was once theirs his and living behind an empty lifeless husk. Using this ability he stripped away the power of those who mocked and ridiculed him, took back the throne that was rightfully his and was feared by all. But all that wasn¡¯t enough, the king didn¡¯t to ever be looked down upon or perceived to be weak ever again, he wanted to be the strongest and most power being to ever live.

    But that was a reality that would never be because of the existence of the Su Baera, the only being whose power he couldn¡¯t claim for himself. Recalling immense pain that flowed through his entire body the very first time he attempted to take the power of the Su Baera for himself, it felt as though the power refused wielded by anyone apart from the Su Baera, rejecting him and inflecting a pain so agonizing that it went down to his very essence and made him feel like his very soul was being torn apart, it was a pain so great that, despite how many years may have, passed he could still vividly remember it. The king could not tolerate the fact that there was a power which he could not claim for himself, a power which was greater than anything he had ever felt before. The realization that there existed a power beyond his reach made him seek for an even greater power and in search for that very power he found out about the Dumo Stone, the source of all life in existence, the ultimate power, and immediate wanted it along with its power for himself.

    His quest for the ultimate power was what drove every action he took and despite the fact that he was treading on a dangerous path especially since Ibaeran seemed to have began understanding the heights of which her powers can reach, the king was still determined to continue with his plan to use her to acquire the Dumo Stone, knowing that she still believed his power to be greater than hers and fearing what he would do to her people if she did not comply with his wishes and do as he commanded, and he was going to use that belief and fear to his advantage, continuing to reinforce that fear and believe, he was even ready to make her feel lower that dirt underneath his feet if it meant she would continued to be subservient to his will even though he feared the power she possessed.

 Chapter 39

    Ibaeran slowly opened upon her eyes and as she did so she was greeted with the unexpected sight of a strange and unfamiliar world. She looked around her surrounding unsure of where she had traveled but she was certain that it wasn¡¯t Kiri Dumo.

    The world was hard if not outright impossible to describe, with an appearance that resembled a vast, endless, twisted and distorted void filled with forms of matter that constantly morphed and changed in to irregular shapes whose appearance defy all forms of logic and reason, and by all accounts, none of those shapes and forms they turned to should be possible or even exist. Ibaeran felt as if she was going to go mad as her mind struggled to comprehend and make sense of the strange world she seemed to have unintentionally stumbled in to.

    Ibaeran then felt something, a presence from within the twisted and distorted space that surrounded her. Then slowly the irregular and impossible forms of matter that surrounded her slowly began to twist and changed before coming together to form a figure seated on what resembled a might throne.

    Ibaeran upon seeing the figure looked up it with eyes widened with shock and disbelief. Its feature, curves and the shape of its body resembled that of a woman but the irregular and impossible matter that made up its body made it Impossible for Ibaeran to make out a clear visible face. But the appearance of the figure wasn¡¯t the reason Ibaeran was awed by it, no, the shocked look on her face came as a result of her inability to comprehend just how massive the figure was as the figure reached a height so great that Ibaeran resembled a tiny speck of dust scattering about in the wind. It was larger than a city, nation, and maybe even an entire world.

    Ibaeran upon seeing such a being couldn¡¯t stop feelings of insignificants, helplessness, and fear from grabbing hold of her as in the presence of such a being, greater than anything she had ever seen before, even the great king Datubo would be no larger than a small grain of sand in its presence. And then, as if the size of the being wasn¡¯t great enough, Ibaeran then felt strange and monstrous power surround, penetrating her entire body, and reaching the very essence of her being. The power felt strange, like a mismatch of contradicting forces colliding with one another and merging to form a power greater than anything she had ever felt before, it felt like infinity was battling with itself clashing with itself as absurd as it maybe. The power itself followed no form of reason or direction, it felt like destruction and creation, life and death, time and timelessness, all round up in to a single unrivaled and unparallel force, greater than anything Ibaeran had felt before. There was only one word Ibaeran to think of to describe such a strange and overwhelming, and that was complete and utter chaos, and the source of that chaotic power was none other than the massive being seated on the throne before her.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    Ibaeran eyes gaze then locked in place, looking at the being made of misshaped and impossible matter, and even though its face was too distorted to make out, Ibaeran could tell that the being was looking directly at her, and that realization made her heart race with fear great than anything she had ever felt in the entirety of her life, making whatever level of fear inspire by the king in her heart vanish in an instant. Ibaeran felt all feeling in her body disappear and was not sure if it was because of the chaotic power that surrounded her or if it was just her body shutting down due to the overwhelming wave of fear that was currently washing through her as she stared at a being far greater than anything she had ever seen before. Ibaeran, in that moment was unsure if her heart was still in her chest and if air was in her lungs, she could feel nothing and the only indication to her that she was still alive was the overwhelming fear she felt.

    The being then began to move its massive hand that looked big enough to compass all four nations, extending out to Ibaeran and act that filled Ibaeran¡¯s heart with more fear, greater than Ibaeran ever thought possible. Ibaeran seeing the being¡¯s hands slowly approach her, tried, with everything she had, to summon the strength to move but try as she may, she could even summon the strength needed to move a finger and remained motion in that very spot watching with a pounding heart, as the massive hand of the being came for her.

    Ibaeran looked at the looming shadow above, her eyes filled with fear and lock in place, unable to even summon the strength to look away as the hand of a being far greater than death was about to fall upon her but before it could reach, triggered by the only stable thought Ibaeran¡¯s fear broken mind could manage to compose, the steel wings of the Su Baera, shun bright with a sliver hue, enveloping Ibaeran within it before vanishing away with a brilliant sliver flash.

    Ibaeran, once she found out she was safe and out of the reach of that strange colossal being, gasped out of air, taking in all the air she could as mere moments ago she could even bring herself to take in a single breath. After Ibaeran had finished taking in breath after, after breath, after breath, and her finally composed her scattered mind she finally noticed her surroundings. Looking around to see a white void, and above her head were balls of light floating over her with two strand of white and dark thread attached to them. The white threads attached to the balls seem to come from the world itself as they were attached to white void that made up the world, while the dark thread came from a ball much more massive and larger than the others but the ball was not made of light but off complete and outer darkness, floating at the far edge, far away from all the other balls.

    Ibaeran found the sight peculiar, they seem to be an infinite number of balls but only that single massive one was made of darkness, while the others were made of light. Then, before Ibaeran could pounder more about the world she just appeared in, the white threads that were attached to the balls of light began to wrap around each other, fusing to become one and forming something that made Ibaeran¡¯s eyes widened with shock and wonder.

 Chapter 40

    Before her stood a familiar figure, colossal in size, similar to that of the monstrous being she encountered in the other world but unlike it the being before her didn¡¯t seem as frightening even though the power emanating from it was just as great. The power escaping from that being, unlike the other, was pure and natural, like a stable and harmonic flow, it felt peaceful and whole, and was striking contrast to the chaotic and monstrous power she felt come from the other being so much so that if Ibaeran were to put in to words the way the power she felt come from the being at that very moment, only a single word would come to mind, and that was order.

    The being then, spotting Ibaeran flowing in the vast, seemingly endless white void, raised up its massive hand to Ibaeran, allowing her feet rest on the tip of her smallest finger, before speaking with a somewhat familiar voice that was so great, Ibaeran felt it move through her and reaching the deepest depths of her soul, saying ¡°Oh, It¡¯s You¡±.

    Ibaeran then looked at the being while standing on the very tip of her finger, it was a being she had seen before, recognizing the white cloak that cover her entire face and pair of wings made out of pure light. She was the one that set on the path she now walked on, the one who chose her, a slave girl out all the other far more capable warriors in all of the four nation, to be the next Su Baera, the Su Ingi, the being responsible for the very existence of Su Baera. Ibaeran could not bring herself to utter a single word, but not out horror or fear, but because she was taken aback to see the Su Ingi in such a state, mighty and great, exuding a power that was impossible to comprehend and so large that a single step from her feet alone could crush and crumble an entire world.

    The Su Ingi upon seeing the state Ibaeran was in, couldn¡¯t help but smile in amazement before, with a flash of blinding, shrinking herself down, from the colossal size she was initially in to one that was equal to Ibaeran, knowing that that would make Ibaeran more comfortable with her presence.

    ¡°Sorry about that, I take it you are more comfortable seeing me this way¡± the Su Ingi spoke with a welcoming voice.

    Ibaeran, feeling more comfortable and at ease with the Su Ingi¡¯s current form, managed to compose herself enough to ask her, ¡°What is this place?¡±

    The Su Ingi upon hearing what Ibaeran paused for a moment, all most as though she was thinking of a fitting reply to give Ibaeran.

    ¡°It¡¯s a bit complicated, you this see this world isn¡¯t like any other world. The best way I can describe it to you is by calling it the world of worlds¡± said the Su Ingi.

    ¡°World of worlds? That doesn¡¯t make any sense?¡± said Ibaeran.

    The Su Ingi then let out a deep sigh as she thought of a way to try and explain to her what exactly the world they were currently in was. The Su Ingi that then thought of a brilliant was to explain it to her. The Su Ingi then, using her power, brought of the balls of light attached the white threads to her hand.

    ¡°Here, hold this¡±, said the Su Ingi.

    Ibaeran, though finding it puzzling and confusing as to why the Su Ingi had asked to hold the ball of light, still complied with her wishes and grabbed hold of the ball, and the moment she do so, her eyes widened and opened to an unbelievable sight. Ibaeran, with ball of light held firmly on her hand, saw the entirety of her world, the four nations, her enslaved people, the Uha Tamunarans, even the king seated on his throne with a frustrated and enraged look on his face, she could see it all.

    Ibaeran then let go of the ball, gasping out for air, having being overwhelming from have to take in the entirety of her world all at once.

    ¡°That¡­was..my..¡±Ibaeran, speaking while constantly gasping was interrupted by the Su Ingi saying, ¡°world, yes it is¡±.

    The Su Ingi the returned the ball back to its right place, floating above them in the white void along with the other balls.

    Ibaeran then, after gasping for the last time, looked up at the balls of light above her head with widened eyes as she finally realized what those balls were.

    The Su Ingi seeing the look on Ibaeran¡¯s face could tell that she finally beginning to comprehend where they were currently in.

    ¡°Yes Ibaeran, each and every single ball of light that hangs above our heads is an entire world, most of them are barren empty wastelands, a few of them are just voids made up of space, but a descent amount harbor life¡± the Su Ingi said before using her powers to summon another ball to her.

    ¡°This one for example is filled with a few human and very strange and peculiar beings who call themselves dragon warriors and are able to control the power of elements¡±, said the Su Ingi before allowing that ball to return back it place and summoning another ball.

    ¡°While this is a world taming with different forms of life, most of them are born with the ability to alter and manipulate the laws that govern they world, I believe they call it magic¡±, said the Su Ingi before returning that ball back to its place.

    Ibaeran then looked up to what seemed to be trillions upon trillions of balls, wondering just how many worlds they were out there as they were seemingly infinite in number but out of all the trillions of billions of worlds above her head, there was single one that caught her eye. The one and only world that was unique and different out of every single one of the infinite balls of light above her, a world that was pitch black, darker than any night, with dark threads that extend out of it and attached to the other balls of light. That was an abnormally, as in a sea of almost infinite light it was the only single massive drop of darkness.

    ¡°Is that a world as well?¡± asked Ibaeran while pointing at massive ball of darkness.

    The Su Ingi upon seeing what Ibaeran pointed at simply sighed before speaking with low voice, expressing a hint of reluctance to answer the question, saying, ¡°Yes, it is. The world of chaos and discord, where everything that is not, is and everything that is, is not¡±.

    The Su Ingi then flew towards the ball of darkness with Ibaeran following, using the steel wings attached to her back to propel herself after the Su Ingi, curious to know more about the dark world. As the Su Ingi and Ibaeran flew closer to the ball, Ibaeran felt a familiar feeling flow through her entire body, one that instill a sense of chilling fear all through her entire body. Ibaeran tried her best to ignore it and continued moving forward towards the ball of darkness, but as she did so she felt the power flow more and more through her, instilling even more fear in to her body until she just froze up.

    Ibaeran felt her body seemly stop responding to her, freezing up as the power and fear clutched on to her tightly, so much so that she felt as though she was going to suffocate. It was then at that moment that Ibaeran realized why the power felt so familiar as an image of the figure made out of formless and impossible matter flashed in her mind. Ibaeran then looked out at the ball of darkness before her, with a look of sheer horror on her face. She, after discovering what world that ball of darkness was, couldn¡¯t bring herself to move any closer to it. The Su Ingi, on the other hand, seemed unfazed by the chaotic power being emitted by the ball of darkness as she flew gracefully and elegantly with her light wings before finally reaching the ball of darkness.

    Once the Su Ingi had reached the ball of darkness, she placed a hand on it before letting out a deep sigh. She then turn around to Ibaeran a fair distance away, seemingly frozen in place and unable to move. She then, with just a simple snap of her fingers, made Ibaeran to vanish and reappear next to her, and then before Ibaeran could get overwhelmed by the chaotic power, created a bubble around her made out the pure power of order and harmony. Ibaeran, now protected from the influence of the chaotic power was able to look at the ball without have entire body shut down and freeze in place.

    ¡°This world, this is where I came from, there was this colossal being there emitting a strange and monstrous power, it was so great that I felt my body shut down and freeze up just by being in its presence¡± said Ibaeran.

    The Su Ingi upon hearing what Ibaeran said just sighed deeply, ¡°That being was my counterpart¡±.

    ¡°What?¡± said Ibaeran in shock and confusion.

    The Su Ingi then sighed deeply before saying, ¡°I and she existed long before this or any other world was. She doesn¡¯t go by a single name, some know her as the mistress of chaos and discord, others call her the queen of chaos, most all her the ruler of all that isn¡¯t but is. She represents complete and utter chaos just like I represent order and harmony¡±.

    Ibaeran could sense a sad and somber mood coming from the Su Ingi as she spoke, almost as though speaking about the world of chaos and the being that presided over it weighed heavy on her heart, almost as though she greatly cared for her despite them being each other¡¯s opposite.

    ¡°You care about her don¡¯t?¡± asked Ibaeran.

    The Su Ingi upon hearing what Ibaeran said just let out a deep sigh before saying, ¡°It¡¯s not that I care about her, me and her are literal opposites, it¡¯s our very nature to oppose each other *sigh* but we¡¯ve been together for eons now, fighting and fighting, in an never ending battle that has been going on longer than time itself. And over the long span of what feels like eternity, it would be wrong of me to say me and her don¡¯t share a bond or a connection of some kind, even though I¡¯m not entirely what to call it¡±.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    Ibaeran then saw a small tear flow down from the side of the Sun Ingi¡¯s cloaked face.

    ¡°At some point, after fight for a time that would be incomprehensible to you, she, as well as I grew tired of it all, both the fighting and existence itself. We grew sick and tired of simply existing to oppose and fight one another in a never ending battle but on like her, over time, I found new meaning watching what we created¡± said the Su Ingi.

    ¡°Created?¡± asked Ibaeran.

    The Su Ingi, upon hearing what Ibaeran said, shifted her gaze from the ball of darkness to the infinite balls of light hovering all around her. Ibaeran then turned to see what the Su Ingi was looking before realizing what she meant.

    ¡°Everything that was and is, was forged and brought in to existence thanks the clash between me and her. The collision between the contradictory, immense and random power of chaos from her along with harmonic power of order was what led to all this¡± said Su Ingi.

    Ibaeran then looked around, seeing the infinite worlds that surrounded her in the form of sparkling beautiful lights and then turned to look at the Su Ingi, finding it hard to believe that all that came from both her and the chaotic being.

    ¡°I wish she could see the beauty in what we both made, granted it was all unintentional and simply a product of two clashing forces but still, despite it all, we both still made something truly beautiful together¡± said the Su Ingi.

    ¡°I understand why she is tired of it all, after all I was too but if she took a moment to see and appreciate what we¡¯ve built together maybe would understand there is so much more to existence. But instead she choose to end it all by consuming and plunging everything in to chaos¡± said Su Ingi spoke with a hint of sadness and disappointment in her voice as she spoke.

    ¡°What do you mean by ¡®end it all by plunge the everything in to chaos¡¯¡± asked Ibaeran.

    The Su Ingi then sighed once more before saying, ¡°Just as both I and her were the ones responsible for the existence of everything in existence similarly everything is responsible from us. We derive our existence from everything in existence thanks to a delicate balance of chaos and order that encompasses everything in existence, including us and as long as that balance remains, we along with everything in existence remain. But if that balance was ever broken, well everything would be undone, including us¡±.

    Ibaeran then looked at the white and black threads, understanding that those were what connected the Su Ingi and the mistress of chaos to everything in existence, representing the balance of chaos and order.

    ¡°She has been trying for eons upon eons now to disrupt the balance by unevening the scale of order and chaos, and tipping towards chaos. I tried my absolute best to maintain the balance but every now and then, the balance tips to the side of chaos in such a way that any attempt in correcting may result in worsen the scales. So to remedy those problems I act through agents¡±, said the Su Ingi.

    ¡°Agents?¡± asked Ibaeran, confused by what she meant by acting through agents.

    ¡°Like the Golden Dragon Warrior, the Great Sage, and the Su Baera¡± said the Su Ingi.

    ¡°What?¡± Ibaeran spoke up in shock upon hearing the Su Ingi say the Su Baera.

    ¡°Yes, I granted those agents a fraction of my power so they may use it to maintain the balance¡± said the Su Ingi.

    ¡°So I¡¯m one of those agents¡± asked Ibaeran.

    ¡°Yes, you and every single Su Baera that have ever come before you are my agents of order, tasked with the responsibility of maintaining balance¡± said Su Ingi.

    ¡°But I thought all I had to do was save my people. How am I suppose to maintain this balance¡± asked Ibaeran as she looked out in the vast void filled with trillions upon trillions of balls each connected to a thin thread white thread of order and a black thread of chaos, knowing that one of them was her home and the responsibility of maintaining the fragile balance of order and chaos in it was on her.

    ¡°I won¡¯t have chosen you or all other Su Baeras that came before if I didn¡¯t believe you had what it took Ibaeran¡± said Su Ingi before summoning the ball of light that was Ibaeran¡¯s home to her.

    ¡°I was there after all from the very beginning, from before you, the four nations, and even the Uha Tamunarans, watching over you all¡± said the Su Ingi as she flew to Ibaeran¡¯s side.

    ¡°Those steel wings attached to your back are my most precious creation. I imbued them with a larger fraction of my power than any of my other agents and those who wield it have the potential stand like gods, above every other living being in your world but only if the person who wielding it truly understands and comprehends the power and responsibility that weighs upon their shoulders¡± said the Su Ingi.

    ¡°And if they can¡¯t¡± asked Ibaeran, hear voice weighed down with fear and doubt.

    ¡°Then they are destined to fail and this world in my hand will crumble and fall to chaos, breaking the fragile balance in your world and doom all other worlds to the same fate, to be completely consumed by chaos before eventually fading away and ceasing to be in a sea of nothingness¡± said Su Ingi.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what the Su Ingi said, looked at the ball of light on the hands of the Su Ingi and shifted her gaze to the other worlds, filling the overwhelming weight of the responsibility weighing on her shoulders, realizing that it wasn¡¯t just her people that were counting on her, neither was it her own world, but the entirety of existence, and for the sake for everything that was and is to continue to be, she needed to maintain the balance. Then fear and doubt began to creep in, as she wondered to herself, just how was she suppose to maintain something as delicate as the balance between order and chaos protect not just her world but all other world against being consumed completely by chaos, when she was struggling to save the lives of her own people. Her people, Ibaeran¡¯s eyes then widened upon with gasp leaving her lips upon remembering her mission, to retrieve the Dumo stone from Kiri Dumo and save her people from king Datubo¡¯s wrath.

    Ibaeran then turned looked at the sea of glowing balls that surrounded her before asking, ¡°Out of all these worlds, which one is Kiri Dumo¡±.

    Su Ingi upon hearing Ibaeran¡¯s question, just smiled at Ibaeran before letting go of the ball on her hands, allowing it to float back to its rightful place and then, with a simple snap of her fingers, summoned another ball that seemed different from the rest as while the other worlds glowed with plain white glow, that particular world glowed with a bright emerald green hue.

    ¡°Here, Kiri Dumo, the world of life¡±, said the Su Ingi while displaying the little emerald green glowing ball on hands.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what the Su Ingi said was speechless and just stared at the green ball with awe stricken eyes as with that tiny little seemingly minuscule green ball was an entire world and within that world laid the only hope for her people¡¯s freedom and safety.

    ¡°Can you take me there¡± asked Ibaeran.

    The Su Ingi upon hearing what Ibaeran said, smiled underneath her cloak before saying, ¡°Of course, I¡¯m the supreme being of harmony and order, frankly speaking, there exist very little I can¡¯t do but the question is, why should I?¡±.

    Ibaeran eyes widened upon hearing what the Su Ingi said, not expecting her to ask her such a question but then again, she didn¡¯t expect her to grant her request easily either.

    ¡°Please, it¡¯s the only way to save my people?¡± Ibaeran pleaded with the Su Ingi, knowing lives of her people hung in the balance.

    ¡°Really, you¡¯re telling me that the lives of your people is dependent on traveling to another world¡±, the Su Ingi upon hearing what Ibaeran said just smile and nodded her head.

    ¡°Well, you are the new Su Baera, one of my most powerful agents. Why don¡¯t you simply travel using your own power just like you did to come here¡±, said the Su Ingi.

    ¡°I...¡± Ibaeran couldn¡¯t bring herself to complete her sentence, the shame and guilt that was slowly consuming her heart prevented her from uttering a single word. How could she when in her eyes she was a complete and utter fail. The Su Baera was a warrior that inspired hope in the hearts of everyone, a true warrior of peace, one who sought to protect the world she came from including everyone and everything, and she can¡¯t even protect herself much less everyone around her. She felt like fraud and that Su Ingi made a mistake to choose to be the next Su Baera, she couldn¡¯t even matter the powers of the Su Baera and every time it seemed as though she had a hold of it, it slips away from her grasp. Recalling her first attempt in traveling to Kiri Dumo, only to return shattered after having to make an agonizingly painful decision, and as for her second, it led her to the presence of a being made complete and utter incomprehensible chaos that left her complete petrified while in its presence. After failing so much, how could Ibaeran trust in the power given to her or even herself?

    The Su Ingi, seeing the look of doubt and despair on Ibaeran¡¯s face just sighed before saying, ¡°It seems as though you still don¡¯t know answer¡±.

    ¡°Answer? To what?¡± asked Ibaeran, wondering what question she didn¡¯t have the answer

    ¡°The very same question I asked you during our last encounter. Are you Ibaeran or the Su Baera?¡± asked the Su Ingi.

    Ibaeran, upon hearing what the Su Ingi said, paused for a moment, recalling how the she asked the very same question when she received the steel wings of the Su Baera, and just like back then, she still found it difficult to answer, as even though she possessed all the powers of the Su Baera, she felt suffocated with the feeling overwhelming fear and helpless as though she was still a slave. Ibaeran then looked at her hands, there were rough, strong, and hard, then and wondered, were the hands of a warrior, the Su Baera, or a slave.

    The Su Ingi upon seeing Ibaeran reaction to her question let out a disappointed sigh before clasping the green ball within her two hands and then proceeding to expand it until it form a portal.

    ¡°Go, this portal with take to you Kiri Dumo¡±, said the Su Ingi.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what the Su Ingi said looked at her with a look of shock and confusion, wondering what choose to help her get to Kiri Dumo after being reluctant to take her their moments ago.

    ¡°Why are you helping me?¡± asked Ibaeran to which the Su Ingi responded raising hand and placing it on Ibaeran¡¯s cheeks.

    ¡°I¡¯ve had many agents of order over the countless millennia of my existence and each and every single one of them have always have moments of doubt, where they feel like they aren¡¯t great, worthy or strong enough to do what needs to be done, and each and every one of them found a way to push past their doubts and do what needs to be done. And from my numerous experience watching over them, I see no reason why you should be an exception¡± said Su Ingi.

    Ibaeran upon hearing the Su Ingi said, bowed down her head in shame before saying, ¡°What if I am an exception and out of all agents you¡¯ve had, I¡¯m the only who can¡¯t do what needs to done¡±.

    The Su Ingi just giggled upon hearing what Ibaeran said before saying, ¡°Oh, you will, they always do but in the mean time keep on pondering the question, and once you find an answer you will be ready to what needs to be done¡±.

    Ibaeran upon hearing the Su Ingi said, remained silent a moment, pondering her words before turning to the green portal. She then let out a deep sigh before passing through, living the world of worlds and traveling to Kiri Dumo. Once Ibaeran was gone, the Su Ingi proceeded to shrink the portal back to its ball form before placing it back with the other worlds.

    She then turned her attention to the massive black ball before letting out a worried sigh before shifting her gaze to the other balls that glowed and shun all around the world of worlds. The Su Ingi looking at all those balls, each one of the representing an entire world held together by delicate strands of threads of order and chaos, knowing something was coming, something great than all world, a calamity that would shake the delicate fabric of all worlds, and Ibaeran was fated to be at the center of it all. The Su Ingi then let out a deep sigh knowing that the wheels of fate and destiny had been set in motion, and at the moment, the Supreme Being order could do nothing more than hope that Ibaeran would be ready when the calamity struck.

 Chapter 41

    Ibaeran slowly stepped out of the portal with the first thing greeting her eyes being the bright rays of the sun of an unfamiliar world, temporarily blurring and obscuring her vision. Slowly as her eyes adjusted to the sun¡¯s ray her vision returned and she found herself standing in the middle of massive forest.

    Ibaeran then looked at her surrounding, seeing the massive trees that surrounded her, gigantic and tall, they stretched from the ground below to the heavens above and from the place she stood it seemed like they continued on and on until they reached the very edge of the sky. Ibaeran then heard the strange echoes life teaming throughout the forest, from ferocious roars, hisses, savages yells and cries of the wild. Ibaeran then looked around once more with a smile and an astonished look on her face, unable to believe that she had actually made it to Dumo Kiri before, with the steel wings of the Su Baera behind her back took off.

    Soaring through the forest, she saw all the wonders this world had to offer with it appearance matching what she read in both the former Su Baera¡¯s journal and the book she was forced to read when she first arrived at the castle. Seeing different form of creature she would have never imagined even in her wildest of dreams to possibly exist, even though she had read about them all in the book she was ordered to read by the king and in even greater detail in the journal of the Su Baera, creature like... the like the Tree Lizards, reptilian creatures that resembled lizards with their scale cover bodies but had a slender and flexible body able of maneuvering through the trees like some kind of like a strange monkey covered with scales, or Serpenede, an abominable creature that resembled the unholy fusion between a snake and a centipede, with the slender scaly body of a snake along with fangs filled with deadly venom and the hundred of legs of a centipede. It was one of my least favorite creatures in Kiri Dumo, and I can still remembering in horrid nightmare they inspired¡­the hound cats were another fearsome and somewhat adorable creatures who hunted in pack, I gave them the name hound cats, due to uncanny resemblance of both a cat and dog with a fairly medium size body that perfectly blends a mix of both power, flexibly, speed, stealth and grace shared between both the cat and dog, with the with the snout and mouth of a dog, and the eyes and ears of a cat. It was truly a peculiar creature, certainly one I would have never thought to actually exist but I shouldn¡¯t be that surprised after all in my travels across worlds, I have witnessed stranger things like a world with no sun where monstrous creature roam the land in a realm of perpetual night or a world filled who can manipulate and bend the four elements to their will, and my two best friends are woman with green skin that can talk to plants and a man with a bit of temper that can also cause an entire nation to quake when he gets mad, so seeing a fusion between a dog and cat is really least strangest thing in my life.

    Anyway, believe or not the tree lizards, serpenedes, and hound cats are actually the tames things you could found in Kiri Dumo. Kiri Dum is a world that host an abundance of life in its purest and most primal of forms, the creatures there, though breath taking as savage, wild, and free, for example¡­

    Ibaeran heard a slight something in the forest, startling and filled her heart with a mix of fear and dread as she wondered what made the sound that sound. It sound thunderous stump that made the green grassy forest floor to quake and shake. Ibaeran wasn¡¯t sure what made the sound and caused the ground to shake and quake but was that whatever it was had to be massive and immensely dangerous to be able to make the entire forest shake and quake just by its mere footsteps.

    She then heard once, a massive thunderous stump that shook the entire forest, earth beneath her and the trees above her head. Ibaeran upon hearing the sound once more decided to come down to the forest. She then flew down, planting her feet on the grassy forest floor before bring out the book written by the former Su Baera given to her by Ton¡¯Onama. She then began to flip through it, wanting to refresh her mind on what she read in the book about Kiri Dumo and the creatures that inhabited it, vaguely recalling part of the book of creatures massive and fierce enough to cause an entire nation quake, shake, and even crumble down to bit with just a single step. Ibaeran hoped and prayed with all her heart that sound she heard wasn¡¯t from one of those fierce and colossal beasts, not want face any creature great enough to bring down an entire nation with just a single step of their massive feet. Ibaeran then heard stump again, this time though it was louder than before, almost as though what it was that was causing them was inching, step by step, ever so closely to her.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    Ibaeran then finally reached the page of the book that talked about the creatures of Kiri Dumo, before quickly reading through; gathering as much as she could in an attempt to figure out just what on the soil of Kiri Dumo was after her. Then, as she read through the pages of the book, her heart kept a beat as she heard the massive foots once more, and then great shadow appeared out of nowhere, obstructing the light emanating from the sun high up above the forest¡¯s massive trees.

    Ibaeran¡¯s then felt her heart begin to race with fear before she slowly turned around and raised her in an attempt to see the monster looming over her but was unable to see the entirety of the monster¡¯s body. Ibaeran then, summoning all the strength she could muster, decided it would be best she flew to the very top of the forest to get a proper view of the creature, to know for certain if it was a danger to her. So she extended her elegant still wing once again and took off, flying high up in the creatures that seemed to extend far beyond the clouds in the sky, that seemed almost never ending. She flew and she flew, reaching heights so great that it was as though she had flown past the top of heaven itself and still continuing to fly even higher and higher. But not matter how high she flew she could never seem to escape the cover of the shadow, making her wonder just what kind of creature could have possibly created such a monstrous shadow.

    As she flew a certain passage in the book from the former Su Baera sudden popped up in to her head, describing as certain monstrous beast. Recalling the passage word for word saying;

    ¡°¡­it stood above the massive trees, clouds, and sky, its feet as large as an entire city, covered from head toe in green skin with hair that resembled that of grass¡­¡±

    Ibaeran then finally flew reached the top of the forest and hovering above the massive trees of the forest at the very edge of the sky itself she was final able to see it, a massive set of three massive eyes staring back at her on the head of colossal beast with green skin and covered from head right down to is massive toes hidden away underneath the forest below by grass like hairs. Ibaeran, now face to face with creature, staring at it with a mix of awe, dread, and fear, recalled the passage from the book once more to know them of the colossus that stood before her.

    ¡°¡­the Green Forest Giant¡±, the words of the book echoed in Ibaeran¡¯s head as hovered above the forest facing the colossal giant that stood before her, gripped tightly by fear as she looked at the creatures colossal three eyes which stared back at her looking at her as though she was some kind of insect. Ibaeran, witnessing the creature¡¯s colossal size couldn¡¯t help but feel small, tiny, like an insignificant tiny inspect that could be squashed at any given moment but then again, this feeling was nothing new to her. Thinking back to each and every time she was in the presence of king, she could remember feeling the exact same way, and again when she was in the realm of chaos and in the presence of the Queen of chaos herself, she even less than an insect, she felt like a small insignificant tiny speck of dust floating about in the wind, and then when she was in the presence of the Su Ingi as well, feeling the overwhelming weight of her power flowing through she could not even bring herself to speak. Ibaeran then delved deep in to her past back to when she was a slave and under the mercy of her Uha Tamunaran masters like the rest of her people, living like a tool to be used by them and treated as nothing more than beast of burden. Her masters didn¡¯t if bleed, was weak, or even sick, they gave her commanders had to follow and work she do, and she, like the rest of her people had to follow and obey, for they saw their Uha Tamunaran masters the same Ibaeran saw the king, the Queen of chaos, the Su Ingi, along with Green Forest Giant that stood before her, as nothing more than insects, who could be crushed at a moment¡¯s notice by the giants that stood before them. Ibaeran then realized something as those thoughts filled her head, and that was she had always been living the life of an insect fearing the squashed, crushed, and trampled upon, and even now, even with the power of the Su Baera she was nothing more than a fly buzzing around with a pair of steel. And as this painful realization dawned upon her, Ibaeran found herself plummeting down to forest below with the steel wings that lifted her to reach such great heights having vanished.

