《Awakening: Volume 1 of the Vanquisher Series》 Chapter 1: The Wildlife Protection Unit
¡°How about we kill them all today, Captain?¡± Tsongu often liked to joke around, saying the most bizarre things. But this? Narvari Shar didn¡¯t think this was a joke. Even Narvari herself had been thinking the same thing ever since the raids in Kirriba Plains began. Putting a bullet into the heads of every one of those damn poachers would certainly soothe her tormented soul. But of course, ¡®that was not Sharmandi¡¯s way of doing things.¡¯ Governor Andaga¡¯s words, not hers. And so, here she was with her nine-member team on this dark chilly night when she could be snuggling under the covers of her soft blanket, preferably with a book in hand, and hot chocolate in the other?¡ª?or on a table. It would be a chore to balance both items at once. Okay, she needed to focus. Ignoring the sudden urge to sip some hot chocolate drink, she adjusted the night vision scope on her sniper rifle. She crouched on her flat belly, the tall wet savanna cloaking her presence as she focused her gaze on the herd of bazwu resting in the plains. A few of them breastfed their calf or caressed them with their long heavy trunks. Narvari took a moment to appreciate the majestic sight of the West African four-tusk elephants. Almost twice the size of regular African elephants with twice the number of tusks, their presence was like the ocean with their beautiful azure hides. It was no wonder these poor creatures were so highly targeted. The only sign of life was the cries of the nocturnal creatures lurking in the vast grassland. Somewhere hidden in the darkness, she knew her team was waiting for her command. Narvari, on the other hand, waited patiently for Eagle stationed back in the command center of Sharmandi Tower. Eagle was their eyes and ears for the operation. Earlier, Narvari and her team had received amber alerts from Sharmandi Tower about poachers sneaking into the plains. But after showing up and waiting in the shadows for almost half an hour, Eagle had still not spotted a single poacher. Did the poachers finally give up? Narvari thought. Maybe they got tired of being defeated by the WPU every single time. No, she doubted that was the case. Those spawns of hell were too charred in the brain to give up on killing endangered species. Maybe they were already here but Eagle was having trouble locating them. It was only Motongo¡¯s first time as Eagle after all. Don¡¯t panic, Narvari. Motongo will be fine. That boy was only half her age, but he was smarter than his older brother and Narvari combined. She had faith in him. ¡°We have company, Cap,¡± Motongo¡¯s small voice blared in her ears. Impeccable timing. Narvari flashed a smile. ¡°How many?¡± ¡°I count five. About six kilometers northeast.¡± Narvari narrowed her eyes. How did they get so close? She focused her scope on the northeast. Something slithered in the grassland. Five things, actually. And they were heading straight to the unsuspecting bazwu. If only the bazwu would thrust their tusks into those devils. Unfortunately, the bazwu were some of the most gentle and peaceful creatures on earth despite their size. Fortunately, Narvari was none of those things. Damn poachers. ¡°Squad One,¡± she said, ¡°Do you have eyes on them?¡± ¡°We have a clear shot, Captain,¡± came Tsongu¡¯s husky voice. Tsongu had rightfully earned the title of Sniper King for his deadly accuracy in shooting from extremely long distances. ¡°Take the shot.¡± ¡°With pleasure.¡± Narvari heard the smile in his voice. The slithering suddenly halted as the poachers sank into the grass. ¡°Eagle.¡± ¡°Cap.¡± ¡°Where are the others?¡± ¡°I see none, Cap.¡± ¡°Strange.¡± It was Dawuli¡¯s rich baritone voice. At forty-three, he was the oldest and most experienced soldier in the WPU. Five years ago, Dawuli had encouraged Narvari to take the Captain¡¯s Test and then mentored her every step of the way when she became WPU¡¯s youngest captain. ¡°What?¡± asked Narvari. ¡°Last night there were eleven of them. But today there are only five?¡± Narvari nodded. She had thought about it too. ¡°Something doesn¡¯t add up.¡± In only the past week, there had been four raids in the Kirriba Plains with each raid bigger than the last. These people were certainly up to something if only five poachers had shown up. ¡°Eagle, do a 360.¡± ¡°Roger that, Cap.¡± Narvari waited with bated breath as Motongo did a thorough sweep of the plains. ¡°Oh no, Cap. It¡¯s an ambush.¡± Narvari sighed. ¡°How many?¡± ¡°At least two dozen people. They are heavily armed.¡± ¡°Mercenaries. Same group as last night. What¡¯s their position?¡±If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Lofanu Boulders. Sorry, Cap. I didn¡¯t see them before.¡± ¡°No worries, kiddo. You¡¯re doing great.¡± If the mercenaries were hiding at Lofanu Boulders, then they were only a few meters away from the border. How did they even get past the Dorbenese border patrol in the first place? It was illegal to hunt here, and it was even worse when the hunted was the bazwu. The bazwu had only survived all this time because the Kirriba protected them for generations. This sacred duty existed even long before Narvari¡¯s grandfather created the Wildlife Protection Unit. Not one bazwu had been lost to poachers when her grandfather was captain. Neither had that happened while her father, who she would rather not think about, was captain. It certainly would not happen today when she was captain.¡± ¡°To Lofanu Boulders everyone. Keep it quiet.¡± ¡°Yes, Captain.¡± Narvari rose from her crouching position. The only source of light was the half-moon gracing the black starless sky. Her goggles made it possible to navigate the thick darkness. ¡°Eagle, keep me posted,¡± she said, dashing through the night. ¡°Yes, Cap.¡± Although Narvari could not hear her soldiers¡¯ footsteps, she knew they were following her, weaving through the grass silently like the wind. It was a WPU specialty?¡ª?sneak up on your enemy when they least expected and then strike. Thankfully, the darkness together with the long golden grass kept them hidden. The massive boulders came into sight a few minutes later and Narvari slowed her pace. The heat sensors within her goggles sensed something. Or someone. Whoever it was must have sensed her presence too because the person suddenly shot at her. Narvari meandered her body, swiftly dodging the bullet. She somersaulted a few feet away. The mercenary was not done with her. He opened fire. Continuously. Narvari lunged from boulder to boulder, bullets closely tailing her like a shadow of fireworks. She flipped backward landing like an Olympic gymnast behind the mercenary. The mercenary paused as if wondering where Narvari had disappeared. ¡°Are you looking for me?¡± she smirked. He spun around but she was already in his face, simultaneously kicking the gun out of his hand and punching him in the throat. He wheezed and staggered backward with an even paler face. ¡°Why do you keep coming back?¡± she asked, sauntering towards the man in slow calculating steps. ¡°We keep sending you back, and you keep coming back. Do you have a fetish for getting beat up or something?¡± Even in his disoriented state, the man managed to retrieve a Glock from his waist. This idiot. She rolled her eyes. In a flash, before he could aim his gun, she snatched it from him. She quickly detached the magazine and let it drop to the floor. He froze, gaping at Narvari with wide green eyes. ¡°What the fuck are you people?¡± The harshness of his voice pricked Narvari¡¯s eardrums. Narvari hurled the handgun into his face. He lost his balance and fell flat on his ass. ¡°The bazwu are not yours to take,¡± said she. ¡°How many times do I have to get it through your thick skulls?¡± He clenched his teeth, the shock slowly morphing into anger. The look on his face said that he would not be bested by some teenage girl with attitude. He scrambled to his feet, glaring at Narvari with that bloody gash on his face. ¡°The Boss will never stop,¡± he seethed. Narvari¡¯s step faltered. ¡°Who the hell is your boss?¡± ¡°He¡¯ll keep coming until he gets what he wants.¡± Until he gets what he wants? Was he referring to the bazwu? It must be. Why else would they stubbornly keep coming back to the Kirriba Plains? ¡°If you know what¡¯s good for you,¡± the mercenary said, oblivious to Narvari¡¯s inner dilemma, ¡°you¡¯ll give him what he wants. You don¡¯t want to get on his bad side.¡± ¡°And you do not want to get on my barely good side.¡± Her gaze chilled. ¡°Stay away from our plains or next time we won¡¯t be so welcoming.¡± Fury clouded his eyes. He was out for blood, she could sense it. He suddenly withdrew a hunting knife strapped to his leg. How many weapons did this man carry on himself? He was one persistent idiot, she would give him that. Brandishing the weapon, he lunged toward her like a crazed bull in a rodeo. Sheer reflexes kicked in as Narvari pulled the tranquilizer gun from her belt holster. She shot a dart into his neck, sending the man¡¯s limp body sprawling on the grass. A great sense of boredom overwhelmed her. What kind of ill-trained mercenaries were these? She didn¡¯t even get to fight properly. A barely inaudible shuffling caught her ears. She stilled, listening. Something was coming from behind her. With her index finger dancing dangerously close to the trigger, she spun around and pointed her tranquilizer gun at the mountain of a man emerging from the shadows. ¡°It¡¯s me, Captain.¡± Dawuli raised his two hands. The others trailed behind him. Narvari lowered her gun. ¡°All done?¡± ¡°All done.¡± Dawuli nodded like the answer was that obvious. ¡°Everyone alright?¡± Her eyes took a quick headcount of all eight of her soldiers. None of them was detached from their limbs. Good. Satisfied that her team was fine, Narvari knelt beside the unconscious man and scrutinized his armored gear. These people had come prepared for war?¡ª?no doubt about it. ¡°It¡¯s the same group as last night. Look at the symbol.¡± Narvari touched the emblem of a crow on the man¡¯s vest. ¡°Who are they?¡± asked Wobugi, the second youngest soldier in WPU?¡ª?second only to Narvari. ¡°We¡¯ve never had to deal with foreign poachers before.¡± ¡°We hardly have issues with local poachers,¡± Tsongu corrected. They were both right. The fierceness of the WPU was so ingrained into the bones of every poacher that not even the most notorious among them would dare hunt in Kirriba Plains. All that, however, changed a week ago. ¡°They are working for someone.¡± Her mind went back to her brief conversation with the unconscious man. Clearly, they were taking orders from he who would not stop until he got what he wanted. ¡°Did he say anything?¡± Dawuli asked. ¡°Not much.¡± She shrugged. Ever since the raids began, this was the closest thing to information Narvari had gathered about the poachers. ¡°Their boss must have a lot of connections because someone at the top is helping them.¡± ¡°Someone at the top?¡± another soldier asked. ¡°Who would dare do that? Kirriba Plains is out of bounds. Everyone knows this.¡± ¡°So then how did they get past the Dorbenese border patrol?¡± The implication of Narvari¡¯s words hung in the air like heavy smog. It wasn¡¯t until Dawuli cleared his throat that the spell of silence broke. ¡°Captain, I think it¡¯s too early to accuse Dorben.¡± Narvari paused thoughtfully. Maybe so. But there was a foul play going on here and Dorben was her first suspect. Their northern neighbor may not be directly involved but they were definitely turning a blind eye to the poachers invading the plains. Indeed, Kirriba Plains may be shared ancestral lands of the Kirriba people of both Dorben and Sharmandi. However, the Kirriba Treaty signed by these two countries ensured that those lands were recognized as a natural reserve for the bazwu and the host of wildlife in the plains. The Dorbenese border patrol was supposed to be arresting these poachers in the first place yet not a single arrest had been made since the raids began. Was it possible the poachers had found a way into the plains without Dorben¡¯s knowledge? She didn¡¯t know what to think. This demanded a thorough investigation. Whoever this so-called boss was must be stopped before things got worse. Narvari instructed her soldiers to gather the unconscious poachers and tie them up. ¡°What are we going to do about them? They will only keep coming back,¡± said Tsongu, tying up the man Narvari had tranquilized. If the poachers succeeded in killing even one of their bazwu, everyone else would think it was open season in Kirriba Plains. She could not let that happen. She had already decided. ¡°I will invoke the Nnadago.¡± ¡°What?¡± They gawked at her as though she had just threatened to nuke the earth. Dawuli raised a brow. ¡°But what about Korumi? You have to report to her first.¡± ¡°It will take too long.¡± Now was not the time for a hectic bureaucracy with the Minister of Environment and Wildlife Protection. This was an emergency and the Nnadago took care of emergencies.
Chapter 2: A Legend Called Yabaga
Once Eagle found the poachers¡¯ truck, Narvari and her team packed the unconscious men inside. After painting a gruesome picture with her words of the things she would do to them if they returned, the getaway driver, who looked like he would die from a heart attack, sped away into the night.
With their work done for the night, the WPU returned home. Narvari, however, made a stop at Sharmadi Tower first. Located on the outskirts of the city, Sharmandi Tower was the tallest building in Sharmandi. It was also the headquarters of four of Sharmdandi¡¯s security agencies including the Wildlife Protection Unit. ¡°So, how did I do, Cap?¡± Motongo bolted towards Narvari as soon as she alighted from her brown Land Cruiser. For someone with such a big brain, he was too small for his age. He hugged Narvari around the waist while she patted him on the back. ¡°Not bad, kiddo.¡± ¡°Not bad?¡± He lifted his head. ¡°I was incredible.¡± Narvari chuckled. She could not argue with that. While most children in Sharmandi got excited about guns and combat skills, Motongo preferred the solace of his computers and anything that involved puzzles. He would often figure out the most sophisticated tech faster than anyone and by the time he was five years old, he had already established himself as his family¡¯s tech support. At the age of six, he created a website for his mother¡¯s bakery. At the age of seven, he designed a game as a birthday present for his older brother, Jimbaga, also Narvari¡¯s best friend. So of course, when six months ago, Motongo told her that he had hopes of becoming an Eagle someday, Narvari did not wait for a moment to recommend the nine-year-old to Andai, the Chief Eagle for WPU. Andai agreed to take Motongo under his wing, teaching him everything he needed to know about their operations. And Motongo, being the quick study he was, impressed Andai enough to be given the chance to conduct his first mission as Eagle. ¡°Let¡¯s go, kiddo.¡± Narvari took his hand and led him to the car. They traversed a winding road through the expanse of grassland and scattered acacia trees. Motongo, as usual, would not stop chattering about all the fun he had. Occasionally, Narvari would ask questions to which he would happily reply in great detail. A brilliant smile adorned Narvari¡¯s smooth brown face the entire time. Soon, the outline of a gorgeous city lit brilliantly in the distance. Narvari drove past several rows of identical townhouses before finally pulling into the driveway of Motongo¡¯s three-story house. Jimbaga must have heard them arrive because he stuck his head out of the window at the top. ¡°You two had me worried.¡± Only four years ago, Jimbaga¡¯s voice was higher than a dog whistle. Today, only at eighteen, his voice was deeper than the mating call of a whale. ¡°You don¡¯t look worried,¡± Narvari said, stepping out of the car. ¡°You look like the Cheshire Cat.¡± Jimbaga laughed, his large afro bouncing to and fro. Even his hair was dramatic. ¡°I¡¯m coming down. Don¡¯t leave.¡± Narvari shrugged. ¡°I won¡¯t make any promises.¡± Motongo chuckled. ¡°Goodnight, Cap.¡± ¡°Sure, kiddo.¡± She waved back. By the time Jimbaga¡¯s tall lanky form came bobbing outside, Motongo had already left.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°So how did he do on his first day?¡± he asked. ¡°He¡¯s going places for sure.¡± With a devious grin, Narvari added, ¡°He¡¯s so smart. Are you sure you two are related?¡± ¡°Very funny.¡± He laughed. The laughter suddenly disappeared from his brown eyes. ¡°But seriously, Narvari, I was really worried. Papa wouldn¡¯t stop talking about how rampant the activity of poachers has become. What is happening?¡± ¡°I am not sure either.¡± She sighed, suddenly recalling the threatening words of the mercenary she had tranquilized. None of this made any sense to her. ¡°If your father were here, they wouldn¡¯t even have dared to come in the first place.¡± Jimbaga¡¯s mouth hung open as soon as the words flew out of his mouth. An apologetic look appeared on his face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to say that.¡± Narvari shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s the truth anyway.¡± Even when she tried hard to forget her father who abandoned her when she was a child, people would not let her. How could they? Captain Yabaga had forged an iron legacy of badassery (if that were a word) for himself and wherever she went, people would always rub it in her face. They were quick to point out the similarities or differences between father and daughter. There was indeed a time when Narvari truly admired Yabaga. The man taught her everything she knew about guns and combat, drilling into her bones what it meant to be a Kirriba warrior and a leader. Poachers feared the WPU and would never enter their lands when Yabaga was around. But now that she was captain, what was happening? Poachers had the guts to enter their lands thinking they could get away with hunting their sacred bazwu. Jimbaga was right. If her father were here, none of this would be happening. ¡°You know I¡¯m not saying that you are not a good captain,¡± Jimbaga interrupted her thoughts, slinging an arm around her shoulder. She folded her arms. ¡°But it¡¯s true though. I¡¯m not a good captain.¡± ¡°You know that¡¯s not true. You are good at your job and everyone knows that.¡± Narvari sighed. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m a good captain.¡± Jimbaga tilted his head, narrowing his dark brown eyes. It was as if he could not believe that Narvari had actually admitted she was not good enough. Narvari smirked, wiggling her eyebrows. ¡°I¡¯m not a good captain. I¡¯m a great captain.¡± Jimbaga chuckled while shaking his head. ¡°Your humility is admirable. Now I see where Motongo learned all that modesty from.¡± ¡°I know. You should learn from me too.¡± Narvari grinned. ¡°Anyway, I better get back home before the old woman kills me. I don¡¯t know where she gets all that energy from.¡± ¡°Wait, does it mean you are not coming?¡± Narvari raised a brow in confusion. Coming where? Then it dawned on her. Her mates from high school were organizing a Bonfire to celebrate their graduation. With all the raids going on, she had completely forgotten about it. ¡°Sorry. Not tonight.¡± She moved away from Jimbaga. ¡°Come on, Narvari. It¡¯s our last party with our friends before going to university.¡± Narvari halted, a smile dancing at the corner of her lips. ¡°Don¡¯t you mean your friends?¡± ¡°Exactly my point.¡± He shrugged. ¡°This is your chance to show everyone that there is more to you than being a Shar.¡± Then as if he had suddenly thought of the best sales pitch, he added, ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired of everyone being so intimidated by you?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Why would she? It saved her from unnecessary human interactions. She used to think people avoided her because she was the granddaughter of the great Erasmus Shar. Jimbaga however assured her that it was more because she had the face of someone who would burn a person to death if they so much as said ¡®hi¡¯ to her. The only reason Jimbaga had still ended up being friends with her was that he liked fire. No really. He had seen the boy juggling fire like a damn pro. He was the most social person she knew and she often wondered how they became friends in the first place. She wasn¡¯t shy by any means. In fact, people did say she was too confident for her own good. But that didn¡¯t mean she wanted to go about making friends with everyone. She wasn¡¯t a fan of places with too many people and loud music, yet she would always find herself at parties because Jimbaga would literally drag her there. She didn¡¯t entirely hate it though. Those were some of her best memories with her best friend. Besides, it was always fun watching Jimbaga dance like an ostrich while surrounded by girls. There was no doubt she would make even more amazing memories at the Bonfire tonight. But duty called. ¡°I have to prepare a draft for the invocation,¡± she said. Jimbaga paused. ¡°What invocation?¡± ¡°Nnadago.¡± Jimbaga¡¯s face paled. ¡°You¡¯re going to invoke the Nndago? Have things become that bad?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, yes.¡± She nodded. ¡°Can you not tell your father about this? I don¡¯t want him finding out unofficially before I send the draft.¡± ¡°Yes. Of course.¡± Narvari hugged her best friend. She sat in her car and before she could leave, Jimbaga said, ¡°I hope it all ends soon.¡± She hoped so too. But why was the chasm of foreboding in her heart only getting deeper?
Chapter 3: The Deranged Doctor
Doctor Hubert Stein punched the brick wall. Clenching his bruised fist, he snarled at the useless army before him. ¡°What the hell am I paying you men for?¡± The rage pulsating within him wanted to set everyone ablaze in the compound. ¡°You¡¯re telling me a group of spear-wielding nobodies chased you out while you had guns. That¡¯s what you¡¯re telling me?¡± How could these men be so useless? ¡°Sir, they were not spear-wielders,¡± one of the men protested. ¡°They were like¡­ demons. We couldn¡¯t even touch them. We can¡¯t?¡ª?¡± Stein struck the bulky man on the face, sending him toppling to the ground. ¡°Stop trying to cover up your failures, you idiots.¡± He shook his hand vigorously at them. ¡°Useless. You are all useless. I paid you good money to get me the bazwu and yet you failed me. Again. You are a bunch of useless fools.¡± ¡°Sir, if I may?¡ª?¡± ¡°You may not.¡± Stein glared at the short mercenary. ¡°But sir, we?¡ª?¡± Stein fired a bullet right in the center of his head. The mercenary slumped to the cold hard floor in his own pool of blood. Stein¡¯s furious gaze swept over the small army. ¡°I said you may not,¡± he growled, glaring at the dead man in disgust. ¡°Anyone else has anything to say?¡± Their faces were a mixture of shock and fear, no one daring to move or speak. ¡°Doctor Stein.¡± The voice came from behind. Stein recognized John Clarke¡¯s gentle voice. He turned to face him. ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± Stein replaced his revolver on his belt holster. He buried his hands in the pockets of his khaki overcoat and sauntered towards the bespectacled man. John glanced at the dead man. ¡°Bad time?¡± ¡°No.¡± Stein shrugged. ¡°Just dealing with failure. How could they be beaten by a group of spear-wielders?¡± ¡°Well, Doctor Stein, that¡¯s because the WPU is not a group of spear-wielders.¡± John adjusted his spectacles. ¡± It¡¯s Sharmandi¡¯s finest warrior with top-of-the-line weapons. It doesn¡¯t matter how many people you send there, the WPU will defend their home with their lives.¡± ¡°Then they will die trying.¡± John smiled. ¡°Or you will die trying.¡± That made Stein halt. He respected John¡¯s view for the most part since the English anthropologist had played a big role in helping him acquire bazwu from Dorben. But clearly, John didn¡¯t know Stein at all. The younger man had no idea what Stein was capable of. ¡°And what makes you think that?¡± asked Stein. ¡°Sharmandi is not Dorben,¡± he said. ¡°Unlike Dorben, Sharmandi cares about protecting its bazwu population.¡± Stein raised a brow. ¡°What are you talking about? Dorben gave me the permit to hunt in Kirriba Plains. Sharmandi can¡¯t stop me from getting what¡¯s mine.¡± ¡°Dorben gave you a permit?¡± John narrowed his eyes. ¡°Of course. I bought my way into Kirriba Plains. Those greedy idiots will sell their own children if you pay enough.¡± Stein chuckled in disdain. John paused as if considering something odd. ¡°That can¡¯t be right.¡± ¡°Do I look like I care about the morality of it all?¡± ¡°You misunderstand my words, Doctor Stein,¡± said John. ¡°I meant Dorben doesn¡¯t have the right to grant anyone permission to hunt in Kirriba Plains.¡± The confusion must have been visible on Stein¡¯s face because John sighed in frustration and said, ¡°You do know that Dorben and Sharmandi are two different countries, right?¡± ¡°Look, I don¡¯t care about such things,¡± said Stein. ¡°That¡¯s what I hired you for. What I want is my four-tusk elephants and I¡¯ve already paid for them.¡± ¡°You paid off Dorben, not Sharmandi.¡± ¡°Same thing.¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± Stein clenched his jaw. ¡°Were you not the same man who said Sharmandi is one of the eight provinces of Dorben?¡± ¡°I think you misunderstood me, Doctor Stein,¡± said John. ¡°What I said was that Dorben and Sharmandi share such a strong bond that the Dorbenese affectionately refer to Sharmandi as the eighth province of Dorben. They may be one island, but they are still two different countries.¡± Stein frowned. He had been so obsessed with getting his hands on the four-tusk elephants that he had not had time for these things. Besides, Dorben and Sharmandi used the same currency, had the same official language, and freely traveled across their territories without any travel documents. It was easy to assume that Sharmandi was a province in Dorben, especially given how tiny Sharmandi was in terms of both size and population.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Stein glanced at the small empty compound, his eyes falling on the armed men quietly following every word of their conversation. ¡°Clean up the mess,¡± he instructed, nodding at the dead body sprawled on the ground. ¡°Come with me, John.¡± Maybe it was time he knew better about the people standing in his way.
Inside Stein¡¯s living room, the cool breeze from the air conditioner was a welcome to the blazing inferno coursing through his veins. People not giving him what he wanted always got on his last fucking nerves. ¡°What do you know about Sharmandi?¡± Stein¡¯s gaze would not leave the dark-haired man. John Clarke smiled. ¡°Doctor Stein, are you familiar with the village, Kirrimandi?¡± This man and his cryptic ways, Stein thought. After working closely with John for a few months, he knew that the anthropologist always had a good reason for bringing up seemingly irrelevant things. Stein would just have to play along. Burying his impatience, Stein shook his head. ¡°Never heard of it.¡± ¡°It literally means Land of the Kirriba,¡± said John. ¡°In the 1800s when Europe raced to get a piece of Africa, many wanted this kingdom. Like most of Africa, Kirrimandi was a land of vast natural wealth. They had water resources, vegetation, mineral deposits, and flourishing wildlife, most of which cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Like the bazwu.¡± Stein raised a brow. Was Kirrimandi referring to Sharmandi then? Or was it Dorben? These were the only places in the world where four-tusk elephants existed. ¡°The Kirriba were brave warriors who fought fearlessly to keep their home free from invaders,¡± John continued. ¡°But bravery is not enough if your enemy wields a gun and all you have is a spear.¡± As if he had remembered an inside joke, John laughed. ¡°Yes, Kirrimandi was made up of a group of spear-wielders, Doctor Stein.¡± ¡°What happened to them?¡± ¡°Well, long story short, Kirrimandi became a British colony,¡± said John, ¡°and it was renamed South Rodenshire.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Stein narrowed his eyes. ¡°But I do not see the point of this history lesson, John.¡± John gave one of those smiles that showed that he knew something no one did. ¡°1942,¡± he said. ¡°Everything changed in 1942.¡± Stein Scoffed. ¡°Let me guess. They achieved independence but still rely on everyone else for everything just like the rest of Africa.¡± ¡°You¡¯re half correct,¡± said John. ¡°In 1942, South Rodenshire did achieve independence. And that was thanks to the action of one man. Erasmus Shar.¡± Stein tilted his head. ¡°Erasmus Shar? I think I know that name.¡± ¡°Of course you do, Doctor Stein. Everyone knows the name.¡± John laughed. ¡°You know, the Kirriba don¡¯t have last names so it¡¯s not clear if Erasmus Shar was Kirriba or not. We know nothing about him except that he was an engineer and an explorer who changed the very lives of the Kirriba.¡± John rested his head in his palm. There was mirth in his hazel eyes as he spoke. It was like his historical lecture was giving him a lot of pleasure. ¡°Many of the accounts about the man seemed to be inflated but what is common among all of them was that Erasmus rallied the Kirriba to fight back their oppressors. He was like an army of demons conjured from the fiery pits of hell itself.¡± ¡°How poetic.¡± ¡°I assure you this is no poem, Doctor Stein. Those were the very words of Governor Luke McLean when he described Erasmus Shar. The stories say that Erasmus alone crushed the entire British army as though they were nothing but termites under his feet.¡± He shrugged. ¡°As I said, some of these stories are inflated.¡± Stein was lost in thought. He was like an army of demons conjured from the fiery pits of hell itself. He rubbed his forehead. Could it be that Erasmus Shar was actually a demon then? If he defeated an entire army by himself then that could explain where his strength had come from. ¡°Was he a demon?¡± Stein asked although he doubted a demon would help humans out of the goodness of his heart. ¡°Perhaps his fierceness put fear into the British army. Obviously, they overstated what really happened to make Erasmus seem something more than human. You know, maybe to console themselves for their defeat.¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking you if he was an actual demon from hell.¡± ¡°Demon from hell?¡± The look on John Clarke¡¯s face expressed that he had heard the silliest thing in the world. ¡°Never mind.¡± Stein was not in the mood to get into the whole concept of demonology. The less John knew, the better. ¡°What does your little story have to do with my plans to hunt the four-tusk elephants anyway?¡± John regained his composure and adjusted his square-rimmed glasses. ¡°Under Erasmus Shar¡¯s guidance, the Kirriba recovered all their ancestral lands from the British. The people unanimously installed him as their new king. With his expertise as an engineer, Erasmus rebuilt the broken kingdom. He taught them to fight and defend themselves. He built schools to educate the people and he taught them to harness their natural resources to support themselves. Let¡¯s just say that he completely transformed a formerly exploited nation into a wealthy self-reliant one.¡± John paused. He usually did that. And it was rather painful. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of achievement for one man,¡± said Stein. ¡°I guess you¡¯re right. They must be nothing but stories.¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± said John. ¡°But the progress of the people of Sharmandi is proof that Erasmus Shar did transform the nation.¡± ¡°Sharmandi?¡± John nodded. ¡°Erasmus changed the name of South Rodenshire back to Kirrimandi. But the people insisted their new country needed a new name.¡± ¡°Sharmandi,¡± Stein whispered. ¡°Absolutely,¡± said John. ¡°And do you know what Sharmandi means?¡± "Hmm..." The doctor paused thoughtfully and then whispered. ¡°Land of Shar.¡± ¡°Exactly, Doctor Stein. And believe me when I tell you that nobody messes with the Land of Shar.¡± John further explained that in 1965, three years after Dorben gained independence, Dorben and Sharmandi signed the Kirriba Treaty. The Kirriba Treaty was an economic pact that made it possible for Dorben and Sharmandi to collaborate seamlessly like one country. Perhaps, the most important aspect of the treaty was that Kirriba Plains, which extended into both countries, would be designated as a natural reserve for the bazwu. Hunting in Kirriba Plains was strictly prohibited according to the treaty. This meant that Dorben had violated the treaty by giving Stein a permit to hunt there. Stein could not care less if Dorben had broken any treaty. Those greedy bastards had already taken his bribe. Now it was time for him to collect what was his. ¡°Sharmandi will not let this happen,¡± John eyed him sternly. Stein clenched his jaws, his chest pounding in fury. He needed the tusks of the four-tusk elephants urgently for his research. He was on the verge of a breakthrough?¡ª?a breakthrough that would prove what he had always told the Vessels. The Vessels had stubbornly rejected his ideas but they would soon come back to their senses and then they would be restored to their former glory. Stein was not going to let the Kirriba stand in the way of his success. ¡°We¡¯ll see about that.¡± He clasped his hands together. John grinned. ¡°Oh. What do you plan to do?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll talk to the minister.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think Sharmandi will listen to him, do you?¡± ¡°For their sake, they better listen.¡± He was done playing nice. If there was a chance that Erasmus Shar was a demon and had trained those people, then sending in more mercenaries would be a waste of time. He would have to fight fire with fire. He had been hoping to put his experiments to the test anyway. Sharmandi wouldn¡¯t know what hit them. They would wish they had given Stein all their precious bazwu without question.
Chapter 4: A Daughters Pain The heavenly aroma of bean stew permeated the house as Narvari put the food in front of her grandmother. She patted her grandmother¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Here you go, Anana. I made you your favorite rice with egg and beans stew.¡± She had outdone herself this time. Narvari grinned. She settled in one of the dining chairs and quickly dug into her food. ¡°When did I say that was my favorite?¡± Anana asked. Narvari put her hand on her chest in exaggerated disbelief. ¡°You don¡¯t remember? These were your very words this morning, ¡®My dear precious granddaughter, can you please make me my favorite rice with egg and bean stew? Thank you very much. You know you are my favorite person in the world and everyone else can go to hell.¡¯¡± Anana glared at her while she slowly stirred rice and stew. ¡°You keep talking shit, child, and I will come over there and whoop you little black ass into Sunday.¡± Narvari chuckled. She would not even be surprised if Anana suddenly pounced on her. The old woman was well past ninety and yet had no intention of slowing down. Every day, she would often go about the house doing some menial jobs like plucking out weeds and watering her small vegetable garden. When Narvari tried to stop her, she would protest saying that she would get old if she sat down all day and did nothing. Anana had been old all of Narvari¡¯s life so what the hell was she talking about? There was not a single strand of black hair left on her head and her eyes, though less sharp than before, were still full of life. Anana silently ate her food. She often said that eating gave her time to think and so she didn¡¯t like to make any conversation as she ate. It was a sentiment Narvari wholeheartedly agreed with. Later, when they were done with their meal, Narvari returned their plates to the kitchen and washed them. She joined Anana in the living room where they watched a goofy cartoon of a forever-happy yellow sponge and a dark gloomy squid. Although Narvari preferred anime, this show always put a smile on her face. That reminded her of the time she and Jimbaga had a profoundly liberating conversation about the blasphemy of calling ¡®anime¡¯ a ¡®cartoon.¡¯ Narvari chuckled out loud. ¡°You¡¯re not going crazy on me, are you?¡± the old woman suddenly said, eyeing Narvari. That garnered a peal of laughter from Narvari. This old woman didn¡¯t mince words when it came to speaking her mind. People said she was just like her grandmother in that regard. But honestly, Anana took it to another level. The amusement in Anana¡¯s eyes dimmed. ¡°There¡¯s something I need to tell you.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Narvari lowered the volume of the TV before turning her attention to Anana. ¡°I sent your application to the university.¡± It took a second for Anana¡¯s words to register in Narvari¡¯s brain. ¡°You did what?¡± ¡°You heard me, child.¡± Trying her hardest to keep calm, Narvari asked quietly, ¡°Which school?¡± ¡°That school you¡¯ve always wanted to go to in South Africa,¡± she said. The University of Cape Town. Narvari bit her lips. ¡°That was a long time ago.¡± Narvari paused thoughtfully. ¡°How did you even send my application?¡± ¡°What? Just because I¡¯m old you think I can¡¯t do it?¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°I will have you know that I did it myself¡­ with Motongo¡¯s help, of course.¡± ¡°Motongo?¡± Narvari gaped. ¡°You made Motongo send my application?¡± Anana shrugged. ¡°I wasn¡¯t about to let his computer skills go to waste.¡± ¡°When did that happen? How come he never told me about it?¡± A mischievous glint lit in Anana¡¯s brown eyes. ¡°I told him I would die soon and haunt him for eternity if he told you anything. I knew you wouldn¡¯t let it happen if you found out about it. I mean, look at how you¡¯re reacting right now.¡± Narvari gritted her teeth. ¡°That¡¯s because I told you I would go to school right here in Sharmandi.¡± Why was this old woman so goddamn stubborn? ¡°I already told you that several times.¡±This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°I know what you said, child, and I¡¯m not listening.¡± Narvari opened her mouth to protest, but the old woman cut her off. ¡°I know you still want to go to that school. You can¡¯t fool me.¡± ¡°Well, you can¡¯t force me to leave either.¡± ¡°I can. And I will.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not leaving Sharmandi.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t stay here all your life.¡± ¡°Why not? This place is great.¡± ¡°Sure. But if you have the opportunity to see the world, you should take it. It¡¯s always what you¡¯ve wanted, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°What I want, doesn¡¯t matter.¡± This conversation needed to end. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving. End of story. The WPU needs me here. Especially with all these raids.¡± ¡°Is that really why you don¡¯t want to leave, Narvari? Your term as captain ends in a few months. ¡± Anana rested a gentle hand on Narvari¡¯s cheek. ¡°Why is it that every time I bring this up it turns into a fight between us? All I want for you is the best, you know that right?¡± ¡°Anana, I can have the best right here,¡± said Narvari. ¡°I won¡¯t leave you here all by yourself. I won¡¯t leave my family, okay? I won¡¯t be like him.¡± Narvari clenched her jaws in a pathetic attempt to quell her anger. As much as she tried, she just could not keep it at bay. Why did she have to be the one to think about him? He was the one who left them. What good parent would leave their twelve-year-old child and aged mother behind? Alone. She won¡¯t become her father. And now Anana wanted her to be just like him? Why? What was worse was that as a child, Narvari had always wanted to be like him. As much as she hated to admit it, Yabaga was once a great father. He raised Narvari from infancy and showered her with so much love and affection that she often forgot she had no mother. What Narvari most admired about her father was that even though he doted on her and would do anything to make her happy, he also ensured that Narvari trained earnestly, honing her shooting and fighting skills to near perfection before she was ten years old. While children in Sharmandi would begin their self-defense training at ten years old, Narvari was already winning shooting and fighting competitions against adults long before she was ten years old. It was all thanks to her father. These were some of the happiest times of Narvari¡¯s life until everything changed six years ago. Yabaga suddenly left Sharmandi. He never explained anything to her. He simply left. Narvari woke up one day and her father was gone. In the beginning, Narvari thought he would soon return. But a year passed, and two more years followed. He never returned. Even still, by sheer stubbornness, Narvari had always believed that her father would return. By the time she turned seventeen, however, she stopped believing in that childish nonsense. Now she couldn¡¯t care less. If the man didn¡¯t want to be with his family anymore, there was no point in wanting to be with him either. Her father left Anana behind. She would not make that same mistake. If she had to give up on her dream of seeing the world, then so be it. Narvari strained back tears stinging her eyes. They were not from sadness. All she felt was anger. She would always have this reaction whenever someone brought up her father. Did she really no longer care? Why did she still hurt even though she claimed she didn¡¯t care anymore? ¡°Narvari,¡± said Anana. Narvari avoided her grandmother¡¯s eyes. She wouldn¡¯t be able to hold back her tears if she looked into those ancient eyes full of wisdom. Sometimes she hated how Anana could see right through her hard exterior. The old woman was literally the only one who had seen Narvari cry. ¡°My child, look at me.¡± Narvari gazed at Anana. ¡°Do not be angry at your father,¡± she said. ¡°Why do you always defend him? You should be angry he left.¡± Anana paused. She sighed. ¡°As a mother, the happiness of your child is what matters most to you.¡± ¡°Clearly my happiness as her daughter does not matter to him.¡± ¡°Oh, my child.¡± Anana¡¯s eyes softened. ¡°Your father cares about your happiness. I know you know that.¡± ¡°Then why did he leave?¡± ¡°He had to. Someday, you¡¯ll understand.¡± No, she would not. Parents were supposed to raise their children until they were old enough to be independent. Had her father left today, she wouldn¡¯t have complained. But she was still a child when the man left. How was she supposed to understand that? What could be so important that her father would leave them behind? The man had a great life here in Sharmandi. He was the captain of WPU and had a loving family and a nation that respected him. What more could he ask for? ¡°Anana,¡± Narvari whispered. ¡°Please be honest with me. Why did my father leave us?¡± She knew her grandmother was not telling her something. When she was younger, she would always ask Anana why her father had left. But the old woman would simply tell her that Yabaga would soon return for her. Eventually, that answer started pissing her off so she stopped asking. ¡°I am no longer a child, Anana,¡± she said in frustration. ¡°You don¡¯t have to hide things from me anymore.¡± Anana sighed. ¡°Your father,¡± she paused, ¡°your father had to leave.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°He was unhappy.¡± Narvari raised a brow. ¡°Unhappy with what? ¡± ¡°With his empty life. He was dying inside from depression. Leaving was the only way he could find his happiness .¡± ¡°What?¡± Narvari couldn¡¯t believe it. Yabaga was depressed? When? How? The man didn¡¯t find happiness in his own family but went out to search for something else that would make him happy. Did Anana expect her to believe this? Why had she even bothered to ask? She should have known Anana would try to spin this to make her father look like the victim here. She was always defending him even after all this time. ¡°There¡¯s no point talking about this,¡± Narvari stood up. She had to get out before she said something she would regret later. ¡°Narvari, where are you going?¡± ¡°I have a meeting.¡± ¡°But your meeting with the Nnadago begins at noon. It¡¯s still morning.¡± Narvari glanced at the wall clock. It was 9:35 am. Why did she always lose in an argument with her grandmother? ¡°I¡¯m going outside. I need some air.¡± ¡°Narvari,¡± Anana called out to her before she could storm out of the house. Narvari halted. She glanced at her grandmother. Narvari wanted to kick herself when she saw the sadness on Anana¡¯s face. Anana gave a smile that did not quite reach her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. You should go.¡± Chapter 5: Into the Demons Lair Honorable Tsalaga Nokubenda was the Minister of Environment in the Republic of Dorben. His title was Honorable, but there was nothing honorable about what he had done?¡ª?what he and his colleagues had done. He stepped out of his sleek white Rolls-Royce, clasping his stylish golden cane. He didn¡¯t physically need a cane, but it made him feel rather powerful. People accorded him the necessary respect when they saw him in his expensive kaftan with his golden cane by his side. That was exactly how it should be. His bodyguards quickly ran out of their black cars and surrounded him in a protective formation as he swaggered toward the front door of the small house. Tsalaga tightened his grip on his cane when he remembered how the man who lived in this house had summoned him like a mere commoner. He was a minister of state for god¡¯s sake. Who the hell did this white man think he was summoning him like that? Tsalaga exhaled. At least the man was fattening their bank accounts. This was the consolation Tsalaga gave himself when Doctor Hubert Stein requested his presence. A muscular white man cradling a large gun in his arms came out the front door. An emblem of a crow was strapped to the man¡¯s chest. Tsalaga¡¯s gait faltered. He glanced around nervously. There were armed men perched at every corner of the house. What kind of doctor would hire so much muscle for his so-called research? What exactly had he got himself into? The man at the front door raised his right hand as if asking Tsalaga and his entourage to stop. Tsalaga frowned. He spoke in English. ¡°Doctor Stein wants me here.¡± ¡°Doctor Stein wants you here. Not them.¡± He glared at the bodyguards hovering close behind Tsalaga. ¡°They stay behind.¡± Knowing that it would be a waste of time arguing with this man, Tsalaga turned to his bodyguards. ¡°Stay here.¡± ¡°Honourable, we can¡¯t do that,¡± his head of security said. ¡°We must protect you at all times.¡± ¡°You will stay here. All of you. That¡¯s an order.¡± As much as Tsalaga couldn¡¯t stand the doctor¡¯s guts, he would not risk offending the man. Not waiting for his head of security to protest, Tsalaga followed the white man into the house. Inside, the house was bigger than it actually looked on the outside. They bypassed several armed men wherever they went. Tsalaga had a strong feeling that Doctor Stein was not just a doctor. The man had a serious obsession with the bazwu. Was he an animal doctor? But why will an animal doctor poach endangered species? Weren¡¯t they supposed to protect them? Well, what did Tsalaga care anyway as long as Doctor Stein filled their pockets? Soon, they came before a black door. The armed man opened the door and asked Tsalaga to enter. He followed his instructions. Tsalaga had a profound urge to gag as soon as he entered the room. His right hand unconsciously went up to cover his nose as his face paled in shock. What is that smell? The stench pervading the room was unholy. Taking one look at the room, Tsalaga knew he was in some kind of a science laboratory. There was a round-bottom flask over a burner. Within the flask, a viscous blue fluid boiled. The stench must be coming from the fluid, he thought. There were strange black symbols all over the walls, and worn-out brown papers were scattered all over the large table. The papers contained writings Tsalaga could not recognize. What is this place? Tsalaga could not decide if he was in the laboratory of a scientist or an occultist. Or perhaps, just a plain old lunatic. There had been something strange and sinister about Doctor Stein from the first moment he laid eyes on him, and now that Tsalaga was in the man¡¯s lair, he had a bad feeling about this. Where was the doctor by the way? ¡°Minister.¡± Tsalaga¡¯s hair stood on end when he heard the familiar deep voice from behind him. It was the voice of a man who got what he wanted. Fixing the most charming smile he could muster, Tsalaga spun around to meet the doctor. There was another door at the other end of the room where Doctor Stein had just emerged from.Stolen story; please report. ¡°Doctor Stein.¡± Tsalaga coughed in reflex as soon as he took his hand off his nose and inhaled the acrid smell. ¡°I was very surprised to receive your call. I hope everything is fine.¡± ¡°You tell me, minister.¡± The smile on Tsalaga¡¯s face wavered a second. But he was a politician. Keeping a straight face in the face of extreme stress was his specialty. ¡°I don¡¯t understand, doctor.¡± The bearded white man sauntered towards Tsalaga like a tiger. His blue eyes darkened with icy malice that sent a chill down his spine. Tsalaga was sure the doctor was his peer, perhaps a few years over fifty, but there was something about the way Doctor Stein moved that said that he could easily send all of Tsalaga¡¯s one hundred and seventy kilograms of flesh flying with one punch. A tiny voice in Tsalaga¡¯s head reminded him to be very careful with his next words. ¡°Why is there resistance while I¡¯m hunting the four-tusk elephants?¡± he growled. ¡°I paid you to let it go away.¡± Tsalaga remained still for a moment. In collaboration with some members of parliament, they had illegally given Doctor Stein access to hunt bazwu in Dorben. But Stein needed more. The doctor soon found out that Kirriba Plains was overflowing with bazwu, however, Dorben protected the borders of Kirriba Plains. The doctor wanted his men to be given entry into the plains. Tsalaga and his colleagues warned Stein that he couldn¡¯t hunt there because it was a natural reserve protected by the Kirriba. But Stein was stubborn. He bribed them with a huge sum of money to get the Dorbenese border patrol away from the borders. Stein said his men would handle the rest, but Tsalaga knew that clearing the border patrol would still not help. The Kirriba protected their borders and there was no way they would let poachers anywhere near their wildlife. But what kind of fool would Tsalaga and his colleagues be if they rejected so much money? This idiot doctor had too much to spend. They would happily take it from his hands. ¡°Doctor Stein,¡± Tsalaga said, ¡°my colleagues and I warned you it won¡¯t be easy hunting on Kirriba Plains.¡± He stood tall facing the man. ¡°You were the one who insisted on going through with it. We have already done what you asked. My colleagues and I took a big risk withdrawing our border patrol.¡± This was exactly what Tsalaga and his colleagues had hoped for. They expected that even after they let the poachers into Kirriba Plains, the WPU would stop them. Stein would get frustrated and forget about the whole thing. Then, of course, Tsalaga and his friends could keep the money since they kept their end of the bargain. The Kirriba would assume those poachers were rogue hunters and never suspect Dorben. After all, Dorben¡¯s border patrol could only do so much. Tsalaga had it all figured out. Despite the fiery storm brewing in Stein¡¯s eyes, Tsalaga continued, ¡°I suggest you forget about the bazwu because I can¡¯t help you anymore. If the president, or worse, Sharmandi, finds out about this little arrangement, things would not be pretty.¡± With each word that came out of Tsalaga¡¯s mouth, Stein¡¯s face grew redder by the second. Tsalaga dropped his golden cane and yelped in shock when Stein suddenly grabbed him by the throat. Tsalaga¡¯s back slammed against something hard knocking the air out of his lungs. Furious blue eyes bore into his soul. ¡°Do you know what will not be pretty, minister?¡± The doctor asked in a dangerously calm voice. ¡°Your ugly black head on a pike.¡± Tsalaga gulped, his heart racing. He managed to whisper out a sentence despite the pressure against his throat. ¡°What do you want from me?¡± Doctor Stein finally released Tsalaga. He sucked in the air greedily. Had it taken another second longer, he might have passed out. He panted heavily. Stein, obviously not caring about Tsalaga¡¯s disarrayed state said, ¡°I want you to ensure that those savages keep their guns to themselves when my men come to hunt the four-tusk elephants. If not, minister, I will do your useless little country a favor by purging you and your corrupt insignificant friends from existence. Then, I will find your families, your pets, and the fucking pests in your homes, and I will unleash literal hell on every one of them.¡± Staring into the doctor¡¯s eyes was like staring into the face of evil itself. Tsalaga knew beyond reasonable doubt that this man would follow through with his promise if he didn¡¯t get what he wanted. Tsalaga rubbed his sore neck. This was going to hurt for a while. What have I got myself into? How was he supposed to make Sharmandi surrender their revered bazwu? As a Kirriba himself on his father¡¯s side, Tsalaga knew how much those animals meant to the Kirriba. He couldn¡¯t possibly convince Sharmandi¡¯s governor to turn a blind eye as poachers ravaged their sacred bazwu. Andaga would crucify him if he found out about this. Beads of sweat trickled down his face. He was the one who had convinced his fellow politicians to let Doctor Stein hunt their bazwu. As if he wasn¡¯t satisfied with the depth of the grave he had dug for himself, he had promised the doctor he could get more bazwu from Kirriba Plains. Things were not going as he had planned. He had to do something before the doctor harmed his family. Tsalaga¡¯s thoughts raced. He may not be able to sway Andaga, but maybe he would have better luck with the Shar descendant. She was young and inexperienced in the ways of the world. It would be easier to manipulate her to do his bidding. Everyone¡¯s got a price, some bigger than others. But everyone¡¯s got a price. And with the Shar descendant no stranger to money, Tsalaga knew he would have to suggest one hell of a price. That was no problem. With government money, anything was possible. Tsalaga straightened his ruffled clothes. ¡°I know someone in Sharmandi who can help you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if you burn down that whole fucking village. Just get me my four-tusk elephants.¡± Tsalaga gulped. ¡°You will get your four-tusk elephants.¡± Chapter 6: Nnadago Sharmandi prided itself on its democracy. But like many things, democracy had its negative side. Perhaps, the biggest argument against democracy was that it wasted too much time when it came to decision-making. Everyone¡¯s opinion had to be taken into account. That was not necessarily a bad thing. In a life-or-death situation, however, where decisions had to be made quickly, this could be a problem. To correct that flaw, the Nnadago or Swift Council was formed. The Nnadago was a four-member council made up of the governor and the leaders of the three arms of government. Invoking the Nnadago was a serious affair and could only be done in extreme cases when a swift decision was imperative. As far as Narvari was concerned, illegal hunting on their land for several consecutive days by the same group with no form of rebuttal from the Dorbenese government was a real emergency. Narvari straightened herself as four pairs of eyes watched her expectantly. The Nnadago had not been assembled in decades so it must have been strange when Narvari called upon them. She knew she had to be as concise as possible to gain their support. ¡°Captain Narvari,¡± said Governor Andaga, ¡°I assumed you were to report everything to Honourable Korumi.¡± Narvari nodded. ¡°Under normal circumstances, yes. But these are no normal circumstances.¡± The tension thickened. They were listening. There was no time to waste. ¡°In the past seven days, there have been five raids in Kirriba Plains,¡± said Narvari. ¡°These poachers are hellbent on getting our bazwu and if we don¡¯t put a stop to this once and for all, things will get worse, I¡¯m afraid.¡± ¡°It should be impossible for poachers to get into the plains,¡± said Chief Minister Suodega. Here, he was the Chief Minister representing the executive. Outside, he was Uncle Suodega¡ªJimbaga and Motongo¡¯s father. ¡°Not if the Dorbenese border patrol is not doing their job,¡± Narvari countered. The four leaders exchanged curious glances with each other as if Narvari had said something strange. Governor Andaga said, ¡°The implications of your words are rather heavy, Captain. Are you saying Dorben is complicit in this?¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m saying,¡± she said. ¡°Border patrol must have at least known about the raids and warned us even if they couldn¡¯t keep the poachers out. But nothing of that sort happened. Dorben hasn¡¯t condemned the actions of the poachers either.¡± ¡°It still doesn¡¯t mean Dorben has anything to do with this,¡± said Chief Representative Namabo, the head of the legislature. ¡°Perhaps the poachers found a weakness in Dorben¡¯s security and took advantage of it. You¡¯re suggesting that Dorben has broken the Kirriba Treaty. A rather serious accusation, Captain. Do you have evidence?¡±You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°Evidence?¡± Narvari balled her fist by her side as her temper slowly rose. Deep breaths, Narvari. Deep breaths. Trying to ignore the fury blazing within her, she said as calmly as she could, ¡°How else do we explain how they got in here in the first place? They are using the Amanabe Border, one of our most secured borders. Isn¡¯t it strange that the border patrol in Amanabe has not even alerted us about anything?¡± Perhaps the minister of Amanabe Province even knew what was going on. ¡°Captain,¡± said Chief Justice Ladaru, ¡°I can see why it will look suspicious. I find it suspicious too. But this is a very delicate issue. We can¡¯t just point fingers at Dorben for breaking the Kirriba Treaty when we don¡¯t have any concrete evidence.¡± ¡°What do you suggest we do then?¡± asked Narvari. ¡°These poachers are not going to stop.¡± ¡°Korumi said your team sends the poachers back,¡± said Governor Andaga. Narvari nodded. ¡°Yes, Governor.¡± ¡°Very well,¡± he said. ¡°I suggest we no longer send them back.¡± ¡°Are you asking me to shoot them on sight? Because I will.¡± Governor Andaga¡¯s gaze hardened. ¡°I¡¯m asking you to arrest them and bring them back. We will deal with them here according to the law. All those in favor.¡± Three hands shot in the air. The governor nodded. ¡°Then that is settled.¡± A feeling of uncertainty settled over Narvari. Arresting those poachers wouldn¡¯t solve the root of the problem. The problem wasn¡¯t the poachers themselves per se. The problem was the person sending them here. If they arrested the poachers, more would come. She was sure of it. He won¡¯t stop until he gets what he wants. The words echoed in her mind. ¡°What about the border patrol?¡± she asked. Narvari refused to believe that the border patrol in Dorben didn¡¯t know what was happening. She had two theories. One, the border patrol was no match for the mercenaries and had been totally wiped out. But of course, they hadn¡¯t heard about such a tragedy so that couldn¡¯t be the case. The second theory was more likely?¡ª?the border patrol was working with the mercenaries and giving them entry. ¡°We have to at least investigate why the poachers are easily evading the border patrol,¡± said Narvari. ¡°Of course,¡± said Governor Andaga. ¡°I do not plan to let this go. Anyone has a suggestion about what to do?¡± Chief Justice Ladaru raised her hand. The governor said she could speak ¡°Well, I suggest we talk to President Ntikoko about this.¡± Narvari narrowed her eyes. They were going to talk to the president of Dorben? What if he too was involved? Wasn¡¯t that how this corruption stuff worked? ¡°Governor,¡± said Narvari, ¡°why don¡¯t we investigate this privately? We don¡¯t have to get Dorben involved.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t be wise, Captain Narvari,¡± said the governor. ¡°Breaking the treaty is a serious offense and we can¡¯t start a secret investigation on our closest ally without hearing them out first. This could all be one big misunderstanding.¡± Narvari bit her lips. Was it possible she was being rash? Maybe this was all a misunderstanding and here she was being so quick to point fingers at Dorben. She just had this gut feeling that ¡ª ¡°Captain Narvari,¡± the governor interrupted her thoughts, ¡°I won¡¯t overrule your concern either. We have to look at both sides of the coin, of course. But we will do this without causing irreparable damage to our relationship with Dorben. I will talk to President Ntikoko tomorrow. I¡¯m sure he would be more than happy to cooperate with us in investigating this issue.¡± Maybe so, thought Narvari. Hopefully, things would get better. Or they would probably get a whole lot worse. Chapter 7: An Unexpected Visitor Narvari sat on the front porch of her house cleaning her guns as she did every single morning. It was something her father used to do too. She shut her eyes, willing herself to ignore thoughts of him. There were more pressing issues to think about. Her grandmother sat in her lazy chair from across her. The old woman looked fondly in the distance. Narvari had a feeling Anana was thinking about Narvari¡¯s grandfather or father. She would often tell her stories about them. Narvari particularly enjoyed the heroic stories of her grandfather. She smiled sheepishly when her grandmother caught her staring. ¡°What the devil are you grinning about?¡± Narvari chuckled. She used to wonder who swore more¨C her father or grandmother. But from the stories Anana had told her, it seemed her grandfather was the worst offender. Anana had learned the habit from her late husband. ¡°Erasmus Shar was a fine gentleman,¡± Anana had once told her a long time ago. ¡°But he swore like a drunk. He would often say that language without swear words was like a party without music.¡± She wished she had met her grandfather, but the man died when her father was only fourteen years old. She wondered how Yabaga felt after losing his father at such a young age. Maybe he easily got over his grief. He probably left his daughter because he thought she would get over her grief too. Narvari¡¯s grip on the metal tightened. ¡°Now you look sad,¡± said Anana. Narvari returned to her senses. She ran her hand through her cornrows. What was wrong with her these days? Why did she keep thinking about her father? She had been fine without him. Thinking about him was pathetic. She steeled her resolve. Forget about him. Narvari forced a small smile to keep her grandmother from worrying. ¡°I¡¯m not sad,¡± she said, turning her attention back to her guns. Her pride and joy. ¡°I¡¯m just thinking.¡± She felt Anana¡¯s eyes on her but Narvari didn¡¯t look at her. Right now, she could not be distracted as she poured her entire soul into getting her guns squeaky clean. Once she cleaned the gun, she put it right back in the trunk and took another one. ¡°You¡¯re going to marry that thing someday, aren¡¯t you?¡± Anana said. Narvari smirked. ¡°Absolutely. And you are invited to our wedding.¡± ¡°You need friends.¡± ¡°I have friends.¡± ¡°First of all, you have only two friends and one of them is nine years old.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Narvari put the clean gun into the black case and shut it. ¡°You need more friends your age.¡± ¡°Jimbaga is my age.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t sass me, child. You know what I mean. You¡¯re very young, my child. You should enjoy the world and experience many things. Life has so much to offer.¡± ¡°Sometimes one good friend is all you need, Anana.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Anana said. ¡°I guess that is true.¡± She smiled fondly. Narvari recognized the glint in her grandmother¡¯s eyes. She often had it whenever she was thinking about her late husband. ¡°Do you believe in soulmates, my child? In true love?¡± Narvari paused. Now that she thought about it she and her grandmother had never talked about something like this before. ¡°True love?¡± Narvari echoed. The words sounded foreign to her tongue. ¡°Of course my child. Do believe that someone can make you feel so loved that once they¡¯re gone, you feel like you have lost a part of yourself. That you¡¯ve become incomplete of some sort.¡± ¡°Those things only exist on TV, Anana.¡± Narvari shrugged. The idea of a soulmate was a lovely sentiment. But it was not real. ¡°There is no such thing as a soulmate or true love,¡± she said. ¡°Besides feeling incomplete without someone doesn¡¯t sound healthy.¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Oh, my child,¡± Anana said, shaking her head. ¡°You are still so young. Maybe someday you will know what I speak of. And when you find that person, you hold on to them with everything you¡¯ve got. Because when you lose them, you will be unhealthy.¡± Narvari pondered Anana¡¯s words. She wondered if her grandfather had been that kind of person to Anana. Was it possible to love someone so completely and so selflessly to the point of feeling incomplete without them? That was just ridiculous. As team captain, she understood the value of camaraderie and loyalty. But ultimately, one could only fully trust themselves because people were bound to leave sooner or later. It was the way of the world. People grew apart from each other. Children left their parents and parents left their children. Who was to say that a lover, no matter how true they were, would never leave? Even if they never left on their own accord, death would soon do the honors. Like in her grandfather¡¯s case. ¡°I don¡¯t think that will happen, Anana,¡± said Narvari. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in finding love. It sounds like too much work.¡± ¡°Of course, it is, my child.¡± Anana chuckled heartily. ¡°But so is everything. Do you not put in a lot of work as the captain of WPU?¡± ¡°That¡¯s different. I enjoy being part of WPU. It gives me purpose.¡± ¡°Exactly my point, my child. Love gives you purpose. Your love for your people and the bazwu is what propels you to protect them. Trust me, someday when you find that person who gives you purpose, nothing else will matter.¡± ¡°Guns are my one true love, Anana,¡± she said. ¡°They won¡¯t leave you when things get hard.¡± ¡°They won¡¯t hug you when things get hard either.¡± Narvari sighed. Had she not learned her lesson that arguing with this old woman was a lost cause? ¡°So do you agree to go to the university in Cape Town?¡± Narvari¡¯s eyes widened. How the hell did the conversation make a U-turn? Weren¡¯t they talking about love and soulmates and guns? This her grandmother was so crafty. ¡°Anana, I already told you?¡ª?¡± ¡°Narvari, I won¡¯t be the one who holds you back. How do I face your grandfather someday if I ever did?¡± Narvari bit her lips. Low blow, grandma, low blow. ¡°You know your grandfather was an explorer,¡± she said. ¡°Travelling the world is in your blood.¡± ¡°Exploration is not hereditary, Anana.¡± ¡°Well, in your case it is. There¡¯s so much to see in the world. So much to learn. So much to love.¡± ¡°And so much to hate.¡± Anana sighed. ¡°I¡¯m afraid so, my child.¡± Wait, what? Narvari narrowed her eyes. Was this a trick? She had not expected Anana to agree with her. After a long pause, Anana said, ¡°Just as much as I want you to enjoy life, I also want you to be careful. Things are not as simple as we think them to be.¡± Why had Anana¡¯s voice suddenly turned so grave? ¡°People always say that, Anana.¡± ¡°It is a cliche, yes, but it is true. There are evil malignant forces in this world. Your grandfather called them demons.¡± Narvari shrugged. ¡°Of course, there are demons in this world. What else would you call a politician who embezzles money meant for the poor and vulnerable? Or what will you call a person who instigates and funds terrorism just for profit? They are demons. All the bloody lot of them. It¡¯s rather unfortunate hell does not exist because that¡¯s where they belong.¡± Anana smiled fondly. ¡°You have more love to give than you realize, my child.¡± Narvari sighed. She had lost her cool there for a moment. People¡¯s business did not bother her much, but it disgusted her to no end that the very leaders who swore to protect their people always screwed these same people over. Sharmandi was not perfect by any means, but their system was built on fairness. This indeed had always been a core tenet of many African societies. So when did the continent become so blinded by greed? It annoyed her endlessly when it occurred to her that politicians in Dorben were probably getting paid to put their bazwu in jeopardy. She would not put it past them. Dorben was one of the most corrupt countries in Africa after all. If only she could get her hands on one of those bastards. She would smack the living daylights out of them. The screeching car tires snapped Narvari out of her violent reverie. Her eyes steeled as she took in the two black cars and a white Rolls-Royce heading toward their home. She knew it was heading towards their home because they were the only house in this part of town. Their only neighbors were the rows of trees scattered around them. The three cars drove into their compound and packed beside Narvari¡¯s green jeep. Narvari glanced at her grandmother. The old woman had a scowl on her face. It was the face she reserved for unwanted visitors. It made Narvari wonder who this unwanted visitor was. Narvari stood up and crossed her toned arms. If these people were here to cause trouble. They would have to get through her first. Several men came out of the black cars. They looked like the bodyguards of an important person. One of the bodyguards opened the door of the Rolls-Royce and out came a burly man dressed in an exquisite black and blue kaftan. The large man majestically strolled towards Narvari. With his graying temples and golden cane, Narvari quickly recognized the man. She clenched her jaws. No wonder her grandmother didn¡¯t look happy. Narvari had never met the man in person before, but she¡¯d often seen him on the news spouting a load of horseshit with a straight face. It was strange how she was thinking about punching an African politician in the face and now one was suddenly in her home. She wasn¡¯t religious, but she would say that this was truly God¡¯s work. Maybe this was what they meant when they said God worked in mysterious ways. ¡°It¡¯s Tsalaga Nokubenda, the environmental minister in Dorben,¡± Anana filled her in. Chapter 8: Now This Was Some Bullshit As one who was once married to the founder of Sharmandi, Anana had had to keep up with politics and state affairs for decades making her an expert in both Dorbenese and Sharmandian politics. Hell, the woman was alive even before Dorben became Dorben. The frown on Anana¡¯s wrinkled face deepened. ¡°What¡¯s he doing here?¡± Narvari wondered the same thing. What was a Dorbenese minister doing in her house? Something clicked in Narvari¡¯s mind. She had only met with the Nnadago yesterday. Did this have anything to do with their meeting? No, it didn¡¯t make sense. If that were the case, the minister would be seeing Governor Andaga instead. Not her. She may be the captain of the WPU but she wasn¡¯t directly involved in governance. She was a soldier, not a politician. Tsalaga breathed heavily as if he had just run an entire marathon instead of just climbing three short steps. ¡°Miss Shar.¡± The plump face of the politician broke into a wide rehearsed grin. ¡°It is such an honor to meet you.¡± The minister stretched out a fat hand towards Narvari. She stared at the hand like it was a serpent but she eventually took it and gave it a firm shake. ¡°It is a surprise to see you here, minister. Do you need direction to Governor Andaga¡¯s residence?¡± Tsalaga howled in laughter like he had heard the funniest joke in the world. ¡°Of course not. I know where Andaga lives. I only came to see you.¡± ¡°What for?¡± Anana asked loudly. Tsalaga turned his attention towards Anana. Narvari didn¡¯t think the man could have a wider smile, but he did. How all that smiling did not burn the fat on his face was beyond her. ¡°Goodness, aren¡¯t I a lucky man today,¡± said Tsalaga approaching Anana. ¡°Forgive my manners, Madam Anabo Shar.¡± Narvari almost gaped. Anabo Shar? Really? Her grandmother¡¯s real name was Anabo but everyone in Sharmandi called her Anana. It was a perfect play on words since Anana literally meant our mother. That was exactly what Anana was. She was the mother of Sharmandi. Some of the older folks in Sharmandi did call her Anabo. It was her name after all. But who would dare call her Anabo Shar? Was this minister dumb or something? Wasn¡¯t he Kirriba too? Didn¡¯t he know that Anana never used her late husband¡¯s last name and that it was insulting to confer a last name on one who never chose it? The minister may have a last name, but his name, Tsalaga, implied he was half Kirriba. Did this man know nothing about his own culture? Or at least before coming here, did he not do his research that Anabo was simply Anabo and not Anabo Shar? This minister¡¯s ignorance was already a sign that he was here to talk about nonsense. ¡°It is such an honor to meet you.¡± The minister stretched his hand to Anana but she just glared at him, perhaps wondering why the minister called her by her late husband¡¯s name. ¡°What do you want?¡± Anana asked instead. ¡°Just because you can freely travel to Sharmandi doesn¡¯t mean you can freely come to my house.¡± Tsalaga chuckled. It seemed the man was not easily phased by hostility. He must be used to it. ¡°I came here to discuss something important with Miss Shar.¡± Narvari glanced at Anana and the expression in the old woman¡¯s eyes told Narvari to be careful. ¡°What do you want to discuss?¡± Narvari asked before Anana could say anything. ¡°Oh, surely we can¡¯t talk here. Why don¡¯t we go inside?¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± said Narvari. Honestly, she was curious about what this man wanted to talk about. ¡°Alright then. But they stay outside.¡± She glared at the bodyguards. Tsalaga smiled. ¡°Of course.¡± Narvari walked her grandmother back inside the house while Tsalaga followed. ¡°You have a lovely home,¡± said Tsalaga looking around with admiration. Their five-bedroom house was indeed beautiful. It was too big for them though, she would admit. Anana retired to her bedroom while Narvari stayed in the large living room with the minister. ¡°So what do you want?¡± She went straight to the point as soon as they were both settled in one of the plush red sofas. ¡°I heard about the illegal hunting in Kirriba Plains.¡± ¡°You did, huh?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The minister nodded. ¡°It worries me, you know?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it does.¡± Narvari smiled wryly. ¡°Do you know how those poachers passed the border patrol in the first place?¡± The minister paused, clearly startled by the question. But he quickly regained his composure with a smile. ¡°Well, of course not,¡± he said. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m here to offer a resolution. I fear this issue could spoil Dorben¡¯s friendship with Sharmandi and I most definitely do not want that.¡± ¡°Ah, I see,¡± said Narvari, considering the minister¡¯s words carefully. Now she was more intrigued to know why Tsalaga would come to her instead of Governor Andaga. ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± Tsalaga adjusted himself in his seat. He cleared his throat. ¡°Kirriba Plains is flourishing with many species. Hunting is a big industry in our part of the world and with the right connections, we can earn a lot of money for our countries.¡± Narvari¡¯s face remained expressionless. She could already tell where the conversation was going. She was sure Tsalaga wasn¡¯t really interested in earning money for their countries. But she listened anyway. ¡°Perhaps if Sharmandi opens up a small portion of Kirriba Plains to hunters, you can tax them. You get money, they get their hunt. It¡¯s a win-win for everyone.¡± ¡°I doubt those animals would think of it as a win-win for everyone.¡± Narvari looked pointedly at the minister. It wasn¡¯t that she was against hunting. It would be hypocritical of her since the economy of Sharmandi also thrived on animal farming. But Kirriba Plains was home to many endangered species such as the bazwu. The only reason those animals still existed in the first place was because the Kirriba resolved to protect them. Without the protection of WPU, those animals would have been hunted to extinction. Narvari continued, ¡°Kirriba Plains is a reserve. I¡¯m sure you already know that. Besides, we already earn a lot of money from the plains through tourism.¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Of course, I know that. But I also know you can earn even more money in the hunting industry,¡± said the minister. ¡°Kirriba Plains is vast. All I¡¯m asking is a rather small portion for the hunters.¡± ¡°You mean poachers.¡± ¡°These are only a few bad nuts. I assure you my government will deal with them.¡± ¡°Like how your government dealt with the last five raids?¡± Narvari glared at the minister. ¡°Again, how did those poachers get past your border patrol?¡± Did this man think she was stupid or something? Wait, was that why he came to her? Narvari clenched her fist so tightly that she was sure the blood had stopped circulating through her fingers. But she was too angry to care. ¡°Why are you even talking to me about this anyway?¡± she asked. ¡°You should see the governor. The Nnadago has the situation under control so that might not even matter.¡± A crease formed on Tsalaga¡¯s thick forehead. ¡°The Nnadago? It was invoked? By who?¡± Narvari grinned. ¡°That would be me.¡± Tsalaga opened his mouth to say something but froze. He gripped his gold cane with both hands. He bowed his head as if deep in thought. What was going on in that big head of his? Narvari wondered. Tsalaga cleared his throat. ¡°Well, with this kind of power to invoke the Nnadago, is it any wonder why I came to you then?¡± Tsalaga flashed a smile. This man really knew how to regain his composure. ¡°I¡¯m not a politician, Mr. Politician,¡± said Narvari. ¡°I¡¯m merely a captain of the Wildlife Protection Unit. I don¡¯t know what kind of power you think I have. But you are sorely mistaken.¡± Tsalaga chuckled. No, the man actually burst into hysterical laughter. ¡°You must be joking,¡± he said. ¡°Yes, you may not be the governor, nor a member of the governing body of Sharmandi. But you are a Shar.¡± He paused as if to make that sink in. ¡°You are the granddaughter of the father of Sharmandi. You may be young, but I know you are highly respected in this country, Miss Shar. And it¡¯s for good reason. You remind everyone of your grandfather.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your point?¡± Tsalaga smiled. It was one of those smiles people made when they knew they had achieved a goal. ¡°You invoked the Nnadago and they listened. All I¡¯m saying is that you, Narvari Shar, have the power to convince Andaga and the House of Representatives to open Kirriba Plains for a few days. They will listen to you. You have more power than you imagine, Miss Shar.¡± Narvari narrowed her eyes. Why is he so interested in this issue anyway? Did Tsalaga Nokubenda know what was going on? Did he have anything to do with those foreign poachers who kept targeting their bazwu? Her instincts told her that the minister knew something. Behind that nonchalant exterior the man had forged, Narvari could see the desperation beneath it. Did he know the person sending all those mercenaries to the plains? Narvari asked, ¡°What do you know about those poachers with the emblem of the crow?¡± The smile froze on Tsalaga¡¯s face but he quickly masked it by laughing awkwardly. ¡°What do you mean? I don¡¯t know anyone. I¡¯m simply making an observation that will help us all.¡± ¡°Is that right? How so?¡± ¡°Think of all the money you will earn for Sharmandi.¡± ¡°Sharmandi has money. A lot of it.¡± Tsalaga paused as if he had not expected to hear that. Narvari wasn¡¯t even making this up nor was she bragging about Sharmandi¡¯s prosperity. Thanks to her grandfather, and subsequent visionary governors, Sharmandi forged a strong society built on the principles of solidarity, community, and family. With its abundant natural resources and vibrant tourism industry, Sharmandi was one of the happiest and most prosperous places in the world. Unlike most African countries rich in natural resources and yet riddled with poverty due to the greed of a few people, Sharmandi had done well to translate its resources into both economic and social development for all of its approximately three thousand people. A Canadian tourist Narvari once met aptly put it, ¡°Sharmandi is like Iceland but with more sunshine and extroverts.¡± They paid a lot in taxes; in return, they had free health care, free education, good housing, high income, and so much more. Things that sounded like a luxury to most Africans. To the Kirriba this was no luxury. This was simply what life was supposed to be in a society where people cared about each other. For Tsalaga Nokubenda, a typical African politician, this very concept must be hard to grasp. These selfish leaders gave their continent a bad reputation making Narvari furious. It took all of her willpower to keep herself in her chair and not drag the man out of her house like livestock. ¡°Sharmandi has money, that is true,¡± said Tsalaga, oblivious to the thunderclouds brewing inside Narvari¡¯s. ¡°But one cannot have too much money.¡± His large brown cheeks jiggled as he chuckled. Of course, this shameless man thought like that. No wonder Dorben was still poor despite all their natural wealth. It was because they had useless leaders like Tsalaga Nokubenda who thought politics was about stealing from the people rather than serving them. Narvari didn¡¯t like judging people, but when it came to African politicians, she would be judgmental forever until those bloody psychopaths changed for the better. How was it possible to be so wealthy and yet so poor? This shit never made sense to her. ¡°Think about it. You recently completed high school, right? We can always sponsor you to any university of your choice in Europe or North America. Or wherever you want. You just name it.¡± He smiled at Narvari as if to give her the chance to think about what he had said. Was this man stupid or something? Didn¡¯t she just tell him that she had enough money to do whatever she wanted and that included going to any university of her choice in any part of the world? Besides, she had no interest in leaving her grandmother behind. If he was trying to bribe her, he should have done his homework. Narvari was not impressed by his laziness. ¡°I know your family is well to do. But it doesn¡¯t hurt to have a few more zeroes in your account either.¡± ¡°You know,¡± said Narvari with a smile, ¡°you¡¯re right. One cannot have too much money. How much money are we talking about here?¡± ¡°Wonderful. I knew you¡¯d come around.¡± Tsalaga grinned so widely that Narvari feared the man¡¯s cheeks would fall off. ¡°How about this? Why don¡¯t you convince the WPU to stay away from the plains for a few days and we will give you any amount of money you want? That¡¯s a good deal, no?¡± Narvari paused thoughtfully. Why does he keep saying ¡®we¡¯? It seems he¡¯s not alone in this. ¡°Tell me, minister, what kind of deal did you strike with those poachers?¡± Narvari asked. ¡°Did you promise them you could convince Sharmandi to open the plains for hunting? How much did they pay you? Are there other government officials in Dorben involved?¡± ¡°This is preposterous,¡± Tsalaga shouted, hitting his cane against the hard wooden floor. ¡°I will not stand for this.¡± The minister stood up. Narvari smirked. Okay, but why are you standing? He glared at Narvari with such righteous fury that if Narvari herself were not here, she would never have believed that Tsalaga Nokubenda had tried to bribe her in her own home. Narvari stood to face the minister. ¡°What is it you will not stand for? You passed by the governor and came all the way to my house to bribe me. And for what? So I would help you break the treaty without consequence?¡± ¡°Miss Shar-¡± ¡°It¡¯s Narvari Shar.¡± She pointed her index finger at the minister. ¡°You listen to me, minister. Whatever promises you made to those poachers, you better go back and unmake them. Those poachers will never¡­ I repeat¡­ never hunt in Kirriba Plains today, tomorrow, or ever. I assure you.¡± Tsalaga¡¯s face paled. ¡°Miss Sh- Narvari Shar, you need to reconsider.¡± Why was this man being so desperate? What did he care if Sharmandi refused to have people hunting on their land? How was that his problem? ¡°That man is dangerous.¡± His walls broke down completely and Narvari saw the fear on the large man¡¯s face. ¡°Who? Which man?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Tsalaga paused, then cleared his throat. ¡°Look, I shouldn¡¯t be speaking about this. I should go. Just take some time to think about my offer. I wouldn¡¯t offend that man if I were you.¡± Narvari ran her hand over her long cornrows as she watched the minister leave. ¡°Wait.¡± The minister halted and Narvari drew closer. As large as Tsalaga was, he was rather tall since Narvari met eye-to-eye with him. ¡°I know you are working for someone,¡± Narvari began. She had a feeling it was the same man the mercenary had talked about. ¡°It seems you have illegally given this person access to Kirriba Plains and received payment. How much? I truly don¡¯t care. On the other hand, Sharmandi hasn¡¯t given any permit to any hunter. Meaning you¡¯ve broken the treaty. ¡°This is a conundrum and you, minister, are well and truly screwed. I suggest you start unscrewing yourself from this situation. But you can¡¯t do that by magically getting us to overlook the broken treaty. No, that will not happen. It will never happen.¡± Narvari¡¯s voice dropped to an icy chill. ¡°So here¡¯s what you are going to do and I just might stop the Nnadago from investigating your corrupt ass. I am a Shar after all.¡± Tsalaga suddenly became attentive. Narvari continued in her dangerously low tone, ¡°Go tell that ¡®dangerous man¡¯ to stay away from the bazwu. He will never have them. And if he tries, I will harvest his guts through his mouth and feed it to him through his anus.¡± Narvari smiled at the minister, patting him on the shoulder. Whoever this so-called dangerous man was, she was not afraid of him. If that man so much as touched a single bazwu, she would rain hell on him and his entire army. Chapter 9: Night of Terror
Stein¡¯s angry face stared right back at him. No longer able to hold the rage bubbling within him, he sent a balled fist into the wall mirror, shattering it into pieces. So Sharmandi was asking for a fight. He would give them one. He would wipe out the entire country and then go after their four-tusk elephants. And that child. Stein¡¯s heart pounded. Who the hell did she think she was sending him a message like that? He would show her what it was like to be afraid. He would show the Shar captain what it meant to look into the face of the devil himself. ¡°Master.¡± His thoughts interrupted, and Stein slowly turned around. ¡°Ijeissi,¡± said Stein. Upon sensing the incredible power emanating from the demon¡¯s monstrous muscular form, Stein nodded in satisfaction. ¡°I sensed your thirst for blood, Master.¡± Stein rubbed his knuckles. He stared into the two red abysses acting as Ijeissi¡¯s eyes. Stein smiled. They said it was impossible to enslave a demon and yet he had done the impossible. Once he captured the four-tusk elephants, he would create enough Fessel to amass a loyal demon army for himself. For now, he needed just this one demon. ¡°I want the blood of my enemies.¡± Stein¡¯s gaze hardened. ¡°Just give me a name, Master.¡± ¡°Sharmandi,¡± he said. ¡°Lay it to waste.¡± A feral smile appeared on the dark gray face of the wraith lord. ¡°As you wish, Master.¡± He knelt before Stein on one knee and bowed his horned head. Stein felt a swell of pride within him. Soon, even greater demons would bow to him. He would go down in history as the Vessel who tamed the demons. How apt that he named his demon-enslaving chemical Fessel. Stein took a small vial of blue liquid out of his pocket and threw it toward the wraith lord. The demon scrambled to catch it and then stored it on a part of his body. ¡°You will have more Fessel once your job is done.¡± ¡°Thank you, Master.¡± ¡°One more thing, demon.¡± ¡°Yes, Master.¡± ¡°Find Narvari Shar,¡± he said. The mere thought of that girl made Stein want to shoot someone in the face. ¡°I want her death to be slow and painful. Let her know the error of her ways for crossing me.¡± ¡°Your will be done, Master.¡±
¡°Yes.¡± Narvari jumped. ¡°You¡¯re dead.¡± She laughed, waving the joystick in Jimbaga¡¯s face. ¡°It is so fun shooting you in the face.¡± Jimbaga shook his head. ¡°How are you so good at this game?¡± ¡°It took you three years to finally ask this question?¡± Jimbaga chuckled. ¡°Let¡¯s play something else.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± said Narvari, pausing the game. She put the joystick back on the table. ¡°What do you want to play? I am ready to demolish you. Again.¡± ¡°You really need to learn some humility, Narvari Shar.¡± ¡°I am humble.¡± Narvari held her chest in mock submission. ¡°I¡¯m humble enough to admit I am amazing.¡± She grinned. ¡°Now are you choosing the game or should I choose it?¡± ¡°Not a chance. You may be better at shooting games but I¡¯m better at something else.¡± Jimbaga smirked deviously. Using the controls, he found a new game. There were several hundreds of games on FireBox, but Narvari¡¯s favorite game was Super Gunner. It was exhilarating and realistic. Playing it felt like she herself had been sucked into the world. Plus it was always fun taking out Jimbaga¡¯s team.Stolen story; please report. ¡°Found it,¡± said Jimbaga. The words INFINITY RACE: BORED EMUNORR appeared on the screen in large uppercase letters. Bored Emunorr? Won¡¯t the game bore them to death? And what the hell was Emunorr? ¡°What''s that?¡± Narvari had never seen this game. Racing games weren¡¯t really her thing. Jimbaga was really serious about defeating her. ¡°Infinite Race,¡± said Jimbaga. ¡°Unfortunately this is the GAS version. The CAS version is very rare. You should see the price. It¡¯s unreal.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even know what the GAS and CAS versions are.¡± She may not be as much of a video game fan as Jimbaga, but even she would know about GAS and CAS versions in games. Was this boy making things up? He loved to make things up to mess with her. Narvari took back her joystick and created a new user. She used the username she always used?¡ª?Apocalypse. ¡°GAS stands for graphic avatar simulation while CAS stands for cerebral avatar simulation.¡± He paused, staring at Narvari as if that should be enough to explain everything. Narvari shrugged. ¡°Sorry. Never heard of them.¡± ¡°That makes sense. I think Infinite Race is the only game in the world that has both versions at the same time. Most games have the GAS version. You choose an avatar inside the game.¡± ¡°Um, that¡¯s how video games work.¡± Jimbaga laughed. ¡°Not Infinite Race though. That game takes it a step further. Your consciousness is actually sucked into the game. You are the avatar. You die in the game, you die in real life.¡± Narvari¡¯s eyes widened. She turned to look at Jimbaga with complete disbelief. ¡°What kind of anime shit is that? You¡¯re saying people actually go inside the game?¡± ¡°Well, just their minds. Their bodies stay behind until they return.¡± Narvari chuckled. ¡°Where did you hear that from? It¡¯s definitely not true.¡± Myriads of interesting-looking cars appeared on the screen. After going through most of them, she finally chose a white car that looked like a blend between a Ferrari and an alien spaceship. ¡°Look, I didn¡¯t believe it too,¡± Jimbaga said choosing a huge monster truck with even larger tires. ¡°But trust me, the game is out there. I¡¯ve heard about it on game forums and streaming sites. The first five people to get the game made a video about how it was anonymously sent to them.¡± ¡°Of course they did.¡± Narvari shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s how you get likes on YouTube, my friend.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. The anonymous sender also added a code to replicate the game. And now people can buy it. But it¡¯s so expensive I don¡¯t think anyone in their right mind would buy it.¡± ¡°How expensive?¡± ¡°Like millions of dollars expensive,¡± he said. ¡°The code behind the game is very complicated. People are convinced that it was created by an alien.¡± ¡°Alien?¡± Now Narvari simply burst into laughter. Wow, people would believe anything. First, her grandmother had spoken of demons, and now her best friend was talking about aliens. ¡°I guess people have a lot of time on their hands.¡± ¡°Narvari, you are too quick to dismiss things you don¡¯t understand.¡± Narvari shrugged. ¡°Dismissive isn¡¯t the word I¡¯d use. I¡¯d say logical. But of course, If there is actual evidence of the existence of aliens, I won¡¯t be dismissive.¡± ¡°Whatever. Let¡¯s just play the game.¡± Narvari had to admit that the graphics of the game were insane. It was no exaggeration to say that it was the best she had seen. The game developer knew their stuff but that didn¡¯t mean they were alien. Right? What were people going to say next? That god created pizza? Well, there may be some truth to that?¡ª?pizza was divine. The race began. Her car suddenly shot into the air like a spaceship when she accidentally pressed a button on the joystick. ¡°Dammit.¡± She gritted her teeth in frustration. It would take a while to get used to all these controls. Jimbaga laughed. ¡°All the cars have specific abilities. Yours can fly and survey the entire race track at the same time.¡± ¡°What about yours? What can it do?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you come down, and I will show you.¡± The mischievous look in Jimbaga¡¯s small brown eyes told Narvari that the boy was up to no good. But she was curious and wanted to see for herself what that red and black monster truck was capable of. So she landed her Ferrari. The monster truck was right behind her. Suddenly, the large tires of the monster truck grew to twice their original size. Before Narvari could react, Jimbaga¡¯s truck literally walked all over her Ferrari and compressed it into a wrecked mess. Narvari blinked rapidly, her mouth agape. ¡°What the hell did you do to my car?¡± Jimbaga chuckled. ¡°Why do you think it¡¯s called the XX Monster Crusher, my friend?¡± The compressed wreckage of a car screeched to a halt while the monster truck sped past it. ¡°You can use one life to make it whole again. But you will have only two more left and once they are exhausted, it¡¯s game over for you.¡± ¡°You¡¯d love that, wouldn¡¯t you? You won¡¯t get away with it.¡± ¡°Catch me if you can.¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s on.¡± But after three more games, Narvari learned one important lesson; Jimbaga was a freak when it came to racing. ¡°I win. Again. Don¡¯t go crying now.¡± Jimbaga would not stop laughing. Narvari rolled her eyes, but she chuckled. ¡°Can we get back to Super Gunner so I can shoot you in the face?¡± ¡°Not a chance.¡± ¡°Are you af-¡± Her phone interrupted her. She leaned in to take her ringing phone from the table. Narvari raised a brow upon seeing the caller ID. He never called unless it was important. ¡°Andai, how is it going?¡± ¡°My sensors picked up something,¡± said Andai. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what it is. But something¡¯s got past the perimeter.¡± ¡°Poachers?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. But I can¡¯t be sure either because¡­ Oh no.¡± Narvari frowned. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°The power went out. The tower is completely blind right now. Let me see what I can do about it.¡± ¡°Sure. But I¡¯ll dispatch soldiers to check things out just in case.¡± ¡°Yes. Good. It may be a false alarm but we?¡ª?¡± The sound of shattering glass pricked Narvari¡¯s ears. Then there was a horrifying scream. That was Andai¡¯s voice. ¡°Andai.¡± Narvari stood up quickly. ¡°Andai what¡¯s going on?¡± Narvari listened closely. It sounded like a struggle between two people as things kept breaking apart. Narvari heard a growl. It wasn¡¯t something a human would make. It was too primal. Too savage. Was it a wild animal? But the animals never came close to Sharmandi Tower. ¡°Andai, can you hear me? Andai.¡± ¡°They are everywhere.¡± Andai¡¯s voice came in heavy gasps. ¡°They¡¯re going to kill us all.¡± ¡°Who? What¡¯s?¡ª?¡± ¡°Run, Captain. Don¡¯t?¡ª?¡± The line went dead.
Chapter 10: Invasion
¡°Narvari, what is going on?¡± Jimbaga asked, worry etched on his face. Narvari rubbed her head. She had to think quickly. Ignoring Jimbaga¡¯s question, she ran to her large bookshelf embedded in the wall. She pressed a button behind one of the books and the shelf parted. Guns of various sizes hang on the wall?¡ª?gifts from daddy dearest. Narvari grabbed a black shotgun and shoved it into Jimbaga¡¯s arms. Jimbaga blinked. ¡°Narvari, what¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°I fear there¡¯s trouble,¡± she finally said. Jimbaga wouldn¡¯t leave her alone until she explained herself. ¡°I need you to stay here and look after Anana. Can you do that?¡± Jimbaga paused for a while. He nodded. ¡°Alright. But where are you going?¡± ¡°To keep the city safe. Someone just attacked Andai. I have to make sure he¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Do you think the poachers are back?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She clenched her fists. ¡°But I¡¯m going to kill them all this time.¡± Not wasting any more time, she armed herself with two pistols. ¡°Narvari,¡± Jimbaga whispered. ¡°My family.¡± Narvari nodded. Maybe she would get Dawuli to check on Andai instead. She would make sure Motongo was safe.
Just as Narvari reached Jimbaga¡¯s neighborhood, her car died. She had to go the rest of the way on foot. The night¡¯s air was cold; colder than it usually was. Narvari¡¯s hair stood on end as soon as she came out of her car. How strange. Was the whole town having power issues? She warily surveyed the sparsely populated neighborhood. Though the street was plunged into darkness, a couple of the houses still had light. Her eyes fell on Jimbaga¡¯s house down the street. She frowned. Why was the place dark? Both Motongo and his mother were supposed to be home. A shriek followed by the bang of a gun startled Narvari. Two more gunshots followed. Now she was on full alert. Her eyes darted to the building in front of her. She was sure the gunshot had come from there. She ran towards the house. She was suddenly forced back as something came crashing out of the windows. The thing fell to the ground a few meters away from Narvari. It was thick black smoke. But the more Narvari gazed at the smoke the more she felt it was alive. ¡°What the hell?¡± she whispered, not taking her eyes off the thing. It seemed like the darkness itself had become flesh?¡ª?a very disfigured crooked flesh. Slowly it wafted towards her like a specter, only half her size with eyes as crimson as blood. Narvari¡¯s instincts kicked in immediately. She shot right through the creature¡¯s head. The thing shrieked like a siren, then fell back, unmoving. Narvari drew closer to take a look. It laid still, black goo oozing from its forehead. Its thin figure looked nothing human. It certainly did not look natural either. What was that? Based on how it had shrieked, she was sure that was the same thing she had heard while talking to Andai on the phone. Narvari paled as the creature suddenly rose and lunged toward her. She retreated, shooting at the shadow. The shadow did not seem to be weakened. On the contrary, for every wound Narvari inflicted on the creature, it quickly regenerated. Her gun was completely useless. The shadow bared its sharp yellow teeth at Narvari and pounced on her. Narvari fell on her back, the misty black shadow atop her body. No amount of bullets Narvari released into the creature¡¯s head did anything. It just regenerated over and over again. The black fluid from the demon soiled Narvari¡¯s shirt. A chill ran down her spine when it dawned on her that this creature was pretty much invincible. What the hell was she up against? The shadow shrieked into her face. Suddenly, she felt lightheaded, as though her energy was slowly slipping out of her. Something white, like fog, rose out of Narvari¡¯s mouth and then began entering the creature¡¯s mouth. It was like the shadowy creature was absorbing the very life out of her body. Even with her energy quickly draining, Narvari would still not stop. She grabbed the creature by the neck and squeezed it with every ounce of her strength. She kicked it in the abdomen. Either her kick was superhuman, or the shadow was just too weak because it was sent flying into a tree. Narvari suspected it was the latter. The shadow looked terrifying but it was as frail as an octogenarian.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Narvari scrambled to her feet, coughing incessantly. She felt the ground for her gun. The creature was not done, and neither was she. It floated back to her, its feet not quite touching the ground. What the hell was this thing? Shaking her head, Narvari dropped her guns. It was useless anyway. ¡°Come here,¡± Narvari yelled, readying her fists for an actual fight. The shadow swooped towards her with a shriek. Narvari flipped into the air and sent a kick into the shadow¡¯s face. It fell. But before it could get back on its feet, Narvari landed right on top of the shadow, her knee pressing against its chest. She sent barrage after barrage of punches into its face. It opened its mouth to shriek again, the sound jarring to her ears, as though a thousand cymbals had been unleashed from hell. Narvari clenched her teeth. ¡°You shut the hell up.¡± She gripped the creature by the neck and strangled it. Suddenly, a brilliant white light flooded the darkness. The shadow recoiled, its shriek growing even more piercing than before. It grappled free of Narvari¡¯s grip and then floated out of the range of the light. Narvari lifted her head as the car pulled up next to her. She saw the familiar face of a man with long dreadlocks sitting in the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°Tsongu,¡± she said. ¡°Captain,¡± said Tsongu. ¡°I came as soon as you called.¡± Narvari got back on her feet, but they felt wobbly. She ignored the weakness in them and climbed aboard. ¡°What was that thing? What is going on?¡± Tsongu shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know, captain. But they are everywhere.¡± Tsongu started the car. ¡°They?¡± Narvari asked. She felt a cave in her chest. There were more of those things? Not a single bullet worked on it. How could they possibly fight something like that? ¡°Dawuli and the others?¡± Narvari asked. ¡°They went to get Andai. I haven¡¯t heard from them yet.¡± Narvari perked up when she heard a series of gunshots. ¡°Guns don¡¯t work on those things,¡± she muttered under her breath. Every household in Sharmandi was not only armed but also trained in self-defense. Under normal circumstances, they would be able to defend themselves from any intruders. But these were not normal intruders. These things were invincible. Narvari paused as she suddenly recollected how the creature had fled as soon as Tsongu¡¯s car arrived. Sharmandi Tower. Andai said the power had gone out and then he was suddenly attacked. ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± she said. ¡°They are afraid of the light.¡± ¡°Afraid of light?¡± Tsongu asked. ¡°The light from your car scared one away.¡± She rubbed her forehead thoughtfully. ¡°That ¡®s probably why the town is in darkness.¡± Were creatures this savage-looking intelligent enough to put their homes in darkness? The piercing scream of a child cut through the air. It was followed by a demonic shriek. ¡°Drive.¡± Tsongu nodded, whirring the car to life. As they neared Jimbaga¡¯s home, Narvari saw one of the creatures crouching over someone. A child. As soon as they got closer, their light illuminating the street, the shadow blended with the darkness and vanished. Narvari rushed up to the child and her chest tightened in a mixture of pain, anger, and fear. ¡°Motongo.¡± She took the boy into her arms. Motongo¡¯s cheerful brown face was now as pale as paper. Narvari put her thumb on his wrist. Her heart skipped a beat when she couldn¡¯t feel his pulse. ¡°No, no, no¡­¡± She put two fingers on his neck. She waited, listening. She sighed heavily releasing a breath she didn¡¯t know she had been holding as she felt the tiny pulsation in Motongo¡¯s neck. It was faint, almost indiscernible, but it was there. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, kiddo. I¡¯ll get you help soon.¡± She carried Motongo in her arms like a baby and sent him back to the car. ¡°Get him to the hospital,¡± she said to Tsongu. ¡°Protect the hospital and everyone in it.¡± ¡°Yes, Captain. But what about you?¡± Narvari looked back at Motongo¡¯s house. ¡°I have to make sure everyone here is alright. You should warn the others about the light.¡± Tsongu nodded, then drove off. Switching on the flashlight on her phone, Narvari quickly ran towards Motongo¡¯s house. She warily took a step through the front door. The flashlight brightened the dark room. Her heart raced at the haphazard state of the room. When she got to the kitchen, she was sure an intense struggle had taken place there. There was broken cutlery and bowls everywhere. She traced the light on the walls. Then up the ceiling. Narvari narrowed her eyes. The bulb was shattered. She quickly rushed back to the living room to take a look. That bulb was also completely destroyed. This was deliberate. Someone or something was destroying all sources of light. What was going on? ¡°Auntie Ruyibo,¡± she called loudly. ¡°Uncle Suodega.¡± No one replied. Did they go out then? Maybe Motongo had been alone at home. She was convinced there was no one here when her flashlight illuminated something thin and pale sticking out behind the couch in the living room. She slowly walked toward the couch. And that was when she saw something so terrible it made her sick. Narvari knelt before the pale lifeless body of a woman. Had it not been that Narvari knew whose house it was, it would have been hard to recognize Auntie Ruyibo. ¡°My goodness,¡± she whispered, completely horrified by the cruelty of the woman¡¯s death. She looked like she had been covered in kaolin. The previous plumpness of her face was now as gaunt as a stick figure. The blacks of her eyes were no more and the expression on her face was that of pure terror. Narvari¡¯s hands trembled. She slowly guided her trembling hands to the woman¡¯s eyes and shut them. Her own eyes stung. Were other people dead too? Her stomach caved in fear, not for herself, but for everyone else. No one was safe. Doing everything she could to ignore the grief threatening to overwhelm her, Narvari called Jimbaga on her phone. No one picked up. Her panic rose to unprecedented levels. What if something had happened to him? What if something had happened to Anana? Those shadows were not too strong physically but if they caught her grandmother and tried to drain her, Anana wouldn¡¯t be able to fight back. She had to go back. Casting one last look at Auntie Ruyibo, Narvari bolted out of the house, racing through the empty dark streets towards her house. Several minutes later, her home appeared in the distance. Fear twisted her bowel. Not a single flicker of light was anywhere near her house.
Chapter 11: A Brush with Death
¡°Anana,¡± Narvari called out in the darkness. ¡°Jimbaga.¡± The white light from her phone was the only source of illumination in the living room. Not a single thing had moved out of place in the room. That gave her hope. She moved her flashlight to the ceiling. Her hopes were immediately dashed as soon as she saw the broken bulb. She swallowed. ¡°Anana.¡± Suddenly, there was a loud crash followed by a shriek. By now, she knew what that devilish shriek meant. Those things were in her house and from the sound of it, they were in Anana¡¯s room. Narvari¡¯s feet acted on their own. Once she reached Anana¡¯s room, she flung the door open. Narvari gasped. Jimbaga was fiercely fighting off two shadows at the same time. Her grandmother lay sprawled on the ground. Narvari charged inside with her flashlight. The shadows screeched as they shielded their black hollow eyes. They melded into the darkness and were no more. Jimbaga dropped to the ground panting heavily. His face was a bloodied mess. Narvari ran towards her grandmother but an invisible force threw her back. She lost her footing and fell heavily on her back. She had no idea where her phone had gone, but given that the flashlight had disappeared, it was safe to assume that her phone was in no good shape. No. That light was the only thing stopping those creatures from getting any closer. ¡°Jimbaga,¡± she called out in the darkness. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll live.¡± That tugged at Narvari¡¯s heart. How could he tell Jimbaga that his mother was no more and that his brother was badly hurt? Narvari¡¯s hand trembled lightly. She clenched her fists. She needed to focus right now. ¡°What¡¯s happening outside, Narvari?¡± Jimbaga asked. ¡°What are those things.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. We need to be alert, okay? Those things thrive in darkness.¡± Narvari crawled towards her grandmother. The old woman¡¯s face was extremely pale but at least she was still breathing. Jimbaga must have fought very hard to protect Anana. The guilt gnawed at Narvari¡¯s soul. Jimbaga protected her family and yet she could not protect his. What kind of friend was she? Narvari touched her grandmother¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯ll get you out of here, Anana,¡± she whispered. ¡°Narvari.¡± The sound of her voice was faint, but Narvari heard it. Anana peeled her eyes open. She took Narvari¡¯s hands and the coldness from her frail hands seeped into Narvari¡¯s skin. It was like the touch of ice. ¡°Don¡¯t speak,¡± said Narvari. ¡°Conserve your energy. I need to get you out of here.¡± ¡°No. Listen. I don¡¯t have much time.¡± That shut Narvari up. Why would Anana say something like that? ¡°Come closer.¡± Anana beckoned to Narvari to bring her ears closer. Narvari leaned in, her ear directly above Anana¡¯s mouth as she weakly whispered the strangest news to her. Narvari¡¯s eyes widened. She gaped.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. This can¡¯t be. Had her family been lying to her all this while? Narvari bit her lips. No. Now was not the time to be dwelling on such things. There was something more important at stake. She had to protect her grandmother and her best friend. She didn¡¯t know when those shadow creatures would attack again. ¡°Promise me,¡± Anana whispered. ¡°Promise me you won¡¯t hate him.¡± Narvari didn¡¯t know if she wanted to make such a promise, especially after hearing that her father had kept something such an important truth from her. But she didn¡¯t want her grandmother to worry, so Narvari nodded. ¡°I promise I won¡¯t hate him,¡± she said. ¡°Now stay still, okay? You need to conserve your energy, Anana. I¡¯ll go find some light and then get us out?¡ª?¡± A piercing shrieking interrupted Narvari. ¡°They are here,¡± Jimbaga shouted from across the room. Narvari stood protectively next to her grandmother. It was futile fighting off those things, Narvari knew. Guns didn¡¯t work on them and no matter how violently she kicked and punched them, they would get up. The only thing she had keeping the creatures had bay was also destroyed. But as hopeless as it seemed right now, she would never back down without a fight. Jimbaga screamed when his back hit the wall. It was when Narvari saw two shadowy figures pinning her best friend to the wall that she understood what was happening. Narvari acted quickly. She lunged towards them and grabbed one by the neck, sending a kick into its abdomen. It screamed as Narvari¡¯s powerful kick hurled it into the wall, crashing to the ground. The shadow lay still for a moment but got right back. These things were weak but they were relentless. ¡°It¡¯s pointless fighting them,¡± said Jimbaga. ¡°Light is their weakness.¡± Narvari suddenly thought of an idea. ¡°Can you hold them back here? I¡¯ll go get my flashlight from my room.¡± ¡°Okay. But hurry.¡± Narvari nodded. She glanced at her grandmother. Although it was a relief, she still wondered why the creatures no longer attacked her grandmother. That was for the best anyway. Narvari was about to take off toward her room when a shrill cry tore through the still night. So loud and piercing was the sound that Narvari shut her ears to prevent her eardrums from bursting. This was a new sound. What was that about? She didn¡¯t have to wait long to know what it was about. Scores of shadows leaped out of the darkness and climbed atop her body. Her body went cold as the dark cold body of the creatures clung to her. They pressed her against the wall. ¡°Get off me,¡± she shouted, struggling to fend them off. But there were too many of them. A cold misty hand wound around Narvari¡¯s neck. The creature strangling her screeched like a banshee. A white gaseous substance began to flow out of Narvari¡¯s mouth. She felt her body losing its strength, and for a moment, it was as though her soul was forcefully being snatched out of her. She did not even have enough energy to move a finger, nor could she breathe because of the pressure around her throat. Slowly, she shut her eyes, the world going even darker than it already was. She really was about to die. How naive had she been to think that she could save anyone? Boom! Came the explosion. Had she imagined it? The lack of oxygen to her brain must have sent her into a state of hallucination. Yes, that was probably it. How else would Narvari explain the disintegration of the shadowy creature into nothingness? But was this really a hallucination if the pressure around her throat was no more? The oxygen rushed into her lungs, surging through her brain to clear the delirium. Perhaps, upon seeing how easily one of their comrades had disappeared into dust, the other shadows sped away like they were being chased by pesticides. Narvari shut her eyes when a blinding white light, several times brighter than her tiny flashlight, flooded the room. The creatures shrieked. Slowly, she peeled her eyes open. What had just happened? Who did that? Once her eyes adjusted to the light, her gaze fell on someone in the room?¡ª?someone holding a massive blue and white gun Narvari had never seen before. She was sure no such gun even existed given its bizarre otherworldly appearance. But as breathtaking as the gun was, that wasn¡¯t what arrested Narvari¡¯s attention. Instead, it was the young girl holding the gun. She looked to be around Narvari¡¯s age but where Narvari was honey brown this girl was obsidian. In all of Narvari¡¯s eighteen years of being around beautiful black people of all shades, never had she seen one so stunningly black before. It was like looking at a shiny black mineral. Even still, the girl¡¯s skin wasn¡¯t the only striking thing about her. Her hair, whiter than a glacier, draped past her shoulder. While her eyes shimmered like a galaxy of blue stars. What in the hell? Narvari blinked rapidly as if that would make the girl disappear and put an end to this blasted dream. ¡°Are you alright?¡± The girl spoke English in an accent she couldn¡¯t recognize. A weird mix of English and Elvish?¡ª?if Narvari knew what Elvish sounded like. The girl smiled and Narvari¡¯s chest tightened, freezing her completely. It was official; Narvari was either dead or she had lost her goddamn mind. Or maybe both. At the moment, she couldn¡¯t tell the difference.
Chapter 12: The Three Strangers ¡°Stay on guard, everyone.¡± It was a very manly voice with an English accent. This one was plain English. Nothing Elvish or whatever. Wait, there were more of them? The white-haired girl was not alone. Two white men stood beside her. The taller man was probably in his mid-twenties, with short blond hair, hazel eyes, and a handsome face that seemed to be permanently in a bad mood. The second young man, also the shortest of the group, had hair and eyes so black they absorbed the light. He smiled at Narvari with a wave. All three odd fellows wore the same black and dark green attire closely resembling a military suit. The girl however wore a short pleated skirt instead of a pair of trousers like the men. Who were these people and how did they suddenly get here? More importantly, how did they kill the shadowy creature? None of Narvari¡¯s guns had worked and yet that explosion had killed it. It must be her gun. Narvari glanced back at the girl¡¯s gun, but it was gone. She was not carrying it anywhere on her either. Where did it go? She narrowed her eyes. ¡°Check your xuul,¡± said the blond English guy, looking at something at his wrist. ¡°The wraith demons weren¡¯t only here. They are everywhere.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a good thing they are only first-order,¡± said the short young man. ¡°They can still do a lot of damage. Especially if there¡¯s a wraith lord around.¡± The blond man turned to the other guy. ¡°Yanvirrak, go activate the solar prism. Once you¡¯re done, put up your holy veil over the city, then find survivors and keep them safe. Understood?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± he said. ¡°Solar prism, holy veil, survivors. Got it.¡± The young man named Yanvirrak disappeared. No, he ran so fast that it seemed he merely became a blur. It was fast, but Narvari was sure her eyes had caught it. Strange. But wait, that wasn¡¯t the strangest part. Did this man just say wraith demons? As in demons? But what else could Narvari call those shadowy creatures who devoured the life out of humans? And if those things were demons, did that make this group of strange-looking people demon hunters? Had she not almost been strangled to death by these same demons, Narvari would have laughed out loud at the ridiculousness of the whole thing. No, this must be a dream. One endless nightmare. She had to wake up now. ¡°What do we do with her?¡± said the girl. When two pairs of eyes fell on Narvari, she knew they were talking about her. Narvari pinched herself on the arm and the shock of the pain jolted her to reality. She clenched her jaws as the throes of reality suffocated her. This was no dream nor a hallucination. Those creatures had really attacked Sharmandi. They had tried to kill her. Her family¡­ ¡°Anana.¡± She crawled towards her grandmother but then halted when she saw Jimbaga¡¯s pale sickly body lying about like a rag-doll. Narvari scrambled to her feet towards her best friend. ¡°No. No. Jimbaga.¡± She gathered her best friend into her arms, holding him tightly in her embrace. ¡°Jimbaga, wake up. Please.¡± But he was as still as a statue and as cold as ice. Her eyes and throat burned. It was too late. There was nothing she could do for him. She had failed her friend. She had failed everyone. But her grandmother was fine. She could help Anana. Narvari gently lay Jimbaga down and ran to her grandmother. Although Anana was a little pale, the little color on her face said that she hadn¡¯t been completely sucked dry by one of those things. That gave Narvari a little hope. Anana was fine. ¡°Anana,¡± she called out. She gently tugged her grandmother on the arm. ¡°Anana.¡± The old woman did not stir. All she needed was medical care. She was fine. Her grandmother had spoken to her not long ago. She was fine.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Narvari turned her attention to the two strangers who just stared at her in silence. ¡°You have to help my grandmother, please. She needs help.¡± They did not budge. The girl looked at her with compassion while the young man seemed very bored by the whole thing. What was wrong with them? Narvari yelled, ¡°Why are you just standing there?¡± She held on to her grandmother. She knew deep within her she was lying to herself. Her grandmother didn¡¯t need medical help. She was gone, forever, just like Jimbaga. ¡°Please come back,¡± she whispered. ¡°Please.¡± Clasping the lifeless body of her grandmother in her arms, her entire body trembled in rage and pain and a thousand more emotions she could not fathom. She shut her eyes, her jaws tightly clenched. Behind her shut eyes, Narvari sensed the presence of light. She tried to open her eyes but she quickly shut them again when the blinding light stabbed her eyes. When she was sure her eyes had adjusted to the light, she opened them. The strangers were still in her house. She cared not who they were nor where they had come from. All she cared about was staying right here with her family. The family she no longer had. ¡°Yanvirrak activated the solar prism,¡± the girl said. ¡°The town should be safe, right?¡± ¡°No. There¡¯s still danger.¡± ¡°Oh, right. The wraith lord isn¡¯t affected by sunlight.¡± The girl peered at something on her wrist. ¡°This is odd. I can¡¯t sense anything on my xuul. Is it possible there¡¯s no wraith lord?¡± ¡°I highly doubt it. ¡± said the man. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Pheera. The whole city is in danger unless we vanquish the wraith lord.¡± ¡°But what about her?¡± The girl pointed to Narvari. ¡°We can¡¯t just leave her while there¡¯s still a third-order demon lurking around. Why don¡¯t we get her to safety first.¡± The man¡¯s nonchalant expression didn¡¯t change. ¡°You,¡± he said, nodding at Narvari. ¡°Come with us.¡± ¡°No.¡± Narvari narrowed her eyes. Who the hell were these lunatics? After spouting some nonsense about demons and a whole lot of insane words they expected her to just follow them? ¡°I¡¯m not leaving my grandmother behind.¡± ¡°Your grandmother is dead.¡± Narvari clenched her jaws as the words hit her like a truck. ¡°Come on, Azmel. You can¡¯t just say that.¡± Horror clouded Pheera¡¯s blue eyes. ¡°Why not,¡± said Azmel. ¡°It¡¯s the truth. And she needs to know that it¡¯s pointless staying behind for the dead if she¡¯s to stay alive.¡± Pheera gave Narvari a sympathetic look, and somehow that even infuriated Narvari more. She wasn¡¯t helpless. She just wanted to be left alone so she could mourn her grandmother in peace. If there was a so-called third-order demon around, whatever the hell that meant, she didn¡¯t care. She had just lost her grandmother and one of her best friends. Her other best friend was fighting for his life. The mother of her best friend was dead. More people might be dead. She couldn¡¯t care less what happened to her. ¡°Look, just leave me alone.¡± Narvari gazed somberly at nothing in particular. Silence ensued for a while. Finally, Azmel said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Pheera.¡± Pheera looked between Narvari and Azmel as though she was unsure of what to do. She did not move. ¡°Wait, Azmel.¡± ¡°There are others who actually need our help.¡± ¡°Yes. So does she.¡± Pheera gazed at Narvari. ¡°Although she doesn¡¯t know that yet. Let me try and talk to her, okay?¡± ¡°What if she doesn¡¯t listen?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Uncertainty filled Pheera¡¯s eyes. ¡°She could get killed if I don¡¯t do something.¡± A flicker of worry appeared on Azmel¡¯s stoic face. ¡°Pheera, are you sure about this?¡± Pheera smiled. It was not as bright as her previous smiles. ¡°Hopefully she¡¯ll just listen to me.¡± Azmel sighed. ¡°Fine. Be quick about it.¡± Pheera nodded. Narvari frowned as the girl confidently strode towards her. Did this girl think she could make her do anything she didn¡¯t want to do? What was she planning to do anyway? Narvari¡¯s chest pounded faster the closer Pheera got. Was she even real? How could a person be so painfully beautiful? Just look at that rich ebony skin. So flawless. Those eyes. Sharp and brilliant as sapphire. And those lips¡­ What the hell is wrong with you? Narvari chastised herself. She just lost her family and here she was ogling some girl as though she had just dropped out of the sky. With that face, maybe she had indeed dropped out of the sky. Narvari¡¯s breathing hastened as Pheera knelt before her. Their faces were only a few inches away. Did this girl understand the concept of boundaries? ¡°What are you doing?¡± Narvari finally found her raspy voice. ¡°Please come with us,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s not safe to be here.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care. Listen to your friend and leave me alone.¡± Pheera bit her lips in silence. It seemed she was wrestling with something inside her mind. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Narvari asked when Pheera took her hand. She wanted to pull her hand away but she was transfixed by the way this girl intensely gazed at her. She still managed to string out some words, while avoiding Pheera¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not coming with you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not leaving you here alone either.¡± ¡°What is your problem?¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about this.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t apologize to me. Just leave me alone.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Pheera whispered. ¡°You¡¯re just tired. You can sleep now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me what to do.¡± Narvari yawned. As she wondered what nonsense the girl was talking about, extreme exhaustion suddenly overtook her body. Her eyes became heavier. Why was she tired and sleepy so suddenly? You¡¯re just tired. You can sleep now. Narvari gaped, recalling Pheera¡¯s words. ¡°You,¡± Narvari whispered. She fell into Pheera¡¯s embrace as fatigue arrested her limbs. ¡°What did you do?¡ª?¡± Narvari would never know what her own last words were as she succumbed to slumber. Chapter 13: The Wraith Lord
Darkness drowned Narvari¡¯s senses. She seemed trapped in a bottomless abyss from which she could not wake. How long had it been? Time eluded her. Her eyes fluttered. Slowly they peeled open on their own accord. The world around her seemed to be upside down. It took a few seconds for her mind to make sense of her reality. No, the world wasn¡¯t upside down; she was the one hanging upside down. And wait¡­ why was she moving? Narvari blinked rapidly at the taut ass staring right in her face. Someone was carrying her on their shoulder and moving at a brisk pace. Whoever it was must be really strong. Fatigue clawed at her bones. It was enough to stop Narvari from fighting back. ¡°Strange. The xuul says there¡¯s still a demon around here somewhere. But it¡¯s not telling me the order.¡± Azmel? Narvari recognized the voice. This was no dream then? For a moment, she thought Azmel was the one carrying her. But taking a look at the tiny waist in that mini skirt, she thought better of it. ¡°Mine isn¡¯t working either.¡± That was Pheera¡¯s voice. ¡°You don¡¯t think it¡¯s broken, do you?¡± ¡°No. But I do think the demon is concealing its order.¡± ¡°The wraith lord?¡± Narvari heard the shock in Pheera¡¯s voice. ¡°But lesser demons can¡¯t conceal their nature.¡± ¡°No,¡± Azmel said. ¡°But greater demons can.¡± The world stopped around Narvari. It took her a while to realize that Pheera had stopped walking. Pheera said, ¡°Are you saying there¡¯s a greater demon here? Should we call for backup?¡± ¡°It¡¯s merely a hypothesis.¡± He paused. ¡°But we still need to be careful. If the demon¡¯s order is too high to vanquish, we¡¯ll have to capture it instead.¡± They were really still talking about demons, Narvari thought. She suddenly stiffened as a stifling aura held her very soul hostage. Narvari clenched her jaws, her body shivering as though consumed by a blizzard. Although she found the idea of demons ridiculous, she knew for certain that the malevolent energy in the atmosphere was nothing but a demonic aura. It made her want to cower in fear. Pheera jumped back while holding on to Narvari carefully. A loud cackle tore through the still night. The laughter was manic and psychotic. Narvari was certain that the laughter belonged to the same person responsible for that demonic aura. A knot tied in her stomach. Pheera gently put Narvari down. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± The expression in those blue eyes was that of shock. Pheera quickly recovered from her shock. ¡°Stay here, okay? Everything will be alright.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Narvari asked. She tried to get back on her feet, but the strength in her feet failed her. All she did was lean on the wall behind her. Pheera smiled softly at her. Without saying a word, the girl stood up, her back to Narvari. Why was she being so cryptic? And what did she do to her? Azmel stood a few meters away from Pheera. He held a ridiculously large gun that belonged in a science fiction movie. ¡°Gear up,¡± Azmel said. ¡°It¡¯s here.¡± Pheera nodded and then whispered something.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Icy energy poured out from Pheera¡¯s body, surrounding her entire being. The energy was as white as Pheera¡¯s hair with a blue halo, like her eyes, burning around it. In that same instant, the blue and white energy disappeared and a gun materialized in her hand. It was the same white and blue gun Narvari had seen Pheera use against the demon back in her house. The gun had the same colors as the energy that emanated from Pheera. Narvari gaped. Did that gun just come out of nowhere? Narvari quickly looked from Pheera to Azmel. Were those people even human? The demonic cackle tore through the air again. Then something hissed her name, echoing in the darkness. ¡°Little Shar. I know you¡¯re here.¡± Narvari clenched her trembling hands. The demon knew her? How? Azmel and Pheera exchanged confused glances. The voice continued. ¡°Tell me, Little Shar. How would you like to die?¡± More hysterical laughter. ¡°Oh, I know. Slowly and painfully, Little Shar.¡± A monstrous shadow tore out of the darkness and lunged toward Narvari with incredible speed. Narvari¡¯s heart flew into her mouth. She willed herself to move, but the fear kept her rooted to the ground. She was about to die. Narvari braced herself for death¡¯s jaws when Pheera threw herself towards the shadow and fired her gun with a loud boom. A blast of white and blue energy surged towards the demon, forcing the demon to retreat in the opposite direction away from Narvari. Pheera, however, did not stop. With the strange blue and white energy now around her fists and legs, she pursued the demon. The demon charged toward Pheera. Thus began the fiercest fight Narvari had ever witnessed in her life. She gulped watching the mind-blowing speed at which Pheera and the demon exchanged kicks and blows. When the demon moved to the right, Pheera was there to kick him back and when it turned to the left, Pheera was right there. She sent a hefty punch into the demon¡¯s face with her energy-powered fist. The demon staggered backward. ¡°Now, Azmel.¡± Azmel fired his large gun, releasing an enormous blast of gray energy toward the demon. The energy engulfed the demon. Narvari held her breath in anticipation. Was the demon dead? It should be dead, right? A few seconds later the gray flames went out. The demon remained unscathed, a feral smile plastered on his face. ¡°Did you vanquishers think your puny savaz can destroy me?¡± the demon roared, his red eyes blazing. Dark gray energy emanated from the demon¡¯s palm. With arms as thick as tree trunks, the demon sent a heavy punch toward Pheera. Pheera somersaulted in the air, landing gracefully right next to Azmel. ¡°He¡¯s not vanquished?¡± she asked. ¡°It can only mean one thing,¡± said Azmel. ¡°This wraith lord is not third-order.¡± ¡°But that can¡¯t be.¡± Pheera glanced at the flat rectangular screen of the device on her wrist. ¡°I still don¡¯t have a reading on his order.¡± The demon laughed. ¡°That¡¯s right, vanquishers. You are out-ordered. I suggest you run along now. I¡¯m here for the Shar descendant. But if you stand in my way, I will kill you all.¡± ¡°We are not leaving until we vanquish you.¡± Azmel held his gun in one hand as if it weighed nothing at all. The demon grinned. Although it had a shadowy form, it was vastly different from the other wraith demons. This one had a stronger and more muscular build. The other demons seemed deformed with their crooked back but this one stood erect with broad shoulders and a body that belonged to a bodybuilder. It still looked far from a human with its bottomless red eyes and sharp yellow teeth. Unlike the wraith demons, this one had a long black horn protruding out of his forehead. If this was what they referred to as the wraith lord, then it had the whole ¡®demonic lord¡¯ look. The wraith lord whipped something out of its body. It was a blue fluid in a transparent vial. The demon opened the vial and downed its content into its throat. The dark gray demonic aura around the demon grew even fouler and more depressing than ever. Narvari huddled her knees. She didn¡¯t want to be here anymore. Her bones threatened to escape from her body with her intense trembling. Pheera ran towards the demon, shooting her gun endlessly. Did those guns even use bullets at all? ¡°No, Pheera, stop,¡± Azmel shouted. It was the first time Narvari had seen the blond man lose his cool. ¡°You can¡¯t vanquish it. It¡¯s fifth-order.¡± But it was too late. Pheera was already engaged in a frenzied battle with the demon. Now that they were a lot closer, Narvari couldn¡¯t help but notice that Pheera¡¯s combat style bore a startling resemblance to Sharmandi¡¯s gun combat, Ntunomi. It was the martial arts style her grandfather had introduced to the Kirriba. Ntunomi involved the seamless combination of guns and martial arts. Pheera¡¯s style was eerily identical. The only difference was that Pheera¡¯s movements were far swifter and more powerful than what Narvari was used to seeing from the members of the WPU. Something told Narvari that a single kick from Pheera against a normal human could kill them instantly. But even then, the demon held its own with ease. It was almost like all of Pheera¡¯s efforts were just one big joke. The demon sent a vicious palm strike into Pheera¡¯s chest hurling her into a wall. The wall collapsed with a deafening crash. ¡°Pheera,¡± Azmel shouted. Narvari¡¯s heart pounded. Was the girl dead? Oh no.
Chapter 14: The Wraith Lord vs the Vanquishers ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Pheera clawed out of the rubble, completely covered in dust. A mist of white and blue energy shrouded her body like a blanket as she wiped the blood dripping from her mouth. Narvari exhaled heavily. She was so relieved Pheera was alright that she didn¡¯t even question how she had survived. ¡°Don¡¯t be rash,¡± said Azmel. ¡°Don¡¯t just charge at the demon. I just got a reading from the xuul and it¡¯s fifth-order. I don¡¯t know how a wraith lord ordered up, but I¡¯m betting it had something to do with the thing it just drank.¡± ¡°Face me, Little Shar,¡± the demon roared. ¡°Will you keep hiding behind these weaklings like a pathetic little child? I thought you were the descendant of the mighty Erasmus Shar.¡± The demon laughed. ¡°Tell me, what was it like, hearing the screams of your people as my demons consumed their souls? It was music to my ears.¡± Narvari gripped her fist. So this was the demon responsible for all the horrors that had befallen her beloved town. This demon was the reason why her grandmother was dead, why Jimbaga was dead¡­ You will pay for this. Another explosion went off and Narvari was sure that it was one of those strange guns those demon hunters were using. Except that neither Pheera nor Azmel had used their guns. The demon slowly turned around. Narvari saw the third demon hunter, the shortest of the three. His gun was relatively smaller, closely resembling a pistol. No, three pistols combined with a single grip. Purple energy poured from the triple barrels of the gun and consumed the demon. The demon was unfazed. The short demon hunter fired his gun continuously. ¡°Okay, what the hell.¡± His eyes widened. ¡°Yanvirrak, it¡¯s no use. It¡¯s fifth-order,¡± Azmel said. ¡°But the mission says only first-order demons were here.¡± Narvari sensed the panic in Yanvirrak¡¯s voice. ¡°We should call for backup. I¡¯ll call for backup.¡± ¡°Calm down, will you?¡± Azmel¡¯s gun disappeared from his hand. Thick silver fluid emanated from his body covering him like a silver blanket. ¡°Get behind me, both of you.¡± Yanvirrak and Pheera did as they were told. The smugness on the demon¡¯s face paled as the silver fluid around Azmel¡¯s body morphed into arrows. A shower of arrows, as if released by an entire army of archers, raced toward the wraith lord. The demon continuously leaped out of the way with a swiftness that could only be described as the wind. But Azmel was even swifter and more graceful with his movements. Whenever the arrow fell somewhere else other than the demon, it simply disappeared. The wraith lord screeched when a few of the arrows impaled him from the back effectively decreasing his momentum. Blood as black as coal dripped out of the demon. Thin threads of silver fluid seeped out from the fingers of Azmel¡¯s right hand. The threads flew after the demon and connected themselves to the arrows impaling him. Azmel balled his right fist and the demon froze instantly. With a simple tug of his hand, the demon dangled up in the air as though being controlled by a puppeteer. Azmel hammered the demon into the ground. A tremor tore through the earth lasting only a few seconds.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°I will kill you. I will kill all of you.¡± His blazing red eyes glared at Azmel. The wraith lord struggled to get on his feet but it seemed the silver threads connected to him had frozen him in place. ¡°Your elema weakened him,¡± said Yanvirrak. ¡°His regeneration has slowed down.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not stopping until he¡¯s vanquished,¡± said Azmel. The silver fluid appeared in his left hand and morphed into a long silver spear. Azmel suddenly disappeared and reappeared by the demon¡¯s side. He plunged the spear into the heart of the wraith lord. Narvari covered her ears as the demon wailed in anguish. Pheera and Yanvirrak ran to Azmel¡¯s side when the cries of the demon died down. Is he dead? Barely had the thought formed in Narvari¡¯s head when a powerful force flung Azmel, Pheera, and Yanvirrak into the air. They fell heavily to the ground, several meters away from the demon. Slowly, the demon stood up. A malicious power that made Narvari¡¯s skin crawl radiated from his being. His wounds were healing at a visible rate and his muscles grew even bigger. Blue liquid trickled down the demon¡¯s mouth and he licked it. He pointed towards Azmel and his team. ¡°I¡¯m going to enjoy killing you and Little Shar.¡± Yanvirrak shouted, ¡°This can¡¯t be. How is he ordering up?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Azmel scrambled to his feet. ¡°Trinity.¡± Purple energy seeped out of Yanvier¡¯s eyes like a pair of spectacles. That same purple energy also wrapped around his fists and legs. The same thing had happened to Pheera, except that her energy was blue and white. ¡°Capture formation.¡± Azmel took a tiny black cube, barely the size of his palm, out of his pocket. They all surrounded the demon in a triangle. The demon laughed. He stood casually at the center, his bright red eyes full of amusement. ¡°You intend to capture me? In your dreams.¡± Then its laughter turned into a fury the likes of which Narvari had never experienced. Narvari clenched her jaws as a pit of fear opened in her belly. Azmel didn¡¯t seem to be fazed by the demon¡¯s wrath. He removed something from the black cube and threw it toward the demon. ¡°Forward.¡± All three demon hunters lunged toward the demon. The synergy among the three was flawless but even still Narvari could tell that they were no match for the wraith lord. Soon, the demon had the upper hand, simultaneously sending a powerful punch into Yanvirrak¡¯s throat and a kick into Pheera¡¯s abdomen. The two were violently thrown back. Narvari wasn¡¯t sure what Azmel was doing, but he seemed to be controlling something gray relentlessly following the demon. The wraith lord, however, would not stand still. He skillfully evaded all of Azmel¡¯s attacks. Then he boosted himself up into the air and then projected himself towards Azmel. Azmel didn¡¯t have time to dodge and he was sent flying away with a single kick in the face. All the demon hunters lay useless on the ground. A few minutes ago, the demon was at the mercy of Azmel and his team. What had changed so suddenly? Narvari wondered what exactly the demon had drank to make it so powerful to the point of invincibility. ¡°Are you sure you lot are vanquishers?¡± the demon raved. Vanquishers? There was that word again. The demon continued with its tiring monologue. ¡°Has the legend of the mighty Ancient Order of Vanquishers sunk so far?¡± He scoffed. ¡°Demons quaked in fear for centuries when they heard about you. Is this what my brethren feared for so long? Pathetic.¡± The demon cackled. ¡°Are you watching this, Little Shar? Once I¡¯m through with these weaklings, I shall come for you. For the glory of my master, you will go through a slow agonizing death, Little Shar. Never will you defy Master Stein in your next life.¡± Master Stein? Who the hell is that? Was it another demon? From the little she had gathered, Narvari understood that the stronger a demon, the higher their order. Was it possible that this Master Stein was a higher-order demon? She was so confused right now. And so scared. No, that would be an understatement. Fear had taken root in her heart and paralyzed her completely. She had fought those wraith demons. As weak as they were, she couldn¡¯t even kill a single one. But the demon hunters had killed them. Now, however, the demon hunters didn¡¯t stand a chance against the wraith lord. How could Narvari possibly defeat such a powerful demon? The only reason she still had hope for her town was that the demon hunters were here. If they died would that not be the end of Sharmandi? If the strange guns and abilities of the demon hunters were not working against the demon, then she knew her ordinary weapons would simply be useless. Why would anyone want to do this to her? To her people? Who would do this? The demon said she had defied his master. Narvari could not think of anyone. Hours ago she didn¡¯t even know demons existed so how could she have defied one? ¡°Now, now, which vanquisher do I kill first.¡± The demon seemed lost in an impossible decision. ¡°Hmm, so many juicy options. Oh, I know.¡± His eyes rested on Pheera. His face narrowed into a chilling smirk. ¡°I¡¯ll start with the girl.¡± Chapter 15: Ushama The demon sauntered toward Pheera like an apex predator. ¡°I wonder what the heart of a vanquisher tastes like. I want a taste.¡± Narvari tightened her fists. The demon was not bluffing, she was certain of it. She had to do something. She couldn¡¯t just sit back like a coward and watch everyone die. That was not her. She was not one to back down from a fight no matter how impossible it was to win. She could not let the wraith lord kill the demon hunters. They were the only thing standing between the demon and Sharmandi¡¯s safety. If those three died, so would everyone else. Narvari could not let that happen. There was only one thing left to do. ¡°Wait.¡± Narvari¡¯s voice shook. She crawled from behind her hiding place. She gulped as the demon¡¯s red eyes bore into her. What the hell was she doing? This was a terrible idea. There was no way she could fight that demon. Narvari could not remember the last time she had been this afraid in her life. The fear overpowered her so much that she wished the ground would simply open up and swallow her whole. But could she just sit back and let this happen? She could not. She would not. Narvari painfully dragged herself towards the demon. Now she was the only thing standing between Pheera and the wraith lord. ¡°There she is. Little Shar.¡± His eyes narrowed in disdain. ¡°I thought you ran like a coward.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are.¡± Narvari forced the fear out of her voice. ¡°But it seems you want me to leave them alone. Leave Sharmandi alone and I¡¯ll come with you. Please.¡± ¡°Hey, stand back. It¡¯s not safe.¡± Azmel¡¯s voice came from behind her. She ignored him, her eyes fixated on the demon instead. The demon chuckled. ¡°How noble, Little Shar. But it is such foolishness to assume I want you alive. All I want is to hear you scream in pain as you beg me to end your life. That is the will of my master. My master gets what he wants.¡± ¡°Why are you doing this? What did we ever do to your master, huh? What did Sharmandi ever do to you?¡± ¡°You know what, you¡¯re all about to die anyway so I¡¯ll indulge you. Master Stein doesn¡¯t give a damn about Sharmandi. What he wants are the four-tusks elephants. But you people defied him.¡± He shrugged. ¡°So now you¡¯re all going to pay with your worthless lives.¡± Narvari¡¯s heart raced. She gaped at the demon in shock. Bazwu? What did the four-tusk elephants have to do with this? What was going on? Suddenly Narvari recalled Tsalaga¡¯s warning. Was this what Tsalaga meant when he said the man after the bazwu was dangerous? But this was no man. This was a whole demon. Wait. Was her nation in peril because of the bazwu? Had her grandmother and best friend lost their lives because some bastard wanted their bazwu for himself? Narvari¡¯s balled fists trembled even more violently than before. The fear slowly evaporated from her body. In its place came something else. It clawed out from the deepest part of her core and consumed her like wildfire. It was murderous rage and it incinerated her fear into ash. All Narvari wanted to do was tear this demon and the master who sent him from limb to limb. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you, demon.¡± The demon roared in laughter. ¡°That¡¯s the spirit, Little Shar. Give in to the rage and come to me. Let¡¯s see how long you can last my torture.¡± The demon drank something and bellowed in euphoria. Even when a small part of Narvari¡¯s brain cautioned her that this was the same blue liquid boosting the demon¡¯s power, she still didn¡¯t care. All she wanted was blood. In sheer rage, she ran towards the wraith lord. ¡°No. Don¡¯t.¡± It was Pheera. ¡°You¡¯re going to die.¡± She didn¡¯t care about that. She cared about one thing only. She would thrash this demon into oblivion. She may not have a special means of killing demons but she could fight. And that was exactly what she was going to do. This demon would wish he had never been born. Narvari had been fighting battles all her life. But never had she fought one this fierce. One fueled by love and hate. One where she did not care about life or death. One where nothing else mattered but simply eradicating the evil from existence. Even when the demon grabbed Narvari by the throat and hurled her to the ground violently. Her body never stopped. She soon found her way back up, charging at the wraith lord with the rage of a bull. Again. And again. And again. She would not stop until she was dead. The body of the demon was like steel to her fists, and soon, her knuckles were nothing but blood and blisters. Even then, she still did not care. The pain festering in her heart was worse than the blade of mere steel. The demon rained a powerful palm kick on Narvari¡¯s chest. She was sure she had heard the crack of her ribs. She coughed, and a fountain of blood spurted from her mouth. The world seemed to be in a blur, as though reality itself was warping around her. The metallic taste of blood in her mouth told her that she was still alive.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. No matter how much she bled, she did not care. The blood she spilled was nothing compared to the blood and cries of her people. With the difference in their strength, the wraith lord could easily kill her with a single slap. But it was clear the demon was taking his sweet time to punish her. Still, Narvari did not care about that either. All she cared about right now, all that clouded her mind, was revenge. She panted heavily, glaring murderously at the demon. ¡°I see you¡¯re more resilient than I thought,¡± said the demon. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s time to see what my new power can do.¡± The demon released a blast of black energy toward Narvari. She tried to dodge out of the way, but her aching body simply made her too slow. The demon¡¯s energy consumed her like black flames. Narvari gritted her teeth and screamed. Nothing in the world could have prepared her for this agony. The searing heat on her skin as the energy ate her alive felt like she had been soaked in petrol and set ablaze. She thrashed wildly on the ground as something like thick black veins crawled all over her body squeezing the life out of her. ¡°That¡¯s it, Little Shar.¡± The demon cackled in frenzy. ¡°Do you feel that slowly breaking you apart from within? Yes, that¡¯s my demon energy. You pathetic humans cannot withstand possession of any kind, least of all, demon energy. Now you¡¯re going to die most painfully.¡± She felt her sanity slowly leaving her. Her head burned, and all she wanted was to crack it open, to stop the pain. She crouched to her knees, hitting her head violently on the ground in rapid succession. Even the pain she felt as she hit her head against the stone pavement was nothing compared to the pain consuming her entire body. Blood gushed out all over her face. It needed to stop. The pain needed to stop. ¡°You will experience pain like you¡¯ve never experienced in your life,¡± the demon continued his monologue. ¡°It will destroy you from the inside until nothing is left. Then you will die, Little Shar. Because you are nothing. You w¡­¡± The voice of the demon grew distant in Narvari¡¯s ears. All her senses were centered on nothing but the anguish scraping her skin. She couldn¡¯t hear or see anything. The burning sensation in her head did nothing but increase. She was lost in an abyss of darkness from which she longed to escape. Whispers filled her head. They were like the howling of the wind. But soon, the whispers took the shape and form of actual words. It transformed from the howling of the wind to the rushing of many waters. Louder and clearer became the voice. ¡°Ushama.¡± It was the voice of a little boy. ¡°Say it. Say my name. Ushama, Ushama, say it.¡± The childish voice echoed continuously in Narvari¡¯s head. It was relentless and full of desperation. ¡°Say my name. Ushama. Say it. Say it now. Ushama. Ushama. Say it. Say my name. Ushama.¡± ¡°Stop,¡± Narvari found her voice and shouted. She held her head as it throbbed painfully. She shook like a snake dying in a fire. ¡°Please stop. Please.¡± ¡°Just say my name. Ushama. Say it now.¡± What was this? What was going on? Tears mixed with blood flooded her face. Who was Ushama? What was Ushama? ¡°Say my name and you will know.¡± Narvari gritted her teeth, burying her face in the ground. She must have gone insane. ¡°Ushama,¡± she whispered. Like a burst dam breaking through walls, something reverberated within her body, threatening to tear her apart. But it was only for a mere second and everything went still. The agony razing her body withered into nothingness as if she had never experienced pain a day in her life. A dead calm, the likes of which she had never felt before, settled over her entire being. It was like she was living outside her own body. But while the pain was gone and the voice in her head was no more, one thing remained. Her rage scorched her like the sun and she could not wait to release the heat. Lifting her head, she glowered at the demon. ¡°Ah,¡± the demon muttered with wide eyes. Narvari smelt the fear in his voice. She slowly got to her feet. She narrowed her eyes upon seeing the strange black and red aura emanating from her arms. But it wasn¡¯t just her upper limbs. The misty energy surrounded her torso and legs. She had no idea what was happening, but she instinctively knew what to do. She sauntered towards the demon. Something cold and hard materialized in both hands. Narvari glanced at her hands only to see that the energy around her body had disappeared. In its place instead were a pair of identical black and red revolvers with thick rectangular barrels. On any other day, she might have questioned the sheer insanity behind this. But now, she was in no such frame of mind to care about magic guns. There was only one thing on her mind. And as she got closer to the demon, that one thing was all she cared about. The demon stumbled in retreat, his dark gray face warping in horror. The demon¡¯s fear nourished Narvari like the sun would a plant. ¡°No, no, please. I¡­ no,¡± His voice trembled. ¡°Please forgive me. I¡­ I merely followed orders. I was nothing but a pawn. Please.¡± The demon fell to his knees, bowing to Narvari. ¡°I didn¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t know. If I did, I would have killed Stein myself. Forgive me. It was the Stein. It was him. Forgive me. I was merely doing his bidding for power. But I swear this was not my doing. Forgive me.¡± Forgive? Narvari cocked her head, staring at the demon in confusion. Forgive? What does it mean? And why does he keep asking for it? Narvari pointed her guns at the demon and spoke out in a voice she didn¡¯t quite recognize. ¡°Did you really think I would let you get away with all this?¡± It was still her voice, but it had a depth of coldness and malice she was not used to. ¡°You attacked my town. You killed my family. Who knows how many more people your demons have killed? Yet, you grovel before me shamelessly asking for my forgiveness. You must take me for a fool, demon.¡± ¡°No, no, never. Please. I will never. Your Ma-¡± Black and red fiery energy blasted from her guns and consumed the wraith lord as soon as Narvari pressed the triggers of her guns. The demon roared, writhing on the ground like a dying banshee. In mere seconds, the ravenous flames consumed the demon leaving nothing but specks of ash. The ash even disintegrated into nothingness. But even as the demon was gone, the rage in her heart grew bigger than ever. Narvari clenched her jaws. Stein. I will kill you. But just as she was about to run off into the night to find this demon named Stein, Narvari¡¯s legs wobbled. It seemed like the strength in her body had been donated to someone else. She lost her balance and slumped to the ground. Not even a single muscle in her body could move. With her eyelids getting heavier and heavier, the last thing she saw was the lone moon in the starless skies of her homeland. Chapter 16: Draghein School The wispy form of the wraith demon crouched out of the darkness. Its red empty eyes were death itself as they penetrated Narvari¡¯s soul. The demon sluggishly pulled its hunched-back body towards Narvari. She sat motionless in the ruins of her room, her hands covering her ears as the demon shrieked. There was her grandmother, pale and dead, lying by her side. ¡°Anana.¡± She sobbed. ¡°Narvari,¡± a voice called out to her. Jimbaga crawled towards her from the darkness. ¡°Jimbaga.¡± Narvari struggled to get to him but her body remained rooted to the ground, unwilling to move. ¡°Jimbaga.¡± The demon shrieked again. Its fluid form melded with the darkness and soared like the wind toward her best friend. The demon climbed atop Jimbaga¡¯s body, pinning him to the ground. ¡°No. No, stop.¡± Narvari fought to pull herself free from her position. ¡°Get away from him.¡± A hand grasped Narvari¡¯s arm. She shouted, flailing her arms wildly. ¡°Get away. Get away from me. Get away.¡± The hand released her immediately. A soothing voice caressed Narvari¡¯s ears. ¡°It¡¯s alright. You are safe now.¡± The familiar voice was a salve to Narvari¡¯s anguished soul. She stopped thrashing around as the calmness settled over her body. The cage of darkness around her shattered into a million pieces. Her grandmother and best friend disappeared as light flooded her space. Narvari¡¯s eyes peeled open. They gazed directly into two dazzling orbs of sapphire. She froze, her body unwilling to move by the sheer proximity of the white-haired girl sitting so close to her. Suddenly Narvari lunged out of bed as though she had suddenly remembered how to use her limbs. ¡°Whoa, calm down.¡± The girl chuckled, pulling Narvari back into the bed. Her grip was surprisingly strong for such a gentle touch. ¡°You are still recovering from all those wounds. It¡¯s a miracle you¡¯re even awake.¡± Recovering? Narvari raised a brow. Flashes of memories slowly surged into her mind. Now it all made sense why this girl looked familiar. Pheera. That was what the others had called her. Narvari¡¯s gaze fell on the girl¡¯s hand. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me,¡± she hissed, pulling her hands away. ¡°Ever.¡± Pheera put a respectable distance between them, her smile dimming. Narvari bit her lips, as guilt pricked her skin. She awkwardly rubbed her neck. ¡°Look, no offense to you or anything, but the last time you touched me, you made me fall-¡± ¡°In love, huh?¡± another voice chimed in. Narvari paled as she turned around. There, in the next bed to her right, was another familiar face. It was the smallish young man with jet-black hair whose name she did not remember. He smirked. Narvari frowned when the boy wiggled his thick eyebrows. She glared at him. ¡°She made me fall asleep, genius.¡± Okay, why did she even clarify that? She didn¡¯t have to explain herself to anyone. ¡°Oh.¡± The smirk disappeared from his face. He looked at Pheera with concern. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Pheera smiled and nodded. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Right,¡± said Narvari, taking a quick look at her surroundings. ¡°Who are you and where am I?¡± They were in a massive room with several rows of beds with clean white sheets. Was this a hospital? She must be the only patient here then. ¡°Oh, forgive our manners. My name is Pheera.¡± She offered a hand to Narvari, but Narvari watched her with suspicion. She didn¡¯t even make any attempt to take Pheera¡¯s hand. As if Pheera understood what this meant, she withdrew her hand and pointed it at the boy. ¡°That¡¯s Yanvirrak.¡± ¡°Yanvirrak Hanes.¡± Yanvirrak gave a short wave. Although he was smaller in stature, there was something about his thick black mustache that told Narvari that the boy was probably a couple of years older than she was. ¡°What about you?¡± asked Yanvirrak. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Your name, genius.¡± He smirked. ¡°The wraith lord called you Little Shar. Is that your name?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Narvari Shar,¡± she said quickly. ¡°And no, I don¡¯t know how the demon knew my name so don¡¯t ask me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re feisty.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re annoying.¡± ¡°Tell me something I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Did you know I could snap a man¡¯s head with my bare hands?¡± ¡°Wow.¡± Yanvirrak gaped. ¡°You¡¯re also violent.¡± Now it was Narvari¡¯s turn to smirk. ¡°Tell me something I don¡¯t know.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°You¡¯re in Draghein School.¡± Narvari paused, narrowing her eyes. ¡°What?¡± Yanvirrak shrugged and laid back in the bed. It seemed he was done talking about this. Before Narvari could speak some choice words at the boy¡¯s complete indifference, Pheera called Narvari¡¯s name. For some reason, her name sounded like a melody on Pheera¡¯s lips. ¡°You asked where you were,¡± said Pheera when Narvari was too stunned to say another word. ¡°You¡¯re in the infirmary in Draghein School. And as to who we are, we work here in the school.¡± Narvari pondered. ¡°Draghein School? I¡¯ve never heard of it. Is it in Dorben?¡± ¡°Dorben?¡± Yanvirrak chuckled. ¡°Yeah, no.¡± Oh, so now he speaks. ¡°There was someone else with you,¡± Narvari said instead. ¡°Oh yes,¡± said Pheera. ¡°That¡¯s our team captain. Azmel Ray.¡± Narvari massaged her temples. What was it with these names? Hmm, who was she to complain anyway? Though she was Kirriba, her first name was not Kirriba. As if that was not enough, she had a last name. So no, she had no right to judge someone¡¯s name. She should be more concerned about how these people had come to Sharmandi in the first place. How had they killed those creatures¡­ no, demons? That was what they called them. Where had those demons even come from? Demons couldn¡¯t possibly exist, could they? But she had seen them with her own eyes. There was something far bigger going on and Narvari wanted to know everything. ¡°I know you have a lot of questions.¡± Pheera¡¯s hand froze a few inches away from Narvari¡¯s hand. She kept her hand to herself, avoiding Narvari¡¯s gaze. ¡°But I think it will be best if you rest. You need to recover.¡± ¡°Why do you keep telling me to rest? I feel great I just want to get out of this bed already.¡± ¡°But the doctor said you¡¯d need at least a month of bed rest to fully recover.¡± The concern in Pheera¡¯s voice almost broke through Narvari¡¯s defenses. Narvari, however, hardened her resolve. She would not be fooled by this girl¡¯s fake kindness. ¡°The doctor said you broke at least fifteen bones,¡± Pheera continued, ¡°and you¡¯ve only been in bed for a week. You need more rest.¡± ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Narvari gaped. ¡°I¡¯ve been sleeping for a whole week?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Yanvirrak. ¡°And you also broke at least fifteen bones.¡± Silence. Narvari sighed. ¡°I have to go. I have things to do.¡± Pheera said, ¡°Narvari-¡± ¡°Look, I¡¯m fine.¡± She watched both Pheera and Yanvirrak suspiciously. ¡°How did I even get here?¡± ¡°Do you not remember what happened?¡± Narvari clenched her fists. Fury coupled with a profound sense of loss and pain overwhelmed her. How could she forget the nightmare of that night? How could she forget the horror of that night? ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Pheera whispered. Narvari was forced to look at those enchanting blue eyes. She shook herself out of her stupor. ¡°I should get back home.¡± She jumped out of the bed and headed towards the door. Before Narvari could blink, Pheera was already in front of the door blocking her path. Narvari halted, gaping at the girl. Had she imagined it? No. Pheera had somehow appeared right in front of the door. Pheera said, ¡°You can¡¯t leave now.¡± ¡°Says who? You? Do you think you can stop me?¡± Narvari sauntered towards Pheera flashing her most intimidating glare. But Pheera merely smiled as if she found Narvari¡¯s murderous glare adorable. Narvari faced Pheera, towering a few inches above her. ¡°What? You think you can make me do whatever you want by using that hoodoo voodoo nonsense that put me to sleep?¡± ¡°I-¡± Pheera fumbled. The obstinacy in her eyes wavered and for a moment Narvari thought the girl would simply get out of her way. But she didn¡¯t move. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to do that,¡± she said instead. ¡°It was the only way.¡± ¡°I specifically told you to leave me alone.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t safe.¡± ¡°That was my decision to make. Not yours.¡± Narvari¡¯s tone hardened. ¡°What you did was a violation.¡± Pheera bit her lips, avoiding Narvari¡¯s gaze. She whispered. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m sorry. It won¡¯t happen again. I promise.¡± ¡°No, it won¡¯t. Because I¡¯m leaving.¡± Pheera did not budge. ¡°Please get out of my way.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Narvari. But you can¡¯t leave yet.¡± Narvari tightened her fists. Deep breaths, Narvari. Deep breaths. She needed to put her emotions aside and be logical. She could be logical. Being logical was her thing. Pheera said she couldn¡¯t leave yet. That meant she could leave later. Just not yet. ¡°Why can¡¯t I leave?¡± ¡°You literally can¡¯t leave even if I let you go,¡± said Pheera. ¡°Trixan is the only one who has the authority to give you a passage out of the school. Plus she has all the answers you need.¡± ¡°Who? Trixan?¡± Narvari furrowed her brows. ¡°Yes. She¡¯s the Elder of Draghein School.¡± The Elder? Oh hell no. Had she got herself mixed up in some kind of cult? All the more reason for her to get out of here quickly. Who were these people? And why did they know so much about killing demons? Did Draghein School train demon hunters? Goodness! A week ago she didn¡¯t believe in demons. And now here she was using terms like demons and demon hunters as if she was talking about the latest news in politics. The world must have gone mad. Or maybe she had gone mad. ¡°Narvari.¡± As much as she didn¡¯t want to admit it, Narvari enjoyed hearing the sound of the girl¡¯s voice especially when she called her name. Her voice was so soothing. And just look at that face, and warm kind eyes. They were just so¡­ Snap out of it. Narvari jolted her mind back to reality only to see those lovely sapphire eyes staring at her with wonder and concern. Wait, was it possible this girl was manipulating her emotions simply by looking at her? Suddenly Narvari¡¯s shoes were the most interesting thing in the world. No longer trusting herself to be close to Pheera, Narvari sat on the bed. She tried to distract herself by continuing with the conversation. ¡°What if I refuse to see the Elder? What will happen then?¡± Pheera must have sensed Narvari¡¯s need to stay away from her because she kept her distance. ¡°I know you want to go home,¡± she said. ¡°But I can also see in your eyes that you want answers to¡­¡± she paused as if looking for the right word, ¡°¡­all the horrors you experienced.¡± Narvari knew Pheera was right. She did want to know everything. Although she remembered most of what happened that night, she still could not remember how she ended up here. Did she faint? But why would she faint with several broken bones? Did one of those demons attack her? Narvari studied her body carefully. What broken bones were they talking about though? She felt great. ¡°I would love to explain things to you, Narvari. But that is not my place. Besides, I¡¯m still a novice too so there is a lot even I don¡¯t know about. Yanvirrak is more experienced.¡± Narvari glanced at the young man and he grinned at her. He has been here the whole time? She had completely forgotten Yanvirrak existed. ¡°Yanvirrak can tell me then and I will be on my way,¡± Narvari said. ¡°Nope,¡± said Yanvirrak. ¡°Aren¡¯t you listening, Shar?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Narvari Shar.¡± ¡°The Elder has been waiting for you to wake up ever since she returned,¡± Yanvirrak said. ¡°You sure do sleep a lot. I even told them to bury you because I said you were dead.¡± Yanvirrak laughed. Narvari bowed her head, not saying anything. Yanvirrak suddenly stopped laughing. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean it like that.¡± Narvari shrugged. Maybe they should have buried her. What good was she alive if she could not protect her family and friends? How was everyone back home anyway? Were there survivors? Was Motongo alright? Was the WPU okay? Or was everyone gone just like Jimbaga and Anana? The tears burned her eyes but she fought them back. She clenched her jaws as the memories of those lifeless bodies haunted her. She couldn¡¯t cry in front of these strangers. She had to be strong. She wasn¡¯t going to mourn until she destroyed the demon who destroyed her life. She wouldn¡¯t be able to do that until she found her way out of this place. ¡°Where can I find the Elder?¡± Chapter 17: Elder of Draghein School
¡°Please, come in.¡± A woman¡¯s voice came from the room as soon as Azmel knocked. Azmel opened the door. The whole time Narvari and Azmel walked to the Elder¡¯s office, he had not spoken a word to her. Narvari didn¡¯t mind?¡ª?she had a lot on her mind anyway. ¡°Don¡¯t keep Trixan waiting,¡± Azmel said in his ever-nonchalant tone. Resisting the strong urge to cuss him out, Narvari entered the room and closed the door behind her. As she curiously looked around her new environment, her eyes widened. ¡°Well, damn.¡± She whistled. This was the largest and most luxurious office she had ever seen. Was that entire wall a TV? Even the furniture, paintings, and chandelier were looking down on her. With a gaping mouth, she appreciated the beauty around her like someone who had just arrived from the Stone Age. Wasn¡¯t this office too big for one person? Or maybe it was just perfect for someone with the title of Elder. Where was the Elder anyway? Someone cleared their throat. Narvari spun towards the sound of the voice. She had been so engrossed in the living art surrounding her that she had not noticed the young woman sitting behind the office desk. The woman was rapidly typing something on the computer and didn¡¯t once look up at Narvari. Was that the Elder¡¯s assistant or something? Narvari thought as she watched the fair-skinned woman with scarlet hair. Elder or not, one thing was clear?¡ª?this woman could dress. ¡°Hi,¡± said Narvari, getting closer to the woman¡¯s desk. So far everyone she had met here could speak English so she just went along with it. The woman finally looked up at Narvari. ¡°Hello there, my dear,¡± said she. Though her smile was small, it seemed to make her forest-green eyes even greener. Seeing how comfortable the woman looked behind the only desk in the room, Narvari had a feeling this was her office. Could this young redhead, clearly between the ages of twenty-three and twenty-five, be the Elder then? Narvari was not exactly sure of the job description of an Elder but one thing she knew was that elders were supposed to be old. ¡°They said I had to see the Elder,¡± said Narvari, tired of all the assumptions swirling in her head. ¡°I guess it¡¯s a good thing you found her then.¡± Narvari quickly looked around. ¡°Oh, where is she?¡± She looked back at the young woman. Amusement danced in her green eyes as if Narvari had said something funny. Suddenly it dawned on her. ¡°Wait, are you the Elder?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t seem quite convinced.¡± Narvari realized that her face must be revealing how she truly felt. She grinned in embarrassment. ¡°Well, I was expecting an elder.¡± The Elder chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s alright. I¡¯m actually older than you think.¡± She pointed to the chair opposite her. ¡°Do have a seat, my dear.¡± Narvari pulled the chair and sat down. The way this woman called her my dear reminded her of all those times her grandmother often called her my child. Anana. Narvari bit her lips as an image of her dead grandmother popped up in her head. No. Now wasn¡¯t the time for this. She only came to see the Elder so she could go back and kill Stein. End of story. ¡°I¡¯m Trixan Yvis,¡± the Elder interrupted her depressing thoughts. ¡°I¡¯m the Elder of Draghein School. You¡¯re Narvari, right?¡± ¡°Narvari Shar.¡± Narvari nodded. Then as an afterthought, she added. ¡°Elder.¡± The woman chuckled. ¡°Please, just call me Trixan. You¡¯re welcome to Draghein School, my dear.¡± ¡°I mean I wasn¡¯t here by choice.¡± Narvari shrugged. ¡°I just want to go back home. But they said I had to see you first before that could happen. So now that I have seen you, can I go now?¡± The smile on Trixan¡¯s face did not falter. It was hard to read her emotions when she smiled like that but what Narvari sensed was the quiet confidence she exuded. This was a woman who was powerful and knew it. ¡°My dear, I am sorry about what happened to your home.¡± Narvari paused, completely taken aback by the sincerity in Trixan¡¯s voice. The Elder continued, ¡°If there¡¯s anything I can do for you?¡ª?¡± ¡°I just want to go back home.¡± ¡°I can arrange that, my dear. But are you sure you want to leave without knowing anything? I do have answers if you need them.¡± She was already here. She might as well get all the answers from the one person who could give them to her. She clenched her fists. ¡°How are things back home? Is everyone alright?¡± Hesitating for a while, as though deciding whether to answer the question or not, Trixan finally said, ¡°We lost twenty-two people. Hundreds were gravely injured but they should be fine by now. We have an excellent team of doctors.¡± They had lost twenty-two people. Dread coiled in Narvari¡¯s stomach. Twenty-two people. For a nation that had a population of a little over three thousand, twenty-two dead people was a lot. How many more people would have died if those demon hunters hadn¡¯t shown up? Possibly everyone. The Kirriba may be fierce warriors but even they didn¡¯t have the means to kill demons. That would have been the end of Sharmandi. These demon hunters saved their lives. Holding a grudge against them for taking her against her will seemed childish. They did say she was gravely injured but thanks to them, she was as good as new.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay, my dear,¡± said Trixan, ¡°but honestly, I wasn¡¯t expecting you to be awake so soon.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°In simple terms, your body suffered great trauma and the doctors thought it would take you at least a month to make a full recovery. You recovered fast.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good thing, right?¡± Trixan paused thoughtfully. ¡°Indeed. But are you certain you don¡¯t want to rest some more? You must make a full recovery.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± said Narvari. ¡°I just need to know who you and the others are. Are you demon hunters?¡± ¡°We do hunt demons, yes. But we are called vanquishers, not demon hunters.¡± ¡°Vanquishers?¡± Narvari whispered. Why did this term sound familiar? It felt like she had heard someone say it before. Was it Pheera or Yanvirrak? No. It didn¡¯t seem so. She rubbed her temples. Something didn¡¯t feel right in her mind. Am I missing something? ¡°Are you alright, my dear?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Narvari gazed at Trixan. ¡°Oh, yes. I¡¯m okay. I was just thinking about what you just said. So you¡¯re vanquishers.¡± Trixan nodded. ¡°We belong to an organization known as the Ancient Order of Vanquishers.¡± ¡°The Ancient Order of what?¡± Narvari gulped. ¡°Shit, I was right. I got mixed up with a cult.¡± ¡°My dear, we are the opposite of a cult.¡± Trixan laughed. ¡°Cults hate us, in fact. We do kill their favorite demons after all.¡± Narvari widened her eyes. ¡°I cannot begin to tell you how wrong everything you just said sounded.¡± And to think that Trixan had said all that with a straight face. Exactly what kind of life were these people exposed to? Narvari shuddered at the thought. She thought her life was crazy with all the illegal hunting in the Kirriba Plains. ¡°So,¡± said Narvari after regaining her composure, ¡°does Draghein School train demon hunters?¡± ¡°Vanquishers, my dear. Not demon hunters. And yes, we train vanquishers among several other things.¡± Trixan fumbled through stacks of books on her desk until she finally found what she was looking for. She slid the thick brown book over to Narvari. The book had the title Ancient Order of Vanquishers. Was the elder already giving her a reading assignment? Bold of her. Shaking her head, Narvari opened the first page. She began to read aloud. ¡°The Ancient Order of Vanquishers was first formed in Agon by blah blah blah.¡± Narvari snapped the book shut and tossed it back on the table. ¡°I¡¯m bored.¡± ¡°Books are wholesome, my dear.¡± ¡°I love books just fine. I¡¯m just not in the mood for that, you know?¡± Trixan nodded. ¡°You do have a point. My apologies.¡± She straightened the book on the table. ¡°I guess I have to tell you then.¡± She smiled. ¡°Now you know demons do exist. They come from the Lower Domain using various means to cross over into the Outer Sphere. Many demons like the wraith lord and his legion of wraith demons are malevolent beings. Our duty as vanquishers is to protect outies from the demons.¡± Narvari gaped at the woman in shock. Gradually, the ice in her brain thawed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry what?¡± ¡°We protect the world from demons.¡± ¡°Oh, I got that part,¡± said Narvari. ¡°What I don¡¯t get is everything else. Lower Domain, Outer Sphere, outies. What the hell are those?¡± ¡°One thing at a time, my dear.¡± Narvari blinked rapidly, her mouth even opening wider. Was this woman serious? She was the one who had bombarded her with a million things at once. Before Narvari could tell Trixan how ridiculous everything she just said sounded, Trixan said, ¡°Outies are what we call humans from the Outer Sphere. Humans like you.¡± Now she was even more confused than ever. ¡°When you say Outer Sphere do you mean earth?.¡± ¡°Yes, my dear.¡± ¡°So why don¡¯t you just say earth?¡± ¡°Well, because there¡¯s more than just one.¡± ¡°One what? Earth?¡± Trixan nodded. ¡°All the Earths make up the Outer Sphere.¡± Narvari almost fell out of her chair. ¡°This must be some kind of an elaborate joke. Right?¡± First, she spoke of demons and demon hunters, and now she was talking about different worlds and multiple Earths. Was this place a school or a mental institution? ¡°It¡¯s not as complicated as it sounds,¡± said Trixan. ¡°Clearly not.¡± Narvari scoffed. ¡°So is there an Inner Sphere?¡± ¡°Absolutely,¡± she said. ¡°We call people from the Inner Sphere innies.¡± Narvari gaped. She had merely asked this question as a joke. She didn¡¯t think Trixan would actually answer, and in such seriousness too. ¡°So, what, you¡¯re an innie?¡± The word sounded strange on her tongue. ¡°That¡¯s right, my dear.¡± Narvari shook her head, frowning. Outies. Innies. Who came up with such a lazy term? Were they supposed to be racist terms or were they merely used as a distinction based on geography? People in the Inner Sphere and people in the Outer Sphere. People. Her eyes widened. She couldn¡¯t believe this thought even crossed her mind, but she had to ask. ¡°Are you vanquishers aliens?¡± That couldn¡¯t be possible, right? Trixan might be paler than any white person Narvari had seen but there was nothing otherworldly about her. There was nothing extraordinary about Yanvirrak and Azmel either, though she couldn¡¯t quite say the same about Pheera?¡ª?that girl was divine. Other than their strange ability to summon magic guns, they didn¡¯t look any different from regular people. But how else could she explain their superhuman abilities? Pheera¡¯s superspeed¡­ They had to be aliens. ¡°Aliens?¡± Trixan chuckled. ¡°No, my dear. We¡¯re human. We may not be from earth but we are of the earth.¡± Narvari grimaced. My brain hurts. ¡°I can see you¡¯re confused.¡± When Narvari said nothing, Trixan continued. ¡°There is no need to think too much about this, my dear. Both innies and outies are biologically human, but obviously, as you may have already experienced, we are also very different. In simple terms, innies have the biological means to vanquish demons, outies generally don¡¯t. So we do it for them by protecting the spheres.¡± ¡°The Outer and Inner Spheres,¡± Narvari whispered. ¡°Yes, my dear. Someday you will truly understand everything.¡± ¡°Um, I don¡¯t think so,¡± said Narvari. ¡°I don¡¯t belong here. I have to go back home. You know, in the Outer Sphere.¡± Suddenly her eyes widened. ¡°Wait, am I still on earth?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Narvari exhaled heavily. ¡°Great. I should get going then.¡± Trixan seemed confused by something. ¡°My dear, what¡¯s the last thing you remember?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The last thing you remember back home.¡± Narvari paused thoughtfully. ¡°Why are you asking me that?¡± ¡°Because it seems you¡¯re experiencing temporary amnesia.¡± Narvari rubbed her temples. She had been feeling this way too. It seemed something was missing from her memories. Something she couldn¡¯t remember had happened that night the vanquishers showed up. The last thing she remembered was Pheera putting her to sleep. Think, Narvari, think. Wait, she had woken up that night and Pheera had been surprised to see that she was awake. It was like the girl did not believe that whatever she had done to Narvari did not work. Okay. Bits of her memories were coming to her. Remember. Little Shar. Narvari blinked rapidly as the sinister voice echoed in her head. No one ever called her that. But someone had. ¡°Azmel told me you awakened.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Narvari was snapped out of her reverie. ¡°Azmel Ray. You¡¯ve met him, haven¡¯t you? He¡¯s one of my special recruits.¡± Narvari nodded. ¡°He told me you suddenly awakened and vanquished the demon.¡± ¡°I awakened?¡± What was this woman talking about? And did she say she vanquished a demon? None of her bullets had worked on the demon. Something was odd. The sinewy feel of a cold metal grated against Narvari¡¯s skin. She looked at her fists. The memory of the metal against her skin sharpened. Wait. She remembered what that touch felt like. They were guns though unlike any other gun she had used in her life. They had suddenly appeared out of nowhere right in her hands that very night. Now she remembered clearly. The demon. The wraith lord. The fight with Azmel. It flooded her mind like a heavy downpour. Then the memory of her shooting the demon appeared. She had killed the demon with her guns. That was absurd. How could she possibly have produced magic guns to take down the demon? She was no vanquisher. What the hell was going on? Narvari raised her hands in front of her to take a closer look. She could remember the warm feel of the black and red energy around her hands. ¡°Do you remember now?¡±
Chapter 18: The Inner and Outer Spheres ¡°What happened to me?¡± Narvari stared at her hands. They didn¡¯t look any different. ¡°You awakened your savaz, my dear. Fifth-order, no less.¡± ¡°What does that even mean?¡± ¡°It means that you have the potential to become a vanquisher.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry what?¡± ¡°I know this must sound strange.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Narvari laughed, ¡°you think? You were the one who said I was an outie, whatever the hell that means. And now what? I¡¯m supposed to be a vanquisher? No, this doesn¡¯t sound strange at all. I hear this all this time.¡± If Trixan was offended by Narvari¡¯s sudden outburst, then she didn¡¯t show it. She simply watched Narvari calmly. Did this woman ever lose her cool? ¡°This is crazy,¡± Narvari whispered. ¡°This is all crazy.¡± She was crazy. The whole world was crazy. But as crazy as everything sounded, she truly believed that Trixan was telling her the truth. The woman was right about the existence of demons as well as people with the power to summon magic guns to vanquish those demons. Narvari herself had seen these things with her own eyes. She had vanquished a demon using that same kind of power. How did she even do that? ¡°I can¡¯t be a vanquisher,¡± she muttered. ¡°That¡¯s not possible.¡± She wasn¡¯t from this so-called Inner Sphere. She was from Sharmandi, in West Africa, on Earth, in the Milky Way Galaxy, in the universe. There must be some kind of a mistake and all this was one endless nightmare. ¡°Indeed, my dear, you¡¯re not a vanquisher,¡± said Trixan. ¡°Not yet. You need training for that. But it¡¯s obvious you have ancestors from the Inner Sphere. It only explains why an outie would suddenly awaken.¡± The implication of Trixan¡¯s words hit Narvari like a truck. She had ancestors from the Inner Sphere? How could that be? Anana strongly believed in the existence of demons. But never once did she mention anything about vanquishers or the Inner Sphere. And her father? No, it couldn¡¯t be. Her father was no vanquisher. Yabaga may be the best marksman alive. But that didn¡¯t mean the guy could magically whip guns out of nowhere. Her father was normal. She too was normal. At least that¡¯s what she had always been until¡­ The wraith lord. Narvari scowled. He did something to me. That was it. The demon blasted her with some dark energy, almost driving her insane. She remembered now. Those voices were in her head. They had urged her on to say a name. That demon definitely did something to her. ¡°I think that wraith lord did something to me,¡± said Narvari. ¡°I could literally feel my insides burning. ¡°Oh right,¡± said Trixan. ¡°Azmel mentioned you were possessed with demon energy.¡± ¡°Demon energy?¡± Trixan nodded. ¡°Demon energy is highly toxic in humans.¡± ¡°Then that should explain why I awakened, right?¡± said Narvari, trying to convince herself more than anyone else. Trixan paused, watching Narvari with intrigue. ¡°Perhaps, the toxicity of the demon energy triggered your awakening. But believe me, my dear, your sacros has always been within you.¡± ¡°Sacros?¡± Narvari narrowed her eyes. Trixan nodded. ¡°It¡¯s the first form of sacred energy awakened by people from¡­¡± she paused, ¡°¡­well, from my world.¡± ¡°The Inner Sphere?¡± ¡°A portion of the Inner Sphere.¡± ¡°Oh god.¡± ¡°Anyway,¡± Trixan continued as if she didn¡¯t care about Narvari¡¯s confusion, ¡°while demons have demon energy, vanquishers have sacred energy which is the only thing capable of destroying a demon. It makes no sense that demon energy produced sacred energy within you. It¡¯s impossible.¡± Narvari bit her lips. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that awakening those magic guns had nothing to do with the wraith lord and had everything to do with my ancestry.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Trixan. ¡°But I advise that you desist from calling them magic guns.¡± Narvari blinked. ¡°But that¡¯s what they are.¡± ¡°They are savaz. They would be offended if you called them guns, my dear.¡± ¡°Offended?¡± Narvari laughed. ¡°This is funny.¡±The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. But Trixan wasn¡¯t amused as she rubbed her knuckles. She didn¡¯t look angry, but she wasn¡¯t smiling either. That shut Narvari up immediately. Something was chilling about the woman¡¯s grave stare putting Narvari on high alert. Narvari had to tighten her fists to keep them from shaking too much. Trixan sighed, touching her forehead. ¡°Forgive me,¡± she said. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to lose my temper.¡± Narvari was speechless. She simply nodded, vowing within herself to never make Trixan angry. ¡°Is there something else you want to know?¡± The coldness in Trixan¡¯s eyes was gone now. Her voice and smile were filled with so much warmth it was hard to understand how she had put such fear into Narvari with nothing but a single stare. These people were dangerous. ¡°Narvari?¡± Narvari realized that she still hadn¡¯t replied to Trixan. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She sighed. ¡°There¡¯s obviously a lot I still don¡¯t understand. But I need to go home.¡± ¡°You can always enroll here in Draghein School and learn as much as you want,¡± said Trixan. ¡°With the right training, I¡¯m sure you will make an excellent vanquisher.¡± Now it was Narvari¡¯s turn to lose her temper. ¡°Are you even listening to me?¡± she snapped. ¡°I already told you I want to go home. I don¡¯t care about being a vanquisher.¡± What she cared about was finding Stein and killing that plague. Narvari dragged herself out of her seat. ¡°Thank you all for taking care of me and my people, but I have to go now. Don¡¯t try to stop me. It won¡¯t end well for anyone.¡± Trixan looked amused, clearly not intimidated at all by Narvari¡¯s threats. Of course, she wasn¡¯t intimidated?¡ª?the Elder had scared the shit out of her with her mere gaze. Clearly, someone like that could not be easily intimidated. But of course, Narvari didn¡¯t care either. Just because Trixan had scared her did not mean she would let herself get bullied. She would always stand up for herself no matter how hopeless the situation was. ¡°You remind me of someone.¡± ¡°Did this person also try to kill you after you took them as a prisoner?¡± Trixan laughed heartily like she had heard the funniest joke. Given her calm demeanor, it was strange seeing her laugh so suddenly. But her laughter put Narvari¡¯s nerves at ease. Everything this woman did seemed to relax Narvari. Well, except for that one time she scared the living hell out of Narvari. ¡°You are no prisoner, my dear. You are free to come and go as you please. Though I hope you¡¯ll stay.¡± Narvari stared at the woman suspiciously. Was Trixan saying that so she would lose her guard? Narvari didn¡¯t think so. The Elder didn¡¯t seem like the person who would lie to get what she wanted. She exuded such a serene ambiance it was hard not to want to trust her. Could Narvari really trust her? ¡°Sorry. I can¡¯t stay.¡± She sighed. To think that she had actually considered this. She couldn¡¯t just forget everything. She had a job to do. ¡°There¡¯s someone I need to kill.¡± ¡°A demon?¡± ¡°A demon, a human, I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m going to find them, and I¡¯m going to kill them. End of story.¡± Trixan did not even flinch. That soft smile of hers was permanently etched on her face. Did she often hear of people wanting to kill others? Was this a common conversation topic among vanquishers? ¡°You should know,¡± said Trixan, ¡°using your savaz against ordinary people is treason. Any vanquisher who harms an outie with their savaz will be severely punished by the Order. Not even I can protect you from that fate.¡± ¡°I guess I have to stick to good old guns then.¡± Narvari shrugged. ¡°Or is that one too treason?¡± Trixan didn¡¯t say anything for a while. ¡°It¡¯s not. Although law enforcement of the Outer Sphere might disagree. But that¡¯s something for them to figure out themselves.¡± ¡°Great. Then I should be on my way. Unless of course, you plan on stopping me.¡± Trixan chuckled. ¡°I already told you. Although I do want you to stay, I won¡¯t stop you from leaving.¡± Narvari raised a brow. She had to be sure. That way when people started dropping dead they wouldn¡¯t say she didn¡¯t warn them. ¡°So Pheera isn¡¯t going to come out of nowhere and suddenly make me do things against my will again?¡± For the first time, a flicker of uncertainty flashed in Trixan¡¯s eyes. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure you know exactly what I¡¯m talking about.¡± Narvari folded her arms. ¡°It¡¯s how I ended up here. Pheera did something to me. I¡¯m sure of it.¡± ¡°You were captivated by Pheera Zoleris?¡± ¡°What?¡± Narvari¡¯s face flushed, her cheeks burning in embarrassment. She shook her head like a leaf in the wind. ¡°What are you talking about? I was not captivated by anyone, okay. I mean, Pheera is,¡± she stuttered, ¡°Pheera is beautiful. Stunning, actually. Okay, that¡¯s not the point.¡± Focus, Narvari, focus. She rested her arms on the desk as she gazed at Trixan intensely. ¡°The point is that I won¡¯t say I was captivated by her. Okay? It was more like, more like¡­¡± But as much as Narvari thought of a word, she couldn¡¯t find any. Damn it. Was she really captivated by Pheera? Trixan¡¯s chuckle interrupted Narvari¡¯s internal dilemma. ¡°What is funny?¡± Narvari raised a brow. This woman had the most bizarre temperament. ¡°It seems we are both talking about two very different things.¡± Trixan must have remembered the gravity of the situation because her disposition instantly turned serious. ¡°Pheera can make people do whatever she wants by touching them. It¡¯s called captivation.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Narvari paused, then nodded. ¡°Right.¡± She suddenly felt stupid that she had thought of being captivated by Pheera in the traditional sense of the word. ¡°Are you sure she did that to you?¡± Trixan asked. ¡°She abhors using her power against others.¡± She does? Narvari thought back to how apologetic Pheera seemed when she called her out on her action. The girl truly felt bad about it although she captivated Narvari for a good reason. Still, the thought of being made to do things against her will enraged and frightened her at the same time. Did people really possess such power? Was this something all vanquishers could do? She would do well to avoid physical contact with them. ¡°Pheera and I will have to talk,¡± said Trixan. Narvari bit her lips. ¡°No need for that. What she did actually saved my life.¡± Trixan smiled and nodded. ¡°That makes sense. But I¡¯ll still need to talk to her.¡± ¡°Is she going to be in trouble?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing to worry about, my dear.¡± Trixan was right. This was not something she should be worried about. So why was she so worried? ¡°I guess we¡¯re done here.¡± The Elder interrupted her thoughts. She stood and came to Narvari. ¡°So I can go home now?¡± Narvari asked. ¡°But of course, my dear.¡± She smiled fondly. ¡°I just hope you come back to Draghein School when you feel you¡¯re ready.¡± The rectangular screen on Trixan¡¯s wrist flickered to life as soon as Trixan touched it. Narvari gazed at the strange-looking device wrapping around Trixan¡¯s forearm like some kind of metallic-looking fabric. Pheera, Yanvirrak, and Azmel had the same device on their arms too. Just as Narvari was about to ask Trixan what that device was, blue light assuming the shape of a door appeared right in front of Trixan like some kind of a hologram. Narvari blinked. What the hell? ¡°Well, what are you waiting for, my dear?¡± Narvari gawked at Trixan. ¡°Home is on the other side. Just step through the portal.¡± Narvari had so many questions. But there was something far more pressing at hand. I¡¯m coming for you, Stein. Chapter 19: Ushama 2
Narvari had thought that those magic guns?¡ª?no, savaz?¡ª?were the strangest thing about the vanquishers. But, no. She had just stepped out of a freaking portal. She gaped at the blue door until it disappeared in seconds. Narvari looked around her curiously. Wow, the portal had actually sent her straight home. These people had gadgets that opened portals to any part of the world. Why did they call themselves an ancient order? Nothing about them was ancient at all. She sighed. She was back home now. Back to normalcy. Hopefully, no one had seen her walk out of a portal. Well, they didn¡¯t have neighbors so that was unlikely. Narvari had expected to see shattered windows. But there was no such thing. She narrowed her eyes. Now that she thought about it, the hedges were trimmed, the grass mowed, and the pavement cleaned. She quickly ran inside the house. She gasped. Not one thing was out of place. Not one thing was broken. It was like nothing had happened and she had dreamed up the whole thing. There could only be one explanation for this. Someone had come in here to put everything in order. From room to room, she went. Everything was intact. And those things that had broken the night of the attack had all been replaced. The furniture, the TV, the flower vase. Not one thing was displaced. Maybe the people of Sharmandi had come to clean up. It wasn¡¯t strange that they would come to take care of Anana¡¯s house. Anana. It dawned on her that she would never see the old woman again. She would never see Jimbaga again. Was it even a good idea to come back? This place only held bad memories for her. It took her a while to realize that she was in her room. Lost in thought, standing before the TV, she couldn¡¯t help but remember the last time she and Jimbaga were here playing video games. She clenched her jaws, her eyes stinging with tears. Not yet, Narvari. Not yet. She shut her eyes, inhaling and exhaling slowly. She needed a clear head to think about how to find Stein. A cold shower would do the trick. Now that she thought about it, she had probably not showered in a week after being in a coma all that while. Without wasting any time, she took off her clothes.