    Ibaeran¡¯s eyes locked on to the giant as she fell, seeing something her fear blinded from seeing and that was the majesty of the colossal creature that was before her. Ibaeran then stretched out towards the giant, wondering why it took her so long to notice its astonishing beauty before plummeting down clouds below, falling through the trees before crashing down hard on the grass covered forest.

    Ibaeran, weak and in immense pain due to the impact of her body crashing on the forest floor, could not muster the strength to get back up. And as she laid on the grassy forest floor, she felt her eye lids getting heavier and heavier. She was tired, immensely tired, and in that moment she wanted nothing more and to shut her eyes and so she did, slowly closing them until the late ray of light vanished from her view, fading away in the darkness as her eyes closed.

 Chapter 42

    Ibaeran slowly opened her eyes and found herself hovering with the steel wings of Su Baera attached to her back in sky tainted red with clouds made of ash and smoke. Ibaeran then looked down below and nothing but the remains of a ruined world. Rubble, raging inferno flames, piles and pile dead lifeless bodies scattered about as far as the eye could see, this was the horrific and grime sight that met Ibaeran¡¯s gaze as she looked down below.

    Ibaeran had no words describe the shear dread and horror that befell upon seeing the living infernal hell she had found herself in. She then flew down to the desolated world below to see more, much to her fear and dismay, of the crumbling world she had just appeared in. And she descended from the scarlet skies her view of the shattered world below became clearer and as it did, she was to recognize it as the world she from. Recognizing the rubble as the once broken down homes with cracked roofs and weak foundations her people lived in and dead bodies on the floor, were her people, the slaves who little to nothing and lived each and every day of their lives struggling to please and serve their masters.

    Ibaeran¡¯s feet then gently touched down on the earth shad earth with the steel wings of the Su Baera disappearing the moment they reach solid ground. Then, one by one, tears of pain and sorrow, dripped down from Ibaeran¡¯s eyes and on to the shad earth below her feet as she saw what had become of her world. More and more tears fell down from her eyes and on the earth below as her mind began to fill up question, pondering to her just what had become to her world as part of the earth was engulfed in flames, another covered with rubbles, and the rest littered with the dead bodies of her people.

    Ibaeran then heard a voice call out to her from behind, a faint but yet familiar voice she recognized immediately she heard it.

    ¡°Ibaeran¡±, and as soon as she down those Ibaeran stopped crying, and paused for a moment, wondering if her mind were playing tricks on her with the sounds of ghost but then she heard the voice call out to her once more, saying, ¡°Ibaeran¡±.

    Ibaeran then turned around with tears standing at the very edge of her eyes and then saw none other Preyina standing behind her.

    ¡°Prey¡­Prey..Prey¡± Ibaeran could not even bring herself to complete the word, her voice trembling and shaking with the tears that stagnant on her eyes giving way and falling. Ibaeran then rushed to her, and then embraced her in a tight warm and loving embrace. Ibaeran did not caring how or even why she was there as the only thing her at that moment, even in the midst of chaos and carnage around her, was that the one person she loved with all her heart was current lock in her arms in a tight embrace. But Preyina remained stilled and motionless like a statue, she didn¡¯t even raise hands up to hug Ibaeran back which was something that Ibaeran found strange and unlike Preyina.

    Ibaeran then heard something in the distance, it sounded like a loud stump but strong enough to shake the earth underneath her feet. She then heard it again, this time a louder and it shook the earth even more. Ibaeran then realized that whatever it was that was making stumps must massive and it was coming straight for her and Preyina.

    She then heard once more, this time louder and quaking the earth to the point that cracks began to form on the ground that surrounded her and Preyina.

    ¡°Preyina¡±, Ibaeran spoke as she freed Preyina from her embrace and grabbed hold of her hand.

    ¡°Come on we have to get out of here, something¡¯s coming, something big¡±, said Ibaeran with fear and urgency in her voice before proceeding to try and drag Preyina way with her to somewhere that the both of them would be safe or at the very least hide. But as she pulled Preyina she felt what could be only be described as a force chain Preyina¡¯s entire body, locking her in place and keep her feet firmly planted on soil on which she stood.

    Ibaeran then turned to see her friend and the person she loved with all heart still and unmoved with her feet planted on that every same spot despite her attempt to try and her out of there.

    ¡°Preyina, what¡¯s wrong ?¡± asked Ibaeran upon seeing that she could not move Preyina from that spot.

    Preyina said nothing to Ibaeran and simple wore an empty, dull, and emotion expression on her face void of the warm, joy, and life Ibaeran always saw in Preyina¡¯s face.

    ¡°Preyina¡±, Ibaeran spoke while place her hands on Preyina¡¯s face with tears of sorrow falling down from her eyes as she felt as she felt ice cold on her hands.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±, Ibaeran spoke softly with trembling voice filled pain, sadness, and sorrow, as she came to the grime realization that the person that stood before her wasn¡¯t the Preyina she knew and loved, no, it was just corpse that stood before her.

    Ibaeran then heard the stumps once more, this time even loud and even more cracks forming on the earth with red hot flames escaping from the cracks. Ibaeran at moment, couldn¡¯t care less of whatever was coming her way, and the only thing she really wanted at that moment, Preyina, her best friend, and the only person she loved the most with all her heart and soul. She just wanted to be with her, embrace and feel her embrace on her.

    Ibaeran then collapsed on Preyina, tears streaming down from her eyes, before, with voice trembling with the pain and sorrow of an aching heart, begged, saying, ¡°Please Preyina, come with me¡±.

    Preyina then, with a face still void of all emotion opened her mouth to say a single word, ¡°Why?¡±

    Ibaeran, upon hearing finally speak to her, looked up to Preyina an icy gaze from Preyina staring back at her.

    ¡°Preyina?¡± Ibaeran spoke with a mix of shock and confusion, wondering why Preyina would look at with such a cold and chilling gaze.

    Preyina then spoke once more with her eyes gaze still on Ibaeran, asking the question, ¡°Why?¡±

    Ibaeran looked at her with the same shock and confused look on her face, failing to understand what she meant by the question.

    Ibaeran then heard then heard the stump once more, louder and powerful enough make quakes and send massive jets of flames flying out of earth. Then a massive shadow was cast over them, a shadow Ibaeran knew all too well.

    Preyina¡¯s body then began to turn to dust and ash before Ibaeran¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Preyina¡±, Ibaeran spoke with teary eyes as tried grabbing hold of her only for her hands to dust and ash before blowing away with the wind.

    Preyina was about to complete vanish to ash and dust before Ibaeran¡¯s eyes but as she was about to disappear completely, she opened to speak once more, saying with empty and void emotionless look on her, ¡°Why Ibaeran, why¡­didn¡¯t you save us¡±.

    And with those words said, Preyina was gone, her entire body reduced to dust and ash scattered aimlessly in the wind. And with her Ibaeran looked out to the horizon before her, seeing only flames, rubble, and complete and utter havoc and destruction in front of her and in the middle of chaos and amidst all the destruction Ibaeran saw something, something the filled heart complete and absolute fear and dread. What she saw something that far beyond any man or Uha Tamunaran, a being the sight was which was enough to petrify anyone with complete and utter horror and fear, a being that was willing and capable to do anything, even reduce an entire nation down to ash and dipping his hands in enough blood to fill ten oceans if it meant getting what he wanted, what Ibaeran saw before was something far worse than a monster, savage or beast, it was Datubo, the king of the Uha Tamunarans. The kings imposing figure stood before her with piercing emerald glowing eyes and fist glowing with violet flames.

    Ibaeran, seeing stand before with his glowing emerald green eyes and flaming violet fist, froze and was not even able to summon the strength to lift her legs and run away. She was felt as though she was gripped tightly by her fear as though they were invisible chains holding her in place and prevented her moving. Ibaeran wanted run and flee as fast and as swift as her leg could carry, to try and escape the painful demise that was coming for her in the hands of the king but try as she made she could seem to able to break free from the chains held her in place.

    The king then raised up one of his flaming hands, aiming it straight for Ibaeran. Ibaeran upon the king¡¯s raised hand aimed straight for her, knew that in a moment she would soon be joining her people and would be reduced to nothing more than pile of ash on the ground. Ibaeran watched with fear etched in her eyes as the violet grew and grew, feeling its grow every closer and slowly began to burn her skin but still she remain motionless, unable to move her body and just stood still as she was being burned alive. Ibaeran felt the serine pain flow through her entire body and the heat of the flames slowly engulfed her body but she didn¡¯t scream, cry out, or beg mercy or far her life to be spared in anyway. With her gaze shifting from the violet flames about to consume to the dead bodies littered all around her laying of the carnage of what was once her home Ijawana, Ibaeran couldn¡¯t help but shed a tear before the Preyina¡¯s word began echoing in her ear, repeating the same phrase over and over and over again, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you save us ¡°.

    Ibaeran then returned her gaze back to flames with the ghostly wails and echoes of her fallen friend still torment her ear, asking her a question she couldn¡¯t bring herself to answer as she wondered to herself how despite being the Su Baera, a protector charged with the responsibility of maintain peace, could she allow a future like this be a possibility, pondering to herself and wondering why, despite having all that power in her fingers tips did she still feel so helpless and powerless, and why couldn¡¯t she bring herself to save her people. It all then came to an end as the violet flames grew and completely engulfed her, she met her end, falling to the might of the monster she feared the most along with her people, and in her final moments, she refused scream, yell, or shout out in agony and simply chose to endure it all and met her torment by pain and anguish, deeming it as what she deserved for not being able to save them.

    Ibaeran then found herself sinking to an abyss, held down by chains of fear lock and sealed by locks of shame and doubt.

 Chapter 43

    Ibaeran could only see darkness ahead but then gaze could a glimpse of a small speck of light in the distant. Then before her eyes, the speck began to grow and grow until in erupted in a massive explosion of light.

    Slowly Ibaeran opened up her eyes, her view a bit blurry and obscured by the intensity of the light reaching her eyes. Slowly her vision returned to her as her eyes adjusted to the light. Looking around her and seeing the familiar green of the forest of Kiri Dumo, Ibaeran let out a deep sigh before getting up. Once standing on her two feet, she shifted her gaze up to the sky above her head, a sky covered by the massive pillar timbers and leafy green that were the trees that seemed to stretch endlessly to the very edge of the sky. Ibaeran then let out another sigh as she recalled plummeting down from heights so great it felt as though she fell from the very top of heaven itself and plummeted down straight to cold hard earth underneath her feet. Ibaeran couldn¡¯t to survive falling from such a height, expecting that her body would have be reduce to mush and scattered all over the forest floor but there she was alive and well without a single scratch on her dark brown skin. It must have been the power of Su Baera that was the only conceivable way Ibaeran could think of on how she could survive such a great fall.

    Ibaeran then recalled the massive three eyes colossus that was the Great Tree Giant, she spotted that towered over entirety of the forest including the massive trees that seemed to reach the very edge of the sky itself. Ibaeran then felt a sense fear and dread flow through her entire body as she recalled how it felt staring in to those three massive eyes, the overwhelming feeling of insignificance while staring directly as something more than you could ever be, and how it made her feel like she was nothing less than fly. Ibaeran upon recalling how seeing the Green Tree Giant made her, couldn¡¯t stop her felt from launching a fist straight to the grass covered ground out of frustration. Pathetic, worthless, useless, worm, insect, these were the words that echoed through her head as struck the ground repeatedly over and over and over again in a seemly pointless battle between and the earth underneath her.

    As she continuously struck the earth over and over and over again, a single question popped up in to her head, ¡°Why?¡± Why, despite after everything she had been through, all her battle, all her strives, all her accomplishments, the power she now possessed, why was she still pathetic, worthless, useless, a worm, and an insect.

    Why, why, why, why!!!!!!!!

    Ibaeran asked herself over and over again as she continued to pummeling the ground with tears slowly beginning to stream down her face. She struck and struck, over and over again, for what felt like hundreds of times but no matter how had struck the earth, her aching and pained heart found no peace and was still tormented by the shame, fear, and doubting eating her up.

    Ibaeran immensely tired with both her fists red with soars, raised one of them a final time to strike the earth once more as she did so this time, she a voice whisper in her head, a familiar voice that wasn¡¯t her own, asking her painful question she could not bring herself to answer, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you save us?¡±

    Ibaeran, with an image of the hellish nightmare she just awakened from along with the image of Preyina slowly fading away to dust and ash, struck the earth a final time before breaking down in tears, wondering what she was meant to do to free herself for the aching tormentful pain eating away on her heart and weighing her down in to a dark pit of despair. Ibaeran wasn¡¯t sure what to do anymore, looking at her soar fist with teary eyes as she thought about what she was doing there at that moment, standing on the soil of a foreign world under the command a tyrannical dictator, in search of something he desired, all for what, out of a sense of obligation, responsibility, duty to save her people or was it all out fear.

    Ibaeran, crumbling down with tear overflowing from her eyes, thought to herself, why did being there, doing the biding of that monster of a king, feel so wrong when she was doing it all to protect her people, she was fulfilling her duty as the Su Baera to protect her people her but then why did it feel like she put her people along with her own world in greater peril by obeying the king¡¯s commanders. But wasn¡¯t like she had much of a choice in the matter, the king¡¯s was great and greater than any kind of power she had ever seen before, recalling how it felt when the king struck her with his overwhelming power, recalling in vivid detail the immense pain that flowed though her body that made her fill as though every single fiber of being was slowly being ripped to shreds, it was an unbearable pain that served as a reminder of who she was before the king and that was a tiny insect that could be crushed underneath his feet at any moment. To king she was nothing more than a tool, an object and means of which he needed to achieve his goal, nothing more, nothing less, that was something Ibaeran knew quit well as it was the very same was all Uha Tamunarans saw her people, as objects and tools which they could used as they wished. And although this was something she had come to accept a long time ago, at the current moment a small part of her which she was trying to ignore knew that it wasn¡¯t right but at the very same time another part of her, the part that she listened to out of fear kept telling her that even if it wasn¡¯t right, she couldn¡¯t really do anything about it. Ibaeran found herself in the middle of a conflict within herself between a part of her that believed that path of subordination and subservience in the face of a monster who couldn¡¯t care any less of her and her people was wrong and the other part of her that, despite accept it wasn¡¯t the right path to walk on didn¡¯t believe there was any other path she could choose.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Ibaeran at that moment, felt weak, tired, and pathetic, unsure of what to do or even where to go as the path she was currently walking on didn¡¯t feel right to her but at the very same time she could see any other laid out before her. She felt as though she was lost while walking on a path that led to ruin and she couldn¡¯t bring herself to turn back.

    Ibaeran then sighed softly as she thought about how she was truly pathetic as both a warrior and the Su Baera, how both the strength and power but could do nothing with them, and it seemed as though the only role she seemed to be able to play perfectly is the role of slave and tool, obey each and every command by her master.

    Ibaeran was brought out of her dark and painful thoughts upon hearing the sound of loud roar that seemed to have come from the very top of the forest, echoing through the forest and was louder than thousand storms and could be heard by every single creature in the forest. The massive roar then soon came to ended, its echoes that spread through the forest and could be heard by all its inhabitance, slowly faded away and for a few brief moments, there was complete and utter silence all throughout the forest, almost as though every single creature in the forest had vanish, even wind itself stood still.

    Ibaeran upon hearing the massive roar the evolved the entire forest, stood perfectly, frozen in fear and dared not to disturb the uneasy silence that evolved the entire forest, not wanting to draw the attention of whatever manner of beast that made the roar that force the entire forest grow silent and come her way. Ibaeran stood perfectly still, not even making any attempts to draw a single breath, for what felt like an eternity before she felt the ground underneath her began to quake so intensely that it felt as though earth itself was being torn apart and crumbling down. The quaking soon stopped and Ibaeran was thankful that she was still alive.

    Managing to get back on her two feet which continued to tremble and shake long after the quaking had stopped due to the immense fear she felt flow through her entire body, she managed to eventually find her balance to be able to stand back up on her own feet. Then, with her fear subsiding enough for her to question what might have caused the ground underneath her feet quake intensely, Ibaeran looked around to see if she might be able to spot what kind of creature might have the earth to quake.

    Ibaeran, after taking a moment to search her surroundings forest found nothing. She then foregone her better judgment, out of a tiny sliver of curiosity that seemed to be enough for ignore her fears, ventured out deeper in to the forest to search of the creature that was great enough to make the filled the entire forest with the echoes of its roar and making the ground quake with such intensity. As she journeyed deeper in to the forest, it didn¡¯t take her long to discover the source of roar and quaking earth, and what she witnessed shocked her beyond belief.

    There, lying motionless on the forest floor, was the massive Green Tree Giant, its body stretching out and over covering thousands of miles, and underneath it were hundred of trees crushed by its overwhelming weight. The giant¡¯s body was cover hundreds if not thousands of holes with its green blood oozing out of each and every one of them. Ibaeran upon seeing the sight of the fallen giant¡¯s looked at it with a mix of disgusted and intrigue as the dead lifeless body of the towering green giant with hundreds of holed scattered all over it body was truly a gruesome sight to behold but it also made Ibaeran¡¯s mind begin to ponder and fill up with thoughts as to what might have been great enough to leave the massive green tree giant in such. Then, as soon as the thought of there being something lurking with the shadows of the forest that surrounded her that was great enough to bring down the might tree giant that once tall above the entirety of the forest, a wave fear washed over her, causing her heart to begin to pound immensely underneath her chest, wondering what kind of a monster would be great enough to the leave the giant in such a state.

    Then, no sooner as thought crossed her mind, her question was answered once she spotted something moving from underneath the giant¡¯s great skin. They looked like balls, thousands of them, as big as her entire body, moving about from within the body of the giant. Ibaeran was entirely sure what to make of them, having never seen anything like them before and simply watched as they moved about from with the corpse of the giant with baffled and confused look on his face. Then suddenly and expectedly, much to Ibaeran¡¯s shock and horror, one by one, the balls burst out of the giants in an grotesque explosion of green blood, flesh and guts, and what stepped of the carnage of green blood and flesh being scattered about were abominable and monstrous creatures.

 Chapter 44

    ¡°¡­hunched back, armored skin, tougher than steel and iron riddled with spikes that could impale, tear, and reduce the flesh of any and all creatures that dared to cross its path to shreds but one of its most defining characteristics is its uncanny ability to roll up in a ball of spikes to crush the life out of their prey¡­¡±

    Ibaeran watched with horror as horrifying, hunched back creatures emerged out of the green giant¡¯s carcass before proceeding to tear the giant¡¯s leafy green skin, ripping out its green flesh and devouring it. Ibaeran watched it all with eyes filled with fear, horror, and disgust, seeing how the savage hunched back beast ruthlessly tore and mangled apart the remains of the giant, wondering how those creatures managed to take down the massive green beast that towered over the entire forest. Ibaeran continued watching while hiding herself behind one of the massive trees that surrounded them. The creatures eat and eat, slowly devouring the giant, slash and tearing through the giant¡¯s flesh with their razor sharp teeth and claws like the savage beasts they were. Ibaeran watched with her own eyes with a mix of awe and fear, as the giant slowly disappeared and all that remained of it was skeleton that looked like it was made of solid stone and green blood splattered all around as the grassy floor, painting the surrounding grass with an unnatural dark green.

    Ibaeran upon witnessing the massive green giant fall to those hunch backed creature, could not bring herself to utter a single word out of a strange mix of awe, shock and fear, as she wondered how creatures could be compared to ants beneath the towering green giant, not only take it down make its carcass disappear in a matter of minutes before her very eyes. Witnessing that sight was the most frightening and horrific, but yet astonishing things she had ever seen before, strangely feeling pleased to see something seeming small and feeble bring down a towering giant. But however, whatever form of enjoyment she derived of seeing those hunch back monster devour the giant, vanished and was completely overshadowed by the overwhelming fear that consumed her heart as her gaze landed on one of the creatures staring directly at her.

    A monstrous shriek escaped the mouth of the creature, alerting the others and causing them all to turn to Ibaeran¡¯s direction. Ibaeran looked at the creatures, feeling their full gaze fixed on her with a mix of green blood and their own saliva dripping down from their lips. Ibaeran felt her heart begin to pound from within her as she remained motionless, gripped and held tightly in place by an overwhelming feeling of fear and dread, Ibaeran could not even bring herself to turn her head. There was an intense moment of silence shared between Ibaeran and the only sound Ibaeran could hear was the sound of her heart pounded like a drum being slammed and hit repeatedly over and over again, and feeling as though it would burst open at any moment as her fearful gaze locked in place at the sight of the hunch backs straight back at her a predator locking eyes with its prey be leaping in to devour.

    The silence was then finally broken by one of the hunch back, letting out an immensely loud roar aimed directly at Ibaeran, signaling the others to prepare for the hunt. Then it happened, the moment Ibaeran had been dreading from the very second the hunch backs locked eyes with, leaping straight towards with a look of pure rage and bloodlust before rolling and folding their bodies up to form a ball of spike huddling straight for her.

    ¡°¡­they had to be one of the most aggressive creatures on Kiri Dumo, with a pretty nasty temper, they would attack anything even there to cast their gaze at them, and if their temper wasn¡¯t bad enough, their appetite was even worse. These creatures were more than willing to change the greatest of beast in the land that exceeded them all colossally in both strength and size, all just to sink those razor sharp teeth of them in to their flesh. I¡¯ve been observing them for years now and I still to wonder if the have any sense at all for satisfaction, as even in days when they have successful hunted down an abundant amount of prey, devoured them all still their bellies are at the brink of bursting wide open, they are more than willing and ready to hunt down and completely devour anything unlucky enough to cross their path. They are ruthless, fearless, fierce and vicious, and willing to devour anything that has flesh and draws blood, and because of this I saw it fitting to call them, the Balayifribo, The All Consuming Ball of Doom¡­¡±

    Ibaeran, seeing the Balayifribos rolled in their ball forms huddling straight for her, felt her racing heart begin to pound harder against her chest as a greater wave of fear washed over her. Ibaeran then turned around before begin to sprint away, running from the savage spike covered balls of death that hungered for her blood.

    Ibaeran raced through the forest, the very fear that froze her in place moments ago driving each and step she took. Her mind was blank as she was able to conceive a single thought and the only thing that dwelled within thing the realm of a mind was single base instinct, like prey, the only semblance of a thought in her head at the moment was to flee from the predator chasing after her. So she, fleeing away like helpless prey being chased by a hungry beast, frightened and scared with the sole desire to being crushed and shredded to death by the spinning balls of spikes chasing after her.

    Ibaeran ran and ran, journeying deeper and deeper in to the forest, but no matter how deep she went, the Balayifribos were still behind her, rolling and spinning through the forest, crushing, tearing, and bursting through any and everything that laid before them, be it the tough and mighty trees of the forest or another living creature born of Kiri Dumo, it mattered not to them, they were simply savages who lived for the hunt, be it a colossal beast like the Green Tree Giant or a small frail girl, it made no difference with them for what drove these bloodlust creatures was single primal instinct and that was to hunt and devour. Ibaeran ran and ran, the fear prevent her feet to give in to fatigue, a fear that grew even more when she for the ground underneath her feet begin to rumble and shake, signaling that the Balayifribos were right behind her. Ibaeran ran with all her might and strength, not wanting to meet her end in the hands of such savage beast but then, almost as though her fate despised her, she looked up her and found the path her head of her was block by a massive boulder.

    Ibaeran stopped up reach the boulder, before looking around in search a place she could run to or another path she could take but the sounds of rumbling earth coming from every direction she casted her gaze to seemed to her seal her fate. Ibaeran now found herself back up against a massive rock from behind and an army of savage flesh eating balls ahead. She had nowhere to run as they would soon all come from sides, flying out of the cover of trees and then crush proceeding crush and shred her to death.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    Ibaeran looked ahead, hearing and feeling the rumbling earth on her feet as the Balayifribos rolled through the earth, tearing it apart with their spikes. Ibaeran felt as though her end and was unable to see way to escape what seemed to be her inevitable fate. The earth rumbled more and more, with the surrounding tree shaking due to their rumbling. They were close and Ibaeran knew it was only a matter of a few short moments before they all came bursting out of the thick forest straight for her. Ibaeran just stood there waiting for her inevitable demise, gripped fear and an overwhelming feeling of impending doom.

    Ibaeran¡¯s eyes then widened with dread and horror as she spotted something emerge from out of the forest, a single massive ball covered from all over with armor like scales that resembled fine steel along with razor sharp spike, and behind, much to Ibaeran¡¯s dismay, were even more balls with each of huddling straight from her. Ibaeran could not find a way out and so she simply chose to cower against the boulder that blocked her, feeling the overwhelming wave of fear hold on to her tightly, making her genuine believe that at that every moment, she would meet her end. Then, just as the Balayifribo was about collide with her, time itself seem to stand still, leaving everything frozen in place as though they were statue. Ibaeran took in the stillness that had seemly befallen the entire world before focusing her gaze on the Balayifribo all rolled up in ball form hulling straight for her. She wanted to run but her feet, firmly gripped in place stillness that had seemed to have engulfed everything around her, refused to move.

    Ibaeran then looked at the ball of death spiraling towards her and then wondered to herself if those very moments would truly be her last and as that thought permeated through her mind, she began to see flash of her past and the life she lived up until that point. Watching her life through her eyes, seeing how she alongside the rest of her people suffered under the oppressive reign of the Uha Tamunaran, working and laboring each and each everyday of their life, serving, pleasing, and obeying each and every one of their commands, and daring not to disobey any command give. She saw how bodies fell down to the ground and rotted away in streets in death that served as a grim reminder to those who wished to oppose the Uha Tamunarans or were deemed unfit to serve them. She saw how struggled to, working all day sometimes all through the night, without rest, only to begin handful of grains. Ibaeran then saw Preyina, her ray of sun shine in a dark, grim, and hopeless world. She had a way of make Ibaeran smile and laugh even when it all seemed hopeless. With her, Ibaeran felt as though she could live through the pain, despair, and misery of being a slave to the Uha Tamunarans but all that changed after she died, leaving being a single promise she made Ibaeran make during her final moments, a promise that led her down path of fear, doubt, and uncertainty.

    Thanks to that promise, Ibaeran found a strength she never knew she had, to fight like a warrior and do what no other champion before her could, claiming a power that could rival the seemingly overwhelming power of Uha Tamunarans, a power that could them all but yet¡­ Ibaeran saw, with eyes filled with dread and horror, the towering kind of all Uha Tamunarans seat on his throne, looking down at her like a worm or an insect that squash and crush underneath his feet at any given moment. He was monster, one that made even the cruel Uha Tamunaran masters that tormented her people look like saints in comparison. He cared not about his people, as he saw them all like he did Ibaeran, as nothing more than insects and would be more than willing to crush them without an ounce of remorse.

    It was true that Uha Tamunaran were a thing to be fear, especially their dreadful king but Ibaeran would be lying if she said she saw them all as cruel and heart monsters. Recalling Minji, Finita, Ton¡¯Onama, and even the Uha Tamunaran guard she met at the place. They were neither the heartless nor did they look down at her for being human, in fact Minji and Finita feared for being human having some misconception in their heads about humans being destructive being hell-bent on wreaking havoc, chaos, and destruction with their machines, the guard, a Uha Tamunaran who could sense what those around him but what unsure about his feelings to his very same power, seeing him struggle of his own feelings due to his power made Ibaeran wonder if the very same power of the Uha Tamunarans that frightened her people so much could actually feel more like a curse to Uha Tamunaran who wielded it, and then Ton¡¯Onama, despite the fact that Ibaeran didn¡¯t trust him at first and doubted his intention, did help train her in mastering the powers of the Su Baera and revealed to her another side of Uha Tamunarans. Recalling what she saw in Kiripapaboa, an entire city of Uha Tamunarans casted away and abandoned by their king for being worthless, a fate that seemed crueler than what the Uha Tamunaran did to her own people. Seeing that sorry sight, Ibaeran found herself, feeling something she never thought she would ever feel for that Uha Tamunarans, and that was pity.

    Ibaeran saw it all, all the struggles, all the pain, misery and loss, as clear as a blue sky, her entire life flashing through her eyes, and what she saw made a tear fall down her eyes for what she saw wasn¡¯t a life that was lived, no, what she saw was simply a slave serving her master. A pathetic life of submission and servitude one she lived even after gain so much power. She watched life play out before her eyes, she couldn¡¯t be feel as though she had always tied down by chains her whole life, dragged about through the dirt serving cruel and heartless monsters, and yet, even after gain the strength, she never once attempted to break those chain out fear of what her the monster she served would to do if dared to break them and doubt in herself and her ability to face off against him. She, despite everything she had been through, was still a slave, neither a warrior nor champion, just a slave obeying her master.

    Ibaeran then felt tear make its way down her eyes, as the painful realization struck deep in to her core, transforming the fear that once engulfed her heart in sheer and utter shame and disgust her for still, after everything she had been through, after everything she happened witness, after what she had lost, and all the power in finger tips, she still bowed before a monster. The shame and disgust within grew and grew, and then began to twist and turn in to frustration, and then frustration manifested itself in to a pure infernal unrivaled and unrelenting fury and rage.

    Ibaeran then felt as though her entire body was in engulfed in flames but didn¡¯t hurt, if anything it filled her with a drive she had never felt before, overwhelmed her and filling her with desire to draw every single ounce of power she could muster and let it all out in mass fiery explosion, and so that was what she did. Yelling out and screaming at the top of her lungs, letting out all her frustration, her doubts and fears, through her ear piercing screams and as she did so, the wings of the Su Baera appeared on her back and engulfed her entire body with her overwhelming amount of power that kept growing and growing, slowing engulfing everything around her including the Balayifribos and most of the surrounding forest before erupting in colossal explosion that shook the entirety of the forest to its very core.

 Chapter 45

    Ibaeran slowly opened up her eyes only to find that her feet no longer on the ground and she was currently hovering, with steel wings of the Su Baera extended out from her back, in mid air over a massive chasm. Ibaeran then looked down below and found what seemed to be an massive endless abyss staring back at her. A look of confusion and shock was etched on her face as wondered where did the earth her feet rested on moments ago disappear to. She then recalled the surge of power along with the overwhelming rage and frustration that flowed through her body during the moments when she thought she would meet her end in the hands of the Balayifribos. Then, with those memories still fresh in her mind, Ibaeran then looked down at the colossal chasm below her feet where the ground once laid this time with a look of dread and expression that spoke of an impossibility being possible, as it quickly dawned upon her that the very chasm which seemed endless in its depths was created by her and the immense, raw, and overwhelming power she unleashed along with all her rage and frustration. What she saw below her, the abyss that was staring back at her as she looked down, was her doing, a rest of the untapped power lurking within, power she was yet to realize and its depth may even rival that of the seemly bottomless chasm she had just created.

    Ibaeran looked at the sight below, the look of shock and bewilderment still evident in her face as she struggled to come to terms that what she saw was her doing. Ibaeran then looked at her hands, and for the very first time since she was bestowed the power of the Su Baera deeply pondered to herself, wondering just her deep do the depth of the power that laid within her go, and just how much could she with it. This was the first time Ibaeran her had witnessed with clear eyes, just what the power of the Su Baera was capable of, what she as the Su Baera was capable of, and it scared her a little as she recalled how the Balayifribos and the forest that surrounded her were completely consumed, overwhelmed and ultimately destroyed by the power she possessed, leaving being nothing more than the massive chasm that stood below her feet, understanding just how destructive the power she possessed could be but just at the very same time, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a strange and sense of peace from seeing what she had just done. Although she was unsure why witness such a form of carnage and destruction brought about by her own hands could make her feel such away, she couldn¡¯t help but feel pride in what she had just done, knowing that it was something she did using her own power even though it was for destruction.

    Ibaeran then noticed something from inside of the chasm. It resembled a small long branch stretching out of the chasm, then came and another, then another and another and another. The branches sprouted out of the chasm in the thousand, then they began to spilt to form other branches on top of them which stretched, grew, and spilt to form other branches. Ibaeran then with eyes filled with awe and astonishment as the branches continued to grow until they began to intertwine and tangle with each to slowly cover the chasm she had created with her power. Then, once the chasm was covered up by the branches, slowly green grass began sprouting from top of the branches, completely covering up the branches underneath. Then trees began to emerge of grass, sprouting out and growing colossally inside just like the rest of the trees in the forest, Ibaeran even had to fly out of the way evade most of the trees as the sprouted out.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Once all the trees were done growing and stood firm on the ground made of roots and green grass, reaching past the peak above the sky like the other colossal trees of the forest, Ibaeran looked down with eyes with wonder and amazement, seeing the massive chasm was gone and the green forest floor along with the tree she destroyed had returned as they were re-grown from the ground up, making it seem as though sheer destruction Ibaeran caused due to her outburst of rage and frustration had never happened.