Narvari took a look at herself in the mirror. She felt a lot more refreshed, more kempt, but no less enraged. Stein. She balled her fist. Who was this Stein the wraith lord had spoken of? There were two things she remembered. First, the wraith lord referred to Stein as Master. That meant that the demon had attacked Sharmandi on Stein¡¯s orders. Second, the demon said everything was about the four-tusk elephants. That meant that Stein was the one who had sent those mercenaries and poachers to raid Kirriba Plains. If he had that much power it was no wonder he had made Dorbenese border patrol to give him access to Kirriba Plains. Narvari narrowed her eyes. Her instincts told her that Stein was the ¡®dangerous man¡¯ Tsalaga had warned her about. How much had Stein paid Tsalaga that the minister would try to convince her to betray her own people? That greedy bastard. They would all pay. All of them. The deep-seated fury surfaced dangerously to the surface. She balled her fists so hard that the blood circulation within her fingers halted. She punched right through the concrete wall, leaving a deep dent, and yet her rage was not in the least bit pacified. Black mist with a red halo emanated from her arms. What is this? She looked at the dent in the wall and then stared at her fist. Had she just punched through concrete? Was it because of this thing coming out of her body? This must be what Trixan called sacred energy. Her sacros. Narvari¡¯s eyes widened when she saw her reflection in the mirror. ¡°What the¡­¡± She leaned closer to the mirror to take a better look at her eyes. Her previously honey-brown irises were now a deep purple color. But in mere seconds, they changed to brown. The transformation had been so swift that Narvari had almost believed she had imagined the whole thing. But she knew this was no imagination. The sacros around her disappeared. Still, Narvari could not help but feel that something had changed about her. When she used her sacros for that brief moment, she felt far stronger than she ever had. Did she have the potential to be a vanquisher like Trixan said? Could she really summon magic guns¡­savaz? Wait, her savaz. Where were they? The last time she faced the wraith demon, she had summoned them. How did she do that? Could she do it again?This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. A name. Yes, she remembered now. Someone or something kept insisting she called out a name. What was it again? Narvari rubbed her forehead as she tried to recall that name. Her eyes lit up. Ushama. ¡°Mistress,¡± a boy said in fluent Kirriba. Narvari spun, cautiously looking around the room. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± She had never heard a voice like this before. It was as young as Motongo¡¯s, but she was certain it was not Motongo. ¡°Mistress,¡± the boy said again. ¡°Over here.¡± Narvari frowned. ¡°Over where? Whoever you are, I¡¯m not in the mood for games.¡± ¡°Forgive me, Mistress, but I can¡¯t reveal myself right now. You can only hear me in your head.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m in your head, Mistress.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Narvari looked back in the mirror. All she saw was her face looking back at her in shock. Was the voice really coming from her head? Was this what insanity felt like? She thought things would return to normal once she returned home. Instead, here she was, losing her damn mind. Yes, she really was insane now. ¡°No, Mistress. You are not insane.¡± What the hell? You can read my thoughts? ¡°Of course, Mistress. I¡¯m in your head, remember?¡± Narvari paused thoughtfully. Well, she had fought demons, met demon hunters, and traveled through portals. Hearing voices in her head was relatively the most usual occurrence among them. ¡°Who are you?¡± Narvari asked. ¡°And why do you keep calling me Mistress?¡± ¡°I am Ushama, your vaz.¡± ¡°My what now?¡± ¡°Vaz, Mistress. For now, I am merely in savaz form.¡± Savaz form? Narvari narrowed her eyes. The Elder didn¡¯t mention that savaz could speak. But she had indeed mentioned that savaz would be offended if called guns. Narvari had assumed it was a mere figure of speech but clearly, it wasn¡¯t. Her savaz was communicating with her and it¡­ he sounded like a child. They probably had feelings. Now it made sense why Trixan had lost her temper when Narvari made fun of savaz getting offended. But what did Ushama mean by being in savaz form? Was savaz a form of vaz? Did that mean vaz had more forms? ¡°I will be more than happy to explain what I know, Mistress.¡± Oh god, he can really read my mind. ¡°Yes, I can, Mistress.¡± ¡°My name is Narvari Shar.¡± ¡°Yes, Narvari Shar.¡± ¡°So what do you mean when say you¡¯re my vaz?¡± ¡°It means I¡¯m your armored companion. Since you¡¯ve only awakened basic sacred energy, I can only manifest in savaz form.¡± Basic sacred energy must probably mean sacros, Narvari thought. Trixan did say it was the first form of sacred energy. ¡°Your awakening was so powerful it triggered a partial union,¡± Ushama continued. ¡±This is why we can communicate. But it¡¯s not enough to see my true form.¡± ¡°Your true form?¡± ¡°Yes, Narvari Shar. Unfortunately, my knowledge is still low because I¡¯m too young and weak. But if you continue to order up, I will grow older, stronger, and wiser. That way I will be able to teach you a lot of things about my power, and eventually, you may even see my true form.¡± ¡°And I have to order up to do that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± said Ushama. ¡°But what does that even mean?¡± ¡°To order up is to simply raise the order of your savaz to become more powerful,¡± Ushama said. ¡°You awakened a fifth-order savaz. This means that you can use me to easily vanquish any demon of fifth-order or below. To vanquish higher-order demons, you will have to get stronger by ordering up or awakening the more powerful forms of sacred energy.¡± How was she supposed to do any of that when she didn¡¯t even know the first thing about vanquishing? Wait a minute. Did Ushama just say there were demons more powerful than the wraith lord out there? Azmel, Pheera, and Yanvirrak together had had a hard time against that wraith lord. A chill ran through Narvari¡¯s spine. What powerful demons were out there? Were they here on earth causing mayhem like that wraith lord? Narvari tightened her grip. If there were demons out there more powerful than she was, how could she protect her home from them? What if demons more powerful than the wraith lord attacked her home again? What if Stein was a demon far stronger than the wraith lord? How could she protect her home from him? Did she have to order up? Awaken more powerful forms of sacred energy? How would she even do that? She didn¡¯t even know what the other forms of sacred energy were. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Narvari Shar. But I have no idea either.¡± ¡°What the hell?¡± Narvari jumped back. She had completely forgotten someone was living rent-free in her head. Ushama laughed. Yeah, the savaz actually laughed. ¡°Sorry about that.¡± Narvari shook her head. ¡°Do you know how to summon my savaz¡­ I mean summon you¡­ I mean you in savaz form¡­ okay, for the love of guns, how do I get you out?¡± Ushama giggled. ¡°Our minds are joined now. As long you need me, I will be there.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Wait, why was she talking to a gun like it was something normal people did? ¡°I¡¯m not a gun, Narvari Shar. I¡¯m a vaz.¡± Narvari¡¯s face heated up in embarrassment. ¡°Sorry.¡± Damn, this thing could really read her mind. And he did sound offended for being called a gun. She had to be more careful with her thoughts. ¡°So if I call your name you will be out?¡± ¡°Yes, Narvari Shar. But you don¡¯t need to call my name out loud to summon me. As I said, our minds are joined now because of our partial union. I know all your thoughts and desires inside out, just as much as you know mine. Once you need me, I will be there.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± This was scary, to be honest. She would put it to the test. Ushama. Suddenly, Narvari¡¯s sacros appeared again and in that same instance disappeared, transforming into two long revolvers in her hands. The revolvers were both black and red like her sacros and they were so light that it seemed as though she was not holding anything at all. Narvari closely studied the savaz. She had handled many guns in her lifetime but these were the most exquisite ones she had ever seen. Okay, she needed to get used to calling them savaz and not guns. ¡°So both of them are you?¡± ¡°Yes, Narvari Shar, but only in savaz form.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t your true form then?¡± ¡°No, Narvari Shar.¡± ¡°Did you-¡± The doorbell interrupted her. The savaz disappeared. Strange. She had not actively asked Ushama to leave but it was something she unconsciously wanted. It seemed Ushama knew her deepest desires. Narvari sauntered towards the door. Who could it be?
Chapter 20: Shocking News ¡°Dawuli?¡± Narvari gaped at the tall muscular man. She ran into his arms and hugged him tightly. Dawuli must have been shocked since Narvari had never hugged him before. But what else could she do? She thought she¡¯d lost everyone. Yet here was Dawuli in her house. Narvari invited her inside asking him to take a seat. He asked Dawuli if he wanted water but the man shook his head. His big brown eyes were full of sadness like he had witnessed very terrible things. ¡°We thought you were dead, Captain,¡± he began. ¡°But then we didn¡¯t see your body.¡± Captain? Did she deserve that title when she couldn¡¯t help anyone? ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She couldn¡¯t look at Dawuli. ¡°I was of no use to anyone.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true. Your call saved Andai¡¯s,¡± he said. ¡°And you saved Motongo¡¯s life.¡± Narvari¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Motongo? He¡¯s alright?¡± Dawuli nodded with a smile. ¡°Thanks to the tip you gave to Tsongu we were able to ward off the demons. You did help us.¡± His smile dimmed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry we couldn¡¯t help you and your family. I¡¯m sorry about Anana and Jimbaga.¡± Narvari only nodded silently. ¡°What about everyone else?¡± she asked, changing the subject. Dawuli mentioned the names of people they had lost, many of whom Narvari knew. He also told her how all the security agencies, including WPU, came together to protect the country. But their efforts were still not enough since the demons were invincible. Things would have been hopeless had a certain young man not shown up. ¡°A young man?¡± Dawuli nodded. ¡°He killed those things, those demons, with some strange gun he had.¡± He must be talking about Yanvirrak, Narvari thought. ¡°You know, he called them demons. Anana used to talk about demons but I didn¡¯t think they were real,¡± said Dawuli. ¡°None of our weapons worked but that young man was able to kill them so easily. He helped us evacuate most of the people to the City Hall. Then he ran off after he told us to stay put.¡± Dawuli paused, collecting his thoughts. ¡°Next thing I knew, a bright light filled the whole place. We were tired of just sitting down and doing nothing for so long. We wanted to come and look for you but when we tried to leave the City Hall, we couldn¡¯t.¡± Dawuli shook his head in disbelief. ¡°What do you mean you couldn¡¯t?¡± ¡°We couldn¡¯t get out. It felt like there was some invisible barrier surrounding the building. We just could not get past it. We couldn¡¯t hear anything outside either.¡± Narvari raised her brows. She¡¯d heard and seen many strange things ever since she learned about the existence of vanquishers, but this was a new one. ¡°How did you get out?¡± ¡°After a few hours, we could suddenly leave. I don¡¯t understand what happened. Everything was so strange.¡± Narvari nodded. ¡°Believe me, I know.¡± ¡°The first thing the team did was look for you. We went to your house, and¡­¡± Dawuli lowered his voice avoiding Narvari¡¯s gaze, ¡°¡­Anana and Jimbaga¡­¡± Dawuli added quietly, ¡°We looked everywhere for you but we couldn¡¯t find you.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m here now,¡± she whispered. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re alright.¡± Narvari gave a small smile. She could see that Dawuli wanted to ask more questions about where she had been. But Dawuli, being Dawuli, didn¡¯t ask. For that she was grateful. She didn¡¯t think she could answer questions about the Ancient Order of Vanquishers. ¡°So this place looks less like a disaster,¡± Narvari said, suddenly finding the house interesting. She would rather talk about anything else other than all the death and gloom they had experienced. ¡°Did you clean up my house?¡± ¡°Oh right,¡± said Dawuli as if he had suddenly remembered why he was here. ¡°It was actually your father.¡± ¡°What?¡± Narvari¡¯s eyes almost bulged out of their sockets. She hadn¡¯t heard from her father in six years and then out of the blue, he just showed up to play janitor? Was this some kind of a joke? ¡°You can¡¯t be serious.¡± ¡°He arrived soon after the attack,¡± said Dawuli. ¡°He was so worried when he didn¡¯t find you. But once he heard about the strange young man who helped us, he was sure you¡¯d be fine. He even said you¡¯d come back.¡± ¡°He did?¡± Dawuli nodded. ¡°I helped him clean up the place and he asked me to keep an eye on the house until you returned.¡± Narvari paused. She wondered if Dawuli had seen her appear out of a magic portal. If he did he would still not talk about it. He was not the type to be easily shocked. ¡°So where is he?¡± ¡°He left as soon as we got things back in order.¡± Of course, he did. Why wasn¡¯t she surprised? Leaving was all he ever did. ¡°He left this for you though.¡± Dawuli withdrew a rectangular package wrapped in white paper. He handed it over to Narvari. She ran her fingers along the rough edges of the package. It felt like metal. Was it a metal box? ¡°What¡¯s inside?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t open it.¡± Narvari¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t leave the package. She shook her head in disbelief as anger slowly built inside her core. ¡°He leaves us for years and then suddenly appears only to leave again. I don¡¯t need this.¡± Narvari held the package towards Dawuli. ¡°Keep it. When he comes back you can return it to him.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Dawuli simply looked at Narvari. ¡°He mentioned you¡¯d be too stubborn to take it. Narvari, your father insisted you have the package.¡± Narvari stared stubbornly at Dawuli. But she knew the man sitting before her was even more stubborn than she was. Obstinacy was a pastime in Sharmandi. She gripped the package as her mind drifted away. She couldn¡¯t believe her father had returned. If only she had stayed behind. She would have seen him. If those vanquishers hadn¡¯t taken her, she would have seen her father. No, she couldn¡¯t blame the vanquishers. It wasn¡¯t their fault. They saved her people. This was all on her father. Yabaga left her long before she knew about the existence of vanquishers. She couldn¡¯t blame anyone but her father. For the longest time, she had stopped caring about seeing the man. But hearing about him right now¡­ did she really not want to see him again? She would be lying to herself if she said she didn¡¯t, especially after the secret Anana had revealed to her in her final moments. Narvari had not been in the condition to ponder over the gravity of Anana¡¯s words. But as they came back to her, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder what else her father and grandmother had lied to her about. ¡°He went to look for your mother,¡± Anana whispered weakly. ¡°Please don¡¯t hate him. Promise me you won¡¯t hate him.¡± Those were Anana¡¯s last words to her. Narvari loved her grandmother dearly and would do anything for her. But it was hard to do this one thing. It even made her angrier to think that her father had kept the existence of her mother away from her all this while. Why would he tell her that her mother was dead when she wasn¡¯t? ¡°Captain.¡± Narvari glanced at Dawuli. He was watching her with concern. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°Did my father tell you anything?¡± she asked instead. ¡°Did he leave me any message, you know, about where he was going? What he was doing?¡± If there was anyone Yabaga would tell anything, it was Dawuli. While Yabaga was captain of WPU, he had always mentored Dawuli and the two were inseparable, like father and son. This was also why Dawuli was very protective of Narvari like a sister and would often advise her based on all the experiences he too had gained from Yabaga. But Narvari could not hide her disappointment when Dawuli told her that her father hadn¡¯t left her any message. He paused as if he had suddenly thought of something. ¡°He told me something six years ago before he left.¡± ¡°He did?¡± Dawuli nodded. ¡°The day before he left Sharmandi, he came to me and made me promise you will take the Captain¡¯s Test as soon as you were thirteen years old.¡± ¡°What?¡± She had taken the Captain¡¯s Test five years ago because Dawuli had insisted she was ready. Was this her father¡¯s plan all this while? ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t tell you earlier.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not angry with you. I¡¯m angry with him. He wouldn¡¯t be a parent to me, but he would tell someone else how to raise me.¡± She shook her head. ¡°And what about my mother?¡± ¡°Your mother?¡± He raised his brows. Narvari nodded. ¡°Did he say anything about her?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. I¡¯ve never heard Yabaga speak of your mother.¡± She was not surprised. Yabaga told Narvari about her mother for the first time when she was eight years old. And that was only because Narvari had asked about her. He told Narvari that her mother died soon after Narvari was born. A few days later, Yabaga brought her to his hometown to raise her. That was it. Her father never spoke of her mother again. He went to look for your mother. Anana¡¯s words echoed in her mind. Why would her father go and look for a dead person? Was everything her father said about her mother a lie then? Why would he lie to her about something like that? Her father was many things, but he was not a liar. Yabaga was widely known as a man of his word. When he said something, he meant it. He always said that deception was for the coward and Yabaga was no coward. That much was well known. He would either tell you the truth or tell you nothing. But he would not lie?¡ª?not even to his enemies?¡ª?to gain the advantage. Why would someone like that lie to his daughter about something this important? It made no sense. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about your mother,¡± said Dawuli, ¡°but I do know that Yabaga is a man of many mysteries.¡± Narvari regarded Dawuli curiously. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°There was a time he went missing twice. He was only sixteen then.¡± Narvari cocked her head. She had never heard about this before. Not even Anana, who often told her about her family history, had ever once mentioned this. ¡°Who told you this?¡± There was no way Dawuli had first-hand knowledge of this. He might be in his forties, but Yabaga was still over two decades older than he was. ¡°My father told me this a long time ago,¡± said Dawuli. ¡°The first time Yabaga went missing, he returned about a few weeks later. Then he was gone the second time. He was never heard of again until he came back to Sharmandi with you. You were only a baby then and I remember that day clearly.¡± Silence pervaded the room. She had never heard of anything like this before. Her own father had lied to her so now she didn¡¯t really know what to believe anymore. ¡°Well, the present is what matters.¡± Narvari forced a smile. ¡°I was worried about the bazwu but I know the WPU took care of them while I was gone.¡± Dawuli bowed his head. ¡°I¡­¡± He stopped speaking. Coldness spread through Narvari¡¯s chest. ¡°What?¡± Dawuli looked up at Narvari, the sadness in his eyes almost tangible. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Captain. But there was nothing we could do.¡± ¡°What are you talking about, Dawuli?¡± ¡°The bazwu.¡± He paused. ¡°They are all gone.¡± Dread filled Narvari¡¯s stomach. ¡°What do you mean they are all gone?¡± ¡°The day after the demon attack, we went to patrol the plains. But the bazwu¡­ they¡¯d been shot. All their tusks were gone.¡± Dawuli clenched his jaw, his big brown eyes blazing. Narvari felt the man¡¯s rage just by looking into his eyes. ¡°The poachers must have hunted the four-tusks while we were under attack. It was a tragic coincidence.¡± Narvari balled her fists. ¡°That was no coincidence.¡± She knew exactly who was responsible. Stein wanted the bazwu for himself. That¡¯s why he sent those demons to attack them. And while they were under attack, Stein¡¯s poachers used the opportunity to hunt their animals. This was all an elaborate scheme from the beginning. That man massacred his people just for their four-tusk elephants. Even if Stein was human, he was no different from a demon. She would not mind sending him back to hell. ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s not a coincidence?¡± ¡°It means someone was responsible for this whole thing and I¡¯m going to kill them.¡± Dawuli seemed confused, but he smiled anyway. ¡°You¡¯re so much like your father.¡± She knew people often meant that as a compliment but she wished they would stop telling her that. It only made her angrier at Yabaga. Right now, however, Narvari¡¯s rage was directed at one man. Stein. ¡°Can I ask you a favor?¡± Narvari asked. ¡°Sure. Anything.¡± ¡°While I¡¯m gone, can you keep an eye on my house?¡± ¡°You¡¯re leaving?¡± Narvari nodded. ¡°There¡¯s something I need to do.¡± Dawuli paused for a moment, then nodded. ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°I will see Governor Andaga and Korumi before I leave. I¡¯ll recommend you as the interim captain of the WPU until the next Captain¡¯s Test begins.¡± She smiled. ¡°I know you will pass the test.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t plan on taking the test?¡± ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°Honestly I¡¯m not sure if I will be back.¡± Traveling was something she had wanted to do all her life yet she never wanted to leave Anana¡¯s side either. But Anana was no more. There was nothing left for her here in Sharmandi. As soon as she found Stein and made him pay for what he did, she would decide what to do next. One step at a time. ¡°Well, you have nothing to worry about,¡± said Dawuli. ¡°Your house will be properly cared for. Yabaga gave me this task as well.¡± ¡°Thank you. There are a few things I need to pack before I leave. Give all my books to Motongo, will you? He¡¯d like that.¡± ¡°Are you going to see him?¡± Dawuli asked. ¡°He hasn¡¯t been himself since his brother and mother passed away.¡± The pain stabbed at Narvari¡¯s heart. She wanted more than anything to see Motongo. But she didn¡¯t think she had it in her to face the poor child. How could she look Motongo in the eye when she could not save his mother and brother? What kind of friend was she? What kind of captain was she? ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Narvari whispered. ¡°I don¡¯t think he wants to see me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t assume you know what people think, Narvari. I know this must be hard for you, but if you never see Motongo before you leave, you may regret it forever.¡± She had held grudges against her father for so long because he left without telling her anything. If she did the same thing to Motongo, wouldn¡¯t that make him just like Yabaga? She sighed. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± she said. She had to say all her goodbyes properly before she left Sharmandi for good. Maybe then, she would have the right space of mind to go after Stein without looking back. How she could not wait to destroy that bastard. Chapter 21: Finding Stein
The time was 7:26 pm. The day was Saturday.
Narvari stood before a manor in the suburbs of Transu. It had taken her a three-and-a-half-hour bus ride from Sharmandi to Aburusa, the capital of Dorben, then another thirty-minute ride in a taxi to Transu. Before leaving her home, she had gone to see Motongo. The death of his family hit him hard, and he was completely depressed. Seeing Narvari had brought a little light to his eyes, but it still broke Narvari¡¯s heart how much pain the boy was going through. She couldn¡¯t believe she had almost given in to her cowardice to not go and see her only friend. She was glad Dawuli had changed her mind. Thankfully, Motongo¡¯s father had survived. At least the boy still had someone. Of course, she wished none of this had happened. But there was nothing she could do about it. Afterward, Narvari had gone to see Governor Andaga because she needed information about Tsalaga Nokubenda. Since Tsalaga worked for Stein, Narvari believed he knew how to find Stein. So as soon as Governor Andaga gave Narvari the address of the minister, she didn¡¯t waste any time traveling all the way to Transu in south-western Dorben. Narvari glared at the opulent home. It looked exactly like the place Tsalaga Nokubenda would live?¡ª?a massive house surrounded by beautifully trimmed hedges, and a red Mercedes-Benz parked in the driveway. Narvari frowned when she didn¡¯t see Tsalaga¡¯s white Rolls-Royce. Was the man not home? Or maybe he had another car. Narvari moved closer to the house. She was surprised there was no security around. The last time Tsalaga came to her home, he did so with a whole entourage. Maybe Tsalaga¡¯s bodyguards had gone out with him. Or maybe she had the wrong address altogether. ¡°Can I help you?¡± Narvari turned to see a well-groomed man in a black suit, with an intercom, tucked in his left ear. Narvari sighed. ¡°Is Tsalaga Nokubenda home?¡± ¡°You mean the Honourable?¡± Her grip around the straps of her backpack tightened. There was nothing honorable about that piece of shit. Also, how many Tsalaga Nokubendas lived here? Suppressing the sarcasm dying to pour out of her soul, she simply nodded. ¡°What do you want with him?¡± he demanded. Narvari found herself growing more annoyed by the second. What had she expected though? That she could walk into the house of a minister of state so easily without any interference? Actually yes, she had expected that. But she had also come prepared. ¡°I¡¯m an envoy from Sharmandi.¡± She showed the man her ID. It was too bad she had already turned in her badge after stepping down as captain. ¡°I¡¯m Narvari Shar, Captain of the WPU in Sharmandi. I have an important business with the minister.¡± The bodyguard narrowed his dark eyes. They were full of suspicion as he stared at Narvari. He did not in the least look convinced. Narvari sighed. Would she have to waste her time here convincing this guard that the youth were encouraged to take up leadership roles in Sharmandi? Narvari might have been the youngest person to pass the Captain¡¯s Test at thirteen years old, but she wasn¡¯t the youngest to have applied. Moreover, more than fifty percent of Sharmandi¡¯s government was below forty years old, with five percent being between the ages of eighteen to twenty-five years old. She was not an anomaly as a teenage captain of WPU. So why was this guy overreacting like that? All she said was that she was the captain, not the freaking governor. ¡°Ruben, is everything alright?¡± It was a woman¡¯s voice. And it came from behind Narvari. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Madam, but there¡¯s a trespasser here.¡± Narvari turned to see a beautiful middle-aged woman in a yellow floral dress. Narvari immediately recognized the woman. She had seen her a few times on TV by Tsalaga¡¯s side. The minister did like to show off his wife. Narvari could see why. ¡°Mrs. Nokubenda,¡± said Narvari. ¡°Is your husband home?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s asking?¡± ¡°Narvari Shar. An envoy from Sharmandi.¡± ¡°Oh my. A Shar from Sharmandi,¡± said the woman, scrutinizing Narvari up and down. She nodded as if approving of Narvari. ¡°Come with me, young lady.¡±
¡°So, you¡¯re an envoy,¡± Mrs. Nokubenda said once they were settled in one of the white sofas in the large living room. ¡°You work with the government?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Madam. I am the captain of the WPU.¡± Well, she had stepped down now as the captain, but her resignation had not been officially approved yet. ¡°Please just call me Martha.¡± The woman smiled, ¡°So you¡¯re the captain of the famous WPU, huh? You look so young. How old are you?¡± ¡°Eighteen.¡± ¡°Ah. So what they say about Sharmandi is true then.¡± ¡°And what do they say about Sharmandi?¡± ¡°Well, good things, mostly.¡± Martha chuckled. ¡°They say you have a seamless blend of traditional and modern values. Some day I shall visit and experience the Kirriba culture for myself.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t your husband Kirriba?¡± ¡°Half Kirriba, yes. But his Kirriba side is not from Sharmandi. He¡¯s from Majibi.¡± ¡°In Eastern Hill Province,¡± said Narvari, finally understanding why Tsalaga was so quick to turn on the Kirriba in Sharmandi.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°That¡¯s right. He¡¯s Dorbenese Kirriba.¡± No wonder he sold us out. That bastard. ¡°Where is he?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid he¡¯s not home. You know how busy politicians are.¡± ¡°Oh, I know all about it.¡± She laughed without humor. ¡°When is he getting back?¡± ¡°He has an interview on DBC. He should be home by 8:30 or nine.¡± Narvari looked at her wristwatch. She would have to wait another hour for the man. ¡°I can wait.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± said Martha. ¡°Well, I¡¯m a little bored right now. I can keep you company if you want.¡± Honestly, Narvari would love to be alone right now. But talking to Martha might speed up the time until Tsalaga returned. So she accepted Martha¡¯s company, and the latter seemed rather interested in knowing more about Sharmandi and what it was like. The conversation then geared back to Narvari¡¯s family and eventually the great Erasmus Shar. Martha seemed shocked to hear that Narvari was the granddaughter of Erasmus Shar. The man was very well-known due to his connection with Dorben¡¯s independence. Before long, Narvari heard a car pull up in the driveway. She hadn¡¯t realized how much time had passed. It was nine minutes to nine. ¡°Thank God, he¡¯s here.¡± Martha beamed. About damn time. The front door opened and in walked the colossal son of a bitch. As Martha excused herself to go meet her husband, Narvari discreetly removed the gun from her backpack and shoved it into the gun holster around her waist. Dorben had strict laws on firearms so she couldn¡¯t just parade her guns around as she did in Sharmandi. Narvari glanced at Tsalaga who was hugging his wife and smiling fondly at her. So he did have a heart after all. She almost didn¡¯t want to kill him. Almost. Martha pulled herself from his embrace. ¡°You have a visitor from Sharmandi.¡± ¡°Sharmandi?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s her over there.¡± The smile on Tsalaga¡¯s plump face froze as soon as his eyes fell on Narvari. Narvari¡¯s face remained neutral, but inside, an inferno ravaged her. Her hand hovered dangerously close to her gun. She would love to empty all her bullets inside his potbelly. But then he would be dead and she would not get the information she wanted. Be calm, Narvari. Be calm. ¡°Miss Sh- Narvari Shar,¡± Tsalaga said, quickly masking the horror on his face with a smile too wide for comfort. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were in Dorben.¡± Tsalaga clutched his walking stick and swaggered towards Narvari. Narvari stood up, grabbing her pink backpack and carrying it on her right shoulder. She folded her arms. ¡°Martha, this is Narvari Shar,¡± Tsalaga smiled widely. Anyone who saw that smile would not realize the nervousness behind it, but Narvari would not be fooled. ¡°She¡¯s with the WPU. She¡¯s here on urgent environmental business.¡± Martha nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you two alone then.¡± The smile suddenly vanished on the minister¡¯s face the moment his wife disappeared. ¡°What the hell are you doing here?¡± Narvari clicked her tongue. ¡°You should check that tone, minister. I am this close to blowing your brains out.¡± ¡°You dare threaten a minister of state in his own home?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry,¡± said Narvari in a tone that suggested she was not sorry at all, ¡°would you rather I threatened you at your workplace?¡± Tsalaga pointed his walking stick towards the door. ¡°You know my guards are right outside.¡± ¡°Please call them. I bet they will be dying to meet me. Literally of course.¡± ¡°Little girl, do you think this is some kind of a joke? You may be all that in Sharmandi. But you are in Dorben now. My country. My house.¡± He tightened his fist around his walking stick while doing well to lower his voice. ¡°Your title as captain of WPU means nothing here. You better leave before I call the police.¡± ¡°Sure. Go ahead. Call the police.¡± Narvari was in Tsalaga¡¯s face. Her tone was even lower. Dangerously lower. ¡°Maybe, we can both explain to them how you screwed with the Kirriba Treaty. I¡¯m pretty sure your country, your house, would love that.¡± Tsalaga¡¯s eyes wavered. ¡°What do you want?¡± Though he sounded more humble now, it wasn¡¯t as humble as Narvari wanted. ¡°You refused my offer and I left you alone. So what do you want from me?¡± ¡°Offer?¡°Narvari laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t you mean bribe? That¡¯s okay, I¡¯m not judging. At least, not for that. I¡¯m here for something else.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I want to know who sent you. Who was responsible for those raids on our plains? Who was after the bazwu? I want to know everything.¡± ¡°This is not your business, little girl. Stop sticking your nose where it doesn¡¯t belong.¡± ¡°Okay, first of all, call me a little girl again and I will slap you so hard you will lose all that weight. And your teeth, of course. Secondly, this is my business and I will stick my nose wherever the hell I want. Now start talking.¡± Tsalaga paused. He shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you anything. He will kill me.¡± Narvari drew the pistol from her hip and pressed it against Tsalaga¡¯s belly. Tsalaga froze, his face contorting in shock. Narvari glared at him. ¡°I don¡¯t think he would have much to kill if you¡¯re already dead. Won¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t shoot me.¡± He tried to keep his words steady, but his hasty breathing betrayed him. The expression on Narvari¡¯s face did not change. ¡°The man you¡¯re working for sent demons to attack Sharmandi a week ago because we refused to give him the bazwu. Many people died in the process including my grandmother and my best friend.¡± She tightened her grip on the gun, digging it harder into his belly. Tsalaga¡¯s face paled. ¡°Sharmandi was attacked? I never heard about that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the point here, minister,¡± Narvari snapped coldly. ¡°The point is that you are partly responsible for what happened to my people and our bazwu. The only reason I haven¡¯t spilled your guts all over your fancy carpet yet is that you are the only one who can tell me where I can find that monster. Keep pissing me off and poor Martha would end up a widow.¡± Tsalaga dabbed the sweat on his face. ¡°I didn¡¯t think he would send his men after you. I mean, he said he would handle it himself, but¡­¡± He gulped, probably after seeing the hateful look in Narvari¡¯s eyes. ¡°Okay.¡± He sighed in resignation. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you everything. Please, just¡­ just put the gun away. Okay? Please.¡± Narvari paused for a moment then put the gun away. She didn¡¯t need one to kill this bastard anyway. ¡°We can¡¯t talk here,¡± said Tsalaga looking around. ¡°Come with me.¡± Narvari followed the man into another room. It was an office with a large painting of Dorben¡¯s presidential palace on the lemon-green wall. The picture of Dorben¡¯s president, William Ntikoko, was on the opposite side of the wall. Not waiting for Tsalaga¡¯s invitation, Narvari sat. ¡°Who is Stein?¡± She went straight to business. Tsalaga gaped. ¡°How do you know that name? I never mentioned it to you.¡± ¡°So you do know him. You¡¯re working for him, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Was,¡± Tsalaga said quickly, raising his hands. ¡°I admit, he paid me and some of my colleagues to give him access to Kirriba Plains but I don¡¯t work for him anymore. The man tried to kill me, you know.¡± ¡°What do you know about him?¡± The minister told Narvari that Doctor Hubert Stein was a chemist from Germany. He came to Dorben to find bazwu for his research. But Tsalaga didn¡¯t think the man was an ordinary scientist. ¡°That doctor¡­ he¡¯s strange,¡± said he. ¡°He really scares me. The last time I went to his place, he invited me into some kind of laboratory. But there was something off about the place.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°This might sound crazy, but I think the man may be into occultism or something equally dangerous. I don¡¯t know. There was something evil and dark going on in that lab. I am sure of it.¡± Maybe two weeks ago Narvari might have thought this was crazy. But after everything she had experienced in the past week, this wasn¡¯t strange at all. On the contrary, it explained Stein¡¯s connection to demons. The demon had called him master. Was Stein himself a demon disguised as a human? She didn¡¯t understand much about demons. But if Stein were indeed a demon, then she would not be breaking any rules if she used her savaz against him. ¡°I understand if you want revenge for what he did,¡± said Tsalaga, ¡°but the doctor is very dangerous and you need to stay away from him. That man isn¡¯t afraid of anything.¡± ¡°Hmm. I will soon give him something to fear.¡± Narvari took a small notebook from her backpack. She slid it across the table towards Tsalaga. ¡°Give me his address.¡± Tsalaga hesitated for a while, but he eventually grabbed a blue pen from his table and started writing.
Chapter 22: Narvari vs Stein
Early the next morning, after a four-hour bus ride, Narvari reached her destination. The address Tsalaga had given her was in the small border town of Urega, only about ten kilometers north of Kirriba Plains. She could not believe her enemy lived right under her nose. Upon reaching the village, she had to ply the rest of the route by foot. Passing several randomly scattered huts, Narvari found a gated house. She knew this was Stein¡¯s house because it was ¡°the nicest and largest building in the area,¡± Tsalaga¡¯s exact words. The house stood all alone surrounded by nothing but grass and trees. Narvari felt her anger rising simply by watching the house. The man or demon responsible for the carnage in her home was in that house. She tried pushing the gate and to her surprise, it opened. This Stein had no fear of security, it seemed. Narvari casually strolled inside. Tsalaga had warned her that there were guards everywhere, yet there was not a single person in sight. Her heart sank when she thought that perhaps Stein no longer lived here. Did he move after getting what he wanted? The anger boiled inside her. That man couldn¡¯t be gone. How would she find Stein if he was gone? ¡°Do not move.¡± Narvari¡¯s body tensed when something cold and hard pressed behind her head. She cracked a smile. Finally, some action. ¡°Who the fuck are you?¡± The language was English, laced with a heavy Eastern European accent. Maybe he was Russian or maybe he was not. It didn¡¯t matter, he was about to be dead. Narvari continued to stare at the white wall in front of her. ¡°I¡¯m looking for Doctor Hubert Stein.¡± ¡°I said who the fuck are you?¡± ¡°Can I at least turn around? You might recognize who I am.¡± She had a feeling this man was probably one of the mercenaries who had come for the bazwu. ¡°Raise your hands and turn around. Slowly. Any funny movements and I will blow your brains out.¡± Interesting choice of words. I was thinking the same thing too. Narvari did as she was told. The barrel of a pistol was in her face and holding the gun was a hunk of a man with a wild beard. Narvari wanted to laugh. She had been in this position so many times she¡¯d simply lost count. Pointing a gun at her was never a good idea. The man narrowed his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s you.¡± Seeing the tiny change in the man¡¯s emotion, Narvari¡¯s body acted fast. She unarmed the man in one swift movement. ¡°Hey?¡ª?¡± he began to protest but Narvari sent three quick punches into his body; one in his throat and two in his chest. Then she smashed his head into the wall. He went limp on the ground. Enough of this shit. She removed her two guns from her belt holster and wielded both together. ¡°Stein,¡± she shouted at the top of her voice. ¡°Hubert Stein. Come out now and face me, you bastard.¡± About seven men, all armed to the teeth, rushed out of the house like cockroaches. Okay, where had they been hiding all this time? ¡°Girl, drop the gun. Unless you want to die here today.¡± ¡°You know,¡± Narvari said, ¡°I was hoping to kill only one person today. But you work for the man I hate. So what the hell.¡± Without any warning, Narvari shot both guns at two men simultaneously. Two bodies dropped to the ground, blood gushing out of the hole in their heads. Instantly, several guns went off at the same time, all of them directed at Narvari. But her agile body moved with ease, gracefully evading all the bullets, while she put a bullet in everyone¡¯s head. All was silent again and everyone lay dead at her feet. Did these weaklings think they could take her? Narvari scoffed. Scores of men rushed outside, cradling AK-47s. Without waiting for someone to give her bullshit about surrendering lest she dies, Narvari simply lunged towards them like a tornado while they shot at her. This was like a picnic to her. Soldiers of WPU were trained in Ntunomi?¡ª?literally meaning gun combat dance. Fighting and shooting while evading bullets like smoke was what they had been trained to do. When her bullets were finished, she threw the guns away and resorted to her fists and legs, disarming everyone she came into contact with. The sound of breaking bones and screaming men filled the air. It seemed these men were even worse fighters than they were shooters. Soon, most of them were on the ground either dead or unconscious. The few who were still awake writhed in pain, not daring to move. Narvari pinned the only man standing into the wall, her right elbow digging into his neck like a blade. She must have been fueled by her rage as she felt strength she never knew she had coursing through her veins. It intoxicated her, making her want nothing but blood. ¡°Where is Stein?¡± ¡°Inside,¡± said the man, gasping. His face was a bloody mess and his lips were busted and bleeding but Narvari still recognized him. He was the same man she had fought in Kirriba Plains. The man who had first warned her about Stein. ¡°What are you?¡± he said. The stench of fear was all over him. ¡°Apocalypse.¡± The sound of a cracking skull grilled Narvari¡¯s ears as she punched the man in the face. His eyes fell in a daze, dropping to the ground either unconscious or dead. She really didn¡¯t care. She should have killed all of them a long time ago.
Stein held the vial of Fessel in his face, a content smile spreading on his face. Finally. Getting hands on those four-tusk elephants meant he would be able to produce enough Fessel to raise an entire army. With that, he would return the Vessels to their true glory. It was rather unfortunate that the chemical found in the tusks of those four-tusk elephants was absent in ordinary two-tusk elephants. It would have been easier if that were the case. Well, none of that mattered. In a few weeks, the Fessel would be ready and the world would be his. Bang! Stein was suddenly attentive upon hearing the gunshot. He frowned. Was someone trying to get in? He had instructed his security guards to kill any intruder. His research here was of the utmost importance and he couldn¡¯t let anyone find out about it. He was about to go out and see what was going on when several gunshots were fired over and over. He quickly pocketed the vial and took out his gun. There was an intruder in his house. Stein had taken painstaking steps to ensure his research was never found out by anyone, especially by the Ancient Order of Vanquishers. After the Vessels of Bezvaros were defeated by the Order twenty years ago, the few Vessels like himself who remained went into hiding. Stein had always believed that the vision of Vessels was too small, therefore leading to their untimely defeat. Demons were meant to be controlled not feared or revered. It was the only way they could destroy the vanquishers once and for all and rule the world.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. To fulfill his dream, Stein moved from place to place, seeking a way to amass a demon army against the Order. He continued his research in developing Fessel?¡ª?an addictive chemical that could boost the power of demons astronomically, albeit for a short period. After a lot of research, he learned that the main component for making Fessel was tetrahyratine, the stuff that made the demon stronger and yet docile to him. This could only be found in the tusks of the West African Four-tusk Elephant. So Stein moved to Dorben where he had been in hiding for the past seven years. With all the protective runes around his house, not even the vanquishers could sense any demonic activity. It was why he had kept this secret for so long. Was it possible that the vanquishers had realized what he was up to and were now here to stop him? That was highly improbable. His runes were far too powerful to be detected. Was this a home invasion? He had a few issues with the local rebel group in the next village. Maybe they had come back to cause trouble. His security guards should be able to take care of it. He thought about releasing his new demon slave but he remembered that the demon was in a deep sleep and would only wake once it had fully imbibed the Fessel. In the meantime, he would have to deal with this situation himself. He cautiously slipped out of his laboratory. The gunshots stopped and all was silent again. His help might not be needed after all. He was thinking of going back to the laboratory to continue his work when he heard someone thunder his name with so much rage. Stein stopped in the hallway. ¡°Come out, Stein,¡± the voice said. It was a woman¡¯s voice he didn¡¯t recognize. However, from the way she spoke English, Stein was certain she was Dorbenese. ¡°Show yourself, you coward.¡± Coward? Stein raised a brow. Who is this bitch? He withdrew his revolver, following the voice outside the house. The first thing he noticed in his compound was the heap of bodies scattered on the ground, with blood and gun shells everywhere. And there standing tall at the center of it all was¡­ A girl. She was tall with dark brown skin and black hair in cornrows. She pointed two guns at Stein, her brown eyes cold enough to freeze the planet. As hard as it was to fathom, Stein knew for sure that she was the one who had killed all his men. And from the way she looked at Stein with full-on malice, he knew she wanted him dead too. Children. He scoffed internally. ¡°Are you Stein?¡± asked the girl. Stein shrugged. ¡°Sure. And you are?¡± ¡°Enraged.¡± He could see that, though honestly, he had no idea who this person was and why she was in his house. He sighed. It was probably one of the many enemies he had made over the years. He wondered if the girl was here because he had killed her parents or something. He had lost track of all the people who wanted him dead. Most of them were dead anyway. He had no idea how this girl had taken down all his armed guards by herself but it was clear that she was no ordinary person. Even though Stein had his gun pointed at her, she simply stared at him with fury. It was obvious that she trusted in her skill to easily take him down. Interesting. He would use her overconfidence against her. He would make the girl believe she had him cornered and then he would keep her distracted until the demon awoke. It didn¡¯t matter how skilled she was, she could never take down a demon. Stein almost laughed aloud. Foolish girl. You are about to die today. Stein slowly put the gun on the floor. That should make her lower her guard, he thought. ¡°To what do I owe this,¡± he stared at the bodies, ¡°visit?¡± ¡°You sent demons to my home.¡± Stein paused thoughtfully. ¡°Your home?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even remember, you bastard. The wraith lord you sent told me everything.¡± ¡°Oh, Sharmandi. Right.¡± This was indeed about foolish revenge. When Ijeissi and his wraith demons never returned, Stein suspected that vanquishers had something to do with it. He should have known that good for nothing wraith lord would fail him. Glancing at the pile of bodies on the floor, everything suddenly made sense. ¡°You¡¯re the Shar descendant, aren¡¯t you? Narvari Shar.¡± He had heard of stories of the captains of the Wildlife Protection Unit in Sharmandi. Just like the stories about Erasmus Shar, the first captain, Stein thought the stories about all the other captains, especially the teenager, Narvari Shar, were myths. But seeing how easily the Shar descendant had taken down his men, maybe there was some truth to those stories after all. Maybe Erasmus Shar was a demon and he had passed on some secret arts to Sharmandi that made them stronger than the average human. But ultimately, Narvari Shar was still human while Stein was a powerful Vessel. He laughed. ¡°So what is your plan? Are you here to kill me or just stare at me until I die?¡± A sinister smile hung at the corner of Narvari¡¯s lips. ¡°Kill you?¡± She laughed coldly. ¡°No, Stein. That will be a real waste. I am going to make you suffer for every suffering you inflicted on my people. I am going to make your life a living hell. Soon you will be begging me to kill you. And even then, I will not. Not until all the rage I feel is extinguished, which I doubt it will ever be. In other words, Stein, you are going to wish your mother swallowed you.¡± Stein did a slow clap, his face beaming with amusement. ¡°Wow, that was quite the speech. I¡¯m impressed. Really.¡± His face instantly turned serious and the mirth evaporated. ¡°Bitch, I am a master of demons,¡± he thundered. ¡°I am nothing like these useless pieces of shit you just killed. So tell me, do you think you can touch me? Do you think that I can be harmed by a weapon as mortal as a fucking gun?¡± Narvari hesitated, a tinge of doubt growing in her eyes. That¡¯s right, bitch. Let the doubt drive you crazy. A thrill ran through him as he witnessed the internal monologue of uncertainty in Narvari¡¯s eyes. In mere seconds, however, the uncertainty in her eyes vanished without a trace, as if someone had pressed a switch in her mind. It took a while for Stein¡¯s mind to understand what the loud bang was and he only understood it because of the sharp pain that pierced through his thigh. ¡°What the fuck.¡± He tumbled to the ground. ¡°What the fuck is wrong with you?¡± ¡°It seems you can be harmed by a weapon as mortal as a fucking gun.¡± Narvari shrugged casually.¡°I see you¡¯re only a man after all.¡± ¡°I will fucking kill you.¡± Stein quickly grabbed his gun and shot at her. But the girl simply dodged out of the way like the bullet was nothing but an annoying fly. Pressing the wound on his thigh, blood soaking his trousers, Stein struggled back to his feet. The girl didn¡¯t even look threatened. All she did was watch Stein with disgust. He would shoot, and she would swerve out of the way, evading all his bullets with the swiftness of the wind. It was almost like she was dancing. How was she doing this? Was every warrior of the WPU capable of these strange movements? If so, that explained why his men could never touch a single four-tusk elephant in the Kirriba Plains. Stein pulled the trigger. It gave a clicking sound. Shit. He clenched his jaws as he glared at the girl. ¡°My turn,¡± she said. Stein bellowed as the searing pain, like hot lava, gushed through his other leg as soon as Narvari pulled the trigger. This time he stayed on the floor, gritting his teeth in anguish. ¡°Can I tell you a secret, Stein?¡± The girl sauntered toward him. ¡°I know all the parts of your body where I can shoot without instantly killing you. Rather, you will die slowly, drowning in pain.¡± Her eyes were crazed with rage. This girl had darkness in her, he could feel it?¡ª?darkness that was way beyond his. It sent a shiver down his spine. She pulled the trigger again, the bullet tearing into the left side of his abdomen. ¡°That was for my grandmother.¡± ¡°Fuck. Fuck.¡± Stein writhed on the ground, trembling like a dying snake. Another gunshot, this time the pain in his right shoulder. He felt as though someone was sawing his arm off. He clenched his jaws as if that would somehow reduce the torment. It did not. ¡°That was for Jimbaga.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± The words choked him. ¡°I¡­¡± Narvari squatted gazing at Stein intently. ¡°You what?¡± She was taunting him. Those furious brown eyes were taunting him. Stein paused, not knowing what to say. He would have given up had he not sensed the demon stirring from his deep slumber. Finally. ¡°I will show you what it¡¯s like to be afraid.¡± ¡°Wow, I am terrified,¡± she scoffed, getting up. ¡°Oh, you will be. Soon enough.¡± It was about damn time he taught this child what it was like to start a war with a Vessel of Bezvaros. When she was dead and gone, she would learn never to cross him in her next life. With all his might, Stein thundered, ¡°Xarkanu. I summon you, Xarkanu.¡± Narvari narrowed her eyes, retreating a few steps back. ¡°What are you doing?¡± He ignored the girl and went on with his incantation. ¡°Rise from your slumber. Restore my power. Possess me, Xarkanu, and for my pact, I shall raise your order. This, I swear with my blood, forever.¡± With the blood soaking his hands, Stein painted the blood pact rune on his forehead. As soon as he sealed the blood pact, the air grew hotter and hotter as the demon rose from his deep sleep. Stein had two demons under his control; Xarkanu and Ijeissi. Between the two, Xarkanu was stronger and far more malevolent. A heavy presence of searing hot demon energy filled the house. This was simply Xarkanu¡¯s astral form so he could possess Stein. The heat gathered above the crown of Stein¡¯s head and washed over him like rain. ¡°Yes,¡± Stein bellowed in euphoria as he reveled in the immense power coursing through his veins. Deep within his body, he could feel his cells regenerating, his torn ligaments reattaching themselves at an incredible rate. He stood erect, no longer feeling any pain in his body. The bleeding was no more, as all his wounds closed up without a scratch. He grinned at the shocked girl. She was watching him as though he had¡­ well¡­ regenerated. ¡°What the hell?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m just getting started.¡± He gave a chilling smile.
Chapter 23: Zoleris
Stein¡¯s insides quivered as though bursting wide open. He screamed as his bones cracked, shifting into positions he didn¡¯t know existed in his body. He felt his muscles growing denser and more massive until his shirt could no longer take it. His fingers grew longer, scalier, and sharper like the talons of a dragon. Stein ripped out the remainder of his shirt leaving him topless. Golden scales grew all over his body like armor. When he shouted it came out as a roar. He glared at Narvari, pointing a claw at her. ¡°We are going to destroy you.¡± For the first time, he saw fear in the girl¡¯s eyes. Stein casually strolled towards her taking his sweet time. But her fear did not paralyze her as she suddenly started shooting at him. The bullet hit his hard skin and crumbled to the ground like dust. Narvari froze, gaping at Stein. ¡°I already told you, child. No mortal weapon can harm me.¡± Stein sent his thick talons towards her and he would have ripped her into shreds had she not suddenly leaped out of the way. She gracefully landed on her feet many yards away from Stein. For someone in shock, she really had quick reflexes. It was like her body was acting on instinct to stay away from danger. Stein didn¡¯t stop. He soared in the air, his body suddenly knowing how to fly. He plunged towards the girl, his massive palm ready to strike. Tremors shook the house as Stein¡¯s claws ripped open the ground. Narvari lost her balance and tumbled heavily. Stein sent another strike towards her, but she scrambled for safety. Wherever she went, however, Stein followed, ready to rip her in two. The walls and floors were full of rifts caused by Stein¡¯s talons. Cornering her, Narvari ran into the house. Stein pursued her through the roof, his powerful claws tearing down everything in his path. Walls tumbled down and beams of wood and metal crashed all around them. He would need a new house. ¡°You are quick on your feet. But how long will you run away from me until you tire?¡± He landed on top of the rubble, in his now ruined house. The girl fired her gun at him three more times until she ran out of bullets. Stein laughed. ¡°Bitch, I am invincible. And soon, I shall rule over all the demons. I¡¯m going to enjoy roasting you to ash.¡± The rage burned in his throat and he could no longer hold the furnace within him. As though being consumed from the inside by a wildfire, flames burst out of his mouth and set the whole house ablaze. The smell of burning wood and metal filled the air. He laughed, watching the girl squirm from the heat. Her face was messy with blood and dust. ¡°You say you¡¯re going to make me suffer?¡± He laughed again. ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s going to burn in this fire.¡± Narvari tightened her grip around her guns, sweat pouring all over her body. A newfound resolve, hotter than Stein¡¯s flames, burned in her eyes. This girl was a master at pushing past her fear, Stein thought. She suddenly reminded him of someone. ¡°I guess you¡¯re right,¡± she said. ¡°I cannot inflict any harm on you since you¡¯re obviously possessed by a demon.¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re getting it.¡± He pointed a claw at her. ¡°Ordinary people can¡¯t vanquish demons.¡± She laughed. The girl actually laughed. She should be quaking in her sneakers after seeing the terrifying power of a demon dragon. Why the fuck was she laughing like this was some picnic? ¡°I guess it¡¯s a good thing I am no ordinary person then.¡± Not an ordinary person? What was she talking about? Wait, this girl had come to face him even though she knew he had demons working for him. Stein narrowed his eyes. ¡°I was told I couldn¡¯t use this on humans,¡± she continued, smirking, ¡°but clearly you are no mere human either, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± What was she going on about? Was she trying to get in his head? No. He could tell she was not bluffing. Stein fumed as the girl soared over the flames towards him. She was taking him too lightly. He had to end this once and for all. Watching the girl propel towards him with the fierceness of a warrior goddess, time itself seemed to slow down. Stein readied his claws. He would tear out her heart as soon as she got closer. What happened next, however, almost had Stein¡¯s eyes falling out of his head. Black misty energy surged out of Narvari¡¯s body. Around the black energy was a thin red outline, like the glow of a fire. Sacros. Stein would know this sacred energy anywhere. A vanquisher? How? Narvari¡¯s sacros transformed into savaz. Not just one, but two savaz. His eyes widened. Never had he heard of a vanquisher with more than one savaz. What the hell was going on? He had to focus. So what if she was a vanquisher? It didn¡¯t matter. She¡¯d heard that the Shar descendant was only eighteen years old. At such a young age, and being from the Outer Sphere, her savaz was at most third-order. With Xarkanu being a fifth-order demon, there was no way her savaz could vanquish him. Moreover, Xarkanu¡¯s strength was amplified now that he was full of Fessel. Stein would love to see the look on her face when she realized that her savaz was not powerful enough to vanquish him. His grin dared Narvari to pull the trigger. She did, aiming for his chest. With a boom, massive firepower of black and red sacros flew towards him and pierced him in his chest. He should be regenerating soon. Stein laughed. ¡°It¡¯s that all you¡¯ve got?¡± Narvari smirked. ¡°I think that¡¯s all you can handle, Stein.¡± Stein raised a brow. He touched the gaping hole in his chest. Why wasn¡¯t he healing? Instead, he could feel Xarkanu dying in his body. Stein gaped, caving to his knees. No. No. No. The scales disappeared from his body until he was nothing but his usual mammalian self. The talons retracted, morphing back to his actual human fingers. It seemed impossible to believe but the girl had just vanquished Xarkanu inside him. A fifth-order demon. Stein gawked at Narvari¡¯s red and black savaz. They looked a lot like revolvers, although they were much more powerful.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°Who are you?¡± The girl swaggered towards him, the hate still in her eyes. She pressed the savaz against his head. ¡°Really? You¡¯re going to make me repeat myself?¡± She shook her head. ¡°I am the Apocalypse.¡± And now she sounded ridiculous. It didn¡¯t matter anyway, because her enemy was about to die. Then she pulled the trigger.
Narvari gasped as she watched the house go up in flames from the distance. Thick black smoke filled the air. The man responsible for the terror in her home was dead. Yet, a bottomless chasm filled her heart. With exhaustion overwhelming her, her legs gave out as she sat in the dry grass, with her back leaning against the thick stem of the lonely baobab. ¡°You can rest in peace now, everyone,¡± she whispered. A myriad of emotions swelled within her. The rage was still there, but this time, it was the sadness and pain that prevailed. No longer able to control herself, her shoulders shook as she broke down in tears. She buried her face in her knees and cried for how long she did not know. Soon, she ran out of tears. Her body, however, would not stop quivering. This wasn¡¯t just grief or pain. There was something more and the utter lack of energy in her limbs was proof. This didn¡¯t feel right. Why was she hungry? She had already eaten before coming to find Stein. Yet, she felt like she had been deprived of food for eons. Narvari was sure she would have collapsed from exhaustion had she not been supported by the tree. She looked up at the orange skies. It suddenly dawned on her that a lot of time had passed since she last ate at noon. She sighed. She would have to go all the way back to the town proper before she could find something to eat. Luckily, she had a bottle of water in her backpack. She grabbed the bottle, struggled to uncork it, then downed the contents with a long gulp. The water, however, did nothing to ease the pangs of hunger or weakness crawling over her. There was something very wrong. She hadn¡¯t felt this hungry or exhausted before. Did this have to do with the intense fight she had with Stein? It should be. That man had turned into a freaking demon. Was he a man or a demon? It didn¡¯t matter. He was dead now. Narvari shut her eyes. Food. She had to find food. She had been so blinded by revenge that she had not thought about packing any food for emergencies. Wouldn¡¯t it be ironic if she simply died of hunger right after surviving a demon? She would have laughed out loud if she wasn¡¯t so hungry or physically drained. ¡°I thought I¡¯d find you here.¡± Despite her fatigue, Narvari¡¯s instincts quickly kicked in as she scrambled to her feet. Who would dare sneak up on her like that? And how had she not heard anything? Narvari glared at the man. He looked young, probably in his early twenties. She had never seen him before in her life, but there was something particularly familiar about him. Maybe it had something to do with his midnight skin, snow white hair tied up in a messy bun, and his ocean blue eyes which for some reason were frostier than ice. Pheera. She thought. That was who this man reminded her of. But while Pheera¡¯s eyes were warm and kind, this guy looked like he didn¡¯t want to be wasting his time with the likes of her. His slender form made him look even more immaculate in casual clothing. Narvari narrowed her eyes when she saw the strange device on his wrist. If she wasn¡¯t certain before, she was now. This man was from Draghein School. Could he be related to Pheera? Or was it a common thing for vanquishers to have white hair, blue eyes, and obsidian skin? No, she was thinking about irrelevant things. ¡°Who are you?¡± Narvari hardened her gaze. As weak as she felt, she wouldn¡¯t let it show on her face. Not when she didn¡¯t know what the man¡¯s intention was. ¡°How did you sneak up on me like that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not surprised you didn¡¯t sense my presence. You are untrained.¡± He touched his chin thoughtfully, his blue eyes assessing Narvari with boredom. ¡°Did a rookie like you really kill the Vessel?¡± This boy was looking down on her. Ignoring being called a rookie, she focused on the part that confused her. ¡°What Vessel?¡± ¡°Hubert Stein. Did you kill him?¡± Narvari folded her arms. ¡°I did. Do you have a problem with that?¡± ¡°None.¡± He said it like caring about a dead Vessel was the most disgusting thing in the world. ¡°The Order has been looking for Hubert for years. All those protective runes around his house kept us from finding him. I guess the fire took it out.¡± He cast his eyes to the distance, probably looking at the house aflame. Narvari finally understood what was happening. It seemed the vanquishers had sensed the demonic activity in Stein¡¯s house and had come over to take care of it. Well, they were too late. ¡°I sensed traces of sacred energy around the house,¡± the man continued, ¡°so I knew another vanquisher had been there before me. But I¡¯m the only one on this case so that got me thinking. Which vanquisher could it be?¡± He pointed a slender finger at Narvari. ¡°I tracked you here. It was really easy.¡± ¡°Congratulations. You found me. Now I should be on my way.¡± Narvari was about to leave when the white-haired man suddenly spoke. ¡°You are coming with me, Narvari Shar.¡± Her eyes darkened. How did he know her name? She never met him back at Draghein School. But if he was from Draghein School, then it wasn¡¯t impossible that he had heard about her. Perhaps Pheera might have told him about Narvari. Pheera, now this guy? What was it with white-haired vanquishers forcing her to follow them? Narvari instantly stilled. Did he also have that captivation power like Pheera? She took a few steps away from the man. Whatever happened, she was not going to let this guy touch her. ¡°I¡¯m not coming with you. I have somewhere else to be.¡± The man¡¯s face remained unchanged. ¡°You are not licensed as a vanquisher. You can¡¯t just go about killing Vessels and demons. It¡¯s illegal so I must arrest you.¡± ¡°You just said you have no problem with me killing a Vessel.¡± Narvari cocked her head. After a moment¡¯s pause, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s a Vessel anyway?¡± ¡°Focus on what¡¯s important.¡± ¡°Great. Home is important. Goodbye.¡± The man blocked her path. ¡°What?¡± She glared at him, shaking with fury. ¡°You want to arrest me? That¡¯s not going to happen without a fight.¡± Her shaking intensified, her voice growing shallower by the second. ¡°You don¡¯t want to fight me.¡± Her last word came out only in a whisper. She looked at her trembling hands. What was happening to her? Sweat soaked her face. She could feel her heart drumming in her chest. Her vision blurred, the man¡¯s form doubling before her. She staggered, coming to a halt as her back hit the massive tree behind her. What was going on with her? Was the man doing this to her? No. She was already feeling this way before he came. But somehow, it had gotten worse, almost as if all her energy had been drained from her with a hose. ¡°I don¡¯t have to fight you.¡± He shrugged. ¡°At this rate, you¡¯ll be dead soon.¡± Narvari gasped. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Clearly you still don¡¯t know how to control your sacros,¡± he said. ¡°If you keep exerting yourself, you will end up dead. You need to relax.¡± Wait, was this happening to her because of her fight with Stein? Was it because she had used too much sacros? She had to think of something before she blacked out. If this man was as skilled a fighter as Pheera, then Narvari didn¡¯t think she could beat him in her current state. She would only end up completely draining her energy. Would she really die if she kept exerting herself? She didn¡¯t want to believe it, but the general weakness in her body told her otherwise. She could really die. She needed to relax and replenish some of her lost energy. She slumped onto the grass, inhaling and exhaling slowly. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± The man watched her in silence. Narvari sighed. ¡°Come on. You already know my name. It¡¯s only fair I know yours.¡± Finally, after a long silence, he said,¡± Zemeron Zoleris.¡± Zoleris. Narvari raised a brow. Trixan had referred to Pheera as Pheera Zoleris. ¡°You and Pheera¨C¡± ¡°Yes. She¡¯s my little sister. Now enough questions. Are you coming with me, or do I have to carry you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m starving.¡± ¡°You will have something to eat when we return to Draghein School.¡± ¡°I¡¯m too tired. I don¡¯t think I can walk all the way back¡± ¡°We are not walking.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want you carrying me either.¡± Zemeron lightly tilted his head, a flash of confusion in his eyes. ¡°That wasn¡¯t meant to be literal.¡± ¡°Then how the hell are we going back?¡± Ignoring her question, Zemeron did something?¡ª?perhaps clicked some buttons?¡ª?on the device on his arm. A glowing blue door suddenly materialized before them. Narvari¡¯s face remained blank. Right. Teleportation. She had forgotten how Trixan teleported her back home. That felt like a lifetime ago. ¡°Fine. I will come with you only on the condition that I get to choose whatever food I want.¡± Zemeron paused. Perhaps, he was wondering why someone he was about to arrest thought she had any option at all. ¡°Suit yourself.¡± He disappeared through the portal while Narvari closely followed.
Chapter 24: Otherwordly Dimensions
Narvari belched loudly as soon as she finished her last slice of pizza. Eight stacks of large pizza boxes and twelve empty cans of soft drinks were scattered haphazardly on the large wooden table. She rubbed her belly. Ah, she was stuffed. Never had she eaten so much in her life. When she and Zemeron had walked out of the portal they had ended up right here in this room. He wasn¡¯t the most welcoming host, but at least he gave her the food she asked for. And each time Zemeron returned to see if she was done eating, she would ask him to bring more. He never complained though he didn¡¯t look thrilled to be chaperoned around like that. Narvari didn¡¯t care. Now that she was no longer dying of hunger or exhaustion, she decided to observe her surroundings. She was alone in a wide rectangular room. There were wall cameras situated at all four corners of the room while a glass wall was facing her. If someone had been watching her the whole time, they would have been mortified at the way she ate. It seemed she had been brought to an interrogation room. Was she really under arrest? Was she here because she was unlicensed? That was just ridiculous. Were they saying she should have let Stein get away with what he did? Or maybe she should have called the police on the demon-possessed super-human. Yes, that made sense. That made a lot of sense. She clenched her fist. This was some bullshit. Narvari glanced at the glass wall in front of her but all she saw was her reflection. She had a feeling anyone looking from outside could see her. In hindsight, following Zemeron might have been a terrible idea. But part of the reason she came back was that she felt she could trust Trixan. There was something about the Elder that made Narvari want to trust her. Narvari froze as she suddenly thought of something. With all these strange powers these people had, wasn¡¯t it possible that Trixan might have put that feeling of trust in her? She shuddered. It didn¡¯t sound too far-fetched though. Pheera put her to sleep with a single touch so who knew what the Elder herself was capable of. Would Trixan do that to her though? Although the Elder wanted Narvari to join Draghein School, she still let Narvari go home. Shouldn¡¯t that be enough reason to trust her? Narvari shut her eyes and shook her head. She was being so paranoid. This was not like her at all. But after everything she had experienced, was she really being paranoid? Was coming back a bad idea? But as the image of an ebony beauty with the most beautiful smile Narvari had ever seen emerged in her mind, she didn¡¯t think coming back was all that bad. She wondered if she would see Pheera again. Shit. Narvari hit the table with a balled fist. Was she thinking about Pheera right now? How stupid was that? She was being held as a prisoner in a place she didn¡¯t even know and all she could think about was seeing a girl, who by the way, made her do things against her will. What if she was thrown into prison for breaking their law and never let out? Did she need a lawyer? How would she find her father if she got imprisoned? Anana asked her not to hate her father. Finding Yabaga was the only way she could get the closure she needed to keep her from hating him sooner or later. Could she ever forgive her father for lying to her about her mother? The thought of wanting to be with her mother had never crossed Narvari¡¯s mind. It was difficult longing for something one never had. But now that she knew her mother was alive, nothing would be the same anymore. She couldn¡¯t just pretend the woman who brought her into this world did not exist. Narvari had to know why her mother abandoned her. And more importantly, she had to know why her father left only to go find the woman who abandoned them. Narvari rested her throbbing head on the table. She was going to lose her mind with all this thinking. She raised her head when the door creaked open. Zemeron entered. Finally. He asked, ¡°Are you done?¡± ¡°Honestly,¡± Narvari said with a grave face, ¡°I could eat an elephant right now.¡± Silence. She stared at Zemeron with seriousness. Zemeron stared at her with that same intensity. ¡°That was a joke. I¡¯m a vegetarian.¡± Narvari finally gave up, shaking her head. She immediately decided that she preferred Yanvirrak¡¯s company. He had a sense of humor.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Trixan wants to see you.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± Narvari shuffled to her feet, ¡°about damn time.¡±
¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re back, my dear.¡± Trixan clasped her hands, a soft smile on her face. ¡°Again,¡± Narvari said, casually leaning in the comfortable chair, ¡°I was forced to come here. But there was pizza involved so it¡¯s all good. I guess.¡± It surprised her that this was not even sarcasm. ¡°Yes, I heard,¡± said Trixan. ¡°I¡¯m glad you had your fill. Exhausting your sacros can be a nightmare.¡± ¡°Do they tell you everything here?¡± ¡°I am the Elder.¡± Narvari didn¡¯t get what this title meant but whatever it was, it must be a big deal. The vastness of her office alone was even a power move. ¡°It was reckless facing a Vessel in your current state,¡± said Trixan more firmly. She sounded like a mother scolding her child. ¡°You could have died. I already told you that you¡¯re not yet a vanquisher. You need training for that.¡± Narvari scoffed. Zemeron had said the same thing. She didn¡¯t blame them. They had no idea who she was. ¡°I assure you that I am more than trained.¡± Maybe she wasn¡¯t trained as a vanquisher but she was a trained soldier and a master of Ntunomi. There wasn¡¯t a single opponent she had never defeated?¡ª?well, except Yabaga. ¡°I do not doubt that you are trained, my dear. But when you faced the wraith lord, you went into a coma due to sacros shock and the same thing almost happened after you fought the Vessel.¡± Trixan¡¯s voice softened. ¡°Hubert Stein sent the wraith demons to your home, didn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°How did you know that?¡± This wasn¡¯t something she had told Zemeron so he couldn¡¯t have told Trixan. ¡°Hubert Stein was a Vessel. The Order has been looking for him for years.¡± ¡°You know, I keep hearing this Vessel word. What does it even mean?¡± ¡°They are adherents of a cult known as the Vessels of Bezvaros. They can summon demons and seal a blood pact with the demons in exchange for a favor.¡± ¡°So they are like the master of the demon?¡± The wraith lard had referred to Stein as his master. Besides, Stein said that soon he would be the master of all demons. Was that what being a Vessel was? ¡°Master of the demon?¡± Trixan chuckled. ¡°Not even close, my dear. It¡¯s more like a symbiotic relationship. The demon grants the Vessel power and the Vessel does something in return for the demon. That¡¯s what the blood pact is about.¡± A blood pact, huh? That must be how Stein¡¯s body had suddenly transformed like that. A demon possessed his body. Narvari frowned. She thought humans could not endure demonic possession of any kind. Maybe Vessels, like vanquishers, were not ordinary humans either. Still, if Vessels and demons had a symbiotic relationship, why did the wraith lord keep calling the man his master? Narvari asked Trixan about it. ¡°That couldn¡¯t just be random, right?¡± ¡°No. It was not, my dear.¡± Trixan shook her head. ¡°Hubert was an extremist even among the Vessels. He believed that demons were meant to be enslaved. I think he found a way to get demons to pledge their undying loyalty to him.¡± Trixan paused thoughtfully. ¡°I did not want to believe this but this confirms it.¡± ¡°What confirms what?¡± asked Narvari. It seemed they were both talking about two different things. ¡°Do not worry my dear, this is not something you should concern yourself with.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Narvari snapped. ¡°I think I should be more than concerned. I am directly involved in all this, so the least you can do is explain it to me.¡± Trixan smiled. This woman never lost her temper, did she? Well, except that one time when she almost scared the crap out of Narvari when she lost a tiny bit of her temper. ¡°Azmel reported that the wraith lord consumed something that raised their order. That is impossible for demons. I believe Stein found a way to order up demons.¡± Trixan paused as if letting her words sink in. ¡°My theory is that Stein was using addictive power to lure demons under his control. Even for a Vessel, that is unorthodox.¡± ¡°Are there more out there?¡± Narvari asked. ¡°Vessels, I mean.¡± ¡°The Vessels of Bezvaros used to be a very powerful organization until we destroyed it twenty years ago.¡± There was pain in Trixan¡¯s eyes as if the memory of it was too much to bear. ¡°Most of the inner circle died. The few members that remained are scattered all over the world.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s what vanquishers do? You fight against the demons and the Vessels.¡± Trixan nodded. Narvari paused thoughtfully. ¡°The last time I was here, you told me demons come from the um¡­ Lower Realm¡­ or was it Lower World? It was Lower something.¡± ¡°Yes, my dear. It is the Lower Domain.¡± Trixan nodded. ¡°You were listening after all.¡± Oh, she was not. If she were, she would have remembered. ¡°Is the Lower Domain hell?¡± ¡°Maybe to religious folks. But Bezvar is simply one of the three domains found within the Inner Sphere.¡± ¡°Bezvar?¡± Narvari raised her brow. ¡°That¡¯s the actual name of the Lower Domain.¡± Bezvar. It kind of sounds like Bezvaros. Before Narvari could ask about the relationship between the two words, Trixan added, ¡°We vanquishers come from Agon, the Central Domain.¡± ¡°Agon?¡± Narvari raised a brow. Wasn¡¯t that the same place she had read about in that book Trixan had given her? Well, she had read only one sentence, but she remembered clearly that the Ancient Order of Vanquishers was formed in Agon. It must be referring to the same thing. ¡°That¡¯s where you come from?¡¯¡¯ Trixan nodded with a smile. ¡°Yes, my dear.¡± ¡°So Agon and Bezvar are in the Inner Sphere,¡± said Narvari. ¡°Where exactly is this Inner Sphere? Does it refer to a planet like the way Earth refers to the Outer Sphere?¡± ¡°It is not a planet, my dear. The three domains of the Inner Sphere are otherworldly dimensions.¡± Narvari¡¯s face went blank. Trixan continued, ¡°The simplest way to describe otherworldly dimensions is that they are invisible worlds found within physical worlds, usually planets. The domains of the Inner Sphere are like magical worlds found within the earth., coexisting side by side as one. This is why innies are still of the earth even if they are not directly from the earth.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s why you¡¯re not aliens.¡± Narvari nodded. ¡°I see.¡± So everything she learned in science class was a joke, huh? Interesting. ¡°But what about the third domain?¡± ¡°The Higher Domain. Qartras,¡± ¡°Qartras, Agon, Bezvar,¡± said Narvari. ¡°Wow, I can¡¯t believe there are invisible worlds within the earth.¡± ¡°Come, my dear. I need to show you something.¡±
Chapter 25: The Twelve Schools Narvari followed Trixan to the massive screen on the wall. ¡°Twelve powerful families in Agon came together to form the Ancient Order of Vanquishers.¡± A world map appeared on the gigantic TV. Green dots blinked on several locations across all the continents on the world map. ¡°Now these twelve families called the Dominant Families, created the Twelve Schools responsible for protecting the Outer Sphere from demons.¡± Trixan gestured at the TV. ¡°Each green dot shows the location of each school.¡± There were eleven more schools other than Draghein School then? Narvari thought. She scanned the dots, unconsciously counting each of them. They were indeed twelve. Each name on the school was nothing she had seen or heard before. She gazed at the African continent. What the hell? Narvari¡¯s eyes almost fell out of her head. Draghein School was in Johannesburg? She was in South Africa right now? She was so far from home. Wait, there were two schools in Africa. The green dot blinked in Cairo, the name Zoleris written above it. Zoleris? Narvari lowered her eyes thoughtfully. As in Pheera and Zemeron Zoleris? But if there was a Zoleris School, why were the siblings in a different school? Or maybe it was just a coincidence they had the same name as the school. Zoleris was probably a common name in Agon. ¡°Each school has its jurisdiction,¡± Trixan continued. ¡°Draghein School has jurisdiction over West and Southern Africa.¡± Narvari pointed to the green dot in Cairo. ¡°What about that one?¡± ¡°That is Zoleris School. They handle North and East Africa.¡± Narvari quietly observed the rest of the schools. Just as Trixan said, they were scattered throughout the earth. Demons must be everywhere. How did they escape from Bezvar to Earth? ¡°Narvari.¡± Trixan interrupted her thoughts. Narvari looked at the Elder. ¡°I know I¡¯ve already said this, my dear, but I will say it again. I want you to join Draghein School.¡± ¡°Why? Just because I¡¯m a vanquisher doesn¡¯t mean I want to be part of your Order.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not yet a vanquisher, my dear.¡± ¡°No? But I vanquished a demon.¡± ¡°True.¡± Trixan chuckled. ¡°But you still need training, my dear. Draghein School can help you with that.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m not interested.¡± She gazed firmly at Trixan. She had other plans. She needed to find her father. Also, she wanted to study zoology at the university. Learning the art of killing demons was not part of that plan. ¡°Are you going to lock me up for refusing your offer?¡± The fond smile didn¡¯t leave Trixan¡¯s face. ¡°Why will I do that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Narvari shrugged. ¡°Because I killed a Vessel without a license. Zemeron said that was illegal.¡± ¡°He did, huh?¡± Trixan chuckled. ¡°Strange. I have never heard of such a law.¡± ¡°What?¡± That asshole. A silence ensued between them for a while. ¡°My dear, I would like to help you reach your full potential.¡± ¡°My full potential?¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Trixan nodded. ¡°You awakened a fifth-order savaz. That¡¯s unprecedented. You vanquished a powerful demon and Vessel all without training. I can only imagine what you will be capable of once you are well trained.¡± ¡°You think I fought those demons without training?¡± Narvari shook her head in disbelief. Why did they all keep assuming she had no training? Did Trixan have any idea of the hellish training she went through from her father? Yabaga started training her as soon as she could walk. So what the hell did she mean by ¡®without training?¡¯ There was no way she could have passed the Captain¡¯s Test without any training, nor would she have been able to defeat any of Stein¡¯s men without any training. ¡°I am very well trained, Trixan.¡± Narvari folded her arms, facing her stubbornly. ¡°Trust me.¡± ¡°There is no doubt you can fight,¡± said the Elder, not looking impressed. ¡°Azmel did speak highly of your skill and I trust his judgment. But I¡¯m not simply talking about your fighting prowess.¡± Narvari narrowed her eyes. ¡°Then what are you talking about?¡± ¡°Your stamina, my dear. It¡¯s terrible.¡± Narvari burst into laughter. Her stamina had never been a problem. On the contrary, she had too much stamina. ¡°I¡¯m serious, my dear. You could hardly stand after your fight with the Vessel. And the last time you fought the wraith lord you went into a coma.¡± ¡°Well, of course, I did. I was hungry and exhausted. I mean that could happen to anyone after being in an intense fight with a demon, right?¡± ¡°Not exactly. What you experienced was sacros shock.¡± ¡°Sacros shock?¡± ¡°It happens when you use your sacros recklessly, especially without proper training. You need to train in sacred combat to effectively use your sacros or one day you just might drop dead from exhausting your sacros.¡± Trixan paused as if she was pondering something very important. ¡°I heard your fighting style is similar to sacred combat. Who taught you to fight?¡± ¡°My father.¡± Narvari bit her lower lip. She thought she had imagined it too when she saw how similar Pheera¡¯s fighting style was to Ntunomi. But the vanquishers called it sacred combat. They may not be the same, but they were too similar to simply discard as a coincidence. This made no sense. His grandfather introduced Ntunomi to the Kirriba. How could Erasmus Shar have known about sacred combat unless¡­ ¡°Well, you can always train in Draghein School,¡± said Trixan. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about money. You will start earning it as soon as you become a professional vanquisher. Until then, the school will take care of all your expenses. You will only need to focus on your training until you¡¯re a professional.¡± Narvari sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know. This is a lot, you know.¡± ¡°I understand, my dear.¡± Trixan nodded. ¡°Take all the time you need to think about it. You can stay while you think about it. When you are certain you don¡¯t want to join Draghein School, you can leave anytime.¡± Trixan cocked her head to the side. ¡°Unless you want to go back home now.¡± Narvari had already reconciled not going back home. There was nothing back there for her. All she wanted was to travel the world and hopefully find her father. Besides, she had to go to school. Narvari sighed. ¡°Going back home is not an option.¡± Narvari¡¯s thought wandered again, this time to her grandfather and how he knew about sacred combat. Of course, Ntunomi varied from sacred combat such that it adapted to the use of ordinary guns rather than savaz. But it was clear the martial art style was derived from sacred combat. Was it just a coincidence that her grandfather knew about this? ¡°Is everything all right, my dear?¡± Narvari looked up at Trixan. ¡°Can I ask you something?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Have you ever heard of the name Erasmus Shar?¡± ¡°Erasmus Shar?¡± Trixan paused thoughtfully as though trying to remember the name, but her face came up blank. She shook her head in the negative. ¡°I don¡¯t think I know anyone by that name. Why?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± said Narvari. ¡°I was just wondering. He¡¯s been dead for more than three decades. Maybe that¡¯s why you don¡¯t know his name.¡± ¡°Was he a vanquisher?¡± Narvari¡¯s heart raced. Previously, she would have thought it a ridiculous question. But the more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Most of the stories about Erasmus Shar claimed that he had unreasonable strength. This was something the vanquishers had. Moreover, there was the issue of Narvari herself awakening savaz. Trixan did say that people only awakened if they had ancestors from the Inner Sphere. If Narvari had awakened, then it meant that her grandfather was probably a vanquisher. Or at least, from Agon. ¡°Honestly I don¡¯t know what he was.¡± ¡°I see. I don¡¯t know that name. But I can find out if you want.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll do that?¡± ¡°Of course, my dear.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Narvari nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± Maybe it wouldn¡¯t hurt to stick around for a while to see how things turned out. She couldn¡¯t just blindly jump into this. She had read books where people got brainwashed into believing they were special only to be roped into an evil organization pretending to be the savior of humankind. She didn¡¯t want to be that person. While she was here in the school, she could learn a lot about what they really had going on. ¡°So,¡± Narvari said, rubbing her neck awkwardly, ¡°is Pheera around?¡± She would be able to learn a lot from the beautiful girl. Yes, that was absolutely the only reason she wanted to see Pheera. Trixan smirked. Okay, why was this woman smiling at her like that? Chapter 26: Touring Draghein School
Early the next morning, Narvari was already awake doing her morning workout. An hour later, she was drenched in sweat. She quickly took her shower and changed into the new clothes Trixan had provided her. There was a knock on the door by 6:30 am while she was lying in her bed wondering what to do next. She raised a brow when she saw her visitor. ¡°Pheera.¡± ¡°Hi,¡± Pheera beamed. She wore a light blue mini-skirt and a white crop top that hugged her in all the right places. There was no doubt Pheera looked good in anything she wore. She held a red plastic bag. ¡°May I come in?¡± ¡°Oh, sorry. Come in.¡± Narvari widened the door. Pheera came in looking around curiously. Narvari stood behind her, watching her every move. ¡°How are you settling in so far?¡± Pheera finally looked at Narvari. Narvari shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not settled. I¡¯m only staying for a few days until I decide to leave.¡± ¡°Or stay?¡± Pheera smiled, coming closer to Narvari. Narvari retreated a few steps back, all the while holding Pheera¡¯s intense gaze. ¡°Who knows?¡± Pheera halted, a small dimness in her eyes. Narvari couldn¡¯t tell if the girl looked disappointed or hurt. ¡°Don¡¯t be discouraged by how small your room is.¡± Suddenly Pheera¡¯s interest was in everything but Narvari¡¯s face. ¡°This is only the Rookie Quarters.¡± Narvari had been told that the Rookie Quarters was home to the rookies. Rookies were people who had awakened their savaz but were not yet trained to be vanquishers. Apparently, Narvari was a rookie. Who knew? ¡°I don¡¯t mind this place. It¡¯s great.¡± Her room back home may be far larger than this place, but it was still as clean and charming. As a bonus, Narvari didn¡¯t have a roommate. ¡°This is for you.¡± Pheera lifted the bag towards Narvari, but the distance between them was too big for Narvari to receive it. Pheera, however, refused to move an inch. Seeing that Pheera had no intention of getting closer, Narvari breached the gap between them and took the bag. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Narvari opened the bag. There were white plastic containers packed inside. Even though the containers were sealed, the rich aroma of the food still permeated the air. Narvari had never smelt anything so divine. ¡°It¡¯s rice garballs, mueri salad, and Freydian meat.¡± ¡°That is awesome.¡± Narvari nodded. Gazing intently into Pheera¡¯s eyes, she added. Then she grinned. ¡°I have no idea what those are.¡± Her chest tightened at the sound of Pheera¡¯s laugh. The happiness that radiated from the girl was contagious. Narvari laughed. ¡°You¡¯ll love it,¡± said Pheera. ¡°Trust me. Don¡¯t worry about the name. It¡¯s completely vegetarian.¡± Narvari raised a brow. ¡°How do you know I¡¯m vegetarian?¡± ¡°Zemeron mentioned it.¡± Zemeron? She never thought the robot actually listened when she talked. ¡°Thanks. I really appreciate it.¡± Narvari looked at the food silently. ¡°But?¡± Pheera asked. Narvari paused. Did her face show that she had an objection? ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just don¡¯t eat this early, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Well, you need your strength before we go.¡± ¡°Go? Where?¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t tell you?¡± ¡°Who didn¡¯t tell me what?¡± ¡°Trixan. She asked me to give you a tour of the school.¡±This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Did she?¡± She had not yet agreed to stay but Trixan was already giving her a tour of the school. Narvari sighed internally. That woman was relentless. ¡°Alright then. But only if you agree to have breakfast with me.¡± Pheera brushed a strand of hair from her face. ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Narvari hesitated for a moment. Wait, had she just asked Pheera to have breakfast with her? What happened to staying as far away as possible from Pheera? Crap. She should never have asked Trixan about Pheera. It was no wonder the Elder had sent her here. But this was probably a good thing. It was the only way to learn more about Draghein School. Narvari shrugged casually. ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± Watching the smile slowly widen on Pheera¡¯s face was like watching a sunrise.
The tour with Pheera turned out to be more fun than Narvari had expected. There seemed to be no end to the sheer vastness of the school. It was like touring an entire city. The buildings had an ancient feel to them, as though they were built centuries ago. But they were charming and exquisite. The numerous trees added to the splendor of the school. Narvari could simply not stop gawking at everything. They saw the Junior Quarters, where junior vanquishers like Yanvirrak and Pheera resided. Pheera promised to show Narvari her room later. Then they went to see the Senior Quarters, a massive fortress that served as the residence for senior vanquishers like Zemeron. Then there was the Elder¡¯s Residence. It was a relatively smaller manor compared to the other quarters but it was easily the most impressive building in the school. After seeing Trixan¡¯s incredible office, Narvari was not surprised to see how magnificent Trixan¡¯s residence was. This school must be really wealthy. Later they saw the Academy. Pheera explained that the Academy was where the training of vanquishers took place. It was the heart and soul of the school?¡ª?the place that made Draghein School a vanquisher training school. ¡°So where are all the students?¡± Narvari asked. It was no exaggeration to say that Draghein School was almost as large as Sharmandi, and yet the number of people she had met so far was less than ten. Were the students on holiday or something? ¡°Students?¡± Pheera asked. ¡°Yeah. There is barely anyone around. I thought it was a school.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the kind of school you¡¯re used to,¡± said Pheera. ¡°Draghein School is more like a workplace than a school. Except for rookies, we are all professionals here. Some choose to stay in the quarters, but others have homes outside or have gone on missions.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Narvari nodded. She had been wondering why there was hardly anyone around. Other than Azmel, Pheera, Yanvirrak, Zemeron, and three more others Narvari had seen during their tour, the school was practically empty. ¡°You¡¯re right though,¡± said Pheera quietly. Narvari raised her brows. ¡°About what?¡± ¡°About the population here. Draghein School doesn¡¯t have many vanquishers compared to the other schools.¡± Pheera quickly added, ¡°Oh, there are Twelve Schools by the way.¡± Narvari chuckled. ¡°I know.¡± She wanted to ask why the population was so low compared to the other schools. So far, she had a feeling the facilities in the school could cater to thousands of vanquishers. Yet there were hardly any vanquishers at all. Before Narvari could ask about this, Pheera said, ¡°I have one more place to show you before we wrap up for the day.¡± While they were on their way, a building towering in the distance, as though touching the sky, caught Narvari¡¯s attention. She halted, her eyes not leaving the black cylindrical tower. ¡°That is the High Sepulchre,¡± said Pheera. ¡°Yes, it is indeed high.¡± Narvari grinned. ¡°It¡¯s the most important building in the school.¡± Narvari¡¯s attention turned toward Pheera. ¡°I thought the Academy was the most important building in the school.¡± ¡°Perhaps, if you count all the training we do there,¡± said Pheera. ¡°But none of that will matter without security. The High Sepulchre is the school¡¯s main security system.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Narvari glanced back at the tower. It reminded her of Sharmandi Tower, although Sharmandi Tower was nothing but a dwarf compared to the High Sepulchre. ¡°Do you know that the entire school is concealed from the outside world?¡± Narvari gaped. ¡°What do you mean concealed from the outside world? Isn¡¯t it in Johannesburg?¡± ¡°It is. In a very secluded part of the city. It¡¯s under a cloaking technology that makes it invisible to outsiders.¡± Narvari merely stared at Pheera in silence. ¡°You know what,¡± she said finally, ¡°I¡¯m not even surprised anymore.¡± She chuckled. ¡°So I¡¯m guessing the cloaking technology is inside the High Sepulchre.¡± Pheera nodded. ¡°The High Sepulchre holds the shield beam, charged by powerful sacred energy. This produces the shield rays and they secure the entire school.¡± Pheera paused. ¡°Well, technically each shield ray has its unique function.¡± ¡°Shield rays?¡± ¡°Yes. See those colorful lights radiating out of the High Sepulchre?¡± Pheera pointed to the bright blue sky. ¡°Those are the shield rays and they run all over the school. The white rays are the ones that cloak the school and make it invisible. The red rays prevent demons from entering, the blue rays?¡ª?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what are you talking about?¡± Narvari stared intently at the skies. Where were the lights? She rubbed her eyes. Was she turning blind or something? The only colorful things above were the white clouds and the beautiful blue sky. She looked back at Pheera in confusion. ¡°What colorful lights are you talking about?¡± Pheera chuckled in embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯m so stupid. I completely forgot.¡± If Pheera thought she was stupid, Narvari felt ten times worse as the confusion plagued her. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You need sacred vision to see the shield rays.¡± She bit her lips as if holding herself back from laughing. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I keep forgetting you¡¯re still new to all this.¡± Narvari had expected Pheera to clarify what sacred vision was, but the girl gazed silently at her with those intense blue eyes, making Narvari even forget about asking. Pheera cleared her throat suddenly before looking away. ¡°Um, we still have one more stop to make.¡± ¡°Ah, right.¡± Narvari scratched her head. She had totally forgotten about that.
Chapter 27: What the Hell Just Happened? The sweet scent of roses, daisies, lavender, and dozens of other flowers permeated the air. There were no buildings here, only walls of green hedges and trees. An entrance made of vines stood between the hedges. The word Rahsun, written in a stylish font, dangled above the entrance. Narvari felt as though she would be scooped into a magical trance if she watched the letters of Rahsun for too long. ¡°What is this place?¡± ¡°My favorite place in the school,¡± Pheera said. She entered whatever Rahsun was and Narvari followed. ¡°Wow.¡± Narvari¡¯s eyes bulged as they took in the sight of strange but beautiful trees with pink leaves and purple fruits. It blended seamlessly with the green hedges and flowers of all kinds of colors. In the distance, a blue lake glistened. ¡°This is amazing.¡± ¡°I know. That¡¯s why it¡¯s my favorite.¡± A deep sense of calm settled over Narvari as she watched the breathtaking scene before her. She glanced quietly at her companion and her breathing quickened upon witnessing the warmth that radiated from Pheera¡¯s eyes. She needed to keep it together, thought Narvari. ¡°Let¡¯s sit over there.¡± Pheera pointed to a bench under the shade of one of those trees with pink leaves. When the two were comfortably seated, Narvari asked, ¡°What¡¯s Rahsun?¡± ¡°Who.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Narvari narrowed her eyes. ¡°Rahsun Draghein. The woman who designed this garden.¡± ¡°Draghein? As in Draghein School?¡± Pheera nodded. She paused. ¡°Have you heard of Agon?¡± ¡°Yes. The Central Domain?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Pheera said. ¡°The Draghein Family is one of the Dominant Families in Agon.¡± Dominant Families. Trixan mentioned that. According to the Elder, the Dominant Families came together to form the Ancient Order of Vanquishers. So Draghein School was created by the Draghein Family. Did that mean the same applied to the other eleven schools? ¡°What about Zoleris?¡± Pheera¡¯s smile disappeared. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I mean your family name is Zoleris, right?¡± Narvari shrugged. ¡°And Zoleris School is one of the Twelve Schools. So is it also one of the Dominant Families in Agon?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± whispered Pheera. Narvari was about to ask her next question when a chill suddenly ran down her spine. Goosebumps covered her arms and she shivered from the unnatural coldness. What the hell? She lurched to her feet, her eyes turning cold and wary as she carefully looked around. Pheera was the only one here with her so why the hell did it feel like someone was watching her? ¡°Narvari, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Pheera was instantly by her side. ¡°You¡¯re shaking.¡± ¡°I-I thought I heard something.¡± Narvari¡¯s gaze swept over the garden. Someone had been watching her. No, maliciously watching her. ¡°I think we¡¯re alone here.¡± Narvari stiffened when Pheera took her hands. ¡°No one comes here. Except for Trixan, I guess. I think it¡¯s her favorite place too.¡± Pheera smiled sweetly. Narvari gulped, completely transfixed by the girl before her. As she gazed into those fiery eyes of azure, Narvari felt like she was falling into a bottomless well?¡ª?a well from which she did not want to come out. Logic told her to stay far away from Pheera but the rest of her wanted to be close to Pheera for as long as she could. This girl was so beautiful¡­ so warm¡­ so captivating¡­ Wait, captivating. Captivation. Did Pheera captivate her? Was that why she was so drawn to the girl? Narvari looked at Pheera¡¯s hand on her arm. She quickly pulled away from Pheera.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± said Pheera. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to touch you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Narvari sat on the bench, looking at everything but Pheera. What just happened? ¡°Do you want us to go back? It¡¯s getting late anyway.¡± Panic filled Narvari¡¯s heart. She didn¡¯t want this to end. As much as she didn¡¯t want to admit it, she enjoyed Pheera¡¯s company. She just didn¡¯t like how her emotions were all over the place when she was around Pheera. Summoning the remnants of her courage, Narvari looked at Pheera. The girl looked unsure of herself and it made Narvari feel guilty for pulling away from her so abruptly. ¡°Can we stay here for a while?¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Pheera sat beside her but kept a reasonable distance between themselves. ¡°So what do you think?¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°Draghein School.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Narvari shrugged. Pheera raised a brow. ¡°Just okay?¡± ¡°Fine,¡± she chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°I know. Which is why you should join.¡± Narvari smiled. Maybe she should join. The more she learned about the school, the more she felt at home. Training to become a vanquisher was not that bad an idea. Trixan did mention that she could earn money when she became a professional vanquisher. Earning money while vanquishing malevolent demons sounded great. And she would¡­ Wait. What I want is to find my parents. I want to become a zoologist, not a vanquisher. Narvari¡¯s smile faded. She stared at Pheera in disbelief. ¡°Did she put you up to this?¡± For a moment Pheera said nothing but simply stared at Narvari in confusion. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Wow, this girl was good at pretending. ¡°Don¡¯t act dumb. I¡¯m talking about Trixan. She keeps talking about how this is my choice. Such bullshit.¡± ¡°Narvari-¡± ¡°No, Pheera. I told you never to pull that shit on me ever again.¡± Pheera opened her mouth, but no words came out. She shook her head as if she could not fathom what Narvari was talking about. ¡°What¡¯re you saying?¡± Narvari balled her fist. ¡°I think you know what I¡¯m saying. I¡¯m going to ask you one last time, Pheera. Did Trixan tell you to captivate me to stay?¡± Pheera clenched her jaws. The hurt in her eyes made Narvari want to pull her in a hug. But Narvari hardened her heart. Who knew if Pheera was manipulating her emotions like that? Was it possible that the girl had been toying with her feelings ever since they met? Was that why she was so attracted to Pheera? That could be the only explanation for the silly dances her heart made whenever she was close to her. Nothing else made sense but that. ¡°The only thing Trixan asked me to do was show you around and make you feel comfortable.¡± She didn¡¯t raise her voice, but Narvari could sense the anger in her words. ¡°I never captivated you. I merely asked you to stay because you seem so happy being here.¡± Narvari¡¯s rage faltered for a second. Had she been wrong about the whole thing? But Pheera had just touched her. And for some reason, she was now harboring thoughts of staying in Draghein School. At the same time, the girl sounded so sincere. But if Pheera had captivated her to do something against her will, would she have even known it? The last time Pheera captivated her to sleep, Narvari simply slept. She couldn¡¯t even control herself. If she was in control of her actions and thoughts, didn¡¯t that mean that she wasn¡¯t under any control? Shit. ¡°Pheera, I-¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. This is my fault.¡± ¡°Pheera¨C¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡± She sighed. ¡°I gave you a reason to mistrust me. I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have used my power on you in the first place. It was a violation. No one should be made to do anything against their will. I¡¯m really sorry about that. But I]promised you I¡¯d never do it again. And I have no intention of breaking that promise.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Narvari said. ¡°I guess I didn¡¯t want to admit that I like it here.¡± Pheera gave a small smile. ¡°You do?¡± Narvari nodded. ¡°Yes. But don¡¯t tell Trixan that. I can already see her knitting my uniform.¡± Pheera laughed. Hearing Pheera laugh once more made Narvari¡¯s heart swell with happiness. If Narvari had not seen Pheera actually fight, she would never have believed that such a gentle soul hunted demons for a living. How did someone like that end up as a vanquisher and more importantly why wasn¡¯t she in Zoleris School when she was a Zoleris? ¡°Can I ask you something?¡± Narvari asked. Pheera nodded. ¡°Why are you in Draghein School?¡± ¡°Well. I¡¯ve always wanted to be a vanquisher. Draghein School grants me the strength to be a better vanquisher.¡± ¡°I think you misunderstood my question,¡± said Narvari. ¡°I meant why are you in this particular school? Why are you and Zemeron in Draghein School and not in Zoleris School? I mean, you¡¯re both Zoleris, right?¡± With each word Narvari uttered, the light dimmed in Pheera¡¯s eyes and a cloud of anger appeared. It scared Narvari a little, though it was nothing like she had experienced from Trixan. Pheera stood up. Her voice was sharp and cold. ¡°I should go.¡± Before Narvari could stop her, Pheera¡¯s white and blue sacros appeared around her. She dashed away with the speed of light leaving Narvari all by herself. Narvari sat in complete puzzlement. What the hell just happened? All she did was ask a simple question about Pheera¡¯s family. Why would she react like that? It was the first time she had seen her so angry and she didn¡¯t like it at all. Narvari wished she knew what she had done to cause that anger. Sighing, Narvari stood up. It seemed she would have to continue this tour by herself. How hard could it be anyway? Chapter 28: The Man in the Woods
¡°Shit. I¡¯m lost.¡± Narvari rubbed her forehead as she thought about how this was harder than she had expected. She had ventured farther into the garden only to realize that she was no longer in a garden but a freaking forest. Giant trees surrounded her from all angles. How the hell was all this in one school? Twigs snapped and birds chirped. A low howling sound came from the north. Narvari stopped. This place didn¡¯t have wild animals, did it? She listened carefully, her senses on high alert. No, it didn¡¯t sound like an animal. It was more like the whooshing of wind. She followed the sound. The further she got, the louder it became. It was like there was a helicopter waiting out somewhere, though she doubted a helicopter could land anywhere in this dense forest. Leaves blew all around Narvari per the will of the strong gale. She darted behind one of the large trees when she saw someone. Standing in the middle of the woods was a man naked from the waist up. A mighty gale encircled him, ready to tear him apart. Yet, he seemed completely calm and unshaken. He moved his strong arms slowly and fluidly, as though he was doing some kind of enchanting spiritual dance. When Narvari watched closely, she saw that the man¡¯s graceful movements were controlling the wind. Narvari would have never thought that a person with such bulky muscles could be this graceful. Then he stopped moving. He stood still as his sharp brown eyes gazed in Narvari¡¯s direction as if looking for someone. Narvari knew the man couldn¡¯t see him. The large tree concealed her body. ¡°Don¡¯t be shy,¡± he said. ¡°You can come out.¡± Narvari raised a brow. Was the man talking to her? She discreetly looked around her to see if he was referring to someone else but there was no one else around. ¡°I¡¯m talking to you, rookie.¡± He chuckled. When Narvari didn¡¯t come out, he continued, ¡°The tall dark-skinned girl with the brown eyes and cornrows wearing the black shirt and denim pants, hiding behind the tree like a little b¨C¡± ¡°Jesus Christ.¡± Narvari came into plain sight. ¡°Can you be even more descriptive?¡± How had he seen her anyway? For the first time, no longer entranced by the man¡¯s dance, Narvari studied him carefully. He looked like one of those new college graduates who spent a lot of time in a gym. He wasn¡¯t overly bulky like those on steroids or anything but he still had bulging muscles. She had a feeling he could probably smash a tree with a single punch. She could not tell the difference between people from Earth and Agon, but if this man were from Earth, then he was East Asian. Yet, his silver eyes and light purple hair tied in a ponytail screamed unearthly. Maybe he was wearing contact lenses. She almost assumed he had dyed his hair but then his eyebrows were the same light purple just like his hair. He grinned. ¡°I know. I¡¯m a real catch.¡±Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Actually, I just think you look¡­.¡± now how could she say this without being rude, ¡°¡­unusual.¡± But he was right. He was good-looking. He laughed heartily. ¡°And you look¡­ mundane.¡± He smiled widely, challenging Narvari to refute his statement. Narvari did not. She had to agree with whoever this man was. She stuck out like a sore thumb in this school. She didn¡¯t think she was ugly or anything. She was just plain compared to everyone else she had seen here. ¡°You¡¯re new, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I guess.¡± Narvari shrugged. ¡°You must be one of Trixan¡¯s special recruits.¡± ¡°Special recruit?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± he said. ¡°Trixan personally recruits and trains them. You are a lucky one.¡± The man chuckled. His bright attitude went directly against his very macho look. Okay, why was she judging this man like she knew him? ¡°I don¡¯t know about being a special recruit. I haven¡¯t even joined yet.¡± He nodded. ¡°Ah, forgive my manners. I¡¯m Servin Rahalan.¡± He gave Narvari a firm shake. His calloused palm felt like the scales of a prehistoric reptile. Not that she knew what the scale of a prehistoric reptile felt like. What kind of training did this man go through to get such rough hands? Servin stared at Narvari with an expectant smile. Narvari suddenly remembered that she had to introduce herself in return. Damn social norms. ¡°I¡¯m Narvari Shar.¡± ¡°A pleasure to meet you, Rookie.¡± Servin finally released Narvari¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s Narvari Shar.¡± ¡°I heard that, Rookie.¡± Servin grinned. Oh god, it¡¯s Yanvirrak 2.0. ¡°How did you know I was here anyway? You didn¡¯t see me, did you?¡± She was sure the man had not seen her. ¡°I didn¡¯t. I merely sensed your presence with elema.¡± Narvari blinked rapidly. ¡°What now?¡± A sly smile appeared at the corner of Servin¡¯s lips. ¡°I knew you were a rookie.¡± Jesus. ¡°At least tell me you know what sacros is,¡± said Servin. ¡°I know what sacros is.¡± ¡°You have a sense of humor,¡± Servin smirked. ¡°Like sacros, elema is also a form of sacred energy but a lot more powerful than sacros. It exists in the form of a unique element. As you can see, mine is wind.¡± Servin moved his hands forward in one fluid movement. The wind gathered around his hands like a vortex. ¡°I call it Hurricane.¡± ¡°Very cool. You sensed me with that?¡± ¡°I did, Rookie.¡± ¡°Can I use it too?¡± ¡°What? Elema?¡± When Narvari nodded in the affirmative, he broke into hysterical laughter like he had the greatest joke of all time. ¡°First things first, Rookie. You need to train and master your sacros first. Then maybe someday, after even more training, when you¡¯re not dead yet, you might awaken your elema. But don¡¯t worry, you have a great teacher.¡± ¡°Trixan?¡± Servin nodded. ¡°She knows her stuff. You¡¯ll see.¡± Everyone thought so highly of Trixan. They talked about her with so much reverence¡­ ¡°Are you one of her students?¡± ¡°I am not,¡± he said. ¡°I trained in a different school but I transferred here as a professional vanquisher about fifteen or sixteen years ago. I don¡¯t remember. Maybe seventeen years ago.¡± ¡°Seventeen years ago?¡± Jesus. How old were these people? And why the hell did they all look so young? ¡°You are too easily impressed, Rookie.¡± Servin laughed. ¡°Well then, I need to get back to training. These muscles don¡¯t build themselves.¡± Servin flexed the muscles on his chest. Narvari shook her head but her smile never faded. ¡°My doors, are always open, Rookie. If you need any training advice, you can come to me as long as I¡¯m around, alright?¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± said Narvari, not quite understanding what was happening. It was odd how she barely knew the man and yet he spoke to her with so much familiarity. She would assume all vanquishers were overly friendly, but then she remembered Zemeron and Azmel who were both colder than Pluto. So maybe it was just Servin. Speaking of remembrance, she suddenly remembered she had a bed. She was too exhausted from all the walking around in the school and wanted nothing but to fall into the softness of her blanket.
Chapter 29: Only a Rookie With Servin¡¯s direction, Narvari finally found her way back to the Rookie Quarters. By then, it was late in the afternoon and the sun was getting ready to retire. When she returned to her room, there was someone already waiting for her inside. ¡°What the hell.¡± Narvari glared at Yanvirrak relaxing in her bed without a care in the world. At least, he had the sense to take off his shoes. ¡°How did you get in here?¡± ¡°I used the door.¡± He said it slowly like he was explaining it to a two-year-old. ¡°I brought you lunch.¡± He pointed to the tray of food on the table. ¡°Thanks.¡± Narvari paused, waiting for the boy to leave. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± Yanvirrak jumped out of the bed, sauntering towards Narvari. He glared at her. ¡°What?¡± She returned the glare. ¡°What the fuck did you do, Shar?¡± Narvari raised a brow. ¡°You need to speak plainly, Hames.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Hanes.¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± He shoved his hands into the pockets of his blue jeans. His jawline stiffened. ¡°Tell me what you did to Pheera.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what?¡± The girl had just disappeared when she asked her a simple question. What exactly could she have done to her? ¡°What did she say to you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the problem, Shar. She isn¡¯t talking to me. She isn¡¯t talking to anyone.¡± Narvari shrugged. ¡°What has that got to do with me? Maybe she just wants to be alone.¡± ¡°No one wants to be alone.¡± ¡°I take it there are no introverts in the Central Domain.¡± ¡°Narvari, this is not a joke. Pheera¡¯s recovery has been going well for some time now so I know you did something to make her go back into her shell.¡± Yanvirrak looked genuinely angry. Maybe this was indeed serious. ¡°Look,¡± said Narvari, ¡°I am as clueless as you are. Pheera just got mad at me for no reason and left me all by myself. I don¡¯t know if I said something she didn¡¯t like. She wouldn¡¯t tell me anything so how am I supposed to know if I offended her?¡± Yanvirrak paused thoughtfully. Then he sighed. ¡°Did you ask her about her family?¡± ¡°I asked her why she was in Draghein School and not in Zoleris School.¡± ¡°You did what?¡± ¡°Okay, why are you making that face like I just strangled a baby to death?¡± ¡°Narvari.¡± Yanvirrak clasped his hands. ¡°Never ask Pheera about her family. Don¡¯t do that. Ever.¡± ¡°Why not? I only wanted to know more about her. I never meant any harm.¡± Yanvirrak¡¯s face softened. ¡°I get it. But for everyone¡¯s sake, please don¡¯t. Okay?¡± ¡°At least can you tell me why?¡± Yanvirrak hesitated. ¡°Look, all I can say is that Pheera wasn¡¯t exactly in the best shape emotionally and mentally when she first came here. When she and her brother arrived, Trixan called me in private and told me never to talk to Pheera about her family or so much as mention the word Zoleris around her. I¡¯m sure the other vanquishers had the same warning.¡± Wow. That was extreme, Narvari thought. What could have possibly happened between Pheera and her family that Trixan would demand something like that from the vanquishers? ¡°It¡¯s been months now and she¡¯s doing a lot better than ever,¡± Yanvirrak said. ¡°Until now.¡± ¡°And it¡¯s all my fault.¡± Narvari¡¯s stomach twisted in guilt. Not only had she falsely accused the girl of using her power on her, but she had also triggered a deep-seated trauma from Pheera¡¯s past. She had noticed Pheera¡¯s change in mood when she asked about the Zoleris Family. Why did she ignore that? ¡°I¡¯m so stupid.¡± ¡°I mean, I¡¯d like to agree,¡± said Yanvirrak. ¡°But It¡¯s not your fault. Trixan probably forgot to warn you because of how well Pheera¡¯s recovery has been going.¡± ¡°Was her family abusive?¡± Yanvirrak slumped into a chair. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know. But I won¡¯t be surprised if they did some really shitty things to her. The Zoleris Family doesn¡¯t exactly have a good reputation in Agon.¡± He rubbed the dark stubble on his chin with his right hand. The hand looked robotic because of its shiny metallic surface. Other than that, it was indistinguishable from an actual hand given how incredibly flexible it was. Yanvirrak¡¯s words interrupted her thoughts about robotic hands. ¡°Whatever they did to Pheera, she doesn¡¯t deserve it. She¡¯s the kindest and most thoughtful person I know. Probably the only good Zoleris out there if you ask me.¡±The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Narvari surrendered into her bed. ¡°And she never told you what happened to her?¡± ¡°No. She only recently started warming up to me a few weeks ago and we¡¯ve been training together for months now. It honestly shocks me that she feels so comfortable around you.¡± Yanvirrak chuckled. Then more seriously, he added, ¡°I strongly recommend you never talk to her about her family. Not unless she brings it up herself.¡± Narvari nodded. She didn¡¯t want to be the reason Pheera relived her traumatic past. She stared at the ceiling in silence. Would Pheera ever speak to her again? Maybe she no longer felt safe around her anymore. She hoped Pheera didn¡¯t feel that way. ¡°Hey, Narvari.¡± Narvari glanced at him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he said. ¡°She¡¯s going to come around. Although I think she will be keeping to herself for a while.¡± ¡°When she talks to you can you tell her I¡¯m sorry?¡± Yanvirrak nodded. A comfortable silence settled between them until Yanvirrak said, ¡°I¡¯m also really sorry.¡± She raised a brow. ¡°What for?¡± ¡°About your family. Your people. They didn¡¯t deserve what happened to them.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Narvari smiled sadly. ¡°You know, I didn¡¯t get to thank you for saving them either. You¡¯re the reason so many survived.¡± Yanvirrak shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m a vanquisher. I was just doing my job.¡± ¡°Is that something you¡¯ve always wanted to do?¡± ¡°Well, not exactly.¡± He laughed. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to be a chef.¡± ¡°A chef?¡± Narvari gaped. ¡°You? Oh my god. I can¡¯t just imagine you in an apron.¡± ¡°Oh, you should have seen little me in an apron. I was amazing.¡± They both laughed. ¡°So what changed?¡± asked Narvari. ¡°Why are you a vanquisher instead?¡± ¡°Hellstorm happened.¡± He shrugged like it was the most obvious thing in the world. ¡°From a young age, I heard so many great things about him and I wanted to be just like him. But I didn¡¯t think that was possible. No one had awakened in my family for generations. So I gave up that dream and focused on my next best love¡­ cooking. And then I awakened, and everything changed.¡± ¡°Okay, what the hell is a Hellstorm?¡± Yanvirrak chuckled. ¡°Former Elder of Draghein School. He died before I was even born but his legend still leaves on. Many say he was the greatest vanquisher of his time.¡± ¡°And his real name was Hellstorm?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what everyone called him. He¡¯s the reason I agreed to be recruited by Trixan.¡± ¡°Trixan recruited you?¡± A special recruit, whatever that meant. ¡°Yeah. I was supposed to enroll at another school when I awakened vaz. But then once the woman trained by Hellstorm himself showed up at my house, I knew Draghein School was my destiny. They say our school is no longer what it used to be anymore but I honestly don¡¯t care. I love this place, and Trixan is a great teacher, you know.¡± Yanvirrak smiled proudly. Narvari nodded. It always came back to how great Trixan was, didn¡¯t it? ¡°For now, my goal is to become a class one vanquisher like Trixan.¡± ¡°Wait, there are classes of vanquishers?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s from class one to five. Pheera and I are both class five while Azmel is class four.¡± ¡°And what is this classification based on?¡± ¡°Everything,¡± said Yanvirrak. ¡°From the overall strength of the vanquisher to the order of their vaz. Demons are really strong. So we vanquishers need to be stronger. The stronger you become, the easier you can vanquish more powerful demons.¡± Narvari nodded. That made sense. She still didn¡¯t understand what the ¡®order of vaz¡¯ or ¡®order of a demon¡¯ really meant. But learning about everything in one day was not a good idea either. She was hearing so many new things it was simply driving her crazy. But if there was one thing she had taken from all this, it was that she couldn¡¯t sit back and do nothing when demons could easily invade Sharmandi again. Now that she had the means to vanquish those demons, she would have to become stronger to protect her loved ones from any demon out there no matter how strong they were. Narvari said, ¡°You saw me fight the wraith lord, right?¡± Yanvirrak nodded. ¡°It was intense.¡± ¡°So what class do you think I fall in?¡± Yanvirrak grinned. ¡°Shar, you are still a rookie.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Narvari rolled her eyes. ¡°No, seriously. You haven¡¯t even learned the basics yet. If that wraith lord¡¯s order had been higher than your savaz, he would have definitely killed you. Trust me. You got lucky.¡± Wow. Everyone just kept shitting on her training. Point taken. But Yanvirrak was right. If Narvari were to face stronger demons and Vessels, she would need to train a lot, and obviously, she would need to be trained by the best. From everything she had heard, Trixan was the strongest in the school. Trixan said she could take as much time as she needed to think about her decision. Well, now she had made up her mind. She would stay here in Draghein School and train to become a vanquisher. It was the only way she could protect her loved ones so that what happened to Anana, Jimbaga, and everyone else, would not happen again. Yanvirrak balled his robotic-looking hand. He flexed it continuously. ¡°No, I don¡¯t have a robotic hand,¡± Yanvirrak suddenly said. ¡°Huh?¡± Narvari raised a brow. ¡°You¡¯re wondering, aren¡¯t you? Everyone does.¡± Yanvirrak wiggled his fingers as if to prove that they were actually real. ¡°It¡¯s just a glove. I chose this type because it looks so cool. It¡¯s not even made of metal.¡± It¡¯s not? Narvari¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Why do you wear it on only one hand?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a fashion statement.¡± ¡°And what kind of fashion statement is that?¡± Yanvirrak smirked. ¡°You ask a lot of questions.¡± ¡°Yes. Sometimes I wonder if that¡¯s what drove my father away.¡± The smirk wiped from Yanvirrak¡¯s face. ¡°What?¡± Narvari could no longer hide her amusement. She laughed. ¡°That was a joke.¡± Yanvirrak chuckled. ¡°You should stay. You¡¯ll fit right in.¡± ¡°What? Everyone here has a good sense of humor with impeccable looks like me?¡± ¡°I was going to say everyone here is weird. But I guess I have impeccable looks now that I think about it.¡± A knowing smile widened on Yanvirrak¡¯s face. ¡°If you choose to stay, I wish you good luck in advance in your training.¡± Narvari narrowed her eyes. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯ll see.¡± Yanvirrak grinned mischievously. Chapter 30: First Day of Training Three days after Narvari told Trixan she would stay in Draghein School, she waited in one of the large classrooms of the Academy for her first lesson. A few minutes later, Trixan showed up in a gray tank top with a pair of gym trousers, just like Narvari. ¡°What are we doing today?¡± Narvari looked around, wondering if other rookies would join the class. She doubted it. ¡°Your first lesson as a rookie,¡± Trixan said, ¡°is to master your sacros.¡± Narvar¡¯s hand enthusiastically shot up. ¡°You need not raise your hand to ask a question, my dear.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± She dropped her hand. ¡°What about elema?¡± If she were to become stronger as soon as possible, didn¡¯t it make more sense to learn elema, the more powerful form of sacred energy? ¡°How do you know about elema, my dear?¡± ¡°Some muscular guy with purple hair told me about it. I think his name was Seven or something. Maybe Eleven. Yes, definitely Eleven.¡± I should call him that. That would teach him to stop calling me Rookie. Trixan smiled. ¡°You¡¯ve met Servin Rahalan.¡± In a firmer tone, she said, ¡°You should not concern yourself with elema or anything other than sacros for now. Learning is a process. You need to take the first step before moving to the next. Do not use shortcuts, my dear. That is a sure way to disaster.¡± Narvari sighed. ¡°Alright. How do I master my sacros?¡± ¡°Easy, All you need to do is wield your sacros for as long as possible.¡± ¡°And how long is possible?¡± ¡°That¡¯s entirely up to you, my dear. Now show me your sacros.¡± Narvari hesitated, a little confused by Trixan¡¯s sudden instruction. ¡°Go on, my dear. Release your first form of sacred energy.¡± Well, she knew how to summon her sacros. All she had to do was summon Ushama. Instantly, black and red flames shrouded Narvari¡¯s entire body. The warmth around her was like another set of skin. Narvari stared at her hands ablaze with the black and red flame. Her sacros disappeared while her savaz appeared in each hand. Narvari tightened her grip against the smooth metallic surface. She lifted the savaz to her eye level. Grinning at Trixan, she asked, ¡°So what do you think?¡± Trixan¡¯s expression was unreadable. Narvari couldn¡¯t tell if the woman was impressed or not. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to gear up.¡± Narvari¡¯s smile froze. ¡°Gear up?¡± ¡°It means to summon your vaz. That¡¯s not what I asked you to do.¡± Trixan folded her arms. ¡°I only asked you to wield your sacros. Do not gear up.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Narvari¡¯s savaz vanished. How the hell was she supposed to simply release her sacros without her savaz appearing afterward? Perhaps seeing her confusion, Trixan moved closer to Narvari instructing her to close her eyes. Narvari followed the instructions. ¡°Focus on summoning only your sacros,¡± she said. ¡°Empty your mind and feel the energy flowing inside you.¡± Narvari followed the sound of Trixan¡¯s soothing voice. She stilled the chaos in her mind, thinking of nothing but the so-called energy within her. Then a warm spark lit inside her core. The more she focused, the bigger the flame became until her soul was a mighty inferno surging within her. It intoxicated her with power, consuming her from the crown of her head to the soles of her feet. Her sacred energy coursed through her soul like an ocean of fire. ¡°Now grab on to the energy inside you and release it.¡± She lurched onto the warmth and the fiery ocean inside her gushed out of her body like a tsunami. She gaped at the sheer magnitude and intensity of her sacros. It was larger than before. Usually, her sacros would transform into savaz after a few seconds. This time, however, it did not. She theorized it had something to do with her not summoning Ushama. With her body flooded by sacred energy, her bones and muscles felt stronger. It made her feel like she could easily punch through steel or carry a blue whale with one hand. Impressed with herself, she glanced at Trixan with a grin. But the Elder¡¯s attention was on that watch-like device the vanquishers called xuul. ¡°How do you feel?¡± Trixan asked once Narvari got her attention. ¡°Powerful.¡± She tightened her grip on her fists, exposing the well-defined muscles in her arms. ¡°It¡¯s like I can do anything.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, my dear. Sacros doesn¡¯t only power up our savaz. It amplifies our strength to even our odds against demons.¡± Trixan paused. ¡°You¡¯ve achieved partial union.¡± Narvari narrowed her eyes. Partial union. Ushama mentioned it. ¡°How did you know about that?¡± ¡°You can summon your savaz without saying their name. But you cannot wield both your sacros and savaz at the same.¡± Narvari¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°That¡¯s possible?¡± Every time her savaz appeared, her sacros disappeared. The same thing had happened to Azmel, Pheera, and Yanvirrak so she had assumed that was the norm. Trixan nodded. ¡°It is possible, my dear. But only if you¡¯ve achieved full union.¡± ¡°Full union?¡± Why hadn¡¯t she thought about that? If there was a partial union, then it made sense there was a full union. But she wasn¡¯t even sure what partial union was, so how could she know about full union? Narvari had always been a fast learner. But there were simply too many things to learn in this school. ¡°It¡¯s nothing you should worry about, my dear. Most vanquishers go their entire lifetimes without coming close to achieving partial union, let alone full union. I would not have mentioned it if you had not achieved partial union.¡± Narvari¡¯s breath grew ragged as if she was drowning. Her body shook as the profound strength slowly dissipated. ¡°Can you feel it now, my dear? The fatigue? The energy drain?¡± Narvari¡¯s trembling intensified like her bones were being forcefully ripped from her body. She screamed and caved to her knees while her sacros continued to burn around her. She dug her fingers into the stone cold hard floor, her teeth chattering. This had to stop. She couldn¡¯t take it anymore. The fire within her snuffed out completely and with that went her sacros. She fell on her back, wheezing like an asthmatic tiger. Her entire body refused to move. It was like she had been trapped in ice. ¡°Not bad.¡± Trixan finally took her eyes off her xuul. ¡°You lasted a whole fifty-six seconds.¡± ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Narvari sat up when the paralysis disappeared. ¡°That was even worse than when I fought Stein.¡±Stolen novel; please report. ¡°You fought Hubert Stein with savaz which only uses about half your sacros,¡± the Elder said. ¡°Wielding only your sacros drains you quicker, my dear. But the more you train, the stronger you get and the less likely you are at exhausting your sacred energy.¡± Navari¡¯s hands had stopped trembling, but they were still numb. Her entire life had flashed before her eyes and all she had done was wield her sacros for less than a minute. Damn. A thought struck Narvari and she suddenly looked up at Trixan. ¡°How long can you wield your sacros?¡± Trixan smiled. ¡°Do you really want to know, my dear?¡± ¡°Of course I do.¡± Narvari scrambled to her feet. ¡°I need a goal to aspire to. I need to know what¡¯s possible.¡± ¡°You need to make your path, my dear. Do not follow others blindly.¡± ¡°I guess you¡¯re right.¡± Narvari nodded. ¡°So how long can you wield your sacros?¡± ¡°You are a stubborn one, my dear.¡± Trixan chuckled. ¡°Forever.¡± ¡°Stubborn forever is my thing.¡± Narvari smirked. The Elder laughed. ¡°My dear, I¡¯m saying that I can wield my sacros permanently. Forever.¡± ¡°What?¡± Narvari¡¯s jaw dropped. There was no way in hell anyone could wield their sacros permanently. She did it for barely a minute and she almost died. Narvari gaped at Trixan in disbelief. She could not see any sacros around Trixan. Was the woman making this up? No. She didn¡¯t think so. This woman was the Elder after all and everyone Narvari had spoken to in Draghein school would not shut up about how powerful she was. ¡°How is that even possible?¡± Narvari asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t last for a minute.¡± ¡°It takes a lot of training, my dear. Thankfully, I had a great teacher to guide me.¡± ¡°Hellstorm, right?¡± Trixan subtly narrowed her eyes, as if she had not expected Narvari to know about that. But then she sighed and nodded. ¡°Mastering your sacros is very important, my dear. You can¡¯t be a professional vanquisher until you can continuously wield your sacros for at least an hour. If you¡¯re not a professional, go can¡¯t go on missions..¡± Narvari paled. ¡°I have to wield my sacros continuously for a whole hour?¡± She wants to kill me. ¡°Yes, my dear,¡± said Trixan, with an innocent smile. ¡°Using your sacros recklessly during a fight can kill you even before the demon does. But if you train yourself to hold it for at least one hour, that will be enough to fight strong demons for long periods without going into a coma.¡± She knew Trixan was referring to that fight she had with the wraith lord. Fighting Stein had also taken a great toll on her body and mind. She sighed. So this was why everyone kept calling her untrained. It was a good thing she was no stranger to extreme training. It would be difficult in the beginning, however, the more she did it, the easier it would get. She had hoped to follow Trixan¡¯s example and aspire to her level. But damn. The woman was a freaking monster. Maybe she had to start with a smaller goal first. She would start by reaching a goal of one hour. Wait. If she had to hold her sacros for an hour before she could go on missions did that mean Pheera and Yanvirrak had already reached that goal? Curious about this, Narvari asked the Elder. ¡°Actually, my dear, Yanvirrak can wield his sacros for twenty-one hours nonstop while Pheera can do so for sixteen hours.¡± ¡°What. The. Hell.¡± Narvari¡¯s soul left her body. Maybe if she had not tried it, she would never have understood the full implication of Trixan¡¯s words. But she had done it and only lasted for fifty-six seconds. Had she mentioned that she almost died? ¡°I almost died,¡± she whispered. ¡°Do not be disheartened, my dear. Those two have more talent than the average vanquisher. Yanvirrak has been training for three years now while Pheera only began training three months ago. It takes a lot of work, Narvari and I believe you¡¯ll get there as long as you commit to it. You have a lot of potential.¡± No pressure at all. She might not catch up with Trixan now but she definitely had to keep up with Pheera and Yanvirrak. Her savaz may be of higher order, but she was certain those two had better endurance than she in terms of combat. She had seen them fight. They were like an army of warrior gods. Now it all made sense why Servin insisted on calling her Rookie. Narvari had only been able to vanquish that wraith lord because she had taken the demon by surprise with her sudden awakening. She was also lucky that the order of her savaz was high enough to vanquish the demon. That might not work in future situations. If she did not improve her stamina by training her sacros, she might just drop dead in the middle of a fight from extreme exhaustion. This was not speculation. She had already experienced it twice. Knowing that there were evil beings like demons and Vessels roaming the earth, Narvari had no choice but to become stronger. ¡°Now start over,¡± said Trixan. ¡°This is our only lesson for the day.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Narvari released her sacros. ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡± Soon, she dropped to the ground in exhaustion. But every time she was rested for a while, Trixan would ask her to get back to work. That went on for what felt like an eternity until she finally was completely paralyzed by agonizing fatigue. No amount of chastisement or encouragement her brain gave to her body worked. She sweated profusely as she panted. Was this what death felt like? Trixan looked at her xuul and raised a brow. A small smile widened at the corner of her lips. ¡°Amazing, my dear. You broke your record by leaps and bounds.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Narvari¡¯s eyes lit up. She sat up, completely forgetting the excruciating pain torturing her body. ¡°Of course, my dear. You lasted fifty-nine seconds this time.¡± Narvari froze. If her face were an emoji, it would look like the one with the dashes for eyes and mouth. ¡°You do not look impressed.¡± ¡°I only lasted for two more seconds. There¡¯s nothing impressive about that.¡± Trixan paused. It seemed she was garnering her thoughts to give a lecture. ¡°When I first began training my sacros, I only lasted for eight seconds. Then I trained day and night for a whole week, and do you know how long I could wield it, my dear?¡± ¡°Um¡­ forever?¡± Trixan laughed. ¡°Eleven seconds. After a week of rigorous training, I raised my time from eight to eleven seconds.¡± Narvari gaped. ¡°You¡¯re joking, right?¡± ¡°I am not, my dear. It took me about six months to do it for an hour. For many, it can take years.¡± Narvari¡¯s heart sank. ¡°Are you serious?¡± But when she searched Trixan¡¯s green eyes, there was no hint of a joke there. How long did Trixan have to train then just to be able to wield her sacros permanently? Or better still, what kind of training did the woman endure? Compared to Pheera and Yanvirrak, Trixan¡¯s progress seemed painfully slow. Narvari could not possibly imagine what the woman had endured. Her muscles hurt just thinking about it. Trixan came closer to Narvari and gently touched her shoulder. The sternness she had in her eyes while they trained was gone and replaced by the usual motherly fondness Narvari had grown accustomed to. ¡°My dear, you have no idea what potential you have. I¡¯m not going to let it go to waste. Take it from me, it doesn¡¯t matter how fast or slow your progress is, as long as you commit to your training, you are bound to achieve great things.¡± Trixan double-tapped Narvari on the shoulder. ¡°Now go freshen up. We are done for today. We¡¯ll continue tomorrow.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it? No sacred combat?¡± ¡°Patience, my dear. We¡¯ll only start practicing sacred combat once you can wield your sacros for thirty minutes. In the meantime, keep training your sacros every day. Do it every morning and evening. ¡± Flashing Narvari a kind smile, Trixan turned to walk away. ¡°Wait, Trixan.¡± The Elder spun around. ¡°Can you tell me more about this full union thing?¡± ¡°I told you not to worry about it, my dear¡± ¡°But I want to understand what it means to have a partial union. Ushama said my awakening was so powerful that it triggered partial union. He says the reason we can communicate is because of our partial union. But he doesn¡¯t understand a lot of things yet. I don¡¯t know how else to learn about these things.¡± ¡°Ushama?¡± said Trixan with a raised brow. ¡°Is that the name of your vaz?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Well, Ushama was right. To achieve full union is to become one with your vaz and sacred energy. That happens either through training or through the most extreme emotions. I think your case was the latter. I¡¯m not completely sure, but I strongly believe that the rage and pain of having your home attacked triggered your awakening and partial union state.¡± She paused thoughtfully. ¡°But it seems your emotions weren¡¯t extreme enough to achieve full union.¡± Narvari lowered her head. ¡°My dear, I¡¯m not saying that what you experienced was not traumatic enough.¡± Trixan rested a hand on Narvari¡¯s shoulder. ¡°What happened to you was a tragedy and I¡¯m really sorry.¡± Narvari nodded. ¡°I know. I just¨CI just miss them so much, you know.¡± A lump grew in Narvari¡¯s throat. ¡°I lost my whole family.¡± She tightened her jaws. ¡°First my father abandoned me, and now the only family I have is gone. I¡¯m all alone, Trixan.¡± Trixan pulled Narvari into her embrace. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my dear. I¡¯m truly sorry for your loss. But you¡¯re not alone.¡± Trixan rubbed her back. ¡°You have me and everyone in Draghein School.¡± She could no longer hold back her tears. Gosh, she was such a baby. She had already mourned Anana and Jimbaga so why was she still crying about this? Narvari pulled back. ¡°Thank you.¡± She wiped her tears, avoiding Trixan¡¯s eyes. This was so embarrassing. Say something. Anything. ¡°I¡¯m going to find my father. It¡¯s the only way I can honor my grandmother¡¯s wish.¡± This wasn¡¯t only about Anana. Narvari wanted more than anything to learn more about her mother. Only her father could tell her about it. Trixan nodded. ¡°Would you like some help then?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Do you want me to help you find your father?¡± ¡°I appreciate that. But I feel like I should do this on my own.¡± She paused. ¡°Besides, you¡¯re already helping me with Erasmus Shar.¡± She would simply be imposing if she put all her family problems on Trixan. ¡°I understand, my dear. Just know that you can always come to me for anything. Everyone in Draghein School is my responsibility. My family. That includes you, my dear. You are one of us now. Never forget that, alright?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Narvari nodded. ¡°Thank you, Trixan.¡± Chapter 31: A New Mission
Four days passed and Narvari¡¯s sacros training went on without any incident. Well, except for all the times she had to faint from exhaustion and agony. That, however, was the least of her problems. Something else bothered her immensely. Pheera. Narvari was certain that Pheera didn¡¯t want to talk to her anymore. A week had passed since the tour but she had not seen Pheera again. As much as she tried not to think about it, it was all she ever thought about. Sometimes, she even caught herself getting distracted during training. Narvari consoled herself that perhaps Pheera was busy. To be fair, she hardly ever saw Yanvirrak either. Maybe they had gone on a mission. They weren¡¯t in the same quarters so she wouldn¡¯t know about that. She had to focus on her training if she was to start her missions anyway. So just as Trixan instructed, Narvari would wake up every morning at 5:30 am to train her sacros for the next hour. Before bed, she trained her sacros again until her limbs completely refused to go on. It was a hellish experience but she forced herself to endure it. Her best time was still fifty-nine seconds. That was fine. As long as she practiced she would get better. She had to reach her goal?¡ª?within two weeks she should be able to wield her sacros for at least thirty minutes. One morning, while preparing to go to class, there was a knock on the door. Narvari bolted to the door expecting to see a pair of stunning blue eyes. She raised a brow when a pair of light brown eyes met hers instead. She sighed in complete disappointment. Why would Pheera come looking for her anyway? Perhaps, Narvari should have taken the initiative to find her first. ¡°Did you hear me?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Narvari suddenly remembered she had a visitor. Who was this guy anyway? She could tell he was a junior vanquisher because of his uniform but she had never seen him before. ¡°Trixan wants you to know that your class will be in her office today.¡± ¡°Oh. Sure. Thanks.¡± And now all Narvari could think about was what she would be learning in class today.
Narvari halted in her tracks. Just outside the Academy, on the stairs, stood Pheera and Yanvirrak. Narvari¡¯s chest soared. How she had missed her. She changed her hair. She loved Pheera¡¯s white hair, but black hair suited her too. She was sure anything would look good on Pheera. Just look at how perfect she looked in that uniform. Wait? What¡¯s that uniform? Yanvirrak also wore the same blue and white uniform, making him look like a high-school freshman. Narvari had never seen any vanquisher in a uniform like that. Or maybe, she could just go and ask them about it. The thought however stopped her in her tracks. What if Pheera was still mad at her and didn¡¯t want to talk to her? What if seeing Narvari would only make Pheera relive her trauma? What if Pheera¡­ ¡°My god, Narvari Shar, go talk to the girl.¡± Jesus Christ. Narvari almost lost her balance. Ushama, what the hell is wrong with you? You can¡¯t just pop up in my head and startle the shit out of me. ¡°I live inside your head.¡± She rolled her eyes. Yes. And apparently, you only come out when it¡¯s convenient. Ushama laughed. ¡°So that¡¯s the girl, huh?¡±If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. What does that even mean? Narvari narrowed her eyes. ¡°Well, Narvari Shar. I hear things, you know. Like your thoughts.¡± I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. Her face reddened as it suddenly dawned on her that Ushama had been hearing all her thoughts about Pheera. ¡°Yes, I have. So are you scared to talk to her or what?¡± I¡¯m not scared of anyone. ¡°Then why are you still here?¡± Okay, her savaz was clearly mocking her. You know what, Ushama, I¡¯m going to talk to an actual person. ¡°Bye-bye.¡± Narvari could imagine her savaz as a boy waving at her with a mischievous smile. Taking in a deep breath, she jogged toward Pheera and Yanvirrak. Yanvirrak waved animatedly as soon as he saw her. ¡°Hey, Shar.¡± ¡°Hey.¡± Pheera slowly turned, her gaze falling on Narvari. Narvari froze, completely caught off guard by Pheera¡¯s new look. Not only was her hair jet black now, but her blue eyes were now as dark as coffee. They held the same intensity as before and Narvari could not help but get lost in them. Narvari cleared her throat awkwardly when she realized that she was staring like an idiot. ¡°Hi. How have you been?¡± Pheera said nothing, but the softness in her eyes encouraged Narvari to go on. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about last time. I never meant to hurt you.¡± Silence. Narvari pressed her lips together and then glanced at Yanvirrak. But he simply shrugged as if to say, ¡®Nothing I can do, pal.¡¯ Narvari sighed. ¡°I should get going. I have class.¡± She tried. Just as she turned around to walk away, a hand slid around her sleeveless arm. From the way Narvari¡¯s body responded, as though she had been zapped by electricity, she knew this touch could only be Pheera¡¯s. She stopped instantly, her eyes glued to the smooth ebony hand around her bicep. She gazed at Pheera not completely sure of the expression in her eyes. But whatever it was, it made Narvari¡¯s heart beat faster. Pheera suddenly pulled her hand away and nervously ran her finger through her hair. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I know you don¡¯t like it when I touch you. I just¡­ I don¡¯t know what came over me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t mind.¡± Narvari smiled. ¡°But are we okay, Pheera?¡± She hated how desperate she sounded but what the hell, she couldn¡¯t just let this keep going on. ¡°It was never my intention to offend you. I won¡¯t talk about your family. Just don¡¯t avoid me.¡± Pheera smiled. ¡°I wasn¡¯t avoiding you, Narvari. I promise.¡± ¡°You weren¡¯t?¡± Narvari paused, raising a brow. ¡°I thought you were mad at me.¡± ¡°I was mad.¡± Pheera nodded. ¡°But not at you. I just needed some space to think. That¡¯s all. I¡¯m sorry for making you believe otherwise.¡± Narvari nodded. She sighed in relief. It was strange how she could not stop thinking about whether she had offended Pheera. Usually, she couldn¡¯t care less about offending people with her words or actions. ¡°I like your new look.¡± She grinned. ¡°Are those contact lenses?¡± Pheera nodded. ¡°We¡¯re going undercover. We need to blend in.¡± ¡°Wow, undercover?¡± ¡°Yes, Shar. We¡¯re going on a secret mission. We¡¯ll take on new identities and act like?¡ª?¡± ¡°Hans, I know what undercover means.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Hanes.¡± Yanvirrak laughed. Oh, I know it¡¯s Hanes. ¡°What kind of mission is that?¡± Narvari ignored him. ¡°There¡¯s a high school serial killing in the city.¡± ¡°The city? You mean Johannesburg?¡± He nodded. ¡°The school authorities believe it¡¯s supernatural so we¡¯re going to look into it.¡± Narvari gaped. ¡°The school authorities called you? Are you saying people know about vanquishers?¡± ¡°Of course. The majority don¡¯t, obviously. But it would be weird that no one knows about the existence of demons and vanquishers when they¡¯ve lived among people for thousands of years.¡± ¡°When you put it like that.¡± Narvari nodded. ¡°So when will you be back?¡± Yanvirrak shrugged. ¡°Who knows? It¡¯s an undercover mission. These things could take several weeks or even months. Sometimes years.¡± ¡°Years?¡± She gazed at Pheera. ¡°I won¡¯t see you guys for that long?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it will take that long,¡± said Pheera. ¡°This is a lower-class mission. But if you want, I can give you my number so we can keep in touch.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Narvari¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Alright.¡± She fumbled through her pockets but then her face fell. ¡°Shit.¡± ¡°What?¡± She grinned at Pheera sheepishly. ¡°I lost my phone back home.¡± Yanvirrak said, ¡°Wow. Iconic.¡± ¡°Shut up, Ham.¡± Narvari chuckled. Narvari turned her attention to Pheera. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be here training. By the time you return, I¡¯ll be ready to go on missions just like you guys.¡± Pheera smiled. ¡°I look forward to it.¡± ¡°Maybe you can join our team,¡± said Yanvirrak. ¡°I can?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Ask Trixan.¡± Trixan. Narvari¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Holy shit, I have to go. Trixan is going to kill me.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound too bad,¡± said Yanvirrak, laughing. ¡°Very funny, Hades.¡± A familiar voice called out to Pheera and Yanvirrak. Narvari had to look carefully at the man in the square-rimmed glasses and black blazer before she recognized him as Azmel. Why does he look like a substitute teacher? Azmel beckoned to the two to follow him. ¡°Train hard, Narvari,¡± said Pheera, drawing back Narvari¡¯s attention. She rubbed Narvari¡¯s arm and for a moment Narvari stopped breathing. It was only after Yanvirrak and Pheera left her standing alone that she finally released her breath. She touched the very place Pheera had touched. She could still feel the softness of Pheera¡¯s fingers on her skin. She closed her eyes. God, I¡¯m losing my mind. ¡°I agree, Narvari Shar.¡± Narvari quickly opened her eyes. Ushama, I liked you better when you called me mistress. ¡°I think you like me just fine, Narvari Shar.¡± Was it her imagination or was her savaz becoming sassier? ¡°It¡¯s not your imagination. I¡¯m definitely becoming sassier.¡± She shook her head. Ignoring her vaz, she silently headed for class.
Chapter 32: Demonology 101
¡°I am so, so sorry,¡± Narvari said as soon as she entered Trixan¡¯s office. ¡°Something came up on my way here¨C¡±
¡°Was it Pheera?¡± Trixan cut her off. Narvari sat in shock. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You were speaking to Pheera, weren¡¯t you?¡± Trixan finally looked up from her book. Her green eyes were stern, like a mother scolding her child. Narvari gulped. Was Trixan spying on her? ¡°How did you know that?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t. But now I do.¡± This woman was crafty. ¡°My dear, training time is sacred. You should honor it.¡± Narvari nodded apologetically. ¡°I know. I know. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Her father was very strict about training too and would always urge Narvari to honor it. Trixan said, ¡°Well, at least you will focus now.¡± ¡°What does that even mean?¡± ¡°My dear, you seemed distracted lately and I could tell something was bothering you. It was about Pheera, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°How did you even know that?¡± Trixan smiled. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t stop asking me about how she was doing. Is everything okay between you two?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She nodded. ¡°I think so. I should never have asked her about her family.¡± Trixan sighed. ¡°I thought as much. I guess this is partly my fault. I should have warned you.¡± ¡°Yanvirrak did. What did her family do to her anyway?¡± ¡°That¡¯s hardly your business, Narvari Shar,¡± Trixan said sharply. She didn¡¯t raise her voice, but the sharpness in those words stabbed Narvari¡¯s skin like a dagger. ¡°Let¡¯s begin our class.¡± Narvari nodded in dejection. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Trixan¡¯s eyes softened. ¡°Take this advice from me, my dear. Stay away from the Zoleris Family, okay?¡± ¡°Are you telling me to stay away from Pheera?¡± She gripped the armrest of the chair. ¡°No. I¡¯m telling you to stay away from the Zoleris Family for your own good. That¡¯s exactly what Pheera did.¡± Pheera was staying away from her own family? But why? Was Zemeron also doing the same? She¡¯d seen the relationship between Pheera and Zemeron. They were very close and Zemeron was incredibly protective of his little sister. What could have pushed the siblings away from their family? Whatever it was, it was clear that Pheera was sensitive about it. It was best not to bring up the Zoleris Family again in their future conversation. ¡°Let¡¯s get started then.¡± Trixan walked towards the large TV on the wall. Narvari wheeled her closer. ¡°We¡¯re doing something different today,¡± said Trixan. ¡°We¡¯re going to learn about demons. After all, that¡¯s why you¡¯re training in the first place.¡± Trixan scribbled Demonology on the screen. ¡°Last time I told you where demons came from. Do you remember?¡± Narvari nodded. ¡°The Lower Domain. Bezvar.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Trixan nodded. ¡°Demons follow a strict code of hierarchy based on their order. Basically the higher a demon¡¯s order, the more powerful they are.¡± Trixan wrote out a string of odd numbers in a vertical line, beginning from the number one at the bottom to the number fifteen at the top. ¡°The order of demons begins from first-order to fifteenth-order, where first-order demons are the weakest,¡± she said. ¡°To give you an idea, wraith demons are first-order demons and they are controlled by a wraith lord who is a third-order demon.¡± Narvari¡¯s eyes widened. Those wraith demons were supposed to be the weakest kinds of demons? Then what kind of insanely powerful demons were fifteenth-order demons? Trixan continued. ¡°All demons, based on their order, are categorized into three groups.¡± Trixan drew a curly bracket between the numbers one and five. She wrote lesser demons next to the bracket. ¡°The first group made up of the least powerful demons are the lesser demons. These demons are first-order, third-order, and fifth-order.¡± ¡°Then the second group must be greater demons?¡±Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Trixan smiled, nodding. ¡°That¡¯s right, my dear.¡± She drew another curly bracket between seven and nine and wrote greater demons. ¡°Greater demons are seventh-order and ninth-order.¡± She drew a third curly bracket between the numbers eleven and fifteen. ¡°Can you guess what the third group of demons is?¡± ¡°Um¡­ greatest demons?¡± Trixan chuckled. ¡°Close enough. The third and most powerful group of demons are the royal demons.¡± ¡°Royal demons? Like they are of royal blood?¡± ¡°Exactly like that, my dear. This group is a whole monster on its own. I will delve into it shortly.¡± ¡°Can I ask a question?¡± ¡°Of course, my dear.¡± ¡°Does the order of savaz correspond to the order of demon they can vanquish?¡± ¡°Basically, yes. But if vanquishers depended on only their savaz to vanquish demons, we would be in big trouble.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Well, because the maximum order of savaz is tenth-order.¡± Narvari paused. ¡°While the maximum order of a demon is fifteenth-order,¡± Narvari mused. A tenth-order savaz couldn¡¯t possibly vanquish a fifteenth-order demon. Slowly, she understood what Trixan meant. ¡°Exactly, my dear. Luckily, we have other tricks up our sleeves.¡± ¡°Like elema,¡± Narvari blurted. Now, this all made sense. Elema was the second form of sacred energy more powerful than sacros. Was that what Azmel had used to fight the wraith lord? That silver fluid had actually inflicted injuries on the wraith lord, something their savaz couldn¡¯t do. ¡°That¡¯s right, my dear.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying that a vanquisher might use other means like elema to vanquish a demon even if their savaz is weaker than the demon.¡± Trixan nodded. ¡°You¡¯re getting this better than I thought.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Narvari grinned. ¡°I¡¯m super smart.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Trixan smiled. ¡°And super humble too.¡± Narvari chuckled. ¡°What are the royal demons like?¡± ¡°Yes, the royal demons.¡± Trixan flipped the screen to the left and a new page appeared. A large triangle divided into four segments appeared on the screen. At the summit of the triangle were the words Demon King. This was followed by the word Septos, then Magna Trez, and finally, Lowbloods, at the base of the triangle. While Narvari was wondering what all these words meant, Trixan continued her lecture. Royal demons were literally demon royalty having the blood of the Demon King flowing within them. There were three types of royal demons based on the purity of their royal bloodline. The closer their bloodline was to the Demon King, the more powerful they were. At the bottom of the pyramid were the lowbloods. Lowbloods were the eleventh-order demons. Although they were several times more powerful than greater demons, they were still the weakest of the royal demons. The second group of royals was the highbloods. Highbloods were thirteenth-order demons created by the Septos. There were only thirteen of them in all and together they were known as the Magna Trez. The third and most powerful group of royal demons were the purebloods. ¡°The Demon King and the Septos are the purebloods,¡± said Trixan. ¡°And what¡¯s the Septos?¡± ¡°The seven demon princes of Bezvaros, the Demon King.¡± ¡°Wait, Bezvaros?¡± Narvari¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°As in the Vessels of Bezvaros? That Bezvaros?¡± ¡°Indeed, my dear. The Vessels serve Bezvaros, King of Bezvar. He¡¯s the most powerful demon in existence. He and the Septos are all fifteenth-order demons.¡± ¡°Jesus.¡± Narvari clenched her jaws. She couldn¡¯t simply begin to fathom how powerful these royal demons were. The only demons she had ever met were supposed to be at the bottom of the food chain. Yet, vanquishing them had not been easy at all. And now they were talking about fifteenth-order demons? Wow. ¡°How many demons are there, anyway?¡± ¡°Millions of species with unique characteristics and abilities.¡± Millions of species? What in the Bezvar is this? ¡°I recommend you read more about demons in the library,¡± said Trixan. Even if Trixan didn¡¯t say it, Narvari had already made up her mind to read about it. ¡°How often do vanquishers run into royal demons?¡± Narvari asked. ¡°The Order has not had to deal with the highbloods and purebloods in a long time,¡± said Trixan. ¡°There¡¯s still a lot we don¡¯t know about them. But we do run into lowbloods from time to time. As long as you train hard, you will become strong enough to face royal demons someday. You have nothing to worry about, my dear.¡± ¡°Being a vanquisher sounds like a very dangerous job.¡± ¡°Having second thoughts?¡± ¡°Not in the least,¡± said Narvari with a shrug. ¡°Just wondering how much I will be paid.¡± Trixan chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Even if you are only a junior vanquisher, you will be comfortable financially.¡± ¡°Which means I¡¯ll earn more money as a senior vanquisher?¡± Narvari rubbed her chin. ¡°Well, yes. Senior vanquishers go on more dangerous missions, after all.¡± Trixan explained that junior vanquishers were class five and four vanquishers while senior vanquishers were class three, two, and one. The class of a vanquisher was based on the order of a demon they could vanquish. Class five vanquishers could vanquish first-order and third-order demons. Class four vanquishers could vanquish fifth-order demons. Class three vanquishers could vanquish seventh-order demons. Class two vanquishers could vanquish ninth-order demons, while class one vanquishers could vanquish eleventh-order and thirteenth-order demons. A special class of vanquishers had the power to face fifteenth-order vanquishers. Vanquishers were paid based on their class since more dangerous missions earned higher commissions. ¡°My dear, why do your eyes look like gold coins right now?¡± Narvari laughed heartily. ¡°I was just thinking about all the money I will earn soon.¡± ¡°Really? You can barely wield your sacros for a minute.¡± Ouch. Narvari¡¯s eyes twitched. ¡°Well, not for long. In two weeks, I¡¯m going to wield my sacros for a full thirty minutes.¡± Trixan didn¡¯t look shocked or amused by Narvari¡¯s declaration. She simply smiled, as if cheering Narvari on. For the next two hours, Narvari listened to Trixan¡¯s lecture on Demonology and the Theory of Vanquishing. Narvari could not wait to start vanquishing demons for real.