    Ibaeran then gentle hover down to ground and planted her feet on the freshly grown forest floor. Feeling her firm the ground was, making her forget for a moment that they were nothing more than mere roots of underneath her feet. Ibaeran the looked at the trees surrounded her which had sprout from the ground mere moments ago but already reached so high up that it was impossible for to see their peak. Ibaeran then placed her hands of the ground, feeling how soft grass felt on her palm but smiling warmly, having never before seen anything quite like forest healing itself just like she had witness. Ibaeran then looked around, taking her surrounds and as she took in the beauty of the luscious that surrounded Ibaeran finally understood why Kiri Dumo was known as the world of life.

    Ibaeran then remembered the reason she was Kiri Dumo and as she did, she felt a tight knot in her stomach. Ibaeran then looked at her hands once more before letting out a sigh, knowing the heavy weight of the responsibility placed on her shoulders, and even what she had to do felt disgustingly wrong, recalling the overwhelming feeling of fear and dread she felt just from being the presence of the king seeing him looking down on her like a lowly insect was enough to make her endure to overwhelming shame flowing through her body along with every single fiber in her body that told her that the path she was walking on was not the right no. She then crushed her hands in to a tight fist, knowing she may detest herself for herself for the choice she made and deep down she may accept that it was more of a choice made by her fear and cowardice but, with a deep breath, Ibaeran steeled her nerves, extended out the steel wings on her back and took the skies, soaring through the forest at speeds to great for any eye to comprehend. Even though Ibaeran wanted so badly to break the shackles and chains placed on her, to be free and not a slave to anyone, the lingering fear and doubt she had for herself and her ability was ultimately what denied her greatest wish as in her mind, no matter how much power or strength she possessed she had it engrained in her mind that it would never be enough to face that monster, so all she could do was do his bidding like good little slave with the hope that by doing so might be able to save her people from his wrath, at least that was what she told herself but yet, as she flew through the forest she couldn¡¯t stop the shame, disgust, and guilt in herself from eating away at her heart as she couldn¡¯t bring herself to fully accept the fact that, even after everything she had been through and the power coursing through her veins, that she was still a slave.

    A small tear then made its way down her eyes and on to her cheeks, and as it departed from her face down to the ground below, Ibaeran felt the power of the Su Baera begin to fade and as it did so, the steel wings that lifted her up and sent her soaring through the forest vanished, causing her to descend down before crashing down hard on a ground covered with fine white sand.

 Chapter 46

    Ibaeran slowly opened her eyes to the sounds of roaring waves clashed with one another. Feeling the sharp fine white sand on her face, Ibaeran slowly got up on her two feet only to find that she was currently standing on a sandy shore and ahead of her was vast ocean that stretched far out in to the distance as far and wide as the eyes could see.

    ¡°¡­Kiri Dumo was truly a peculiar and strange world not just because of the strange, bizarre, and majestic creatures that inhabit it be also because of how the world itself was. Hovering from the very top of the Kiri Dumoian, above the vast forest and raging seas, I was able to see the entirety of the world and was I saw was truly a sight to behold. It was a flat world, just like ours, with a single massive continent shaped like a ring that circled the world¡¯s edges and the rest were nothing but vast oceans, and then, placed at the very center of it all was a single lone island. Small and seemingly insignificant, it stood at the very center of the world, it, when compared to the massive continent and raging seas of Kiri Dumo, teaming with life of different forms and kinds, seemed like nothing more than a small insignificant speck which, from my experience, was why it was the perfect place to keep gem of life itself, the Dumo Stone¡­.¡±

    Ibaeran looked out on to the sea before bring out the map and glancing through it. Knowing that she had to be at the very edge of the ring continent and what she sought for laid at the very center of the ocean and had to do was cross the vast ocean before her to get it but that was easier said than done. Ibaeran then put the map away before looking her head on to the horizon, seeing the raging ocean before her and wondering just how on earth she could make it all the way to the center. She considered for a moment, flying across the ocean but upon recalling how the power of the Su Baera had recently failed while she flew all the way to the shore, she thought it would be best not fly. Ibaeran just stood at the edge of the shore were the land met the ocean, looking out at the distance, seeing nothing miles and miles of blue seas ahead, wondering in her mind, just how was she suppose to making it all the way to the island that laid at the very center of the rage sea before her. Ibaeran then let out a deep sigh as she continued pondered to herself, failing to see anyway she cross the immensely vast ocean before her after all, if she tried flying and half way through the journey her wings vanish, she was be sent falling and plummeting down to an ocean filled to the brim with creatures just as savage if not more so than then Balayifribos from depths of the deep who would not hesitate to tear her apart limb by limb, and it wasn¡¯t like she could just¡­.Ibaeran¡¯s eyes then lit up hope and excitement, as she thought of away she cross the ocean, as recalling something she once believed was once impossible which remaindered her that as the Su Baera nothing was impossible.

    Ibaeran, looking ahead to the horizon, only seeing a vast blue stretch from as far out as her eyes could see, Ibaeran took a breath before closing her eyes and recalling how it felt when the power of the Su Baera, recalling how she felt blissful, free, and at peace as though she was no longer bound the shackles and chain that bounded her to the world that around her and free to do and be whatever she wanted. Recalling the feeling made Ibaeran smile with a small tear falling down from her eyes, as she allowed herself to believe that she was truly free.

    Then the power that laid deep within than manifested itself, making Ibaeran feel as though her body was as light as a feather and yet strong enough to make the earth below tremble and shake. Ibaeran then opened up her eye, seeing the vast blue ahead of her, before letting out a breath and taking a single step forward. As her feet made contact with waters, it refused to sink down and stood firmly on the water¡¯s surface as though it was solid ground. Ibaeran then smiled before taking another step, and just like before, her feet stay firmly planted at the water¡¯s surface. Ibaeran then took another step, then another, and another, moving slightly faster with each and every step she made until she began sprinting on the water¡¯s surface, moving too fast for the naked eye to comprehend. She dash and ran across the waters, faster the wind, not slowing or stopping, not even for a moment.

    As Ibaeran ran across the waters, she kept her mind focused on the task ahead, not allowing any other thought to creep in to her head, knowing that she had to remain for otherwise the power of the Su Baera that kept her feet firmly planted on water¡¯s surface as though it was solid ground and allowed her to dash and ran across it, would fade away and cause her to sink down below in a watery grave. Ibaeran knew that above all else, she had to remain focused, so as raced through the waters, she blocked out her surroundings, darting through anyways that came her way, refusing to let them bring her down depths below her feet and as for the creatures dwelling deep below of differing forms and shapes, mouth filled with rolls upon rolls of razor sharp teeth and a hunger for flesh, hearing her foots from deep below rushed out of the waters, leaping and jumping of the deep blue from below Ibaeran¡¯s feet but she was too quick for any of the and moved swiftly moved away before any of the could sink their teeth into her flesh. Ibaeran, even as the creatures emerged from the water below her feet, did not allow herself to fall to fear, having learned from the past and recalling how every single time she gave in to her fears, she be weak, powerless, and vulnerable to the dangers that surround her, and even though she could still sense the fear lingering on in heart, trying its very best to sway her heart and make her fumble and fall, she chose to simply keep running and ignore the dangers that surrounded her along with her fears after all, she had come too far fall due to fear.

    Ibaeran, with her head held high, refused to stop even as the creatures of the deep chasing after her from the waters below, and continued running through the waters. Ibaeran dared not to look back not even for a second, and focused solely on the horizon ahead over, a vast stretch of seas which seemed to continue on forever but she knew that somewhere out there, in that vast stretch of blue, stood the island where the Kiri Dumo could be found, the key to hers and her people¡¯s liberation. And so she continued running and running, knowing that with each and every step she took, the closer her and her people would be to freedom. The creatures of the deep could not seem to keep up with Ibaeran¡¯s speed and for a moment even it seemed as though they had given up and on trying to catch, seeming losing interest on her and swimming away back to dark blue depths they emerged from, and for a moment Ibaeran believed that there was truly nothing left to stand in her, if only that was truly the case.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    ¡°¡­.emerged out of the sea, wearing watery that covered its entire body, enormous and the size of a mountain, it buries whatever prey that dares to cross its path in a watery grave. It¡¯s a creature that almost every creature that lives within the great Kiri Dumoian seas to tremble and flee away I fear for it was¡­¡±

    Ibaeran looked ahead with widened eyes spotting something unbelievable ahead of her. It looked like a massive tsunami, a wave so great, it resemble of mountain made of water but what shook the most wasn¡¯t the towing size of the way, no, it was the fact that she could see blood red piercing eyes and a gaping mouth filled with rolls of razor sharp teeth ready to devour her whole. The beast looked mighty and strong, and it seemed as though the reason the other creatures fled wasn¡¯t because they gave up on catching Ibaeran but because the massive watery beast approaching, for it was a great beast so mighty that inspired fear in to the hearts of the creatures for it was¡­ Ingani Minjaria, the Ocean¡¯s Wrath

    Ibaeran seeing the towering watery beast making it way towards her, felt the fear within her begin to grow, and all though she tried her best to fight it, she couldn¡¯t stop it from continuing to grow and as it did, she felt the power within her begin to shrink and slowly fade away. She tried her absolute best to ignore the pain and focus but she could not ignore the hungry face on the water that made it way towards her and because of that Ibaeran began to feel her feet began to sink down in to the water¡¯s below and before she entire body was submerged in to the waters.

    Ibaeran, struggling to keep her body afloat and a void drowning down to the bottom of the ocean, looked ahead and was no longer able to hold back her fears and allowed the feeling dread and complete and utter terror envelop her she saw before the massive watery monster known as Ingani Minjaria, the Wrath of the Ocean, a creature that almost all creatures of the deep feared and dared not to cross it¡¯s path. Ibaeran then felt a pull from the waters below, a strong current dragging towards the watery beast. Ibaeran then, out of sheer horror and desperation, began to try and swim away, using her hands to try and paddle away against the current but, try as she may, summoning all the strength she could muster, it still wasn¡¯t enough to break free from the currents pull on her. But still, persisted, thrashing through the waters as she tried desperately to swim away even though she knew in her heart that it was futile and current was far great for her to swim against. And as this grim realization dawned upon her, Ibaeran then thought to herself, why was trying to fight the current, was it out of fear or to preserve her own life. Feeling her pounding underneath her chest and sensing the fear within, she knew she was afraid but of what, losing her life? Thinking back through her past, she knew her life wasn¡¯t really worth living, after all she spent all her years as slave who only lived to serve her masters, there was nothing more to her existence than that so then why, if she had only lived the life of a pathetic slave up until that point, why was she still scared? Why did the thought of her demise fill her heart with so much dread and fear?

    As she pondered those questions in her mind, images of her people flash in her mind, suffering under oppressive boot of the Uha Tamunaran, struggling to make it past a single day, day after day, as she once did back when she served her Uha Tamunaran masters, she then saw Ton¡¯Onama along the people of , and although they were Uha Tamunarans, they were suffering just like her people were, under the rule of a tyrant of a king. As those images flashed in her mind, the fear within Ibaeran began to fade away, slowly vanishing and disappearing, and in its inferno of rage and fury erupted out of her.

    Ibaeran then stopped fighting against the water¡¯s current and then turned to face the Ingani Minjaria with a look of fury and rage in her eyes. And as she looked at it, she saw it watery face began morph and change, first in to the face dreaded Uha Tamunaran masters that tormented her people and the source of all the anguish, pain, and misery Ibaeran had had to witness from both her people and the Uha Tamunarans, king Datubo, the king of all Uha Tamunarans. Ibaeran felt her blood begin to boil with a form of rage she had never felt before but at the same time felt oh so familiar, like it her always be inside of her, growing from within every time she had to watch her people suffer in misery and even when she found out even the Uha Tamunarans were not spared from their king¡¯s wrath and cruelty. There was a time when she lied to herself that she was content with her life as a slave, a life of misery, where you are tried not better than livestock, a life of being a tool which others used as they please, a life of having to bow and down to heartless monsters, believing that she had to was bear with it and that was all she could do, as she, like the rest of her people and even the Uha Tamunarans themselves, were powerless in the face of the true evil that ruled over them. That was a lie she kept telling herself over and over and over again until she believed it but now, she had to face the truth.

    Ibaeran then took in a deep breath and closed her eyes.

    She was never content or okay with her life or having to see her people suffer...

    She then felt the power of the Su Baera flow through her body once again.

    ¡­in fact she hated every single moment of it...

    The power then began to build up from inside of her.

    ¡­she hated feeling powerless and helpless, having to watch as her people struggled and suffered each and every day, without a single of ounce hope for better days to come, she hated having to watch as they all dropped like flies in the hands of the Uha Tamunarans, she had the way the Uha Tamunarans who the kind deemed useless were treated, she hated having to witness the person she loved the most die right in front of her, and above all she hated being a slave¡­.

    Ibaeran¡¯s entire body then erupted with power.

    ¡­back then she was powerless, she was weak, and could do nothing but watch with a bitterness she chose to hide deep within the depth of her soul but now¡­

    She crushed her hands in a tight fist before staring at the Ingani Minjaria dead in its blood red eyes.

    ¡­she had the power¡­

    Ibaeran then repealed herself out of the water using nothing power her sheer strength and power, launching herself straight for the watery beast before with fist stretched out, brim with overwhelming power.

    ¡­and she was tired of just watch.

 Chapter 47

    Ibaeran found herself lying on the vast Kiri Dumoian Ocean but the waters that surrounds was tainted with the dark blue blood of none other than the Ingani Minjaria that once presided over those waters but was now nothing more than a dead corpse floating on the water¡¯s surface next to Ibaeran. Then raised one of her hands up, it was still crushed into a tight fist and soiled with dark blue blood. Ibaeran stared long and hard at her fist which was soiled with the creature that was trying to make a meal out of her moments ago, find it had to believe that it was that very hand that brought down that monsters of the Kiri Dumo sea. She replaying the events in her head over and over again but still she couldn¡¯t bring herself to believe that it had really happened. Recalling in vivid detail all the fury and rage she felt flowing through moments before she launched herself towards the Ingani Minjaria, and how all that rage slowly turned in power, great and immense, enveloping her body, giving her the strength she needed to face the watery beast. And even though she recalled thrusting herself straight towards the beast and clutched fist piercing through the vale of water that cover it and colliding with its body hidden within the wave and like a cannon ball, blasted a hole straight through its body with nothing more than just her bear fist.

    Ibaeran then turned to see the lifeless corpse of the Ingani Minjaria, seeing its pale grey scaly body littered with hundreds of holes which it used to control and channel water from the ocean all throughout its body and created the vale of water that coved its body with the large gaping hole on the center of its chest where all its dark blue blood was busy oozing out from, a hole created by the single blow delivered by Ibaeran¡¯s hand which was soiled the creatures blue blood. But yet, even after seeing the lifeless body of the beast that once tried to consume her moments ago, Ibaeran still felt as though it was nothing more than a dream. Even though she felt it all happened and the dark blue blood on her hands and the monstrous body lying mere inches away from her were a testament to her triumph over it the beast, Ibaeran just couldn¡¯t bring herself to believe that it was really her that brought the great beast down with nothing more than a single blow. It all felt unreal to her and her mind was still find it difficult to align everything that had happened with reality especially that fact that even the great Ingani Minjaria was brought down by single blow from her.

    Ibaeran just laid at the water¡¯s surface, her mind desperately trying to terms with what she did but struggling to accept the fact that such a feat was really accomplished by her but as she laid there on the water¡¯s surface, she failed to notice something emerge from the waters and grab hold of the beast who¡¯s life she had claimed and drag it back down to the waters below. Ibaeran only realized the Ingani Minjaria¡¯s body was gone only mere minutes before the whatever was lurking from the waters below dragged down and by then it was ready too later as felt monstrous tentacles grab hold of her, wrapping themselves around her body before dragging her down to deep to the depths of the what below. Ibaeran struggled to break free from the tentacles hold on her while also trying to hold her breath and not drown as they pulled her deep in to the water¡¯s depths until she eventually reached the monstrous creature to whom the tentacles belonged to.

    ¡°¡­a swarming ball like mass made of different arms which it uses it pull its prey down before devouring them whole, tangled and interlocked with each other to form something unfathomable and completely horrid in appearance, and within the gaps in between the arms were piercing monstrous eyes and mouths filled with roll upon roll of teeth strong enough to shred steel in to fine powder. I, across all my travels through numerous worlds have heard tall tales of great beast who ruled over the earth, skies and seas, some of them nothing more than fables and myths while some of them spoke true, and within the seas of tales told to me throughout my travels through these worlds, upon seeing monstrous beast, I was reminded of one of those tall tales. In world of only open skies and vast ocean, where no body of land seats on the world¡¯s surface, a world filled with men and woman who either live above the sky in massive flying cities, or down below on the waters in ships as great and mighty ship, there is tale shared down below on seas by captains and all seamen. A tale of a creature that wrecks ships, makes captains crewless, women widows and children orphans. The devil of the seas they called it, an indiscriminatory killer and destroyer who take and devoured what ever laid upon the waters. I, during me stay in that world, never witnessed for myself if the such a creature was a mere fable conjured up by the seamen out of fright and dread of seas and the dangers that lurked underneath its waters. But after hearing all the horrific story told by them and how the creature emerged from the sea and wrapped its massive arms, by hundreds, around surrounding ships, crushing them all its hold before dragging them all down to the sea in to a watery grave, I saw it fit to give the same name as that sea devil to the monstrosity I witnessed down below the depths of the Kiri Dumoian waters, a name sent fear and dread to all the seamen in the world of water and sky, the name Crakcan, the devil of the sea....¡±Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    Ibaeran found herself facing off against the Crakcan, the Kiri Dumoian devils of deep, her body wrapped and bounded by its many tentacle, holding her tightly within their grasp, and no matter how much she struggled to break from them, their hold on her was too strong and she was just too weak to break free. Ibaeran then spotted the body of the Ingani Minjaria being pulled to the Crakcan by its tentacles before being ripped to shredded and fed in to the many mouths in between the gaps all over its body. It the sight along of the Crakcan ripping the Ingani Minjaria¡¯s dead lifeless carcass apart was horrifying enough but Ibaeran had to witness it all while so being dragged and pulled in by the tentacles in to one of the Crakcan¡¯s mouths to meet the a similar fate as the Ingani Minjaria¡¯s carcass.

    Ibaeran once again found herself facing off a great beast, and just like before, she felt oh so powerless despite all the powerless she possessed, struggling with her strength slowly being sapped away in a seemingly futile attempt to free herself from the Crakcan¡¯s grip. And once Ibaeran founded herself mere inches away from jaws massive jaws of the Crakcan, she felt the last of her strength fade away. She looked at the eyes of the beast, littered around all through its mouths, which looked back her with a gaze of hunger. Ibaeran had given it her all, using every single out of strength she could must, fought till the bitter end and yet, right, wrapped around the arms of a beast that was about to make a meal out her was where she ended. Was this the tragic end of her tale, the legend of a slave girl who lived serving her wicked masters only to die within the jaws of a monster, oh what an unfortunate and pathetic fate. Those were the last thought that formed in Ibaeran¡¯s mind before she was tossed in to the mouth of the Crakcan.

    And that was the end of Ibaeran, the tale of a slave who couldn¡¯t see past her fears and doubts, and nothing of the strength and power that laid within her. Or that would be the case if after mere moments of being consumed by the Crakcan an explosion erupted out of the sea before pieces, cut and fine sliced apart, of the Crakcan floated out of the deep and on to the water¡¯s surface and along with, slowly emerging out of the waters, was none other than Ibaeran. Bathed in light with the raw power of the Su Baera emanating from her with a pair of steel wings extended out from her back, and her hands she held a sword whose blade was made of light

 Chapter 48

    ¡°¡­.The power of the Su Baera was truly an amazing thing, it gave me the strength to move mountains, soar through the sky, and do just about anything I set my mind to, with the power I could do anything and sometimes, that scared me¡­.My favorite power as the Su Baera was the power of creation, with it I could create anything be it a tool like a wrench, a screwdriver, a flux driver regulator engine or a weapon, like a sword, mini hand cannons, or even a shield. All I had to do is think of what I wanted, picture it in my mind, and feel take form within the palms of my hands and it would appear¡­¡±

    Ibaeran hovered over the waters, below of her the sliced remains of the Crakcan and on her hand was the blade she used to slice it apart. Ibaeran then began to replay what happened the moment the she was dragged in to the mouth of the beast of deep, recalling how scared she felt watching those monstrous beady eyes followed was she was being dragged down in to the monsters mouth. Recalling the feeling of fear, dread and despair that watched over her during those moments as she was slowly being pulled in the beast¡¯s mouth and swallowed whole and as she watches it¡¯s lips close shut and the darkness began to surround from within, she recalled thinking to herself, with the last ounce of strength she had left, ¡®was this really the end, did I really make it this far to become this monster¡¯s meals. Was all that fighting, pain, suffering, and misery I¡¯ve had to endure really so I could end up in this monsters belly¡¯. And as Ibaeran felt herself slowly began to lose conscious, slipping away in to the abyss, a single thought formed in her mind, ¡®I am really destined to die a slave¡¯.

    And as those thoughts in her mind, Ibaeran felt something her. It was strange feeling Ibaeran could describe, it felt as though there was something inside of her, screaming and yelling out a single word, ¡°No¡±. And as she heard those words echo from within Ibaeran was reminded of everything she had been through, fights and struggles, her losses, along with the people she met through her journey, those people that saw her their hope for freedom, her people, Ton¡¯Onama, and the Uha Tamunarans that were abandoned by their king form being useless, and above all else, the promise she made. All she had to do was try and to that, she had to do everything within her power, be it fight within walls of an arena or stare death in the face with a pounding chest filled fear but still dare to remain standing and never fall, trying to her meant, giving it her all and ever stopping until she drew her last breath and so that was precisely what she was going to do, to keep the promise she made to the person she loved the most, she kept fight until the bitter end, denying the end and refusing to accept that her tale was over.

    ¡°Promise me Ibaeran that you¡¯ll try¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Ibaeran then felt the power of the Su Baera returned to her and as it did her body began to brim and glow with the immense power following through her.

    No, her story was far from over.

    Ibaeran clutched her hand into fist tightly, feeling the power of the Su Baera settling in her fist and slowly begin to take form.

    Not after everything she had been through. Living the life as a slave, losing her father, the only family she had at a young age, and then looking the person that made her life feel, even with pain, misery, and complete and utter dread, worth living, and then making a promise to her, a promise that led her down a path where had to fight to get the power she now possessed, a power she could use to make a dream she denied herself from believing could ever become a reality, come through, and for the first time in what felt like an eternity she allowed herself to believe in something she had never been able to bring herself to believe, hope.

    A blade made of light that firmed on Ibaeran fist, and then with just slash, she sliced the Crakcan apart.

    Ibaeran then snapped back to reality. She then looked down at the blade on her hands, seeing h glow so much raw power, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if that power truly came from her. Ibaeran then looked down at the scattered remains of the Crakcan before letting out a deep sigh out of exhaustion. She had truly been through a lot and looking up ahead out in to the vast waters that surrounded her, she could feel it from within her bones that the battle was far from over and she still never to fight. Ibaeran then giggled a little, knowing it would foolish for her to expect things going forward to be easy but at the very least she could count on her power and her strength, realizing upon recollecting everything she had had to face so far, from celestial godlike being so massive that could hold entire worlds on their hands, massive green giants that stand above the sky crapping treed of the Kiri Dumoian forest, savage creatures who could roll their bodies in to balls of spikes, a massive monster who concealed its body in a vale of water, and finally a devil of the deep who remains was currently floating on the waters below Ibaeran¡¯s feet.

    Ibaeran then looked at the hand she used to hold the blade made of light. The blade then vanished and as it did Ibaeran crushed the hand in to a tight fist, now determined to face and fight ever dangers laid ahead, refusing to a cast doubt over her power and herself, and if that wouldn¡¯t be enough, she would still keep fighting even still the bitter end. Ibaeran then stretched out her steel wings and flew off, soaring through the skies at blinding speeds, determined not to stop or allow anything get it.

    It seemed as though Ibaeran was finally beginning realize just who she was and the power she possessed but yet fear and doubt continued to linger on in her mind, and even though she had seen for herself just how powerful she was and what she was capable of, as long as those doubts and fears lingered on, she would never be able to truly understand what it meant to be the Su Baera.

 Chapter 49

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ve travelled across numerous worlds, seen many bizarre and strange things. Some of them beautiful beyond words convey and others looked like monstrosities from the deepest depths of hell, but never have I seen a world quite like a Kiri Dumo¡­¡±

    Ibaeran flew over the vast Kiri Dumoian sea, watching from many creatures of the deep emerged out of the waters, leaping and jumping out of the waters like majestic they were, and now that she was no longer gripped by her fears she was able to see and appreciate the majestic beauty of the creatures. She flew further above the waters she found¡­

    ¡°¡­.Giants of the seas, creatures whose bodies are so large they are home to vast green forests and different works of life. As big as a nation they float and swim above the water¡¯s surface majestic, elegant, and beautiful, I called them, Manjikirinama, the living water lands¡­¡±

    Ibaeran found herself staring with eyes filled with wonder and awe at the gigantean beast that were the Manjikirinama, massive and colossal beasts that swam on the water¡¯s surface with bodies being so large that it was enough house an entire forest which home creatures just as astonishing and breath taking.

    ¡°¡­.The Manjikirinama¡¯s came in different forms, shapes, and sizes, some familiar while so outright bizarre marvels life and nature like the one that resembles a turtle with its massive back that resemble a turtles shell and on it a protruding mountains that were great enough to graze the skies and large forest filled with creatures of all kind, and its head which rested on the water¡¯s surface along with the back while the rest of its body remained submerged in the waters down below with a thick patch of forest green on it where birds and other creatures perched and rousted down on the trees. Then there was the Manjikirinama whose entire body was almost completely submerged in water except for its massive fin like appendages who systematically emerge out and in to the waters, propelling and keeping the massive creature afloat along with large back which rested on the water¡¯s surface with a large patch of forest, green, and vegetation that stretched as far as the eyes could see, it was so large that if one was step foot on it and look out in to the horizon, they would think that living creatures they stood up was the entire world¡­.¡±

    Ibaeran watched the creature with eyes filled with awe and amaze before flying past them, moving at forwarder in to the world and flying high in to the sky. Once there she greeted by even more breathtaking sight.

    ¡°¡­.the sky above was just as alive and magnificent as the earth and seas below. Brim with creatures and life I never thought nor could I ever comprehend to ever exist before I witnessed it for myself. From strange birds with six to eight pairs of wings, to strange creature with root like appendages that resembled a tree but was as white as snow, it¡¯s massive body staying afloat high above the Kiri Dumoian sky thanks massive puffs of air it release from underneath it roots. I was really a marvel to behold, a Sky Tree that stood firmly on the sky above with roots spread across the clouds¡­¡±

    Ibaeran at the wonders the Kiri Dumoian skies had to offer, spotting the birds that flew across the sky with their colorful feather and numerous wings along with the elegant Sky Trees that seemed to have defied all logic, being so massive and yet was able to stand firmly on something as delicate as a cloud. Ibaeran then sensed something moving below her, hidden away by the white clouds underneath her feet. She could sense it drawing nearer, moving closer and closer until it was right underneath her. It then immerged, a massive mouth wide open with filled to the brim with razor sharp teeth, ready to chump, tear apart, and devour anything it catches in between its jaws.

    The jaws of the clamped shut, trapping an entire flock of birds with it and turning them in to the meal of the massive creature that just emerged out from the clouds. Ibaeran let out a sigh of relief, thankful that she managed to fly out of the massive creature¡¯s jaws. She then watched as it devoured the float of birds, clamping its mouth shut before swallowing in them whole. Looking at how those poor birds met their within the jaws of the massive creatures, Ibaeran help but feel sorry of them.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Ibaeran was entirely sure why she felt bad for those birds after all their death came as consequence of a single law that seemed to universal across all worlds, all those born small, frail, weak, and powerless are destined to meet their end, fall, or submit to those bigger, stronger, and for more powerful than them. It was savage law but that seemed not just to be true in her world but in Kiri Dumo as well, weak would always be destined to devoured by the strong. But even though that seemed to be a fundamental law that reigned true over world outside hers, some without her couldn¡¯t bring herself to accept it. It felt wrong even though seemed right to world she came from and was law she obeyed her entire life, and even after gained the immense of the Su Baera, she still couldn¡¯t bring herself to break that one law.

    Ibaeran then let out a deep sigh, before extended out her steel wings and flying away while thinking about her she was no different from those birds, a small, weak, and powerless little thing, consumed by something bigger, stronger, and more powerful than her or at the very least, that was how she felt any way .

    Ibaeran flew further and further in to Kiri Dumo, ignoring her surrounding and only focusing on her mission, to get to the center of Kiri Dumo and retrieve the Dumo Stone. But as she flew across the vast world of Kiri Dumo, feeling the breeze blowing around her, she couldn¡¯t stop herself from pondering to herself, ¡®Just what exactly am I doing¡¯.

    It wasn¡¯t like she didn¡¯t know the answer to her question but something in her just couldn¡¯t accept it. There she was, flying across a foreign world on a mission to free her people but was that really what she was doing. Thinking back to her time in the palace, recalling the king, his ruthless and savagery even to his own, she couldn¡¯t help but ponder to herself on if there was truly any guaranty that such a mad man, drunk of his own pride and power would truly keep his promise and let her people go. But even with this lingering doubt in her mind, Ibaeran couldn¡¯t help but cling on to the belief that there was no other way, she had to obey his king for her people¡¯s sake, for her sake, that was she kept telling herself, again and again as she continued soaring through the Kiri Dumoian skies in an attempt to push away the lingering doubt in her heart hold on tightly to a hope that felt more false than true.

    Ibaeran, after flying for what felt like forever, found, seated on the waters down below, a small patch of green. Ibaeran then, with a curious look on her face, wondering if she had finally made it to the center of Kiri Dumo, descended down to patch of green down below.

    Her feet slowly made contact with green ground before they stood firmly on it and upon doing so the steel wings on her back vanish. Ibaeran then looked at the strange land that surrounded her with her eyes immediately fixed on a single point. It was single large tree, the only tree on the island, towering over her, whose roots were spread out, tangling and intersecting form the island¡¯s earth, and at the very center of the tree was a small green stone that glowed bright with a radiant emerald green light. Ibaeran then looked at the ground below her feet, seeing that tangled roots that formed it before recalling what happened in the forest a while after she released the power of the Su Baera to protect herself from the Balayifribos and the chasm she formed that seemed almost as though it was bottomless. Recalling how roots sprouted out from the sides of the chasm, sealing it shut and restoring the forest back to it normal state. Recall that, Ibaeran couldn¡¯t help but wonder if everything in the entirety of Kiri Dumo was connected and held together by the roots from that single tree.

    Ibaeran snapped out of her thoughts, recalling why had traveled Kiri Dumo, to save her people. Ibaeran then spotted the glowing emerald green stone and upon laying her eyes on it felt something strange but yet familiar flow through. It was a primal and innate feeling, one which words could not do justice to descried, Ibaeran felt it flow through her entire body, making her pound like never before and filling her with a drive she had never felt before. It was an intimate feeling that felt familiar but yet strange at the same time, it was feeling she could vaguely recall from the very moment she was conceived in her mother¡¯s womb. Like a breath of fresh air, racing through an open field, or even soaring through the sky, an intense feeling shared by every single living thing from plants, to wild beasts, and even people, everything lived across not just Kiri Dumo but all worlds, including hers, it was life itself.

    Ibaeran then took a step forward, her gaze still lock on the green stone, wondering if what she was feeling emanating from the stone was truly the essence of life itself, if that single small little green glowing stone was truly what she sought after, the Dumo stone, the source of the ultimate power of life. But as Ibaeran was about to reach out and grab hold of the stone, roots and vines sprout out from the tree and attached themselves to the stone before beginning to twist, tangle, and merge to together to form a human like body, a body that Ibaeran recognized immediately upon seeing it.

 Chapter 50

    ¡°¡­.The Dumo Stone is the essence of life itself from which, every single living creature, whether it walks on land on all fours, six, eight, or ten legs, soars the sky with magnificent and elegant wings or puffs putrid and obnoxious hot fumes to propel itself to sky above, if it breath water instead of air, has no solid body that can be touched, has a metallic body that resembles more like a machine than a living creature but it still able to think, feel, and fear death, whither it eats dirt and stone, or simply constancies itself by breathing air alone and any other bizarre, magnificent abnormal trait it may have, as long as alive its existence is as a result of Dumo. It is the originator of life itself and the very first living thing¡­¡±

    Ibaeran then gasped out of shock upon seeing the body, recognizing it as it was the body of someone she cared and longed for. Ibaeran upon seeing the body that had formed around Dumo stone couldn¡¯t help but shed a tear, unsure on why or even how it was possible as she laid her eyes one person she wished to be with about all else, Preyina, her closest and dearest friend.

    The body then slowly opened which glowed green with green with the essence of life emanating from its body.

    ¡°Pre¡­¡± Ibaeran stopped herself midsentence knowing that being standing before her was not her dear Preyina, not matter much she wished it to be so.

    ¡°Hello Ibaeran or should call you Su Baera?¡± asked the entity with a voice similar to that of Preyina taking Ibaeran aback as she heard the voice of her dear friend leave her lips.

    Ibaeran tried her very best to hold back her eyes as she constantly reminded herself that the entity that stood before her wasn¡¯t Preyina, an act that was made far more agonizingly pain upon hearing the entity speak with her voice.

    ¡°Why did you choose that form?¡± Ibaeran asked with her head bowed down and her gaze averted away from the entity as it was too painful for her to stare at a familiar face while knowing it wasn¡¯t really her, it was just something else borrowing her face.

    ¡°Think of it like a safety precaution of sorts after people find hard to strike a familiar face especially when its one of someone they care about¡±, said the entity.

    ¡°Please, stop it, choose another, it can be anything except her¡± Ibaeran spoke with her hair still bowed down and tears dripping down from her eyes.

    The entity upon hearing what Ibaeran said simply smiled before saying, ¡°Why are you here Ibaeran¡±.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what the entity said paused for a moment before saying, ¡°I need the power of the Dumo stone to save my people¡±.

    ¡°But you¡¯re the Su Baera, don¡¯t you already possess enough power to save them ?¡± asked the entity.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what the entity said crushed her hands in to a tight fist before saying with a voice heavy with shame and doubt, ¡°I¡­I can¡¯t¡±.

    ¡°Hmm¡±, said the entity before the roots and vines that made up her body and attached her to the tree it form that body from extended out and pulled the body it was using to communicate with Ibaeran out of the tree.

    ¡°Raise your head Ibaeran¡± said the entity but Ibaeran chose to ignore its command, not wanting to have to bear the pain of seeing her face.

    ¡°I said, RISE¡± the entity spoke with what sounded like infinite voices, most of them silent while most of them beastly, echoing from her lips and resonating within Ibaeran as heard them. The voices where too loud to ignore and they were so primal in nature that Ibaeran could stop herself from heeding their call raised her head up to behold the astonishing beauty of what could only be described as the leafy green skin goddess that wore the familiar face of her dear Preyina hovering about her with vines attached to her back that connected her to the tree.

    ¡°Now tell me once more, why can¡¯t you save your people with your own power¡± asked the entity with a soft, loving, and nurturing voice.

    ¡°I¡­I just can¡¯t¡± Ibaeran spoke once more before bowing her head back down, this time not because of the face the entity wore but out of shame.

    The entity upon hearing what Ibaeran said, simply sighed before saying, ¡°Fear and desperation, two of the most powerful driving forces behind the most idiotic and destructive of actions¡±.

    ¡°You know Ibaeran¡± the entity spoke before raising up a hand.

    ¡°You are not the first to travel here to seeking something out of fear and desperation¡±, said the entity.

    Ibaeran then turned to her side and saw root sprouting from the ground, tangling and merging together to form what appeared to be a man with a similar looking pair of wings as hers attached to his back. Ibaeran¡¯s eyes then widened upon seeing the man, recognizing the wings and immediately knowing who he was.

    ¡°His name was Menjikiri, the Su Baera that came before you¡±, said the entity.

    Even though Ibaeran already knew this from reading the journal Menjikiri left behind for her, Ibaeran couldn¡¯t help but be taken aback upon seeing the live image of the former Su Baera, only having a vague obscure and imperfect image in her head on what he could have looked like but then at that moment, as looked at him, examining his features she couldn¡¯t believe that she was looking at the legendary Su Baera, that one who single handedly challenged an entire army of Uha Tamunarans, foot the great and might king Datubo to a standstill and managed to take one of his eyes. Ibaeran look at the imaged from with nothing more than the roots that made up the ground of the island stood upon with a look of awe and surprise as the Su Baera looked like an ordinary without any muscles or a warriors physique but rather skinny arms and a body that looked it could be brought down with just a single blow but at the very same time, as she continued to look at the image, she couldn¡¯t help but be convinced that truly was the Su Baera that came before her.

    ¡°You and him share a lot in common, both of you have had to suffer great losses from an early age, suffered immensely from a cruel and unfair world, and have to deal with the overwhelming weight of the responsibility that comes with being an agent of order¡±, said the entity it descended to the ground in front of the image of the Su Baera.

    ¡°His tale is a tale almost as old as life itself, a hero tasked with the overwhelming responsibility maintaining peace and order to an entire world only to discover the true depth of evil within his world and began to question if the world he fought so hard for was truly worth defending¡±, said the entity with a sad and somber look on its face.

    ¡°He saw the true face of evil and it scared, so much so that he refused to accept that evil, cruelty, and wicked of the world were simply a part of life just as death, despite being the very absence of life¡±, said the entity.

    Ibaeran, upon hearing what the entity said, turned to look at the image once more. Recalling that, from the way he wrote about in his journal about his time as the Su Baera, she could sense hints sadness, pain, and regret in his words but never knew to what depth his heart truly ached and pain he had to endure upon each and every time had had to watch his evil and wickedness to fester no matter how much he tried to put an end to it once and for all. Having living in the same world where the very same evil the Su Baera before her fought against had grown to the point that wicked, much like taking breathing, had become the norm, couldn¡¯t help but understand to a degree the pain and frustration that former Su Baera must have endured, to have lived in cruel world and still feel powerless to change it even after having so much power at their finger tips.

    ¡°As time pasted, he become more and more desperate to find a way stop evil and wicked from plaguing his world and at a point he even contemplated using the power of the Su Baera to impose peace on his world by force and, for a moment, he was tempted to cross a line he could never return from¡±, said the entity.

    Ibaeran then looked upon the image of the former Su Baera once more, recalling a page in the Menjikiri¡¯s journal where he lamented about the state of his world and how felt powerless to change the world even though he possessed the power of the Su Baera:

    ¡°¡­.There I was hovering over it all, seeing my world for what it was over high above at the very edge of sky itself. Selfish, greed, pettiness, hunger, strife, and misery that was all I could see from up there. Even from those great heights, I could still hear the cries a child crying out of hunger and see his mother troubled and wondering how unearth they were going to get by another day like many other mothers, fathers, and parents. Then I saw that fat wealth man, boosting about their riches that were stolen, stripped, and denied from those that need. I looked down below at them with a look of disgust and boiling rage, Then I saw the crooks, thieves, and criminal that roamed about the open streets, and couldn¡¯t help but look at them with a look of pity and shame, understanding g what it must be like have nothing, neither a home or a single soul to love and care for, and having to survive each and every on the streets committing unspeakable act. I looked down at them and couldn¡¯t really bring myself to hate or even blame them from their actions, after all, if the hands of fate had never favored I have no doubt in my mind that I would have been down there on the streets as well. Then they were the monster, wearing the skin of regular people it would be next to impossible to believe they were anything but human. But I¡¯ve seen them with my own to eyes, committing vile, disgusting and abominable acts with gleeful smile on their face, soiling their hands with both the blood and tears of their fellow human beings and for not just reason.

    What else could I expect from a race that planned on killing themselves in a pointless war and all because they wanted to prove a point to each other. I still have nightmares of that accursed day, bodies littered about everywhere, soldiers running about with hand blasters trying to kill each other, and that bloody weapon. Till this day, half of the Northern nation is nothing more than pile of hot desert sand. I sometimes wonder if I wasn¡¯t chosen to be the Su Baera and there was no one there to destroy every single one of their machines of mass destruction, and they continued kill each other with the desire to reign supreme over one another. I doubt they would even me any nations of man left.

    Looking down at the world from the edge of the sky and seeing the four nations plagued with what could only be described as a form of madness and insanity, a dark thought crossed my mind. What if I used my powers as the Su Baera to fix the broken world I saw before me, to that power to eradicate and purge the entire world from evil and wickedness. And it would be all too easy to do so, I had to do was extend my hand to the world and release my power. I could almost picture it, a world from pain, misery, and sorrow, a were a young boy would never have to witness the dead corpse of his mother ever again. A vision of the perfect world was what I saw, was what I could create. I stretched out me hand to the world, ready to reshape and fix it but then, just as about to release the power recalled something. A memory of the closest thing to a father I had told me something about the true nature of man and how within him lies both the power destroy and create. A man can build and create amazing things but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that can destroy just as well as he creates. No man was born good, just like no man was born evil, they were simply born, and just like how man can choose to either create or destroy, they can choose to be good or evil. And as long as man can choose either good or evil, there will always good as well as evil.

    It was a bitter truth, but the truth none the less, good and evil was an inherit part of human life, just breathing and eating. And if I truly wanted to put an end to evil once and for all, I would have to end the entirety of my race, eradicating evil but good a well¡­.¡±

    ¡°Even though the Su Baera understood that evil, just like good was a part of human nature, he couldn¡¯t still bring himself to accept it. And he ravaged his mind thinking one he could possibly find away to end evil one and for all but ultimately failed to find one. And when he couldn¡¯t find way to completely eradicate evil from his world, he decided to venture out in to other worlds, hoping that somewhere in the vastness of infinite worlds, there existed at least one world that had successful eradiated evil. He searched and his searched, but in every world where there was life, there was also savagery, pain, suffering, wickedness, greed, and evils of varying forms until he finally reached this place and met me¡± said the entity as.

    Ibaeran recalled reading about the former Su Baera encounter with the entity and how, similar to how it currently took the form of Preyina, it took a form of someone he loved and deeply cared for, someone he had lost a long time ago.

    ¡°¡­.There I stood before the source of life itself the Dumo Stone, imbedding with the center of a great tree whose branches stretched far and wide, tangling with one another to form massive island¡­.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡­.I wasn¡¯t prepared to her face, not after so many years and even though so many years had pasted and I knew it wasn¡¯t really her that stood before me I had to fight the urge and desire to run in to her arms and embrace her as tightly as I could. I missed her immensely and seeing her face once more made me wish with all my heart the person before me was actually my mother.

    It wasn¡¯t easy but I had to comport myself and control my emotions, push back my tears and approach her, the very essence of life itself, the Dumo Stone. I had travel long and far to reach that moment, believing in my heart that surely she would have the answers I sought for, a way to put an end to evil in my world once and for all. But when I asked the question that had been plaguing my mind ever since I became the Su Baera, she answered¡­¡±

    ¡°I told him the truth about life, a simply law that governs every single living being, a law we are all bound by, a law we must all obey, a law that separates all from still lifelessness, a truth he could not bring himself to accept¡±, said the entity.

    ¡°¡­¡±The point of life is to live however way you can. Yours purpose, along with infinitely vast creature experience what it is to be alive, is to live and avoid death in whatever way you can. This desire, this drive, is primal and innate within every single living creature, and whatever action they commit was committed as a consequence of it. What you perceive as evil and good are nothing more than action committed by living souls like yourself fulfilling their purpose the only way they can, and to change that, you would have to change the very nature of life itself and do that you would have to rewrite reality in its entirety and not even the great Su Baera is capable of doing that¡±¡­¡±

    ¡°I told he a simple truth but it wasn¡¯t the truth he wanted neither was he a truth he could bring himself to understand or accept which was what ultimately led to his end¡± said the entity before snapping its fingers and turning the image of the former Su Baera in to nothing more than golden pollen scattering in the wind.

    Ibaeran watched what the entity just did with a look awe, shock, and horror with her words resonating within her especially the part about his inability to understand and accept what it told him was the reason why he met his end. She had always believed that the immense power of king Datubo and the Uha Tamunaran empire were that sole reason for the fall of the Su Baera but upon listen to her words she couldn¡¯t help but ponder a little, recalling how during moments of fear and doubt the immense power of the Su Baera would vanish from her, and couldn¡¯t help but wonder if that could also be the case of the former Su Baera before her, and if so then his fall and defeat in the hands of king Datubo and his army of Uha Tamunarans might have not been because the Su Baera himself was too weak but rather due to lingering doubts he had about himself and his duty as the Su Baera.

    Ibaeran was brought out of her train of thought by the entity raising up a hand and summon roots out of the ground, tangling and merging them once more, this time to form a figure being vaguely recognized. It was the image of big and bulky man wielding a pair axes on both hands

    ¡°Prince Sothorgo, second son and the last child of King Aniye¡¯Boa, the one, by virtue of the immense power he possessed at birth and the fact that he was born a boy, was chosen to be next in line to the throne over the eldest the now King Datubo who was born within any power of his own and the second child Princess who was simply denied her claim to the throne for nothing more than the fact that she was born a girl¡±, said the entity.

    Ibaeran¡¯s eyes widened upon hearing what the entity said looked at her with a long of shock and disbelieve.

    ¡°Wait, did you just say King Datubo, King of the Uha Tamunaran empire and the most powerful Uha Tamunaran to live, the one who ended the life of the Su Baera, was born powerless¡±, asked Ibaeran finding impossible to believe that there was once a time ages ago when the monster she, her people, and even the Uha Tamunarans he reign over with an iron fist, was once powerless.

    ¡°He was, actually he was the very first Uha Tamunaran in the history of your world to be born powerless¡±, said the entity.

    ¡°What? That can¡¯t be¡± said Ibaeran able to fathom the possibility of there ever being a time when the King of the Uha Tamunaran empire and conquer of her world was ever powerless.

    ¡°Oh but it is¡±, said the entity.

    ¡°The king, the one whose power you fear the most, was born as weak as a man with no strength or power of his one. And whatever power he would have manifested upon his birth was stripped away by dark forces who only sought to use the King as nothing more than a simple pawn¡±, said the entity.

    ¡°Pawn?¡± said Ibaeran wondering what unearth would be great enough to able to use the king as nothing more than a pawn.

    The entity upon hearing what Ibaeran said smiled before saying, ¡°You¡¯ve seen it for yourself haven¡¯t you Su Baera, the many vast world that exist, infinite in number, each them unique with most home to the most extra ordinary walks of life there is, you even seen the embodiment of the two primal forces of all that is, order and chaos, and yet you still find it hard to believe in the possibility that someone as feeble as Datubo could be a pawn for one of the many being there are in existence who possess power that would put whatever feeble speck of power he possesses to shame¡±, said the entity.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what the entity said stood before it in silence with a look of both fear and shock etched on her face as slowly began to recall her encounters with the Su Ingi and the Queen of Chaos, being of immense and unfathomable power with bodies as large as entire world. Then slowly the realization began to sink in, mortal beings like her, her people, the Uha Tamunarans, even the King himself, when compares to beings like Su Ingi and the Queen of Chaos, weren¡¯t even insect, they were nothing, insignificant, fragile little things that could be rid of with nothing more than a thought. And as that realization began to sink, Ibaeran began to understand that the ruthless and monstrous King, she and the rest of her people along with the Uha Tamunarans feared was not all powerful and they were being out there that far exceed him in power.

    The entity sensing Ibaeran¡¯s realization of the King¡¯s place in the world, said, ¡°The illusion of power is a dangerous thing both to those who wield and those who witnessed it. It inspires nothing but fear and desperation in the hearts of many, two of the most dangerous of emotions. It was the very same illusion after all that brought Prince Sothorgo to me all those years ago¡±.

    Ibaeran listened attentively to the entity as it spoke with its words, resonating with a truth she could not deny.

    ¡°He came to me with heart, broken and filled only pain and anguish, for he was a man that had lost a lot, a throne bestowed upon him by birth, the home he was forced to flee from along with his child, leaving his lover in the hands of the brother who took everything away from him. It wasn¡¯t easy but he managed to raise his child along with some a little from the Su Baera and his sister who had left their home a long time ago for a love that abandoned her, and he eventually found peace and happiness along with a new family. However that peace was fleeting and completely vanished the moment he found out that woman, of whom he loved dearly with all his heart and the mother of his child, had met her end in the hands of very own brother. Distraught and heartbroken, Sothorgo returned back to his home the kingdom of the Uha Tamunaran to face his brother the King of the Uha Tamunarans, wanting to avenge his lover. Sothorgo challenged Datubo to a battle to the death and the King accepted. The battled between the two brothers was fierce with Sothorgo using the immense rage, anger, and hatred he felt for his brother fuel him and give strength during the battle but fuel wasn¡¯t enough for him to win as Datubo¡¯s sheer power and strength proofed to be greater than his and the battled between Datubo and Sothorgo ended with Sothorgo on the floor within an inch of his life and all it would have took to end him was a single blow. But before Datubo could deal the final blow Menjikiri arrived to put an end to the battle and save Sothorgo. That day Sothorgo something about his brother, he was beast and monster in sense of the word and had lost every ounce of his humanity for strength and power and became something truly terrifying, that day Sothorgo saw the monstrous face of his brother and it scared him. But even Sothorgo was afraid of his brother, he never let go hatred for him, and even tried to persuade Menjikiri to put an end to him using his power as the Su Baera, using the ploy that he was a threat to the entire world as a way to try and convince him but Menjikiri refused and even tried to convince Sothorgo seek another path as he had already seen for himself the evil that laid in the world and did not wish to part take in it for Sothorgo¡¯s vengeance, making it abundantly clear to the prince that as the Su Baera he was a warrior of peace and never evil. Sothorgo, though enraged by Menjikiri¡¯s refusal to aid him in his vengeance, accepted and respected his decision and chose to fight for his revenge on his own but not before making one final request to the Su Baera, to raise and take care of his son if he fell in his quest for revenge and he accepted. Sothorgo then set of on his mission of vengeance on his own, determined to put an end to the monster that his brother had become but knowing that whatever power he possessed, no matter how great it may be was nothing compared to the monstrous power his brother possessed, so when a dark force came to him¡­¡±, the entity raised its hand and formed another image out of roots, this time an image of what looked like a man where a hat that concealed his face.

    ¡°Making him an offer on a way he could achieve power greater than that of his brother, power he could for his revenge Datubo accepted, knowing that gaining more power was the only was he could get his revenge on his brother. Then he was brought here and stood before seeking power¡± said the entity.

    ¡°I came to him in the form of his departed lost love just as I appeared to you and tried to reason him, telling him that power of life itself is an overwhelming thing that one that cannot be controlled but the being of chaos and darkness that brought him to me would not let him listen and kept filled his mind with dark thoughts of vengeance, fueling his hunger and desperation for revenge and prevented him from seeing that path that he was about to take would be his undoing. I continued trying to warn him but he wouldn¡¯t listen and still requested that give him a power greater than that of his brother but I refused, and I did, the being of chaos and dark bounded me with its power of chaos and implored him to simply take the power for himself and then, driving sole by his desperation for vengeance he¡­¡± said the entity paused for a moment before touching the emerald green stone on its chest.

    Ibaeran eyes then widened upon seeing expression on the face of the entity, and expression she couldn¡¯t believe it could be capable of exhibiting, it was an expression of hurt and pain.

    ¡°Tell me Ibaeran, did you know that pain is universal thing shared and felt in some form or way by very single living thing across all worlds, even the vilest of monsters can feel pain and as the embodiment every single living thing in existence, I am no exception¡±, said entity as a small tear fell down its eyes.

    ¡°I remember him looking at my core with a look of pain and desperation in his eyes before forcing out the power right out of me. It was agonizing as I felt my every sense stripped right out and transferred in to him, giving the power he desired but at a cost. The power of life is primal and savage at its very core and absorbing the raw power life itself transformed him in to a raging ruled sole by its innate, savage, and primal desire as if that wasn¡¯t enough the being of darkness and chaos corrupted him further by tainting his soul with chaos giving him the ability reject death itself. The being then returned him back to your world and set him loose on it, wreaking havoc and chaos across as he made his was Datubo, the object of which all his savage rage was directed to and thanks to the raw savage and primal power of life along with a soul tainted by chaos, he was unstoppable and even almost put an end to Datubo if it was for the Su Baera intervening and saving Datubo before he met his end in the savage hands of¡± said the entity.

    Ibaeran¡¯s eyes then widened with shock upon hearing what the entity said, finding hard to believe the great King Datubo life was once saved by the former Su Baera whose life he ended.

    ¡°Menjikiri seeing the havoc and destruction Sothorgo was wrecking upon the world knew he had to stop him even if it meant putting an end to the life of his dearest and closest friend¡±, said the entity

    Ibaeran upon hearing was the entity said knew how the tale ended, recalling a passage in the journal of the Su Baera where he mentioned how he couldn¡¯t save his closest friend from the evil of the world and how in the end had no choice but to¡­

    ¡°¡­I never wanted it to have come to that, I tried to warn him, I begged and pleaded with him not to go out seeking revenge but he wouldn¡¯t listen and allowed his rage and hatred turned him to him in to a monster, a monster that I had to, for the sake of the world, put down¡­¡±

    Ibaeran upon hearing the sad tale of Sothorgo remembered Ton¡¯Onama and how he spoke rage and bitterness in his heart along with sadness, sorrow, and an aching heart, about how he never knew his own mother because of him. At the time she could only hear the ramblings of an Uha Tamunaran that sought to use her and her power for vengeance, but now, upon hearing that story, but now she could finally understand the pain and hurt being those words. It must have not been easy for him, having to grow up with knowing his mother, his father losing himself in his quest for vengeance only to ultimately met his end in the hands of his of dearest friend, and all because of single monster.

    The entity, having ended her tale, snapped its fingers and turned the both the images it made with its roots golden pollen that blew and scattered away in the wind. Ibaeran then turned to face the entity, looking at its familiar eyes before asking the singling question she had about it in her mind, ¡°Why did you tell me all this?¡±

    ¡°To help you understand that the path you¡¯re currently walking on has been walked by many and it leads to the same miserable outcome. I can sense you fear of fail and the consequences that may arise if you do along with your desperation to save and protect your people, and the shackles and chains they¡¯ve formed around you¡±, said the entity.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what the entity bowed down her head, unable to the truth behind her words.

    The entity the came closer to her and placed its and on her shoulders before saying, ¡°You know what you must do Ibaeran, you know what you should do, what you have to do for yourself and your people but choose not out of your doubt and fear of what will happened if you fail, if you¡¯re not strong enough, but Ibaeran, if you don¡¯t shone those doubts and fears, you¡¯ll never be strong enough and will fall just like Menjikiri who was scared of the true face of evil and ultimately fell to it, or Sothorgo, who¡¯s desperation for revenge turned him in to a savage beast¡±.

    Ibaeran, listening to the words of the entity felt her heart being to pound, her breath heavy and her body trembling, with a mix of fear and shame swirling around within her, hearing the words and knowing every single one of them reigned true but still couldn¡¯t bring herself to do what she had to.

    ¡°I know it¡¯s hard Ibaeran but you have to do it to free, not just for your people or even your world but for yourself as well from being slave of cruel and heartless monster¡±, said the entity.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what the entity said broken down in tears, hearing the voice of her dearest Preyina within its words the most during that moment, before yelling out, ¡°I CAN¡¯T!!!!¡±

    Ibaeran then fell down on her knees, feeling immense weak with tears stream down her eyes as flashes of her life began to flood her mind allowing her to live she had lived from the moment she was born up until that point, the life of pathetic weak little slave who obeyed every single word her masters gave and felt too powerless to do otherwise.

    The entity then let out a sigh of disappointment, ¡°Very, well if you¡¯ve failed to see just how strong you are and can be, then I¡¯ll simply have to show¡±.

    The entity then raised one of its hands and then flesh, skin, and bone rose up from the ground before coming together to form a living body, a body that made Ibaeran gasp out in shock upon seeing, as it was a body she knew all too well as it was the body she wore as well.

 Chapter 51

    Ibaeran looked at the person that stood before with a look of awe and wonder, taking aback by the familiar face that looked so unrecognizable. And looking back at her was the face of a girl she knew all too well, the of slave that had been bound by shackles and chains of fear her entire life, living a pathetic life servitude and constantly bowing her in obedience to her cruel and heartless masters, the face of someone who after struggling and fight with all she had, gaining strength and power beyond anything she could ever imagine or comprehend, still had to bend a knee to a cruel and heartless monster didn¡¯t even care for his own kin, the face of coward trying to be a hero. But at the very same time that wasn¡¯t what she saw.

    The person before that her stood, where silver armor that glimmer and shun with beautiful and radiant, along with a pair of steel wings on her back identical to her, standing tall without showing an ounce of fear or doubt in her eyes. She might have worn the same face as Ibaeran but she was not Ibaeran, no, the person that stood next to her was everything she was meant to be but isn¡¯t, warrior willing, ready, and able to do what was needed to be done with hesitation, doubt, or fear, a person that understood what she was and what she had to do, a person that was not a slave.

    As Ibaeran looked at the superior version of herself, she couldn¡¯t help but feeling an overwhelming wave of shame wash over her, seeing everything she should be was.

    ¡°This is everything you can be but choose not to¡±, the entity spoke.

    Then Ibaeran¡¯s copy then began to move, taking what seemed a single step forward before zooming in at impossible to comprehend speeds and appearing right in front of Ibaeran.

    ¡°Strong¡±, said the entity.

    The copy then struck Ibaeran in the stomach with so much force that caused the entire island to quake and shake, and Ibaeran just had even time to look in to the familiar eyes of her copy and the fierce look in her eyes, void of fear and doubt, and filled with only power and determination, before she was sent flying away by the impact of that one blow.

    ¡°Resilient¡± said the entity.

    Ibaeran flew straight out of the island and on to the ocean that surrounded in but before her body to make contact with the waters the copy appeared before and struck her once more, this time sending flying high up in to the sky.

    ¡°And powerful¡±, said the entity.

    Ibaeran felt her body racing high up in the sky, feeling as though she was about to reach sky¡¯s edge before her copy appeared once more, clamped both her hands together before slamming back down and crashing hard in to the island. There Ibaeran laid on her back in immense pain, feeling as though every single bone in her body had been completely broken apart and reduced dust, she couldn¡¯t even bring herself to move her smallest finger as the slightest movement from any part only served to worsen the pain. With flashes of the blows and strike had just received from someone where her own face, recalling the fearsome power behind each and every blow she received along with the look in her eyes, the look void of fear and doubt of any kind, an unhesitant look brimming with power and determination, a look she wished she could wear on her face instead of one of shame.

    Ibaeran, looking at the sky above with her back leaned against the ground, found a shadow looming above her, the shadow of the one who put her down to the ground and all while wearing her face. Ibaeran, at that moment, while she was enduring the aching pain of beaten and battered body, looked at the eyes of her copy, with a single thought on her mind, how could a mere clone of herself be this powerful. Looking deep within the copy¡¯s eyes seeing, feeling the raw power being emitted by her gaze a lone, and then wondering why, after everything she had been through, did she find herself there at the ground with the shadow of her own copy looming over her. It didn¡¯t feel right, no, it wasn¡¯t right.

    Ibaeran began to feel the blood underneath her skin begin to ignite, her gaze slowly shifting and morphing in to look of fury and, pure and utter rage. She had not fought all those battles and made it so far just to fall to the hands of a person who wore her face but did not have to fight, struggle, and lose so much just to make it that far. Ibaeran felt a heat began to envelope her body, her pain vanishing and replaced with raw strength and power. Ibaeran then looked at the copy above her with an intense look of her own, the look of rage warrior that understood just what it meant to have to fight, bleed, and sweat for very speck of power they possess, the look a person who refuses to brought down, the look of person who has lost too much and fought to hard to fall.

    Ibaeran¡¯s body then erupted with power before blasting of in to the sky with the steel wings of the Su Baera appearing and propelling her with immense speed even further to the ground, reaching the copy from high up in the sky in the blink of an eye and delivering a blow so mighty that it shake the sky itself, made the sea beneath to rage, and the island below to quake, The copy¡¯s body, taking the full brunt of that single powerful attack, was completely destroyed, turning in to golden pollen and blowing away in the wind.

    Ibaeran upon seeing what she had just did with only a single blow looked down at her fist still clenched tightly, feeling the raw and immense power flowing through her, recalling just how powerful that copy of her was and how very strike felt as though she was being rammed over and over again by a thousand fists, and yet, she was able to put her down with nothing more than a single fist.

    ¡°Do you understand now Ibaeran¡± she had the voice of the entity speaking to her in her head.

    ¡°Do you understand just what you are capable of doing as the Su Baera when you let go of all your doubts and fears¡±, the entity¡¯s voice rang once more in her ears.

    Ibaeran, still looking at her clenched, began to recall all the amazing and seeming impossible things she had been able to accomplish, feats which were beyond her scope of comprehension before she accomplished them. From spitting the earth in two to fight a living wave and a devil of the deep, Ibaeran could not deny the fact that she had come a long way from the frail little slave girl who could only watch from afar while her entire world along with her people fall in to ruin and now she had the power to save the world along with her people and all she had to do was let go of the fear and doubt she had in herself, that was all she had to. Not fight a great beast or monster, a simple task that almost anyone could accomplish even without the power of the Su Baera but yet¡­.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Ibaeran let out deep sigh before her fist began to unravel. She then slowly descended down from the sky, landing on the island next to the entity with the wings vanishing out of sight once she did.

    ¡°Please¡±, Ibaeran spoke with a soft voice and her head bowed down.

    ¡°Give me the Dumo Stone¡±, Ibaeran spoke with a voice so faint it almost felt like a whisper in the wind.

    The entity then let out a deep sigh before saying, ¡°You still don¡¯t understand or maybe you do but you¡¯re just too scared to accept it¡±.

    Ibaeran, upon hearing what the entity said felt a wave of shame and guilt consume her heart, she then spoke with a trembling voice and droplets of tears falling down from her eyes, ¡°Please, give me the Dum Stone¡±.

    The entity then let out a deep sigh before place a hand on the stone on her chest.

    ¡°What you call the Dumo Stone and perceive to be a bargaining tool to save yourself and your people is the very heart of life itself, everything about life spawns from it, it is the very essence of life itself and you expect me to just hand it over just because you to scared to do what needs to be done to save your people¡±, the entity with agitation and a bit of rage in her voice.

    ¡°I¡­¡±Ibaeran couldn¡¯t bring herself to utter a single word in her defense as she was unable to deny truth in her words.

    ¡°Tell me Su Baera, do you understand the purpose of life itself?¡± the entity asked, taking Ibaeran aback as she didn¡¯t expect it to ask her such a question.

    ¡°What?¡± Ibaeran spoke in shock and confusion.

    ¡°Life simply wishes to be, live is the true reason every creature that can draws breathe, feels and comprehends the world around it, does. It¡¯s why the fear of death is a universal thing across all works of life, no one truly wants to experience death and as result they are willing to do absolutely anything to stay alive¡±, said the entity.

    Ibaeran then looked up at the entity with a baffled and confused look on her face, wondering why exactly it was telling her that and what it was trying to convey with its words. As Ibaeran internal pondered to herself as to what the entity meant by her words, she felt the ground underneath her began to rumble.

    ¡°This truth is universal among all walks of life, from creatures of the skies, land, and seas, to the very embodiment of life itself which why dear Su Baera, I cannot give the core of my very essence¡±, said the entity with the very moment she completed her sentence massive vines and roots emerged out from ground.

    The roots and vines sprung out of the ground underneath Ibaeran¡¯s feet causing her to instinctively take to the sky in a massive leap, manifest the Su Baera in mid air and hovered over the island. Ibaeran then watched as the entity returned to the tree it formed from with the vines that formed its body unraveling and becoming one with the tree once more and the Dumo Stone placed at its center of it.

    Ibaeran, spotting the Dumo Stone, saw it as the perfect opportunity to swipe it, and so descended down, flying swarm of twisting twirling vines, moving swiftly and dodging them as they tried to grab hold of her. Ibaeran managed to make it to three but just as she was about to grab hold of the Dumo Stone vines sprouted out of the tree and dragged it in itself, sealing within itself.

    ¡°Leave this please Ibaeran, I do not wish to fight you and I know you do not wish to fight as well¡±, the entity¡¯s voice echoed from the tree.