Chapter 33: Training and Training and Even More Training
No longer supervised by Trixan, Narvari chose to train in Rahsun Garden, a place that now reminded her of Pheera. The atmosphere in the garden soothed her senses. That, coupled with the sweet fragrance of flowers, put her mind at ease and made it easier for her to focus. In the next six days, after much toil and sweat, Narvari¡¯s sacros wielding improved to seventeen minutes. Still, she knew she had a long way to go. She couldn¡¯t slack off at all. Trixan would not start training her in sacred combat if she could not wield her sacros for thirty minutes. Narvari¡¯s routine was the same every day. She would wake up at 5:00 am, do a thirty-minute physical exercise to unwind her muscles, then train her sacros for the next one and a half hours. At 7 am, she would take a shower, have breakfast at 7:30, then start her training in the garden at 8 am until 12 pm when she broke for lunch. She would get to training again after lunch until she retired to her room at 3 pm when she was free to do whatever she wanted till the next day. Then the cycle repeated. This routine went on for twelve days. On the thirteenth day, while training her sacros by the lake in Rahsun, Narvari¡¯s body couldn¡¯t go on anymore. She stopped her watch and then fell to her knees, breathing heavily as sweat drenched her. Once she regained her breath, she looked at her stopwatch to see how long she had wielded her sacros. Narvari grinned widely. Forgetting how exhausted she was, she gave a loud victory shout. Forty-seven minutes. She could wield her sacros for forty-seven minutes nonstop. I surpassed my goal. It had taken her thirteen whole days to reach this goal. She had exceeded the goal she set for herself. But even then, Narvari never thought it would take her so long to do this. She fell on her back in contentment, smiling at the gray skies above her. She closed her eyes, a big smile on her face.
¡°Well done, my dear,¡± said Trixan after Narvari showed her progress in sacros training in the Elder¡¯s office. ¡°I am so proud of you.¡± ¡°Thanks, Trixan.¡± Narvari smiled. ¡°So when will we start sacred combat?¡± ¡°We begin in three days.¡± ¡°But why not tomorrow?¡± ¡°Training is important. But so is resting, my dear.¡± Narvari grumbled in exasperation. Trixan chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve met any rookie with your enthusiasm for training.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been doing it all my life.¡± Narvari shrugged. It was no big deal, really. ¡°That does not surprise me at all.¡± Trixan nodded. ¡°Anyway, just because you¡¯re about to start sacred combat does not mean you have to discard your sacros training. You must keep at it. As I said, you won¡¯t start missions unless you can wield sacros for an hour.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± said Narvari. She grinned. ¡°I have another goal.¡± ¡°Do you, my dear?¡± Trixan leaned back in her chair. ¡°I do.¡± Narvari paused. ¡°You said Pheera could wield her sacros for sixteen hours after training for three months. That means that she must have improved at the rate of approximately one hour twenty minutes every week.¡± Narvari shook her head in disbelief. ¡°Compared to Pheera I am slower than a sloth.¡±Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Trixan smiled. ¡°My dear, it is not as simple as you make it sound. There are a lot of factors that go into how fast a vanquisher progresses. It is never a good idea to compare your progress to others.¡± ¡°Well,¡± said Narvari stubbornly, ¡°the point is that I feel I can do better than I am doing now. I set a goal of thirty minutes in two weeks, and I surpassed that.¡± ¡°What do you have in mind then?¡± ¡°Six hours,¡± she said, opening her palm. ¡°By the end of the next two weeks, I will wield my sacros for six hours.¡± All Trixan did was study Narvari quietly without any reaction. Finally, she smiled. If there was one thing Narvari loved about Trixan, it was Trixan¡¯s complete trust in the strength of her vanquishers. Narvari would not disappoint her.
Three days passed rather slowly. But it passed, and that was all Narvari cared about. After all, it was time for sacred combat to begin. On the first day, Trixan taught her that sacred combat involved the seamless combination of sacred energy, vaz, and a mystical form of martial arts practiced in Agon. It was similar to Ntunomi, as that also required the combination of guns and martial arts. Unlike guns, however, vaz directly ran on sacred energy, and in the case of savaz, it ran on sacros. Without stamina, one could not last in sacred combat no matter how skilled one was. It was no wonder Trixan had insisted that Narvari mastered her sacros first. After all the hard work in mastering her sacros, Narvari could actually tell the difference. She no longer had problems with her breathing and she felt stronger than ever. But as skilled as Narvari was in Ntunomi, even to the point of being called lethal by Dawuli, Narvari learned to her horror that she was far slower in summoning her savaz than she was in loading six guns in a row. For her first lesson, she had to learn to gear up quickly without losing momentum in a fight. Trixan would punch or kick Narvari when she was a second too late to gear up upon Trixan¡¯s command. The Elder did not hold back at all. Several thousands of kicks later, Narvari had her savaz in Trixan¡¯s face before the Elder could punch her back into the wall. Narvari grinned. She was getting tired of being a human pinata. ¡°Good.¡± Trixan nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go again.¡±
¡°Today, you¡¯re going to fight me,¡± said Trixan when they met on the second day. Narvari shivered with excitement. She had always wanted to know exactly how strong this woman was. ¡°You are free to wield sacros,¡± said Trixan. ¡°However, do not use savaz until I give the word.¡± ¡°You want me to only gear up when you say so?¡± Trixan nodded. ¡°Just like yesterday, when I say, ¡®up¡¯, gear up immediately. But this time, my dear, shoot me.¡± ¡°What?¡± Narvari gaped like an idiot. ¡°If you¡¯re a second late in gearing up, you¡¯ll do a hundred pushups while wielding sacros.¡± Narvari gasped but Trixan only smiled innocently. ¡°Now get ready, my dear.¡± Narvari assumed a battle stance and her sacros overflowed from her body. She glared at Trixan, not in the least about to hold back. Trixan¡¯s expression was that of nonchalance. ¡°What are you waiting for? Hit me.¡± Narvari frowned. This woman was taking her too lightly. With her black and red sacros flaring around her, Narvari sped towards Trixan in a flash. She was already standing in front of the Elder, her fist ready to crush Trixan¡¯s throat. But with a palm, Trixan blocked Narvari¡¯s punch while her other hand shoved Narvari in the chest. Her touch was gentle like she hadn¡¯t touched her at all. Yet the force that came from that push was enough to send Narvari skidding backward like a car out of control. ¡°Up,¡± Trixan said. Narvari somehow managed to stop herself from tumbling to the ground while gearing up at the same time. She aimed her savaz at Trixan. Narvari¡¯s eyes widened. Where the hell was Trixan? ¡°Too late.¡± Trixan¡¯s voice came from behind her. Narvari turned around, her eyes widening. ¡°How did you?¡ª?¡° ¡°Not the point here, my dear. Hundred push-ups now.¡± Narvari pouted. While her sacros burned around her, she went on the floor and did the pushups. Two weeks ago, she would never have been able to even do ten pushups while wielding sacros. But here she was doing a hundred of them like she was merely drinking water. She was indeed growing stronger. As soon as she did the hundredth pushup, Trixan sent a powerful kick toward Narvari¡¯s face. Jesus Christ. This woman didn¡¯t come to play. Narvari¡¯s body reacted instantly. She arched her upper body and flipped back. Then she lunged toward Trixan. ¡°Up.¡± Not halting her momentum, she summoned her dual savaz and fired them at Trixan. Narvari screeched to a halt, watching in panic as the sacros from her savaz raced towards Trixan like wildfire. Isn¡¯t she going to move out of the way? Was she really going to kill the Elder?
Chapter 34: An Important Conversation
Wondering if she had made a mistake by taking this too seriously, Narvari¡¯s eyes bulged when the sacros halted mere inches away from Trixan¡¯s tall form and dissipated into a million tiny black specks. Trixan was completely unharmed. It took a while for Narvari to find her voice again. ¡°What. Was. That?¡± ¡°Come at me again. This time, gear up whenever you want.¡± Narvari shook herself out of her stupor. The battle wasn¡¯t over. She had to get her head in the game. Game? This was no game. All the kicks and punches she received were real. She had a feeling Trixan had been holding back, but it didn¡¯t feel that way to Narvari¡¯s muscles. She attacked Trixan using every skill and every move she knew. But each time, Trixan simply shifted out of the way like a mirage. It was like Narvari was just an ant going against a giant. The Elder was way out of her league. By the end of the training session, Narvari was panting like a dog and sweating like a fish. Trixan had barely moved and yet she had not landed a single attack on the woman. Trixan stood over Narvari¡¯s body, smiling at her. She said, ¡°Azmel was right. You¡¯re really good, my dear.¡± ¡°Not as good as you.¡± Narvari sat up. She was certain that even if everyone in the WPU attacked Trixan at the same time, none of them would be able to touch her. Narvari wasn¡¯t even certain, that Yabaga, the strongest person she knew, could beat Trixan. There was a precise fluidity to the way Trixan moved. It was like she was not moving at all. Trixan chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t be too hard on yourself, my dear. Not many rookies grasp sacred combat that quickly.¡± She paused in thought. ¡°You said your father taught you to fight?¡± Narvari nodded. ¡°Everyone in Sharmandi can fight. It¡¯s a rite of passage. My grandfather made sure of it.¡± Trixan nodded slowly. It was hard reading the woman¡¯s emotions but when she was pondering over something, Narvari could see it in her eyes. The woman always seemed to be lost in thought whenever Narvari brought up her grandfather or father. She just wished she knew what Trixan was thinking.
Narvari flexed the muscles in her ripped arms. The power pulsating inside her body was nothing like she had felt a week ago when she began training in sacred combat. Even when she didn¡¯t use sacros, she was stronger and faster than her old self. Moreover, she could continuously wield her sacros for three hours and forty-two minutes now. By the end of next week, she was sure she would reach her six-hour goal. ¡°I¡¯m ready now,¡± said Narvari, looking intently at Trixan. ¡°You said once I could wield my sacros for an hour, I would start my missions, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s just one of three requirements, my dear.¡± Narvari folded her arms and frowned. Now she was convinced that Trixan was making things up as they went. ¡°And what are the other two?¡± ¡°To earn your license as a professional vanquisher,¡± said Trixan, ¡°you have to master sacred combat and pass your Finals.¡± So all that remained was her Finals. She had never heard about this but it did make sense that she would go through some form of examination before she could earn her license. She had gone through the Captain¡¯s Test too before becoming captain of the WPU. It shouldn¡¯t be too different. Examinations were her thing. She loved them. ¡°When do I take my Finals?¡± ¡°Patience, my dear. You haven¡¯t yet mastered sacred combat.¡± ¡°What?¡± Trixan chuckled. ¡°There are two more things you need to learn in sacred combat. Then you can take your Finals.¡± Trixan patted Narvari on the shoulder. ¡°Take tomorrow off. You¡¯ve earned it.¡±Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Narvari groaned. Was it normal for her teacher to keep giving her days? Well, she wouldn¡¯t be able to change Trixan¡¯s mind so she might as well enjoy it.
Trixan was going through some files on her laptop when she heard the knock on the door. Based on the vibration pattern of the knock, she knew exactly who it was. ¡°Come in,¡± she said, her eyes fixated on the document on the laptop. ¡°You sent for me,¡± said Zemeron. Trixan finally lifted her head. ¡°Have a seat, my dear.¡± Zemeron sat. She had been meaning to talk to him about this in a while but unfortunately, Zemeron had been on a mission all this time. Now that he was back, she could not waste any more time. ¡°I heard what you did.¡± She went straight to the point. ¡°What do mean?¡± ¡°Zemeron,¡± she said, rubbing her knuckles. She heard his heartbeat spike. It wasn¡¯t from fear. It was more out of caution. Zemeron could sense her anger. This Zoleris was perceptive. Not many people could tell when she was angry unless she actually lost her temper?¡ª?that too was rare. Keeping her cool, Trixan continued, ¡°When Narvari came back, I thought she did so willingly. But then she told me you arrested her. Under false charges, no less. Care to explain, my dear?¡± Zemeron sighed. ¡°I apologize, Trixan. I was just trying to help.¡± Trixan paused, carefully considering Zemeron¡¯s words. ¡°How exactly were you doing that?¡± Zemeron clenched his jaws. He was holding back. It sometimes annoyed her when he did that. He could speak his mind to anyone but would always hold back when it came to Trixan. ¡°You need to speak freely, my dear.¡± Zemeron nodded. ¡°I know how hard it is for you to find your special recruits,¡± he said. ¡°I just tried to help for a change. It was the least I could do after everything you¡¯ve done for me and my sister.¡± Trixan didn¡¯t like that Zemeron had tricked Narvari into coming back to Draghein School. Every one of her special recruits agreed to join the school willingly. Although she wanted more vanquishers, she would not resort to any underhanded methods to get them here. But as much as she hated what Zemeron had done, she sensed the sincerity in his voice. ¡°I appreciate the effort, my dear, but you are already helping me just by being here.¡± Draghein School sorely lacked senior vanquishers so it was a miracle that Zemeron, a class two vanquisher, was here at all. She released her grip over her knuckles as her anger evaporated. ¡°Narvari agreed to train here so I guess I should thank you for bringing her back.¡± Zemeron smiled. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that.¡± Then he paused thoughtfully. ¡°How¡¯s her training going? I heard she awakened a fifth-order savaz. That¡¯s not an exaggeration, is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not. She¡¯s progressing at a terrifying speed and has no intention of slowing down.¡± Trixan shook her head, recalling Narvari¡¯s zest. ¡°It¡¯s quite scary, to be honest.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not surprised. She has a great teacher.¡± All her recruits were hardworking and talented and she pushed them to be the best they could be. Trixan had no doubt she was a great teacher. But there was something strangely powerful about Narvari and Trixan knew it had nothing to do with being her teacher. Not only was the girl progressing so quickly but she had also awakened her savaz at fifth-order. That had never happened before. Most commoners, like herself, awakened first-order savaz, only to order up through training. People from the Dominant Families often awakened second-order, third-order, or occasionally, fourth-order savaz. But never in the history of the Central Domain had anyone awakened a fifth-order savaz. Although it was rare for outies with distant Agon ancestors to awaken savaz higher than first-order, it was still not unheard of. But fifth-order savaz? That was just insane. Who exactly was this Erasmus Shar? She never found anything about any vanquisher by that name. Maybe Narvari¡¯s grandfather was not a vanquisher but Trixan strongly believed that he was from Agon. ¡°At the rate she¡¯s going,¡± said Trixan, ¡°I won¡¯t be surprised if she orders up in a few months.¡± Zemeron raised a brow. ¡°That takes a lot of years for most people.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think Narvari sees herself as most people.¡± Trixan chuckled. ¡°You believe in her that much?¡± ¡°I do.¡± She nodded. ¡°She¡¯s got this fire in her eyes¡­ it reminds me so much of Hellstorm.¡± She bit her lips. She couldn¡¯t believe she was about to say this, but she wholeheartedly believed it. ¡°I think she will surpass Hellstorm someday.¡± Trixan had never seen Zemeron look so shocked before. ¡°If this had come from anyone else,¡± he said, ¡°I would have laughed in their face. But I trust your judgment, Trixan. I just wished the Draghein Family trusted and supported you more.¡± Trixan shrugged. ¡°I have the trust and support of my vanquishers. That¡¯s more than enough for me.¡± The Draghein Family would never break her resolve. ¡°Anyway, there¡¯s something else I need from you.¡± ¡°Anything.¡± Trixan tried to imagine what the Draghein Family would do if they learned that she had accepted Zoleris vanquishers into Draghein School. The thought almost made her laugh out loud. ¡°I want you to run an errand for me. You and Rizav. I¡¯ve already briefed her.¡± ¡°She¡¯s returned?¡± ¡°Not yet. She will be here this evening.¡± Zemeron nodded. ¡°Of course. Whatever it is, we¡¯ll take care of it.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Trixan smiled. They were her strongest vanquishers and they always did take care of things.
Chapter 35: Sacred Body ¡°So,¡± said Narvari, gazing at the long line of concrete blocks, ¡°what are those for?¡± The concrete blocks stood as tall as Narvari and were the thickness of three sumo wrestlers. Narvari brushed her fingers against its cold, smooth surface. What could today¡¯s lesson be about? She thought. ¡°We¡¯ve learned about sacros and how to use it to boost your overall speed and strength,¡± Trixan dived into the lesson. ¡°You also know that sacros is the sacred energy that powers your savaz. These are the two basic functions of sacros. But, the difference between an average vanquisher and a powerful vanquisher lies in mastering a key concept in vanquishing.¡± Trixan paused. ¡°Once you grasp this concept, my dear, it will be safe to say that you have mastered sacred combat.¡± Narvari nodded. ¡°Okay. So what¡¯s this concept?¡± ¡°Fortification,¡± said Trixan. ¡°It¡¯s something you are already familiar with at the basic level.¡± Narvari narrowed her eyes, rubbing her chin. ¡°I am?¡± She tried to think. Maybe it was best to break down the word fortification. ¡°To fortify means to strengthen.¡± ¡°Indeed, my dear. And how does that apply to you as a vanquisher?¡± Narvari paused thoughtfully. ¡°Releasing sacros makes my body stronger. It¡¯s like I have superhuman strength or something.¡± ¡°It is exactly like that, my dear.¡± Trixan nodded. ¡°That¡¯s what fortification is basically about. At the advanced level, fortification is about strengthening your body or an object either for defense or attack.¡± Trixan nodded at one of the gray concrete blocks. ¡°Can you punch a hole through one of these with your bare hands? No sacros.¡± Narvari gawked at Trixan. ¡°Seriously?¡± ¡°Of course, my dear¡± Narvari stared at her balled fists then glanced back at the thick slabs of concrete. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe I can. But I feel like I will end up breaking every bone in my arm if I did.¡± She might be physically stronger than before, but she still had her limit without sacred energy. ¡°Of course, you will, my dear.¡± Narvari gaped. ¡°So why ask?¡± ¡°I just wanted to see the look on your face.¡± Trixan chuckled. ¡°Now, what if you wield your sacros? Do you think you can do it, my dear?¡± Narvari scoffed. ¡°I know I can. ¡°Good. Do it.¡± Instantly, Narvari¡¯s black and red sacros surged out of her, engulfing her entire body. Not wasting time, she balled her right fist and smashed through a block. A large deep depression opened in the concrete as chipped blocks scattered everywhere. ¡°Not bad.¡± Narvari gazed at Trixan. The Elder didn¡¯t look impressed. ¡°Not bad? That was amazing.¡± ¡°Not quite, my dear. That was not powerful enough.¡± Narvari opened her mouth, speechless. She looked at her fist, then glanced at the massive hole she had made inside the concrete block. How was that not powerful enough? Trixan said, ¡°I¡¯m not talking about your strength per se, my dear. I¡¯m talking about the effect of sacros around your body not being powerful enough.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± Narvari folded her arms. ¡°Isn¡¯t sacros supposed to make my body powerful?¡± ¡°Relatively speaking, yes. But simply wielding your sacros over your entire body does not produce the maximum effect. In fact, the greatest power of sacros is released using savaz. Try taking down one of the blocks with your savaz instead.¡± Ushama. Narvari¡¯s dual-savaz appeared. She aimed both of her savaz at another concrete block and fired. A gust of dust filled the air as rubble rained. When the dust cleared, Narvari saw to her utmost shock that the incredibly thick concrete had been shattered into dust. Nothing was left standing. Her punch was nothing compared to what her savaz had done. Comparing her punch to her savaz was like comparing a bow and arrow to a nuclear bomb. ¡°Damn.¡± ¡°Now that is powerful, isn¡¯t it, my dear?¡± Narvari nodded, not taking her eyes off the heap of dust. ¡°Normally, you can simply vanquish demons weaker than you with a mere blast of your savaz,¡± said Trixan. ¡°You will usually not have to engage in an intense battle with them therefore you won¡¯t have to worry about your speed or defense. If you are lucky and have a higher form sacred energy like elema, you can vanquish the demon even if your savaz is weaker. But what happens when you have a weaker savaz and no elema, my dear?¡± Trixan tilted her head as if waiting to let her words sink in. ¡°You can¡¯t simply rely on your savaz now, can you?¡± Narvari shook her head. ¡°No.¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t, my dear.¡± Trixan nodded. ¡°You may stand a chance if you face the demon head-on with maximum speed and strength while wielding your savaz. The problem is that without full union you cannot wield your sacros and savaz at the same time. And if you cannot wield your sacros?¡ª?¡±If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°You have no super-speed or super-strength,¡± Narvari completed the sentence. ¡°Exactly that, my dear,¡± said Trixan. ¡°You will be dead before you know it.¡± Narvari gulped. She didn¡¯t have elema and all she had was a fifth-order savaz. How was she supposed to vanquish demons higher than fifth-order? ¡°So what do I do then?¡± Trixan smiled. ¡°What you need is balance, my dear.¡± ¡°Balance?¡± Trixan nodded. ¡°To do that, you need to effectively forge a union between savaz and sacros.¡± Narvari frowned. ¡°But I thought without full union you can¡¯t use savaz and sacros at the same time.¡± ¡°The key term here is effective forgery, my dear,¡± said Trixan. ¡°The union is by no means real. Instead, you forge something that looks like it. That¡¯s where the concept of fortification applies. Fortification lets a relatively weaker vanquisher overpower a stronger demon by using sacred body.¡± Sacred body? How many sacred things do I have to keep up with? Narvari shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m saying this but I¡¯m having a hard time understanding today¡¯s lesson. I feel like we¡¯re talking about so many things at once.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that, my dear. But they are all related. I will break it down for you.¡± Trixan paced slowly. Finally, she halted. ¡°Boosting your body¡¯s strength and power with sacred energy is fortification. You understand this, do you not, my dear?¡± Narvari nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Good. Now fortifying a specific part of your body turns it into a sacred body.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Narvari nodded. ¡°A fortified body is a sacred body. Got it.¡± ¡°Excellent. I mentioned achieving balance as a result of a forged union. Did I not, my dear?¡± ¡°You did.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Trixan nodded. ¡°All you need to understand is that sacred body is simply that forged union. What I mean is that with sacred body you can maintain your superior speed and strength. In addition, you also have power almost as destructive as savaz. It¡¯s a perfect balance.¡± Narvari nodded slowly. ¡°You will understand this better with a demonstration. Now watch this carefully.¡± Narvari quietly watched Trixan as the Elder stood at ease, her green eyes instantly sharpening with focus. Narvari¡¯s heart raced with excitement. Was Trixan about to do what she was thinking? Ever since they started training, not once had she seen Trixan release her sacred energy or savaz. Trixan did say she always wielded her sacred energy but Narvari never understood what that meant. Maybe she would understand it today. She waited in anticipation, her eyes not leaving the Elder. Suddenly, a mighty gust of silver sacros gushed out of Trixan¡¯s body like a wildfire of silver flames. Narvari¡¯s eyes widened in awe. Incredible. ¡°Sacred body occurs on three parts of the body,¡± said Trixan. Slowly, the silver sacros around Trixan¡¯s body grew smaller and smaller, dimmer and dimmer. However, the sacros around her fists got denser and brighter. Eventually, there was no sacros around Trixan¡¯s body?¡ª?they were only around her fists like boxing gloves fabricated from silver flames. Trixan balled her fists. ¡°Sacred fists.¡± Silver sacros appeared around each of Trixan¡¯s legs. ¡°Sacred feet.¡± Narvari watched in awe as the silver sacros burned around Trixan¡¯s hands and legs. This was the same move she had seen Pheera use against the wraith lord even when she didn¡¯t use savaz. Things were starting to make more sense. ¡°The power behind sacred feet and fists produces incredible firepower almost close to savaz. At the same time, you get to maintain your speed and strength.¡± Narvari nodded. ¡°And the third sacred body?¡± Trixan smiled. Narvari watched Trixan closely as the silver sacros burned around her eyes like her eyes were on fire. Silver fire. ¡°Sacred vision, my dear.¡± Sacred vision? Narvari raised a brow. Wasn¡¯t this the same thing Pheera had mentioned during their tour? She remembered now. When Narvari could not see the shield rays Pheera talked about, she said one could only see it while they had sacred vision. ¡°With sacred vision, my dear¡± Trixan interrupted her thoughts, ¡°you see things your naked eyes simply cannot see. Using sacred fists, sacred feet, and sacred vision simultaneously is called Trinity. In summary, my dear, Trinity is the application of fortification. Without the other forms of sacred energy, Trinity can make all the difference in overpowering a demon whose order is higher than your savaz.¡± No wonder Trixan said vanquishers didn¡¯t only depend on their savaz, Narvari thought. ¡°Okay, my dear. Now try using Trinity. Do it one sacred body at a time. With more practice, you can do it simultaneously.¡± Narvari nodded. She closed her eyes, imagining the warm sensation of her sacros around her fists. This time, instead of her sacros emerging out of her entire body, it only came out of her hands. It was like her palms had been set ablaze by black and red flames. But instead of burning her, they simply warmed her hands. ¡°Good.¡± Trixan nodded. ¡°Now do sacred feet and sacred vision.¡± With more concentration, Narvari soon got her sacros around her feet. Next, she did it to her eyes. ¡°Destroy one of the blocks with your sacred fist.¡± Narvari targeted a concrete block and punched hard into it. The entire slab of concrete blew off into several large chunks, shards of blocks flying everywhere. ¡°Jesus.¡± Narvari stared at her sacred fists. She could feel the difference between the power flowing within her fists right now compared to the power she felt when she only wielded her sacros over her entire body. It was the difference between a pond and an ocean. ¡°This is insane.¡± Her sacred fist may not have produced a dramatic effect like her savaz, but it surely was more powerful than simply wielding her sacros around her body. She looked at all three blocks she had shattered. It was like three different people of different strengths had done it. Yet, she knew she was the same person who had done so. ¡°Narvari.¡± She turned to glance at the woman. Trixan¡¯s Trinity had vanished. But there was something strange around her. Her entire body, from the crown of her head to the soles of her feet, was shrouded in a layer of silver energy, clinging to her body like a second skin. Trixan grinned. ¡°So you see it now, don¡¯t you, my dear?¡± Narvari gaped. Was she seeing this now because of her sacred vision? Did Trixan have this around her body the whole time? Forever. Narvari¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Trixan, is this what you meant when you said you have your sacros around you permanently?¡± Trixan chuckled. ¡°Yes, my dear. But I never said it was sacros. I merely said it was sacred energy.¡± ¡°Oh, is it elema?¡± ¡°It¡¯s union, my dear. The third and most powerful form of sacred energy. You couldn¡¯t see it before because I manipulated it to be invisible to the naked eye. But sacred vision can easily see through anything. With it, you can even see through the disguise of demons as well as their weak points.¡± Narvari turned off her Trinity. In that same instant, the energy shrouded around Trixan¡¯s body disappeared. Once she turned on her sacred vision, the energy reappeared. Amazing. ¡°Class is over, my dear.¡± ¡°Wait, what?¡± Their class could usually span for several hours but not even two hours had passed since they started today. ¡°Trinity is all we needed to learn today. The rest is up to you to practice.¡± ¡°Oh. So does it mean I¡¯m ready for the Finals?¡± ¡°No, my dear. We¡¯ll meet in two days for our last class. Make sure you practice Trinity until then.¡± ¡°Right. Can you at least tell me what our next class is about?¡± Trixan smiled. ¡°You will see, my dear. You will see.¡± Gosh, this woman was plotting something. Narvari just knew it. Chapter 36: The Demon in the Desert Two days later Trixan dug her hand into the pocket of her gym trousers and took out two round devices as small as the buttons of a shirt. ¡°What are those?¡± Narvari asked, looking at the devices curiously. ¡°Simulation transmitters.¡± Before Narvari could ask what kind of sci-fi nonsense Trixan was on about, the Elder glued a transmitter into Narvari¡¯s neck. Suddenly, the surroundings of the classroom were no more. Instead, Narvari found herself standing in a vast sandy desert. Dunes stood high as mountains everywhere. The heat threatened to burn her alive. She looked around in shock. Where the hell was she? And where was Trixan? All she could see was sand as far as the eye could reach. ¡°Trixan,¡± she shouted. ¡°Trixan. Where are you?¡± Her throat ran dry. She was not sure if it was from the searing heat or the anxiety building up within her. ¡°Trixan-¡± ¡°Over here.¡± Narvari quickly turned around. ¡°What the¡­¡± she whispered as the embodiment of Trixan gradually appeared before her eyes. Was this a mirage? No. It seemed more like a hologram. After a few seconds, Trixan¡¯s body finally materialized. The real Trixan. Was it thought? She thought she could never be surprised by Draghein School. She couldn¡¯t be so wrong. ¡°Sorry about that, my dear.¡± Trixan smiled. ¡°I had to make sure our bodies outside the simulation were safe.¡± ¡°We are in a simulation?¡± Narvari¡¯s eyes widened. Someday, she might actually die of shock in this school. ¡°Of course, my dear. That¡¯s what simulation transmitters are for.¡± ¡°Wait. Did you say you had to keep our bodies outside the simulation safe?¡± Trixan nodded. ¡°We may not be here physically. But we are here mentally. Everything we feel in this simulation is real to our brain.¡± Their consciousness was actually in a simulation, Narvari thought. This was insane. ¡°This is your final lesson as a rookie,¡± said Trixan. ¡°Consider this a mini-test before your actual Finals.¡± ¡°A mini test?¡± ¡°Yes, my dear. Today¡¯s lesson involves applying everything you have learned. And you, my dear, are going to do that by capturing demons stronger than you.¡± Narvari narrowed her eyes. ¡°I thought we vanquish demons, not capture them.¡± ¡°Well, yes, my dear. But when a demon is too powerful to vanquish and all you can do is weaken it temporarily, your best course of action is to capture it,¡± said Trixan. ¡°Besides, sometimes we may also need information from them. And we can¡¯t possibly do that when they are dead, can we?¡± ¡°Right. Where are the demons anyway?¡± ¡°No rush, my dear.¡± The Elder opened her right palm and a golden cube, half the size of a Rubik¡¯s Cube, appeared. Narvari blinked rapidly. Where the hell had it come from? Was this an effect of the simulation? She scrutinized the cube. It was so shiny like it was made of pure gold. Intricate markings in a strange language were inscribed on all six faces of the cube. ¡°This,¡± said Trixan, ¡°is a holy cage. Do you remember what I said about fortifying specific parts of the body with sacred energy?¡± ¡°Yes. You called it sacred body.¡± ¡°Good.¡± She nodded. ¡°Other than the body, sacred energy is also used to fortify objects. Objects fortified by sacred energy become holy objects.¡± ¡°So a holy cage is an example of a holy object.¡± ¡°Yes, my dear. We capture demons using a holy cage.¡± ¡°Seriously? This small thing?¡± Narvari gawked at the cube. If Trixan clasped her fingers around the cube, the entire thing would be hidden in her palm. How could something that tiny hold a demon? Narvari had visited the library during most of her free time and avidly read about several demons. Most of the demons she read about were monstrous in size. A significant number were also relatively smaller. None of them, however, was small enough to fit into this tiny box. How was something this small a cage for demons? ¡°They are not as small as they look, my dear. They defy the laws of space in the Outer Sphere. This is an entire prison I hold in my hand.¡± Hmm. Strangely, it wasn¡¯t the strangest thing she¡¯d heard. ¡°And a holy cage is strong enough to hold a demon?¡± Trixan nodded. ¡°The inside of a holy cage is coated with a thin layer of sacred energy to keep the demon docile but not enough to vanquish them. The outside is fortified with the purest and most potent form of sacred energy. It¡¯s impossible for a demon, irrespective of its order, to escape from the cage.¡± Narvari raised a brow. ¡°Even a fifteenth-order demon?¡± ¡°Especially a fifteenth-order demon.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Damn.¡± That was one powerful prison. ¡°Of course, being actually capable of capturing a fifteenth-order demon into the holy cage is a different issue.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Obviously, it wasn¡¯t as easy as it sounded. ¡°So how do you get a demon inside?¡± Trixan removed something from the top of the cube. It was a golden disc even smaller than the cube. Trixan held it between her fingers like a coin. A rumbling reverberated in the distance and a massive gust of sand rose into the air. Narvari almost lost her balance as the ground shook violently. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± she asked. ¡°Focus, my dear.¡± Trixan stood still, watching the huge vortex of sand towering into the cloudless skies. She didn¡¯t seem at all perturbed by the commotion. A roar, that seemed to be coming from more than one creature, surged forth like the rush of many waters. Whatever had made that sound must have the largest larynx in the world, Narvari thought. A gigantic serpentine body burrowed out of the ground. The thickness of the demon¡¯s snakelike body was larger than the largest constrictors Narvari had ever seen. The body of the snake demon coiled endlessly giving it the appearance of a small mountain. Just as Narvari was wondering where the head of the snake was, something long and thick, like the rest of the snake¡¯s green body, shot out of the ground. Narvari¡¯s heart sank when she saw the faces of the demon for the first time. This was something right out of a nightmare. The demon¡¯s long serpentine body separated into three different necks, each one long and scaly like the rest of its deep green body. On each neck sat the massive head of something that looked human, but at the same time too monstrous to be human. Each head had one large eye and a massive cave-like mouth. All the mouths roared at the same time, and Narvari immediately covered her ears. Even then she feared it would rupture her eardrums. Narvari had thought this particular demon looked scary in the books. Nothing could have prepared her for the sheer horror of seeing the real thing. ¡°A myuren.¡± Narvari gaped at the monstrosity. ¡°Good. You¡¯ve been reading.¡± Trixan smiled. How was this woman so relaxed in the presence of a myuren? They were seventh-order demons that lived underground in deserts. Though they were strong enough to crush a mountain with their powerful boneless body, that was not the scariest thing about them. ¡°Never be intimidated by a demon¡¯s form, my dear,¡± Trixan¡¯s voice snapped her back to reality. ¡°You have already lost when you give in to fear. Narvari nodded, breathing in and out slowly to keep herself under control. ¡°How are you going to capture it?¡± ¡°Turn on your sacred vision and tell me what you see.¡± Inhaling deeply, Narvari turned on her sacred vision and gazed at the myuren. At first, there was nothing different about the demon, but when Narvari looked intently, she saw a red speck in each of the demon¡¯s yellow eyes. Those were not there before. ¡°There are red dots in the eyes.¡± ¡°Yes. Those are the demon¡¯s weak points.¡± Trixan nodded. ¡°A relatively weaker savaz cannot vanquish a demon because the sacros it possesses is not pure and potent enough. So, the demon regenerates faster than the sacred energy kills them. With sacred vision, however, you can directly target the demon¡¯s weak points with Trinity and slow down their regeneration. This doesn¡¯t vanquish the demon, but it temporarily weakens it and makes it easier to capture.¡± Trixan paused, gazing at Narvari intently. ¡°If the gap between your order and the demon¡¯s order is too great, it will be better to resort to elema to weaken them.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t have elema.¡± ¡°I know, my dear.¡± Trixan¡¯s serene vibe instantly vanished as soon as her silver sacros appeared around her. She held the holy cage in her left hand and the golden disc in her right. Then she flipped the golden coin in the air. ¡°This is a halo,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s used in conjunction with the holy cage.¡± Before catching the halo in midair, she set it ablaze with her silver sacros. She flipped the halo into the air again, but this time, it never came down. It just levitated in midair, gravity completely useless against it. ¡°As long as I have my sacros around the halo, I can control it however I want. This, my dear, is the key to capturing a demon.¡± The halo moved in any direction Trixan moved her hand. With a mere gesture of a finger, the halo soared through the air with the speed of a bullet, racing towards the myuren. When did Trixan disappear by her side, thought Narvari? The woman was running toward the demon. The demon roared wildly, sending a huge tail toward Trixan. But she easily dodged out of the way while deftly controlling the halo. What was Trixan seeking to achieve with that thing? All three mouths of the demon opened at the same time and spurted out a huge fountain of purple liquid. The liquid, thick as magma, would have hit Trixan had she not swerved out of its way. The golden brown sand sizzled and darkened like tar as soon as the purple liquid touched it. This was what Narvari had been afraid of all this while. The myuren¡¯s poison. Trixan, on the other hand, didn¡¯t look bothered at all. If anything, she looked thrilled by what she was doing. The Elder kept disappearing and reappearing so fast that Narvari could not even keep up with her speed. ¡°Okay, enough showing off.¡± Narvari heard Trixan¡¯s amused voice in her head. ¡°Are you watching this, my dear?¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Trixan halted. with a single move of her hand, the halo went straight to one of the demon¡¯s heads freezing the demon instantly. It was as if someone had just pressed pause on the demon¡¯s existence. ¡°What just happened?¡± Narvari asked when Trixan reappeared by her side. ¡°The halo contains sacred energy that paralyzes demons.¡± Trixan showed the golden cube to Narvari. ¡°To capture a demon, the goal is to get the halo on the demon¡¯s body. Once that happens, you press this button below the holy cage.¡± Suddenly, the demon¡¯s body was quickly sucked into the holy cage. It was like the demon¡¯s body had transformed into some kind of a dark mist and the holy cage was a vacuum cleaner sucking in the demon. In mere seconds, the giant snake demon had completely been absorbed by the holy cage. The halo flew back and fixed itself on top of the holy cage and Trixan¡¯s sacros disappeared. ¡°Demon captured.¡± Trixan smiled. ¡°Your turn, my dear.¡± ¡°What? Me?¡± ¡°Yes, you, my dear. Before you qualify as a class five vanquisher, you need to know how to capture a demon at least one order higher than you. But I have to warn you, it will not be easy. This is just a simulation so I slowed down everything so you can see what is happening.¡± This is slow? Is this a joke? ¡°In real life,¡± Trixan continued, ¡°demons can easily recognize a halo because of the sacred energy so they will do anything to get away from it. That includes attempting to kill you. If the demon is stronger and faster, they just might succeed. But you, my dear,¡± Trixan held Narvari¡¯s shoulder, ¡°are not what you used to be a month ago. You are a lot stronger now.¡± Trixan put the holy cage in Narvari¡¯s hand. ¡°You¡¯ve been training hard for this. As a vanquisher with a fifth-order savaz, a lot will be expected from you. Even if you can¡¯t vanquish a seventh-order demon, you should be able to capture one. This simulation is going to teach you just that and you are not getting out of it until you get it right.¡± Narvari nodded, clasping her hand around the holy cage. She removed the halo. Her black and red sacros appeared around her hand. Narvari focused intently on the halo until her sacros burned around the halo. Now that the halo contained her sacros, she easily controlled it. ¡°Good.¡± Trixan nodded. ¡°Now remember, although this simulation is not real, everything you feel here is real.¡± Narvari widened her eyes. ¡°Are you saying I can actually die in here?¡± Trixan smiled. ¡°I guess you¡¯ll have to try not to get killed then.¡± Her body vanished out of the simulation leaving Narvari alone in the vast arid desert. What the hell? A rumbling beneath the sandy ground put Narvari¡¯s senses on high alert. She clenched her jaws, bracing herself for the demon. She could do this. Chapter 37: The Pleasant Surprise Watching Trixan capture that demon so easily had given Narvari the impression that it was that easy. She couldn¡¯t have been more wrong about anything. It took her one hundred and fifty-four tries in five hours before she successfully captured a seventh-order demon for the first time. She died one hundred and fifty-three times in the simulation. Narvari closed her eyes as the warm shower poured over her aching body. She would have been dead a long time if that had been real life. She still had a lot to learn until her missions in the real world began. Trixan, however, had assured her that her Finals would begin in two weeks, which meant she had until two weeks to practice everything she had learned. There had not been a time when Narvari had had to study so hard for an exam. Not even for her Captain¡¯s Test, which involved rigorous physical and mental exercises. Training to become a vanquisher was the hardest thing she had ever done. She sighed, feeling the warmth of the water on her face. She soon got out of the shower and curled herself up in bed. She¡¯d had a long week, and all she wanted to do was sleep. As soon as she fell onto the bed, her body and mind just shut down. She woke up three days later feeling more energetic than ever. Now she understood why Trixan insisted on the need for rest. Narvari used the short time she had until her Finals to keep practicing sacred combat. Trixan permitted her to do her training in the simulation to refine her skills at capturing demons. In the evenings, when she was in her room resting, she would often think about her friends. She had not seen Pheera and Yanvirrak in a month. It made Narvari wonder what kind of mission they were on. Two days before her Finals, there was a knock on her door. Her tired eyes glanced at the clock. It was five minutes past 10 pm. She groaned. Trixan had made it a habit of sending people to her room at the oddest hours. Boundaries meant nothing to the Elder. The knock came again. ¡°Christ, I¡¯m coming.¡± She dragged herself out of her bed, her eyes heavy with slumber. She opened the door with a scowl. ¡°Okay, what do you¨C¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to disturb you.¡± Narvari froze, gazing at the sparkling blue eyes staring back at her. Her mouth twitched in embarrassment, all words eluding her. ¡°What? No, no,¡± she finally said when she found her voice. She opened the door wider to invite Pheera in. ¡°Sorry about that. I thought you were someone else.¡± She took a closer look at Pheera. It was hard to believe that the girl was actually here in her room. She wasn¡¯t imagining this, was she? She had hit her head pretty hard back in the simulation while fighting a demon that looked a lot like a T-Rex. Was that making her hallucinate? ¡°Are you alright?¡± Pheera asked. Realizing she had been caught staring, Narvari cleared her throat awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯m fine. When did you arrive?¡± ¡°Right now.¡± She bit her lips. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I woke you.¡± Narvari smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t be. I¡¯m wide awake now.¡± The sleep had utterly disappeared now that Pheera was here. ¡°How was your mission?¡± ¡°It was,¡± Pheera paused as if looking for the right word, ¡°educational. Things got a little complicated so we took longer than expected.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t get hurt, did you?¡± Narvari wanted to hide in embarrassment as soon as the words fled her mouth. Pheera was a trained vanquisher who knew how to handle herself. Narvari had had the pleasure of seeing for herself firsthand. So what the hell was this cheesy ass question? ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± Pheera smiled softly. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡± She stared at her feet in silence. ¡°What is it, Pheera?¡± Narvari lifted Pheera¡¯s chin until they were both staring into each other¡¯s eyes. ¡°I just really missed you,¡± Pheera whispered. ¡°I couldn¡¯t wait until tomorrow so I came to see you right away. And I got you something.¡± It wasn¡¯t until Pheera lifted the red gift bag that Narvari noticed it. She had only been transfixed by the girl in front of her. ¡°It¡¯s yours,¡± said Pheera. It seemed every time Pheera came into her room, she had a gift for her. Narvari rubbed her neck. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°We got a nice bonus after the mission and I wanted to get you something. You should take it.¡± Narvari hesitated but the sincerity in Pheera¡¯s eyes stopped her from rejecting the gift. She took the bag. ¡°You can open it.¡± Narvari sighed. ¡°Okay,¡± she whispered breathlessly. What the hell was wrong with her? She knew that Pheera was not using her captivation on her. By now, Narvari fully understood that Pheera had to simply ask anything and she would do it. The thought scared her but it also sent tingles to her toes. Narvari sat on her bed and Pheera sat by her side. She felt Pheera¡¯s gaze on her as she took out the gift from the bag and slowly unwrapped it. Her eyes widened. ¡°Pheera, this must cost a fortune. I really can¡¯t take it.¡± ¡°But I want you to have it,¡± said Pheera. ¡°I thought you should have a new one since you lost the old one.¡± Narvari eyed the expensive-looking phone. It was flatter and thinner than any phone Narvari had ever seen. Almost paper-thin. ¡°Paxher.¡± Narvari ran her fingers over the inscribed letters on the back of the phone. ¡°Never heard of this brand.¡± Pheera chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯s made in Agon.¡± ¡°You bought this in the Central Domain?¡± ¡°No. I bought it in Greece. I know someone there who trades in goods from Agon.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Narvari fingered the thin edges of the phone. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look too different from the phones in the Outer Sphere, but it has more advanced features.¡± ¡°Really? Like what?¡± ¡°Well,¡± said Pheera, ¡°it can be used to communicate across domains.¡± Narvari froze. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re saying I can call someone in Agon with this phone?¡± ¡°If you have their SEC, yes.¡± Narvari narrowed her eyes. Pheera must have sensed her confusion because she said, ¡°Sacred energy code. Before you can use the phone, you need to activate it with your sacred energy. That will produce a code unique to only you. I¡¯ll explain more later. But what matters is that I have stored my SEC on your phone.¡± Narvari nodded. ¡°That is very thoughtful, Pheera. Thank you. But I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t just accept this without doing something for you in return.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I want nothing in return.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Narvari smiled. She had known Pheera for a short while but she had come to understand what a selfless and thoughtful person the girl was. It was for this same reason that Narvari did not want to feel like she was taking advantage of Pheera¡¯s kindness. ¡°I still want to pay you back. How much is it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want you to pay me back. But if you insist, you can do so by sparring with me.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Pheera laughed. ¡°I will take my payment in the form of a spar. I can sense how strong you¡¯ve become. I want to see it for myself.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Narvari scratched her head coyly. ¡°I guess I have. I¡¯m having my Finals in two days.¡± ¡°So soon?¡± Pheera¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°That¡¯s amazing.¡± So soon, huh? She had been training for a whole month. That was a long time. But then again Trixan did say that many rookies attempted their Finals after at least twelve months of training. Even still, Narvari had hoped her Finals would have been sooner. But it was here now so it didn¡¯t matter. She could start her mission of finding her father. She had to know where her mother was. She didn¡¯t even know the woman¡¯s name. What did she look like? What was she like? Why did she leave her? Did her mother not want her? Narvari tightened her grip on her phone. ¡°Narvari.¡± Electricity surged through Narvari¡¯s skin as Pheera¡¯s soft hand brushed against hers. It quickly broke her thoughts about her parents. Pheera was staring at her. The worry in her eyes tugged at Narvari¡¯s heart. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Pheera asked. Narvari forced a smile. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m just really tired.¡± Pheera watched her silently. There was an uncertainty in her eyes, as though she knew Narvari was hiding something. Narvari avoided Pheera¡¯s gaze mostly because she could not bear to look at her while being dishonest to her. Well, at least she wasn¡¯t being entirely dishonest. She was indeed tired, though she didn¡¯t mind talking to Pheera right now. ¡°I¡¯ll let you rest then,¡± said Pheera standing up. ¡°Pheera, wait.¡± Gosh, the way this girl looked at her was just unreal. ¡°I¡­ just want to say thank you. For the gift.¡± Pheera smiled. ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re back.¡± Her eyes fell on Pheera¡¯s lips. After what felt like an eternity of just standing there and staring, Narvari coughed. ¡°Good night,¡± she said too quickly. She could have sworn she saw a hint of disappointment in Pheera¡¯s eyes. But Pheera simply nodded with a polite smile. Had she imagined that disappointment? ¡°Good night, Narvari.¡± Maybe she had imagined it. She fell on her bed as soon as Pheera left. Her heart swelled with happiness at the mere thought of Pheera being back. At the same time a strange feeling she could not explain brewed within her. Being around Pheera made her feel things she had never felt before. It made her heart pound with anxiety and yet she relished it. It made no sense. Narvari touched her chest to feel the rapid beating in her heart. The sleep was completely gone from her eyes. All she could see in her mind was that stunning coffee-brown face with eyes that blazed like a forest of blue fire. Her body tingled when she replayed the touch of Pheera¡¯s soft hands on her skin. It was like honey on her tongue. Narvari shut her eyes and rubbed her forehead. All this was giving her a migraine. Why did Pheera buy her such an expensive gift? Could there be more to this? Narvari sighed. Who was she kidding? This was Pheera they were talking about. She was simply being generous to Narvari, nothing more. For some reason, Narvari didn¡¯t like it one bit. Chapter 38: Yanvirrak Hanes
The day before the Finals, Narvari met her friends in the Academy Lounge to catch up on things. Yanvirrak narrated excitedly about their undercover mission. Their mission took place in a high school in Johannesburg and it involved tracking down two demons who had shape-shifted into students. The demons lured several unsuspecting students into their lair to feed on their hearts. After Yanvirrak explained how he heroically defeated the demons and saved the students, the conversation drifted to Narvari¡¯s Finals. Eventually, their conversation drifted to Narvari¡¯s Finals. ¡°So what should I expect from the Finals?¡± asked Narvari ¡°I can¡¯t really say,¡± Yanvirrak said. ¡°It¡¯s different for every rookie.¡± ¡°What was yours like?¡± Yanvirrak shrugged. ¡°Trixan sent me to a village in Liberia infested with demonic plague. She said I would pass my Finals once I eliminated the plague. I found the source and got rid of it.¡± ¡°You make it sound simple.¡± ¡°It was not, Shar. I almost died.¡± Narvari laughed but then froze when Yanvirrak¡¯s signature grin didn¡¯t appear. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re serious?¡± She gaped. ¡°You know, what? Now that I think about it, Trixan left me back in a simulation where I almost died. She says she cares about us, and I believe her most of the time. But sometimes, I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s like she doesn¡¯t care.¡± Yanvirrak looked at Narvari like she had said the most inane thing in the world. Even Pheera didn¡¯t look pleased. Unlike Yanvirrak however, she just smiled politely. One of those smiles that said, I don¡¯t agree with you, but I hear you. ¡°If there¡¯s one person who cares about us, it¡¯s Trixan,¡± said Yanvirrak. ¡°Her training methods can be rather extreme but it¡¯s for the best.¡± ¡°Is that what she told you?¡± ¡°No. I just know it. You don¡¯t understand yet because you¡¯ve never been on a mission. The job of a vanquisher is probably the most dangerous in the world. We¡¯re always at risk of dying but Trixan ensures that we have a fair chance at survival by putting us through the hardest of training.¡± ¡°Even if it kills us?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be a drama queen, Shar. If your training kills you, chances are that you were never meant for a real mission.¡± Narvari bit her lips in silence. Yanvirrak was probably right. Narvari might have never been on a mission, but she had seen one for herself. Her own home had been that mission and those vanquishers involved had almost died. ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand Trixan, Narvari,¡± Pheera interrupted her thoughts. ¡°She might put us through harsh training, but she will always intervene when she sees we have no chance of surviving.¡± ¡°So she¡¯ll intervene if something goes wrong during my Finals?¡± Yanvirrak laughed. ¡°Someone¡¯s scared.¡± Narvari rolled her eyes. Ignoring Yanivrrak, she asked Pheera, ¡°Will Trixan really intervene?¡± Pheera nodded and put her hand on Narvari¡¯s shoulder. ¡°But I don¡¯t think you want that.¡± Narvari tensed. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Because her intervention is proof that you¡¯re not ready to become a junior vanquisher. You¡¯ll train another year until the next Finals.¡± ¡°A whole year?¡± Narvari¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°Damn, you are right. I don¡¯t want that.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Pheera smiled. ¡°That¡¯s why you have to pass your Finals at all costs. Trust me, many missions are more difficult than the Finals. Trixan ensures that the difficulty level of your Finals matches your capability. If you can¡¯t survive that then you can¡¯t survive on a mission.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Narvari nodded. ¡°And what was yours like?¡± ¡°It involved a Vessel taking control over a town in the Gambia.¡± ¡°A Vessel?¡± Wow, these assholes were everywhere. ¡°And how did it go?¡± ¡°Not easy, honestly.¡± Pheera shook her head. ¡°I wasn¡¯t just going against a Vessel. I was going against her entire demon legion. But I defeated them and freed the town.¡± Narvari asked Yanvirrak what he thought her Finals would be like and he listed several possibilities, most of which were of course, ridiculous. She had to admit that he was quite creative with his suggestions. Creatively dark. As they talked and laughed, someone walked up to their table. Narvari immediately recognized the silver-eyed man with purple hair tied in a bun. His senior vanquisher uniform fit him perfectly. Servin. That must be his name if she remembered correctly. ¡°Hello, Rookie.¡± Servin grinned. ¡°I heard you¡¯re taking your Finals tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± said Narvari. She hadn¡¯t realized that everyone was looking forward to her Finals. ¡°Once I pass, you¡¯ll stop calling me a rookie.¡± Servin chuckled. ¡°Not really.¡± ¡°You two already know each other?¡± Yanvirrak asked. ¡°Of course,¡± said Servin looking at each of them with a playful smirk. ¡°Well, look at that. It¡¯s a whole squad, isn¡¯t it? Pheera, Rookie, and Farouk.¡± Farouk? Narvari looked at Yanvirrak with raised brows. And why did Pheera get to keep her name? Because she¡¯s perfect, that¡¯s why. Narvari sighed as Pheera smiled warmly at her. ¡°So what¡¯s your squad name? Pheeroofa?¡± Servin nodded, clearly impressed with his naming skills. ¡°That sounds really good. I like it.¡± ¡°No,¡± said Yanvirrak. ¡°It¡¯s terrible.¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°I agree. It¡¯s a catastrophe.¡± Narvari grimaced. What the hell was a Pheeroofa? It sounded like the name of a one-star roofing company. ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t be a hater.¡± Servin laughed. Then turning to Pheera, he said, ¡°Trixan would like to see you in her office now, Pheera.¡± Pheera nodded. ¡°Alright.¡± Narvari had never understood why Trixan always sent others to look for them when she could call them directly or send them a message on their xuul or something. Servin said, ¡°Anyway, I need to get going. All the best Pheeroofa.¡± Yanvirrak groaned. ¡°Please, don¡¯t call us that.¡± Servin laughed heartily before walking away. ¡°He¡¯s fun,¡± said Narvari. Yanvirrak rolled his eyes. ¡°I prefer his teaching rather than his corny ass jokes.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a teacher?¡± ¡°Not a teacher. More like a tutor. He helps to train the juniors when he¡¯s free.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see the difference, Farouk.¡± Yanvirrak blankly stared at Narvari. She returned the stare with an even graver intensity. The two engaged in their staring contest until they both laughed. Pheera chuckled, getting up. ¡°I should go see Trixan. As Pheera left, Narvari could not help but stare at the girl¡¯s slender frame. Those shapely long legs, long white hair draping past her waist, and the perfectly fitting dress. God, how was one person so perfect? ¡°So are you just going to keep looking at her or are you going to ask her?¡± ¡°What?¡± Narvari quickly turned to Yanvirrak. ¡°Ask who what?¡± ¡°Dude, I know you know exactly what I¡¯m talking about.¡± Yanvirrak winked. Narvari paused. She knew exactly what Yanvirrak was talking about. ¡°So,¡± she said, ¡°why does Servin call you Farouk?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t change the subject.¡± ¡°What subject? You seem to answer by that name naturally so I¡¯m just curious. Why does he call you that?¡± Yanvirrak sighed, probably in resignation. ¡°Because it¡¯s my name, Shar.¡± Narvari narrowed her eyes. ¡°What?¡± Was this one of Yanvirrak¡¯s jokes? But the usual amusement he held in his eyes when he was joking was not there. ¡°I thought your name was Yanvirrak Hymns.¡± ¡°Hanes¡­ You know what, never mind.¡± Yanvirrak chuckled. ¡°Hanes is actually my middle name. My full name is Yanvirrak Hanes Farouk.¡± ¡°Wait, that Farouk?¡± Narvari¡¯s raised a brow. ¡°As in, the Arab Farouk?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Yanvirrak smiled. ¡°My dad is Syrian. And my mum is Ukrainian.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Okay, Shar. You really need to close your mouth.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m shocked.¡± ¡°I can see that.¡± Narvari studied Yanvirrak¡¯s features closely. The more she looked at those deep black eyes, jet black curly hair, and light creamy skin, the more she saw the East European and Arab mix. Damn. ¡°Okay,¡± said Narvari, ¡°I can understand why your name is Farouk. But what the hell is Yanvirrak Hanes? I may not speak Ukrainian, but I sure as hell know that shit is not Ukrainian.¡± Yanvirrak laughed. ¡°It¡¯s a total mind-fuck, I know.¡± ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m really confused. I always assumed you were from Agon. Just like Pheera¡± He laughed. ¡°I¡¯ve never been to Agon.¡± ¡°Right. Now your American accent makes a lot of sense.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Canadian.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°My accent is Canadian. I was born and raised in Canada.¡± ¡°Your mother is Ukrainian, your father is Syrian and you were born in Canada. Interesting.¡± ¡°Believe me, Shar, my ancestry gets even more complicated than that.¡± ¡°And what about Azmel? He sounds pretty English.¡± ¡°Well, he grew up in the UK. Actually, he and I are like you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re like me?¡± Narvari chuckled. ¡°What, you think I have a cacophony of a name like Yanvirrak Hanes Farouk? It¡¯s Narvari Shar, bitch.¡± Yanvirrak laughed. ¡°Screw you, Narvari I Have A Perfect Name Shar. What I mean is that Azmel and I are from the Outer Sphere like you.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± She thought all vanquishers were from Agon. Well, she wasn¡¯t from Agon so it was logical that there were other vanquishers out there who weren¡¯t from there either. But genes did play a role. So maybe just like Narvari, Yanvirrak probably had an ancestor from Agon too. Maybe that was why he said he had a complicated ancestry. ¡°I was actually named after my paternal great great great grandmother. Her father was from Agon but her mother was from Qartras,¡± said Yanvirrak. ¡°Qartras?¡± Where had Narvari heard this before? Then her eyes widened as it heavily dawned on her. ¡°The Higher Domain? You have ancestors from Outer Sphere, Central Domain, and Higher Domain?¡± ¡°I told you I have a complicated ancestry.¡± Yanvirrak shrugged. ¡°Most of my great great great grandmother¡¯s descendants never awakened sacred energy but I was lucky to be one of the few who did. Actually, I¡¯m the only one in the last three generations.¡± Yanvirrak nodded. ¡°I assume you have an ancestor from Agon too. I mean that¡¯s the only explanation for your awakening.¡± ¡°I guess so too,¡± said Narvari. ¡°Now I get why Yanvirrak doesn¡¯t sound Slavic or Arabic.¡± ¡°Right? I¡¯m glad I was named after Yanvirran Hanes Maplevine. She too was a vanquisher, you know. A powerful one at that.¡± Yanvirrak smiled proudly. ¡°Oh, by the way, Yanvirrak is the male form of Yanvirran. In case you¡¯re wondering.¡± Narvari was not wondering about that. Something else took her attention entirely. Did Yanvirrak just say his ancestor was called Maplevine? Hadn¡¯t she seen that name somewhere before? She was sure she had seen it somewhere before. But there was something else that got her thinking. If none of Yanvirrak¡¯s parents had awakened, how did they know about vanquishers to even name Yanvirrak after one? ¡°Do your parents know you vanquish demons for a living?¡± ¡°Of course they do. Vanquisher lore is very much alive on my father¡¯s side of the family. I was seventeen when I awakened for the first time. Everyone was shocked, but they all knew what I was. You should have seen my grandfather.¡± Yanvirrak grinned widely. ¡°He was so happy to know that someone had finally awakened a vaz and he so much wanted me to enroll at Maplevine School just like my ancestor.¡± Maplevine School. That was it, Narvari thought. She now remembered where she had seen that name. Maplevine School was one of the Twelve Schools she had seen on Trixan¡¯s freakishly large TV. Wow. Yanvirrak¡¯s ancestor was connected to one of the Twelve Schools. ¡°Maplevine is one of the Dominant Families in Agon, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Yanvirrak nodded. ¡°These families may unite against demons, but they can be quite petty towards each other. It¡¯s a dog-eat-dog world back there, I heard.¡± ¡°I¡¯m certain it¡¯s a dog-eat-dog world everywhere.¡± ¡°True.¡± Yanvirrak smirked. A comfortable silence settled between the two until Narvari said, ¡°So how did you end up here if you were supposed to go to Maplevine School? You said Trixan recruited you, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, it just happened. The day after I awakened, she suddenly showed up at my house with Rizav.¡± ¡°Rizav?¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t met her. She¡¯s one of our few senior vanquishers but she hardly ever stays in the school. I mean, I¡¯ve been here for three years and I have seen her only three times. I¡¯m not even kidding.¡± ¡°I know what you mean.¡± Narvari nodded. ¡°I hardly see any vanquishers around. How many are there anyway?¡± ¡°In the Ancient Order of Vanquishers or Draghein School?¡± ¡°Do you know both?¡± ¡°Rough estimate,¡± Yanvirrak wiggled his fingers, ¡°there are millions in the Order. But here in Draghein School, there are only twenty-one of us. Well, at least for those who reside in the school.¡± ¡°So few.¡± ¡°I know. It¡¯s probably why Trixan does her special recruitment.¡± ¡°Does she do a lot of this special recruitment?¡± ¡°I guess so. But obviously, she doesn¡¯t get many recruits. Since I came here, I¡¯ve never officially seen a rookie enroll in this school. Most of us, including you, were specially recruited. I don¡¯t think the other schools have this problem.¡± ¡°Do you know why this is happening?¡± Yanvirrak shrugged. ¡°No idea. Trixan doesn¡¯t talk about it. And no one complains either. She runs the school effectively anyway. That woman is a fucking legend, you know. Seriously, what else do you expect from someone trained by one of the greatest vanquishers of all time? That¡¯s actually why I agreed to come with her when she decided to recruit me.¡± Narvari raised a brow. ¡°Are we talking about the Storm of Hell?¡± ¡°Dude, it¡¯s Hellstorm. Put some respect on his name.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he dead?¡± ¡°He died a hero.¡± ¡°How exactly?¡± ¡°Saving the world.¡± Yanvirrak paused. ¡°He was killed on a mission by a demon.¡± ¡°So the greatest vanquisher of all time was killed by a demon. How exactly was he the greatest again?¡± Yanvirrak gaped at Narvari as if she had just said the most blasphemous thing in the universe. ¡°Why the hell am I friends with you, Shar?¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Narvari put a hand on her chest, ¡°we are friends, Hermit?¡±
Chapter 39: The Finals
On the day of the Finals, Narvari met Trixan in a part of Draghein School she had never been to. The Elders¡¯ Residence. It was the most exquisite home Narvari had ever seen. The serene ambiance within it suited Trixan¡¯s calm and tender personality. Trixan led Narvari to a room with a giant transparent cube. Narvari cocked her head to the side as she gazed at the surreal-looking cube. She looked back at Trixan, wondering what they were doing here. ¡°Where¡¯s my Finals going to be?¡± Narvari asked. She was hoping to go to Ghana. She had heard there were a lot of demons in the Ghanaian parliament and she would like to pay a little visit to them. ¡°Am I going to a town or a village? Or maybe a city. That sounds fun.¡± ¡°I have something else in mind.¡± ¡°What?¡± Trixan pointed to the massive cube. ¡°You¡¯re going to Narraghan, my dear.¡± ¡°Narrawhat?¡± ¡°Narraghan. It¡¯s a void dimension where we send demons we haven¡¯t vanquished. Think of it as a prison for demons.¡± ¡°I have so many questions.¡± Narvari folded her arms. ¡°What¡¯s a void dimension? And why not send the demons back to Bezvar instead? That¡¯s their home, right?¡± ¡°Mostly, yes. But it¡¯s a waste of time sending them back to Bezvar. Vessels would only end up summoning them back to Earth. It¡¯s how they ended up on Earth in the first place.¡± Narvari¡¯s eyes widened. Vessels were the reason why demons were on Earth? ¡°In Narraghan, however,¡± Trixan continued, ¡°a Vessel can¡¯t summon the demon.¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s a void dimension?¡± Whatever the hell that was. Trixan shook her head. ¡°No, my dear. Because it was designed by the greatest mage alive. Don¡¯t worry too much about the specifics, my dear. All you need to know is that you have to survive there for three days. I¡¯ve programmed the portal cube to bring you back as soon as the time is up.¡± Narvari nodded. ¡°Are there any rules?¡± ¡°Just one,¡± said Trixan. Her deep green eyes intently gazed at Narvari. She put a hand on Narvari¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Stay alive, my dear. Narraghan is not a simulation. Everything you see there is real. If you die, you die.¡± Narvari bit her lips. ¡°However,¡± said Trixan, taking off her xuul. ¡°You can choose to opt out of the Finals if you feel you are in danger. Take the xuul. Once you press this button, you will immediately be brought back home.¡± Narvari looked at the cute device. It looked like a wristband with a touchscreen. ¡°I won¡¯t pass my Finals if I call for help, will I?¡± ¡°No, you will not, my dear. But you can always try next year.¡± Narvari paused. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I¡¯ll do this. You should keep your xuul.¡± ¡°Are you certain, my dear?¡± ¡°I thought you believed in me.¡± Trixan smiled fondly. ¡°I do.¡± She put the xuul back on her wrist. ¡°I don¡¯t want you getting involved in the Finals, Trixan.¡± Narvari gave the Elder a meaningful stare. She didn¡¯t want the woman intervening even if she was in danger. That would make everything Narvari had worked for futile. ¡°I can do this.¡± Trixan nodded. ¡°I know. Now get inside the cube, my dear.¡± Without hesitation, Narvari sauntered towards the cube. She halted in front of the empty glass cube and turned to look at Trixan. ¡°I don¡¯t see an opening anywhere.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t need one. Just walk through it.¡± ¡°Through the glass?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not glass.¡± Narvari raised a brow. She expected Trixan to clarify but the Elder did not. She merely gazed at Narvari with a quiet smile. Realizing that was all the information she would be getting, Narvari cautiously put a hand on the glass. To her shock, her hand slipped right through the glass like it was some kind of fluid. A coolness enveloped her hand and she quickly withdrew it. She turned back to Trixan. The Elder smiled at her. Narvari sighed. She walked right through the glass, the coolness embalming her body. She had expected to be transported to a different place altogether, but she found herself still standing in the cube, in the same room. ¡°Remember all your training, my dear. All you need to do is survive in there for three days.¡± Trixan¡¯s eyes flickered as if she was uncertain about something. ¡°I will respect your wishes and not interfere no matter what,¡± she said. ¡°So I need you to survive, my dear. Do you understand?¡±The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Narvari nodded. ¡°You have my word.¡± Trixan nodded. Her attention went back to her xuul. She quickly typed on the screen and suddenly, a brilliant white light flooded the cube, washing over Narvari¡¯s body like a torrent of rain. Narvari narrowed her eyes when she saw that her hands had become one with the light as though she was the light itself. Her body felt lighter and lighter until eventually, she felt completely weightless. The world seemed to have disappeared around her. Or perhaps, more accurately, she had disappeared from the world.
Four days later A knock on the door pulled Narvari out of her deep sleep. Jesus, who the hell was it? She was trying to rest and heal after her traumatic experience in that void dimension. If she thought fighting virtual demons in all those simulations was difficult, then what she went through in Narraghan was a hundredfold worse. She spent most of her three days in Narraghan hiding from demons instead of vanquishing them. Trixan never mentioned to her that Narraghan was full of greater demons whom Narvari could never vanquish because of her weak savaz. While she succeeded in keeping herself hidden most of the time, she had been unlucky enough to fight several seventh-order demons. Although Narvari couldn¡¯t vanquish seventh-order demons with her fifth-order savaz, she was still able to protect herself by using Trinity. With sacred vision, she located the weak points of the demons, thereby inflicting grave damage on them before escaping. Of course, she too had earned her fair share of injuries. Three days later, while she was in the middle of an intense fight with a ninth-order demon (a one-sided fight to be honest because the demon just kept thrashing her around like a rag doll), she was suddenly whisked out of the void dimension back into Trixan¡¯s home. After receiving medical care, Narvari retired to her room to sleep. The news of passing her Finals and receiving her vanquisher license soon wasn¡¯t even enough to give her the energy to celebrate. All she wanted to do was rest her weary bones. And that was what she had been doing for almost twenty-four hours without any interruption. Until now. The knock came back again. This time it was even louder than before. Okay, this was definitely Yanvirrak. The only reason he had not broken into her room already was that Narvari had locked it. Groaning into her pillow, Narvari dragged herself out of the bed towards the door. She opened the door. Yanvirrak grinned at her. She glared at him. ¡°Well, damn, you look like hell, Shar.¡± ¡°Yeah, well, I was in hell, Heist. Bye.¡± Narvari was about to slam the door when Yanvirrak stopped it with his thin, yet strong grip. He was really lucky she was still recovering her energy. He smirked. ¡°I wasn¡¯t the one who tried to kill you during your Finals. So why do you look like you want to kill me?¡± Narvari sighed. ¡°Yanvirrak, I¡¯m exhausted right now. Can we talk later?¡± She added thoughtfully, ¡°Please?¡± Yanvirrak raised a brow like he could not believe Narvari had just been polite to him. At this point, Narvari would say anything to get the boy to leave her alone so she could sleep. She enjoyed his company, but she enjoyed her sleep more. Of course, he didn¡¯t leave. He just grinned at her. ¡°I can leave, Shar. But are you sure you want to go back to bed without talking to her?¡± Narvari hesitated. ¡°Who?¡± Yanvirrak touched Narvari¡¯s forehead with the back of his palm. His face paled in concern. ¡°Damn, did you hit your head back there or something?¡± ¡°No, but I¡¯m about to hit your head right here if you don¡¯t get your hands off me.¡± ¡°Jesus, what is it with you and violence?¡± Yanvirrak laughed. ¡°Says the guy who kills demons for a living.¡± Narvari rolled her eyes. She froze when Pheera came from behind Yanvirrak. He got out of the doorway to give Pheera some space. ¡°Hi,¡± Pheera said. Narvari¡¯s eyes lit up, the exhaustion suddenly feeling insignificant. ¡°Hi.¡± Before Narvari could say anything, Pheera pulled her into a tight embrace. ¡°I was so worried, Narvari.¡± Narvari¡¯s hands slowly weaved up Pheera¡¯s back and she patted it gently. Pheera¡¯s lavender scent intoxicated her. She wished they could stay like this forever. But forever came too soon as Pheera pulled away from their embrace, but she didn¡¯t let go of Narvari¡¯s hand. ¡°I heard you were in Narraghan. That place is full of greater demons and that scared me, you know. I thought¡­ I thought¨C¡± ¡°I died?¡± Narvari chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m not that easy to kill, Pheera.¡± The sound of Pheera¡¯s laughter sent butterflies into Narvari¡¯s stomach and then into her chest. ¡°I think I understand that now,¡± said Pheera, caressing Narvari¡¯s cheek. Pheera¡¯s touch sent a shudder through her body. ¡°Do you want to come inside?¡± Narvari asked breathlessly while trying to ignore the heat growing in her chest. ¡°You look exhausted. I think you should go back to bed,¡± Pheera said. ¡°I just got so anxious when I didn¡¯t hear from you for a whole day after your Finals.¡± ¡°Sorry about that,¡± said Narvari. ¡°I should have come to see you.¡± ¡°Oh no, it¡¯s fine, Narvari. I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re alright.¡± Narvari shrugged casually. ¡°Well, it was nothing.¡± She had come close to death only about sixty-three times. No biggie. Pheera smiled.¡±I¡¯ll see you tomorrow then?¡± ¡°I- I don¡¯t mind if you stay.¡± Pheera paused. ¡°I¡¯d like to stay too, but you do need your rest.¡± This was just like the first time Narvari was in Draghein School and Pheera kept insisting she rested. This girl enjoyed getting Narvari in bed, didn¡¯t she? As soon as the thought crossed Narvari¡¯s mind, her face flushed with heat. It was a good thing she was dark-skinned. The redness on her face would have been too obvious. ¡°No more undercover missions then?¡± Narvari asked, anxious to change the topic. Pheera shook her head. ¡°On the contrary. We will be spending a lot of time together.¡± Narvari¡¯s breath quickened. She rubbed her neck in the most casual way she could muster. ¡°Really?¡± She coughed, toning down her excitement. ¡°I mean, what do you mean we¡¯ll be spending a lot of time together?¡± Pheera raised a perfectly groomed brow. ¡°You haven¡¯t forgotten your promise, have you?¡± ¡°Promise?¡±Did she make a promise to Pheera? Why couldn¡¯t she remember? ¡°The spar.¡± ¡°Oh, I remember now,¡± she said, grinning widely. ¡°So when do you want me to kick your ass?¡± Pheera laughed. ¡°You¡¯d like that, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± Narvari¡¯s throat ran dry. Pheera¡¯s words were always so innocent, and yet, Narvari could not help but picture not-so-innocent things. ¡°You tell me,¡± said Narvari, grinning. Two could play the game. ¡°You two do realize that I¡¯m standing right here. Right?¡± Yanvirrak suddenly said. ¡°That I can hear you, right?¡± Jesus. Is he still here? Narvari opened the door wider only to see Yanvirrak leaning against the wall, smirking. Before Narvari could think of a soul-crushing comeback, Pheera was already hugging her again. ¡°Good night, Narvari,¡± she whispered. ¡°And congratulations on passing your Finals.¡± Then Pheera kissed Narvari on the cheek. Narvari¡¯s eyes widened as the sparks of electricity surged through her almost electrocuting her to death. Gosh, she was losing her mind.