    ¡°I do not have a choice in the matter¡±, said Ibaeran before she began to striking the tree as hard as she could with her fists charged with the power of the Su Baera, hoping she could pry the Dumo Stone out of the tree, shaking the entire island along with the surrounding seas upon impacting the tree.

    ¡°Oh but you do Ibaeran, you¡¯ve always had a choice, you¡¯ve just been too blinded by fear to make it¡±, the entity spoke through the tree.

    The vines that sprouted out from the island¡¯s floor then charged straight for Ibaeran, grabbing hold of her arm tightly as she readied it deliver another blow.

    ¡°You¡¯re scared aren¡¯t you Ibaeran¡±, said the entity spoke once more, softly.

    Another vine sprouted out from the ground and restrained her other arm.

    ¡°Scared of what may happen to your people if you fail¡±.

    A vine wrapped itself around Ibaeran.

    ¡°Scared of the Uha Tamunarans empire¡±.

    Another vine sprouted and restrained Ibaeran.

    ¡°Scared of Datubo¡±.

    Another restrained her once again.

    ¡°And finally you¡¯re scared of allowing yourself to hope¡±

    A final vine wrapped itself around Ibaeran.

    Ibaeran was trapped and constrained within the hold of vines and was unable to summon enough strength to tear through them.

    Then vines then pulled her closer to the tree. Then familiar face of Preyina formed from the vines of the tree.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be afraid anymore Ibaeran. Just look at how far you¡¯ve come, at what you¡¯ve accomplished, can¡¯t you feel it, the immense power flowing through you Ibaeran. You are capable of so much Ibaeran but yet you still let your fears and doubts command and control you, you continue to allow yourself to be enslave when you have the strength and power to break shackles that bind you¡±, said the entity.

    Ibaeran, upon what the entity said, gritted her teeth in frustration, knowing that every single what she said was true. She had the strength and power to do what need to be done, to fight for herself and her people, and yet she could not bring herself to believe that she was capable of fighting for herself much less her people and she feared that if she dared to fight and failed it would spell nothing but doom for both her and her people.

    Ibaeran then raised her head to look at the entity¡¯s, knowing the face she gazed at was not her but she couldn¡¯t help but her through it and was then taken back to that moment, lying on her bed die in front of her while she stared, helpless watching the person she loved the most die in front her. She then heard her last words leave her lips before she died, ¡°Promise me you¡¯ll try¡±.

    A small tear then made it¡¯s was way down from Ibaeran¡¯s cheeks as those words continued echoing in her mind.

    Ibaeran then looked at the entity with tears streaming down her eyes before saying, ¡°I made a promise to the one I loved the most in the world. The same person whose face your currently wearing¡±.

    The power of the Su Baera began flow out of Ibaeran¡¯s body as spoke.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re not her but I have to say this. I¡¯m trying Preyina but it¡¯s not easy. I miss you, I wish you were here, maybe if you were I might have had the strength to truly be the Su Baera instead of being a¡­¡± even more tears flowed out of her eyes as spoke with the power within her rising to the point the vines that held her in place along with the ground underneath and the entire ocean began to quake.

    ¡°¡­a slave¡±, Ibaeran spoke softly with a final tear leaving her eye before release all the pent up power within her in a massive explosion that engulfed the entire island.

    And once the explosion had died down Ibaeran found herself hovering in mid air surrounded by a cloud of ash and smoke that was all that remained of the island.

    ¡°So you¡¯ve made your choice¡±, a familiar voice echoed from smoke and ash that surrounded her.

    Ibaeran then spotted something in the distant glowing with a faint green hue.

    ¡°You¡¯re not Su Baera, you¡¯re nothing more than a pathetic little slave bound and control by fear¡± the voice echoed once more.

    The cloud of ash and smoke then slowly began to swarm and gather faint green hue Ibaeran spotted from the distant before coming together form something that was truly monster and horrifying.

 Chapter 52

    A bleak and painful present tainted by a tragic and dreadful past and up ahead, a dark future which seemed just as bleak, if not more so, as the present, that was the reality Ibaeran came from and had know for as long as she could remember.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back and once I become the Su Baera I promise you our lives will be better¡±, a man said to his little girl before leaving her alone.

    She waited and hoped, and then hoped so more, that one her father would come, soaring through the skies with a pair of steel wings on his back, to save and whisk her away high up in to the sky to a better life along with her people just like he promised. She waited and waited, and as time pasted days turned into weeks, weeks to months, and eventually a year had pasted and soon it was time for another tournament to be held. The little girl then had to face the bitter and grim truth that had father, along with her dream and hope, was gone and would never come back.

    The little, all alone, without there by her side, had to find away to survive so how but with each passing day, the simple task of surviving grew harder and harder. She was a slave, just like the rest of her people, and without her father there, she had to work to provide for herself. On the open fields toiled away, working day and night, in the freezing cold and blazing sun, all just to survive. And as time passed little girl spirit began to fade away, growing numb and lifeless from within, as she began pondering to herself if her fate shared by the rest of her people was really so bleak and hopeless. Recalling her father along with the hope that died with him she couldn¡¯t help but ponder even more, if she along with her people where just born to suffer and serve the Uha Tamunarans for the rest of their lives, was there truly no one out there who could save them, and was it foolish for her to believe there was. The girl, after working so long and hard, felt her body ache and cry out in pain, but still continued, pushing herself more and more, not caring about the immense pain her body was in because it didn¡¯t really matter to her any more, nothing really did, because she just a slave, meant to simply serve and obey, that was her purpose, that was what she was meant to be and who she was.

    A lonely slave meant to only meant to only serve and obey until the day she died, that was the depressing and dreadful fate she had believed for as far as she could remember. And for the longest of time it felt as though with each and every breath she took her body grew more numb and cold as though she was slowly dying from within and slowly even the urge to wake up and continue accursed cycle of work, torment, and misery, began to fade away, and soon she began to that one day she could simply stay asleep and not wake up. The little girl, had given up on any hope for a better life and with it, the will to live, and so one day, while working on the fields, simply collapsed on the ground.

    She not dead but then again, in that state she was in, she couldn¡¯t say she was live either. The girl simply gazed at the sky above her head, her was sore, covered in blisters and ached in pain but she didn¡¯t really, having gotten so accustomed to the pain that the sensation became next to nonexistent to her and like a breath of fresh air she felt absolutely nothing from it. She was tired and exhausted, and looking at the sky above her head, yarned for nothing more than the opportunity to lie on one of the clouds up above and sleep forever and never have to wake up to the cruel world she lived but just as she was about to close her eyes, she heard a voice call out to her.

    It was a girl about her age and a slave her. She rushed to the girl who her had collapsed on the floor and then asked if she was alright. The girl was taken aback by her concern as the other slaves didn¡¯t typically show that much concern for other as their main concern was often working to serve and please their masters just so they could survive. The girl though shocked by the other slaves concern for her choose to ignore her remain there lying on the floor and even when the girl mention that their masters would not be pleased to that she was not working as at the point she didn¡¯t really care about anything and neither the threat of her masters or what they would do to her mattered to her at that moment, she simply want to rest and sleep forever.

    She expected the other slave to leave after awhile but for some reason the girl couldn¡¯t bring herself to understand, she didn¡¯t, no, the other slave chose to stay by her side and even decided to lie on the ground next to her knowing fully well what the Uha Tamunarans would do to them both if they found them lying on the floor instead of doing their work. The girl at first, chose to ignore the other girl and continued lying down, thinking that she would get up eventually but she didn¡¯t and continued lying down there on the ground next to her until the Uha Tamunarans found them.

    The Uha Tamunaran were enraged upon seeing that their two slaves were just lying about on the floor instead of doing their work so they beat them as though they were nothing more stubborn cattle, even caring that not caring that were young, covering their bodies with bleeding wounds. And then, after enduring such a beating, the girl was beyond shock to see the slave girl that laid on the floor by her side joking and laughing as though nothing had happened. The sight was beyond baffling to behold and the girl it hard to believe that the girl could still laugh after taking such a beating, and at a point she even pondered to herself on whether or not the girl was insane.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± asked the girl, fed up with the fact that slave girl could crack jokes and laugh after being beaten up by the Uha Tamunarans.

    The slave girl upon hearing what the girl said simply smiled playfully before saying jokingly, ¡°Nothing, what¡¯s wrong with you¡±.

    The girl was taken aback by her reply causing the other girl giggle.

    ¡°Stop that¡± that girl yelled out with red cheeks slightly embarrassed.

    ¡°Stop what?¡± the other girl asked jokingly.

    ¡°Forget about it, I have to get back to work before the Uha Tamunarans come back¡± said the girl out of frustration before leaving the other girl, internally deeming her insane before walking away to get back to work.

    The other girl then followed her, much to her annoyance, working on the fields along sided on the field. The girl at first chose to ignore her and focus on her work but then she started talking and then cracked about one of their Uha Tamunaran master, a fat Uha Tamunaran man whose body looked like the unholy union between a man and a pig.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°¡­hey you *grunt* get *grunt* *grunt* back to *grunt* work *grunt*¡± was hilarious impression of their pig faced Uha Tamunaran master that always pestered them, yelled at them, and occasionally beat them if he found them not working.

    The girl, upon hearing what the other girl said couldn¡¯t stop herself giggling slight and an action that the other girl didn¡¯t fail to notice, causing her to stare at her.

    ¡°Er¡­why are you looking at me like that¡±, the girl said, noticing the way the other girl was staring at her.

    The other girl then came closer to the girl, taken aback for a moment with her gaze still look on to hers before saying, ¡°Beautiful¡±.

    ¡°What?¡± said the girl with a slight blush forming on her face upon hearing what the other girl said.

    ¡°You¡¯re beautiful when you smile like that so do my eyes a favor and never stop smiling¡±, the other girl said with a playful smile on her face.

    The girl then felt her cheeks began to heat up and turn even redder than before upon hearing what the other girl.

    ¡°Would you stop spew rubbish out of your mouth and start working, if the masters find us¡­¡± the girl¡¯s sentence was cut short by the other girl saying, ¡°they¡¯ll do what, beat us again¡±.

    The girl looked at the other girl with a look of confusion and bewilderment, wondering if she crazy or was she truly not afraid of incurring the wrath of the Uha Tamunarans.

    ¡°You¡¯re a little worry wot you know that. Haven¡¯t heard the saying, if the world is on fire and you can¡¯t but out the flames, you might as well learn to dance in flames¡±, said the other girl with the same playful smile plastered on her face.

    The saying had to be the most bizarre saying the girl had ever heard but upon saying other girl¡¯s smile warmly without seemly a care in the world, the girl couldn¡¯t help but smile ever so slightly her and upon doing so, her she heard the words leave the other girl¡¯s lips once more, ¡°beautiful¡± causing her cheeks to turn red once more before grunting out in embarrassment, ¡°Let¡¯s just get back to work¡±.

    And that was how something truly beautiful was born, a bond deep that the two of them would share¡­

    Lying on the plain open fields, drenched from head to toe in sweat, with aching bodies, the two girl haven grown slightly as a few years had passed looked at each other before bursting out in to laughter.

    ¡°I feel like every single part of my body is crying right now¡±, said the girl.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m swore in place I didn¡¯t even know could feel swore¡±, said the other girl as she let out a small chuckle.

    The two of them then shifted their gazes up in to the sky, seeing it a mix of orange, red, and blue as the evening slowly descended on them.

    ¡°This brings back memories¡± said the other girls.

    ¡°What kind of memories?¡± asked the girl.

    The other girl then smiled a little before saying, ¡°You know, how awhile back I saw a certain girl collapse on the floor, when up to check if she was alright. Thankful she wasn¡¯t dead but she didn¡¯t want to get up either, so I figured that the ground was so comfy that the girl simply refused to get up and my back was starting to hurt after hours of nonstop labor, so I decided to join her on the floor¡±.

    The girl upon hearing the other¡¯s girl recount of the day they met couldn¡¯t help to laugh a little.

    ¡°By the way, there¡¯s been something that¡¯s been bothering me since that day, something I¡¯ve been meaning to ask you. Why did you lie on the floor next to me¡±, asked the girl while turn to the other girl.

    The other girl, upon hearing what the girl said, laughed a little before saying, ¡°It¡¯s a bit silly¡±.

    ¡°Really, how so?¡± asked the girl.

    The other girl then let out a say before saying, ¡°In a way, it was more of an act of desperation and selfishness, than it was an act of kindness. When I saw you lying on the ground looking at the eye with dead lifeless eyes, I saw an opportunity¡±.

    ¡°An opportunity?¡± the girl asked, wondering what she meant when she said she saw an opportunity.

    ¡°You were alone, hurt, and had just lost someone you cared about, just like me. My father fought in the tournament to calm the power of the Su Baera and well¡­*sigh* and as for my mother, she died in the hands of an Uha Tamunaran who claimed she had disrespected him in some way¡± tears dripped down from the girl¡¯s face as she told her tale.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been alone for as long as I could remember with the only thing I have of my family just a few wise old sayings my father used to tell me when I was younger. And when I saw you alone with those lifeless and hurt eyes, I saw a chance to escape from my own lose and pain, and I took it¡±, said the other girl with a mix of sadness and a little bit of shame in her voice as she spoke.

    The other girl then giggled a little as a small tear made its way down from her eyes before saying, ¡°I¡¯m pretty twisted aren¡¯t I, using you to escape my pain¡±.

    The girl lying down next to her then let out a deep sigh before saying, ¡°Forget twisted, you¡¯re completely insane. You risked taking from our masters and lied on the floor next to make, knowing consequence all so you wouldn¡¯t be alone. If that isn¡¯t the definition of insanity I don¡¯t know what is¡±.

    The other girl then giggled a little before saying, ¡°Yeah, I guess I¡¯m pretty insane¡±.

    ¡°Yeah you psycho¡± the girl spoke jokingly before bursting out in laugher causing the other girl to laugh as well.

    After a few moments laughter had pasted the girl turned to the other girl and said, ¡°Thank you for making that insane and selfish decision because if you hadn¡¯t, I would have never had you in my life¡±.

    The other girl upon hearing what girl said just smiled at her before placing a hand on the side of her cheek and said, ¡°Beautiful¡±.

    ¡­until one of them eventually took their last breath and depart from the realm of the living and on to the place of death, leaving behind only a promise for her other half to keep, ¡°Promise Ibaeran that you¡¯ll at least try¡±.

    And that promise was what the girl had been trying her best to keep, it fueled, drove, and pushed her to journey through a path no one had walked for decades, to accept a burden, responsible, and a cross for too heavy for anyone else to carry, to fight a battle that seemed impossible. That promise had been was the spark that lighted an ember in her heart that pushed her to do incredible, unbelievable, and outright impossible things.

    And even then, at that moment, as she hovered in the air face to face with another simply impossible huddle before her, a colossal monster that stood tall above the entirety of the Kiri Dumo, towering far beyond the sky and reaching the world¡¯s edge, made of roots and living flesh, formed out of the ashes of the island that once stood below her feet and with the Dumo Stone at the center holding it all together. Ibaeran looked upon the colossus before, her gaze fixed firmly on it, her heart pounding with fear and dread but yet she refused to allow herself to submit to it. Hearing the voice of her departed friend echoing from with her, reminding her of the promise she had made to her during her final moments, Ibaeran found the strength she needed to ignore her fears.

    Crushing and clenching her hand tightly, feeling the power of the Su Baera flowing through her tight fist before feeling the power began to take form and slowly morph in to a blade made of light. She then raised her blade up before pointing it at the massive beast before her. Staring at it with a look of fury, rage, and madness before charging straight for it, and as she approach the colossal beast a single thought formed in her mind, ¡¯Looks like you¡¯re not the only one that¡¯s insane¡±.

 Chapter 53

    Ibaeran found herself face to face with a colossal beast that stood above the entirety of Kiri Dumo, the embodiment of every single form of life across all the infinitely countless and the living manifestation of life itself, and yet, instead being frozen by the overwhelming fear that consumed her body upon hearing to face such a formidable opponent, Ibaeran charged straight for the beast with a blade made of light. The monster that stood above the Kiri Dumo, seeing Ibaeran charge straight for it, let out a roar, primal in nature that echoed all throughout, and was great enough to shake the world right down its foundation. It then rose up one of its hands so massive that it split the sky in to two as it raised it up. Then, sprouting out of its hand, fleshes, bones, and hides that came together to form hordes upon hordes of savage monsters and beasts of varying shapes and kinds, all with a single hunger and desire, to claim the life of the Su Baera.

    The beast that sprouted out of the hand of the world towering monster made of roots and flesh, then began, by the hundreds and thousands, rain down from its hands, descend straight for Ibaeran. Ibaeran, spotting the beasts and pouring down from hand of the monster, was unfazed and continued flying straight for the world towering monster, slicing through each and every beast the blocked her path. But as the beast kept pouring on like a never ending well Ibaeran found herself slowly beginning to be overwhelming by the sheer numbers of beast that kept coming for her again and again, and eventually the beasts were able to grab hold of her and pull her down to the waters below.

    Down in the deep of the Kiri Dumoian oceans, Ibaeran struggled to free herself from the grip of what seems to be a thousand monsters, feeling the tentacles, claws and appendages of all kinds grabbing hold of her and sinking down deeper in to the depths below. As she continued while still struggling to free herself Ibaeran looked up, seeing the surface slowly drifting further and further away from her and kept sinking down, her body bearing the combined weight of a thousand beasts and water rushing in to her lungs as she continued to struggle to free herself, and yet, even at that very moment, she could still hear her voice, the very same voice that led her down that path, beckoning on her, telling her the very same thing that pushed her that far, ¡°Try¡±.

    Ibaeran¡¯s body then began to glow with a radiant light her power began to rise, hearing that word repeating in her mind over and over again along with her voice, reminded that come what may, whatever obstacle that laid before her, all she had to do was try. The entire ocean shook, wave clashed against wave before finally, the ocean erupted, and what emerged out of the waters was none other than Ibaeran, her body brimming with power and glowing with a radiant light enveloping her entire body.

    Ibaeran mind looked up at the towering monster that stood before her, a being so massive that it stood above the sky and reached the very edge of the world. Hovering about the waters, Ibaeran couldn¡¯t help but compare herself to a grain of sand before the colossus before her, small, tiny, and insignificant and yet¡­ ¡°Try¡±¡­her words still echoed in her head, reminding her that it didn¡¯t really matter how massive the monster was, she was on a mission, had a duty, and a promise to keep, and that was exactly what she was going to do even if meant face up against the colossus that stood before her.

    Ibaeran then took in a deep breath, feeling the power of the Su Baera flowing through her entire body, unsure if that power would enough when facing such a being but she couldn¡¯t submit to her doubts and fears, not anymore, not after everything she had fought for, everything she had been through, and everything she had lost. She was going to fight with every ounce of strength and power she could muster, and if she fell in battle, then at the very least she would fall knowing she kept her promise to the person she loved the most. Ibaeran then let out the breath she took in and upon doing so, with the of light still held firmly on her hand, flew off to battle, moving so fast that to the naked eye she appeared as nothing more than a ray of light racing across the sky.

    The monster, seeing Ibaeran making her way towards it, simple let out a breath and from it formed an army by the hundreds of thousands of vicious and savaged winged creatures of varying kinds. The creatures then descended down upon Ibaeran with claws and talons, monstrous fangs and razor sharp teeth, with wings strong and as shape as a stainless steel blade. Ibaeran, seeing the winged monsters approach her, took in a deep breath before readying her blade, recalling all the monsters she had to face up until that point, her Uha Tamunaran master, King Datubo, the Queen of Chaos, and even the beasts of Dumo Kiri, recalling how each and every single time she faced them she was either powerless or held too tightly by her fears to fight, those were moments where she didn¡¯t have the power or didn¡¯t understand and was too gripped by fear and doubt to know to what extent the power she possessed truly laid, and so she each and every time she faced them, she either submitted to them or froze up becoming either their prey that could only run and flee or tool for them to use as they pleased. Ibaeran had always know fear each and time her gaze met theirs and even when she stood before them, feeling helpless and powerless before them even after gain the power of the Su Baera. It was a suffocating and agonizing feeling which she detested and yet she could not help but feel it each and every time stood before them. But then, at the very moment, as she looked up at the winged beast¡¯s descend down to her, claws, talons, and fangs with razor sharp teeth, Ibaeran let go of all her fears and doubt and allowed herself to believe that she was no longer powerless and had the power to fight. And, with the blade on her hand, shining as bright as star, she unleashed a powerful clash with the power of Su Baera flowing out of the blade engulfing and completely obliterating the winged beasts in a flash of light so intense that could be seen from the world¡¯s edge.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    The light from Ibaeran¡¯s blade was intense that blinded the colossal monster, making it see nothing but a blank haze. But then, just as its vision was returning, it was able to make a faint figure make its way to it, and as the figure came closer, the figure changed in to the silhouette of what resembled some kind of angel with wielding a blade on her hand. Then, before the monster could even react, it felt Ibaeran pierce through its chest all the way through the other side and took what cherish above all else.

    Ibaeran then let out a deep breath before unclenching and unraveled her fist to reveal the Dumo Stone which held on the palm of hands. The battle was won, it wasn¡¯t easy but yet despite it all she come out victorious and had claimed the Dumo Stone. In her hands was the key to freeing her people from years upon years oppression and slavery. She had finally accomplished her mission and yet she couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of sadness from within, tainting whatever sense of triumph claiming the Dumo Stone brought her as she felt as though that victory was hers and it belonged to another and she was simple a tool used to achieve that victory.

    Ibaeran turned around and the colossal beast that stood behind her with a hole on it center which she created, and then watched as its body began to slowly fall apart and decompose before her eyes, and slowly form an island down below at the exact same spot the previous one stood. Looking down below to the small patch of dead and rotten flesh and roots, Ibaeran couldn¡¯t help but let out a deep sigh as she thought about what she just did. She had just taken a life, granted it first time she had soiled her hands in the blood of another living creature but during each of the previous times she did so because she didn¡¯t really have a choice in the matter as they were beast and monsters that that had tried to make a meal out of her and all she did was defend herself but this time she had take the life of a being that never tried to hurt her in anyway. Recalling the words of the entity before it transformed in that colossal monster, ¡°Life simply wishes to be, to live is the true reason every creature that can draws breathe, feels and comprehends the world around it, does. It¡¯s why the fear of death is a universal thing across all works of life, no one truly wants to experience death and as result they are willing to do absolutely anything to stay alive¡±.

    The entity was simply trying to fulfill its purpose just like single living creature including her wished to, live and it was doing so peaceful before¡­.Looking down at remains of the monster, Ibaeran couldn¡¯t help but wonder if that was the work of the Su Baera or simply a slave doing her master¡¯s bidding.

    Ibaeran then looked at her body; it filthy and cover had to toe with the green blood of entity she had just slain. She then looked at the Dumo Stone in hands, feeling the overwhelming power of life itself flowing through it before letting out a sigh before thinking to herself, was it for her people, for the promise she made to Preyina, or was it just out of fear that she was willing to take a life, recalling how the entity gave a chance to leave and walk away but she refused.

    She had no choice. It was for her people. She made a promise. Were those truths or simply excuses Ibaeran told herself during that moment to help lessen the shame and guilt she felt for herself during that moment. Ibaeran then let out another sigh before telling herself, what¡¯s done is done, and consoled herself with the thought that she and her people would soon freed from the oppressive reign of Datubo and the Uha Tamunarans, that was what she told herself at least to alleviate most of her guilt.

    Ibaeran then turned the blade on hand in to small box and then placed the Dumo Stone inside it. She then looked down at the dead island below before letting out a final sigh and vanishing in a flash of light, returning to her world to give the Dumo Stone to the king and free her people.

 Chapter 54

    With a flash of blinding light Ibaeran found herself in a familiar and yet unexpected place. Spotting familiar cracks on the walls along with a roof littered with open holes, and upon placing her hands on it she felt the delicate foundation upon which the home she spent a large portion of her life living as slave stood on.

    Ibaeran then let out a sigh upon spotting something before walking over to the spot eyes were fixed on. And once there it felt as though time itself began to unwind and Ibaeran found herself back, standing in that exact same spot, in the most painful moment. She watched it all as it replayed before her, seeing Preyina at the break of death with her by her side before uttering her final words, a promise which she trying desperately to fulfill, and releasing her last breath.

    A small tear then made its way down Ibaeran¡¯s cheeks and all the way down to the ground as she stood on that spot next to that raggedy old bed made of different patches of cloth reliving the most painful part of her life. Ibaeran then took a deep breath before looking at the box on her hand, glowing with a faint green hue. And, upon seeing the box, Ibaeran couldn¡¯t help but feel an overwhelming amount of guilt and shame weigh on her heart, as she stood on the place where the person she loved the most in their entire world had taken her last breath holding something literally pried out of the chest of an innocent living creature akin to ripping its heart out of its chest and living it to die.

    Ibaeran, unable to bear weight of the guilt and shame weighing against her heart, decided to shift her gaze away from the sights of death before her to something else. She then spotted a nearby familiar window.

    Ibaeran then made her way to the window and upon seeing the sight the laid on the other side of it, she couldn¡¯t help but let out a deep sigh as she spotted the same old tired, sad, and hopeless faces wondering the streets, like living corpses the wondered about seemingly aimless without a hint of life or hope in their eyes. Ibaeran then sighed once more, knowing that there was once a time she shared a similar fate as those down below who are forced to, every single day of their life, to work, doing back breaking, bone cracking, and degrading labor, just to be give morsels just enough to keep them alive till the following day before having to come to repeat the vicious cycle. And they try to disobey, disrespect or irritate their masters in the slightest way possible they risked facing being stripped of whatever little they had of value be it a home or a life.

    Ibaeran seeing the streets she once roamed along with her people couldn¡¯t but feel a mix of rage, anger, and disgust, well up from within her, and along with those feelings the power of the Su Baera began to rise from within her. Ibaeran feeling the power of the Su Baera flowing through her wanted nothing more than go out and liberate her people, using the power of Su Baera to fight and free her people from the oppressive reign of the Uha Tamunarans, and for a brief moment she believed that she aided by the power of Su Baera could be enough to finally free her people. Then image of the king flashed in her mind and upon doing so, whatever prospects of freeing and liberating her people vanished and was replaced with a feeling of fear and dread. With flashes of the horrible nightmarish visions she had of seeing the four nations burnt down to ashes along with the people and all by the monster wearing the crown, Ibaeran¡¯s feelings of anger and rage vanished and she choose to calm down, knowing that if she were to fight against the Uha Tamunarans it would most likely lead to destruction of the four nations and her people. But at the very same time, Ibaeran couldn¡¯t help but feel ashamed of as decision as she wondered if it was made purely out of concern of her people or solely out of fear.

    Ibaeran then looked at then small box on her hand, before letting out a deep sigh, recalling what she had to do to get the Dumo Stone and even though it wasn¡¯t something wanted or even enjoyed doing, it was the only way she saw to save her people from the Uha Tamunarans without drawing blood or the needless destruction of the four nations at least that¡¯s what she told herself.

    Ibaeran then shifted her gaze back to the window, seeing as the people roamed the streets, some of them making their way to do work akin to that of torture others just roamed the streets begging for whatever scraps the others slaves to spare them, having lost everything to the Uha Tamunarans and deemed as worthless in their eyes. Ibaeran then let out a deep sigh turning away from the window, spotting a piece of cloth lying about in the house and using it to cover herself before stepping out of the house.

    Ibaeran found herself roaming familiar streets of Ijawana taking in the heavy air of hopelessness and despair that can be felt in each and every breath taking. Ibaeran walked like the rest of the slaves, having long be accustomed to it, with her back bent down low and her face always on the ground seeing the familiar tracks down below. She didn¡¯t really feel as though anything her changed all that much and it felt like all the fights and battles she had fought to gain the power she now possessed had never happened, and suddenly she was back to being just Ibaeran, another slave bound to die serving her Uha Tamunaran masters.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    With each and every step she took, Ibaeran questioned herself as to why she was back there, walking on that same track alongside the other slaves, wondering why the wings brought her there and why didn¡¯t choose to leave but instead chose to walk on that same path along with the other slaves. Ibaeran¡¯s thoughts were abruptly cut short upon hearing the screams and yells of boy being struck down by an Uha Tamunaran. Ibaeran then shifted her gaze to a cave mine not too far away from where she was and spotted a young boy about eleven or twelve years old on the floor in front of the mine¡¯s entrance cover dust and dirt due to him having to work in the mine and before him was Uha Tamunaran with blue skin that shone brightly and almost seemed as though it was glowing underneath the sun and spiky spine like hairs at that top of his head.

    ¡°You little piece of trash¡±, the Uha Tamunaran yelled out while looking down at the boy as bolts of lightning began to flow through his hands.

    The boy then looked at the Uha Tamunaran with a look of pure dread and horror in eyes before speaking with a trembling voice, ¡°please sir, have mercy, it was only a¡­¡± could not even complete his sentence before he felt jolting pain of hundred of lightning bolts racing through his entire body.

    The poor boy screamed and yelled out in pain as lightning continued flowing in to him body like an endless streaming inflicting more and more pain in to his body until he finally collapsed on the floor with his eyes shut. The Uha Tamunaran then went to the collapsed boy, seeing as his body jittering due to the leftover shock of lightning that flowed within him. The Uha Tamunaran then began to search the boy¡¯s body and eventually found a small blue crystal hidden within a pocket in his clothes.

    ¡°Pathetic little thing¡±, the Uha Tamunaran spoke with disgust evident in his voice as he spoke before lifting the boy¡¯s body with a single arm and tossing it away as though it was nothing be discarded garbage.

    The boy¡¯s body laid their on the spot the Uha Tamunaran tossed it to motional except for the brief jitters due the shock that still remained on his body. Ibaeran then made her way to the boy¡¯s body. Having witnessed everything that had happened as nothing more than a spectator like the rest of the slaves around her and making no attempts to even try to save the poor boy, Ibaeran now stood before to his body staring at his pale dead eyes.

    Ibaeran looking at the deceased boy before her couldn¡¯t help but feel a mix of emotions ranging from anger, rage, and sadness but above all else, the emotion Ibaeran felt the most was shame, guilt, and regret. Looking her hands, which were now trembling and shaking, Ibaeran thought to herself, where did all her power vanish to. Recalling how faced all those monsters and beast in Kiri Dumo, defeating them all with a single blow, and yet, despite being the very person with such incredible feats, Ibaeran still found herself trembling when faced with a single Uha Tamunaran.

    Ibaeran recalled that as a slave grim sights like this were a norm as Uha Tamunarans often made it a habit of ending the living of most slaves in an instant if they didn¡¯t like the way they looked, to them, their lives were meaningless and worthless, and they would never think twice of ending them right at the spot for nothing more than breathing the same air as them. And all the slave could do was watch it all happen, helpless and powerless to do anything but simply be a spectator. But Ibaeran wasn¡¯t like the other slaves, not anymore, she actually did have the power to fight, she could feel it in her finger tips, the power to shake the entire earth and spilt the sky in two, all that power resided in her and she could feel, but yet, she did nothing just the other slaves, and simply watched as another one of their own lost their lives in the hands of the Uha Tamunarans.

    Ibaeran then bowed down her head, closed her eyes for a moment before finally opening them back up until to see that the body of the boy was gone and was now replaced with a familiar one, the body of someone she loved and cherished with all her heart but still couldn¡¯t save from the clutches of the Uha Tamunarans and, just like the other and that boy, had to watch as nothing more than a spectator she closed her eyes shut. Ibaeran then felt a tear make its way down her eyes, and as it did, Ibaeran wiped it away before turning away from the body and walking away, returning back to the familiar track she was following.

    Ibaeran felt as though her body was moving on its, almost as though her entire body had been automated to follow a specific path so much so that she felt as though she could still walk the path with her eyes sealed shut without stumbling once. She continued walking through the familiar roar along with the other slaves before finally stopping when she reached her destination.

    A large field that stretch out for miles on end as far as the naked eye could see, filled to the brim with crops of all kind waiting to be harvested and tended to by the slaves. Ibaeran, upon seeing the field just there stood their motionless, as memories agonizingly painful labor flooding into her mind. Recalling how she worked during each and every day in those bloody fields and soiling the earth underneath her feet with both sweat and blood from bleeding wounds inflicted upon hear by her masters.

    ¡°Hey *grunt* you there¡± a voice Ibaeran instantly recognized called out to her.

    She then felt a large hand grad her by the shoulder.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t *grunt* you *grunt* be in *grunt* the fields *grunt* working¡± said the voice once more.