Chapter 40: Pheera vs Narvari
Pheera felt a blush creeping on her face. Narvari must have said something, but she didn¡¯t hear it since her focus was on Narvari¡¯s perfectly sculpted body. It was as if Narvari had intentionally only worn a sports bra and a pair of gym trousers to taunt her. Pheera had always hated the idea of touching people, even if slightly, out of fear of accidentally captivating them. But for some reason, she never felt that way about Narvari. Instead, there was something about Narvari that drew her in. She always had this extreme urge to touch her soft brown skin. Narvari was the only one who had broken free of her captivation and that gave Pheera hope that she could not accidentally make Narvari do anything against her will. Unfortunately, Narvari hated it when Pheera was too close to her. She didn¡¯t blame her. ¡°Pheera.¡± Pheera gazed up at Narvari¡¯s concerned face. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Pheera nodded. ¡°Are you going to answer my question then?¡± She ran her hand through her hair. ¡°Sorry. What was the question again?¡± Narvari sauntered towards Pheera until they were only a few feet apart. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re fine? You seem distracted.¡± Pheera smiled, heat rushing up her face. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Narvari nodded, though she didn¡¯t look convinced. So I asked if I could see your savaz before we begin our duel.¡± ¡°Oh. Sure.¡± Pheera took a deep breath, before chanting ¡°Enphara.¡± Her blue and white sacros appeared, suddenly transforming into her savaz. ¡°Wow.¡± Narvari¡¯s eyes lit up. She drew closer, gazing at the blue and white savaz. ¡°This is amazing. It¡¯s really beautiful.¡± Their eyes met. ¡°Not as beautiful as you, though.¡± Pheera froze. Narvari cleared her throat suddenly as if she had not meant to say that. Sometimes it was hard to figure her out. Usually, she was so confident and sure of herself. But then there were days like this when she acted so shy. Withdrawn. ¡°Is his name Enphara?¡± She nodded at the savaz. ¡°His?¡± Narvari raised a brow. ¡°Oh. Her then? Or a they?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡°What? Don¡¯t you two talk?¡± Narvari folded her arms. ¡°Ushama won¡¯t shut up.¡± ¡°Ushama? That¡¯s your savaz¡¯s name?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Her savaz appeared out of the blue. Pheera¡¯s eyes widened. She didn¡¯t think she heard or saw Narvari call them out. Pheera looked at Narvari closely. That could only mean that Narvari had some form of union with her savaz. Since her sacros had appeared before transforming into savaz, that meant the union wasn¡¯t full but partial. How was it possible that someone who was barely a class five vanquisher had achieved partial union? ¡°What?¡± Narvari smirked. ¡°Nothing.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Are you ready to spar now? Or do you want more excuses to get away from defeat?¡± Narvari chuckled. ¡°Well, damn.¡± Her savaz disappeared as did Pheera¡¯s. They circled each other, each one waiting for the opportune time to strike. Suddenly, Narvari threw a punch towards her, but she blocked it with her sacred fist, sending a scared kick toward Narvari¡¯s head. But Narvari¡¯s upper body lowered almost to a horizontal level on the ground causing Pheera to simply kick the air. Narvari flipped backward three consecutive times. ¡°Is that the best you can do, Pheera?¡± She smirked. Pheera laughed. She had no intention of going easy on Narvari. The girl may have taken only a month to train, but she by no means underestimated her. After only a few minutes of their spar, she knew that Narvari was no easy opponent. With lightning speed, Pheera lunged toward Narvari in one single leap. She moved with precision and force warping space itself. But Narvari didn¡¯t seem perturbed at all. On the contrary, she moved with a similar intensity, blocking all of Pheera¡¯s punches and kicks as much as Pheera blocked hers. They seemed to be evenly matched. Not for long, Pheera thought. She sent successive punches toward Narvari so quickly that it seemed as though her fists had multiplied. But they were merely mirages. Of course, just as Pheera expected, Narvari froze in confusion, staring at the multiple fists racing toward her. It was the Zoleris special Shadow Clone Fist. Narvari staggered backward as Pheera¡¯s real fist punched her in the chest. She crashed to the ground and before she could get back on her feet, Pheera was already on top of her. ¡°Is that the best you can do, Narvari?¡± The intensity in Narvari¡¯s honey eyes sent a shudder within her body. She froze on top of her, not daring to move. Her eyes lingered on Narvari¡¯s lips. Focus. She stood up quickly and slowly, Narvari rose looking somewhat dazed. But that didn¡¯t stop her from lunging straight toward Pheera. Their frenzied attacks began again followed by a lot of grunting. A sudden move by Narvari took Pheera by surprise giving Narvari the upper hand. It was a mere second, but it was enough to pin Pheera to the hard stone wall, their faces just mere inches apart. Pheera¡¯s chest heaved with?¡ª?and something more. Sandwiched between Narvari¡¯s arms she seemed to forget how to breathe. It was hard to understand the look in Narvari¡¯s eyes. And why was Narvari staring at her lips?Stolen novel; please report. Narvari took a few steps back, then walked away. She sat on the stone floor. Pheera sat next to her but made sure to put a respectable distance between them. She could see that Narvari¡¯s walls were up again. Pheera reveled in the comfortable silence between them. Narvari suddenly blurted, ¡°You are a really good fighter.¡± ¡°So are you.¡± ¡°What was that move anyway?¡± Narvari finally looked at her. ¡°Your hands literally multiplied.¡± Pheera smiled. ¡°It¡¯s called the Shadow Clone Fist.¡± ¡°Trixan never mentioned it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think she knows it.¡± Narvari narrowed her eyes as if to say that she didn¡¯t believe it. ¡°It¡¯s¨C¡± she paused, ¡°it¡¯s a Zoleris Secret Art.¡± Narvari didn¡¯t react for a while. Then she nodded. She wanted to ask a question but she kept her mouth shut. Pheera could understand why. The last time Narvari had asked about her family, Pheera had stormed off in anger. She felt bad about doing that but she hated talking about her family. ¡°I thought Trixan taught you to fight?¡± Narvari asked. ¡°She did. She taught me sacred combat.¡± She played with her hair. ¡°But before I awakened, Jeoraz trained me in Zoleris Secret Art.¡± ¡°Jeoraz?¡± Pheera nodded. ¡°He¡¯s the martial arts master of the Zoleris Family. He began training my siblings and me as soon as we were five years old.¡± Pheera paused. ¡°I have four older siblings.¡± Narvari nodded and smiled. ¡°Now that makes more sense.¡± She laughed. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I thought you only started learning to fight three months ago. Your skill is too refined and experienced to be shaped in such a short time.¡± ¡°I only started training in sacred combat three months ago. People from the Dominant Families usually learn to fight long before they awaken. It makes it easier to learn sacred combat.¡± Pheera hugged her knees. ¡°Yanvirrak had to learn everything from scratch. It¡¯s impressive how fast he¡¯s learned in only three years.¡± ¡°I still can¡¯t believe he¡¯s twenty.¡± Narvari grinned. ¡°He looks fifteen. But sounds forty.¡± They both laughed. ¡°How old were you when you awakened?¡± Narvari asked. ¡°Sixteen,¡± Pheera replied. She would rather not get into the story behind her awakening. Or worse, the story before her awakening. ¡°I turn seventeen in four months. What about you?¡± ¡°Eighteen. I¡¯ll be nineteen in June next year.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a late bloomer but I guess Trixan has always had an eye for talent.¡± Pheera laughed when she saw the shock on Narvari¡¯s face. It was like Narvari could not believe she had been called a late bloomer. ¡°Most people awaken before the age of eighteen,¡± Pheera explained. ¡°But I guess in your case it doesn¡¯t matter. Your progress is already incredible.¡± Narvari grinned. ¡°I¡¯m pretty incredible, aren¡¯t I?¡± Pheera chuckled, shaking her head. Narvari bit her upper lip. ¡°Can I ask you something?¡± The last time Narvari had asked something like this, the two didn¡¯t talk for more than a week. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Does Trixan often do this special recruiting?¡± Pheera nodded. ¡°She has to. We are understaffed and most of the professional vanquishers have all transferred to the other schools.¡± ¡°But why?¡± ¡°The Draghein Family is why.¡± Pheera shrugged. ¡°I think they have something against Trixan and they will do anything to make her job difficult.¡± ¡°That¡¯s odd.¡± Narvari frowned. ¡°Isn¡¯t this school their family legacy? Aren¡¯t they supposed to help Trixan get more vanquishers? I mean, logically, the more professional vanquishers from Draghein School the more money for them right?¡± ¡°Essentially, yes. But things are more complicated than that, Narvari.¡± Pheera sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what¡¯s going on between Trixan and the Draghein Family, but what I do know from experience is that the Dominant Families can be very petty against their enemies.¡± ¡°Enemies?¡± Narvari gaped. ¡°You think they see Trixan as an enemy? Why did they make her Elder then?¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t. Hellstorm did.¡± ¡°Hellstorm? The former Elder of the school?¡± Pheera nodded. ¡°It was a big issue back then. Most of the Dominant Families would never make someone from outside the family an Elder of their school. And Hellstorm defied that norm when he chose Trixan. But the Zhura of the Draghein Family supports his decision so no one can openly challenge Trixan¡¯s authority either. All they can do is scheme behind her back.¡± ¡°So they will sabotage themselves just to make things hard for Trixan.¡± Pheera smiled sadly. ¡°Things like these are very common in Agon. But I guess, it¡¯s a good thing anyway. The only people remaining are those truly loyal to Trixan.¡± Narvari nodded. ¡°So Hellstorm was a Draghein then?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Pheera nodded. ¡°They said he returned Draghein School to its true glory as the number one of the Twelve Schools.¡± ¡°Well,¡± said Narvari, ¡°I don¡¯t know who the hell this Hellstorm is. But I still think we are doing pretty well as a school. We may be few but we are strong because our Elder is strong.¡± ¡°I agree,¡± said Pheera smiling. ¡°Should we get back to training then?¡± Narvari asked. She leaned closer to Pheera until their faces were a few inches away from each other. She whispered, ¡°Or are you scared of what I might do to you?¡± Pheera blinked rapidly. Her cheeks burned. Breathlessly, she said, ¡°I think it¡¯s time for lunch.¡±
One week later, Narvari¡¯s license and uniform were ready. She quickly made her way to Trixan¡¯s office as soon as the Elder called her over. Narvari studied the silver oval badge, running her index finger over the stylish inscriptions on it. Two savaz crossed each other like the letter X and a language Narvari had never seen before were inscribed on the license. She was certain this language was not even from Earth. ¡°What does it say?¡± Narvari raised her license. ¡°The top reads Ancient Order of Vanquishers and the words below mean Sacred is the arm that protects. It¡¯s written in Agon.¡± Sacred is the arm that protects. It had a nice ring to it. ¡°What about my uniform?¡± Narvari looked at Trixan expectantly. Trixan pointed to a black hard case bag resting on the table and a gray garment bag. Narvari assumed that her vanquisher uniform was in the garment bag but she could not think of what might be in the hard case bag. With a quick breath, she opened the case bag. Narvari gasped as she took in the magnificent red and black xuul. She glanced at Trixan. Given how stylish Trixan was, Narvari was certain the woman had chosen a xuul that perfectly complimented her savaz. ¡°It is programmed personally to you, my dear. Never take it off during a mission.¡± Narvari snatched the xuul and ran her fingers over its thin screen. The fabric felt so soft and yet so tough. Her heart swelled with pride. She had her very own xuul. She could teleport wherever she wanted. Awesome. ¡°There¡¯s a manual inside the suitcase on how to use the xuul, my dear. Try not to overuse the portal function. It runs directly on your sacred energy and you don¡¯t want to exhaust your sacred energy.¡± Her dream went up in smoke. Narvari pouted, replacing her xuul in the briefcase. ¡°So when do I start my missions?¡± ¡°As soon as one comes up, my dear, you¡¯ll be notified on your xuul. In the meantime, you need to join a team for your missions. Azmel¡¯s team is the most recent one and you¡¯re already familiar with them. It should be easier to settle in.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying I can join Pheera and Yanvirrak?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Trixan gazed at Narvari so gravely it made Narvari audibly gulp. ¡°Narvari.¡± Her tone hardened. Narvari held her breath. Trixan sighed, her eyes softening. ¡°Being a vanquisher is a really dangerous job, my dear. Making even the slightest miscalculation could cost the lives of people and that includes your teammates. You can¡¯t afford any distractions.¡± Could Trixan see through her? Did she know how much Pheera distracted her? ¡°If being in Azmel¡¯s team is going to be a problem¨C¡± ¡°It¡¯s not.¡± Maybe being around Pheera made her feel like everything was on autopilot. But that didn¡¯t mean she would become less competent at her job. ¡°Okay then, my dear.¡± Trixan nodded, patting her on the shoulder. ¡°Congratulations on becoming a professional vanquisher.¡± Narvari beamed. ¡°And now it¡¯s time to vanquish demons.¡±
Chapter 41: First Mission
Narvari was not sure what time it was but what she was certain of was that this was indeed an unholy time to be waking up. She yawned when her xuul beeped again. A notification. Narvari bolted out of her much larger bed?¡ª?the sleep was suddenly gone. She switched on the lamp on her bedside table then took her xuul. It was only 5:45 am. Narvari opened the notification and a rectangular holographic screen hovered above the xuul¡¯s touchscreen with a message on it: New Mission Team Azmel Client: Richard Oko Armah Location Code: AF-GH-001-AR5¨C29 Case type: Private Emergency Level: Yellow Based on the Location Code, they were going somewhere in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. She wasn¡¯t sure where exactly in the region since she had not memorized all the location codes. Well, at least she was going to Ghana as she had wanted. But the emergency level was only yellow which meant that their mission was going to be rather boring. Depending on the mission''s urgency, they were classified into red, orange, and yellow. While red was the most urgent, yellow was the least urgent. After a quick preparation, she went to find her team in the Junior Lounge. Azmel, Yanvirrak, and Pheera were already waiting, smartly dressed in their black and green vanquisher uniform. ¡°Nice suit,¡± Pheera said, a sweet smile adorning her beautiful face. Narvari grinned like an idiot. ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± said Azmel in his no-nonsense voice. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Where are we going?¡± Narvari followed the team out of the Junior Lounge. ¡°Weapons Room,¡± said Yanvirrak, as if that alone was enough explanation. ¡°For what?¡± ¡°Um, weapons.¡± Yanvirrak shook his head like he did not believe she had just asked him that. Narvari narrowed her eyes. She had never considered that vanquishers needed weapons since they already had their savaz. After a few moments of passing several hallways, they came across an elevator and stepped inside. Azmel punched the elevator keypad taking them deep underground. Seconds later, the elevator door opened. ¡°Holy shit.¡± Narvari gaped as she stepped into a ridiculously large room full of futuristic-looking machines, vehicles, and just about anything one would find in the garage of a billionaire superhero. Exactly how much money did the school make from killing demons even with the few vanquishers they had? A small group of people in black overalls roamed all over the place doing various things. Some cleaned up strange gadgets she had never seen before, others worked on expensive-looking cars and motorcycles, while others stood before large wall screens doing¡­ She had no idea what they were doing. All of this was in Draghein School? Since when? A petite woman with short blue hair slid on a mechanic creeper from beneath a silver sports car. Getting back on her feet, she promenaded towards them, smiling cheerfully. ¡°Oh, look. It¡¯s Team Az.¡± She waved curtly. ¡°Well, hello there, the ever-so-lovely Grain,¡± said Yanvirrak. ¡°Aw, you flatter me, Yan. But I¡¯m still not giving you the plasma grenade.¡± ¡°Damn.¡± The woman laughed. Her amused eyes stopped on Narvari. ¡°And you must be our newest recruit. Narv, is it?¡± ¡°Huh, it¡¯s Narvari Shar.¡± ¡°Sure, Narv.¡± Narvari raised a brow, her eyes on the woman¡¯s outstretched hand. What was it with these people giving her names she never asked for? Narvari glanced at Pheera and Yanvirrak. Pheera smiled, and Yanvirrak smirked. Narvari took the woman¡¯s rough hand giving it a firm shake.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°The name is Graindel,¡± she said. ¡°But you can just call me Grain. Your scores during your simulation training were impressive.¡± ¡°How do you know that?¡± Narvari tilted her head. She thought only Trixan kept track of her training. Grain chuckled. ¡°Dude, I designed most of the simulation.¡± ¡°You did?¡± ¡°Grain is the Head Engineer,¡± said Azmel. ¡°She and her team are responsible for designing and making all the equipment we need. Now that the introductions are out of the way, can we get back to business?¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± Grain rolled her eyes. ¡°So what do you guys need today?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a private case,¡± said Azmel. ¡°Just get us the usual.¡± Grain nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡± asked Narvari ¡°Our vanquishing services are normally sought after by governments and large organizations,¡± said Grain, taking a black hard case from a shelf full of briefcases. She put the case on a massive table with various gadgets lying on it. ¡°Occasionally, individuals also reach out to us when they think they have problems that have to do with demons.¡± Grain looked up at Narvari. ¡°Except that usually their problems have nothing to do with the supernatural. But they are paying for our time, so who are we to complain?¡± ¡°Right?¡± Yanvirrak grinned, to which Narvari just gave him a blank look. Grain chuckled. ¡°Language translators.¡± She took a round device that could easily fit into the ear and offered it to Narvari. She took three more of those giving one each to Azmel, Pheera, and Yanvirrak. She grabbed a hand-sized crystal prism, carefully placing it in the hard case. ¡°Solar prism. In case you run into any sun-averse demon. Two holy cages. And that¡¯s it Did I miss something?¡± ¡°No,¡± said Azmel. ¡°Great.¡± Grain ran her hand over the table as if she was scrolling through something. That was when Narvari realized that half of the table¡¯s surface was a touch screen. ¡°You know the drill, Az.¡± Azmel stepped forward, putting his palm on the touchscreen to scan it. ¡°All done?¡± Grain asked and Azmel nodded in the affirmative. ¡°Great. Here you go.¡± She tossed the bag to Azmel. ¡°Thanks.¡± Azmel carried the hard case backpack. ¡°My pleasure,¡± said Grain. ¡°Now go kick some demon ass.¡± Azmel activated the portal function on his xuul.
¡°Aren¡¯t you worried about being seen?¡± Narvari asked, adjusting her language translator in her right ear. Being the last to walk out of the blue portal, she wondered what it would seem to an ordinary person seeing people just appear out of nowhere like that. ¡°You watch too many superhero movies.¡± Yanvirrak chuckled. ¡°Tell me, what¡¯s going to happen if a random person finds out that vanquishers and demons exist?¡± ¡°Nothing much.¡± Narvari shrugged. ¡°I mean, they might just lose their sanity. But obviously, it¡¯s nothing much.¡± ¡°See.¡± Yanvirrak patted Narvari on the back. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal.¡± She chuckled as she looked around her, admiring the beautiful palm tree-lined street. The street converged at a roundabout where a fountain in the shape of three flower pots stood. A building towered before with the name High Garden Hotel written above it in massive block letters. ¡°I sense no demon energy.¡± Azmel stared at his xuul. ¡°Where the hell is everyone?¡± asked Yanvirrak. Not a single person was in sight as they strolled down the empty streets. Even at the front door, no one was around to open the door for them as many hotels did. No one was inside the hotel either. There wasn¡¯t even a receptionist. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anyone here,¡± said Pheera. ¡°Did we get to the right place?¡± asked Narvari. This was too weird. Maybe Azmel had miscalculated the location code and teleported them somewhere else. ¡°It¡¯s the right place,¡± said Azmel. His eyes suddenly turned grave, as if sensing something. Narvari understood why since she too heard the dull footsteps. ¡°Someone is coming. Stay alert,¡± he instructed. They waited with bated breath as the approaching footsteps became louder and louder. Someone finally darted out of a corner stepping in plain sight in the hallway. A middle-aged man with a balding head and graying temples. An aura of fatigue surrounded him so much so that Narvari would not doubt it if the man claimed he had not slept for a month. He painfully dragged himself towards them. ¡°Good morning. You must be the people I¡¯m expecting,¡± he spoke in English, his voice full of weary. ¡°You deal with spirit issues, right?¡± ¡°You can say that.¡± Azmel nodded. ¡°Thank God. Someone helped me to reach you. He said you can help me.¡± ¡°You are Richard Oko Armah?¡± Azmel read the name on his xuul. The man chuckled. ¡°Yes. That¡¯s me. You can just call me Richard. I own this hotel.¡± Everyone took turns introducing themselves and shaking Richard¡¯s hand. ¡°Narvari Shar.¡± Narvari took the man¡¯s hand giving it a firm shake. She nodded at the tattoo on the back of Richard¡¯s hand. It was a five-pointed black star inside a circle with a thick black outline. And together they were inside a semi-circle with a thin red outline. It was a rather simple tattoo but it was professionally done. ¡°Cool tattoo.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Richard raised a brow. ¡°What kind of help do you need from us, Richard?¡± Azmel interrupted before Narvari could repeat herself. ¡°We can¡¯t talk here,¡± he said. ¡°Come with me.¡± They followed Richard into one of the hotel rooms where they eased themselves into the plush cream sofa. ¡°What seems to be the problem?¡± Azmel went straight to the point. Shaking his head, Richard sighed. ¡°Everything is the problem. My life is a complete mess. It can¡¯t be physical, you know.¡± Narvari raised a brow. Did this man call them because of his life problems? But when she glanced at Azmel, he didn¡¯t seem surprised by this. Did they often get missions like this? What Grain said about private missions usually being dead ends came to Narvari. She had been so excited about her first mission only to turn out to be a waste of her time. Richard continued, ¡°I¡¯ve been to so many churches already but no one could help me.¡± ¡°What exactly is this problem?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice anything when you came in?¡± Azmel paused. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean. There was nothing to notice. No one around.¡± ¡°Yes. Exactly. This place was one of the most popular hotels here in Osu. But now¡­¡± Richard shook his head, looking even more exhausted than he already did. His sunken eyes reddened. ¡°In the last two weeks, eighteen people have died in my hotel.¡± ¡°What?¡± They all gaped. Even Azmel.
Chapter 42: The Hexing Rune ¡°How did that happen?¡± Yanvirrak asked. ¡°All strange circumstances,¡± said Richard. ¡°Four people drowned in the pool even when the lifeguards were on duty. Eight committed suicide in their rooms. And the others died of unknown causes. It all happened right here in this hotel. I have no idea how any of that happened. But no one believes so. That¡¯s Ghana for you.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Narvari. ¡°People have their opinions. None of the things that happened could be explained, so Ghanaians claim I made my money through money rituals. Can you imagine?¡± Money rituals? She almost laughed out loud. Didn¡¯t such things only exist in Nollywood movies? But seeing the gravity in Richard¡¯s eyes, she knew this was no laughing matter. ¡°They say I killed all those people for money rituals. Can you imagine? They have completely ruined my reputation and no one wants to visit this hotel. It is completely untrue. I am a Christian and there is no way I will have anything to do with the work of the devil.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± said Azmel. ¡°But what kind of help do you need from us exactly?¡± Narvari also wondered the same thing. They were vanquishers, not public relations officers. Richard said, ¡°The thing is that this isn¡¯t the only bad luck I¡¯m facing. Not only have I lost my hotel business, but my other businesses are also failing.¡± ¡°Explain.¡± ¡°I had a large cold store business in Tema,¡± Richard said. ¡°But just three days ago, the whole place was razed down by fire. The same thing happened to my provision shop in Kasoa a week ago. In only three weeks, I have lost almost all my businesses.¡± He paused, his eyes reddening. ¡°One of my children even died in a car accident.¡± Richard clenched his jaws as if trying to stop the tears dangling at the corner of his eyes from falling. ¡°My wife has divorced me and taken all my other children away because she thinks I have used our own child for money ritual.¡± Emphatically, while beating his chest, he added, ¡°Me. Money rituals. Can you imagine?¡± Richard balled his trembling fist. ¡°I¡¯m losing all my money. Everything. And yet people dare to say that I am doing money rituals. Can you imagine?¡± Narvari¡¯s heart went out to Richard. How could one person suffer so much grief? It was even a surprise that he had not broken down in tears yet. Once Richard calmed down he added, ¡°I don¡¯t know why all this is happening to me. I just don¡¯t know. So I tried to get help from somewhere but it got too expensive and I stopped.¡± Azmel, who had been listening quietly all this while without any reaction, finally narrowed his eyes. ¡°What kind of help?¡± ¡°I went to see a prophet,¡± said Richard. ¡°I went to see a powerful man of God.¡± ¡°And he helped you?¡± asked Narvari. Richard nodded. ¡°Things started working out for the better once I started going to his church and following his instructions. But now I can¡¯t afford his services anymore. He told me to bring certain items and an offering for a new prayer session but I don¡¯t have the funds for that now. I already owe people so much. So I stopped going to him and things have become much worse.¡± Wow. Narvari had never had to think about religion in such a manner. From the way Richard spoke about the prophet, it was clear that he had a lot of faith in the man. But what Narvari found strange was why the prophet would ask for a fee before helping out members of his church. Shouldn¡¯t the fee be a donation?¡ª?something that came out of goodwill instead? Well, maybe she was wrong about it. She had never been to church anyway. ¡°Did the prophet tell you what the problem was?¡±Azmel asked. ¡°He said the spirit of my grandmother was sitting on my luck. That¡¯s why I keep getting so much bad luck.¡± Narvari nodded. So that¡¯s why Richard invited them. Previously, she wouldn¡¯t have believed anything about spirits and all that nonsense. But not anymore. Demons were real. The spirit of a dead old woman hunting her grandson was relatively normal. ¡°The person who told me about your business said you are professionals when it comes to spiritual issues. I told him I couldn¡¯t afford it but he offered to pay for me.¡± For the first time, Richard managed a small smile. ¡°It¡¯s the only lucky thing that has happened to me in weeks.¡± He paused. ¡°What¡¯s the name of your church?¡± Narvari looked back at Azmel, as she had no idea how to answer this question for obvious reasons. With a straight face, Azmel said, ¡°The Ancient Order of Vanquishers.¡± Richard nodded. ¡°I see. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve heard about it before.¡± Was anyone going to tell the man that they were not a church? ¡°We are not a popular church,¡± said Yanvirrak. Apparently, no one was going to say anything. ¡°So how does this work? How will you find the evil spirit?¡± Richard scratched his forehead with his tattooed hand. Narvari frowned. She was sure the red outline of the tattoo was a semi-circle. But now, it was more than half a circle. What the hell? She cocked her head, subtly taking a closer look at Richard¡¯s hand. Had she imagined it or was the circular ring around the tattoo growing? ¡°Narvari, is everything alright?¡± Pheera whispered beside her. Narvari raised her head. Everyone gazed at her. ¡°Nothing.¡± She coughed. Could her first mission get any more awkward? ¡°I was just looking at Richard¡¯s tattoo. I thought it changed or something. Maybe I was wrong.¡± ¡°What tattoo?¡± Richard narrowed his eyes. ¡°The tattoo on your right hand.¡± The man¡¯s face paled as he quickly turned his hand to take a look. ¡°What are you talking about? I don¡¯t have any tattoos on my body.¡± Narvari sensed the fear in Richard¡¯s eyes as they glanced at her. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Can you see something on my body?¡± ¡°You can all see the tattoo, right?¡± Narvari exchanged glances with her team. But they all looked at her like she had just grown a liver where her eyes used to be. ¡°What tattoo?¡± Yanvirrak said. Narvari almost berated Yanvirrak to stop joking about such a serious matter but then Pheera said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Narvari. But I don¡¯t see anything.¡± Narvari froze. Pheera would never pull such a prank on her. Was she losing her mind then? How was she the only one seeing the mark? ¡°Sacred vision,¡± said Azmel. ¡°Use sacred vision, everyone.¡±This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Holy shit.¡± With his eyes aflame by his purple sacros, Yanvirrak gawked at Richard¡¯s hand. ¡°You had this on you the whole time?¡± Yanvirrak turned to Narvari. ¡°It was smart using sacred vision, Shar.¡± Confusion clouded Narvari¡¯s brain like a fog. But I didn¡¯t use sacred vision. ¡°I need a better look.¡± Azmel asked Richard to give him his hand. The man did so without question while Azmel carefully observed the tattoo with his sacred vision. ¡°I can see the demon energy inside it.¡± ¡°What? Demon energy?¡± Richard¡¯s large eyes became even larger. Azmel nodded. ¡°The demon energy is sealed that¡¯s why we couldn¡¯t sense it before. But there is a mark of a demon on you.¡± ¡°Are you saying I¡¯m being haunted by a demon?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, yes.¡± Azmel released Richard¡¯s hand, returning to his seat. He turned off his sacred vision. ¡°But fortunately I know exactly what¡¯s going on with you. And I know just how we can solve it.¡± ¡°You do?¡± Richard sighed in relief. This man must be a real man of faith, Narvari thought. How strong was his faith that he wasn¡¯t even questioning people claiming he had a tattoo when he knew for a fact that he didn¡¯t? To be fair, he had come asking for their help so it would be rather annoying if he didn¡¯t believe them. ¡°When you described all your bad luck I thought you were just being dramatic,¡± said Azmel. Narvari¡¯s face flushed in embarrassment. Azmel was so brutally honest it hurt her soul. But Richard didn¡¯t seem to mind. Perhaps he was more focused on the solution to his problem. ¡°After putting everything together,¡± Azmel said, ¡°I now understand what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°Is it the spirit of my grandmother?¡± ¡°No, Richard. That prophet lied to you. He¡¯s been scamming you.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Prophet Yeboah is a real man of God. So many people attend his church.¡± ¡°Do you want our help or do you want to go back to the prophet?¡± Richard looked like he had something else to say, but he remained quiet. Taking Richard¡¯s silence as an answer, Azmel said, ¡°There¡¯s a mark on your right hand. I know you can¡¯t see it, but it¡¯s there and it¡¯s not a tattoo. It¡¯s something called a hexing rune.¡± A hexing rune? Narvari had seen this word in one of the demonology books while reading about a hexing demon. But the demons were so many that she merely skimmed through this one. From the little she read, she knew that hexing demons cursed their victims with bad luck and somehow those hexing runes were related to it. Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t pay much attention to this particular demon so she was still ignorant about how hexing runes worked. ¡°What does it mean?¡± asked Richard. ¡°Someone has purposely put a hex on you, Richard. You¡¯ve been cursed. That¡¯s what it means.¡± ¡°What?¡± Richard gaped. ¡°But why will anyone do that? I haven¡¯t done anything to anyone.¡± ¡°I cannot answer that,¡± said Azmel. ¡°But I can tell you that hexing rune on your body is the reason for your curse.¡± ¡°How did a hexing demon even put the rune on him in the first place?¡± asked Narvari. ¡°A hexing demon didn¡¯t do that. Someone else did.¡± Narvari cocked her head. She really should have read this. Then she wouldn¡¯t be asking such stupid questions. ¡°Hexing demons are only attracted by cursed objects and people,¡± Azmel explained. ¡°They don¡¯t put the curse on the people. They simply fulfill the curses coded within the hexing rune. ¡° ¡°So someone put the hexing rune on Richard to attract a hexing demon. And that hexing demon is making the curse on the rune come true.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± ¡°But who would do such a thing?¡± ¡°Who else?¡± Narvari watched her teammates in confusion. They seemed to be understanding what was going on but she was completely lost. Richard must be in a far worse situation than she. ¡°That¡¯s one of the most complex hexing runes I¡¯ve ever seen,¡± said Azmel. ¡°Only a Vessel is capable of casting this.¡± A Vessel? Narvari¡¯s eyes widened. Just like Stein. Those evil bastards. Did they get off on making the lives of others unbearable? ¡°I don¡¯t understand any of this?¡± Richard said. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Basically, someone has put a hexing rune on you which contains a series of curses,¡± said Azmel. ¡°The rune has attracted a demon making all those curses come to pass. But the rune is still incomplete. Which means that there are even worse curses in store for you. In the end, it¡¯s going to kill you. You will likely take your own life once the circle is complete.¡± Jesus, Azmel. But how else could Azmel sugarcoat this? With a shaking hand, Richard rubbed the back of his palm where the tattoo was supposed to be. The poor guy. Narvari felt rage slowly bubbling inside her bowels. Those bloody Vessels were nothing but the demons they served. ¡°When do you think all this bad fortune began? Try to be as accurate as possible.¡± Richard rested his forehead in his palm. ¡°About three weeks ago. Or maybe more. I¡¯m not too sure¡± ¡°Well, you need to be sure. The hexing rune takes a month to complete. If it¡¯s been three weeks, then you have another week. Or perhaps just a few days left. You need to tell me everything you remember about your condition.¡± ¡°I-¡± Richard stuttered, his face as pale as paper, ¡°I remember there were some days when all I experienced was good luck. The bad luck comes and goes.¡± ¡°Strange. I¡¯ve never heard about that.¡± ¡°Well, I told you I saw a prophet and he was helping me.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°Yes. And whenever he prayed for me, the bad luck would go. But after a few days, it came right back.¡± ¡°How long have you been going to the prophet¡¯s church?¡± ¡°Oh, more than one month now. Maybe one month two weeks.¡± ¡°Before you started the church, what was your business like?¡± ¡°It was good. Business was very good. But when I joined, the business became better. I got more contracts, more clients.¡± ¡°For how long?¡± Richard paused thoughtfully. ¡°For about two weeks. Then the first tragedy came. Someone committed suicide in my hotel. And things got worse from there.¡± ¡°But as soon as you went to the prophet things became better?¡± Richard nodded slowly. ¡°When the suicide happened, it was all people talked about and I lost so many clients. But once the prophet prayed for me, it was like everyone had forgotten about it.¡± ¡°Have you ever had any physical contact with the prophet? Did he ever touch you?¡± ¡°Well, yes, of course. He laid his hands on me to pray for me.¡± Richard shot Azmel a cold look. ¡°Why are you asking me so many questions about the man of God? Are you trying to tell me he has something to do with this?¡± Narvari thought the same thing. The way Azmel interrogated Richard about the prophet made it look like the prophet had something to do with the hexing rune. Wait. Narvari¡¯s eyes darkened. Was that prophet the Vessel then? Holy shit. Yanvirrak smirked at her as if to ask if she had figured it out yet. Azmel said, ¡°I think it¡¯s suspicious how your hex began when you went to the church, and somehow it stopped whenever the prophet took money from you and prayed for you.¡± ¡°It was a seed I was sowing for God¡¯s blessing.¡± Richard countered. Clearly, his temper was rising at having the prophet defamed like that. But was it really defamation if it was the truth? ¡°With all due respect, Richard, that prophet gave you a demon¡¯s curse in exchange for your seed.¡± ¡°But¡­ But that can¡¯t be true. Prophet Yeboah is one of the most respected prophets in the country.¡± ¡°I guess we¡¯ll have to see him to find out. If he cast that hexing rune on you, then he¡¯s the only one who can break it. That explains why you get good luck whenever he prays for you. All he does is break the hex only to put it back after a few days.¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t believe Prophet Yeboah did this to me. Why will he even do this?¡± ¡°How much do you pay him for every prayer session?¡± Azmel folded his arms. Richard¡¯s face fell, as though he had just figured out everything. ¡°Fifteen thousand Ghana Cedis,¡± he whispered. Then more defensively, he added, ¡°Not just for the prayer but for things like anointing oil and candles.¡± ¡°Is that like a lot of money?¡± asked Yanvirrak. ¡°It¡¯s about 2000 US dollars, I think.¡± Narvari shrugged. ¡°For a single prayer session?¡± Yanvirrak asked. ¡°Damn. I¡¯m in the wrong profession.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe Vessels are parading as pastors. But then again, I¡¯m not even surprised. Those scoundrels are truly evil.¡± ¡°Can you break the curse?¡± asked Richard. ¡°I can¡¯t personally do that,¡± Azmel said. ¡°I need the Vessel to do it. You¡¯re going to have to tell me everything about this prophet. It¡¯s the only way we can help.¡± Richard nodded. According to him, the prophet¡¯s name was Prophet Daniel Adjei Yeboah, and he was the general overseer of Global Power International Prophetic Church. Wow, what a mouthful. For the next half an hour, Richard told them about how he first heard about the church from a colleague and how he went to worship there. He also recounted the great miracles he saw in the church. The sick woke up from their sick beds and crippled walked. The blind saw, and the mute spoke. He also said that people gave testimonies about how they easily won visas to Europe and North America soon after the prophet prayed for them. Narvari was confused about how getting a visa to another country needed divine intervention. Hell, she was confused about the whole thing. Richard explained how his business started booming until one day things went crazy. One Sunday, Prophet Yeboah picked him out of the congregation and told him his business was suffering but God would deliver him. Thus began their prayer-payment relationship. It went on for a while until Richard ran out of money and could no longer afford the prophet¡¯s services. After showing them a picture of the prophet and where to find his mega-church, Azmel instructed Yanvirrak and Pheera to stay with Richard and never leave his side. ¡°I don¡¯t know when the hex will be complete,¡± said Azmel. ¡°Make sure he doesn¡¯t kill himself. If the demon shows up to harm him, vanquish it.¡± Azmel took out a holy cage from his backpack, throwing it to Yanvirrak. ¡°The hexing demon is only third-order. But in case it¡¯s higher than normal like the last time, just capture him.¡± ¡°What about me?¡± Narvari asked. ¡°You¡¯re coming with me.¡± Narvari grinned, suddenly not feeling like this mission was a waste of time. ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to church.¡± Chapter 43: The Prophet Global Power International Prophetic Church, GPIPC for short (which was also too damn long), was located nationwide in Ghana. However, Richard had visited the main church in what was known as the Glorious Temple in La Paz. Initially, Narvari had thought the church was in the capital of Bolivia. Richard, however, assured her that La Paz was in Ghana. Using the geolocation system in the xuul, Azmel configured the location code opening a portal in a secluded alley thirty meters away from the church. They made their way out of the alley into a more bustling part of the town. People went about their daily lives as if the heaps of rubbish scattered along the pothole-filled streets and stagnant open drainage were just normal. Honking cars were the order of the day. It seemed that it was some kind of a ritual for taxis and minivans to just blare their horns as they passed by. Narvari noticed that wherever they went, people just stared at them in amusement. At first, she thought the people were staring because of their odd uniforms but she soon realized they were staring at Azmel. He was the only white person in a place full of dark-skinned people. Even Narvari fit right in. Azmel didn¡¯t seem to mind though and just kept walking with his usual grave aura. Another thing that culturally shocked Narvari was the large billboards advertising so many different churches. The largest one so far was the billboard of the GPIPC, situated right beside the massive conglomerate of a church. All the advertisement boards of the GPIPC had images of a young fair-skinned man (fair-skinned in African parlance) wearing various stylish suits in each image. Narvari recognized the man as Prophet Daniel Adjei Yeboah. In one of the images, the young prophet sat on a golden throne looking very serious with his sharp jawline. He might be a scheming bastard, but he was photogenic. A scheming photogenic bastard. After admiring the splendor of the church¡¯s architecture, Narvari followed Azmel inside. It was only Wednesday, and Narvari had not expected to see anyone in the church. Boy was she wrong. Several dozens of cars parked outside with even more people heading over into the main building of the church. Apparently, Sunday was not the only day people went to church. She was learning a lot of things today. They were about to enter the church hall when a middle-aged woman in a stylish African print dress approached them. ¡°Welcome to Glorious Temple, Beloved in Christ,¡± she said cheerfully. ¡°My name is Sister Abigail.¡± Narvari glanced at Azmel but he said nothing. So she said, ¡°We are here to see Prophet Daniel Adjei Yeboah.¡± Sister Abigail smiled widely. ¡°Are you here for the consultation? Wednesday is consultation day.¡± Narvari narrowed her eyes. She had no idea what this woman was talking about. Luckily, Azmel spoke up. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re here for consultation.¡± ¡°Oh, okay. I hope you have prepared your consultation fee?¡± ¡°Consultation fee?¡± Narvari raised a brow ¡°Oh, yes. It¡¯s five hundred Ghana Cedis. You will only see the prophet when you pay the fee. It¡¯s a small investment for all the big things God is about to do in your life.¡± She smiled kindly as if she had not just tried to rip them off. Or maybe she truly believed in that. Did Sister Abigail know that she was going to the church of a literal demon worshipper? ¡°Of course,¡± said Azmel. ¡°We have the fee.¡± We do? She kept a straight face though. ¡°Both of you?¡± asked the woman. Azmel shrugged. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± She nodded at Narvari. ¡°Where do you come from? You don¡¯t sound like a Ghanaian. Not even like a Nigerian and we have a lot of Nigerians here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m from Sharmandi.¡± ¡°What country is that?¡± ¡°Sharmandi.¡± The woman nodded slowly. She looked at Azmel. ¡°What about you, Obroni?¡± A vibration jolted inside Narvari¡¯s head. It was painless and lasted for less than a second, but in that same instant, she instinctively understood the word obroni as a white person. Before she could act a fool of herself from the mere shock of what had just happened, Narvari suddenly remembered that there was a language translator in her ear. She had expected the language translator to verbally translate words. Instead, it was making her understand the language like she had been speaking it all her life. ¡°Where¡¯s the prophet?¡± Azmel changed the subject. His expression didn¡¯t change, but Narvari could tell he was getting impatient. The woman hesitated for a moment. ¡°Prophet is in his office. The consultation will begin soon so he will see everyone. You can pay your fees once you get inside.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s his office?¡± ¡°Inside. Second floor.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± They left the woman and entered the massive church hall. Hundreds of people were already inside sitting patiently. Even with their large number, the church was still basically empty. Narvari wondered what this place looked like when filled. She wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the church could contain about five thousand people. A man in a blue suit stood before the small congregation, directing the people to their seats. This was not the pastor though he did have similar taste in a shiny suit. All eyes were on them, the church hall completely silent, as Narvari and Azmel went to the man. He stopped what he was doing as soon as he noticed the new visitors. ¡°Welcome to Glorious Temple, Beloved in Christ.¡± He smiled widely, moving closer to them. ¡°I am Brother Mike. Please, have a seat.¡± He pointed to some empty chairs. ¡°Prophet will see you soon.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to see him now. It¡¯s urgent,¡± said Azmel. ¡°Sorry, but Prophet is busy right now. You have to wait till it¡¯s time for consultation. Even still, you will have to wait for your turn. There are so many people here before you.¡± Though the man was polite, he didn¡¯t look pleased. Azmel, on the other hand, didn¡¯t seem to care. He stood casually, hands buried in his pockets. Then he walked past the man towards the winding staircase. Ignoring the scowl deepening on Brother Mike¡¯s face, Narvari brushed past him right after Azmel. Brother Mike shouted after them to halt. Prophet was busy, he said, and they would have to wait. Yes, well, they did not have the luxury of time. The life of their client literally depended on it. Brother Mike started speaking in another language. Narvari instantly understood that he was calling for backup. He told security to come out and throw the troublemakers out. She wondered what kind of security the church had. She soon found out. A group of men all in glittering suits poured out of the rooms like bees. They rushed down the stairs, blocking Narvari and Azmel¡¯s path like some kind of human wall. ¡°Sir, what is this?¡± Brother Mike asked when he reached their side. He glared at Azmel. ¡°I told you to wait. You can¡¯t go upstairs without an invitation. You need to leave now.¡± ¡°Tell them to get out of our way. Or I will do it for them.¡± Azmel¡¯s hazel eyes turned icy. Narvari bit her upper lip. She was confident Azmel alone could easily take down all these men with his bare hands. Yet it didn¡¯t feel right to fight people who had done nothing wrong to them. Especially in a church. ¡°Maybe we should think about this,¡± Narvari whispered to him. ¡°Why?¡± He didn¡¯t even bother to whisper back.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°We are only here for the prophet.¡± ¡°Well, not anymore. These men are working for the Vessel.¡± Narvari narrowed her eyes. Was this church really run by a Vessel? They had only made an educated guess based on the things Richard told them. What if they attacked the men only to realize that their hypothesis was wrong? ¡°Do you see the ring on their fingers?¡± Azmel asked. Narvari¡¯s eyes darted towards the black rings on their right index fingers. ¡°What about them?¡± ¡°Those are a Vessel¡¯s relic.¡± Oh, snap. ¡°Sir, you and the young lady need to leave now,¡± one of the security men said. Honestly, Narvari wasn¡¯t sure if they were security men or fellow prophets. They were dressed in the same style of suit as Prophet Yeboah did in most of his pictures. They must like their shiny suits. ¡°Narvari, I need you to get the congregation out of the church premises. Once they are safely outside, put a holy veil over the entire building.¡± Narvari nodded. She quickly ran in front of the congregation. Most of them were on their feet, gawking at the unfolding scene. Narvari frowned when she saw that some of the people had the hexing rune on some parts of their bodies. Some had it on their arms while others had it on their necks. She balled her fist, rage slowly taking over. The prophet had something to do with the hex and all these people were going through the same thing as Richard. Little did they know that the man they thought could help them was the same person putting them through all their pain. Narvari took in a deep breath, forcing her murderous thoughts out of her mind. She had other things to worry about. ¡°Hello,¡± she announced as loudly as she could instantly garnering everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°I need you all to move outside right now.¡± As an afterthought, she added, ¡°Please.¡± ¡°But why?¡± A woman shouted in the same language Brother Mike had spoken. ¡°We came here to see Prophet. We won¡¯t leave until we see him.¡± ¡°Yes, we won¡¯t leave,¡± said another ¡°Why can¡¯t you and your obroni friend join the queue too? Do you people think you are better than us or what?¡± This man spoke in English. The church erupted in chaos, everyone wanting to speak their mind. Narvari sighed. I don¡¯t have time for this. She released her sacros. The people didn¡¯t react any differently. So they really can¡¯t see sacred energy. Once her sacros disappeared, her savaz materialized in her hands. She raised one of her savaz in the air, ready to fire. ¡°Eii, she has a gun oo,¡± yelled a woman. That was all it took for everyone to bolt towards the door like a mob of kangaroos. First problem solved. Her savaz vanished and with her sacros around her again, she zoomed out of the church towards the gate. Most of the congregants had already rushed outside, and those remaining had no intention of staying behind. There was noise everywhere. Narvari patiently waited for the last person to leave then she went to work. She touched the black gate releasing her sacros. Her black and red sacred energy crept up the gate, extending over to the wall until it was like a massive black and red tent over the entire building of the church. If anyone could see what she had done, which she doubted they could, they would see that a massive black dome had covered the entire church. This was her holy veil. While it was up, no one, not even a vanquisher, could enter the church from the outside. A lesser demon who tried to breach the holy veil would instantly be incinerated. Even a greater demon would suffer grave injuries. While a royal demon may not be harmed by it, it still would not be able to get past it. Only Narvari was immune to her holy veil. But of course, the church was rather massive taking up a lot of Narvari¡¯s sacros. Hopefully, she wouldn¡¯t have to keep it up for long. Satisfied with her handiwork, Narvari sped back into the church. Narvari whistled at the heaps of bodies in shiny suits on the ground. While a few groaned in anguish, unmoving, many of them lay unconscious. What the hell did Azmel do to them? She had been gone for like five minutes. ¡°Who are you people?¡± Standing immaculately on the staircase, with his hand resting on the banister, was the man of the hour. Of course, he wore his signature shiny suit, fancier and shinier than the others. He climbed down the stairs, glaring at them. ¡°What is the meaning of this? How dare you cause trouble in the house of God, huh?¡± The man lifted a finger at Azmel. ¡°Do you have no fear of God?¡± ¡°I should be asking you the same question, Prophet.¡± Narvari glared right back at him. ¡°Richard isn¡¯t the only one with the hex. I saw the hexing rune on most of the church members.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Azmel said. ¡°Tell me something, Vessel, how exactly do you want to die?¡± Azmel¡¯s light gray sacros surged out of his body with incredible intensity. His eyes darkened with rage. It was the first time Narvari had seen him show so much emotion. Well, Vessels did have a way of pissing people off. ¡°You people are crazy,¡± shouted the prophet. ¡°Get out in the name of Jesus.¡± Narvari tilted her head. Is this guy for real? He burst into prayer, invoking the power of God to consume them like fire. He clapped frenziedly as he prayed. His English changed to the other language Narvari had been hearing all day. The detail of the prayer became even more graphic, requesting the angels of God to massacre their spirits. At a point, Narvari became confused as the language translator was no longer translating and all she heard was gibberish. Wait, is he speaking in tongues? She gaped at Azmel. He only shrugged as if this was something he often dealt with. The prophet continued to pray seriously in that unintelligible language. Though Narvari couldn¡¯t understand anything, one particular word kept repeating itself over and over. All she could hear was, ¡°¡­blah blah blah¡­ marishmu¡­ blah blah blah¡­ marishmu.¡± Foul energy, that could only have come from a being as malevolent as a demon hang over the church auditorium. Then her xuul as well as Azmel¡¯s beeped to alert her of the presence of a demon. A fluid portal of black goo opened right behind the prophet and from out of the demonic chasm emerged the ugliest reptilian creature Narvari had ever seen. It had sickly greenish skin with streaks of yellow and ash. It looked exactly like what she had seen in the book?¡ª?a hexing demon. ¡°Well, look at that,¡± said Narvari eyeing the third-order demon, ¡°God truly works in mysterious ways, doesn¡¯t he?¡± Once the demon took his position beside the prophet, the prophet ordered it to kill Narvari and Azmel. Thick brown fluid foamed at its mouth as it growled menacingly. Had there not been a holy veil around this place, Narvari was sure the whole La Paz, including the one in Bolivia, would have heard the demon. The demon sprung towards them with its strong hind legs. Boom! went the explosion. With a gaping hole now drilled into its head, the demon howled louder than before. It crashed heavily to the floor, quickly disintegrating into dust. The dust disappeared until no sign of the demon remained. Narvari glanced at Azmel, the latter cradling his massive gray savaz. When had he even geared up? The prophet even looked more shocked than Narvari with his mouth agape. Still holding his savaz, Azmel sauntered towards the prophet. Prophet Yeboah retreated, his face pale. But the strength in his feet must have drained since he fell to his knees. Azmel pressed the savaz into the prophet¡¯s forehead. ¡°You are no Vessel. Who are you?¡± The prophet panted, raising his hand. ¡°I¡­ I¡­ Please don¡¯t kill me.¡± Narvari narrowed her eyes.¡±What do you mean he¡¯s not a Vessel?¡± She took a better look at the man groveling on the ground. ¡°Take off your suit jacket.¡± ¡°What?¡± The prophet¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Don¡¯t let me repeat myself.¡± With a shuddering hand, Prophet Yeboah took off his first piece of clothing. ¡°Now take off your waistcoat and shirt.¡± The prophet did so without hesitation. But he did look confused by Azmel¡¯s odd requests. Even Narvari didn¡¯t know why Azmel was doing this. ¡°What do you see, Narvari?¡± Narvari tilted her head, her eyes on the prophet who was now only in a white singlet. ¡°Um, nothing. Just a singlet. Should I be seeing something?¡± ¡°There are no runes on his body.¡± Narvari took another look and she saw that indeed there were no strange symbols of a Vessel on his body. Stein had markings all over his sleeves and neck and Narvari had assumed they were tattoos. But they turned out to be runes. ¡°He has the same ring as the others too¡± Azmel lifted the prophet¡¯s left hand with the long barrel of his savaz. The black ring on his index finger gleamed. ¡°It¡¯s a protective charm but Vessels themselves don¡¯t need to wear it since they already have protective runes on their bodies.¡± Azmel sent the tip of the savaz back to the prophet¡¯s head. ¡°But he doesn¡¯t have any.¡± Narvari nodded, finally understanding Azmel¡¯s point. The only reason a Vessel could be possessed by demons and survive was because of the protective runes they had on their bodies. A Vessel couldn¡¯t possibly be a Vessel without those runes. ¡°Okay, but how did he summon the demon if he¡¯s not a Vessel?¡± ¡°He will have to answer that himself.¡± Azmel used his savaz to do a ¡®get up¡¯ motion. The prophet slowly rose. He did not even dare put back his clothes on. ¡°Show him Richard¡¯s picture.¡± Narvari took her phone and quickly scrolled through her gallery. She found what she was looking for and shoved the picture into the prophet¡¯s face. ¡°Do you remember this man?¡± asked Azmel. He intently gazed at the picture. Then he nodded. ¡°He used to regularly come to my church. But these days I don¡¯t see him anymore.¡± ¡°I wonder why,¡± Narvari scoffed. ¡°Who are you people? Is it money you want? I have a lot of it. I¡¯ll give it to you, just please leave.¡± The prophet seemed genuinely confused by who they were. Stein had recognized her as a vanquisher. If this man were truly a Vessel, he would have recognized Azmel¡¯s savaz and known that he was a vanquisher. Was it possible that there were Vessels who didn¡¯t know about the existence of vanquishers? That was too unlikely. So if the prophet was not a Vessel, what was he then? ¡°You put a curse on him, didn¡¯t you?¡± Azmel just went straight to the point. ¡°And you¡¯re doing the same to some of your church members.¡± The prophet¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°How¡­how do you know this?¡± ¡°You need to break the curse now. Or I will break you.¡± Azmel¡¯s tone remained the same, yet it dripped off a coldness that could turn a hot desert into ice. ¡°Okay, okay. I will break the curse, okay? Just put the gun down. Let¡¯s be civil.¡± Wow, the audacity of this guy. Narvari shook her head. ¡°Do it now.¡± Azmel tightened his grip on his savaz. ¡°Of course. But I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t do it here. I can only do it in my¡­ room.¡± The prophet¡¯s voice grew to a whisper when he said ¡®room.¡¯ Oh hell no. This sounded too damn shady. There was no way in hell Azmel would just agree to follow this man into his ¡®room.¡¯ ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s go to your room.¡± What the hell? Narvari stared at Azmel like he was crazy. But, strangely, she trusted him. So far he¡¯d had an excellent judgment on this mission so she consoled herself that Azmel wouldn¡¯t just follow someone into an obvious trap without a plan. ¡°Let me warn you,¡± Azmel said when the prophet got back on his feet, ¡°I will be expecting a call from my team as soon as the curse breaks. If I don¡¯t get this call in exactly thirty minutes, you¡¯re a dead man. Do you understand?¡± Prophet Yeboah gulped, nodding rapidly like an agama lizard. ¡°I swear I¡¯ll break the curse.¡± Yes, this wimp was definitely not a Vessel. If he had the relic of a Vessel, then Narvari was certain a Vessel gave it to him. Maybe that Vessel had given the prophet the means to summon the demon. She wasn¡¯t entirely sure. The ways of the Vessels of Bezvaros were still a mystery to her. Even if this prophet was not one of them, he might still be dangerous since he was affiliated with one. She had to be more careful now that they were entering his lair. Who knew what they might find there? Chapter 44: Babysitting the Client Yanvirrak watched the older man like a hen watched over her chicks. Richard had been sitting in the same position on his couch in the last ten minutes Azmel and Narvari had been gone. With eyes shut, Richard cradled his cheek in his palm, while his feet rested on the glass center table. Yanvirrak wondered what Richard was thinking about. Would the man really try to kill himself? As much as he hated to think about it, he knew that could happen. He hoped that Azmel and Narvari would quickly break the hex on the poor man. Those two must be having a lot of fun facing the Vessel and their cohort of demons. Meanwhile, he was here stuck on guard duty. Gah! Yanvirrak stiffened at Pheera¡¯s gaze. ¡°Is everything okay with you?¡± she asked, concern on her face. Yanvirrak sighed. Sometimes it was scary how Pheera could easily pick up on the slightest change in a person¡¯s mood. She had once told Yanvirrak that she had a sense of what a person was feeling if it was strong enough. She didn¡¯t even have to touch the person to do that. ¡°I¡¯m just bored being here doing nothing.¡± Pheera smiled. ¡°We aren¡¯t doing nothing, Yanvirrak. Protecting Richard is important.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know.¡± He nodded. ¡°I just wished I¡¯d gone with Azmel. Do you think he did the right thing taking Narvari instead? This is only her first time, you know?¡± ¡°Maybe that¡¯s why he took her along. So he could keep an eye on her.¡± Pheera paused thoughtfully. ¡°But I also believe that Narvari can handle it even if this is only her first time.¡± Yanvirrak smirked. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Pheera chuckled. ¡°You like Narvari, don¡¯t you?¡± He had seen the way Pheera looked at Narvari. How she talked to her. And more importantly, how physically close she was to Narvari, always wanting to touch her. This was the same person who avoided having any kind of physical contact with people like they had a contagious disease. But for some reason, she had no problem when it came to Narvari. A distressed look appeared on Pheera¡¯s face. She opened her mouth to say something, but the words never came out. She only looked away sadly. ¡°Pheera, I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said quickly. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to upset you.¡± ¡°No, no, it¡¯s not that. I¡¯m not upset.¡± She smiled, tucking a strand of white hair behind her ear. ¡°I just thought about something.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Pheera sighed, the weight of whatever was on her mind heavily weighing her down. ¡°I don¡¯t think Narvari fe¨C¡± The shuffling of feet interrupted Pheera. They both glanced at Richard only to see him taking his feet off the glass table and adjusting himself in a more comfortable position. He finally opened his eyes, returning their gaze. Yanvirrak held his breath, watching Richard¡¯s every move. When Richard got up, Yanvirrak did the same. He was not taking any chances with him. ¡°Everything alright?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯m thirsty.¡± Richard shrugged. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll get the water.¡± ¡°I can get it myself.¡± ¡°Yes, you can,¡± Yanvirrak said. ¡°You can also poison it. Or I don¡¯t know, get a gun and blow your brains out.¡± Richard sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t have a gun but point taken.¡± He sat without any argument. Smart man. ¡°Where do I get the water?¡± Yanvirrak spotted a fridge in the part of the room that looked like a bar. ¡°Never mind.¡± He nodded at Pheera. ¡°Please watch him.¡± Out of the assortment of drinks in the fridge, Yanvirrak chose a bottle of mineral water. Now, where would he find a drinking glass? Okay, maybe no glass. He wouldn¡¯t want Richard suddenly ripping out his own jugular or something. The sound of shattering glass emerged from the living room followed by intense struggling and grunting. ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± he muttered to himself, racing towards the chaos. ¡°What in the actual fuck.¡± He dropped the bottle of water, gaping at the scene unfolding before him. He had only been gone for like five seconds and yet the room looked like it had been visited by a hurricane during his absence. The fine piece of center table once was now a heap of shattered glass. All the furniture had been haphazardly tossed away in all directions in the room. But the most shocking of it all was Pheera holding Richard in a tight headlock from behind. Richard struggled intensely to break free however Pheera wouldn¡¯t let go, pinning her back to the wall to keep herself steady. ¡°Pheera, what¡¯s going on? Did he try to hurt himself?¡± ¡°He tried to kill me.¡± Richard bared his teeth violently like a rabid dog, foaming at the mouth. Not too long ago, he was completely fine and now he was a man possessed. This must be the effect of the curse, Yanvirrak thought. It was now directly affecting Richard¡¯s sanity, making him a danger to himself and others. Yanvirrak had been so concerned about Richard being suicidal that he had not once stopped to consider that he could be homicidal too.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Shit. Richard sank his teeth into Pheera¡¯s sleeved arm and she yelped through gritted teeth. Her grip around Richard¡¯s neck loosened and before Yanvirrak could intervene Richard hurled Pheera across the room with one hand. Okay. So now he had superhuman strength. He blocked the path as Richard dragged himself towards Yanvirrak with a contorted gait and lifeless smokey eyes coded with one mission?¡ª?to kill them both. Yanvirrak instantly summoned his sacros around his fists. ¡°Pheera, are you okay?¡± he asked his eyes fixated on Richard. ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± she said. ¡°Don¡¯t attack him with sacros. His body might not be able to take it.¡± Even if Richard had suddenly gained superhuman strength due to the demon¡¯s hex, he was still human and his body was too weak to withstand sacred energy. They were here to help the man not kill him. With that thought in mind, Yanvirrak¡¯s purple sacros disappeared. He would have to do this the old-fashioned way. He lunged toward Richard with the quickness of a gazelle then used all his might to shove him. But Richard stood rigidly like a mountain. He didn¡¯t even move a step back. God, he¡¯s strong. With Trinity, Yanvirrak could easily wipe the floor with Richard even with his faux superhuman strength. For obvious reasons, however, he would rather not do that. Fighting Richard without sacros would be a little more challenging. The thought exhilarated him, desiccating his boredom into cinders. When Richard¡¯s fist lunged toward Yanvirrak¡¯s face, the latter flipped backward twice before landing right next to Pheera. ¡°We need to end this now before things become worse,¡± said Yanvirrak. The worst-case scenario was if Richard finally directed the violence to himself. They couldn¡¯t let that happen. ¡°Any suggestion? One that doesn¡¯t involve me ripping his gut open. He may seem strong, but I don¡¯t know how much his body can take if I hit him.¡± ¡°We need to restrain,¡± said Pheera. ¡°Keep him busy. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Pheera was already gone in a flash before Yanvirrak could nod in agreement. Richard charged towards him like a blind bull but he deftly zoomed out of the way. For every attack Richard hurled at him, Yanvirrak evaded it with the swiftness of the wind. Though Richard had somehow become far stronger than normal, he was still painfully slow. It made it easier for Yanvirrak to evade all of his attacks without having to lift a finger himself. This was even more boring than babysitting him. With his sacros flashing around him, Yanvirrak sped towards Richard sending a single chop into his neck. Though Yanvirrak had only used his average strength, Richard still dropped to the ground. Only the whites of his eyes remained as he thrashed wildly on the ground, foaming at the mouth. Yanvirrak froze. Did he hit the man too hard? His blood froze upon seeing Richard sink his teeth into his own hands, gnawing at it like a savage beast. Yanvirrak quickly wrestled Richard¡¯s blood-stained hands from his mouth, pinning him to the ground with his entire body. Richard¡¯s convulsion did not stop. No, there was something more going on here. This couldn¡¯t simply be because of the simple chop he had sent to the back of his neck. Turning on his sacred vision, Yanvirrak took a closer look at Richard¡¯s hexing rune. He narrowed his eyes. The previously black markings were all now fiery red and it was not because of the blood. It was like the rune had been drawn with magma. The hex was taking root. It was almost complete. Oh, no. They had anticipated they had a few days left but for some reason, things were going faster than normal. It seemed like something was speeding up the hex. Did they fail? The thought sent bile up his throat. Did it mean something had happened to Azmel and Narvari? ¡°I found something,¡± Pheera interrupted his morbid thoughts. She held a white fabric long enough to be used as a rope. She imbued the rope with her blue and white sacros, making it tougher than before. It should suffice as a rudimentary holy chain strong enough to restrain Richard. They firmly tied up Richard¡¯s hands and feet, keeping him in place on the ground. When Yanvirrak was certain that Richard could not break free from the shackles, he got up. Without the sacros around the rope, Richard would have long freed himself with all that thrashing and struggling. His growling became louder and more savage. It was followed by a long piercing cry?¡ª?the cry of someone in agonizing pain. ¡°Pheera, sacred vision.¡± Of all the sacred bodies, sacred vision was the most exhausting to use. If that were not the case, he would be using it all the time. Discarding the thoughts of his limit in using sacred energy, he gazed at the hexing rune slowly withering away in tiny red cinders as though been burnt by fire. Maybe it was being burnt away by fire which could explain why Richard was screaming in so much pain. ¡°I think the hex is breaking,¡± said Pheera. Yanvirrak wasn¡¯t sure what was happening. But from the way the markings of the rune were burning away in embers, he had a feeling that it was indeed breaking. After what felt like an eternity of watching the poor man suffer and scream, every last trace of the hexing rune vanished. Richard¡¯s body froze, his convulsion disappearing without a trace. His brown irises reappeared and his eyes shut. He looked so peaceful. Yanvirrak and Pheera exchanged a glance. They cautiously approached the man¡¯s body. Sweat drenched his entire body like he had been plunged into the fiery pits of hell. Yanvirrak gently kicked Richard¡¯s leg, but the latter did not budge. ¡°Is he dead?¡± It would be too bad if the man died after the curse was broken. Or had they been wrong to think that the curse was broken? Pheera knelt beside him. ¡°Pheera, be careful.¡± She nodded, touching Richard¡¯s neck. ¡°He¡¯s still alive.¡± ¡°Thank goodness. That was too close.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know when he¡¯s going to wake up.¡± ¡°Who is going to wake up?¡± Richard said sleepily in a muffled voice. His eyes fluttered open, curiously staring at Pheera. ¡°Are you an angel?¡± Pheera chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, Richard.¡± Then his eyes fell on Yanvirrak. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s just you,¡± he said. Just me? Richard tried to sit up, but the bindings stopped him from moving. ¡°Why am I tied up on the ground?¡± Richard looked around him, shock deepening on his dark features. ¡°Jesus Christ, what happened to my room?¡± Yanvirrak raised a brow. ¡°You don¡¯t remember?¡± ¡°Remember what?¡± ¡°Never mind.¡± He snapped the restraints, helping Richard to his feet. He and Pheera helped the man to one of the sofas left standing amid the chaos. ¡°What happened?¡± asked Richard when he sat. ¡°We don¡¯t understand yet. But the curse has been broken. I think.¡± ¡°Really?¡± His tone said he was ecstatic, but his expression was much more cautious. As if he would suddenly be told it was all a lie. ¡°Well, how do you feel?¡± Richard sucked in the air like he had been deprived of oxygen for so long. ¡°I feel like a big burden has been lifted off my shoulders,¡± he said. ¡°I always felt like I was carrying a heavy load. But I don¡¯t feel like that anymore.¡± ¡°Good. I¡¯ll call the captain and let him know you¡¯re alright.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Yanvirrak,¡± said Pheera, ¡°I¡¯ll call Azmel.¡± Yanvirrak nodded, sitting next to the man as Pheera excused herself to go make the call. Richard fished his phone out of his pocket as soon as it rang. Richard¡¯s eyes reddened with emotion. ¡°It¡¯s my wife,¡± he said before picking up. Yanvirrak smiled. She wondered what Azmel and Narvari had to do to get the Vessel to break the hex. Chapter 45: Breaking the Hex Thirty minutes ago The color red assaulted Narvari¡¯s senses as soon as she entered Prophet Yeboah¡¯s room. Fabrics so red that Narvari was sure had been dyed in buckets of fresh blood, draped over the walls. Lighted red candles of all sizes lined up the floors while even more candles populated the red altar leaning against the wall. But none of these shocked Narvari more than the dozens of dolls displayed on rows and rows of wooden shelves. Each doll was riddled with countless silver pins like a porcupine. Above each doll, pinned on a wooden plank, was the photo of a person. ¡°What in the world is this?¡± Narvari glanced from photo to photo. She couldn¡¯t say she knew exactly what was going on, but if she would make an educated guess, those wooden dolls symbolized the people who were being cursed while the pins inside the dolls were the curse itself. She was right about her hypothesis because the prophet confirmed it. ¡°Where¡¯s Richard¡¯s effigy?¡± asked Azmel. Gulping, the prophet led them to another shelf full of dolls with one of the dolls having a picture of a smiling Richard above it. The irony of it all. Narvari shook her head, glaring at the man of the cloth. More like a monster of the cloth. The prophet explained the process behind breaking a curse like they had signed up for a masterclass in hexes. He said that to stop the curse from taking effect, he would have to pull out all the pins from the doll. But to completely break the curse, he would have to burn the picture and the doll once he removed the pins to sever his connection with his victim. The person who gave him this power said that once he broke the curse completely, he wouldn¡¯t be able to curse them again unless he started the whole process that cursed them in the first place. The process was quite hectic, said the prophet, and it wasn¡¯t wise to go through it again. It wasn¡¯t wise to go through it at all, thought Narvari. When Azmel instructed him to break the hex, the prophet took the doll representing Richard and removed the pins one by one. When the doll was free of pins, he threw it into a red clay pot sitting at the foot of the altar. He ripped Richard¡¯s photo from the wall, setting it aflame with one of the candles. Then he dumped the burning photo into the pot. The orange fire consumed the doll and the picture, and together they wasted away like damned souls. ¡°It is done.¡± The prophet sighed. ¡°I already told you,¡± said Azmel nonchalantly. ¡°In thirty minutes, I¡¯ll receive a phone call to prove your word. You still have another five minutes.¡± Narvari glanced at her xuul. With each passing second, sweat trickled down the prophet¡¯s face. His eyes darkened with terror as if he knew he was at the mercy of these two strangers. Or perhaps, the prophet could sense that Azmel was not bluffing when he said he would kill him if he didn¡¯t receive the call.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. A part of Narvari wanted to see what Azmel would do if the call never came. She sighed in disappointment when Azmel¡¯s phone suddenly rang. The prophet on the other hand couldn¡¯t have been happier, letting out a heavy sigh of relief. ¡°Pheera,¡± said Azmel. Okay, so it wasn¡¯t a total disappointment, thought Narvari, smiling. ¡°Is that right?¡± Azmel¡¯s gaze hardened, wiping the celebratory grin off the prophet¡¯s face. ¡°I see. Okay then.¡± He ended the call. The prophet gulped as Azmel simply glared at him in silence. Did it not work? Was Richard still hexed? Before Narvari could ask Azmel what was going on, he said, ¡°It worked. Richard is safe.¡± Narvari released her breath. That was good news. ¡°I told you it will work. Now go please, okay.¡± His eyes pleaded. ¡°I¡¯ve done what you asked. I won¡¯t go after him again.¡± ¡°You must be joking.¡± Narvari laughed without mirth. ¡°You will not go after anyone. Ever. You are going to undo everyone¡¯s curse in this room.¡± ¡°What? Please, no.¡± His eyes were in full panic mode. ¡°I-I can¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Oh, so you have chosen death?¡± The prophet swallowed. ¡°No. No. I don¡¯t want to die.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly what¡¯s going to happen if you don¡¯t break the curse over all these people.¡± ¡°Narvari, wait.¡± Azmel nodded at the prophet. ¡°Why can¡¯t you break the other curses?¡± ¡°She¡¯s going to punish me if I do.¡± Narvari exchanged glances with Azmel. ¡°Who¡¯s going to kill you?¡± ¡°The priestess who granted me the power.¡± The prophet paused. ¡°She gave me specific instructions. She said I could only break one curse per day. If I disobey her, there will be consequences.¡± ¡°Is that right?¡± The prophet nodded quickly. ¡°I swear. I¡¯m not lying.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the Vessel, isn¡¯t it?¡± Narvari asked. ¡°I¡¯m positive.¡± Turning to the prophet, Azmel asked, ¡°Who gave you the power? Where did you find her?¡± ¡°I-I can¡¯t tell you that.¡± The prophet¡¯s eyes reddened in fear. ¡°Please don¡¯t make me tell you.¡± ¡°And why¡¯s that?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell anyone about her without her permission.¡± ¡°Let me guess,¡± Narvari said, rolling her eyes, ¡°there will be consequences.¡± The prophet nodded continuously as if nodding even harder will change their minds. Suddenly, Azmel smacked the living shit out of the prophet. He screamed like a child, and down he went on the hard tiled floor. ¡°Get up,¡± Azmel ordered. Holding his stinging cheek, the prophet stood up, tears and snot running down his face. This man only got slapped once but see how he was crying. Did he have any idea of the suffering he put others through with his curses? ¡°The next time I hit you in the face, you will lose half your teeth. Now tell me, what¡¯s the name of the person who gave you the hexing power?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know her real name. I swear.¡± ¡°What name do you know?¡± ¡°Please, I beg you. I can¡¯t tell you.¡± This time Azmel punched the man in the face with such force that had he used sacred fist, the prophet¡¯s head would have simply exploded into blood and bones. He spurted a mouthful of blood with several teeth popping out of his mouth like someone had just burst open a pinata. Well, damn, Azmel. The prophet knelt, probably because all the strength was gone from his knees. ¡°Obala,¡± he shouted in frenzy. ¡°They call her Obala. That¡¯s the only name I know.¡± ¡°Where is she?¡± The prophet¡¯s shoulder shook as he broke down in tears. ¡°She¡¯s not here in Ghana.¡± More tears. And sniffling. ¡°She¡¯s in Nigeria.¡± He coughed once. Then twice. He massaged his throat. ¡°Where in Nigeria?¡± ¡°She¡¯s in¡­¡± The cough returned, this time incessantly. He couldn¡¯t string out a word without choking. More blood spurted out of his mouth. Narvari was sure the blood had nothing to do with Azmel¡¯s punch. Out of the prophet¡¯s eyes came not only his tears but blood. He made gurgling noises, choking on his blood. He soon dropped to the ground. Narvari raised a brow at the lifeless body. After checking his pulse, Azmel shook his head. ¡°He¡¯s gone.¡± ¡°Wow. I guess there was a consequence.¡± Narvari gazed at the corpse. This was terrifying, to say the least. What exactly were Vessels capable of such that they could someone remotely? Narvari had not even met this particular Vessel but she seemed even more dangerous than Stein. ¡°We¡¯ll just have to break the curses ourselves,¡± said Azmel, heading towards the other dolls. Chapter 46: The Vessels of Bezvaros
¡°Thank you all so much.¡± Richard shook each of their hands, beaming. His disposition was so different than when Narvari had first seen him, it was like they were two different people. He laughed more now and seemed even more energetic than before. ¡°We were just doing our jobs,¡± said Azmel in his usual no-nonsense tone. ¡°Well, I still thank you. I know my friend paid for my service but once my businesses come back on track, I will make a big donation to your church. Maybe I can even come and visit you all sometime.¡± ¡°No,¡± they all said at once. Richard chortled. ¡°I was just joking. I have already learned my lesson about just joining random churches. I will be more discerning next time.¡± Good for him, Narvari thought. ¡°But I wasn¡¯t joking about the donation.¡± Richard was more serious now. ¡°I will never forget what you have done for me today. I never thought I would ever have the chance to see my wife and children again. I may have lost one of my children, but I will get through it.¡± ¡°I wish you all the best,¡± said Pheera. ¡°And I¡¯m truly sorry for everything you went through.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Richard nodded, his eyes full of gratitude. ¡°I guess our work here is done for today,¡± said Azmel, activating a portal to which Richard¡¯s eyes almost popped out of their sockets like a cartoon character. Narvari laughed.
In an old Catholic Church in Panama, six people were meeting, and each of them was a member of the Vessels of Bezvaros. One of these Vessels, Watanabe Haru, in the last five years, had dedicated his time and money to finding his colleagues?¡ª?his fellow Vessels. But so thoroughly had the Ancient Order of Vanquishers broken the Vessels of Bezvaros that Haru had been lucky to have found only five of his colleagues all these years. The majority of Vessels had gone into seclusion, and would rather keep a low profile from the vanquishers. How far they had fallen. But all that was about to change with this piece of information he was about to share. Soon, the Vessels of Bezvaros would take their rightful place in the world. Haru cleared his throat as five expectant eyes watched him in silence. ¡°Thank you for coming on such short notice.¡± ¡°You did say it was an emergency,¡± said Obinna, petting the head of the albino python around his neck. The whiteness of the serpent was a stark contrast to Obinna¡¯s dark brown skin. ¡°But if this is as urgent as you say, Haru,¡± Obinna scoffed, ¡°why isn¡¯t Ziegler here?¡± Haru frowned. ¡°No one knows where Ziegler is. If he were a good leader, he would be the one trying to restore us to order, don¡¯t you think?¡± Obinna rolled his eyes. ¡°Hmm.¡± When it was clear that no one else had anything else to say, Haru continued, ¡°I have received word that Bezvaros¡¯ Crystal was never destroyed.¡± ¡°What?¡± The shock on everyone¡¯s faces told Haru that he had their attention now. Haru nodded. He too had reacted in the same manner when he got the anonymous message. ¡°That can¡¯t be right,¡± said Denise. The blonde shook her head in disbelief. ¡°Bezvaros¡¯ Crystal was destroyed in the war.¡± ¡°Are we sure about that?¡± asked Haru. ¡°Did we see it destroyed with our own eyes?¡± The Vessels exchanged glances with one another as if they were pondering over Haru¡¯s words. ¡°And why should we care about that, Haru,¡± Lyle snapped, his steely blue ice getting icier. ¡°Seriously, did you invite me here to peddle such nonsense, or have you forgotten what happened the last time we possessed the crystal?¡± The silence in the church was stifling. Haru knew from the grim look on everyone¡¯s faces that they had not forgotten what had happened last time. How could they, when that had been the very day the Vessels of Bezvaros had fallen? Twenty years ago, Ludwig Ziegler, the Arch Vessel then, had received an anonymous tip about the whereabouts of Bezvaros¡¯ Crystal. Ziegler sent out an elite team of powerful Vessels, including Haru himself, to retrieve the crystal. They had been cautious in the beginning, thinking that the tip was nothing but a trap, after all, the crystal was in the custody of the Ancient Order of Vanquishers. But just as the tip claimed, the crystal was exactly where it said it would be. Finally, the Vessels could now unleash the Demon King with the crystal. How wrong had they been? On that day, while almost Vessel in the world had come to witness the auspicious ritual, their holy sanctuary was raided by some of the most powerful vanquishers. It was the bloodiest war between vanquishers and Vessels since the Blood Wars, two thousand years ago.Stolen novel; please report. There had been casualties on both sides. Their Arch Vessel had never been heard of again, though Haru was sure that Ziegler was still alive. ¡°This time it¡¯s going to be different,¡± said Haru. ¡°We¡¯ve already learned our lesson and we are not going to repeat our mistake.¡± ¡°All right,¡± said Eva. ¡°But how do you know where the crystal is?¡± ¡°Same as last time.¡± Lyle gaped. ¡°Are you a fucking idiot, Haru?¡± ¡°I am inclined to ask the same thing.¡± Obinna shrugged, frowning. ¡°Is it not clear to you that that last anonymous tip was from the Order? They tricked us into getting the crystal only so they could destroy our society. I find it hard to believe that you haven¡¯t figured that out yet, Haru.¡± ¡°Obinna is right,¡± Denise said. ¡°Only the Order knew where Bezvaros¡¯ Crystal was. They were the ones keeping it. So who gave us the tip in the first place? The Order, obviously. They did that to trap us and now they are doing it all over again this time to destroy us for good.¡± Eve and Obinna agreed with her, though Lyle looked too angry to say anything. Haru said, ¡°I know it seems that way. Believe me, I¡¯ve had a lot of time to think about it. I believe the Order had nothing to do with it.¡± ¡°And how can you be so sure of that?¡± Denise asked. Haru sighed. Did he have to spell out everything? ¡°The Ancient Order of Vanquishers would do whatever it takes to protect all ancient relics from us. It is against their nature to give us access to a relic even if it¡¯s to destroy us.¡± Haru paused, looking at each person. ¡°Think about it. We came this close to summoning King Bezvaros, all hail his name. The ritual was so powerful that it caused a storm that killed a lot of people around the world. Do you seriously think the Order would have risked the lives of the people they so foolishly protect by handing us the relic just so they could destroy us?¡± Lyle raised a brow. ¡°Are you insinuating that someone within the Order is working against them?¡± Haru smiled. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m saying. I think one of the Twelve Schools has its agenda. I don¡¯t yet understand their motive, but I can exploit this.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be serious,¡± said Grayson suddenly. All this time, he had not said a word. ¡°Why will one of the Twelve Schools work with Vessels? If they are betraying their fellow vanquishers, what makes you think we can trust them?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think we can trust them,¡± said Haru. ¡°I simply think we can use their weakness against them. Think about it. If one of the Twelve Schools had gone behind the Order to reveal the secret of the crystal then that can mean one thing?¡ª?as united as the Order seems on the outside, they aren¡¯t truly united on the inside. We will use that to our advantage.¡± ¡°So where is the crystal then?¡± Grayson folded his hands. Ever the skeptic. Fortunately, his skill as an extremely powerful Vessel made up for his skepticism. If they planned to succeed, Haru would need Fredrick Grayson. ¡°I¡¯m guessing the Order wasn¡¯t crazy enough to keep it at the same location.¡± Haru chuckled. ¡°No, they were not.¡± He paused. Finally, Haru said, ¡°Bezvaros¡¯ Crystal is in Draghein School.¡± The faces of the Vessels darkened in horror. The silence in the room dragged on for what seemed like forever. ¡°Tell me you¡¯re not asking us to sneak into Draghein School to steal the crystal,¡± said Obinna. ¡°We¡¯re not sneaking in. We are attacking the school.¡± ¡°What?¡± Both Eve and Denise shouted at the same time. Lyle simply laughed mirthlessly. ¡°Now I am fully convinced you have lost your damn mind.¡± He stood up, putting on his black tophat. ¡°If you morons are so eager to die, go ahead. I¡¯m out of here.¡± Haru did not stop Lyle. Even before the Order crushed the Vessels, Lyle had always had a crushed spirit. It was a miracle he had even agreed to come to this meeting in the first place. ¡°Sorry, Haru,¡± said Eve once Lyle was gone. ¡°But I agree with Lyle. You are asking us to attack one of the Twelve Schools. There was a time that might have been possible. But now, we simply don¡¯t have that kind of strength. ¡° The small smile on Haru¡¯s face did not falter. Why couldn¡¯t they just see the bigger picture? ¡°You have a plan in mind, don¡¯t you?¡± Obinna narrowed his eyes. Haru chuckled. ¡°You know me so well, Obinna. I wouldn¡¯t have called this meeting if I didn¡¯t have the means to deal with Draghein School. That school has gone to the dogs ever since Hellstorm died. It¡¯s only full of weaklings.¡± ¡°Last time I checked, Trixan Yvis is still in Draghein School. And may I remind you that she¡¯s the new Elder.¡± Grayson glared at him. ¡°You must have forgotten what kind of a monster she is but I remember quite clearly. I remember how she almost wiped us out in rage when King Bezvaros killed Hellstorm. And now here you are, asking us to send her our heads on a silver platter. Well done, Haru. Well done.¡± He slowly clapped. The amusement disappeared from Haru¡¯s face, his jaws clenching. ¡°We are the Vessels of Bezvaros, goddammit. How far have we fallen that we have forgotten what we are capable of? Yes, Vanquishers are powerful. But so are we. And they should be afraid because this time they will never see us coming. There may only be five of us in this room now. But as Vessels, we have an army behind us. Or have you so quickly forgotten what you are, Grayson?¡± After a long pause, Grayson said, ¡°It will take more than greater demons to stop Trixan.¡± ¡°Who said we only have greater demons on our side?¡± Haru smiled cunningly. ¡°What kind of idiot do you think I am anyway? Of course, I¡¯m not going to head over to Draghein School without a solid plan.¡± He had been working tirelessly in the last five years to make this possible. Within all that time, not only had he sealed a pact with powerful demons including royal demons, but he had also found an informant in Agon who reported everything he needed to know. According to the informant, the Council of Elders was meeting in three days and Trixan Yvis would be there. While she was gone, Draghein School would be completely defenseless and then they would strike. Trixan¡¯s school sorely lacked senior vanquishers and the few that remained would be defenseless against their demon army. ¡°I will tell you about the details later,¡± said Haru. ¡°But now, I want you to take a moment and think about what we are soon going to achieve. Very soon, our world will be whole again. The King of all things will soon take his rightful position in this world. We will restore balance. And with that, the Vessels of Bezvaros, the true believers, will be those who rule with King Bezvaros, all hail his name.¡± Haru put his right hand over his chest as he said all hail his name. His colleagues stood up, crossed their hands over their chest, and said, ¡°All hail his name.¡± Just wait, Draghein School. A sly smile widened at the corner of Haru¡¯s lips. Your end is near.
Chapter 47: The Man From the Dead
Zemeron¡¯s mind raced with endless thoughts as he strolled down the narrow hallways of the Senior Quarters. Not long ago, Trixan had invited him to her office to deliver the news?¡ª?tomorrow she would be going to Rhodine for an emergency meeting. The last time the Council of Elders had an emergency meeting, the Vessels of Bezvaros had broken into Nag Tog to steal Bezvaros¡¯ Crystal. Zemeron was only four years old at the time but he still remembered how restless everyone, especially his father, had been. He often heard stories about how the Outer Sphere had come close to destruction had the vanquishers not stepped in to stop their summoning ritual of the Demon King. An emergency meeting of the Council of Elders was never a good sign. Trixan had put him in charge of the school¡¯s safety until she returned and that was exactly what he was going to do. He hoped that Trixan would be safe while she was in Agon. It was no secret that the Draghein Family didn¡¯t like her. As someone who belonged to one of the Dominant Families, Zemeron knew how dangerous they were. He did not doubt that Trixan could take care of herself, but he still could not keep himself from worrying. It was thanks to the Elder that Zemeron and his sister were safe from their own family. Trixan didn¡¯t waver for a second in accepting two Zoleris into a Draghein school even when that meant attracting the wrath of both the Zoleris and Draghein families. If only Zemeron had had half of Trixan¡¯s courage all those years ago, Pheera would not have suffered the atrocities of their family. He had failed as an older brother, all because he had been a coward. Zemeron clenched his jaws as anger gnawed at his insides. He hated everyone who put Pheera through that hell, but most of all, he hated himself for doing nothing for so long. Once, Trixan had sensed that guilt within him and had encouraged him to forgive himself. ¡°You did save your sister, my dear¡± she had said, her green eyes kind and tender. ¡°Never forget that.¡± Zemeron sighed, as Trixan¡¯s words echoed in his mind. Then he suddenly halted in his tracks as goosebumps flooded his arms. He quickly turned around, his cold eyes searching the long hallway. It was empty. Not a single person was around. Yet, Zemeron knew someone had been watching him. Could it be a spy from the Zoleris Family? His jaws tightened. He wouldn¡¯t put it past his father to send a spy or assassin after him. The man was desperate to get Pheera back and he would resort to any scheme to do so. To Esumeraz Zoleris, Pheera was nothing but a weapon to be used for his own political agenda. But would his father be so daring as to send a spy into Draghein School? That man was many things, but no fool. And fuelling the feud between Zoleris and Draghein by sending a spy this sloppy was indeed foolish. Yet Zemeron could not shake off that feeling of ill intent twisting his bowels. The person clearly had malicious thoughts. He had to keep his eyes open especially now that Trixan was going to the Central Domain. Without Rizav, he was the only class two vanquisher in Draghein School which meant that it was his job to protect the school.
The clock struck midnight in New York. A murky black fluid appeared from nothing, tearing a rift in thin air. Out of the murky fluid emerged a tall man dressed in all black. A skull-face mask covered the lower half of his dark face, while a cowboy hat covered his low-cropped black hair. The fluid portal disappeared behind him as soon as he stepped through. The blasting music inside the dimly lit club suddenly turned off and all eyes landed on him. He grinned beneath the mask. It seemed he had interrupted some kind of party here. Rusmendez did love his parties. A group of the most vicious-looking ones, obviously Rusmendez¡¯s top dogs, sauntered towards him in a gait they probably thought complemented their glare. He almost laughed at the sheer ridiculousness of it all. How adorable. ¡°I won¡¯t waste your time.¡± He dug his hands in the pockets of his black overcoat. ¡°I¡¯m looking for your alpha.¡± No one said anything so he took a step forward. But a burly man with a face with too many scars blocked his path. This must be Rusmendez¡¯s beta, he thought. ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± asked the beta. ¡°And why are you impersonating the dead?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here for your alpha, little puppy,¡± he said. ¡°Be a good dog and go fetch.¡± The beta clenched his jaws, his hazel eyes turning a deep shade of red. Thin black lines appeared beneath his eyes. The others behind him had the same savage look, low growls filling the club.Stolen novel; please report. ¡°How about I tear you apart?¡± said the beta. The masked man laughed. Demon hounds. So stupid. ¡°You sure you want to fight me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight you.¡± He cracked his knuckles. ¡°I want to kill you.¡± The beta growled as the bones in his body broke apart, shifting and dislocating at odd angles. The masked man sighed. If he wanted, he could have just smacked the fucking demon hound to death before he even attempted to transform. But he let the transformation continue. He hadn¡¯t had fun in a while so this should keep him entertained for now. The beta fell on his four limbs as the hairs on his body grew longer and thicker. Soon a demon hound stood in his place, twice the size of an actual wolf. The demon hound lunged toward the masked man but the latter punched the demon flinging him across the room. Bottles shattered and tables and chairs splintered. The demon hounds in their human form gaped at the whimpering beta. They glared at the masked man as they surrounded him. Together they all charged towards him. He grinned. This should be fun. Not bothering to use sacred energy or vaz, he swiftly clipped through every demon in his path. The sound of breaking bones and terrified screams was the order of the night. soon everyone lay at his feet unconscious, unmoving. Scores of demon hounds filed downstairs, racing towards him. But upon seeing their comrades, they hesitated, their red eyes full of uncertainty. It was like they were asking themselves if fighting him was a good idea. Pathetic. Rusmendez¡¯s pack had grown, but obviously, it was full of wimps. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± That voice hadn¡¯t changed in the last three decades since he last heard it, thought the masked man. All the demon hounds stood down immediately at their alpha¡¯s command. Rusmendez¡¯s steely blue eyes glared at his pack before descending the stairs with calculated steps. His taste for tailored suits had not changed, and neither had he aged a day. But he had grown out his hair which he held up in a tight ponytail. ¡°Not even a million of you would be a match for that man,¡± said Rusmendez. ¡°If you value your hides, you will all get lost. Now.¡± The demon hounds shuffled out of the alpha¡¯s way. Soon, Rusmendez stood before the masked man, his hands buried in his pocket. ¡°So, to what do I owe this visit, Hellstorm?¡± Rusmendez glared at him. Low murmurs rose amongst them. ¡°Hellstorm?¡± said, someone. ¡°I thought he was dead,¡± said another. ¡°Is this man really a vanquisher?¡± another added. ¡°Why does he have the scent of a demon?¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be Hellstorm.¡± ¡°But he has Hellstorm¡¯s style.¡± ¡°Anyone can dress like Hellstorm. He¡¯s an impostor.¡± ¡°Enough yapping,¡± Rusmendez growled, drawing closer to Hellstorm. He sniffed Hellstorm like a dog and his pointed nose twitched. ¡°You may smell different but I can still smell it¡¯s you.¡± ¡°Congratulations. Your nose still works,¡± Hellstorm scoffed. ¡°But I have to say, Rusmendez, you look old.¡± ¡°And you don¡¯t look dead.¡± Rusmendez raised a brow. ¡°I guess the death of the great Hellstorm was too good to be true.¡± ¡°I¡¯m flattered.¡± The icy glare in Rusmendez¡¯s eyes returned. ¡°What do you want? My pack has done nothing to bring vanquishers to my doorstep. We have nothing to do with humans.¡± Quietly, he added, ¡°Not anymore.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not why I¡¯m here,¡± said Hellstorm. ¡°There¡¯s something I need from you.¡± Rusmendez narrowed his eyes. Hellstorm recognized this look all the well. The demon was cautious. He didn¡¯t expect any less from someone as paranoid as Rusmendez. ¡°What could a vanquisher possibly want from a demon?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you once we¡¯re in alone.¡± Hellstorm glared at the inquisitive demons hanging on their every word. Rusmendez rubbed his neatly groomed beard. He nodded, beckoning Hellstorm to follow him. Wading through scores of demon hounds, then up the stairs, they finally made their way into an elegant office that didn¡¯t quite fit in with the raunchiness of the club, yet suited Rusmendez¡¯s performance of elegance. Yes, it was all an act. A way to hide his true nature, the cutthroat he really was. Rusmendez could fool everyone, but he could never fool Hellstorm. ¡°What do you need from me?¡± Rusmendez asked when they sat. ¡°A holy cage.¡± ¡°What?¡± Rusmendez¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Are you out of your mind? Why the hell will any demon have a holy cage?¡± ¡°Miss me with that bullshit, will you?¡± Hellstorm chuckled. ¡°I know you have connections to the underworld. You know people who deal in all kinds of relics. I just need a name, Rusmendez.¡± Rusmendez clenched his jaws, avoiding Hellstorm¡¯s gaze. ¡°I can¡¯t give you a name. Discretion is key in this business. What do you think is going to happen if people find out I sent a fucking vanquisher to their doorstep?¡± ¡°No need to worry about that.¡± Hellstorm shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t work for the Order anymore.¡± ¡°Yeah, miss me with that bullshit.¡± Hellstorm laughed. ¡°I need that holy cage, Rusmendez, and I need it fast.¡± Then in a graver tone, the amusement completely gone from his eyes, he said, ¡°You owe me.¡± Rusmendez gulped, his grip tightening on his armrest. Thirty years ago, Rusmendez had been part of a demon cartel dealing in Fan¡¯hu, an addictive drug that literally fed on the conscience of humans. The drug eventually made the humans aggressive and violent to the point of murdering their loved ones. Hellstorm had been the lead vanquisher investigating the case and he soon found out that Rusmendez was involved. But after further investigation, he learned that Rusmendez was nothing but a pawn under the royal demon running the cartel. Hellstorm promised to spare Rusmendez¡¯s life in exchange for two things?¡ª?first, he must never harm humans, and second, he would use his connections to give him whatever intelligence he needed. At the time, Hellstorm had given the condition because he wanted to learn more about the cartel and destroy it. Right now, however, this very condition would change Hellstorm¡¯s life. ¡°This is me asking nicely, Rusmendez.¡± The demon hound tilted his head, his eyes narrowing. ¡°You could just have easily gone to your school to get a holy cage. Or any of the Twelve Schools. But you came to me. Why?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not your business.¡± ¡°The Order doesn¡¯t know you¡¯re alive?¡± Rusmendez smiled craftily. ¡°They don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve become now, do they?¡± ¡°And what have I become?¡± ¡°You reek of demon energy, Hellstorm. What happened to you?¡± Hellstorm just gazed at Ruzmendez in nonchalance. ¡°The silent treatment, huh? No matter.¡± Rusmedez chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a name, Hellstorm, but you never got it from me.¡± Hellstorm shrugged. ¡°Well, I was never here, was I ?¡± Rusmendez laughed, shaking his head. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see what the Order will do to you, Hellstorm.¡± Hellstorm smiled. Neither could he.
Chapter 48: Attack on Draghein School Early the next morning, when the sun had just risen, Narvari was in Rahsun Forest with Pheera and Yanvirrak. Servin stood before them, a mischievous glint in his silver eyes. Clearly, the man did not like wearing shirts. ¡°So what do you want to talk to us about?¡± Narvari asked, folding her arms. Servin had made it seem like this was an emergency when he sent for them. ¡°We are here to train,¡± he said. ¡°Trixan didn¡¯t want you kids slacking off while she¡¯s gone. She asked me to keep you busy. This is how I¡¯m keeping you busy.¡± ¡°What do you mean Trixan¡¯s gone?¡± Narvari asked. ¡°Where did she go?¡± ¡°Rhodine.¡± ¡°Rhodine?¡± ¡°It¡¯s in Agon,¡± said Yanvirrak. ¡°It¡¯s the headquarters of the Order. They call it the City of Vanquishers. Very impressive city.¡± ¡°Yeah, well, you think your stick figure drawings are impressive,¡± said Narvari, ¡°I can¡¯t take you seriously.¡± Yanvirrak grinned. ¡°Don¡¯t be jealous because I¡¯m fucking Picasso.¡± Narvari grimaced. ¡°Oh, god, I never asked about your sex life, Herpes.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah? And you?¡ª?¡° ¡°Okay, enough, you two,¡± said Servin snapping his fingers. ¡°Jeez, doesn¡¯t it get exhausting being around them, Pheera?¡± Pheera gave a small smile. ¡°It¡¯s calming, to be honest.¡± It was? Pheera didn¡¯t speak much when she was in a group. She always seemed to be lost in her thoughts, as if she was all alone in the world. She opened up more when she was alone with Narvari, something Narvari was truly grateful for. But sometimes, Narvari wished Pheera would trust her enough to talk to her without reservation. ¡°Today,¡± Servin interrupted her thoughts, ¡°you begin your elema training.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yanvirrak¡¯s dark eyes twinkled. ¡°About damn time.¡± Narvari huffed. Pheera simply made the day brighter with that dazzling smile. Everything she did was an art. Hell, Pheera was an art. All one had to do was look at her once and they would they would get lost in her alluring ambiance. Narvari¡¯s lips quirked in an awkward smile when Pheera caught her staring. She quickly glanced at Servin, ignoring the heat burning in her chest. ¡°You¡¯ve already mastered your sacros,¡± said Servin, ¡°And since Trixan doesn¡¯t want you repeating Farouk¡¯s mistakes, it¡¯s best if we started.¡± ¡°What mistake?¡± Narvari raised a brow, glancing at Yanvirrak but he only smirked. ¡°I think of it as a lesson, not a mistake.¡± ¡°Okay, so what¡¯s the lesson?¡± ¡°This very lesson, Ex-rookie. Now focus.¡± Servin folded his bulky arms. Then he went right on to his lesson. ¡°You¡¯ve all seen my wind elema, Hurricane. Just like Hurricane, every elema takes the form of a unique element.¡± ¡°How did you awaken elema?¡± asked Narvari. ¡°That¡¯s what I want to know.¡± ¡°Going straight to the point, huh, Ex-Rookie.¡± Narvari sighed at the new name nickname. At least he was no longer calling her Rookie. It was a promotion. A tiny vortex of wind appeared on Servin¡¯s hand. ¡°There are two methods of awakening elema. One, the difficult but safe way, and two, the easy but dangerous way.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Narvari rubbed her chin. ¡°How easy is it?¡± ¡°You should be asking how dangerous it is.¡± Servin¡¯s tone hardened. He clasped his palm around the vortex, snuffing it out into nonexistence. ¡°To put it mildly, it¡¯s life-threatening,¡± he said. ¡°In the best-case scenario, your body will be damaged, taking anywhere between a few days to several years to recover. In the worst-case scenario, you¡¯ll be dead.¡± He paused, gazing at each of them as though to let his words sink in. Then his silver eyes pierced through Narvari like a dagger to her chest. ¡°I strongly recommend not to use that method.¡± ¡°I was just joking.¡± He shook his head, smiling. ¡°What you should be interested in is the difficult but safe method. It¡¯s difficult because it will be the hardest and longest training of your life. We awaken sacros naturally without training. But elema doesn¡¯t work that way. If you don¡¯t consciously try to awaken your elema, you¡¯ll never awaken it. Well, unless you use the dangerous method I just told you to stay away from.¡± He gazed at Narvari again, ¡°Which you¡¯re going to stay away from.¡± Yanvirrak chuckled. Narvari sighed. Why would she put herself at risk if she could gain elema through good old-fashioned training? ¡°Now the first step to awaken elema is choice,¡± said Servin. ¡°Before anything else, you need to first choose the elema you want to awaken. It makes it easier to train for it. Think about that one thing you want. Anything at all. See in your mind¡¯s eye precisely what you want. Be unique and creative.¡± ¡°Just like your wind elema is unique and creative?¡± Yanvirrak asked. ¡°Precisely.¡± ¡°That wasn¡¯t a compliment.¡± ¡°And yet I feel complimented.¡± Narvari and Pheera exchanged amused glances. ¡°What do you have in mind, Ex-rookie?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Narvari tilted her head. ¡°Your elema,¡± he said. ¡°Which one will you awaken?¡± This had never crossed her mind even though all she ever wanted was to awaken more powerful forms of sacred energy. To be fair, she had only come across two types of elema; Servin¡¯s wind elema, Hurricane, and Azmel¡¯s silver elema, whose name she didn¡¯t even know. She was not even sure what kind of element Azmel¡¯s elema was. Was it actual silver in liquid form? Was it mercury? She had no clue though she had been on a mission with Azmel several times. He never talked about himself and she never asked. What kind of elema did she want? She didn¡¯t know how many kinds of elema there were out there. But Servin did say it could be creative and unique so probably there were countless number of them beyond the basic four elements of wind, water, fire, and earth. She couldn¡¯t just carelessly choose one without doing research. She needed to know what her options were.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°I don¡¯t know yet,¡± Narvari finally said. ¡°I have to think about this very carefully.¡± Servin nodded. ¡°And you should. There is no rush. You need to be absolutely certain of your choice. Without certainty, it¡¯s impossible to awaken it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve always been certain of my choice.¡± Yanvirrak shrugged, casually caressing his gloved hand. ¡°Really?¡± Narvari said. ¡°And what¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Flame elema. I trained hard to awaken my flame elema without Trixan¡¯s knowledge.¡± He shook his head as if he could not believe his stupidity. ¡°But when I ordered up nothing happened. I guess I burnt myself for nothing.¡± He chuckled. ¡°You did what?¡± Narvari¡¯s eyes widened. Yanvirrak grinned as he slowly removed the silver and gold glove from his left hand. Narvari gaped at the sight of the charred hand. ¡°My lesson, everybody,¡± said Yanvirrak, waving the burned hand. ¡°Damn. What the hell happened to your hand?¡± ¡°Training. Trixan wanted me to undergo regenerative surgery but I decided to keep the scars to remind myself to never give up. Plus, I like the glove.¡± ¡°Wait, so you burnt yourself on purpose?¡± ¡°Well, no. That was an accident. But I trained with fire. It was the only way to awaken flame elema.¡± Yanvirrak put his glove back on. What the hell? Narvari gaped at Yanvirrak, but he looked completely unfazed. She turned to Servin, silently asking for an explanation for this madness. ¡°Elema training involves a lot of visualization and realism,¡± Servin said. ¡°Since Yanvirrak wanted flame elema, he had to use real fire for his training until it became so real to him that he could physically conjure them with his mind.¡± ¡°Even if it meant being burnt alive?¡± Wasn¡¯t that too extreme? Narvari thought. ¡°Well, yes,¡± said Servin. ¡°But Yanvirrak was an idiot training behind Trixan¡¯s back without guidance. It took me years of facing powerful winds like hurricanes and cyclones until I awakened my wind elema. And I had a lot of guidance in the beginning.¡± This time Servin¡¯s piercing eyes were on Yanvirrak. He paused. ¡°It takes a lot of pain and effort but the rewards are abundant. For starters, you will automatically order up your savaz two orders higher as soon as you awaken elema¡± ¡°Wait really?¡± Narvari raised a brow. ¡°You¡¯re saying if I awaken elema, my savaz will increase from fifth-order to seventh-order?¡± Servin nodded. ¡°Precisely.¡± Narvari whistled. The reward was indeed appealing. If she had a combined power of elema and a seventh-order savaz, it wouldn¡¯t be long until she became a senior vanquisher. ¡°Pheera, do you have any elema in mind?¡± asked Servin ¡°Water and ice are natural elements among Zoleris.¡± She paused, her eyes falling Narvari. ¡°But I want something different. Anything but water or ice.¡± Narvari wanted to pull Pheera in and hug her. Pheera had the warmest eyes Narvari had ever seen, but whenever, she talked about her family, those blue spheres turned cold, devoid of emotions. What had those bastards done to her that someone as sweet and kind as she wanted nothing to do with them? Narvari clenched her jaws. ¡°Well, then,¡± said Servin, pointing at Narvari and Pheera, ¡°your assignment is to find the elema you want. I¡¯ll send you a comprehensive list and you can make a choice. Once you do, I¡¯ll give you a training regimen.¡± He nodded at Yanvirrak. ¡°As for you, Farouk, you¡¯re not new to elema training so I¡¯ll simply give you some pointers on how to train better.¡± Yanvirrak¡¯s eyes lit. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But that goes without saying¡­ your previous training was reckless. You should have listened to Trixan. What you did was dangerous.¡± Yanvirrak nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. Sorry.¡± Servin grinned. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I think it was brave. Stupid. But brave. I respect that.¡± Yanvirrak smirked. ¡°Thank you. Well, not for the stupid part, but thanks.¡± Ah. Narvari shook her head. ¡°I guess we have nothing more to?¡ª?¡° Servin froze, as his orange sacros suddenly appeared around his eyes. He gazed at the bright blue skies and his face paled. ¡°Oh no.¡± What¡¯s wrong with him? Narvari narrowed her eyes. Why did Servin suddenly turn on his sacred vision? She quickly turned hers on and followed Servin¡¯s gaze. Her eyes widened, jaws dropping. Where the hell were all the shield rays? Ever since Narvari learned to use sacred vision, she had gotten used to the shield rays running all over the school in a grid pattern. There were three colors in all, each of them with its own function. Red rays prevented demons from entering or leaving the school, white rays cloaked the school from the outside world and blue rays prevented unauthorized people from teleporting into the school. Trixan had told her that this security system was foolproof and had been in use for centuries by the Twelve Schools to keep their schools safe. Every so often, the most excellent engineers from Agon would update the technology to make it even more powerful than it already was. So what had gone wrong? Why were the white shield rays the only visible rays? ¡°Servin, what¡¯s going on?¡± Her heart hammered in her chest. Where did the blue rays and red rays go? Those were the same shield rays keeping the school from intruders. From demons. Suddenly the alarm blared throughout the school like a dying siren. ¡°Intruders.¡± Servin clenched his sharp jaws. ¡°How¡¯s this possible?¡± asked Yanvirrak. ¡°Only Trixan can lower the shield rays.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter,¡± said Servin. ¡°We need to leave. Now.¡± In a flash, Servin¡¯s orange sacros appeared around him. ¡°We have to get back to the school quickly. Something is happening.¡± Servin took off. Narvari and her friends ran after him. Trees blurred past her as she ran. She dodged low branches and jumped over twigs. Servin was the fastest, however, Narvari and her friends kept up with him. Suddenly, a shadow overcast them from above the tall trees. Without breaking her momentum, Narvari gazed upwards. Something was headed right towards them. Narvari swerved out of the way in the last second, closely following behind Servin. The thing crashed to the ground with a loud boom. The ground trembled and trees swayed as a small crater separated Servin from Narvari and her friends. A tall humanoid creature with overwhelming demon energy and murderous golden eyes stood in the crater. She bit her lips, as a pit formed in her chest. What was a ninth-order demon doing in Draghein School? And why should it be today of all days when Trixan was not here? ¡°Go now,¡± Servin said to them, not taking his eyes off the demon. ¡°I will handle this.¡± ¡°But?¡ª?¡° ¡°Now, Ex-rookie.¡± Servin¡¯s playful banter was completely gone. He was in protection mode, Narvari could sense it. The demon cackled. ¡°Shar, let¡¯s go.¡± Yanvirrak released his purple sacros. ¡°Come on, Narvari. Let¡¯s go.¡± Pheera nodded at her before her blue and white sacros appeared. Reluctantly, Narvari¡¯s black and red sacros engulfed her body and together they sped from the scene. But suddenly a demon kicked her in the abdomen. She paled, her body soaring through the air before finally crashing into a tree. The tree felled. ¡°Narvari.¡± Pheera skidded to a halt lunging toward her. ¡°No, Pheera. Don¡¯t come closer.¡± Narvari raised a hand. She tasted blood in her mouth. Had her sacros not fortified her body, she could have died from that impact. This was not a joke. ¡°Yanvirrak, you two need to get out of here.¡± Pheera¡¯s intense blue eyes gazed at Narvari. She stood still. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving.¡± ¡°Pheera. Please. You need to leave.¡± ¡°Farouk, get Pheera out of here.¡± Servin¡¯s voice came from behind. Yanvirrak took Pheera¡¯s hand and tried pulling her along. Pheera wouldn¡¯t move. Narvari smiled at her softly. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I promise.¡± Finally, Pheera nodded, then ran after Yanvirrak. Narvari sighed in relief, scrambling to her feet. She glared at the demon, who seemed bored by the whole thing. ¡°Who said you could leave?¡± The demon dashed after Yanvirrak and Pheera. Narvari sprung from her position. In mere seconds, she appeared before the demon, blocking its path. With the quickness of lightning, while targeting the demon¡¯s weak spot, Narvari sent a sacred kick into the demon¡¯s chest with such force the air seemed to be cut in two by the sacros around her leg. ¡°And who said you could leave?¡± She balled her fist. The demon grinned as blood oozed from his mouth and gaping chest. The large wound in his chest regenerated at a visible rate and soon, it was completely closed. Narvari shuddered. Such fast regeneration. A mighty ring of hurricanes surrounded Narvari and the demon. From her peripheral vision, within the ring, Servin faced the other demon at the other end of the ring. The hurricanes raged with fervor. Trees that got in the path of the hurricanes splintered to pieces. Damn. ¡°Ex-rookie.¡± His voice boomed despite the howling of the mighty winds. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°These are ninth-order demons. Can you handle one on your own?¡± Narvari clenched her sacred fists. They came here for a fight. She would give them one. It didn¡¯t matter if a ninth-order demon was beyond her right now. ¡°The better question is,¡± she said, fuelling her rage with her fear, ¡°can one of them handle me on their own.¡± Servin laughed heartily. ¡°Excellent, Narvari.¡± Chapter 49: The Saboteur
One hour earlier Nothing seemed out of order in the school, yet Zmeron could still not shake off the unsettling feeling of something going terribly wrong. Maybe he was just getting more nervous because Trixan was not here. She always made the school feel safe with her mere presence. Besides, he couldn¡¯t get his mind off that feeling of being watched yesterday. He had not felt it anymore, but it still made him feel uneasy. He had always trusted his instincts, so he didn¡¯t take this lightly. Even after ensuring that everything was running smoothly, he headed to the control room. ¡°Zemeron.¡± Daneed, the supervisor of the control room, nodded at him. Missions for vanquishers all came to the control room, and Daneed and his team were responsible for dispatching the right vanquishers for the job. ¡°Is everything alright?¡± asked Daneed. Zemeron gazed at the numerous screens on the wall. He wasn¡¯t exactly sure what he was looking for, but if there was a spy in the school, they couldn¡¯t stay hidden forever. ¡°Have you noticed anything odd?¡± ¡°No. ¡° Daneed rapidly typed something on his keyboard, and live videos of various parts of the school zoomed in on the largest screen on the wall. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± A few vanquishers trained in the various classrooms of the Academy. Some vanquishers chatted by the water fountain right outside the Junior Quarters. Two rookies sat on the stairs eating some snacks. ¡°Go to Rahsun,¡± he said. Daneed complied. Zemeron raised a brow. So that¡¯s where those kids went, he thought. Early in the morning, Zemeron had seen Yanivrrak, Pheera, and Narvari hurrying off somewhere. It seemed they had come to the forest and from how silently they stood listening to the shirtless Servin Rahalan, it was clear that Servin was teaching them. This was still normal. Maybe he was indeed being paranoid. ¡°Zemeron, look.¡± There, on the screen, someone stood right outside the High Sepulchre. Daneed zoomed the video. ¡°Is that Edicles?¡± asked Daneed. ¡°What¡¯s he doing there?¡± Zemeron frowned. The High Sepulchre was the only place in Draghein School forbidden to everyone but the Elder. The entire security system of Draghein School was in the High Sepulchre and only Trixan Yvis had the means to enter. Why would Edicles Hogmen go there? He was a class three vanquisher. He should know better. Edicles fished out a black device from his pocket and pressed it on the security scanner affixed beside the large door. ¡°What¡¯s he doing?¡± Zemeron whispered. His questions were answered a few seconds later when the giant doors swung wide open and Edicles walked inside. Zemeron¡¯s face paled. ¡°What in the seven hells.¡± ¡°He breached it,¡± said Daneed. ¡°But how?¡± The same questions baffled Zemeron¡¯s mind. Whatever device Edicles had used must have imitated Trixan¡¯s DNA. What was Edicles up to? No need to think about that. He had to stop Edicles now. ¡°Keep an eye out, Daneed.¡± With that said, Zemeron quickly activated the portal function on his xuul and the portal appeared before him. He stepped through, suddenly appearing just outside the High Sepulchre. He slipped inside the tower just before the door shut. Zemeron shielded his eyes to get accustomed to the onslaught of brilliant shield rays surging through the crystal shield beam. The red, white, and blue lights traveled to the top of the tower, out of the glass dome ceiling. ¡°Edicles.¡± Zemeron glared at the young man. Why was Edicles next to the controls of the shield beam, his hand flaming with green sacros? What the hell was he trying to do? ¡°What¡¯s this? You¡¯re not supposed to be here.¡± Edicles slowly turned around, glowering at Zemeron. Zemeron clenched his jaws as that familiar murderous intent chilled his spine. It was Edicles? How could Edicles be the one spying on him all this while? ¡°Who are you? What do you want?¡±Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Not saying a word, Edicles smashed a sacred fist into the screen, shattering it. Suddenly, the shield rays vanished inside the crystal shield beam. ¡°No.¡± Zemeron¡¯s eyes widened. Edicles lunged towards him, armed with Trinity. But Zemeron splashed his water elema at Edicles pinning him to the wall. When Zemeron was sure that Edicles could not break free of his elema, he ran to the control screen. Zemeron was no engineer but he could tell that the screen was beyond repair. He stared at the empty oval stand that used to house the shield beam. Zemeron glared at Edicles. Edicles laughed. He was no longer struggling on the wall. ¡°Your school is doomed. You are all doomed.¡± ¡°What is wrong with you?¡± Zemeron snarled. Edicles Hogmen was a vanquisher of Draghein School long before Zemeron even transferred here. Why would he take down the only thing protecting the school from unwanted intruders? Zemeron instantly froze. Intruders. He quickly pulled the alarm, the sound blaring across the school. That should warn everyone about what was going on. If there were intruders, they would take care of it. ¡°What are you up to?¡± Zemeron tightened his water elema around Edicles¡¯s neck. The man¡¯s eyes reddened as he choked. Zemeron loosened his hold around Edicles¡¯s neck. ¡°Answer me now, Edicles. Who are you trying to get inside?¡± Edicles inhaled sharply. He coughed. ¡°I¡¯m not telling you anything, you fucking idiot.¡± ¡°Are you sure you¡¯d rather not tell me instead?¡± Zemeron folded his arms. Edicles clenched his jaws, the hate deepening in his eyes. Zemeron nodded. ¡°Hmm, alright then.¡± Edicles thrashed widely as Zemeron¡¯s elema levitated him in the air, choking him into unconsciousness. He dropped the man to the floor violently and walked up to his limp body. ¡°You will soon tell Trixan everything.¡± Zemeron almost felt sorry for him.
Azmel was in his room when he suddenly heard the alarm. He ran outside where a few vanquishers and rookies stood, obviously looking confused. Everyone perked up when Zemeron dashed towards them, utterly pissed. Zemeron stopped, his cold blue eyes accessing them. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± asked Azmel. ¡°Someone destroyed the shield beam.¡± ¡°What?¡± Murmurs of panic arose among the vanquishers. Azmel however asked rather casually, ¡°Are we under attack?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know yet,¡± said Zemeron. ¡°But we can¡¯t let our guard down. We need to protect the school.¡± He paused, commanding total silence from everyone. ¡°Rogil and Fray,¡± Zemeron pointed to the class four vanquishers standing next to Azmel, ¡°you two will stay right here. Paiah, you take the east wing, Harish will take the west wing. Azmel, look after the rookies.¡± Azmel nodded. ¡°What about the junior vanquishers outside the dormitories?¡± Rogil asked. ¡°Servin¡¯s with them. They¡¯ll be fine,¡± said Zemeron. ¡°Now get to your posts.¡± Azmel didn¡¯t have to go anywhere. All four rookies of Draghein School were already standing with him, watching him expectantly. Right now, Azmel had only one purpose in life?¡ª?to protect these young ones with his life.
¡°Demons,¡± Zemeron muttered to himself as he stood atop the watchtower, observing everything below with his binoculars. A few vanquishers in various parts of the school engaged in intense battles with demons. Given the strong demon energy pervading the atmosphere, Zemeron knew those were greater demons. The majority of them were seventh-order demons, but he could still sense a few ninth-order demons. He clenched his jaws, gripping the binoculars. Had Edicles, a vanquisher, helped demons invade their school? Why would he do something like that? Zemeron directed his gaze towards the forest. Despite the trees and thick foliage, Zemeron saw Yanvirrak and Pheera racing through the forest like two streaks of blue and purple lights. His blood ran cold at the sight of the shadowy demonic form lunging after them. ¡°Pheera.¡± Zemeron¡¯s heart hammered in his chest. He clenched his fist. He had to protect his sister. Suddenly, however, his body moved by sheer reflexes as he sensed something coming at him with force. He leaped from the top of the watchtower, landing on the ground. But while he was graceful with his landing, the binoculars suffered a different fate, shattering into pieces on the hard stony ground. Zemeron balled his fist. Staring right at him with a sinister smirk on their face was a tall pale person who had probably never stepped in the sun until today. The person¡¯s hair was the color of the sky, and their eyes were the color of lavender. They may look human, but Zemeron could tell it was a demon. Even though they had not revealed their demon energy, Zemeron could sense how powerful the demon was. As if to confirm Zemeron¡¯s thoughts, the demon slipped a sliver of their demon energy. A cold shudder ran through Zemeron¡¯s spine. Eleventh-order. He narrowed his eyes. What was a royal demon doing here? ¡°There you are.¡± They seemed amused by something. ¡°I was looking for the strongest in the school and I sensed you. Consuming you will be a real treat.¡± Zemeron dug his hands in his pocket, not for a second taking his eyes off them. This demon had strategically attacked their school while Trixan was in Rhodine. They could only have known about that from an insider. Edicles. But what could a vanquisher possibly gain from working with demons? There was something bigger going on here, Zemeron could feel it. But for now, he had to take care of the eleventh-order demon. ¡°You look pale,¡± said the demon. ¡°Are you afraid? You should be.¡± Fire danced in Zemeron¡¯s eyes. ¡°Afraid?¡± He chuckled mirthlessly. From within him, he felt a great surge of water burst out like an ocean. The roaring water engulfed him as he stood right in its center like one would stand on a carpet. ¡°I¡¯m just thrilled I will be killing a royal demon today.¡± Zemeron¡¯s eyes instantly turned deadly. ¡°Do you have any last words, demon?¡± After a moment of silence, the demon suddenly burst into manic laughter. ¡°Now there¡¯s the spirit. I can¡¯t wait to crush it.¡±
Chapter 50: Pheera and Yanvirrak vs Seventh Order Demon Yanvirrak glared at the laughing demon as he gasped for air. He wiped the blood at the corner of his mouth, rising to his feet. The world seemed to rotate around him, but he kept himself steady. His rage fought an intense battle with his fear and luckily for him, his rage seemed to be triumphing. It was the only thing keeping him from giving up right now. From his peripheral vision, Pheera struggled to her feet. Part of her white her had turned crimson from all that blood on her forehead. ¡°Pheera?¡ª?¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± That didn¡¯t stop Yanvirrak from worrying any less. Still, this was a bad time to be distracted by anxiety. Besides, he knew Pheera had no intention of backing down. Her eyes turned even bluer the stronger her fighting spirit became. Turning his attention to the mummy-looking seventh-order demon, Yanvirrak knew they had to come up with a strategy to defeat the demon or they would die. After running away from those two ninth-order demons, a seventh-order demon had come out of nowhere to attack them. Yanvirrak clenched his jaws. Never had he faced a seventh-order demon. And it was for good reason. Just like Pheera, Yanvirrak was only a class five vanquisher with a third-order savaz. There was no way they could vanquish this demon with their savaz. They may have a chance if they had elema, but they had no such thing. All they could depend on was Trinity. But every wound they inflicted on the demon using Trinity quickly healed. They tried aiming for the demon¡¯s weak spot in its navel, but the old brown bandages wrapped around its entire body were too hard to break through. They seemed to be made of steel or something. Yanvirrak rubbed his sore knuckles when he recalled how he almost broke his hand from the impact. ¡°Do you see now?¡± said the demon in an annoyingly high-pitched voice. ¡°You two are going to die here today. Oh, the irony of a vanquisher being killed by a demon in their school no less.¡± It howled in laughter. Yanvirrak grimaced at the jarring sound. ¡°What are you waiting for, cowards?¡± The mummy demon pointed a thin wrapped finger at them. ¡°Come at me now. I want to take my sweet time punishing you.¡± ¡°You are not going to get away with this.¡± Yanvirrak glared at the demon. Did these fools think they could just attack Draghein School without consequence? ¡°Oh. And how do you plan on stopping us?¡± Yanvirrak balled his fists. He wanted to run at the demon and sever its head off with a single punch. But that would be suicide for him, he knew it. He had to calm himself. He inhaled and exhaled slowly, clearing his head. He had to think. Pheera said, ¡°Yanvirrak, we have to do this together.¡± Yanvirrak raised a brow. But that was what they had been doing all along. And even when they attacked the demon, they did not even put a scratch on its diamond-like armor of bandages. ¡°Naja,¡± Pheera said, nodding. Realization suddenly dawned on Yanvirrak. They had indeed been attacking the demon together, however, they were fighting as individuals. What they needed was an effective combination. This was how they had defeated Naja, a fifth-order demon, during their undercover mission. Well, they were still too weak to vanquish the demon, however, their impeccable combo had completely overpowered her until she was vanquished by Azmel. If they fought together, that might reduce the endless beatings they were getting from this demon. Yanvirrak¡¯s gaze hardened. ¡°Now.¡± Instantly, they lunged toward the demon in a zigzag motion. The demon seemed a little confused but recovered immediately. Its soulless yellow eyes glared at Yanvirrak even though he was moving at a mind-blowing speed. But just as the demon could grab Yanvirrak by the neck, they changed their formation, running circles around it, while staying as far from it as possible. Their speed created a stream of blue, white, and purple light around the demon. The demon stopped moving. ¡°Are you just going to keep running? What cowards.¡± Yanvirrak smirked, eyeing the red weak spot. Even through the bandages, nothing was hidden from sacred vision. He nodded at Pheera. Suddenly Pheera stopped moving, halting right in front of the demon. ¡°There you are.¡± The demon glared at her. It pounced on Pheera, but then it grabbed a fistful of air as the figure of Pheera disappeared into thin air. Yanvirrak had never figured out how Pheera could make illusions of herself like that but it was always a pleasure seeing it. But even more pleasurable was the look of shock on the demon¡¯s face. He assumed that was shock seeing how the demon just kept staring at the space where Pheera used to be.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Are you looking for me?¡± Pheera grabbed the demon¡¯s arms from behind. As much it struggled, Pheera would not let go. Yanvirrak knew this was his chance to attack. He concentrated all of his sacros around his right fist, sending a fiery punch into the demon¡¯s abdomen. Pain surged through his arm at the impact all the way to his skull. Yanvirrak clenched his jaws. He had to keep going. He had to break through the armor and get to the weak spot. It was the only chance they had. As if possessed by an inferno, Yanivrrak punched and punched and punched with incredible speed. Blisters and blood mangled his fist. Yet Yanvirrak would not stop. With every single punch, the bandages grew weaker and weaker. The demon must have sensed how close Yanvirrak was getting because its struggle intensified. Pheera gritted her teeth, fighting hard to keep the demon in place. Just before the demon could wrestle free of Pheera¡¯s grip, she blurted loudly, ¡°Be still.¡± Then the demon stilled, freezing like a statue. Yanvirrak paused, glancing at Pheera with worry. But Pheera only urged Yanvirrak to hurry since she couldn¡¯t hold her captivation for long because the demon was trying to resist. With his bloodied hand, Yanvirrak continued to hit the demon¡¯s armored body. Finally, the bandages cracked, then shattered like glass exposing the weak point. Yanvirrak smashed through the weak point on the demon¡¯s gray abdomen and it screamed in terror. Its thin legs bucked. Pheera finally released the demon and it dropped to the ground. Yanvirrak panted, his right hand throbbing and trembling. It felt like every bone in his arms was broken. It would take a while for his hand to heal. It wouldn¡¯t be the first time anyway. He gazed at Pheera, gauging to see her emotions. Was she fine after using her captivation? He knew she had such a power, but he had never seen her use it. Pheera hated using it. At least that¡¯s the feeling Yanvirrak had got from Pheera. But Pheera seemed more concerned as all she did was look at Yanvirrak¡¯s hand. ¡°Your hand.¡± ¡°It will heal.¡± The words had barely left his mouth when he finally saw his hand. It wasn¡¯t the blood and bruises that caught his attention. It was the fiery red sheen around his fist like a metal dipped in flames. Heat surged through his arm, yet it did not burn him. Rather it felt pleasantly warm as if that kind of heat was all too normal. ¡°Are you alright?¡± asked Pheera. ¡°It¡¯s fine. We need to do something about that first.¡± Yanvirrak nodded at the unconscious demon. As long as it was not vanquished, they were not safe. It didn¡¯t matter if its weak spot was severely crushed. It didn¡¯t matter if it would take several hours before it completely regenerated. ¡°We need a holy cage before it wakes up.¡± Pheera said nothing, only staring in the distance with a faraway gaze. ¡°Pheera, are you alright?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Pheera looked at him. ¡°I- Yes.¡± He got closer to her. ¡°Are you sure? Your captivation?¡ª?¡° ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she said a little too defensively. She sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m just¡­ I can feel their anguish when I captivate them. I can feel their yearning to break free.¡± Guilt grew heavy in her eyes. ¡°All those people. All that pain.¡± Her lips quivered. Yanvirrak wanted to tell Pheera that she did the right thing by captivating the demon. It had saved their lives after all. But a part of him just wanted to listen to Pheera. Ever since she came to Draghein School, this was the first time she had actually opened up about her captivation power. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She sighed. The guilt transformed into embarrassment. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be. You can always talk to me. I¡¯m here for you.¡± Then after a momentary pause, he added, ¡°So is Narvari.¡± Pheera smiled. If not for her flawlessly dark skin, Yanvirrak was sure the blush would have been visible. He grinned. A shadow rose behind Pheera and the grin on his face instantly disappeared. His knees almost gave out when his eyes met the deadly golden eyes of the demon. Its previously brown bandages were now a rich golden color. How had he healed so quickly? The demon¡¯s golden bandages flew towards her like a torrent of daggers. Yanvirrak¡¯s instincts kicked in immediately. He lunged towards Pheera, pushing her out of the way. And as he watched, the bandages seemed to have slowed down. Perhaps, that was his mind playing tricks on him now that he was about to die. Well, at least he could now cross out death by a seventh-order demon from his bucket list. He closed his eyes, waiting for the bandages to pierce him. No. You can¡¯t give up. This wasn¡¯t just about him. It was about everyone else. About Draghein School. He had to survive for the sake of his school. After all the investment Trixan had made in him, he couldn¡¯t just give up. She taught them to fight. She taught them to never give up. She taught them to be vanquishers. The heat within his right arm suddenly appeared within the deepest core of his body, setting his insides ablaze. It was the most natural feeling in the world. His sacred energy burst out from him. The attack he expected never came. Slowly, he opened his eyes. He gasped at the sight of the red flames shrouding his body. The demon¡¯s partly burnt bandages recoiled. Yanivrrak laughed, gazing at his elema. ¡°Now, it¡¯s my turn.¡± And this time around, he was going in for the kill. The demon paled. Yanvirrak focused on his internal energy, drawing from within him the vaz of his elema. Elevaz. His flames surged forth, speedily transforming into a large cannon. He took one look at the fleeing demon and then fired his elevaz. An infernal storm exploded out of the cannon, racing after the demon. The flames scorched everything in its path. Wherever the demon ran, the flames followed. It was quite foolish of the demon to try to ran from the attack of an elevaz. Using elevaz guaranteed a hit against the enemy no matter what. The enemy¡¯s option was to face the attack head-on and hope they were strong enough to withstand it. Even if the demon ran to the ends of the earth, it would still be pursued. The flame elema eventually caught up with the demon torching it like a bonfire. The demon roared, its golden body withering into nothingness. When the demon was vanquished, Yanvirrak¡¯s elevaz disappeared. The fire burned everywhere, but with a mere thought from Yanvirrak, the flames disappeared. A massive migraine suddenly split through his head, and for a moment, Yanvirrak felt dazed. His legs wobbled, the strength draining from his body. This was his first time using elema and he had used its most powerful form. Yanvirrak dropped to the ground, his energy completely depleted. ¡°Yanvirrak.¡± Pheera¡¯s voice was the last thing he heard before passing out. Chapter 51: Narvari and Servin vs Two Ninth Order Demons Narvari¡¯s vision blurred, the demon doubling before her. Delirium took over her senses. Fighting a ninth-order demon was not a joke. Her aching bones and muscles would testify to that. But she couldn¡¯t let doubt crawl in. This was not a simulation. This was not even Narraghan where Trixan could easily rescue her. No. This was real. And the slightest hesitation could cause her death. But why hadn¡¯t she died yet? The demon was far more powerful than she. An explosion followed by a powerful earthquake rudely interrupted her thoughts. The earthquake lasted for a few seconds but it was enough to throw Narvari face-first into the damp dirt. What the hell was that? ¡°Someone used elevaz,¡± said Servin. He had been engaging with the other demon but Narvari had been too occupied with staying alive to worry about Servin. ¡°Elevaz?¡± Narvari narrowed her eyes. ¡°Elema at its most powerful form,¡± he said. ¡°It takes an incredible amount of sacred energy and it may leave you both physically and mentally drained after using it.¡± As Narvari wondered who could have used their elevaz, the demon charged at her, hurling its powerful hoof-like leg towards her face. Narvari reacted immediately, dodging the kick. She already had a sacred fist ready but the demon¡¯s hand transformed into a terrifyingly long scythe. The demonic blade would have cut Narvari into two had she not phased out of the way at the last second. She howled as the pain shot through her shoulder, down into the soles of her feet. Narvari touched her shoulder, the blood soaking her hand. She clenched her teeth glaring at the demon. The demon glared right back, his golden eyes blazing with fury. ¡°Narvari. Are you alright?¡± She had been so occupied by her fight with the demon that she had not noticed when she and Servin had ended up standing back to back, felled trees all around them. This forest would need major afforestation. All those poor trees¡­ ¡°Narvari?¡ª?¡± ¡°Oh, yes. Yes.¡± She came back to her senses. ¡°This is nothing.¡± ¡°What do you see?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Look at the demon and tell me what you see.¡± Narvari watched the demon carefully. Except for his inhuman golden eyes, the demon could easily pass for a human. Well, a human with questionable fashion sense. But what struck Narvari most was the complete lack of interest on the demon¡¯s creamy white face. It was like this whole thing was one boring game to him. Narvari frowned. She had been wondering why she was still alive all this while even after facing a ninth-order demon. Now she understood why. ¡°They are not attacking.¡± She bit her lips. ¡°Yes. They are toying with us. They haven¡¯t even revealed their ultimate demon form yet.¡± Narvari gulped. Even in this form, she and Servin found it hard to beat the demon. If they transformed to their ultimate demon form, they were royally screwed. ¡°It¡¯s like they are trying to keep us here,¡± Servin said. ¡°But why?¡± ¡°Only one way to find out.¡± In a louder voice, Servin called out. ¡°Hey you, What¡¯s this about? Why are you here?¡± Silence. ¡°You are going to be in a lot of trouble if you don¡¯t leave.¡± ¡°Really? And how¡¯s that?¡± The demon chuckled. ¡°None of your attacks have had any effect on us.¡± Narvari rolled her eyes. You mean you keep regenerating. She rubbed her numb shoulder. She was supposed to be feeling pain. Why wasn¡¯t she feeling it? ¡°What do you two want?¡± ¡°Not just us two, but that¡¯s none of your business,¡± the demon facing Narvari said. ¡°You know, I¡¯m impressed you¡¯re still standing even after everything. But don¡¯t worry, my poison is going to kill you before you even bleed to death.¡± Narvari clenched her jaws. Was the numbness in her shoulder the effect of the poison? No, don¡¯t let him get into your head. She smirked. ¡°If you think that I¡¯m going to be defeated by the likes of you, then you are more delusional than I thought.¡± ¡°Is that right? Then I shall show you something interesting before you die.¡± ¡°Brother, are we doing it?¡± The other demon asked. ¡°Of course, Lleyiga. Let¡¯s raise hell.¡± The demon slowly shed its human skin as red scales took over their bodies. Horns protruded out of their heads, while their hands and feet became sharp claws. ¡°Narvari, listen,¡± Servin said hastily. ¡°They are transforming into their ultimate demon form. We can¡¯t let that happen. We won¡¯t stand a chance.¡± ¡°What do we do?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll use my elevaz against the stronger demon.¡± Narvari frowned. ¡°Will you be able to fight after that?¡± He did say using elevaz drained a person of all their energy.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m counting on you, Narvari. I need you to use your sacros to stop his transformation and buy me some time to recover my energy. I know you will figure something out.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Narvari wasn¡¯t sure how she could use her sacros to stop the transformation, but she had to do something. There was no way in hell she was dying today. Ushama. Suddenly, her savaz appeared in her hands. She dashed towards the half-transformed demon, shooting at it over and over. With every shot she fired at the demon¡¯s body, a gaping wound appeared. However, it soon regenerated as if nothing had happened. But Narvari wouldn¡¯t stop. Although the demon was quickly regenerating, his transformation halted. It seemed that it couldn¡¯t transform and regenerate at the same time. The demon glared at Narvari, growling in rage. His current transformation slowly vanished, returning it to its previous human form. He lunged towards Narvari. Narvari knew she was no match for the demon in her current strength. Right now, with only a fifth-order savaz and no elema, she couldn¡¯t possibly vanquish or even overpower a ninth-order demon. Her best bet was to fight from a distance and using savaz gave her that advantage over using Trinity. She agilely dodged the demon¡¯s attacks while at the same time filling the demon¡¯s body with sacros by shooting her savaz. Her shoulder felt like it had been hacked off by a chainsaw, but now was not the time to be thinking about the pain. If she lost the slightest focus, the demon would definitely kill her. The demon roared. ¡°Stand right there you annoying little fly.¡± ¡°What am I? Stupid?¡± Narvari flipped in the air. The earth trembled again as another explosion rippled through the forest, splitting the ground into two. So powerful was the earthquake that Narvari and the demon came tumbling down. She clenched her hands. Elevaz? She was sure of it. That must be Servin¡¯s. ¡°Big brother.¡± The demon named Lleyiga froze. His face became paler than usual as he ran past Narvari towards the other demon lying unconscious on the ground. Narvari turned to Servin. In his his left hand he brandished a strange projectile weapon whose fluid metallic body seemed to be made of¡­wind? What the hell? Servin¡¯s muscular chest heaved. But despite his exhaustion, the bliss on his face was apparent. He collapsed to the ground. ¡°Servin.¡± Servin weakly raised a hand. ¡°I¡¯m just resting for a bit. Don¡¯t lose your guard.¡± Narvari halted, suddenly remembering that there was still one demon left. But the red-haired demon seemed too overcome by the grief of his slowly-disintegrating brother, to pay any attention to Narvari. ¡°Brother.¡± The demon held his dead brother in his arms. ¡°Shudaz, don¡¯t leave me.¡± Narvari froze, the scene before her suddenly looking way too familiar. ¡°You.¡± The demon glared at her. He put his brother down gently and stood up to face her. Pointing a long finger at her, he snarled, ¡°This is all your fault.¡± She balled her fist as all sympathy within her burnt to ash. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s my fault,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s not like you invaded our school and tried to kill us or anything. I asked for this and killed your brother. Yes, yes, it¡¯s all my fault.¡± ¡°You killed my brother.¡± He growled at Servin. ¡°Both of you did.¡± Narvari shrugged. ¡°Well, I guess the moral of the story is, don¡¯t try to kill people, because they will kill you back.¡± ¡°Do you think this is a joke?¡± he thundered. Suddenly, his hand elongated, speeding towards Narvari like a whip. Just before she could swerve, however, her legs wobbled, her vision blurred and perspiration soaked her face like she had been tossed into a furnace. Shit. The poison. The demon¡¯s hand pummeled her in the abdomen, thrashing her around like a leaf in a storm. She fell heavily on twigs and thorns, blood spewing from her mouth. She spat out blood, the taste of copper or iron burning her tongue. When she moved her hand, she winced. Blood soaked her trembling arm. Her feet would not move even when she willed them to. ¡°Get up, Narvari.¡± The sound of Servin¡¯s voice was the only thing telling her that she was alive. Well, that and the agonizing pain in her shoulder and abdomen. She liked it better when it was numb. She was sure she had broken a rib or ten from the demon¡¯s kick. ¡°Narvari, get up. He¡¯s transforming again.¡± Narvari glanced at the demon¡¯s blurry form. She blinked, trying to adjust her eyes on the transforming demon. Narvari slowly rose to her feet, the world rotating under her feet. God, her shoulder. No. No, she could not think about the pain. The pain was the least of her problems right now. She had to think of something. Their plan had half worked. One of the demons was dead. Its body had completely disintegrated now. But there was still another, and she was in no shape to fight that demon. She had to stop the transformation at least. She had to. She moved. It was just a step but the little movement threatened to saw off her shoulder. She clenched her teeth. It was too late. The demon¡¯s transformation was complete. The demon¡¯s entire body was covered in red armor like the commander of a demon army. Two long red horns protruded out of his head, and his golden eyes shone with unadulterated malice. The demon roared, forcing Narvari to her knees. She blocked her ears with her fingers. But it was the demon energy that made her want to die more than anything. Make it stop. She gripped her trembling hand. Fight back. You need to fight back. Her legs shook as she took her stand. She glared at the demon. If she would die today, she would do so in grand style. ¡°Narvari, run. I¡¯ll fight him.¡± When did he get up? She gaped at Servin. He looked like the littlest blow of the wind would sweep him off his feet. Literally. Yet, the resolution in his silver eyes did not falter. That was still not enough. Narvari knew Servin was in no condition to fight right now after exhausting all his sacred energy in using elevaz. Yet, he stood his ground. ¡°Sorry, Servin, but I¡¯m not running.¡± ¡°Enough talk, vanquishers,¡± said the demon, morphing his hand into that long red scythe that had almost cut Narvari into two. ¡°Time to die.¡± ¡°Oh, come on,¡± Narvari rolled her eyes, ¡°at least be original.¡± Glaring at her, the demon swung his scythe towards Narvari. Unconsciously, her Trinity activated and she grabbed hold of the blade with both sacred fists. The blade slowly cut through the sacros around her fists, until it was only a few inches away from her skin. Narvari gritted her teeth. She couldn¡¯t hold this for long. It was only a matter of time until the scythe cut through her sacros. If she lost her grip, the demon wouldn¡¯t hesitate to decorate his scythe with her blood. Perhaps, even her guts. ¡°You¡¯re strong.¡± The demon¡¯s hold over the scythe hardened. ¡°But not strong enough.¡± Narvari growled, her grip hardening on the blade. But she knew it was only a matter of time until she weakened. And slowly she did. She went on her knees. She couldn¡¯t hold on anymore. The demon was definitely going to hack her into two. Or pieces, maybe. Suddenly, the bright skies darkened and the cold air stabbed at her skin. Rumbling tore through the dark gray skies. The demon¡¯s grip on his scythe loosened. He looked up at the sky with a gaping mouth. Narvari panted heavily. What just happened? Why the sudden change in weather? More importantly, what was that fearful look on the demon¡¯s face? Does he not like rain? Some demons were water-averse and therefore vulnerable to water. Wouldn¡¯t it be too convenient if this demon were water-averse and then it suddenly started raining? Servin laughed hysterically. He casually sat down, as if there was no point in fighting the demon anymore. ¡°Start running, demon.¡± The rumble of thunder became even more violent. Servin pointed to the dark skies. ¡°Because she¡¯s going to kill you.¡± She? Narvari tilted her head, gazing at the skies. Who¡¯s going to kill him? The thunder? Chapter 52: Thunder Rage
Ten minutes earlier Zemeron spat out blood as he glared at the smug demon. Though the royal demon quickly regenerated every time Zemeron struck, they seemed wary of Zemeron¡¯s elema and did everything to avoid it. Their fight had gone on long enough and they both took a short break, gasping for breath. Zemeron¡¯s water elema hovered around him like an ocean wave, while the demon stood far from the clutches of his water elema. ¡°What do you want?¡± Zemeron asked. ¡°Are you working for Edicles?¡± ¡°Who do you think you are talking to, vanquisher? I¡¯m a royal demon. You will respect me.¡± ¡°I will not.¡± Zemeron scoffed. ¡°Then I will kill you.¡± Zemeron raised a brow. ¡°You¡¯re stalling.¡± The demon chuckled. ¡°So you¡¯ve figured it out. You¡¯re not totally a lost cause, I guess.¡± Zemeron clenched his jaws. ¡°Whatever you and your demon lackeys have planned isn¡¯t going to work.¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to find it no matter what.¡± Zemeron paused. ¡°What?¡± What could a group of demons be looking for in Draghein School? ¡°Speak now?¡± The demon¡¯s voice was as cold as ice. ¡°I told you to show me some fucking respect, you insolent worm.¡± They morphed their black demon energy into a torrent of spikes and hurled them toward Zemeron. His water elema suddenly converged around him like a huge globe. When the thick black spikes landed on the large globe of water, the spikes disintegrated into a puff of black mist. Copying the demon, Zemeron transformed his elema into thick water spikes, sending them straight to the demon. But the demon was ready with a gigantic sword in hand, cutting through the endless barrage of spikes at mind-blowing speed. That should keep the demon busy, Zemeron thought. ¡°Kurowa,¡± he whispered. The demon seemed quite confused by the sudden disappearance of Zemeron¡¯s elema. But then they smirked at the large blue savaz Zemeron cradled. Aiming at the demon¡¯s chest, Zemeron fired his savaz. Just as he thought, the gaping hole in the demon¡¯s chest inflicted by the savaz quickly healed. He fired it over and over, the demon watching him in nonchalance. ¡°Do you think you can harm me with this weak thing?¡± ¡°Actually, no.¡± He fired the savaz. ¡°It was just to distract you from that.¡± He nodded at the lone spike racing towards the demon like a bolt of lightning. The demon narrowed their eyes. Just as they turned around, the long spike of water elema pierced the demon in the neck. Right in the weak point. Zemeron covered his ears when the demon roared. The demon pulled out the spike from his neck and their hand burned upon contact with the elema. Thick purple blood gushed out from their neck, the wound refusing to close up. But that did not seem to be enough to vanquish the demon. ¡°You will pay for this.¡± In mere seconds, the demon¡¯s body completely transformed, their entire body now covered in diamond scales. Massive diamond wings sprouted from behind their back. They held a giant diamond axe while fury burned in their purple eyes. Zemeron¡¯s eyes almost bulged out of his head. He had seen fast transformations, but this was certainly the fastest he had ever seen. And this had happened despite all the injuries the demon had endured. He didn¡¯t even get the time to stop it. He balled his fist, his heart thumping. Could he fight this monstrous being? Even before the demon had transformed, all his attacks had been totally useless. This lowblood royal was far stronger than the last one he fought. And now that they had transformed, things would get even more complicated. He could only stand a chance if he too used his most powerful attack. He assumed a new stance, ready to summon his elevaz. The demon¡¯s axe froze in mid-air when the skies suddenly turned dark gray. The smell of rain permeated the air followed by low rumblings. Zemeron and the demon looked up at the same time. Zemeron grinned. ¡°It¡¯s your lucky day, demon.¡± The demon glared at him questionably. ¡°Well, you did say you wanted to fight the strongest in the school.¡± Zemeron shrugged. ¡°She¡¯s here now.¡± Zemeron covered his ears as the rubbing became louder and louder. ¡°Who dares attack my school?¡± Came the voice of thunder. ¡°Die now.¡± Even when he had tightly shut his ears, Zemeron heard the deafening thunderous voice that seemed to cut through the air like a sword. And perhaps, it might just as well have been a sword for the royal demon was instantly sliced neatly into two halves.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. The demon¡¯s sliced face twisted in shock as if they could not believe they had just been split apart. His body slowly disintegrated into a black mist. They probably would never know what had killed them. Zemeron¡¯s chest heaved with each deep breath he took. He gazed at the dark clouds where a dazzling figure stood amid the clouds like a warrior goddess. Zemeron sighed in relief. The Elder was back
¡°Who dares attack my school? Die now.¡± With her hands covering her ears, Narvari¡¯s eyes widened as the ninth-order demon suddenly exploded into a bloody pulp. Not even his bones remained. It was like the thunder had splattered him apart from the inside. Narvari looked up, wondering why that enraged voice of thunder sounded so familiar. She gaped. Someone stood in mid-air in the skies. The darkness faded and the sun¡¯s brilliant rays finally flooded the whole school again. The figure in the skies became clearer. ¡°Jesus Christ.¡± She gazed at the woman. ¡°Is that Trixan?¡± She did look exactly like Trixan with her long scarlet hair and forest-green eyes. But there was still something different about her. Maybe it was that ethereal and divine appearance she had, how brilliantly she shone with all those intricate golden markings on her porcelain face and arms. Was that really Trixan? Servin chuckled. ¡°It sure is.¡± She bit her lips. That thunderous voice. Wait, the thunder. Was that Trixan? Trixan¡¯s green eyes scanned the school. Was she looking for something? Narvari thought. Perhaps, she was trying to find out the extent of damage in the school. As relieved as Narvari was now that the Elder was back, she still could not fathom why she was back so soon. Wasn¡¯t she supposed to be back in three days? Did she find out the school was under attack? Maybe Zemeron had called her. Well, what did that even matter? They were safe now. That was all that mattered. Trixan suddenly disappeared in the skies. Gosh, she was so fast. ¡°Everything will be fine,¡± said Servin. ¡°I¡¯m sure every other demon is dead by now.¡± Narvari gaped Servin. He seemed relaxed. Too relaxed. ¡°What just happened?¡± One minute, the demon was about to attack, the next minute it just exploded. ¡°What happened to the demon?¡± She suspected Trixan had something to do with it but Narvari could not figure out what. ¡°Thunder Rage.¡± Narvari narrowed her eyes. ¡°Thunder what?¡± ¡°Thunder Rage. That¡¯s Trixan¡¯s union.¡± ¡°Union? As in the most powerful form of sacred energy?¡± Servin nodded. ¡°A combination of elema and sacros. It¡¯s a million times more powerful than elema. I¡¯m not even exaggerating.¡± Oh, she believed it. All Trixan had done was speak and the demon just exploded into non-existence. ¡°Wait, did you just say every other demon in the school could be dead because of Trixan¡¯s voice?¡± Servin smiled. ¡°You have no idea what she¡¯s capable of, do you? She¡¯s terrifying when she¡¯s angry. Like very terrifying.¡± She pondered over Servin¡¯s words, recollecting the day the Elder had sent chills down her spine when she slightly lost her temper. Servin was right. Narvari did not know Trixan at all. She knew Trixan was powerful, but not this powerful. After all their training, Trixan had never once shown her how strong she truly was. Servin chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Narvari. Trixan doesn¡¯t easily lose her temper. And she would never hurt any of her vanquishers.¡± He smiled fondly. ¡°Now help me up, will you?¡± He fell back on his ass when he tried to get up. ¡°Jeez, old man. Relax.¡± She held Servin up. ¡°Who are you calling old man?¡± ¡°You¡¯re like forty.¡± ¡°Thirty-eight.¡± ¡°Same thing.¡± Servin chuckled. As Narvari led her companion through the woods, she couldn¡¯t help but think about Pheera and Yanvirrak. Did they get to safety? She hoped nothing had happened to them. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Narvari sighed. ¡°Do you think Pheera and Yanvirrak are okay?¡± ¡°They¡¯re fine. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Narvari skipped over a tree branch. ¡°How could you be sure? What if they had faced a demon far stronger than they.¡± Servin laughed. ¡°Pheera is a Zoleris captivator. And Yanvirrak was personally recruited and trained by Trixan just like you. Don¡¯t underestimate those two, Narvari. I never underestimated you.¡± Narvari nodded slowly. For hope¡¯s sake, she would believe Servin right now.
Haru Watanabe watched Denise and Obinna fight a blond-haired vanquisher through his crystal ball. The demons kept the vanquishers busy to get Denise and Obinna more time. Soon, they would find Bezvaros¡¯s Crystal. Soon, the world would be theirs. ¡°I¡¯m still curious how you got a vanquisher on your side,¡± Grayson said, sitting next to Pugard, his massive demon dragon. The same demon dragon who had flown them to the top of the mountain they were on. Haru had chosen this mountain because it was the perfect distance from the school. While it was close enough for them to swoop in and help Obinna and Denise, it was also far enough to avoid detection. Haru shrugged. ¡°He¡¯s not on my side. We simply had similar goals.¡± ¡°And you think the vanquisher¡¯s goal was to have demons attack his school?¡± Haru glanced at Grayson. ¡°Maybe it isn¡¯t his school.¡± Silence ensued between them. Then Grayson sighed, looking away. The clouds suddenly darkened. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Grayson gaped. Haru¡¯s eyes widened. Was that a person in the clouds? He scrambled to his feet, grabbing his binoculars. Then he froze, his fingers numbing. A thunderous voice fractured the air. ¡°Who dares attack my school? Die now.¡± Pugard roared, blood oozing from its muzzle. ¡°What the hell?¡± ¡°We need to go now.¡± Haru put the crystal ball and binoculars in his bag. ¡°Trixan is back.¡± Even from several kilometers away from Draghein School, that woman¡¯s sacred energy had injured Pugard, a seventh-order demon. He didn¡¯t want to imagine what had happened to everyone else inside the school. ¡°I thought she wouldn¡¯t be back until three days later.¡± Grayson climbed aboard the demon dragon. ¡°Didn¡¯t we cut the school¡¯s access to communication with the outside world? Why is she back?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Haru eased himself next to Grayson. Pugard whimpered. It should still be able to fly. Grayson glared at him. ¡°You don¡¯t know? What about Obinna and Denise?¡± ¡°Look, they¡¯re probably dead, okay. Even Dero.¡± And Dero was an eleventh-order demon. ¡°This was your fucking plan?¡± Grayson¡¯s voice chilled. ¡°You sent them to their deaths?¡± ¡°At least I had a fucking plan,¡± Haru spat out. ¡°What has the Arch Vessel done? Where the hell is Ziegler? I am doing something. So excuse me if I made a few sacrifices.¡± Grayson shook his head, his eyes burning in anger. ¡°Lyle was right. You¡¯ve lost your damn mind.¡± Then Pugard rose into the air, taking them further from the monster that was Trixan.
Chapter 53: Aftermath of the Attack
The smell of blood, disinfectant, and traces of demon energy heavily permeated the infirmary. Trixan watched as doctors attended to the vanquishers. There were all kinds of casualties from mild cuts to grave injuries. Fortunately, none of the casualties had been fatal. She wasn¡¯t sure who had sent her that message about what was happening in her school, but she was glad she had received it. Who knew what might have happened had she not returned? Well, her vanquishers had held their own bravely to the very end. She couldn¡¯t have been prouder of them. But that pride was completely overshadowed by the absolute rage boiling within her like explosive magma. How did demons find their way into the school? It should be impossible. Her balled fist shook. Blasting those demons into oblivion had not been enough to pacify her rage. She wanted to do it all over again. This time, much slower, so those demons would feel the never-ending anguish. ¡°Trixan.¡± She turned to see Azmel watching her. White bandages firmly wound around his head and torso. ¡°You should be resting, my dear.¡± Azmel, ever so nonchalant, simply shrugged as though his wounds were nothing but a prop. ¡°I¡¯ll do that later. There¡¯s something important I need to tell you.¡± Azmel was not one to dwell on small talk so Trixan just went straight to the point. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Vessels were involved.¡± He paused, then added thoughtfully. ¡°I think they planned this. I fought two of them with their demons.¡± ¡°Hmm, I see.¡± Trixan nodded. It was no wonder Azmel was in bad shape right now. The more blood pacts a Vessel had with demons, the more powerful they were. Such Vessels could be quite problematic for even skilled vanquishers. ¡°You did well protecting the rookies, my dear. Well, done.¡± Azmel nodded. ¡°There¡¯s something else.¡± Trixan tilted her head. ¡°I think they were looking for something,¡± he said. ¡°The demons and Vessels?¡± Trixan raised a bow. ¡°Why do you say that, my dear?¡± ¡°They kept talking about how they would make the world whole again once they found what they came for.¡± ¡°Hmm, I see.¡± What could Vessels be possibly looking for in Draghein School? ¡°That was useful information, my dear. Thank you.¡± She had been more concerned about her vanquishers getting better and had not yet come around to interrogating any of them about the attack. ¡°Have you seen Zemeron?¡± asked Trixan. ¡°He¡¯s in his room.¡± ¡°Alright. You should go back and rest. That¡¯s an order, Azmel.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± He nodded before leaving. Strolling through the infirmary, Trixan stopped by a bed with an unconscious Alana lying on it. Her entire hand had been ripped out of her shoulder. Trixan gripped her knuckles to keep herself calm. Doctor Nish gently cleaned the young woman¡¯s wound. ¡°Can you reclaim it?¡± asked Trixan. ¡°Not unless I treat the infection,¡± Nish said. ¡°It¡¯s infected with demon energy. But once I purge it, I will begin the reclamation.¡± ¡°How long is it going to take?¡± ¡°Treating the demon energy infection will take about two weeks.¡± ¡°And the arm reclamation?¡± ¡°About a month or two.¡± Trixan nodded slowly. It was indeed a slow and painful process, but the life of her vanquishers was more important. She was grateful Alana was still alive. The young woman was only a class five vanquisher and had been one of the few rookies who enrolled at Draghein School voluntarily. ¡°Take care of her, Nish.¡± They nodded. ¡°She¡¯ll be fine. I promise.¡± Trixan smiled. She went around looking after the others. Many of them were in pain but their faces lit up when Trixan came around. Trixan shared some encouraging words with them, telling them how she was proud of them for fighting so bravely.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Elder.¡± The voice came from behind and though she couldn¡¯t see who it was, she knew who. Only one person in Draghein School ever called her Elder to her face. ¡°Rahalan.¡± Trixan spun. Servin Rahalan sat up in one of the beds while three familiar faces surrounded him. Rahalan could be serving in Rahalan School. But he chose to be transferred to Draghein School sixteen years ago when almost all the Draghein vanquishers left because they didn¡¯t want Trixan as Elder. For Rahalan¡¯s support, Trixan would always be grateful. ¡°It¡¯s the Triple Trouble.¡± She carefully assessed the young vanquishers. A few cuts adorned Yanvirrak¡¯s baby face. Pheera¡¯s head was wrapped in a bandage. While Narvari looked¡­ fine. Interesting. ¡°Triple Trouble?¡± Narvari raised a brow. ¡°That¡¯s the worst squad name ever, no offense, Trixan.¡± ¡°At least it¡¯s better than Pheeroofa.¡± Yanvirrak glared at Rahalan.. ¡°Offence intended, Servin.¡± Rahalan grinned. ¡°None taken.¡± ¡°How are you all doing, my dears?¡± Yanvirrak and Narvari chattered excitedly about how they fought and vanquished greater demons. Yanvirrak reminded Narvari that she didn¡¯t vanquish the greater demon, but Rahalan did to which Narvari glared at him. Then Narvari, of course, asked about Trixan¡¯s Thunder Rage and how she had so easily killed the demons with her mere voice. Always so eager to learn about things way beyond her level. As usual, Trixan told Narvari that someday she might learn everything. ¡°I unlocked my elema,¡± said Yanvirrak excitedly. A ball of fire suddenly engulfed his palm. ¡°Amazing, my dear,¡± said Trixan. She did not doubt that Yanvirrak would unlock his elema. But he had exceeded her expectations by unlocking it earlier than anticipated. She wasn¡¯t surprised though. She knew from experience how a desperate situation could suddenly trigger a surge in power. Besides, Yanvirrak had been secretly training his elema for a long time. ¡°So what do you call your elema?¡± Trixan asked. ¡°You know every elema needs a name to make it uniquely yours.¡± ¡°I was thinking of Hanes¡¯s Inferno.¡± ¡°Hanes¡¯s Inferno?¡± Narvari face-palmed, shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯m still deliberating between Hanes¡¯s Inferno and Hanes Inferno. You know?¡± Yanvirrak rubbed his chin. ¡°Hmm, I think I like Hanes Inferno better.¡± ¡°Whatever you choose, it is still a total rip-off.¡± Narvari scoffed. ¡°A rip-off?¡± Yanvirrak raised his brow. ¡°Of what? I¡¯m freaking original.¡± ¡°Of Dante¡¯s. Duh.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Really?¡± Narvari narrowed her eyes. ¡°You know what, never mind. Hades Inferno is perfect.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Hanes Inferno.¡± Yanvirrak rolled his eyes. ¡°And yes, it¡¯s perfect.¡± Rahalan grinned. ¡°So this is my life now, Elder.¡± Then nodding at Pheera, he asked, ¡°How have you survived for so long around them?¡± ¡°The same way she survived around you and Yanvirrak,¡± said Narvari. Pheera chuckled. It was nice seeing Pheera happy after everything she¡¯d been through. Narvari gazed at Pheera like a stargazer would watch a rare star. When Pheera looked back at her, she held the same intensity in her eyes. Trixan smiled. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting to see you back so soon,¡± Rahalan said. ¡°But I¡¯m not complaining. At least, I got to see the legendary Thunder Rage for the first time.¡± ¡°Your aunt asked about you,¡± said Trixan. ¡°You should go visit her sometime.¡± Rahalan shrugged. ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± Trixan paused, turning her attention to the children. ¡°My dears, are you sure you¡¯re all okay?¡± They nodded. ¡°Get as much rest as possible. All of you.¡± They all agreed to do just that. Checking up on a few more people, Trixan went to find Zemeron. It was time to get to the bottom of this.
Trixan¡¯s eyes focused on the blue cast around Zemeron¡¯s arm. ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± said Zemeron, wiggling his arm. ¡°Nish insisted I wear a cast.¡± Trixan nodded. There was no use arguing with Nish. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Trixan.¡± Zemeron sighed, slumping on the fluffy headboard of his bed. ¡°You asked me to look after the school and I couldn¡¯t even do that.¡± ¡°What happened was not your fault, my dear.¡± She sat. ¡°I just don¡¯t understand how those demons got inside the school in the first place. The shield rays should have killed them immediately.¡± Zemeron¡¯s eyes wavered ever so slightly. Anyone may have missed it, but Trixan felt the spike in his heartbeat. It was anger. She narrowed her eyes. ¡°You should tell me what happened, my dear.¡± He clenched his jaws, sharpening his chiseled jawline. ¡°Someone took down the shield beam from the inside.¡± ¡°What?¡± She froze, her grip on her knuckles tightening. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Edicles.¡± Trixan gaped, her voice eluding her. Finally, when she found her voice, she said, ¡°Was it an accident?¡± Zemeron laughed without mirth. ¡°It was not. He was working with those demons and Vessels. I think he¡¯s been spying on us all this time to strike at the right opportunity.¡± And the right opportunity presented itself when she went to Rhodine, thought Trixan. ¡°But how did he get into the High Sepulchre?¡± ¡°He had a device that let him hack the lock system.¡± Lethal calmness settled over Trixan, her blood cold as ice. ¡°Where is he?¡± ¡°In the dungeons.¡± ¡°Did he tell you why he did it?¡± ¡°No. But¡­¡± Zemeron¡¯s words trailed, his blue eyes suddenly becoming uncertain. ¡°But?¡± ¡°Trixan, I-I don¡¯t know.¡± Trixan tilted her head, listening carefully to Zemeron¡¯s heartbeat. It was an unusual mix of worry, fear, and anger. But the worry exceeded the others. ¡°What is it, Zemeron? What happened?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet. But something Edicles said makes me think your life is in danger.¡± Zemeron inhaled and exhaled slowly, yet that did nothing to calm his troubled heart. ¡°I should have seen this coming.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Sometimes I sensed I was being watched, you know. But I didn¡¯t think much about it. If only I had been more serious about it and?¡ª?¡± ¡°My dear,¡± Trixan smiled, ¡°this was not your fault but mine. I knew someone had been spying on us yet I did nothing. Do not blame yourself.¡± She had assumed it was a spy sent by some people in the Draghein Family. Those people had been obsessed with her, searching for anything to oust her as Elder. She had simply allowed the spy to be since she knew they would find nothing to sabotage her with. Never had she anticipated that the spy would be Edicles Hogmen, one of her very own vanquishers. If anyone should be feeling sorry right now, it was Edicles, not Zemeron. ¡°I¡¯m going to have a little chat with Edicles.¡± Trixan¡¯s eyes steeled, the rage slowly coursing through her. This time, she wouldn¡¯t hold it back.