 Chapter 55

    Underneath the scarlet sky as the sun slowly made its way down, two girls stood, their backs bear and open as hard pieces of rock and stone collided with them. The girls winced and hissed out of pain, with each strike leave a mark on their already rough and scarred backs with blood even dripping out of them. They had been enduring in agonizing pain for hours, forced to stay in the exact same spot while rocks were sent hurdling their way and striking them in the back over and over again.

    ¡°*Grunt* Alright, this is *grunt* starting to get boring down¡± said the person that was throwing rocks at the girl, a massive bore like man, covered from head to toe with brown fur with tusks on the sides of his face and a very large snort.

    ¡°You ladies *grunt* are free to go¡±, said the bore man before throwing a one finally piece of rock that landed on one of the girl¡¯s head causing her to fall down to the ground.

    ¡°Preyina¡±, said the other girl as she rushed to her friend¡¯s aid.

    The bore man then laughed at the two girls.

    ¡°You human really are pathetic little things. You¡¯re weak and are brought down by something small as a pebble¡±, said the bore man before grabbing a massive piece of rock and then proceeding to crush it with his bare hands while looking down at them with disgusting and sly grin on his face.

    The girl, upon seeing the look on the bore man¡¯s face, seeing him smile out of amusement and pleasure along with that disgusting look of superiority as though he were giant above them and they were nothing more than ants to be crushed underneath his huffed feet. It infuriated her beyond what any words could convey and she wanted nothing more than to strike him down right where he stood but *sigh*, she lack the power, and his words, though bitter and painful, were true, she was weak.

    The girl, looking at the beast in front of her, could only bow her head while clenching her fist tightly in frustration.

    ¡°Ibaeran¡±, a voice called out to her softly.

    The girl then looked down at wounded friend in her arms who only looked at but with her gaze alone was able to convey for her to understand.

    The girl then let out a deep sigh before helping her friend up, supporting her by her shoulder and then saying with her head bowed down to her masters, ¡°Thank you master, please permit me and my friend to take out leave¡±.

    The bore man burst in to laughter upon hearing Ibaeran¡¯s reply, ¡°This is why I like you human, you¡¯re smart enough to know your though you do have the annoying habit of forgetting from time to time. Fine, you may leave¡±.

    The girl simply bowed her head before leaving, carrying her friend on her shoulders, choosing to hold ever speck of boiling rage she harbored in her heart and simply working away as there was no point holding on to all that anger and rage as she couldn¡¯t not do anything about the sorry state she and the rest of her people were in and if she were too act on her anger, she would must liking suffer the same fate as very single sorry soul that dared to enrage their Uha Tamunarans masters, as dead fertilizer for the field they had to tend to, and she actually had a reason to keep enduring the torturous hell that was a life of servitude under the Uha Tamunarans which she was carrying right on her shoulders.

    So, she left and went straight home, to the worn out and broken down house with walls and a roof litter with holes, and once there, she tended to the wounds of the closest and most cherished thing in her life before sleeping by her side, only to wake up to be greeted by another dreadful day as slave.

    Back then she had to her to help her smile and laugh, push away all dread, sadness, anger, and frustration, to make to feel warmth and love in cold and depressing word. Back then it didn¡¯t really matter would whatever pain of agony she had to endure, if it all meant she could spend a moment, not matter how short and fleeting it may be, with her. But now *sigh*, she was gone and they was no one left to help numb the pain and give her strength to endure it, now she was all alone with her pain and misery.

    ¡°Hey *grunt*, I¡¯m *grunt*, talking to you¡±, the voice of the bore man echoed in ear, but still Ibaeran refused to turn around and meet his gaze.

    ¡°I said¡± he spoke while tighten his grip on her shoulder.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± Ibaeran didn¡¯t not even give him another minute to finish his sentence before clenching her hands tightly in to a fist and, charged with the might and power of the Su Baera along with all the anger, rage, and frustration she had kept all bottle up inside her, delivered a blow so powerful to the bore man that it shook the ground they stood upon and sent him flying with a loud boom.

    The slaves, who were busy toiling away on the open fields, became alarmed upon hearing a loud cry echoing through the fields before the image of a massive figure could be seen flying before crashing down on the fields they were working on. They all then look at the figure that had just crashed before them with a look of shock and confusion upon seeing that the figure was the very Uha Tamunaran that put them to work on the fields. There he laid beaten down on the and in so much the even the act of moving a finger was agonizing.

    The watched, there fixed at the scene before them, with the look of immense shock and confusion plastered on their faces before slowly turning around to see what was mighty enough to bring down the Uha Tamunaran master they all feared with nothing more than a single blow. Then their eyes met a figure, a figure they had only heard of tales and stories of distant past, the tale of a hero and champion of peace. The people then looked at the figure with a look of awe and disbelieve. It had been so long that tale became nothing more than a fable, an impossible possible dream of hope they had no choice to cling to in to cope with the dread and misery of their lives as slaves, and yet upon seeing it before them, with their own naked, they were finding it hard to distinguish their current reality from the impossible dream they clung on to.

    Ibaeran saw as the people cast their gaze upon her, looking at her with glint and sparkle she had never seen in their eyes of any slave before. It felt strange to her, and their gaze she could sense somewhat strange feeling emanating from them, a feeling none of them had been able to feel since the Uha Tamunaran took over. Sudden the heavy suffocating air felt warm and the dead faces the people wore came to life, as for the first time in a very long time, the people had found a reason, in a fable tale or a myth, but standing right in front of them, to want to live and hope.

    Ibaeran looked at them strangely, wondering why they were all staring at her before feeling the warm air blow around her and feeling the gentle breeze push against something attached to her. She then looked behind and saw, erect and extending out from her back, shining majestically as it bathed in the sun¡¯s rays, the steel wings of the Su Baera.

    She then looked back at the people, now understanding why they were looking at that way with awe and reverence in their eyes as though they were looking at something divine. It was they were looking at what perceived to be the answers to their prays, the one who would put an end to the long aching cycle of pain and torment they¡¯ve been trapped in for far too long, the one they¡¯ve been waiting for free them from the oppressive reign of the Uha Tamunarans, their champion, savor, and greatest source of hope, the Su Baera.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Ibaeran then crushed her hands tightly in to a fist as she thought to herself that the image they had of her in their minds of her being this divine champion of immense power and strength was a false one, and in reality, she didn¡¯t feel that much different from as even with the power of the Su Baera, at the end of the day, she was still a slave who had no choice but to obey her master.

    ¡°I can¡¯t¡± one the slaves broke the silence.

    ¡°But it is¡± said another with a smile on her face.

    ¡°I was just about to lose all hope but now, looking at her right here before us¡­I just can¡¯t believe this¡± an old slave spoke with teary eyes.

    ¡°The Su Baera, I thought it was just a legend but there she is. To think after so long we can finally be free¡± said another slave.

    Ibaeran heard all their voices, brimming with hope and joy, emotion they had been unable to express and feel up on till that moment so much so that it was almost alien to her upon hearing in their voices. Ibaeran then looked at their faces, seeing the warm smile of joy and happiness on their faces, couldn¡¯t but wonder, were they truly that way, filled to the brim with joy and happiness all because of her. She then looked at her hands before raising her head to look at the slaves once more, and wondered why did they believe that she of all people could save, why did they put so much faith in her when she was just like them, bound and chained, forced to submit and a cruel and heart master. Was it just because she was the Su Baera or were the people just that desperate and were willing to believe in anything, even something as significant as a mere slave like them.

    Ibaeran, seeing all their smiling faces filled with just and happiness couldn¡¯t help but feel a wave of disgust, shame, and guilt wash over. She was meant to the Su Baera, a symbol meant to inspire hope in the hearts of all, a champion and a warrior of order and peace, and yet, there she forced to bend down and submit to the will of a tyrant despite having the power to fight.

    Ibaeran couldn¡¯t bear to look her people in the eye as her feeling of shame, guilt, and disgust slowly consumed her heart. She wanted to live, to take and fly, to avoid those gazes and be reminded of everything she was meant to be, everything the people perceive her to be, and everything she wasn¡¯t. So the steel wings granted her wish, extending like that of a bird before lifting her off the ground and on to the sky with the cloth that covered her face falling down to the ground as ascended to the sky.

    The people watched her leave ascending to the sky above their heads with a look of awe and astonishment as they looked at face the face of their savior before she flew away.

    Ibaeran flew through the city of Ijawana and as she did so she caught the attention of everyone both Uha Tamunaran and slaves alike, causing them all the look up at the sky in shock, astonishment, awe, fear, and dread, upon seeing that the Su Baera had returned to the world.

    Ibaeran flew pasted it all, wanting nothing more than to avoid the stares and gazes from the people down as she didn¡¯t want to be reminded that despite everything that she had been through and the fact the she now had the all the power of Su Baera, she was still a slave bound to nothing more than serve, that was the bitter reality Ibaeran was trying to run away from but no matter how high she, that agonizing reality still found away to reach. So she kept flying further and further away, away from their stares and gazes, the glint of hope in their eyes, and the belief that she would be their salvage, and she kept flying, never daring to turn back until she heard voice call out to her.

    ¡°Su Baera¡±, it was weak and barely louder than a whisper but she was still able to hear it from so high up in the sky.

    Ibaeran stopped and then looked down to see where voice was coming from. Her eyes then widened with shock upon seeing who it was. It was little girl, lying helplessly on the floors cover bruises and few open bleeding wounds. Looking at the girl¡¯s sorry state, it was more than evident that she was left there to die most likely by Uha Tamunarans probably over something as little as staring at them.

    Ibaeran then slowly descended down from the sky and landed down at the ground next to the little. Now stand so close, she was able to see her face more clearly and she recognized her. She was the girl she spared some of the food given to her by her Uha Tamunaran masters after a long day of working in the fields, it wasn¡¯t much but that was all that she had to give at that at them, hoping that at the very least it would be enough to allow her see another. And now, Ibaeran, looking down at the poor little girl on floor in front her, she couldn¡¯t help but feel her heart break in to two.

    She then thought every single person she had ever had to watch depart from her, her father, Preyina, and even the slave boy she had watched meet his end moments ago. Recalling how during each and every single one of those deaths, she did nothing more than just stand and watch, turning in to a mere spectator as that was all she could and even though had the power to at the very least, save the poor boy as he being struck down by the Uha Tamunaran, she still chose to do nothing of fear.

    And now, looking at the child before her, Ibaeran found herself playing the role of a mere spectator once more and which as the little before suffers in agony.

    ¡°S-su¡­Baera¡±, the girl spoke, her voice soft, weak and cracking due to the agonizing pain she was enduring.

    Ibaeran then looked at the girl, who, upon seeing her, couldn¡¯t help shed a tear, not due to the pain but out of joy and happiness, as she had finally the Su Baera, the hero whose legend she had told her entire life, the one destined to free her people from the Uha Tamunarans, she cried because the person before her was hers and her entire people¡¯s hope. Ibaeran seeing that glint of hope in her couldn¡¯t help but bow her head in shame as she thought to herself, why do they do keep seeing as some kind of savior or liberator when she just like, a slave, bound by the same invisible shackles and chain as them, that was the bitter truth even the power of the Su Baera could not change.

    Ibaeran then looked at the girl and saw that she was trying, despite all the pain the simple act of moving it inflicted upon, to stretch a hand to her. And Ibaeran, she the trembling weak hand of the girl reaching to her, looked at the little with a look of shock, seeing the pain in her eyes and wondering why was she willing to endure so much pain all just stretch out a hand and reach her. Ibaeran couldn¡¯t make sense of it and kept wondering just why the little allowed herself to endure so much pain just to get to her. Ibaeran then started glowing with the power the Su Baer flowing through it. Ibaeran then looked at the little girl before, using every single ounce of strength she could just to lift her little hand to reach. She then thought about how, from the very moment she was given the power of Su Baera she never done anything for her people that wasn¡¯t driven by mostly, and looking at sorry state the girl was in, she recalled she gave her some of her food back then, and how she did so hoping the girl would live to see another day because that was all she could do back then but now¡­

    Ibaeran then stretched out her hand to the girl, allowing the power of the Su Baera to flow out through her and in to the girl, healing her of all her wounds.

    ¡­she could do so much more.

    The girl then slowly got up on her own two feet, feeling the power f the Su Baera flow through her and then slowly the pain began to fade away until it had completely vanished. The girl then raised head to meet Ibaeran¡¯s gaze before saying, ¡°Thank you¡±.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what the girl felt a warmth in her heart she could not bring herself to explain. It felt peaceful and was a pleasant relief from the near constant agony she felt in her heart due to her in ability to fight due to her own fears and doubts. And upon hearing that girl thank her, she felt, even if it was for a fleeting moment, as though she was the Su Baera.

    The people then began to gather around her, having witness for themselves Ibaeran healing the girl with the power of Su Baer before beginning murmur and whisper among themselves out of shock and disbelieve that the Su Baera had finally come to save them all.

    Ibaeran then let out a deep sigh but crushing her hand tightly in to a fist once upon hearing everything they said about her being the savior. Ibaeran then felt something soft and warm grab hold of tightened fist. She then looked down and saw that I was girl she had just healed who looked back at her with a brilliant and bright smile. Ibaeran, upon seeing the smile on the girl¡¯s face, couldn¡¯t help smile at her as well before extending out her and taking to the skies once with all the slaves and even the Uha Tamunarans as well watching her as she departed in to the sky.

 Chapter 56

    The king sat on his mighty throne with his eyes fixed on the door ahead of him, looking at with gaze of irritation and rage almost as though he was waiting for the doors to open and for someone to emerge out of it. Then as though on cue, the throne room doors opened up and someone stepped in.

    The king looked ahead at the figure that made its way to his throne room before scowling in annoyance as it was not the one he wished to see.

    ¡°Report¡±, the king spoke, making no attempts to masks his bitterness and rage in his voice as he spoke.

    The figure a Uha Tamunaran man with skin as dark as coal and what looked to curved spike that almost seemed like fine steel to the naked eye protruding out his body wearing grey and black armor.

    ¡°My Lord, as per your request, I¡¯ve inform everyone across all the nations to keep an eye out for the Su Baera¡±, said the coal skinned man while bowing down to the king.

    ¡°And?¡± the King question with an unamused look on his face.

    ¡°I am pleased to inform you that the Su Baera has been spotted my Lord¡±, said the coal skinned man with his head still bowed down before the king.

    The king¡¯s eyes, upon hearing what the man said, widened in intrigue as he had finally gotten news he actually wanted to hear.

    ¡°Where is she?¡± asked the King.

    The man upon hearing the king¡¯s question ask cleared his throat before saying with his voice trembling out of fear before saying, ¡°We¡¯ve been search every nation for her but My Liege, each and every time was spotted she vanishes without a trace and we don¡¯t know where exactly she might be my Lord¡±.

    The man, upon uttering those words, just stood there, bowing his head in fear and anticipation of the explosion of rage that he excepted to come from the king but much to his shock the king remained perfectly calm.

    ¡°Is that all you have to report Black Fang¡±, said the king seemingly unfazed or at the very least enraged by the news.

    ¡°Yes My Lord¡±, said the man.

    ¡°Good, if that is all. You may take your leave¡±, said the king.

    ¡°Yes My Liege¡±, said the man

    The man then raised up his head and turned away from the king and began to make his way to the door, seemingly about to leave the throne room and the king¡¯s presence but just as he was about to reach for the doors, he stopped and then turned back to the king.

    ¡°For give me my for my if I am stepping out of bound but if you permit me to be so bold as to speak my mind, I advise you treat this matter with caution¡±, said the man.

    The king, upon hearing what the man said, looked at him intensely causing the man to begin to sweat out of his coal like skin.

    ¡°And why should I¡±, said the king with his gaze still fixed on the man.

    The man instinctively bowed down his head out fear of the king before continuing, ¡°Because the slaves across the all four nations have seen her. In the past few days, she has visited all four of them and there are rumors spreading about she performing divine acts like healing the fatally wounded and single handedly taking out one of our own with a single blow. These stories are spreading amongst the slaves and if they persist¡­¡±

    ¡°What?¡± The King spoke out, cutting the man off midsentence.

    ¡°Tell Black Fang, what exactly will happen¡±, asked the king with spoke with his gaze growing more intense so much so that even though the man¡¯s head was bowed downed, he could still feel it upon him, warning him that he was treading on dangerous waters.

    The man gulped before continuing, ¡°They¡¯ve been talks, whispers, and rumors of a rebellion amongst the slaves starting. It¡¯s only been about five days and yet they¡¯ve been reports of the slaves growing bolder with some of them even dared to talk back at their masters¡±

    The king upon hearing what the man said chuckled a little, seemingly amused by what the man had said. The man, feeling his heart pounding within his chest out of fear, raised his head only to be greeted by the shocking sight of none other than king chuckling lightly. Just looked at the king with a puzzled expression on his face, failing to see how on earth any of the words he uttered could have been amusing to him and wondering if the king truly couldn¡¯t see how serious the matter was.

    The king then stopped chuckling before raising a hand and then slamming back down heard on his throne. Then suddenly the air around the man felt heavy and he began to breath, he then felt an overwhelming pressure above his body, pushing and forcing him down to the ground.

    ¡°Who am I?¡± asked the king with a menacing voice brimming with fury and rage and his eyes glowing emerald green.

    ¡°My¡­Lord?¡± the man spoke while trying stretch out a single arm towards the king only for it to be brought back down to the ground by the overwhelming pressure crushing against him.

    ¡°I asked you a question, who am I?¡± the king asked once more as he stood up from his throne and began to approach the man.

    The man, who could barely draw breath, could not bring himself to utter a single word in response to the king and could only watch helplessly with a heart filled with dread and fear as the king approached him.

    ¡°I am your king¡±, said the king as he took a step closer to the man.

    ¡°The one who single handedly brought the entire world to its knees¡±, he said as he took another step.

    ¡°And I am the one who ended the life of the Su Baera¡±, the king then finally reached the man and then grabbed him with a single one of his massive arms.

    ¡°I have the power in a single finger crush entire nations, turn mountains into nothing more than patches of ash and dust, and crush a single fable insect like yourself¡±, the king spoke while tightening his grip on the man and beginning to crushing underneath his grasp.

    ¡°Yet you insult me by telling about tread cautiously¡±, the king spoke before slamming the man down hard to the ground below with enough that it caused the ground to crack and break.

    ¡°If your feeble little mind failed to understand this before¡±, the king then lifted the man off from the ground, his body battered and beaten to the point of near death with broken and shattered bone and blood dripping out of him.

    ¡°Know now, everything, both you and every single Uha Tamunaran, the slaves, and even the Su Baera herself are beneath me, and if I so wished I could easily end you all along with this world with nothing more than a wave of my hand¡± said the king before flinging him to the door as though he was nothing more than a rag doll.

    ¡°Get out of my sight and only come to me when you have something worth reporting¡±, said the king while looking down at the man and the sorry state he had left him in.

    ¡°Yes, My Lord¡±, the man while wince in pain and agony before manage to summon the strength while also endure the intense pain his body was in and got up on his feet and then limped and dragged his body out the door.

    Once the man was gone Datubo went back to his throne and then let out a deep sigh with the words of the man echoing in his head as he did so.

    ¡°He¡¯s right you know, about you be cautious Datubo¡±, a familiar voice echoed in the air.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    ¡°Niyanlafu¡± the king spoke anger and annoyance in his voice.

    Then the object of his rage and annoyance revealed himself standing before his throne.

    ¡°But then again, you have a bad habit of throwing caution out in the wind¡±, said Niyanlafu with a sinister grin on his face.

    ¡°Niyanlafu!!!!¡± the king yelled out in rage with the memory of how Niyanlafu humbled him mere days ago still fresh in his mind, recalling how he undermined him as well as he power and it made the blood underneath his skin began to boil.

    ¡°Oh, are you still bitter about what happened during our last meet. I thought by now the mighty Datubo would have finished licking the wounds of his beaten ego and see reason but you just had to throw away whatever little expectations I had of you out the window¡±, Niyanlafu spoke with grin plastered on his face.

    Datubo, hearing Niyanlafu mock and ridicule him to his face made his blood boil even more and he wanted nothing more than to crush him right where he stood and wipe the sly grin of his face but, as much at pain him to admit to himself, he knew he couldn¡¯t. As whatever form or kind of creature Niyanlafu was, he was something beyond him, wielding power even he could not fathom and that was a truth Datubo could not deny even though every single fiber of him wished he could.

    ¡°What do you want now, Niyanlafu?¡± Datubo asked rage and annoyance evident in his voice as he spoke.

    ¡°Nothing much, just to mock the foolish king that stands before me that¡¯s too blinded to see his own ruination in progress¡± said Niyanlafu bluntly with a playful smile on his face.

    ¡°My ruination?¡±, the king spoke before chuckling.

    ¡°Look around you Niyanlafu, the palace, the nations, along with the entirety of this world is mine. I rule over it all and this is nothing underneath sun, stars, moon, and sky that isn¡¯t mine¡±, said Datubo.

    Niyanlafu upon hearing what Datubo said just laughed before saying, ¡°You poor little delusional thing. You¡¯ve managed to deceive every single person on this world of your power and the saddest part about it all is that even you believe in this delusion¡±.

    ¡°Delusion! I am Datubo, king of the Uha Tamunarans, ruler of all four nations of and slayer of the Su Baera. I am the most powerful thing in this world¡±, said Datubo infuriated by Niyanlafu¡¯s words.

    Niyanlafu however simply chuckled lightly at Datubo¡¯s words before saying, ¡°Most powerful, * lightly chuckling* we both know that¡¯s a lie¡±.

    Niyanlafu then let out a deep before chuckling once more, ¡°Oh Datubo, it¡¯s really pitiful. Honestly having to see you this, literally having the entire world on your feet and yet desperately wanting more, it¡¯s extremely pathetic¡±.

    Datubo could only grunt while holding back his immense anger and rage.

    ¡°Do you even know why you¡¯re currently the one sitting on that throne Datubo?¡± asked Niyanlafu.

    Datubo, annoyed and fed up by Niyanlafu¡¯s words, said, ¡°Enough of this Niyanlafu, do not forget who you address. I am still the King¡±.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m well aware of that¡±, said Niyanlafu with sinister grin on his face.

    ¡°But it¡¯s seems that you are not?¡± Niyanlafu said with his voice morphing in to a monstrous and distorted voice before, with just as a simple wave of his hand, sent an overwhelming wave of pressure down upon Datubo, mounting him in place and leaving him unable to move even a single finger.

    ¡°Niyanlafu!!!!¡± The king yelled out in rage while trying with all his might and strength to move but no matter how much of his strength and power he let out it wasn¡¯t enough to free him from the overwhelming pressure pressing down on him.

    ¡°An illusion, that¡¯s where your true strength lies. You call yourself the mightiest and most powerful in this world but the truth is, you¡¯re the same as were all those years. A scared, frighten, and powerless little boy¡±.

    ¡°NIYANLAFU!!!!¡± Datubo yelled in fury upon hearing Niyanlafu¡¯s words.

    ¡°Oh, it seems I¡¯ve struck a nerve. Why is it that? Could it be because you can¡¯t stand to here the truth about yourself and how despite have so much, you still feel like the same helpless weak prince, sad and alone, shunned, mocked, and despised by everyone, even your blood¡± said Niyanlafu.

    ¡°SHUT UP!!!!!¡± Datubo yelled in rage and an intense madden fury, release so much power that it caused the his throne along with ground underneath to crack, crumble and break apart.

    Niyanlafu then walked towards Datubo, seeing him lying on the floor covered by the scattered bits of his once mighty throne, still pinned down by the overwhelming pressure that came from Niyanlafu.

    ¡°Pitiful, it truly is. You¡¯ve created an illusion to fool the entire world but the only person that isn¡¯t fooled by you little fa?ade is yourself¡± said Niyanlafu as he looked down at the king who was currently lying down before his feet.

    Niyanlafu then heard the sounds of guards making their way to the throne room, having heard the commotion caused by Niyanlafu and the king.

    ¡°It seems as though I must take leave as the image of seeing the great Datubo graveling underneath my feet may not be very flattering for you as the king¡± said Niyanlafu before snapping his fingers and freeing Datubo from the crushing pressure he placed upon him.

    Datubo, free from Niyanlafu¡¯s grasp, looked up to him with look of scorn and immense rage in his heart.

    ¡°Oh don¡¯t look at me like. Datubo, I¡¯m only trying to steer you towards the right path after all, I do love you like the son I never had¡± Niyanlafu spoke sinisterly with his voice becoming monstrous.

    ¡°And because I love you so much. Here a bit of fatherly advice, no matter how strong an illusion maybe, it is powerless in the presence of the light so if I were you, I would snuff out the spark before it ignites in flames who¡¯s light will reveal the truth you¡¯ve hidden away in your well crafted illusion¡± said Niyanlafu before vanishing in away in a puff of smoke.

    Then just as he disappeared, the guards rushed in only to see the shocking and unexpected of their king on the floor lying on the broken pieces of his throne. They guard then looked at king with a look of shock and disbelief as they were unable to fathom anything that could bring their mighty king down to such an extent.

    Datubo, seeing puzzled and confused look on the guards face, grinded his teeth with rage as he recalled all of Niyanlafu¡¯s words he was taken back to a time when he was constantly brought down to the cold hard ground while others watched him on the floor grinning and smile at the weak and powerless little prince. And as the king recalled all those bitter and agonizing memories from his past, the image of the guards that stood before him began to shift and change, slowly morphing to the image of all those who looked down on him all does years ago for being the only Uha Tamunaran to be born powerless. Datubo blood then began to boil from within as his entire body was overcome with something familiar, something he detested above all else and hoped he would never feel in his entire life, the feeling of powerlessness.

    The king then, while still on the floor, raised an arm, using his powers to grab hold of the guards and then lifted them off the ground, suspending them all in mid air.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong Your Majesty¡±, one of the guards asked with beads of sweat trickling down their faces out complete and utter fear, but their response was the silent cold and heartless gaze of the king before he proceeds to drain them dry of their life essence. Forcing and ripping out their essence and life force right out them, in an agonizing process that caused them to yell out sheer agony before finally falling down to the ground as nothing more than empty and lifeless husks on the floor. King Datubo, the ruthless and mighty ruler of the Uha Tamunarans then rose up, standing as tall as a towering giant and able to crush full ground man underneath his fingers.

    The king then looked down to see the only guard whose life he spared cowering and trembling in fear on the floor down below. The king then reached down to ground, as though he was nothing more than a toy in his hands.

    ¡°Get me a bigger throne¡±, said the king before tossing him back down to the ground and leaving him to rush straight out of the door to fetching him a fitting throne.

    Once the guard was gone and Datubo was left alone, his mind began to replay Niyanlafu¡¯s over and over and over again.

    ¡°¡­sad and alone, shunned, mocked, and despised by everyone, even your blood¡±

    His words haunted and plagued his mind, causing him to feeling an intense rage begin to consume him once again but before it consume him completely, Datubo took a deep breath and calmed down.

    Datubo then looked at his arm and then down at the ground below. He was now a towering giant brim immense power. There was no Uha Tamunaran nor were they ever any that could boost of possessing even half of the power of the power he now wielded and on top of that, he had accomplished feats no other Uha Tamunaran could with his most notable one being the ending the life of the Su Baera, a feat many Uha Tamunaran kings before him had attempted to accomplish only to fall to the immense power of the Su Baera each and every time, as well as the subjugation of the nations of man, something long thought to be impossible due to the Su Baera was brought to fruition by none other than Datubo himself.

    Datubo, looking back at all he had accomplished and immense power he possessed couldn¡¯t help but ponder, why wasn¡¯t it enough for him. He ruled over vast nations, was feared by all, and wielded enough power to send nations crumbling down to ruins and yet he still felt emptiness within. Pondering further, Datubo began question if they was any truth in Niyanlafu¡¯s words.

    ¡°¡­you¡¯re the same as you were all those years. A scared, frighten, and powerless little boy¡±

    Datubo then began pondering if Niyanlafu was right, could it be that, despite all the power had acquired over the years and the vast empire he ruled over, could he still be, deep down, that scared little weak and frail prince looked down upon and despised by everyone. The mere thought alone of him still being the same as he was back there was enough to make mad with rage and cause he him to strike the ground below with enough force behind that single below to cause the entire palace to quake and shake.

    Datubo then let out a deep breath before prying fist out of the hole he formed when it collided with ground.

    Seven days, that was the amount of time he gave her, and out of that seven days, six were gone and only one remained, nothing else mattered to him apart from that. He had journeyed too far through that dark path he currently walked on and spilled far too much to falter now. The ultimate power beyond everything and everyone, a power that will forever eliminate that lingering feeling of powerlessness in him and be the end that frail pathetic and weak little prince. A day, that was how long he had to wait for to acquire a power to great it would situate his ever-growing hunger for power once and for all.

 Chapter 57

    In the silence of the garden just outside the palace, as the wind blew gentle through the trees, a figure slowly descended down from sky above. Angelic in appearance with a pair of steel wings attached to her back that shone brilliantly underneath the rays of the sun.

    She landed next to the lake and then sat door on the grass cover ground, crouching down to see her reflection in the lake. She wasn¡¯t entirely sure what she was seeing as she looked down at her reflection, unsure if she the person she was looking at was meant to be the Su Baera or was simply nothing more than a slave.

    Ibaeran took in a deep breath, recalling everywhere she had been during the past few days. After arriving back at her home in Ijawana upon retrieving the Dumo Stone, she, instead of travelling straight to the palace and giving the Dumo Stone to the king, venture out in to the four nations. She wasn¡¯t sure why, she just felt as though she had to see for her the kind of hardships her people were going through. It wasn¡¯t a pleasant, seeing men, women, and children toiling away, laboring through the entire day with a moment of rest, their screams and yells echoing through the lands as they were brutal beaten to the point of death for nothing than simply gazing at their Uha Tamunaran masters. In the south, north, east, and west, it was the exact same grim story of anguish and misery. She spent a day in each nation, observing from high above as her people suffered in the cruel hands of the Uha Tamunaran. She watched it all with a hand clenched tightly in to a fist, summoning every ounce of will power she could muster to resist the urge to rain down from sky, where she hovered over the sorrow and misery of her people, the full fury of the Su Baera. She tried her best to hold back her rage and just observe silently from high above but she soon reach the threshold of just how much of her people¡¯s pain she could tolerate when she was in the Nation of the East and witnessed a frail old man forced to push a massive stone slab and by his side a hulking Uha Tamunaran who had enough strength to lift the entire stone slab with just a single arm while putting little to no effort in to.

    The Uha Tamunaran screamed and yelled at the old man to move faster even going as far to whip him occasionally whenever he felt as though the man was slowing down. It was truly a dreadful and painful sight Ibaeran had the unfortunate fate to witness and she found herself struggling to control the intense fury that was slowly building up her as she continued to watch the frail old man suffer.

    The Uha Tamunaran yelling at and whipping to the man over and over again until the man reached a point where his old, frail, tired and aching body just couldn¡¯t carry on any more and he collapsed on the floor. The Uha Tamunaran, seeing that the man had collapsed, rather than showing tiniest bit of empathy towards the frail man, became raged at him and the grabbed by the neck and, fuming with rage, kicked him away with his massive feet, sending the poor man flying before colliding on the wall of a nearby building.

    The frail man, despite having kicked by the Uha Tamunaran and his frail body collided with the wall, was still alive but only just barely clinging on to his life. The man then felt a hard blow on his body, breaking whatever bones that happened already fractured upon impacting the wall. The frail old man then looked and saw the menacing dark shadow of the Uha Tamunaran that sent him to the wall and delivered that bone shattering blow to him.

    The Uha Tamunaran then held his neck and lifted him off the ground as though his little frail body weighed nothing more than a feather. The frail weak man then looked in to the eyes of the Uha Tamunaran he served, and seeing a gaze hatred and disgust staring back at him. He then felt the Uha Tamunaran¡¯s grip on his neck grow tighter and tighter, slowly suffocation in his crushing grip.

    ¡°Ple..ase, have ¡­mercy¡±, the man spoke weakly, using the little bit of breath he managed to draw out from his lungs.

    ¡°Mercy¡±, the Uha Tamunaran laughed.

    ¡°We¡¯ve already showed you all mercy by allowing you all to leave in our world. Look at you, you¡¯re just a frail weak old man, you not as strong as us neither are you as powerful as us, you and the entirety of your kind don¡¯t deserve to breath the same air and yet you still have the gall to ask for mercy¡±, the Uha Tamunaran began tighten his grasp on the man even further.

    ¡°The fact that we permitted your kind to serve us is mercy in itself, and in return you simply have to serve us but you incompetent insignificant little human can¡¯t even do simplest of task right¡±, said the Uha Tamunaran as he raised the man above his head and readied his massive fist.

    ¡°You and the rest of your kind are just as ungrateful as you are weak and you don¡¯t deserve to live¡±, said the Uha Tamunaran before launching his fist straight for the man.

    The man expecting an impending life end blow to come, closed with a heart racing with complete and utter fear and dread, and shed a tear because he knew he life would soon come to an end. Then there was a massive thud as the Uha Tamunaran¡¯s fist collided with something but, much to the shock and relief of the frail old man and the horror of the Uha Tamunaran, it wasn¡¯t the face of the man, no it was something never of them expected, a sight of hope for the old man and a reason to dread for the Uha Tamunaran.

    Looking at him with fearsome gaze brimming with anger and pure rage, and with her steel wings spread out, Ibaeran held the Uha Tamunaran¡¯s mighty fist with just a single arm, holding with so much strength and might that the Uha Tamunaran could not free himself from her grasp.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be you¡¯re¡­¡±, the Uha Tamunaran spoke, his body trembling and shaking out of fear and complete and utter dread.

    ¡°Su Baera¡±, the voice of the old could be heard from just behind Ibaeran as he was still being held in place by the trembling Uha Tamunaran.

    Ibaeran¡¯s eyes widen for a moment upon hearing the man call her the Su Baera, but it was only for a fleeting moment before her focus returned to the Uha Tamunaran. Then, with her grip still held firmly on the Uha Tamunaran¡¯s fist, crushed it with enough force that it caused the hulking Uha Tamunaran¡¯s bones to break, causing him to yell out in pain and let go of the man he held. The frail man then fell to the ground, still breathing and alive.

    Then, just as the Uha Tamunaran was beginning the get a grasp of the events that were unfolding before him, he felt a might blow hit the base of his stomach causing to gasp out of both shock and pain before he was sent flying straight in the wall of a building. Upon impact, the wall broke apart, causing its debris to fall and collapse on the Uha Tamunaran.

    The Uha Tamunaran then found himself lying down on the ground with piece of the wall scattered all over him and in immense pain. Then as he looked up and saw her once more, glowing brilliantly with the power of the Su Baera flowing through, hovering ever so closer to him before finally stopping once she was above him.

    He could see it in her, an unrivaled rage that was unlike any other, like an inferno fueled by years of suffering and having to watch her people suffer alongside, helpless and powerless to escape the miserable fate they imposed upon them, the fate of being nothing more than slave to those monsters. Back then she was powerless and could do nothing but simply watch and endure in agonizing silence, but now, feeling the power of the Su Baera coursing through her veins, she realized that she was no longer the powerless little weak slave she was back then, no, she now had power, power greater than that of those monster.

    Ibaeran then crushed one of her hands in to a tight fist which then began to glow with the power of the Su Baera following through it. She then readied to deliver single blow with enough power to put an end to the life of the Uha Tamunaran just like his kind had done to her people more times than she could count. She then raised the fist, ready to strike as she thought back to the agonizing screams for mercy that came from her people right before they met their ends in their hands, along with all the pain and anguish they must have felt during those moments. She then thought about, Preyina, her closest and dearest friend, the only person that gave her the strength to want to continue live and endure all the pain and misery the Uha Tamunarans inflicted upon her, and then her rage rose to greater heights and with it her entire body became engulfed with a brilliant glow of pure power.

    The Uha Tamunaran could feel the raw emanating from her body, it was greater than anything he had ever seen before and words could not begin to describe how immense and great that power felt, and from looking at her eyes alone and seeing all the rage that laid within along with her fist which shone with a brilliant glow of pure power, he began to feel the exact same feeling he had inspire in the hearts of all slaves who served under him, fear, dread, and powerlessness before a being of power that was far beyond his. The Uha Tamunaran then began to tremble and shake out of fear before opening his to utter the exact same words the frail old man said to him mere moments ago, ¡°Please¡­have mercy¡±.

    Ibaeran upon hearing his words felt the blood underneath her skin begin to boil. He begged for mercy like the slaves he tormented, like the frail old man who¡¯s life he was about to end mere moments ago, how disgusting could that Uha Tamunaran be, to forget that there was such a thing as mercy when you¡¯re the tormentor and then sudden recall it when your life it the one being threatened. Ibaeran greeted her teeth in immense rage before launching her fist straight Uha Tamunaran. The Uha Tamunaran watched, his gazed locked on Ibaeran¡¯s fist which was bathed in a brilliant glow of power, as her fist moved in blink of an eye and then appearing mere inches away from his face.

    Ibaeran¡¯s gaze was locked on him, still filled with anger and rage, with her fist, still glowing with the raw power of the Su Baera, held firmly in place mere inches away from striking the Uha Tamunaran. And as she looked at the Uha Tamunaran who¡¯s gaze was fist solely on her fist, fearing that the fist may collide with his face at any moment and end him right where he laid, she realized that at the very moment she was the one with all the power not the Uha Tamunaran that looked down at her and her people, and if she wanted to she could put an end to his life just like he along with his race had did to so many of her people, all she had to do was allow her fist to collide with him, one strike, that¡¯s all it would take *sigh* but as she looked at him, seeing the look of fear and dread he wore on it, she saw something familiar and upon seeing that she just could bring herself to deliver the final blow.

    Ibaeran let out a deep sigh before retracting her fist and turning her back away from the Uha Tamunaran and then turned her attention to the frail old man on the floor not too far away. She looked at the sorry state he was, it looked as though almost every bone in his body was broken with blood sipping out his body.

    Ibaeran then went to him and then unraveled the tight fist she wanted to use to strike against the Uha Tamunaran and then allowed the power of the Su Baera to pour out of the unraveled fist and bathed the man in it brilliant glow. The man felt a sense of warmth and peace wash over him, he felt his frail body begin to heal and the immense he felt flow through his body vanished along with his wounds.

    The man then opened his eyes and gazed at Ibaeran, spotting steel wings behind her back which shone with a brilliant silver hue. Eyes then began to water with a smile forming on his face and that same twinkle and spark Ibaeran saw in eyes of the other slaves back in Ijawana appear once more in his eyes.

    Ibaeran then heard sounds of muffled murmurs and whispers of shock, awe, astonishment and fear, before raising head to see that a crowd had formed around her of both slaves and the Uha Tamunaran masters that served them. The slaves looked at her with the same twinkle in their eyes while the Uha Tamunaran¡¯s gazes were that of fear, shock and disbelief.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    Ibaeran, having to witness those gazes once more, simply let out a deep sigh before beginning to ascend upward to the sky to avoid those gazes but before she could take refuge away from those gazes, she heard the voice of the old man call out to her, saying with teary eyes, ¡°Thank you Su Baera¡±.

    And upon hearing the words of the frail old man Ibaeran couldn¡¯t help but smile slightly as she retreated in to the sky.

    After that found herself roaming about through the skies seemingly aimless. She then brought out the box holding the Dumo Stone and then looked at it, knowing the kind of the power the Dumo Stone possessed, having witnessed it first hand in Dumo Kiri, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder if handing it over to the king was the right choice to make. She then let a deep sigh, as she wondered to herself what other choice did she have while recalling the monstrous power the king possessed. She then felt a knot in her stomach along with heart sinking down with guilt and shame as she continued telling herself over and over again that handing the stone to the king was the only way to save her people.

    She was brought out of her train of deep thought when she spotted what seemed to be a small city near. From the distance Ibaeran didn¡¯t seem to recognize it but as she ventured closer to Ibaeran was finally able to recognize it. It was Kiripapaboa, land of those deemed useless by the king. There, high above the sky she hovered above the city of those damned and deemed useless by king, casted out of their homes and forced live in the barren, arid, and dry waste land where the city stood upon.

    Ibaeran looked the people of Kiripapaboa and saw as the Uha Tamunarans their lived their lives. The Uha Tamunarans there, unlike that one¡¯s that ruled over her people as their wicked masters, weren¡¯t selfish savage brutes eager to showcase their powers to oppress those weaker than them but rather they seemed like people who were just trying their best to live in a world for the rejected and caster out. Ibaeran couldn¡¯t help but feel a greater sense of pity for them than she felt for her people for at least the prejudice behind the Uha Tamunaran scorn for her people was out of sense of superiority they felt as a race over them but the people of Kiripapaboa were of the same as them and jet they were still casted away and forced to live in exile away from their people all because their king so no value in them.

    Ibaeran then flew over the city and watched as the Uha Tamunarans tried in their best to survived with the very little they land had to offer, spotting a man, a thin a twig, seated dirt covered floor with root protruding out of his body and on to the ground underneath, using the roots to consume whatever little nutrients were in the infertile soil, a mother present a small bowl filled with what looked like a disgusting slimy drool that not even a slave would eat, using her sprinkling in a little bit of silver dust from her hand in to give the drool a more appetizing taste for her child to eat, and finally a sight both warmed and at the very same time shattered her heart was the sight of three Uha Tamunaran children seated at the top of one of the broken building . They were Felesh, Kolar, and Etar, the three children Ton¡¯Onama introduced her to when he first brought her to Kiripapaboa.

    Kolar, the red skinned girl, held a rectangular wooden plank and then, using her powers to change the color of anything, she began forming different colors on the wooden plank to create a picture.

    ¡°Hey guys, take a look¡±, said Kolar as she showed the picture she had created to her friends.

    ¡°Umm, what is it and can I eat it¡±, said the skinny Etar, greatly annoying Kolar with his response.

    Felesh then used his boneless limbs to take the picture from Kolar to take a closer look at it.

    ¡°What the hell is all this green stuff and this, is looks like a log with green hair and weird balls on its head¡±, said Felesh.

    ¡°Give me that¡±, said Kolar out of annoyance as she took back the picture.

    ¡°You two are the greatest bunch of idiots I¡¯ve ever met¡±, said Kolar with a pout and turned away from her, annoyed that her two closest friends didn¡¯t appreciate the picture she made.

    Felesh then let out a sigh before he and Etar went to her.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Kolar, you know I can¡¯t help that everything seems like for to me¡±, said Etar.

    ¡°Yeah and I really don¡¯t get what this is suppose be¡±, said Felesh as he pointed at the picture.

    Kolar then let out a deep sigh before saying, ¡°It¡¯s a field okay¡±.

    ¡°Okay but what¡¯s a field and is it tasty¡±, said Etar.

    Kolar upon hearing Etar response could help but laugh a little, ¡°No you idiot. A field is a place filled with these green things called grasses that stretched miles and miles, with massive trees made of wood and green stuff called leaves with tasty juicy fruits growing on it¡±.

    ¡°Uhmm, you had me at tasty fruits¡±, said Etar imagined himself eating on of those juicy fruits in a field.

    ¡°Ton¡¯O told me about them¡±, said Kolar said followed by a deep sigh as she looked up her head on to the horizon with look of sadness on her face.

    Felesh and Etar, seeing the sad look on her face as she gazed out in the horizon ahead, knew exactly was going on in her head.

    ¡°Stop it Kolar, you there is no place for us out there¡± said Felesh his voice heavy and cold.

    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re the rejects after all like rotten food, nobody wants us¡± said Etar with a fake smile on his face that failed to conceal his pain.

    ¡°I *sigh* know, I just wish we could all go out there together and see the world. It doesn¡¯t even have to be a large part of the world, just a small field would be enough¡±, said Kolar with tears slowly sipping out of her eyes.

    She then looked down at the wooden plank on her arms, seeing the picture of field she created using only the memory of description Ton¡¯Onama gave her, in the picture, she, Etar, and Felesh were busy playing and laughing about in field happily, without a care in world. A tear then fell down from her eyes and on to the picture on her hands, as she wished with all her heart that small little wish of hers would come true, even though she knew it was just an impossible wish.

    Kolar then felt a head on shoulders, she turned to see Felesh.

    ¡°Stop crying well you, it doesn¡¯t really suit you¡±, said Felesh as he wiped away her tears.

    ¡°Yeah, and tears are way too salty and taste disgusting and bitter¡±, said Etar on the other side while childishly sticking out his tongue.

    Kolar upon her friends said could smile slightly before letting out a deep sigh before saying, ¡°You know, it would be nice to play in a green grassy field but I guess being with you two idiots isn¡¯t half bad. Now who¡¯s up for a game of mouth toss¡±.

    ¡°Oh me, I¡¯m starving¡±, said Etar enthusiastically, eager to get something in his belly.

    ¡°When aren¡¯t you starving¡±, asked Felesh causing both him and Kolar to burst out laughing as the three of them got up and left.

    Ibaeran watched as the children from high above in the sky. Having watched and listened to everything they said, Ibaeran couldn¡¯t help but understand the frustration and agony of wanting something that was just right out of your reach as both her and the Uha Tamunaran child as well as all those in Kiripapaboa seemed hunger for the exact same thing, freedom, from the rejection placed upon them by their own kind and, from the binds of fear and servitude placed on her and her people. Ibaeran couldn¡¯t believe she was feeling sympathy for them, people of the same race as the monsters that brought only pain and misery to her people, but there she was hovering over Kiripapaboa trying her very best not a shed a tear for the poor souls down below.

    The sun soon went down and the cold dark cloak of night covered the city. An eerie silence filled the city down below as the Uha Tamunaran, scurried off in to their broken down homes or whatever dark corners they could find and use for shelter against the chilling cold of the night and rest for the night after surviving another of strife and misery in Kiripapaboa. There, in the cover of the night, Ibaeran flew through the city, listening to the dead silence of the city as the people shut their eyes in a deep slumber, journeying to the land of dreams the only place where they could find some semblance of happiness away from the reality of the life they had to live once they awaken.

    Ibaeran flew through the patch black city whose only source of light during the night was stars above the night sky and brilliant lunar rays of the moon. As she flew through the darkness, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of familiarity with the calm, silent, and nights of the city. It all reminded her of Ijawana and her time as a slave, and looking down at the below Ibaeran was reminded even more of her life in Ijawana as a slave. From the broken homes littered about throughout the people were forced to make do with, all seeming like they were a hair¡¯s breath away from collapsing, to piles of people lying on the streets, homeless without a roof over their head as they were no homes left for them and so they were left to wonder the streets and lay under the open skies chilling and freezing breeze of the night blew around them.

    Ibaeran let out a deep sigh upon seeing the miserable state of the people down below suffering a fate seemingly if not worse than what she and had people had to go through as slaves. At the very least, as a slave, if you worked hard enough and the Uha Tamunarans saw use and value in you they would provide the very minimum of amenities to ensure that you live to be put to work another but there in Kiripapaboa, it didn¡¯t matter how hard you worked or how much, as it was struggled to get a muscle of a meal that was barely enough to fill your belly much less luxuries like a roof over your head. Ibaeran, then looked down at the city below with sad eyes filled nothing pity for the Uha Tamunaran that lived there, she even found herself wanting to help them. But what could she do, may be the Su Baera now but she don¡¯t believe even the power of the Su Baera would be enough to free the poor soul in the city below from the horrible and miserable state they were in, and even if she could, was truly her place to help them, people from the very race that torment and brought nothing but pain and misery upon her people. Ibaeran began to question if it would be right for her, after everything she had been through witnessed in the hands of the Uha Tamunaran. The torment, the pain, the anguish, the misery, and loss she had had to endure all because of them, after recalling all of those horrible memories, Ibaeran began to pounder to herself if it would she could herself to help them after everything she had been through and had to endure.

    As Ibaeran pondered, her gaze caught something, a sight then she couldn¡¯t help but be intrigue by. Descending down from the sky and on to a pitch dark alley way she found them, huddled together to keep warm, the three children she was watching earlier during the day. Kolar and Etar snuggled up together with Felesh wrapping his boneless body around them, forming a blanket around them so they could keep warm against the chilling winds of the night.

    Ibaeran watched as the children slept soundly and peaceful, and felt her heart sink. These children seemingly had nothing, no home or family to look after them, all they had was each other to embrace and keep each other warm through the cold nights. Ibaeran then came closer to them, being careful not to make a sound as she went to them. She then noticed Kolar holding that wooden slab with the picture of the field she created. The red skinned girl kept that picture close to her as slept, holding on to the seemingly impossible as that was she could do, hold on to it no matter how impossible and unlikely of ever coming through it may be.

    Ibaeran then let out a deep sigh smiling a little as seeing the little red skinned girl cling on to that picture even as she slept reminded her of Preyina and how despite everything she had been through as slave she stilled on desperately to hope and the belief that someday things would be better, someday they would be free. It was an impossible but one she held on to still the end.

    ¡°¡­ the most annoying thing about change is that it comes when you least expect it and in the strangest way possible¡±

    Those words echoed in her mind, reminding her of how much her dearest friend held on to the hope that one day their people would know freedom, holding to that belief to the very end.

    Ibaeran then felt a tear make its way done her face as the memories of Preyina rushed through her head, remembering her smile and laughter and how always had something to say to make her laugh or giggle even the grimmest of situations. Ibaeran upon recalling all those wonderful memories she and Preyina shared couldn¡¯t help but smile and giggle a little as she recalled all the jokes and games she would play with her, which sometimes got both of them in trouble with their Uha Tamunaran masters but they would always end up laughing about it all at end of the day.

    Ibaeran then looked at the red skinned girl and her friends before letting out a deep sigh. Thinking about Preyina and how she believed in what seemed to be impossible, and yet it was all tha nks to that impossible dream of hers that was where she was at that very moment. That dream gave birth to a promise and that promise was what pushed Ibaeran to go so far, fight in a tournament as greatest warriors of all four nations, being victorious and claiming the steel wings of the Su Baera before finally journeying out of her world to Kiri Dumo and retrieving the Dumo.

    Each and every single thing she had accomplished so could deemed as an impossible dream and yet she did them anyway, and all because she wanted to fulfill the promise she made and make another impossible come true. Ibaeran then looked down at the red skinned thought to herself, she had already accomplished so much of the impossible so far, and accomplishing one more impossible deed wouldn¡¯t hurt.

    She then gazed at the girl one last time and thought about how strong she had to be to have to live such cruel and misery life along with her friends and still have the strength to hold on to a dream, just like her Preyina. Ibaeran flew away in to the night sky to try and fulfill and impossible dream but then just as she left, the little red skinned girl, faintly opened up her eyes, half asleep, and caught a faint glimpse of Ibaeran flying off with her still wings shinning as though as though it was star, before drifted back to sleep.

 Chapter 58

    Ibaeran arrived at the outskirts of the city, seeing nothing but arid dry lands ahead which spanned as far as the eye could see, there wasn¡¯t even a single leafless shrub in the distance; it was all just a dry and barren wasteland.

    Ibaeran then took a deep breath before bringing out the small box that held the Dumo Stone. She looked at it for a moment, internally contemplating if what she was about to do was right. The Dumo Stone was the very essence of life itself, it core, the source of life for every single living creature not only in her world but every single world where life exists, so would it be right to use such a sacred power just fulfill someone¡¯s wish.

    An image of Kolar and the way she held on to that wooden slab then appeared in her mind. Ibaeran then let out a deep sigh, recalling what she had been through and *sigh* did to get the Dumo Stone in the first place. She had soiled her hands with the blood of an innocent soul trying to get the Dumo Stone so she might as well use its power to do a single good deed.

    Ibaeran then let out a deep breath, making up her mind and proceeding to open the box and brought out the Dumo Stone. She felt an overwhelming power flow through her the very moment her hands made contact with the stone, it was an exhilarating feeling could not describe, it felt pure, raw, and primal that penetrated the deepest depths of her soul and as the feeling washed over her, she was able to feel it, the delicate, thin, and invisible strings that connected every single living thing in her world and far beyond and all stemming from the Dumo Stone.

    Ibaeran eyes then began to glow with a radiant emerald green and she was able to see them, the thin green threads of life that connected everyone, beasts, plants, man, and Uha Tamunarans alike, they were all connected by those thin threads which connected them all to the Dumo Stone, the source of life itself. Looking the at all, Ibaeran could help admire the beauty of it, to think that they were all connected, both Uha Tamunarans and humans by those invisible and delicate thin green threads.

    Ibaeran then took a deep and tried to tap in to the seemingly overwhelming she felt come from the stone, to take control and command the power, however the power of life itself was a power of resists something Ibaeran truly understood the very moment she tried tapping in to it. An overwhelming surge of raw, untamed, and intense power flowed out of the Dumo Stone and in to her, sinking in to the deep depth of soul and core. But strangely, as the surge of power flowed through her, felt no pain of kind but rather she felt ecstatic, powerful, and free, it was a sensation Ibaeran had never and slowly she found herself beginning be intoxicated by it, craving more and more of the power. She then began to draw more and more power from the Dumo Stone in to her and as she did, the delicate threads that all living creatures were bounded began to be tainted and corrupted with a dark hue. Ibaeran then began to slowly be consumed by selfish and the primal urge and hunger to acquire more and more power, but as the very last ounce of her humanity was about to be consumed by her primal urges, the wings of the Su Baera began to glow and Ibaeran scattered power drunken mind became stable enough for her to hear a familiar faint whisper in her head;

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget Ibaeran, don¡¯t lose yourself to the power, remember who you are¡±.

    Those words echoed in her head over and over again, and as they did flashes of past and everything she had been through, the fight, struggles, loss and pain, she saw it all, and upon seeing them all play out her head Ibaeran to mutter up the strength to resist the overwhelming power that was trying to consume her. It was a strange, one where no blows and hits were exchanged, seemingly silent struggle within her between her and the overwhelming power of life that dared to consume everything she was, but she would not allow it to. With the memories of her past and everything been through, Ibaeran greeted her teeth and fought with all her might, refusing to allow her to be lost forever in an overwhelming sea of power.

    It was indeed and intense struggle but thanks to Ibaeran indomitable will which refused to submit to the raw, savage, and overwhelming power of the Dumo Stone, Ibaeran was able to claim victory over the power and upon doing so the thin threads that bounded all of life were no longer corrupted and tainted. Ibaeran then let a deep breath of relief, thankful that managed to resist the overwhelming power of life itself, she then looked down at the Dumo Stone, gazing at it with a look of pure and utter fear. Now, having witnessed her truly overwhelming the power of life could be, finally understand why the living embodiment of the Dumo Stone was so reluctant to give it to her.

    ¡°¡­.The power of life is primal and savage at its very core¡­¡±

    It was during that very moment, after feeling the raw and overwhelming power of life for herself that she was truly able grasp the meaning behind those words. The power of life itself was truly an overwhelming thing, it wasn¡¯t just a power of creation it could also corrupt and if she hadn¡¯t managed to find the strength to resist it she would have fallen to its primal and savage might.

    Ibaeran then let a deep breath, recalling why she had come there in the first place and sought the power of the Dumo Stone. And even though she now knew just how dangerous the power of the Dumo Stone, she also understood its nature and purpose behind its power. Ibaeran then allowed the power flow through her once more but this time she didn¡¯t feel overwhelmed by it and was able to take control of it. She then used the power of the Dumo Stone to manifest thousands of threads that sprouts out of the Dumo Stone and on to the arid and dry earth. And upon doing, the slowly began to morph and change with green grass sprouting out of ground along with bushes, plants of all kind, beautiful and colorful flowers and trees that bored fruits of all kind. The arid infertile land was now teeming with all kinds of green life.

    Ibaeran, seeing that her work was done, put the Dumo Stone back in its box, before taking a moment to glance at what she had just created. Before stood a large forest filled with towering trees and all kinds of vegetation.

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    Ibaeran then scratched the back of her head with a smile on her face while thinking that she may have over did it quite a bit. But, looking at what she created, she couldn¡¯t help but smile especially after knowing the fact that it would be the thing that would bring a smile to a certain red skinned girl.

    The sun rose staring the dawn of a brand new day. Kolar, the golden rays from the sun up above reached her eyes, slowly opened up her eyes.

    ¡°Alright guys, it¡¯s morning, time to wake up ¡° , she called out to her two friends.

    Felesh then woke up upon hearing Kolar¡¯s voice and then proceeded to unwrap his body around her and Etar. Kolar and Felesh were now wide awake and on their feet looking down at the skinny Etar on the floor sleeping as though he was a log.

    ¡°He sleeps almost as much as he eats¡±, Felesh remarked at the sleeping Etar.

    Kolar just rolled her eyes at his remark before going to Etar and try shaking him awake.

    ¡°Five more minutes¡±, Etar spoke without even making any attempts to open his eyes.

    ¡°Come on sleep head, it¡¯s a brand new day, do you really want to waste it sleep¡±, said Kolar in an attempt to wake Etar up.

    ¡°Got any food¡±, replied Etar with his eyes still shut.

    ¡°No but if you get up we can¡­¡±Kolar was cut off midsentence by Etar snoring which greatly annoyed and enraged her.

    ¡°That¡¯s it I¡¯m going to¡­¡± Kolar was cut off mid sentence by Etar getting up abruptly, greatly shocking Kolar and Felesh.

    Etar then sniffed the air a few times, perceiving a strange aroma in the wind, before, without even uttering a single word run off.

    ¡°Should we follow him or¡­¡± a simple annoyed look from Kolar was enough tell him what was obvious.

    ¡°Follow him got it¡±, Felesh said with a playful smile on his face before he and Kolar raced off after Etar.

    Etar ran as fast as his skinny little lets could carry, blitzing through the city while following the magnificent scent of the aroma in the air. He ran and he ran, following his noses all the way to the city¡¯s outskirts before finally stopping.

    Kolar who was beyond annoyed with Etar¡¯s antics that morning, wore a fury on her face as she and Felesh chased after him but that look instantly vanished upon witnessing what laid at the city¡¯s edge. Kolar and Felesh stood next to Etar, with a look of astonishment, awe, and shock evident on their faces upon seeing what they could only describe as a massive field stretched far out as far as the eyes could see.

    Then slowly the people of Kiripapaboa stepped out of their homes to witness, with the same look of awe, astonishment, and shock as the child, the miracle that had seemingly sprout out of the barren lands overnight.

    ¡°What is this?¡± asked Felesh.

    Kolar then brought out the slap with her picture on it, looking at it and then back at the forest before her before saying with a smile on her face, ¡°A dream¡±.

    Etar then dashed away once more, following his nose to the source of the scent he perceived in the air only to be lead to field of flower.

    ¡°Gotcha¡±, said Etar with a smile on his face, happy to have finally found the source of the aroma he sensed in the air before diving in to the fields of flowers and stuffing them all in to his mouth.

    ¡°Hmm, not bad but I expected it to taste sweeter than this¡±, Etar said as he munched down on a few of the flowers, slightly disappointed that they didn¡¯t taste as sweet as they smelt.

    Kolar just watched Etar with a little smile on her face as thought about how childish was for eating flowers before noticing the trees and spotting the fruits growing on them.

    Etar was busy stuffing his mouth with more and more flowers before hearing Kolar call out for him, ¡°Hey Etar¡±.

    Etar turned to the directing of her voice only to receive a fruit tossed to him by her.

    ¡°Trust me they are way more tastier than in those flowers¡±, said Kolar.

    Etar upon hearing what Kolar said immediately sank his teeth in to the fruit, biting off its juicy flesh before swallowing.

    ¡°Hmm, is this what paradise tastes like¡±, Etar said with a satisfied to on his face upon eating the fruit before collapsing on the floor.

    Kolar and Felesh just looked at him lying on the floor before bursting out in to laughter and joining him on the soft grassy floor.

    ¡°Where did this all come from?¡± asked Felesh, wondering where the vast forest they currently laid on came from.

    ¡°Yeah¡±, Etar spoke as took another bit of the fruit.

    ¡°I mean I¡¯m not complaining or anything especially with food as good as this¡­¡± Etar struggled to remember the name of juicy ball he was eating

    ¡°Fruit¡±, Kolar interjected.

    ¡°Yeah, fruit, but I would still like to know where this all came from¡±, said Etar.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m correct if I¡¯m wrong but all of this can¡¯t just happened overnight¡± said Felesh.

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a dream, a very tasty dream¡±, said Etar as tossed the last bit of fruit in to his mouth.

    ¡°Would you stop saying nonsense already¡±, said Felesh before turning to Kolar and asked, ¡°Hey, who do you think caused this?¡±

    Kolar then looked up to the vast blue sky above her head, her eyes scanning the skies almost as though she was search for something. Her eyes then found something sparkle from up above reminding her of something she saw last night though she originally dismissed it as nothing more than a dream.

    ¡°I don¡¯t, I think Etar¡¯s on to something¡±, said Kolar with her eyes still fixed on the sky.

    ¡°What?¡± said Felesh, shocked upon hearing Kolar actually agree with Etar.

    ¡°See, and you said it was nonsense¡±, said Etar while sticking out his tongue at Felesh like a child.

    ¡°Oh grow up¡±, Felesh said annoyed at Etar.

    ¡°Would you two just shut up already and just look up¡±, Kolar said.

    The two boys then stopped bickering and then joined Kolar to look up to the sky.

    ¡°Is it just me or those the sky look prettier than usual¡±, said Etar.

    ¡°Yeah¡±, Felesh said, agreeing with Etar.

    Kolar simply smiled as she continued to look at the sky while internally thanking whatever or whoever it was that made that dream of hers come through.

    Ibaeran, from high up in the sky, watched at the people of Kiripapaboa, began gathering the forest she created with children playing about in the fields and the hungry feeling their bellies with fruits. The people looked as those were, after a very long period of sorrow and misery, at peace and could finally laugh, smile, play, and look forward to better days.

    Ibaeran then spotted something, the little red skinned girl along with her friends looking up at the sky and for a moment, Ibaeran thought that she could see her so high up. Ibaeran then spotted something in the girl¡¯s eyes, something she couldn¡¯t believe could ever see within the eyes of an Uha Tamunaran, the exact same twinkle she saw in the eyes of her people when they saw her with the steel wings.

    Ibaeran felt a heart with a mix of sadness and guilt before bringing out the box containing the Dumo Stone. Six days out of the seven had already passed and that very day was the seventh, meaning she only had a single day to make up her mind to submit to the greatest monster she had ever known and hand over to him the power of life itself, a power capable of corruption or fight and risk both her life and the life of her people.

    She had a choice to between fighting or submitting, to live the life of a slave or to risk falling along with her people in battle. The choice was hers and hers alone to make.

 Chapter 59

    Ibaeran let out a deep sigh as she gazed in to the crystal clear lake, looking at and wondering just how exactly she had made it that far. She then took a step forward towards the lake and allowed her feet to make contact with it but it refused to sink down in to the watery depths blow. She stood there on the water¡¯s surface looking down at the reflection below her feet, recalling a time not so long ago when she believed the act she was currently performing wasn¡¯t an impossibly and now, there she was standing on the water¡¯s surface, her feet planted firmly on it as though she stood on solid ground.

    Ibaeran, despite everything that had happened and the fact that she had witnessed and felt it all herself, still found it hard to come to terms with the reality before her so much so that placed her in to the water and watched it as it went through the water¡¯s while feet remained planted on its surface. She then let out another sigh before pulling her hand out of the water.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a dream¡±, Ibaeran told herself as she felt cold wet water of the lake on her arms, but that was a fact she didn¡¯t need to be told was true.

    Looking back at everything she had, everything she had accomplished, and the power currently coursing through her, the truth was a clear as day to her and she knew in her heart that what she was currently facing was reality but she just couldn¡¯t bring herself to accept it. She now possessed the power of the Su Baera and weighing underneath her shoulder was the crushing and suffocating responsibility she owed the world, not just to her people but to everyone, even the Uha Tamunarans.

    Ibaeran, tried her very best to ignore and deny it as much as she could, telling herself that her people where the only ones she had to save but now, after visiting both the four nations and Kiripapaboa and seeing the plight and struggles they all face under the reign of dreadful king Datubo, she could no longer deny or ignore it any longer. The people of the world, both Uha Tamunaran and her people alike were suffering and their plight may never end if something isn¡¯t done about the king. Ibaeran then let out a deep sigh, feeling the overwhelming amount of pressure and responsibility mounting upon her, knowing that she was the only one who actually do something to save everyone, both her people and Uha Tamunarans alike.

    It was finally dawning on her that the power she possessed as the Su Baera was the world¡¯s sake and just her people. The Su Baera was protector, a warrior of peace, a symbol which others looked upon for hope, that was what she saw and felt in the eyes of the slaves who saw her along with the steel attached to her back and red skinned Uha Tamunaran girl in Kiripapaboa.

    The power of Su Baera was a power meant to protect and defend all, be it man or Uha Tamunaran that was something Ibaeran was only beginning to understand. But *sigh* in other to fulfill her role as the Su Baera, it would mean would have to fight against foe she feared and dreaded the most, monster she feared was to great even for the Su Baera and if she were to fail¡­the dreadful and horrific image of all the four nations of man being reduced to ashes while the people cry out in pain, misery, and agony formed in her mind.

    Ibaeran founded herself in a state of confusion, torn between her duty as the Su Baera and the consequences that may befall her people if dared to defy the king, knowing that if she were to fight against the king lose to him, it will spell nothing but doom for her people but at the very same¡­she brought out the box containing the Dumo Stone.

    Knowing just how powerful and overwhelming the Dumo Stone was, she internally contemplated and asked herself if she could truly handover such a power to the king knowing fully well that if he was in possession of the Dumo Stone he may become consumed by its overwhelming power and become a greater monster than what he already was. Ibaeran knew she couldn¡¯t hand over such a power to the king but if she didn¡¯t he wrath would most likely fall on her people.

    Ibaeran didn¡¯t what to do, ether submit to the king¡¯s will and hand over the Dumo Stone which may lead to him being consumed by its power or refuse and fight to free not just her people but the Uha Tamunarans as well from his wick rule. Ibaeran found herself at cross road between two choice carrying immensely great consequences behind them, between responsibility and duty as the Su Baera and to her people, to fight and risk dooming her entire race or to submit and risk dooming the world to tyrannical monster. Both choices carried with the overwhelming reprecautions, ones which she would have to face on her own.

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    Ibaeran then let out a sigh once more before asking herself, ¡°What am I going to do?¡± but was met with only still and uncertain silence.

    Ibaeran then let out another sigh as she stood alone on the calm lake.

    ¡°Su Baera¡±, a voice called from behind.

    Ibaeran simply smiled upon hearing it before turning and around to see none other Ton¡¯Onama standing behind her on the grass covered flood.

    Ibaeran then made her way to him, walking on the water¡¯s surface until she made it to where he stood.

    ¡°I see you¡¯ve finally learnt how to control your powers Su Baera¡±, said Ton¡¯Onama with a proud smile forming across his face.

    Ibaeran simply smiled at him before nodding her head, even though she wasn¡¯t entirely sure when it happened, somewhere along the line the power of the Su Baera, a power that originally felt foreign to her melded itself with her, making it no longer foreign to her but a part of her.

    The warm smile on Ibaeran face slowly began to fade away and her face morphed in to a face weighed down fear, dread, and confusion.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Ton¡¯Onama asked.

    Ibaeran then crouched down on the grass covered floor and then said, ¡°I¡¯m confused, I don¡¯t know what to do any more¡±, her voice grew heavy with tear droplets forming in her eyes as she spoke.

    Ton¡¯Onama then joined her on the floor.

    ¡°As the Su Baera, I¡¯m supposed to be a protector not just to my people. I¡¯m supposed to warrior meant to stand and fight for peace and order, and yet¡­¡± tears began to drip down from her eyes.

    ¡°How can I feel so strong and yet be so weak. I feel the tremendous power of the Su Baera coursing my veins and yet I feel so powerless. What kind of Su Baera am I supposed to be when I can¡¯t even bring myself to fight¡± said Ibaeran with tears streaming down from her eyes.

    ¡°That journal I gave to you, did you finish it because if you did she should have understood by now that being the means being both the most power and the powerless¡± asked Ton¡¯Onama.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what Ton¡¯Onama said stopped crying turned to Ton¡¯Onama.

    ¡°Do you honestly think my uncle never had any moments of weakness, where he felt powerless despite the fact that he was the Su Baera¡± said Ton¡¯Onama.

    Ibaeran upon hearing what Ton¡¯Onama said, recalled moments within the pages of the journal that belonged to the former Su Baera that came before her, moments crafted within those old sheets of power where all Menjikiri did was lament with sorrow and an aching heart within his writing of moments of weakness, moments where he wished he could have done more, moments he wished he so powerless to prevent, moments where the great Su Baera was weak.

    ¡°You are not the first Su Baera in history to feel lost and overwhelmed by the great responsibility that came with being the Su Baera. Every Su Baera fought their own wars and battles. And to the naked eye, those battles may seem easy to win, especially for someone as great and powerful as the Su Baera but in reality, those wars and battles are greater than whatever power the Su Baera may possess¡± said Ton¡¯Onama on his face.

    ¡°And that¡¯s makes the Su Baera so great. It isn¡¯t the power, no, it¡¯s fact the Su Baera a person who constantly has to fight a foe far greater than the power they possess and that¡¯s because isn¡¯t there, it¡¯s in here¡±, said Ton¡¯Onama as he pointed at Ibaeran¡¯s chest.

    ¡°The one place where a being as great as the Su Baera is at his most vulnerable¡±, said Ton¡¯Onama.

    Ton¡¯Onama then let out a deep sigh before getting up, about to leave Ibaeran to contemplate on her on and figure out what path she would choose to take, the path of a submissive slave or the path of the Su Baera but before he left he gave her one final piece of advice in the form of these words, ¡°When we first met I made it abundantly clear that I would not try in any way to persuade to fight against the king¡¯s tyrannical rule and that¡¯s because you are the Su Baer, not a slave to be commanded and used . The power that currently flows through is yours to command as you see fit. Know this, whatever path you choose to walk on, whatever choice you make, walk it and make it because you believe it¡¯s right. Don¡¯t be a slave to anyone, not the Uha Tamunarans, the king, or your fears. Be who you are meant to be, a warrior of peace and order, a protector, be the Su Baera¡±.

    And with those word said Ton¡¯Onama took his leave, leaving Ibaeran alone seated by the lake to ponder on his words.

 Change 60

    The sun slowly began to dip down and the sky turned a reddish orange. Ibaeran looked out to the horizon and saw the sun setting from afar signaling that evening was upon her and the shadow of the night was fast approaching.

    She didn¡¯t have much time left, shifting her gaze to the towering palace that stood not to far away from the grassy floor she sat on, Ibaeran pondered to herself, what was she going to do, fight or do what came naturally to her, cower and submit. As fear and submission was all she knew to do when faced with powers greater than herself, her Uha Tamunaran masters made sure to beat it in to her along with every single slave that dared to defy them in anyway. Fearing them was all she knew and even with the power of the Su Baera, she just couldn¡¯t make that fear go away. She felt as though that fear was imbedded in to her and she just couldn¡¯t bring herself to stop being afraid of them especially the king, the greatest monster of them all whose power was only rivaled by his level of cruelty. As a slave she was taught to fear the Uha Tamunarans but as for the king, the mere mention of his name alone was enough to make her cower and tremble in fear. And even though she knew all the horrible and inhumane, and despicable acts he was responsible for, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to let go of her fears and face him as the Su Baera.

    She knew what had to do, such a monster as cruel and twisted as the king had to be put down for the sake of not just her people but everyone including the Uha Tamunarans. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to ignore the evil he was responsible for and knew that for the sake of the world, something had to be done. She then brought out Menjikiri¡¯s journal and simply stared at it for a few brief moments while reminiscing on the tale told within its page, tale of a warrior of immense power and strength who despite standing tall with a power that far exceed everyone and everything around, chose to live a life in servitude to the world, being it¡¯s protector and wanting not more than that to save it, even if it was from itself. It was truly a remarkable tale, *sigh* it¡¯s a shame it ended in a tragedy.

    Ibaeran then took a deep breath while looking at the two items in her possession, one source of all of life and key to the power that tyrannically king Datubo hunger for and the other tale of the champion the world needed to be. Then after then, after a few moments of contemplation as the sun went completely down and shadow of the night took over, Ibaeran let out a final sigh before extending out the steel from her back and taking off, flying towards the palace to fulfill her duty ether as a slave or the Su Baera.

    The king seated on his branding throne that was a massive as a house, the towering regal giant wore an impatient look on his face with a finger violently tapping the handle of his massive throne. The look of impatient, as the sky slowly grew darker and darker, slowly began to morph in to look of rage and fury, as he began to internally contemplate of setting the entire ablaze if that blasted slave girl didn¡¯t come bursting through the doors his eyes were fixed on with his Dumo Stone. Those dark thoughts seemed as though they were moments away from becoming reality at moment as his power slowly began to leak out of his due to the intense rage and fury he was feeling at that moment, making the air around feel heavy and grow still.

    The king then sensed a familiar present enter the palace and was making her to him. He then smile in joy and anticipation as he continued to tolerate being patient knowing his prize was coming.

    Ibaeran then burst through the doors to the throne, flying in with steel wings of the Su Baera attached to her back and there she found none other the king who stood as tall as mountain and on a throne that suited his massive stature.

    ¡°You have finally arrived Su Baera and here I was thinking that you might have fled out of fear¡±, the king spoke while chuckling.

    Ibaeran land on to floor not too far away the king, looking up at him and seeing massive beast before, a beast who she detested above all else and at the very same time feared like no one. She felt her body began to tremble and shake along with her that pounded from within her chest as she stood within the massive shadow of the king.

    The king after taking a moment to laugh turned to Ibaeran, with his gaze turning cold and serious, resembled the gaze of a beast ready to lash out and devour anything within a moment¡¯s notice, before saying, ¡°The Dumo Stone¡±.

    The king then extended out his massive hand with an open palm to receive the Dumo Stone, the source of the ultimate power.

    Ibaeran upon seeing the massive open palm extended out to her paused for a moment as she began to contemplate what she was going to do. Looking at the arm stretched out to her and seeing glimpses of two horrible possibilities, one filled with torment and the bloodshed of her very own people, and the other was one where the world was plunged in to a greater evil by a Datubo madden and consumed by the power of life itself. Both paths laid before seemed to all lead down to dark and grim fate for her people and the world and wasn¡¯t sure which to take so she just stood there motionless while staring at the opened palm presented to her.

    She then heard Ton¡¯Onama words echoing in her head:

    ¡°¡­ whatever path you choose to walk on, whatever choice you make, walk it and make it because you believe it¡¯s right. Don¡¯t be a slave to anyone, not the Uha Tamunarans, the king, or your fears. Be who you are meant to be, a warrior of peace and order, a protector, be the Su Baera¡±

    Be the Su Baera were the final and last words of wisdom Ton¡¯Onama gave to her, and at that very moment those words were the only she had to guide and help make a decision between the two paths before her. The Su Baera was meant a guardian and protector, a warrior that stood firm and strong against the evils of the world and that was what Ibaeran had to be for the world¡¯s sake. So, she took in a deep breath and steeled her resolve before daring to look the king in the eye and say, ¡°No¡±.

    There was a moment of silence in the air the moment that word left her lips as both Ibaeran and the king were taken aback by the word Ibaeran dared to utter in defiance against the king. Ibaeran upon hearing the word as she uttered it, felt her skip a bit and for a moment she was certain her soul had departed from her body, *sigh* but still she choose to stand by those and ignore the overwhelming fear and dread she felt during that moment that far exceeded anything she had ever felt before, she was the Su Baera after all.

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    The king looked at her with a look of shock and disbelieve, find it hard to hard to believe that Ibaeran had dared to utter a word in defiance against him and for a very brief moment a part of him began to worry as he recalled of Niyanlafu¡¯s warning about Ibaeran but then he casted his gaze upon hear and listened to the way her heart pounded underneath her chest before chuckling lightly and slamming his down had to handle of his throne.

    Ibaeran then felt the air around grew thick and heavy before she began to struggle to take a breath. She then felt an overwhelming pressure pull her down to the ground.

    ¡°Su Baera¡±, his voice boomed like thunder.

    ¡°When I asked for the Dumo Stone I was simply being casual but I am still king¡±, the spoke with his elbow rested at the handle of his and his face on his arm while looking down at her as though he was watching a worm struggling to crawl.

    Ibaeran then tried summoning the strength to get up only to manage to raise her head and spot the king with a devilish grin on her face and as she did so she felt a wave of fear and horror wash over her. She then, at the instance her gaze met the king¡¯s, felt all her strength vanish and her head went back down to the ground.

    The king just smiled as watched Ibaeran struggling to get up only to fall underneath the pressure of his overwhelming power.

    ¡°Did you honestly believe you stood a chance against me¡±, said the king before lifting up a single one of his fingers and causing Ibaeran rise off from the ground and reach his face.

    He then stared at her with his one good eye before chuckling a little.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know whether to feel insulted or amused at you¡±, the king said while chuckling lightly.

    ¡°You know, there was a time along, long, long time ago where the mere mention of the Su Baera would could my heart to tremble with fear. Defeating the Su Baera back then was an impossible; many ambitious kings had tried before me. The E¡¯Uhas and E¡¯Tamunarans before they were unified both tried invading the nations of man but they never succeeded because of the Su Baera¡±, said the king with a smile on his face.

    ¡°Oh how they feared the great Su Baera even to the point that they were willing to swallow their prides and end their petty squabbles and a rivalry that had lasted for as long as the two races had existed and make peace with each other all because a Su Baera threatened to wipe them all out if they didn¡¯t¡± said the king with chuckle.

    The king then brought Ibaeran closer to him.

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen the Su Baera face to face¡±, the king said as crushed his hand to a tight fist, crashing her with his power.

    ¡°I¡¯ve watched tear through legions upon legions of the finest Uha Tamunaran soldiers as though they were nothing¡±, said the king as fist already clenched fist tighten causing his grip over her tightened as well, crashing and squeezing the life out of her.

    Ibaeran tried her very best to summon the power, strength she needed to break free from the king¡¯s hold on her but try as she may, every time she looked in to his eyes and saw that twisted grin on his face that seem to lit up as he watched her struggle, whatever strength she managed to muster vanished in an instant.

    The king then placed an arm on his eye patch, before saying, ¡°I fought the Su Baera in the greatest battle fought on the on earth and this is the mark he left behind. The Su Baera was warrior who understood what he had to do and did it, not a coward and spineless little slave girl who can do nothing but cower and tremble with fear¡±, the king¡¯s last words were laced with bitterness and disgust.

    He then used his power to fling out of his sight and send flying before crashing straight in to a wall. Ibaeran then fell to the ground in immense and excruciating pain.

    ¡°I thought it was crystal clear from the very begin¡±, Ibaeran heard the king¡¯s voice from the floor, her vision slowly blurring up as struggled not to lose consciousness due to the overwhelm pain her body was in.

    ¡°You were never meant to be the Su Baera and from the very beginning you were nothing more than a tool to be used to achieve my goals¡± the king the extended his hand and used his power to reach out and grab hold of something.

    Ibaeran eyes widened with fear and shock upon spotting a familiar box flying away from her grasp and towards the king.

    ¡°Those wings never made you the Su Baera Ibaeran, you still are and always a slave. That¡¯s reason why you¡¯re down there gravelling underneath my feet and have this¡±, said the king as the box landed on his open palm.

    The words hurt Ibaeran form more than the pain in tremendous pain she felt flowing through her body. To hear that, after everything she had been through up until that point and despite the power of the Su Baera flowing through her, she was still a slave inflicted pain far greater than any physical wound could.

    He then crashed it within his palm and then smiled upon seeing the brilliant glow of emerald light escaping from his clenched hand.

    ¡°N-no¡±, Ibaeran spoke softly as she mustered whatever she could to try and get back up on her two feet.

    ¡°Your majesty please, you don¡¯t understand. That power is nothing something that should be trifled with¡±, Ibaeran begged the king, knowing that power would consume he wasn¡¯t able to control.

    The king just smiled wickedly before turning to look with green glowing veins beginning to form on the very arm he held the stone with.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m well aware how great the power of life is. Such raw, savage, and untamable power, it¡¯s very reason I sought for it. And now it¡¯s all mine¡±, The king¡¯s voice morphed in to a distort almost beastly one before he began laughing like a mad man with his laugh slowly transforming in to the yells, howl, and roar of beast.

    Ibaeran then looked upon him with an even great level of horror and dread on her as she was currently witness one of her worst fear, the king of Uha Tamunaran completely and utter consumed with the savage power life itself.

    The ground then began to tremble and shake, then massive roots and vines began sprouting out from the ground and spreading everywhere. Ibaeran, sensing a massive vine was about to sprout out from underneath her feet, leap of the ground and flew away, dodging the massive vine by a hair.

    Ibaeran let out a deep sigh before shifting her gaze to the king whose beastly roar like yell continued to echo all throughout the palace with the vines growing and surrounding themselves around him before wrapping and sealing him within them.

    Ibaeran was taken aback upon the king be completely wrapped and sealed within the vines but was brought back in to reality upon seeing another vine sprout of the ground with it splitting and forming massive mouth filled with razor sharp and wide open to consume Ibaeran. Ibaeran then quickly, flew high up, bursting through the palace¡¯s roof, narrowing the massive green jaws chasing after her.

    Ibaeran then let out a sigh of relief, thankful that managed to escape, albeit narrowly, the green jaws of death that was after her. She then looked the palace below her, seeing the way the vines and roots continued to spread throughout the palace, with a single thought crossing he mind, ¡°What have I done?¡±

 Chapter 61

    Ibaeran raced through the sky, flying as fast as she could before arriving at the small wooden cabin within the garden the one place she could thing of go to for help during that time. Once there she land on the floor with the steel wings vanishing she quickly raced to the door.

    ¡°Ton¡¯Onama, I need you help¡±, Ibaeran said desperately as she burst through the door only to find Ton¡¯Onama¡¯s back with his face staring blankly on the wall in silence.

    ¡°Ton¡¯Onama¡±, Ibaeran spoke cautiously, sense that something wrong as she took a few step closer to him.

    ¡°Is everything okay¡±, she asked, her voice laced with a look of fear and concern.

    She then stretched out her hand, reaching out to him before hand could make contact with him; he lashed out and attack Ibaeran with a swipe of his claws. Ibaeran managed to move fast enough to avoid the unexpected attack before raising head to look at, with pure and utter horror in her eyes, Ton¡¯Onama with his glowing emerald eyes.

    Ton¡¯Onama then looked Ibaeran, seeing the shocked and frightened looked on her face before a familiar grin formed on his face.

    ¡°Su Baera¡±, Ton¡¯Onama with a distort and twisted beastly voice that wasn¡¯t his own.

    ¡°Y-your Majesty¡±, Ibaeran spoke with an even greater look of shock, horror, and dread on her, recognizing the twist beastly voice coming from the Ton¡¯Onama¡¯s mouth.

    Ton¡¯Onama, seeing the fear in Ibaeran¡¯s eyes grow even more, took a step closer to her.

    ¡°No¡±, Ibaeran spoke, her fear and dread evident in her voice as she spoke.

    ¡°Stay away¡±, Ibaeran moved her body back in an attempt to stay away from Ton¡¯Onama.

    Ton¡¯Onama simply smiled as he watched with glee as her fear continue and grow. He then took another step closer to Ibaeran and Ibaeran, upon seeing take another step closer, got up and ran straight through the opened door.

    Ton¡¯Onama just smiled with a wicked grin as he watched her run.

    Ibaeran ran and ran and ran as fast as he legs would allow her run, sprinting through the green forest and fields, not daring to stop or turn back not even for a moment.

    ¡°You can run as much as you like Ibaeran¡± a familiar voice echoed through the forest that surrounded her.

    Ibaeran upon hearing the voice just pushed herself to run even faster.

    ¡°But there is nowhere you can go¡±, the voice spoke before Ibaeran felt something grab hold of her, causing to trip and fall.

    Ibaeran then looked down to see what had grabbed hold of her leg and found roots sprouting out of the ground, curling and wrapping itself around her leg. Ibaeran, horrified, tried to remove the roots with her other leg, stumping and kicking them in an attempt to get them off her only for more of the roots to sprout out of the ground and wrapped itself around Ibaeran.

    The roots confound and bound Ibaeran within their tight grasps, trapping her and preventing her from moving. Then vines and roots from all around then began gather around before coming together to form a familiar face which Ibaeran looked upon with a look of horror and dread.

    ¡°Your¡­Majesty¡±, Ibaeran spoke, her voice trembling and shaking with horror and fear.

    The green face of the king formed by the intersecting vines and roots smiled with sinister green before saying a beastly voice, ¡°There¡¯s nowhere to run Ibaeran. I have become one with very essence life itself. I am everywhere, within everything lives and breathes, including you¡±.

    ¡°Your Majesty you don¡¯t understand. This isn¡¯t you talking, it¡¯s power. It¡¯s too raw and savage for you to control. Please for your sake, you have to let go of this power¡±, said Ibaeran, trying her very best to make the king see reason.

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    The king upon hearing her words, yelled out with a ferocious beastly roar with his eye glowing a fierce emerald green hue, ¡°HOW DARE YOU!!!!¡±

    ¡°I am king Datubo, ruler of this world, the Uha Tamunaran empire and conquer of the four nations of man, and slayer of the Su Baera. There is no power great enough to command or conquer me, not the power of life itself of even the Su Baera¡±, said the king, refusing to listen to Ibaeran¡¯s warning.

    ¡°I know how powerful you must feel wielding that power. I felt it too the first time I used the Dumo Stone. You feel liberated and free, as if you can do anything your heart desires but with that freedom comes the urge to succumb and lose all control to your deepest, darkest, and most savage of desires. Please king Datubo, let go off the power, it¡¯s not too late¡±, said Ibaeran, begging him to relinquish then power of the Dumo Stone before it was too late.

    Datubo, upon hearing what Ibaeran just started cackling and laughing franticly like a mad man.

    ¡°Do you honestly think you can fool me? This power can never take control over me, for I am Datubo, nothing can conquer me for I conquer all¡±, said the king.

    Ibaeran then felt what she could only describe as dark savage force trying its best to take over. She then looked at the king who wore a sinister grin on his face as he watched her begin to struggle to maintain control over herself.

    ¡°Can you feel it Ibaeran, that is the power I now command breaking and twisting that will of yours in to my own¡±, said the king with a wicked smile on his green face.

    Ibaeran could feel it, the savage essence of the king with her, hunger and desire to for more and more power, stand above everyone and everything along with a feeling that felt somewhat familiar to her but was too overshadowed by the hunger for power for her to make out clearly was it was. Ibaeran tried her very best to resist and continue fighting king¡¯s will from taking over but the power seemed too much and she found herself losing in the battle of control.

    ¡°No¡±, Ibaeran cried out as she continued in her desperate struggle to maintain control.

    The king just smiled; amused by the fact that Ibaeran was still fighting desperately to in control and resist his will but all her struggling and resisting all meaningless and pointless in the. Seeing the thin green threads of life that Ibaeran to the Dumo stone along with every single living creature in their world grow dark, corrupted by his will, the king knew that it was only a matter of time before she fell along with the rest of the world, to his will and control.

    Ibaeran could feel it, her essence failing and the Datubo will taking over. She then bowed down her head and then let out a deep sigh, before bowing down her head. She had failed, failed her people, the Uha Tamunaran, and the world, and now there was no point in fight. The king already had the Dumo Stone and the world was now doomed to submit and fall to the will. And the worst part of it all was that it was all her fault.

    Reminiscing on the king¡¯s words to her right before he took the Dumo Stone from her and finding truth within them. She was never meant to be the Su Baera and was always a slave serving a wicked master.

    Ibaeran then let out a final sigh before giving up of fighting a pointless battle and allow the king¡¯s will to take over.

    The king, upon seeing that Ibaeran was no longer resisting his will, grinned happily, pleased to see that Ibaeran finally understand her place as slave who was always meant to bend to the will of her master. But however, before the king¡¯s will could completely take over Ibaeran heard a familiar faint voice in her heard call out her, saying a single word ¡°Try¡±.

    An image of people suffering in the hands of the Uha Tamunarans appeared on her face.

    ¡°Try¡±, the voice called out once again and another image of the Uha Tamunaran of Kiripapaboa abandoned by their king who found no use for them in his empire.

    ¡°Try¡±, and finally the most painful of image of them all, the image of Preyina in her final lying on her bed and making her promise to do the very words that currently ringing in her heard by that familiar voice.

    Ibaeran, upon seeing those images flash in her head, couldn¡¯t bring herself quit and simply submit to the king¡¯s evil will. Recalling everything that monster was responsible for, all the pain and hurt he had caused not to her but his people as well.

    This couldn¡¯t be the end of her story, not after she had been through, she still her promise to keep she still had to¡­¡°Try¡±, Ibaeran¡¯s entire body began to overflow with overwhelming power, causing the roots that bound and confound her tear and broke apart, freeing her from their grasp.

    The king the was taken aback at the overwhelming power felt coming from Ibaeran, overwhelming, raw, and immense, a power that change the very air that surrounded them making it feel thick and heavy. The king then watched with a look of shock, disbelief, dread and rage as the thread that connected Ibaeran to the Dumo Stone begin glow with darkness tainted it vanishing.

    ¡°No, this can¡¯t be possible. I have the ultimate power¡±, the king spoke with rage and contempt in his heart, unable to accept that Ibaeran¡¯s power was able to resist his will over.

    Ibaeran¡¯s power kept rising and rising, reaching monstrous proportion to the point to the point even the king found it hard to believe or even fathom that so much power was coming out from. The ground shook, quaked, cracked and broke apart due to how tremendous Ibaeran¡¯s power was. Ibaeran¡¯s body then shone brightly as the power continued to rise.

    The wings of the Su Baera then extended out of her back, then there was a flash of light that engulf and incinerated everything with the raw power of the Su Baera.

    And as the light dimmed down there was nothing more than a crater filled with ash and smoke.

    Ibaeran was gone.

 Chapter 62

    The king seated upon a throne made of living flesh with green vine sprouting out of it, his eyes closed shut before letting out a deep sigh opened them revealing that one of the glowed with the radiant green light of life. The eye that the king had lost all those eyes ago during his battle with the Su Baera was now replaced with the Dumo Stone, the source of all of life.

    ¡°Where is she?¡± the king asked himself with frustration in his voice as he spoke.

    The Dumo Stone, the power of life itself, the ultimate power now in his grasp, connected him to every single living creature on the world and allowed him to make every single one of them to submit to his will and be under his complete and utter control, and yet she, a lonely slave girl was able to resist the power of the Dumo Stone, and as though that alone was enough the power she unleashed during that moment was enough to completely destroy every single thing around her. The king then placed his hand on the eye where the Dumo Stone was imbedded and wondered if he didn¡¯t have its power would he have been able to wit stand that power.

    The king then let out a deep sigh. It didn¡¯t matter. Even if the power that that slave possess was great, he had the Dumo Stone, the power of itself in his finger tips and no matter how great of a power she possessed, there was n where it would be enough to go against him.

    But apart from the astonishing power she displayed something else troubled the king and that was the fact that he could not Ibaeran presence in the world. The Dumo Stone connects him to every single living thing in the world and yet he couldn¡¯t sense her.

    He knew she wasn¡¯t dead because he could still feel her life line connected to the Dumo Stone but he just couldn¡¯t figure out where she had disappeared, it was almost as though she had vanished from the face of the earth.

    The king then let out beastly growl out of the frustration he felt over the fact that he could not seem to find why Ibaeran had ran off. The frustration soon turned in to an intense rage and then, as though the king¡¯s mind had been temporally taken over by a savage and primal force he got from his throne and roared out like savage beast.

    His fearsome roared echoed throughout, shaking the ground and surrounding walls before he finally stopped.

    The king, realizing himself, sat back on his throne while wondering why he just out such a fearsome roar, recalling the intense fury and rage right before he felt the sudden urge to let out that roar. Rage of such intensity along with that savage impulse to roar as though he was nothing more that savage beast was a feeling that was foreign to him.

    The king then felt something, it was faint, so faint that he was barely able to notice it but it was there. It felt like an urge of some sort, a faint hunger and desire for freedom, yarning akin to that of a caged beast waiting for his shackles to be undone and to be let out of his cage.

    Datubo felt trails of sweats begin to fall down from his face as he began to slowly struggle to maintain a stable mind, feeling urge and hunger grow more and more with each breath he took.

    ¡°You should have listened when I tried to warn you Datubo¡±, a familiar voice echoed through the wind.

    ¡°Niyanlafu¡±, Datubo grunted in annoyance and rage.

    Niyanlafu appeared before Datubo with a sinister grin on his face.

    ¡°Is something wrong Datubo, are you sick¡±, Niyanlafu spoke with fake concern and a mocking smile on his face.

    Datubo hearing Niyanlafu¡¯s taunts, summoned every single ounce of will power he could muster in his current to resist the urge rip his throat out.

    ¡°Why are you here¡±, the king asked without even making an attempt to hide the rage and distain he felt due to Niyanlafu¡¯s presence.

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    ¡°Why else than congratulate the oh so great king Datubo who ignore all my warning and sought after a power he was never meant to be wielded by him, a power that was far beyond him, too great for him to control, a power that is slowly consuming him as we speak¡±, said Niyanlafu with a wicked grin on his face.

    Datubo upon hearing what Niyanlafu said simply grinded teeth and grunted, with every single fiber of his being yelling out for him to descend upon down upon Niyanlafu with his full might and fury, but *sigh*, Datubo chose, summoning whatever little miniscule speck of willpower he could muster to maintain his composure. Even though looking down on Niyanlafu from his might throne and seeing the way he taunted and mocked him with that sly grin on his face made his blood boil from with, he chose to remain calm.

    Datubo then extended his hand to Niyanlafu. Since Niyanlafu believed that the power he possessed was one that was too great for him and could not control, he would show he just how much control he had over that great power. But then, as Datubo stretched out his hand to Niyanlafu, intending to bend him to his will and control using the power of the Dumo Stone, the king¡¯s widened in shock while the grin on Niyanlafu¡¯s face only grew wider.

    ¡°Oh your majesty, are you sure you haven¡¯t fallen ill. You look so pale, almost as though you¡¯ve seen ghost or Something much more horrifying¡±, Niyanlafu spoke with his voice becoming twisted and beastly, and his eyes turning patch black.

    ¡°What...what are you?¡± the king asked with mix of shock, confusion, and fear in his voice as he looked out to creature that stood before him with the Dumo Stone imbedded in his eye, seeing the delicate green threads that every single living thing in both their world and the numerous worlds in existence to the Dumo Stone the source of life itself but no thread was connected Niyanlafu.

    Niyanlafu upon hearing what the king said simply smiled and laugh at him before saying with his twisted and monstrous voice, ¡°Something that is far beyond you feeble comprehension¡±.

    The king looked at Niyanlafu just what kind of existence stood before. The life line of every single living creature in existence was meant to be connected to the Dumo Stone, and he, now wielding the Dumo Stone could sense that connection within every single living creature across all worlds and yet, he felt absolutely nothing coming from Niyanlafu.

    It was almost as though he was dead, no, more like he very existence was nonexistent, a being that was even though he shouldn¡¯t be, a being that went against the natural order, a being of chaos.

    ¡°This can¡¯t be, I have the ultimate power¡±, the king began to rambling to himself as though he was reaching the brink of madness.

    ¡°I feel it. The power of life itself flowing through me, connecting me with every single living thing in this world, allowing me to bend it all to my will and yet¡­¡± the king¡¯s locked on to Niyanlafu who stared back at him with pitch black eye condescendingly with sly grin on his face.

    The king then began to about how Ibaeran, a weak and pathetic slave managed resist his will and control over her despite the fact that he had the power of Dumo Stone, and now Niyanlafu, a being who¡¯s existence seem to somehow contradict and defy life itself could not be controlled by him even with the power of the Dumo Stone.

    The king, looking at the mocking grin on Niyanlafu¡¯s face, felt his confusing morph in to frustration and from frustration in intense savage rage that made he to slowly begin to lose control over himself.

    ¡°What¡­happening¡­to me?¡± the king struggled as he felt his body begin to be overwhelmed by a power too great for him to contain.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you claim to be able to command fire¡±, Niyanlafu asked with the same condescending grin on his face.

    ¡°So command it before it completely consumes you¡±, Niyanlafu spoke, with his wicked grin widen more as he spoke.

    His eyes then began to radiant and fierce radiant green, Datubo then felt the shackles and cage holding back the savage beast with snap and burst open. The king then felt an overwhelming and savage wave of power wash over him, it was greater than anything he had ever felt before, rose and rose, reaching height far beyond anything the king could ever fathom before but that power soon grew beyond he could contain and control and the great king Datubo found himself being consumed by the power he sought for.

    The king then let out wild, savage and deafen roar that echoed out of his of his palace spread on to every corner of the world. The king¡¯s body then began to morph and change, transforming in to something through monstrous, a horrific reflection of twisted, bitter, and miserable monster within.

    Datubo¡¯s body transformed and grew to the point where his body became far too large to be contained within the palace causing it to shatter and collapse as he body kept growing.

    Niyanlafu just smirked with sly grin on his face before vanishing within a thick dark mist that surrounded him in an instant as the debris of the shattered roof and pillar that once held the palace firmly on its foundation rained down.