Chapter 54: A Grand Conspiracy
Deep underground of Draghein School, in a glass cube prison, Edicles Hogmen stood with a defiant look on his face and an energy seal around his neck. Trixan silently watched the man, her hands behind her back. He on the other hand glared at her. ¡°Well, this is cozy.¡± He glanced at the single bed and chair in the cell. ¡°Come to give me blankets?¡± His eyes were back on Trixan, his face pressed to the glass wall. Even if he wasn¡¯t wearing an energy seal, there was no way he could break through the adamant glass. ¡°What? Did you come here to just stare at me all day?¡± ¡°Did you betray us, Edicles?¡± She wasn¡¯t angry. Not yet. She couldn¡¯t accept it yet, not until Edicles admitted it himself. Three years ago, Edicles had voluntarily transferred to Draghein School. As a class three senior vanquisher, his transfer was a real blessing to the school and he had proved to be good at his job. Why would he suddenly betray the school now? ¡°Betray you?¡±He laughed, yet his laughter was devoid of any mirth. ¡°I was never one of you, Trixan. I don¡¯t work for Draghein School or you.¡± Hmm. It was a close thing to admission. But she wasn¡¯t angry. Not yet. ¡°Does it mean you work for demons and Vessels then? Is that why you took down the shield beam for them?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t work for filthy Vessels and demons,¡± he spat. ¡°They were nothing but a cog in the wheel.¡± Trixan paused. Edicles did not deny that he took down the shield beam. Judging from his heartbeat, he had done what he did willingly and not because he was being controlled or under duress. Why would he do this? Why would he grant access to the demons? And if he wasn¡¯t working for them, then who was he really working for? These thoughts plagued her mind. Yet Trixan wasn¡¯t angry. Not yet. ¡°Who put you up to this?¡± she asked. ¡°Who are you working for?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not telling you anything.¡± It was at that very moment the shadows of rage loomed over her. Trixan rubbed her knuckles, before saying in her chillingly calm voice, ¡°Do not test my patience, Edicles.¡± Edicles gulped, his eyes wavering a moment. But the uncertainty in his eyes was gone in a flash. ¡°Your legendary rage is nothing compared to what¡¯s coming, Trixan. Your end is near.¡± A maniacal smile widened on his dark brown face. ¡°The end of Draghein School is near, Trixan. We will destroy you like we did Hellstorm.¡± He banged against the glass wall, his gaze hardening despite the smile on his face. ¡°We¡¯ll destroy you.¡± We will destroy you like we did Hellstorm. These very words were worse than the harshest of winters. What could this bastard possibly know of Hellstorm¡¯s death? Hellstorm died a hero fighting Bezvaros himself, so why was Edicles talking like the death of her teacher was the result of some cheap scheme? She wouldn¡¯t hold back anymore. ¡°Open,¡± she commanded. She sauntered towards Edicles as the glass doors draped apart like a curtain. Behind her, the doors shut. The glare on Edicles¡¯s dark brown face faltered. With each calculating step Trixan took, Edicles retreated. He halted, his back finally hitting the wall. ¡°Who¡¯s we, Edicles?¡± she asked quietly. The angrier she got the calmer she became. Edicles must have known this because he gulped, his eyes darkening in fear. But his voice was firm. ¡°I¡¯ll never tell you anything. I¡¯m not afraid of you, Trixan.¡± Trixan smiled?¡ª?not her usual warm smile. ¡°You should be.¡± Her voice reverberated, gushing forth like the the sound of many waters. Edicles screamed, his face buried in his palms. He staggered, falling on his bed. Blood oozed from his nostrils. ¡°Did you feel the tiny vibrations in your head?¡± Trixan asked. ¡°Consider yourself warned, Edicles. The next time you let me repeat myself, I¡¯m going to fry your brain.¡± Edicles clenched his jaws, his teeth shivering violently. He looked up at Trixan with watery eyes. Hmm, was he already crying? But she had barely done anything. She wouldn¡¯t want to shatter the adamant glass of the cell so she had only resorted to her elema in its weakest form. ¡°Now let¡¯s start over.¡± Trixan pulled the chair and sat. ¡°Why did you destroy the shield beam?¡± Edicles pressed his lips together as if trying to stop himself from talking. Whatever resolve that remained within him broke free like shackles. ¡°It was the only way to get the Vessels and demons into the school.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Trixan nodded. It was fortunate the engineers had already restored the shield beam. Who knew what other unwanted visitors would have breached the school¡¯s security? ¡°And why did they come here? What did they want?¡± ¡°They were looking for¡­¡± Edicles paused. ¡°For what?¡± Her chilling voice reminded Edicles of what would happen if he kept wasting her time. He caught on to the warning. ¡°Bezvaros¡¯ Crystal.¡± Trixan raised a brow. ¡°Bezvaros¡¯ Crystal isn¡¯t here.¡± A sinister smile widened at the corner of his lips. ¡°Of course, it isn¡¯t. But those fools would believe anything about their precious Demon King.¡± He knew this whole time and yet let the demons into the school? Was this the whole plan from the beginning? To spread false rumors about Bezvaros¡¯ Crystal being in Draghein School so that their school would be attacked and destroyed? Edicles did say that they wanted to destroy the school after all. Trixan¡¯s hands itched to punch this scoundrel into oblivion. But as much as she wanted to, she couldn¡¯t get answers if Edicles was dead. The man was just a pawn in the whole thing and?¡ª?a more powerful person was pulling the strings. Who could it be? Could it be a fellow vanquisher? Trixan narrowed her eyes. Or perhaps, it was the Draghein Family. As much as the Draghein Family loathed her, would they go so far as putting the entire school in danger by sending demons and Vessels? Even if the family could not stand her because she was just a poor street urchin favored by Hellstorm, even if they hated that Hellstorm chose an outsider like her as his successor, and even if most Dragheins transferred to other schools as soon as she took over as Elder, would they stoop so low to use Vessels and demons in doing their dirty work? The Draghein Family might hate Trixan, but they hated demons and Vessels even more. More importantly, they would dare not incur the wrath of Zhura Vaashun, Hellstorm¡¯s grandmother. If that woman found out that some people in the family had planned for the school to be attacked by Vessels and demons, they would wish they were dead. It was simply illogical to think that the Draghein Family was responsible for the attack on the school. Besides, Edicles claimed the people he was working for had destroyed Hellstorm. Hellstorm was one of the most powerful people in the Draghein Family and his mere presence alone boosted the reputation of the family by leaps and bounds. Even if people didn¡¯t agree with some of his decisions, his incredible strength brought the family a lot of power and respect, the two most important things to the Dominant Families. Why would the Draghein Family destroy the very thing that gave them exactly what they wanted? It made no sense. Unless they didn¡¯t want that power anymore. Or more accurately, someone didn¡¯t want the Draghein Family to be powerful anymore. Trixan clenched her jaws. ¡°Did one of the Dominant Families do this?¡± Edicles smiled though it didn¡¯t reach his eyes. ¡°Not only are you strong. But you¡¯re also intelligent. If only the Draghein Family saw your potential.¡± ¡°I want a name. Who wants to destroy my school? Who was responsible for Hellstorm¡¯s death?¡± ¡°I think you already know, Elder. You are living with the enemy after all.¡± Trixan frowned. The majority of her vanquishers were outies, and only a few had ties to the Twelve Dominant Families of Agon. However, they were loyal to her. Were they though? Especially if one of these Dominant Families had a centuries-old grudge against the Draghein Family. Zoleris. Trixan narrowed her eyes. No, it can¡¯t be. Don¡¯t let him get into your head. ¡°You figured it out, haven¡¯t you?¡± Edicles chuckled. ¡°Do you expect me to believe that the Zoleris Family planned this attack?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t expect you to believe anything.¡± He shrugged. ¡°But since you want to know the truth, I¡¯m telling you that they sent me. You have two Zoleris right under your roof, and one of them is the greatest weapon of their family. If you expected the Zoleris to sit back and do nothing, then you¡¯re delusional.¡± Trixan leaned back in her chair, her mind racing. Esumeraz Zoleris.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Memories of the conversation she had two days ago with the Elder of the Zoleris School were still fresh in her mind. Esumeraz¡¯s warning had been crystal clear that night. She was in Rhodine then, preparing for the meeting with the Council of Elders. As Trixan basked in the beauty and serenity of the garden in the Tower of Elders, a chill suddenly arrested her heart. It was only for a mere second but the bloodlust was unmistakable. Trixan¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°What do you want?¡± she asked not turning around, her gaze fixated on the midnight blue petals of the moonrose. ¡°I think you know what I want,¡± came the voice of a man she could not stand. Trixan turned around. Esumeraz Zoleris glared at her, his deep blue eyes a blizzard. She really was not in the mood for this. She had come to the garden to enjoy the serenity and keep her constant rage in check. Esumeraz being here was not helping. Before Trixan could walk away, she felt tiny vibrations coming from outside the garden. Whoever it was was waiting, listening, and from the pattern of the vibration, it was definitely a man closely related to Esumeraz. ¡°Is he going to eavesdrop all night?¡± Trixan said. Esumeraz paused, raising his thick white eyebrow. Then he chuckled. ¡°Come here, Abeneron.¡± A young man with a smooth hairless face appeared from the shadows and stood beside the older bearded man. With his thick black hair and dark brown eyes, the young man looked nothing like a Zoleris. Where the Zoleris were as dark as a starless night, this man had honey-brown skin. Trixan would have assumed Abeneron was some random person if the young man didn¡¯t have the same face, height, and stature as Zemeron. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve met Abeneron.¡± Esumeraz put a hand on Abeneron¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m sure you recognize him as my son since you¡¯ve abducted his twin after all.¡± Trixan smiled. For a man past his hundreds, he was so dramatic. ¡°Zemeron transferred to Draghein School of his own volition.¡± ¡°Of course he did, that damn coward.¡± Esumeraz clenched his jaws. ¡°But it¡¯s fine. I have a better heir. Abeneron has already taken my place as Elder. I don¡¯t care about that useless idiot of a son.¡± Trixan cocked her head. ¡°Did you come here to tell me what a terrible father you are? Or do you have something intelligent to talk about?¡± Trixan didn¡¯t think Esumeraz¡¯s frown could get any deeper. But it did. These nobles for some reason had this presumptuous belief that they could disrespect others without consequence. Not on her watch. ¡°Zemeron can stay all he wants in that dump you call a school.¡± He paused. Then taking a step closer to Trixan he added in a colder tone, ¡°But you should return Pheera at once. She¡¯s a prized possession of our family. Do you think we¡¯re going to let you own her?¡± Trixan slowly rubbed her knuckles. ¡°Pheera is not an object or a possession to be owned. She¡¯s a person and she¡¯s in Draghein School of her own free will. I do not own her and neither do you.¡± ¡°She¡¯s a Zoleris,¡± Abeneron suddenly snapped. ¡°She belongs in Zoleris School not with lowlifes like you.¡± Abeneron suddenly lunged towards Trixan but Esumeraz pulled him by the collar before he could reach her. The young man staggered next to his father like a drunk idiot. ¡°Father, why did you stop me? Let me teach this worm a lesson.¡± ¡°You better be glad I stopped you, fool,¡± Esumeraz roared. ¡°She would have killed you without a single thought.¡± Abeneron calmed down instantly. Though he said nothing anymore, the daggers in his eyes didn¡¯t dull for a second. ¡°So that¡¯s the new Elder of Zoleris School?¡± Trixan chuckled. ¡°You must be desperate.¡± ¡°You should worry about your school, Trixan Yvis,¡± said Esumeraz. ¡°Do the Dragheins know you¡¯re harboring Zoleris in their school?¡± Trixan shrugged. ¡°I run the school, not them.¡± ¡°You run the school because of Hellstorm and Vaashun. You¡¯re a nobody. Don¡¯t for a second think you¡¯re one of them. One of us.¡± Trixan smiled. ¡°Why will I want to be?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± He clenched his jaw. ¡°I know you¡¯re too stubborn to hand Pheera over simply because I asked. So here¡¯s what¡¯s going to happen.¡± By now, Esumeraz and Trixan stood face to face at eye level. His heart thumped with fury. ¡°I will stop at nothing until I get Pheera back. You have my word.¡± Trixan tightened her fists by her side, wrestling hard to keep the rage at bay. ¡°Pheera has come a long way recovering from the trauma she suffered from the likes of you. There is no way I will ever let anyone, especially her father, hurt her ever again.¡± Her fury intoxicated her, and she wanted nothing more than to unleash it. ¡°Since you gave your word, I will give mine, Esumeraz Zoleris,¡± with every word she uttered, her entire being spiraled into an abyss of darkness and rage?¡ª?her voice remained calm, yet it was as cold as winter, ¡°anyone who tries to take Pheera without her consent will have me to contend with. That includes the entire Zoleris Family. I will?¡ª?¡° ¡°Trixan.¡± She froze as the softness of the voice whisked her out of her bloodlust. Slowly she returned to her senses. ¡°Arequil,¡± Trixan whispered. Thank goodness her friend was here. Trixan had almost lost control?¡ª?something that hardly ever happened. Arequil sauntered towards them in elegance, her light purple hair fluttering with the breeze. When she smiled, her silver eyes dazzled, instantly putting Trixan at ease. ¡°Who do we have here?¡± she asked, beaming at Abeneron. ¡°The newest and youngest Elder. I hear congratulations are in order, young man.¡± Then she turned to Esumeraz. ¡°I¡¯m not interrupting anything, am I?¡± ¡°We were just leaving.¡± Esumeraz nodded at his son. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°That was intense,¡± said Arequil when Esumeraz and his son left. ¡°Thanks for coming,¡± Trixan said, rubbing her forehead. ¡°I almost lost control.¡± ¡°Why do you think I came to find you?¡± Arequil folded her hands. ¡°I sensed a sliver of your oppressive union. What were you thinking, Trixan? You can¡¯t just let your rage take over while the meeting starts in less than an hour.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Trixan sighed. ¡°Next time I¡¯ll do that when the meeting starts in more than an hour.¡± Arequil laughed?¡ª?a sweet melodious sound. Everything about this woman made Trixan forget about her constant rage. Arequil Rahalan?¡ª?Trixan¡¯s fellow Elder and best friend. Arequil¡¯s beautiful features turned serious. ¡°You don¡¯t lose control, Trixan. What did Esumeraz say to you?¡± The words of Esumeraz replayed over and over in Trixan¡¯s head. Those weren¡¯t just words. Those were threats. Threats of a Zoleris. And threats of a Zoleris didn¡¯t remain threats for long. As her mind returned to the surroundings of the glass prison, Edicles watching her in amusement, Trixan didn¡¯t know what else to think. Could Esumeraz have planned the attack on their school to send a message to her? ¡°The Zoleris Family will stop at nothing until you¡¯re all destroyed,¡± Edicles said. ¡°The Zoleris Family will destroy you.¡± Trixan paused thoughtfully. It can¡¯t be right. If the Zoleris Family had used demons to attack their school, why hadn¡¯t they taken Pheera away when the vanquishers were all busily fighting off the demons? That should have been a perfect time to get her back and yet Pheera was still safe and sound in the school. Besides, Edicles had not seemed surprised to see Trixan even though all the senior vanquishers knew she was in Rhodine for three days. She raised a brow. Does he know about the letter? Trixan grabbed Edicles by the neck and knocked him against the wall. Edicles¡¯s feet dangled in the air as Trixan lifted him. She tightened her grip around his neck. ¡°You should stop lying, Edicles,¡± she whispered ¡°I am this close to exploding your brain.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not lying,¡± he yelled, squirming under Trixan¡¯s touch. ¡°The Zoleris Family sent me. They killed Hellstorm. And now they want you dead.¡± Edicles grumbled as Trixan dropped him to the cold hard floor with a heavy thud. Trixan sat back in her chair. ¡°Get up.¡± The young man struggled to his feet. It took him a world of an effort to sit on his bed. Trixan chuckled. ¡°Tell me something, Edicles, do you think I¡¯m stupid?¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid?¡± Edicles bit his lips. ¡°No. I already told you how intelligent I think you are.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Trixan nodded. ¡°So then tell me why you keep expecting me to believe your lies.¡± Edicles narrowed his eyes, then quickly schooled them to fit his words. ¡°But I¡¯m not lying. Everything I¡¯ve said is the truth.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Trixan smiled. ¡°I have barely touched you, and yet, here you are spilling all your dirty little secrets. What happened to not telling me anything no matter what I did to you?¡± Edicles gulped. He looked down, avoiding Trixan¡¯s gaze. ¡°The Zoleris Family didn¡¯t send you.¡± Trixan shrugged. ¡°But what I fail to understand is why you¡¯re lying about that. Why are you pinning this crime on the Zoleris Family? What¡¯s your aim here?¡± Silence. ¡°Look at me, Edicles.¡± Slowly, the young man gazed at Trixan. ¡°SPEAK,¡± she thundered, and her sound union gushed into Edicles. The man convulsed wildly, his eyes widening. ¡°Please, stop. Please.¡± ¡°Not until you tell me who sent you. Who planned Hellstorm¡¯s death?¡± Edicles slumped to the floor, writhing like a dying snake. Blood burst forth from his orifices. ¡°I-I can¡¯t tell you. I¡¯ll never tell you.¡± Trixan merely sat still, watching him in disinterest. ¡°Hmm, I see. Then I have no use for you.¡± She could have prolonged his suffering and made him feel the worst kind of hell until he broke apart, having no other choice but to speak the truth. But no matter how Trixan saw it, Edicles was one of her dear vanquishers whom she still cared a lot about. As much as she wanted to make him pay for causing harm to the other vanquishers, Trixan couldn¡¯t bring herself to torture him anymore. Edicles¡¯s lifeless body lay at her feet, yet the rage in her heart was not quelled at all. She paced. If Edicles was right about Hellstorm¡¯s death, then something dark was going on in the Ancient Order of Vanquishers. Who would dare do something like this? And why would they want to make it look like the Zoleris Family was responsible? If the Vessels were looking for Bezvaros¡¯ Crystal, then they might have learned that the crystal was not destroyed. Only the Ancient Order of Vanquishers knew that the crystal was not destroyed. What exactly was going on? Nothing made sense to her, but she sensed that whoever was behind all this was somehow connected to Hellstorm¡¯s death. She wanted answers and she would do all it took to get them. Trixan fished out the letter from her pocket. Right now it was the only clue she had. She read the words over and over again. Draghein School is in great danger at this very moment. A letter so simple, yet so heavy. This one warning she had received made her rush over to the school to protect her vanquishers. Whoever had slipped the letter under her hotel room in Rhodine must be connected somehow to this whole thing. How else would they have known that her school was in danger?
Late into the night, when people snored or dreamed, Trixan sat awake behind her computer, typing rapidly. Edicles¡¯s files pulled up on the screen. She remembered a few things about him, like how he transferred to Draghein School three years ago. However, she did not remember what school he had transferred from. ¡°Kavaars School,¡± she whispered as the information appeared on the computer. As one of the Twelve Schools, it was run by the Kavaars Family, its jurisdiction over Eastern Europe. She made a quick call to the school asking about one Edicles Hogmen. The man on the phone told her that there was no vanquisher in the school with such a name. Trixan clarified that Edicles had transferred from the school three years ago. But the man assured Trixan that no one had transferred from Kavaars School at that time with that name. Trixan thanked the man and ended the call. Now she had more questions than answers. How could she have been so careless to let a spy right under her nose? This was all her fault. In her desperation to staff the school with skilled vanquishers, she did not properly run a background check on Edicles Hogmen. That was probably not even his real name. And even if he was dead now, the people he worked for would not stop. It was only a matter of time until they struck again. She had to do something about it before the worst happened. It took a spy to catch another spy. And Trixan knew exactly the best spy for this job. She called the number on her phone. On the first ring, the receiver picked up. ¡°Rizav, my dear.¡± Trixan smiled. ¡°I have a mission for you.¡±
Chapter 55: Shadows of Family
Per Trixan¡¯s commands, all vanquishers had a week of leave. But by the time three days passed, Narvari¡¯s boredom and restlessness had grown to unprecedented levels. She was tired of doing nothing. All she wanted to do was get back to the field. Trixan, however, had insisted they rested, and as Narvari had come to understand, Trixan¡¯s mind couldn¡¯t be changed especially when she was in a bad mood. Trixan usually hid her anger well, but Narvari could always sense the rage lurking. But she had to admit that Trixan did have a point. Though Narvari felt better than ever, with her wound fully healed, many vanquishers, including Yanvirrak and Pheera, still had some minor recovering to do. To keep her boredom at bay, Narvari often went to the forest to train?¡ª?it was nothing compared to the thrill of being on the field though. After five days of boredom, she couldn¡¯t take it anymore. So she went to see Trixan. ¡°I may not know everything about demons,¡± Narvari said as soon as she bolted into the Elder¡¯s office, ¡°but I¡¯m certain demons don¡¯t go on leave.¡± Trixan smiled, looking up at her. ¡°Well, my dear, you still need to rest.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m well rested now. I¡¯m so bored.¡± She slumped back in the chair, sighing heavily. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re alright, my dear?¡± Trixan asked. ¡°Your shoulder.¡± ¡°Oh, It¡¯s fine now.¡± Narvari wiggled her shoulder to prove her point. Whatever those doctors gave her must have been incredible. Trixan gazed at her with a look Narvari couldn¡¯t quite understand. ¡°Hmm.¡± Hmm? Narvari narrowed her eyes. Trixan often used that expression when she had more opinions about something but refused to speak about it. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Narvari folded her arms. ¡°What do you mean, my dear?¡± Narvari shrugged. ¡°There¡¯s something you¡¯re not telling me.¡± They both stared at each other in silence. Finally, Trixan sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll tell everyone about it tomorrow. Just go and rest.¡± Narvari searched Trixan¡¯s eyes for something, anything, that would show what the Elder was thinking. No such luck. Yet the eerie calmness around the woman was enough to tell Narvari that there was something seriously wrong. Had something happened? Did this have anything to do with her meeting in Rhodine? She had heard that these meetings were usually about demons. Given how demons had easily attacked their school, it made Narvari wonder if something even worse had happened. She bit her lips as the thought chilled her heart.
Narvari stared at the red bar blinking on her phone. Seconds later, the phone went off. ¡°Shit.¡± She dropped the phone and put her head on the table. ¡°Narvari.¡± The touch of Pheera¡¯s skin against her skin brought her back to her senses. Narvari raised her head, looking around the beautifully furnished room in a daze. It took her a while to realize that she was in the Junior Lounge. How long had she been going through her phone? She gazed at Pheera, who was looking at her silently. ¡°Is everything okay?¡± Pheera asked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Narvari forced a smile, leaning back in her chair. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong.¡± This time, however, when she saw the hurt in Pheera¡¯s eyes, Narvari couldn¡¯t bring herself to keep looking at her. ¡°Why do you keep lying to me, Narvari?¡± Those words cut through her heart like a knife. The profound look of worry in those gorgeous blue eyes broke her heart. ¡°I know something is bothering you. I sensed it ever since I returned from my undercover mission.¡± Narvari opened her mouth to say something, but she closed it again. She couldn¡¯t deny it. Pheera was right. ¡°You always seem so distracted when we train,¡± said Pheera. ¡°You hide it well but I can¡­¡± she paused, biting her lips, ¡°I can sense it. I know that you still distrust me because of what I did to you. I¡¯m sorry about that, okay? I truly am, but I?¡ª?¡± ¡°Pheera.¡± Narvari gently put a finger over Pheera¡¯s lips. Pheera¡¯s lips shivered against her finger. ¡°That was a long time ago and I¡¯ve already forgiven you. Okay? I don¡¯t distrust you at all.¡± She didn¡¯t realize keeping this away from Pheera was making Pheera feel so guilty. That was never her intention. She just didn¡¯t want to trouble others with her problems. Sighing, she took her finger away from Pheera¡¯s lips. ¡°But you¡¯re right. I haven¡¯t been entirely honest with you. The truth is, I¡¯m not okay. I didn¡¯t tell you because I don¡¯t want to bother you.¡± ¡°You are not a bother, Narvari. You can talk to me, and I will try my best to help if I can.¡± After contemplating for a while about whether to bring this up, Narvari finally said, ¡°I¡¯m searching for my father. I¡¯ve been using the Internet but found nothing so far. I mean, I knew the guy was old school, but it¡¯s still strange he has zero online presence. No social media account. Nothing.¡± She had already rejected Trixan¡¯s offer to look for her father so she had only herself to rely on. She didn¡¯t expect Pheera to help, but it felt great to finally tell someone other than Trixan. Pheera smiled. ¡°I can help.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°Well, I want to.¡± Her voice was firm, closed for discussion. ¡°I know a more efficient tool than social media.¡± Narvari¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course. Come with me.¡± Pheera took Narvari by the hand dragging her out of the Junior Lounge. A few minutes later, they were back in Pheera¡¯s spacious room. Unlike Narvari¡¯s room which had dark colors, Pheera¡¯s was softer, with light blue and white. It fit her perfectly. Pheera took a white laptop from the table and sat on her bed. Narvari sat next to her. It wasn¡¯t the first time she had been in Pheera¡¯s room, nor the first time she had sat on Pheera¡¯s bed. But it was certainly the first time she had sat so close to Pheera on her bed. Their shoulder touched, sending warm tingling sensations through her body. Okay, focus, Narvari. Jeez. Luckily for her, Pheera seemed occupied by what she was doing on the laptop and had not noticed the flames burning inside Narvari¡¯s core. Her long delicate fingers typed quickly on the laptop and a website with a dark green and black theme appeared. It looked like a search engine, except that Narvari had never heard of any search engine called Vizio. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± she asked. ¡°A special database for the Outer Sphere.¡± Pheera glanced at Narvari. ¡°We can access all kinds of information about every country partnered with the Ancient Order of Vanquishers.¡± Narvari gaped. ¡°Partnered? I thought most people didn¡¯t know about vanquishers?¡± ¡°Maybe not.¡± Pheera nodded. ¡°But many of the governments of the Outer Sphere have known about demons and vanquishers since ancient times. Who do you think pays us to vanquish demons in the Outer Sphere?¡± ¡°The governments. Right.¡± How had she never thought about it? Her first mission was a private case but the majority of the missions were sought by the government or public institutions.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°We are like any other secret government agency to them,¡± said Pheera. ¡°And to make our work easier, they make things like their government records accessible to us. Vizio holds all of this information.¡± ¡°Wow, how come I¡¯ve never heard of that?¡± Pheera smiled. ¡°Because it¡¯s only accessible to senior vanquishers.¡± Trixan didn¡¯t even once mention it. Narvari had a feeling Trixan hadn¡¯t told her about many things. The Elder had probably only told her about things relevant to a junior vanquisher. ¡°Wait?¡¯ Narvari raised her brow. ¡°You¡¯re not a senior vanquisher.¡± Pheera chuckled. ¡°No. But Zemeron is. He gave me clearance.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± said Narvari, nodding slowly. Was that even legal? She chose not to ask. ¡°Do you think you can use it to find my dad?¡± ¡°I¡¯m certain. We went on a mission in Sharmandi which means it¡¯s partnered with the Order. I should be able to go through the government records. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll find something.¡± Narvari frowned. Sharmandi had a partnership with the Order? Anana knew demons existed and had even told Narvari about it. Did she then know about the Ancient Order of Vanquishers? ¡°So, I was right,¡± Pheera interrupted her thoughts. ¡°Sharmandi has been partnered with the Order since 1981. That¡¯s so recent.¡± Since 1981? That long? ¡°Does it say who signed the partnership? Maybe the name of the governor then?¡± Pheera shook her head. ¡°Nothing of that sort.¡± Narvari racked her brain. If she remembered correctly from history class, in 1981, Sharmandi had its fourth governor?¡ª?Governor Kobinyonga. Did he sign this partnership? She sighed. What did it matter anyway? She was here to find Yabaga. ¡°So how will this find my dad?¡± ¡°Once I pull out his records, I can use facial recognition to track him down wherever he is in the Outer Sphere. All I need is his name.¡± This was the most realistic thing Narvari had heard ever since joining Draghein School. It made it sound almost mundane. Suppressing an urge to grin like an idiot, Narvari said, ¡°Yabaga.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°My father¡¯s name is Yabaga.¡± Pheera looked up at Narvari. ¡°Narvari, I¡¯m going to need his full name if the search is to be more accurate.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it though. His full name is Yabaga.¡± Narvari chuckled when she saw Pheera¡¯s puzzling expression. ¡°We Kirriba don¡¯t have last names.¡± Pheera cocked her head to the side. ¡°But you have a last name.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She nodded. ¡°Shar was my grandfather¡¯s last name and he was not Kirriba. But my grandmother was Kirriba. She made sure that she followed the tradition by giving my father the choice to choose the Shar last name.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t choose it?¡± Narvari shook her head. ¡°I think he didn¡¯t want to be under his father¡¯s shadow. My grandfather¡­ he was a big deal back then.¡± She smiled. ¡°He¡¯s been dead for more than three decades and his reputation still lives on.¡± ¡°What made you choose it then? The last name, I mean.¡± Narvari paused. She always said that she chose the name Shar because she liked how Narvari Shar sounded. But deep down, there was more to it. ¡°Using his name reminds me of who he was and what I could become.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I know, it sounds ironic because that¡¯s the main reason the Kirriba don¡¯t even have last names in the first place.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Narvari leaned on the headrest. ¡°The Kirriba believe that everyone has their unique path and destiny independent of their ancestors. Family names are shackles that chain people up to the destiny of others.¡± Narvari sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s hard to explain so the concept may sound strange to non-Kirriba.¡± ¡°Actually, I get it,¡± Pheera said quietly. ¡°Just because they are our family doesn¡¯t mean we are bound to follow in their footstep?¡ª?or take the path they make for us.¡± The sadness in Pheera¡¯s eyes tightened Narvari¡¯s chest. Pheera wasn¡¯t talking about Narvari¡¯s family, she was certain. As much as she wanted to ask Pheera about it, she just didn¡¯t know how to bring it up without making Pheera even more miserable. Schooling her facial expressions, Pheera cleared her throat before going back to work on the laptop. She typed Yabaga and the faces of males of different ages appeared on the screen. ¡°There are only thirteen results,¡± she said shooting Narvari a questioning look. ¡°That¡¯s surprisingly small.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a tiny country.¡± Narvari smiled. ¡°Plus Yabaga isn¡¯t exactly a common name.¡± Pheera scrolled through the images slowly. ¡°Do you recognize anyone?¡± ¡°All of them.¡± Narvari nodded. ¡°But I don¡¯t see my father.¡± Pheera kept scrolling until the very end. ¡°That¡¯s all.¡± She looked up at Narvari with a strange look. ¡°Your dad is not in your government¡¯s records.¡± Narvari¡¯s heart sank. ¡°You don¡¯t think he¡¯s d¡­¡± The weight of the last word made her lips tremble. Pheera gently squeezed her hand. ¡°We can¡¯t think that yet.¡± ¡°Can you access death records?¡± ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Narvari balled her fist. No, she wasn¡¯t sure about that. ¡°I need to know.¡± Pheera nodded. This time when she went through the list, there were thousands of them. The record spanned several decades. ¡°There are too many of them. Can you give me something to filter the search? Like his date of birth.¡± ¡°Thirteenth of May. I don¡¯t know his year of birth.¡± Her face heated in embarrassment. But this wasn¡¯t entirely her fault. Neither her father nor Anana had told her anytime she asked. ¡°That¡¯s good enough. I¡¯ll just approximate to the last three decades.¡± Soon, a new grid of images appeared, fewer than before. Narvari¡¯s heart raced when she went through the list. The thought of finding his face here sent a knot in her throat. As much as she hated that her father left, she didn¡¯t want him gone forever. Soon, Narvari had gone through all the images. She sighed in both relief and disbelief. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Why isn¡¯t he here? I thought this had all public records of Sharmandi.¡± ¡°It should. Maybe your father¡¯s information has been scraped from public records.¡± Narvari gaped. ¡°What? Why? That¡¯s impossible.¡± ¡°Deleting public records is very possible.¡± ¡°No, I know.¡± Narvari couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°I mean why would my father¡¯s records be unavailable? That sounds¡­ criminal. My father was anything but a criminal.¡± She sighed, sinking into the fluffy bed. She closed her eyes, unable to fathom what she had just learned. How was it possible that her father was not in their public records? Nothing even showed that the man had lived in Sharmandi. ¡°How about a photo?¡± Pheera asked. ¡°Do you have any picture of him? I can still use it to find him.¡± Narvari shook her head. She had no pictures of her dad. Hell, she didn¡¯t have anything that reminded her of him. It was like he had completely torn himself out of her life. She peeled her eyes open, staring at the ceiling, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him in six years.¡± Pheera¡¯s warmth enveloped Narvari as she lay beside Narvari on the bed. She gently squeezed Narvari¡¯s hand as if to assure her that everything would be okay. And maybe that worked because that was the only thing keeping Narvari from throwing things. Thinking about what Yabaga did always made her feel this unbridled anger. ¡°I wanted to see him again for a long time, but eventually I just gave up.¡± She clenched her jaws. ¡°I didn¡¯t care anymore. Until recently.¡± ¡°What changed?¡± Pheera whispered. ¡°It¡¯s a long story.¡± ¡°I like long stories.¡± Narvari turned over her body so that she was gazing deeply intoPheera¡¯s eyes. ¡°You remember the first time we met, right? In my house?¡± Pheera smiled, nodding. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever forget that.¡± Narvari¡¯s cheeks flushed. ¡°Before my grandmother died, she asked me not to be angry with my father. I want to honor her wishes, but I don¡¯t think I can do that without getting an explanation from him.¡± She paused. ¡°That¡¯s why I want to find him.¡± It was a weak reason, she thought. What explanation could her father possibly give her? But the strongest reason?¡ª?the reason why she would do anything to find her father?¡ª?was because she wanted an explanation for something far more important. ¡°He¡¯s the only one who can tell me about my mother.¡± ¡°Your mother?¡± Narvari nodded. Their faces were mere inches apart now. Her breath quickened as Pheera¡¯s eyes bore deeply into hers. For a moment, Narvari almost forgot how to breathe. ¡°All my life,¡± she said, doing everything to focus, ¡°I¡¯d been told that my mother died when I was just a baby. But she¡¯s still alive.¡± She bit her lips. ¡°And apparently, my dad left us to go and look for my mother. I get that sometimes people lie to protect the people they love but how could they lie to me about something like this? About my own mother.¡± Pheera touched Narvari¡¯s cheek and stroked it lovingly. Her body froze to Pheera¡¯s touch and she didn¡¯t know how to break away from it. She didn¡¯t want to. ¡°I¡¯m still angry at him for leaving but I don¡¯t hate him,¡± said Narvari. ¡°Not yet anyway. Honestly, I don¡¯t want to. I guess that¡¯s why I want to find him. I need to know everything he¡¯s been hiding from me, you know. Especially about my mother. Why couldn¡¯t she raise me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Narvari.¡± Pheera¡¯s voice soothed her like a balm. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I don¡¯t have the answers you need.¡± Narvari played with a strand of Pheera¡¯s white hair. ¡°You¡¯re here with me now. That¡¯s more than enough.¡± Pheera smiled. ¡°Maybe Trixan can help. I don¡¯t know how she does it but she has a way of tracking down her special recruits. She can find your dad.¡± ¡°She offered to help. But I turned her down.¡± Narvari sighed. ¡°I feel so stupid right now.¡± ¡°Hey, you¡¯re not stupid.¡± Pheera gently pulled Narvari¡¯s cheek. ¡°Look, it¡¯s not too late to tell Trixan. I¡¯m sure she wouldn¡¯t mind at all.¡± Narvari nodded. ¡°I will ask her then.¡± ¡°Great.¡± Then Pheera gave that signature smile that did strange things to Narvari¡¯s heart. Gosh, how could someone be so beautiful? That smooth dark skin, that shone like black gold, soft brown lips¡­ Those lips. Narvari shuddered. More than anything in the world, Narvari wanted to taste those lips. She wanted to know what it felt like to kiss Pheera, and that made her weak in the knees. But what made her feel the weakest was the way Pheera looked at her. She could see it in Pheera¡¯s eyes?¡ª?Pheera wanted Narvari as much as Narvari wanted her. Maybe she should kiss her. But was it okay to just kiss someone when they had never asked for this? She didn¡¯t know anything about these things and she didn¡¯t want to do something that would make things awkward between them. But Pheera was staring at her lips. Did Pheera want to kiss her too? ¡°Goodness, just kiss the girl, Narvari.¡± Narvari almost rolled her eyes. Ushama, shut the hell up. Why are you even here? ¡°What are you thinking, Narvari?¡± Narvari blinked rapidly, her attention back on Pheera. Their faces were so close that Narvari could feel Pheera¡¯s warm breath on her skin. Narvari caressed Pheera¡¯s cheeks. ¡°Pheera?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I¡­ I want to kiss you right now.¡± ¡°What¡¯s stopping you?¡± Narvari bit her lips. Good question. Why did she always lose her nerve around Pheera? Being coy and all that nonsense wasn¡¯t her at all but for some reason, she always felt that way whenever she looked at Pheera. For once, she would muster courage and kiss her already. Narvari leaned in. Their foreheads touched. Pheera neither pulled back nor took her eyes off Narvari. That was a good sign. Just as Narvari¡¯s lips touched Pheera¡¯s, a sudden knock on the door startled her out of her passionate reverie. The door opened just as quickly, and before they could pull apart, in walked Trixan.
Chapter 56: Bezvaros Crystal
¡°Am I interrupting something, my dears?¡± A blank expression clouded Trixan¡¯s creamy white face. It was impossible to tell what she was thinking. ¡°Nope.¡± Narvari dragged herself out of the bed. What the hell was the Elder doing here? Did she even understand the concept of boundaries? ¡°There¡¯s an emergency meeting in thirty minutes,¡± said Trixan. ¡°You should get ready.¡± That¡¯s why she came all the way here? To tell them there was a meeting. Narvari sighed. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°I was talking to Pheera, my dear. You on the other hand are coming with me.¡± Narvari froze. ¡°Um, okay.¡± She smiled apologetically at Pheera. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later?¡± Pheera nodded with a smile.
Trixan sighed, as she gazed at the young woman sitting before her. She couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous about what was slowly building between Narvari and Pheera. She had a nagging feeling this would cause more complications between the Dragheins and Zoleris. It didn¡¯t matter if Narvari was not a Draghein?¡ª?the Zoleris Family would never accept her as long as she was part of Draghein School. Perhaps she was overthinking things. These two were still young and as harsh as it may sound, whatever going on between them might not even last. Besides, Pheera was no longer under the control of her family and they couldn¡¯t decide for her who she could or could not be with. But why wasn¡¯t Trixan completely convinced? ¡°Trixan, what¡¯s going on?¡± Narvari¡¯s voice suddenly snapped Trixan from her thoughts. Trixan paused. ¡°It¡¯s about Erasmus Shar, my dear.¡± Narvari¡¯s eyes lit up immediately. ¡°Really? Did you find anything?¡± She shook her head. ¡°There was no vanquisher by that name.¡± Narvari leaned back in her chair, the smile completely gone from her eyes. ¡°I really thought he was a vanquisher.¡± ¡°Who was he?¡± ¡°My grandfather.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Trixan whispered. ¡°And why do you think he was a vanquisher?¡± Narvari shrugged. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say the only reason I awakened in the first place was because I may have ancestors from the Inner Sphere?¡± Always using my words against me. Trixan smiled. ¡°I did say that. But your ancestors are not limited to your grandparents. They also trace back several hundreds of years. A great¡­ great grandparent, perhaps.¡± ¡°Maybe. But my grandfather must have awakened too,¡± said Narvari stubbornly. Trixan cocked her head, waiting for an explanation. ¡°I always thought stories about him were far-fetched for an ordinary man,¡± said Narvari, ¡°but now that I think about it, I guess he was far from ordinary. All the stories about him say that he was a man of incredible physical strength. Plus he also introduced Ntunomi to the Kirriba.¡± Trixan raised a brow. ¡°Ntunomi?¡± ¡°Gun Combat. It¡¯s very similar to Sacred Combat. But instead of savaz, we use guns.¡± Narvari paused. ¡°Ordinary guns. There¡¯s no sacred energy involved so it¡¯s a lot easier than Sacred Combat.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Trixan nodded. That must explain why Narvari knew how to fight like that. This wasn¡¯t too strange though. Just because outies were generally ordinary didn¡¯t mean they couldn¡¯t have extraordinary skills. Some outies had incredible fighting and excellent marksmanship skills and this had nothing to do with awakening sacred energy. Vanquishers were indeed far stronger than people of the Outer Sphere, but there were also ordinary outies who had trained their bodies to incredible heights. Erasmus Shar might be one of them. Nevertheless, Trixan would not dismiss Narvari¡¯s opinion of her grandfather. Maybe Erasmus Shar was a vanquisher who did not train with any of the Twelve Schools. That would explain why his name was not in any of their records. Or maybe, though he was from Agon, he might not have been a vanquisher at all. Not everyone with sacred energy was a vanquisher. Trixan explained this to Narvari and the girl nodded in understanding. ¡°Honestly, it doesn¡¯t really matter anymore,¡± said Narvari. ¡°I only wanted to understand why I suddenly awakened. Everything makes a lot more sense now.¡± Narvari¡¯s soft brown eyes held a faraway look. The girl usually acted like an unshakable mountain but Trixan knew exactly what was beneath that exterior?¡ª?a child who despite everything, craved the love and attention of her loved ones, most especially her father. ¡°How¡¯s the search for your father going?¡± Trixan asked. ¡°About that,¡± Narvari bit her upper lip, avoiding Trixan¡¯s gaze, ¡°I don¡¯t think I can find him on my own.¡± Trixan chuckled. ¡°My offer still stands if you want it, my dear.¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Narvari¡¯s mouth curled up in a smile, her eyes finally on Trixan. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course, my dear. You are my student. Someday I hope you¡¯ll understand that I care for all my students.¡± Narvari nodded slowly. ¡°I think I already do.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Warmth surged through Trixan¡¯s heart. ¡°So what¡¯s your father¡¯s name, my dear?¡± ¡°Yabaga.¡± Narvari laughed. ¡°No last name. Just Yabaga.¡± Trixan slightly narrowed her eyes. Yabaga? No last name? She stared intently at Narvari¡¯s brown eyes. She¡¯d always thought those eyes looked familiar. That mischievous glint, the intimidating aura, and yet playful smirk?¡ª?it had always reminded her of someone. But to Trixan, that was nothing but mere coincidence. Now, however, she wasn¡¯t so sure anymore. ¡°Trixan, are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Trixan cleared her throat. ¡°Yes, my dear. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Do you know anyone by that name,¡± Narvari asked. ¡°You seemed to have recognized it.¡± Trixan kept an expressionless face. This girl was too observant?¡ª?it would be pointless to lie, so Trixan said, ¡°I knew someone with that name a long time ago.¡± ¡°Oh. Who was that?¡± ¡°My dear, what¡¯s your date of birth? It will help me find your father more easily.¡± ¡°Um, 18th June, 2004.¡± ¡°You¡¯re eighteen?¡± Narvari nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Eighteen years. It doesn¡¯t add up. It can¡¯t be the same person. Didn¡¯t Narvari say her father had left her six years ago? There was no way they were the same person. Even if by some miracle they were, how could she possibly tell Narvari that the Yabaga she knew was already dead? ¡°I¡¯ll look into it and let you know when I find something,¡± said Trixan glancing at her xuul. ¡°It¡¯s time. We better get back to the Conference Hall.¡±
She¡¯s hiding something. It was the only thing Narvari could think about when she left Trixan¡¯s office. She had never seen the Elder so shaken and uncertain before. It wasn¡¯t as obvious, but Narvari had known the woman for about three months now and she could easily tell the slight change in her expression. The name Yabaga triggered a subtle shocking look in Trixan. Who did she know with that name? ¡°Is everything alright?¡± Pheera whispered by her side, caressing her left arm. Narvari gazed at Pheera, suddenly aware of her surroundings. She forced a smile and nodded. All this thinking had made her forget that she was in the Conference Hall with every other vanquisher in the school. ¡°I wonder what this meeting is about,¡± Yanvirrak said. He sat to her right. This had become a routine now?¡ª?they always let her sit in the middle. Well, as long as she got to sit next to Pheera, she wouldn¡¯t complain. ¡°First a meeting in Rhodine and now this.¡± Yanvirrak shook his head. ¡°I have a bad feeling about his.¡± The Conference Hall was large enough for several hundreds of vanquishers, yet it was practically empty even with everyone here. Trixan¡¯s voice brought Narvari back. ¡°Thank you all for coming under such short notice.¡± Trixan paused. ¡°Let me start by saying there¡¯s no need to panic.¡± Narvari exchanged nervous looks with Pheera and Yanvirrak. Oh, god. We are definitely going to panic. Trixan continued, ¡°Four schools have reported increased activity of greater demons and lowblood royals in their jurisdiction.¡± Murmurs arose in the hall. ¡°Royal demons?¡± Yanvirrak paled. ¡°I knew this was bad.¡± ¡°Greater demons and lowblood royals. I think it¡¯s worse than bad.¡± Narvari bit her lower lip. She had not been able to defeat a ninth-order demon so how the hell was she supposed to beat eleventh-order demons if they suddenly attacked their jurisdiction? So much for not panicking. Silence returned as soon as Trixan raised her hand. ¡°We are not sure yet what their motive is but I have reason to believe that this has something to do with Bezvaros¡¯ Crystal. The demons are working closely with the Vessels of Bezvaros to recover the crystal and we can¡¯t let that happen. For the sake of the Outer and Inner Spheres, we need to do our duty and be on guard at all times.¡± A young man with dreadlocks raised his hands. Narvari recognized him as Chase, one of the class four vanquishers like Azmel. ¡°Yes, my dear.¡± ¡°Will Rhodine transfer senior vanquishers here? We are way too understaffed to handle royal demons.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s necessary, senior vanquishers will be temporarily transferred here,¡± said Trixan. ¡°But it¡¯s unnecessary for now. Draghein School has enough senior vanquishers for this mission.¡± Her intense green eyes swept over the room, looking at each of them meaningfully. For a moment, Trixan¡¯s gaze stopped on Narvari before shifting elsewhere. ¡°I trained many of you. Your training is by no means ordinary. Believe me, I made sure of it.¡± Narvari inhaled deeply. It was true that her strength had surged by leaps and bounds ever since Trixan began to train her. But that did not mean she could suddenly vanquish royal demons. She had almost been killed by a greater demon only about two weeks ago and now they were talking about royal demons. Didn¡¯t Trixan warn her to stay away from royal demons? Why was she talking otherwise, as if prepping them to go to war with one? ¡°To increase our efficiency, however,¡± Trixan continued, ¡°We will reshuffle our teams so that there is at least one senior vanquisher in every team. Zemeron will handle that later. Any more questions?¡± No one raised their hands. ¡°Good. Then that will be all.¡± Trixan dismissed them. Everyone began shuffling out of the room. On their way to the Junior Quarters, Narvari asked her friends, ¡°What¡¯s Bezvaros¡¯ Crystal?¡± ¡°Honestly, I thought it was destroyed a long time ago,¡± said Yanvirrak. ¡°Why is it still here?¡± ¡°What exactly is it?¡± Narvari was getting impatient. Yanvirrak sighed. ¡°Legend has it that Bezvaros created the crystal to help him travel across worlds.¡± ¡°Travel across worlds?¡± Narvari raised a brow. ¡°You mean from Bezvar to Earth?¡± ¡°Not just the Outer Sphere, Narvari,¡± said Pheera. ¡°With the crystal, Bezvaros can cross over into all domains and realms of the Inner Sphere too.¡± ¡°Damn.¡± Narvari¡¯s gaze widened. ¡°That sounds like a catastrophe.¡± ¡°Oh, that catastrophe happened all right.¡± Yanvirrak nodded. ¡°A long time ago, Bezvaros conquered the Outer Sphere and the Central Domain. After a long war, the Order recovered the crystal and confined Bezvaros to the Lower Domain. The crystal had been in the custody of the Order for thousands of years until twenty years ago when the Vessels recovered it and tried to summon Bezvaros¡­ Again.¡± Damn. ¡°How the hell did the Vessels even get it?¡± Yanvirrak shrugged. ¡°No idea. Vessels are a strange lot.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s a good thing they don¡¯t have it anymore.¡± ¡°Yeah. Hellstorm¡¯s death would have been in vain.¡± Yanvirrak nodded. ¡°All this time I thought the crystal was destroyed.¡± They halted in front of Yanvirrak¡¯s dorm. Before he opened the door he said, ¡°I can¡¯t believe demons attacked our school because they thought it was here.¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s here,¡± said Narvari. ¡°I mean, Trixan wouldn¡¯t tell us if it were, right?¡± Trixan did care about her vanquishers, but she was the Elder after all, and some things were meant to be shouldered alone by leaders. Narvari would know. She was once captain. ¡°You may be right,¡± said Pheera, ¡°but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s here.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Among all the Twelve Schools, Draghein School is currently the most vulnerable. I don¡¯t think the Order will keep something this important here.¡± Narvari nodded, seeing Pheera¡¯s point. So why did the demons and Vessels think Bezvaros¡¯s Crystal was in Draghein School? Something strange was going on. ¡°Whatever the case,¡± said Yanvirrak, ¡°I hope the Vessels don¡¯t find the crystal. That could literally be the end of the world.¡±
Chapter 57: Boring Police Work
As part of Trixan¡¯s instruction to reshuffle the teams, Zemeron joined Narvari¡¯s team. Narvari could guess exactly why Zemeron joined her team. But she wasn¡¯t complaining. If there was a chance that they would run into royal demons on their missions, then they needed all the senior vanquishers they could get. By the time one week passed, Narvari¡¯s team had gone on five missions yet none of those missions had anything to do with royal demons. Not even ninth-order demons. That was a relief but at the same time quite a disappointment. Then one Friday morning Narvari received a notification on her xuul about a new mission in Lagos. She met with the team at the Junior Lounge and Zemeron activated the portal. Being the last person to walk through the portal, Narvari found herself in an office. Professionally decorated with the Nigerian flags and the portrait of the Nigerian president on the wall, the office wasn¡¯t small or shabby by any means but being used to Trixan¡¯s incredibly massive and luxurious office made it seem like a cubicle in comparison. Behind the desk sat a plump man in a light blue uniform with graying temples and a mouth wide agape. His shock soon eased into a wide smile as if he had suddenly remembered why a group of strangers had suddenly appeared out of thin air right in his office. ¡°You must be from the Special Unit,¡± he said, getting up from his large desk. ¡°Special Unit?¡± Narvari whispered to Yanvirrak and he just grinned. How many names did people know them by? In the last five missions, everyone had a different name for them. In one mission in Senegal, someone had even called them the Department of Extraordinary Affairs. Really? What kind of name was that? ¡°I¡¯m Temitope Adeishola, Commissioner of Lagos State Police.¡± The man shook Zemeron¡¯s hands. After Zemeron introduced himself and the team, the commissioner scrutinized them with wide brown eyes. ¡°How can we help you, Commissioner?¡± Zemeron took the liberty to sit down in the ergonomic chair. Temitope coughed before taking his seat. Since there were no other chairs, Narvari, and the others just stood there. ¡°We have a serious case,¡± The commissioner nodded. ¡°Three months ago, forty-nine people were reported missing within two weeks.¡± Forty-nine people in two weeks? Narvari narrowed her eyes. Damn. ¡°We tried everything but we found nothing. No suspects. No missing people. Nothing. The case transferred to FIB but they too found nothing and it became a cold case.¡± The commissioner paused, taking a deep breath. ¡°What happened three months ago repeated itself four days ago. So far twenty people have gone missing. It followed the same pattern and we believe it will be difficult to crack the case without outside help. It¡¯s why we¡¯re transferring the case to the Special Unit with immediate effect.¡± As serious as this case was, Narvari had doubts that it had anything to do with demons at all. It just sounded like a case of police incompetence. But as with all their missions, no matter how improbable it was to involve demons, they still investigated it thoroughly. From the few missions, Narvari had learned how cunning demons could be. As vanquishers, they couldn¡¯t leave any stones unturned. They followed Temitope out of the office, bypassing several police officers in black uniforms. Wherever they went, the officers halted in track saluting the man with a loud ¡®Sir.¡¯ Temitope simply passed by without any acknowledgment. Passing one hallway to the other, he finally led them to a smaller room. The stacks of boxes lay on the large oval table in the center of the room. ¡°We¡¯ve made all the files of the victims available for you.¡± Temitope put a hand on top of one of the boxes. ¡°We have been trying to find something?¡ª?a connection or pattern. Anything to give us an idea of who¡¯s behind the abductions. The only pattern we¡¯ve discovered is how mysteriously the people disappear. The victims themselves have nothing in common, except that they all lived here in Lagos.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Zemeron. ¡°No worries. We¡¯ll take it from here.¡± Temitope nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to it then. Let me know when you need anything else.¡± When Zemeron assured Temitope that he would, the commissioner left them alone. Yanvirrak grinned at Narvari. ¡°You look pale.¡± ¡°Shut up, Heinz.¡± Pheera chuckled, already digging through the contents of the box. Had Zemeron not instructed them to unpack the boxes, Narvari was sure Yanvirrak would have clapped back at her. Yanvirrak grunted, gazing at a file. ¡°Did demons really abduct these people and not some psycho serial killer with a lot of imagination?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what we¡¯re about to find out.¡± Zemeron buried his hands in his pockets. ¡°We¡¯ll divide the files of all forty-nine victims among ourselves. I want you to go through every single detail. Don¡¯t take anything for granted.¡± Two hours later Zemeron had pinned a picture of every victim on the large evidence board on the wall. Other information such as the victims¡¯ ages, occupations, families, and time and place they were last seen all featured on the board.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Finally, they all took a step back to look at their handiwork. ¡°I don¡¯t see any pattern,¡± said Zemeron, not taking his eyes off the board. Narvari nodded in agreement. Everything was just random in her eyes. If a serial killer was behind this, then their modus operandi would be that they didn¡¯t discriminate when it came to killing. Zemeron turned around. ¡°Azmel, what do you think?¡± Azmel had been so quiet the entire time that Narvari had almost forgotten he was with them. Though Azmel was no longer the captain because Zemeron outranked him, it was obvious Zemeron respected his opinion a lot. ¡°All these cases may have nothing to do with each other,¡± said Azmel. ¡°But even if they¡¯re related, we won¡¯t find anything here unless we dig deeper. You know, interrogate the families of the victims and all that. ¡° ¡°I agree.¡± Zemeron nodded. ¡°This could take a while. We¡¯re not leaving until we¡¯re certain it has nothing to do with demons.¡± Zemeron glanced at his xuul. ¡°It¡¯s 9:04 am. We¡¯ll form two teams to cover more ground. Yanvirrak and Pheera, you¡¯re with me. Narvari, you are with Azmel.¡± Sweet. Narvari smiled.
Azmel knocked twice on Room 203. It was on the fifth floor of the second tallest high-rise apartment in Lagos. A few seconds later, the door clicked open and a tall man in his thirties showed up at the door. He raised a thick brow, casting a suspicious glare at Azmel. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Azmel Ray, Special Unit.¡± Azmel held out his silver license in front of the man¡¯s face. ¡°That¡¯s my partner, Narvari Shar.¡± ¡°Never heard of that.¡± The man didn¡¯t even bother to look at the license. Azmel didn¡¯t seem fazed though. ¡°Eric Okarfor, right? Husband of the missing Cecilia Okarfor.¡± Eric¡¯s eyes wavered with uncertainty. ¡°Who are you people?¡± ¡°I believe I already introduced ourselves.¡± ¡°And you expect me to believe you?¡± The suspicion in his eyes deepened. Azmel, in his monotone voice, said, ¡°Mr. Okarfor, we¡¯re trying to find your wife and your cooperation will be most needed. Unless of course, you don¡¯t care if she¡¯s found.¡± Oh god. Narvari almost face-palmed. ¡°Do I look like an idiot to you?¡± Eric scoffed, glaring at Narvari. ¡°I thought I¡¯d seen everything in this world. But then a child and a white man show up at my door claiming to work for the Nigerian police. Leave, before I call the police you¡¯re impersonating. Maybe this time they will do their job.¡± Now that Narvari thought about it, the man had a point. ¡°Mr. Okarfor?¡ª?¡± ¡°My name is Eric.¡± ¡°Right, Eric.¡± She nodded. ¡°The Nigerian Police has contracted us for this case because it¡¯s¡­ special. Right now we¡¯re the only ones who can find Cecilia. You just need to trust us.¡± Eric paused as if pondering over Narvari¡¯s words. Though he said nothing, Narvari saw the inner war waging in his eyes. Eventually, Eric sighed and invited them into his tiny apartment. He told them to sit on the couch and offered them some water but they declined politely. ¡°We¡¯d like to ask you a few questions,¡± said Azmel. ¡°I don¡¯t know what else you want to know. I¡¯ve already told the police everything and they¡¯ve done nothing.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not the police.¡± Eric paused. He stared briefly at the floor before looking back at Azmel with emotional brown eyes. ¡°Can you really find my Cecilia?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll do our best.¡± Eric nodded. ¡°Okay then. What do you want to know?¡± ¡°Did you notice anything odd before her disappearance? Perhaps, did she seem distressed or tell you about being stalked or anything of that sort.¡± ¡°Honestly, Cecilia was troubled for a while. But it had nothing to do with stalkers. Not at all.¡± He paused. ¡°It was just our regular old issues like always. But we learned to cope with it.¡± ¡°What issues?¡± Eric sighed. ¡°Fertility issues. We tried starting a family, but¡­¡± Eric slumped into his seat. ¡°We were still happy, you know. I don¡¯t understand why anyone would want to hurt her. She¡¯s the kindest person I know. Despite everything, she was always so cheerful and kind to everyone.¡± ¡°She sounds like a wonderful person,¡± said Narvari. It reminded her of Pheera¡¯s kindness and thoughtfulness. Narvari smiled. ¡°She is.¡± Eric smiled for the first time. ¡°I always thought that someday she would be a wonderful mother but I didn¡¯t raise the issue anymore because it always caused her so much sadness.¡± Eric clenched his jaws when his voice cracked. ¡°But you know, she¡¯s very stubborn and not one to give up easily. She found a specialist in these kinds of things and they said we were making progress with our treatment. But now¡­¡± he paused, ¡°now she¡¯s gone. What if I never see her again?¡± Silence hung in the air for a while. Azmel broke the silence. ¡°When was the last time you saw her?¡± ¡°Four days ago. Right here in this room. She went to work and never returned.¡± ¡°Where does she work?¡± ¡°New Valley Primary School. She¡¯s a teacher there.¡± ¡°Here in Ikeja?¡± Eric nodded. ¡°And that was the last time you ever saw her?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Eric nodded. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe it. I mean I spoke to her that evening and she told me she was on her way home. But she never came back.¡± Azmel tilted his head. ¡°You two spoke that evening?¡± ¡°Yes. She called me to deliver the good news.¡± Eric rubbed his forehead, his eyes becoming even more exhausted. ¡°She said the hospital had called her that evening to schedule an appointment. They had found a new treatment with a 99% rate of success. She was so happy she couldn¡¯t wait to get home before telling me. She had left work shortly before calling and I expected she would be back in an hour or so. But I waited all night.¡± Eric shook his head. ¡°I tried calling her several times but her phone was dead. Up till today, it¡¯s still a mystery where she¡¯s gone. I called her parents, her friends, her school. No one knows where she is. I know Cecilia, she isn¡¯t one to just go somewhere without telling anyone. Even if she didn¡¯t tell me, she would inform her father. And her father never heard anything. No one has. The police can¡¯t do anything.¡± Eric, who could no longer hold all the anguish inside finally broke down. Though he didn¡¯t cry out loud, the tears just poured from his eyes like a broken dam and his shoulders shook. He covered his face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he sniffled, wiping his tears. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for being pathetic.¡± Narvari bit her lips. ¡°You¡¯re not pathetic, Eric. There is nothing pathetic about what you¡¯re doing. It¡¯s okay to cry.¡± Eric glanced at her with puffy red eyes. He exhaled deeply and nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°May I ask one last question, Eric?¡± Azmel asked. Eric nodded. ¡°What¡¯s the name of the hospital?¡± ¡°New Life Hospital,¡± said Eric. ¡°It¡¯s right here in Ikeja.¡± ¡°Alright then.¡± Azmel stood up. ¡°Thank you for your time. We¡¯ll do our best to find your wife.¡± But what if they never found Cecilia? Narvari thought. And worse, what if Cecilia was dead? Besides, if it turned out that demons had nothing to do with this case, would they just ignore it? They were only here for the demons after all, but it didn¡¯t sit right with her that this man, as well as dozens of people, would suffer so much for the loss of their loved ones, and yet nothing could be done about it. It made her sick to her stomach.
Chapter 58: A Strange Complication When Narvari and Azmel emerged from their portal in the lonely alley, it was long past noon. Soon, they were thrown into the beautiful chaos of the bustling city. People and traffic were the order of the day. All kinds of commercial buildings like banks, stores, and supermarkets, lined up on both sides of Adeyemi Street. They stopped in front of a massive building with a gym and salon on the ground floor. They entered the salon. The coolness of the air conditioner was a reprieve from the scorching heat outside. Women of varying ages sat under hair dryers, chatting among themselves. A group of hairstylists wearing a matching red T-shirt with the name Her Majesty Beauty Palace stylishly printed on it attended to other customers. ¡°Sweetheart, are you here to do your hair?¡± A middle-aged woman with a lot of make-up and sophisticated hair-do approached Narvari. She smiled warmly and nodded in what Narvari assumed as appreciation. ¡°Nice suit.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Narvari dug her hands in her pockets. ¡°And no, I¡¯m not here for a hair-do.¡± Her cornrows were still in good condition. Also, Anana had taught her how to braid her hair. She didn¡¯t remember the last time she went to a salon. Not even for washing. She would buy her hair products and wash her hair in the shower. ¡°Oh. Is it your friend here then? The woman flashed her smile at Azmel. As she moved her hands widely to complement her enthusiasm, her bangles rattled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry sir, we do all kinds of hair for all kinds of people.¡± ¡°We¡¯re looking for Lena Abiola,¡± Azmel said. ¡°She works here, doesn¡¯t she?¡± The woman hesitated for a moment as if she didn¡¯t trust them. But then she suddenly shouted at the top of her voice. ¡°Lena. Oya, come here.¡± Jesus. Narvari clenched her teeth. Could she be any louder? A curvy young woman with beautiful box braids held up in a bun came through a door inside the shop. ¡°These people are looking for you,¡± said the older woman. ¡°Do you know who they are?¡± Lena silently stared at Narvari and Azmel. She shook her head. ¡°No, madam.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The madam took Lena¡¯s hand and gently pulled her to her side. ¡°Time to go, you two.¡± Azmel did not move. ¡°We are here because of Flores.¡± Lena narrowed her eyes. ¡°Can we talk in private?¡± asked Azmel. After hesitating for a while, Lena nodded. The madam asked in Yoruba if Lena was sure about this. She said Lena didn¡¯t have to talk to them if she felt uncomfortable. But Lena only smiled sadly and said she would be okay. She needed to hear what they had to say about Flores. Casting one last glance at them, the madam nodded, agreeing to let Lena talk to them. ¡°How do you know my sister? Do you know where she¡¯s gone?¡± Lena bombarded them with questions as soon as they stepped outside. ¡°One question at a time, Lena,¡± said Azmel. ¡°We¡¯re working on your sister¡¯s case but the information we have is not enough. That¡¯s why we¡¯re here.¡± According to the case file, Flores Abiola was only seventeen years old and a university freshman studying biochemistry at the University of Lagos. She lived with her older sister, Lena Abiola, a twenty-seven-year-old hair stylist. Three days ago, Lena had reported her younger sister missing. ¡°You two are the police?¡± Lena asked skeptically. Her gaze fell too long on Narvari and Narvari could practically see the gears of mistrust turning in Lena¡¯s head. ¡°We¡¯re not the police,¡± said Narvari quickly. ¡°We¡¯re just working with them at the moment.¡± Afterward, she introduced Azmel and herself to Lena. ¡°What can you tell me about your sister? Anything you think might be related to her disappearance? It doesn¡¯t matter how small.¡± ¡°Well, she came back from school a month ago. You know, Flores, she¡¯s very smart. Smarter than anyone in our family, to be honest.¡± What could only be rage clouded Lena¡¯s eye like a tempest. ¡°And that bastard destroyed her life. I want to kill him.¡± ¡°Who?¡± Lena¡¯s lips quivered. But after inhaling and exhaling a few times, she calmed down a little. ¡°When Flores came from school she was depressed. It was not like her at all. We were very close, you know, and we talked about everything. She talked to me whenever she had something on her mind. She was so happy to go to university so I knew she would tell me all her experiences when she got back. But I was wrong. She wouldn¡¯t talk to me or anyone. Trust me, Flores likes to talk.¡± ¡°Did you know what was going on with her?¡± ¡°Not at first,¡± said Lena. ¡°But then later, I found a used pregnancy test in the bathroom.¡± ¡°Was she pregnant?¡± asked Narvari. ¡°She tried to deny it at first. But she later admitted it. I asked her who the father was and she said it didn¡¯t matter because she was going to abort it anyway. To be honest, I was angry with her about everything. I never had the chance to further my education and I didn¡¯t want the same for my sister. How could she get so careless? I told her she couldn¡¯t get an abortion.¡± Lena explained that abortion in Nigeria was illegal and punishable by a heavy sentence. Even if Flores did have the abortion somehow without being caught, it would be unsafe and Lena might lose her sister in the process. So she advised her sister to keep the pregnancy. Once she had the child, they would figure out what to do. ¡°But she just broke down and told me she couldn¡¯t keep the baby.¡± Lena paused, biting her lips. ¡°She said she would kill the baby and herself if that happened.¡± Lena chocked. ¡°Someone¡­ some bastard raped my sister at a party.¡± ¡°What?¡± Narvari¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Oh my god. Did she report it?¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t remember who it was because she was drugged.¡± Lena shook her head sadly. ¡°The moment she told me, I was ready to go to the police. But she didn¡¯t want me to. She said it would only get negative publicity because there was no evidence and people would rather treat her like it was her fault she got raped. Sadly it¡¯s the truth.¡± Narvari clenched her jaws, her blood threatening to explode. Sometimes it was impossible to tell the difference between demons and humans. ¡°Flores begged me to help her get an abortion,¡± Lena continued. ¡°It broke my heart so I tried to get medical and legal help. It seemed all hope was lost until God sent us a miracle.¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. A woman, named Doctor Charity, visited them at home and told them she had heard about their plight. The woman offered to help them and said they could get Flores the abortion legally. They would have nothing to worry about the law and Flores would be safe. The woman left them her business card and said they could contact her anytime. It was more than a blessing. The hospital where Doctor Charity worked fulfilled its promise. They even offered to give Flores therapy to help her cope with her trauma. And they did everything for free. ¡°It all made a difference, you know,¡± said Lena. ¡°Flores didn¡¯t heal overnight but after two weeks I could see a difference. She was making slow progress. At least that¡¯s what I thought. But I guess I was wrong about it. Maybe I only saw what I wanted to see.¡± Lena¡¯s eyes reddened. ¡°One day Flores was just gone.¡± Azmel said, ¡°It¡¯s in the report that you last saw her here.¡± Lena nodded. ¡°I didn¡¯t want her to be left alone so I always brought her to work.¡± ¡°It also says that she left at one o¡¯clock.¡± Azmel paused. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t say where she went.¡± ¡°Well, she only said she was going for a walk to get some fresh air. That was it. I thought it would be good for her so I let her go. She didn¡¯t come back to the shop so I thought she went home. She didn¡¯t come home and when I called her phone, it was dead. I even called the therapist at New Life but he said Flores never showed up.¡± Narvari raised a brow. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, New Life?¡± Lena paused before nodding. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do you mean New Life Hospital?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s where Doctor Charity works. The same hospital Flores had the abortion.¡± ¡°And it¡¯s here in Lagos?¡± Lena nodded. She had a perplexed look on her face as if she could not fathom why they would be suddenly so interested in the hospital. Narvari glanced at Azmel. He seemed to be thinking deeply about something. ¡°Why did you call the hospital when your sister went missing?¡± Azmel asked. ¡°Because she had therapy at three o¡¯clock. I thought she went there straight once it was time.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Narvari bit her lips, her mind racing with thought. Was there something deeper going on here? It was hard to believe so. New Life Hospital might be the common factor in both cases, but it could still be a coincidence. It wasn¡¯t strange that two of the victims had received treatment in one of the largest hospitals in the cities. She was sure that if they asked the first twenty people they met which hospital they last went to, they would all say New Life Hospital. Just because they were looking for a pattern didn¡¯t mean they could just make unfounded deductions. This could all be a coincidence. ¡°It may or may not be a coincidence,¡± said Azmel once Lena went back inside the salon, leaving them alone. He ran his hand through his shoulder-length blond hair. ¡°We¡¯ll need more data to prove it. Narvari, we can¡¯t take anything for granted. Do you understand?¡± Narvari nodded. She couldn¡¯t have agreed more. By the time they had interrogated six more relatives of the victims, it was clear that New Life Hospital was no mere coincidence. Four out of the six victims had gone missing a few days after visiting the hospital for various reasons. As for the other two, their relatives had no idea about any hospital visit. Narvari and Azmel teleported back to the police headquarters. Both teams shared what they had gathered and it was clear that the majority of the victims had a connection to the New Life Hospital in some way before they all went missing. Zemeron¡¯s team had also found a new connection to the case. ¡°Nine of the victims were being tested in Winfield Research Institute for genetic disorders before they mysteriously vanished,¡± said Zemeron. He pasted the picture of an ultramodern research building at the center of the evidence board right next to the New Life Hospital. ¡°But somehow their disappearance cannot be traced back to the hospital.¡± ¡°But even if the hospital is somehow connected to this,¡± said Narvari, ¡°what has it got to do with demons?¡± Yanvirrak scoffed. ¡°You still haven¡¯t grasped how entirely unpredictable demons can be, have you, Shar?¡± ¡°Azmel,¡± Zemeron said before Narvari could say anything, ¡°what do we know about New Life Hospital?¡± Azmel quickly typed something on the screen of his xuul and a three-dimensional holographic projection of his screen appeared above the xuul. Azmel zoomed the screen large enough to fill the wall?¡ª?images of New Life Hospital and information about the hospital. ¡°The third-largest hospital in Lagos,¡± Azmel said. ¡°The current managing director is Doctor Christoffer Nielsen, a former neurologist.¡± A picture of a middle-aged white man in square-rimmed glasses appeared. Zemeron¡¯s glassy blue eyes remained fixated on the images. ¡°What about Winfield Research Institute? What¡¯s the connection between Winfield and New Life.¡± Azmel¡¯s fingers quickly went to work, and soon, new records showed up. Narvari never imagined Azmel was such a pro at hacking. She glanced at her xuul. It seemed she was underusing the device. Her attention went back to the large screen. Azmel pulled up a video and pressed play. A well-dressed man with the most charming smile addressed the audience. His name appeared at the bottom of the screen?¡ª?Doctor Gambo Ibrahim, Head of the Genetic Engineering Department, Winfield Research Institute. ¡°Nature is powerful,¡± said Doctor Ibrahim flashing his signature smile. ¡°But what many don¡¯t know is that nature endows her power unto us. This is why we fight back when she strikes in fury. Well, sometimes we fail miserably.¡± He paused, to which the crowd chuckled. ¡°But,¡± he continued, as the laughter died, ¡°there are times when we succeed. When we take the desert nature gives us and transform it into an evergreen forest.¡± What was it with this guy and metaphors? Narvari rolled her eyes. ¡°Of course, our success often comes at a price,¡± Doctor Ibrahim said. ¡°It costs us time, money, and yes, our sanity.¡± More laughter. ¡°We at Winfield Research Institute, with the singular goal to make humanity better, believe we must pay this price no matter the cost. That is why our team of dedicated scientists spearheaded groundbreaking research we dubbed Project FreeBorn twenty years ago. It had one simple goal?¡ª?to make humanity healthier and live longer, at an average age of two hundred years. This is the dream of Project FreeBorn.¡± Damn, that was one ambitious dream. Admirable but ambitious. ¡°Our research is quickly gaining momentum and we are on the verge of a breakthrough,¡± he said. ¡°We envision a world where people are born healthy and free from birth defects or diseases. Winfield Research Institute wants a healthy future for all and I am humbled to say that we are going to see that happen in our lifetime.¡± The crowd erupted in applause. Azmel paused the video pulling out an endless string of letters and numbers on the screen. ¡°Now, on the surface, it¡¯s impossible to find any connection between Winfield and New Life.¡± Azmel scrolled through the string of numbers and letters. ¡°But I did a little more digging and found this.¡± An image of a suave handsome South Asian man in a tailored wine suit appeared. This was followed by several images of the same man, posing with people in white lab coats. ¡°Peter Khan,¡± said Azmel. ¡°Wow, Peter Khan?¡± Yanvirrak grinned. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine what his childhood was like.¡± ¡°He¡¯s the connection.¡± Azmel ignored Yanvirrak¡¯s pettiness. ¡°Who is that?¡± Narvari asked. ¡°He heavily funds Winfield and New Life,¡± said Azmel. ¡°But it¡¯s not only that. Khan used to fund other hospitals and research institutions all over the world. But he stopped most of the funding. I believe it has to do with the negative press these institutions now have in their countries.¡± ¡°Negative press?¡± Azmel nodded. ¡°Patients and relatives of deceased patients sued the hospitals for all kinds of things like unethical treatments and negligence. There¡¯s even a case of someone who was reported dead by the hospital, yet their body was refused to be given to the family.¡± Narvari gaped at the screen of an old woman crying about her son and imploring the government to do something about it. This happened in Cambodia. ¡°Let¡¯s see if I can find any scandal attached to New Life or Winfield.¡± After a few seconds, Azmel narrowed his eyes. The headline of a newspaper appeared on the screen: Man sues New Life Hospital for giving his wife cancer. Yanvirrak gaped. ¡°Well, damn.¡± ¡°The case was dismissed,¡± said Azmel. According to the report, the lawyers argued that Joshua Nnamdi¡¯s wife already had cancer. Joshua admitted that his wife already had cancer, but he insisted that a new treatment the hospital was giving her made her cancer worse, eventually killing her. Zemeron studied the screen quietly. It was like his mind was digesting everything and putting all the pieces together. Finally, he said, ¡°Azmel, send me everything you have on Joshua Nnamdi.¡± Azmel nodded. Zemeron glanced at his xuul. ¡°First thing tomorrow morning, I¡¯ll pay Mr. Nnamdi a visit.¡± He glanced at each of them, with grave intensity. ¡°You four will go to New Life Hospital to gather intelligence. But you must be discreet. If there are indeed demons involved, we don¡¯t want them to know we are on to them. Understood.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± They nodded. ¡°Good.¡± Zemeron nodded. ¡°First, we¡¯ll have to do something about that uniform.¡± Chapter 59: New Life Hospital
Narvari scrunched her nose as the stench of antibiotics and blood assaulted her senses. She had barely entered the massive New Life Hospital yet was ready to get out?¡ª?how she hated hospitals. But duty called. A cry of terror from behind garnered her attention. She quickly leaned her back against the wall as a bed accompanied by four doctors wheeled by her. A man bled so profusely it soaked the sheets and made them crimson. He wouldn¡¯t stop shouting. Narvari grimaced at the sight of the screwdriver sticking out of the man¡¯s left eye. ¡°Jesus.¡± She rubbed her left eye. She had to hurry and get the hell out before she lost her mind. Narvari got into an elevator. Seconds later, she was on the eleventh floor. Her team had divided the twelve floors of the hospital among themselves to cover more ground. She was in charge of the eleventh and twelfth floors while the others took the lower floors. She peeked at her xuul. It was supposed to give a warning if it sensed any demons within a two-hundred-meter radius. But so far, the xuul was still inactive. That didn¡¯t mean she could lose her guard. Xuul sensed demon energy, not the demons themselves. Greater and royal demons could easily conceal their demon energy so even if there were greater demons around, her xuul would not sense it unless the demon released its demon energy. She needed to be prepared for anything. She wasn¡¯t sure what they were searching for, but Azmel said they had to look out for something out of the ordinary. What could be out of the ordinary here? Certainly not a man with a screwdriver in his eye. She sneaked past the wide hallways of the hospital. This floor wasn¡¯t as crowded as the lower floors. There were only a couple of people and patients around. It was also a lot more quiet here unlike the literal chaos on the ground floor. Narvari halted at the sight of the two men in black suits and dark sunglasses guarding the door. Bodyguards. This must be a VIP ward or something, thought Narvari. She casually walked past them. A nurse quickly filed past her, too much in a hurry to give Narvari a second glance. Other than that, nothing else was happening on this floor. She sighed as boredom took over. Perhaps, her team would find something on the lower floors. She found an empty waiting lounge. A silent TV played in the background. Suddenly her fingers went numb as goosebumps flooded her arms. Her eyes widened, sensing a slight change in the atmosphere. It was subtle, but it was there. She could feel it worming its way on her skin like insects. Demon energy. Her eyes darkened. There was something odd about this demon energy. Too weak, too diluted. No wonder the xuul could not detect it. She had to act now. This was their biggest lead so far, even if it was a small one. She took a deep breath. Once she sensed the direction of the demon energy, she bolted towards that direction. Along the hallways, she went, then up the stairs to the twelfth floor. The closer she got, the stronger the energy felt, although still too weak to be sensed by the xuul. Not even a first-order demon had such weak demon energy. How could she even sense it in the first place? She halted when she heard hushed voices coming from the left hallway. The demon energy seemed to be diffusing from that hallway. Narvari leaned against the wall, peeking through the hallway. A group of people waited in front of the elevator. A man and a woman, who Narvari assumed were doctors because of their pristine white lab coats, stood behind a sickly man in a wheelchair. A third person, a bearded bald man dressed in an immaculate green blazer, was speaking to the doctors. There was something vaguely familiar about the man. But she couldn¡¯t worry about that. Right now, what had gathered her curiosity was the demon energy, and it was coming from the man in the wheelchair. His face was a sickly gray color with thick black veins running across the left side of his thin hollow face. Why was she sensing demon energy from him? Was he a demon? He looked so sick and helpless. Could he really be a demon? The doctors walked away just before the elevator door opened. Two men in black jackets came out of the elevator before wheeling the sick man back inside the elevator. The man in the green blazer suddenly turned around his deep brown flashing a tint of gold as he glared in Narvari¡¯s direction. Narvari quickly pressed herself to the side of the wall away from his gaze. Her heart hammered in her chest.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. What the hell was that? Did that man¡¯s eyes change color? Had she imagined it? Was it the lighting? Okay, that was ridiculous. That man was definitely a demon. She couldn¡¯t sense his demon energy, but she was sure of it. She took a peek. The elevator was already moving. With the singular thought of not losing sight of them, Narvari sped towards the stairs, running as fast she could without sacros. She would be faster with sacros, but she couldn¡¯t risk releasing her presence to the demons. The elevator stopped on each floor but the men didn¡¯t come out. This continued until they got to the basement. Narvari stayed hidden behind one of the many cars parked in the wide dimly lit space. Footsteps approached. She peeked from behind the side of a black truck. The men emerged, one of them wheeling the sick man into a white minivan with the logo of Winfield Research Institute. Narvari narrowed her eyes. Winfield? What the hell was going on? Then a notification from her phone startled her. Shit shit shit. Her blood ran cold. The men stopped, their eyes searching her direction. Narvari stayed hidden. Shit. They were coming closer. Their hands hovered around the gun on their waist. She clenched her jaws, as she crawled beneath the truck. She inhaled slowly to keep her breathing steady. Feet appeared next to her. ¡°There¡¯s no one here,¡± one of the men said. ¡°That¡¯s odd,¡± said the other. ¡°I was sure someone was following us.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± said another more demanding voice. It must be the man in the green blazer, thought Narvari. ¡°We¡¯re already behind schedule. Let¡¯s go.¡± The heavy footsteps diminished until Narvari was sure they were completely gone. But she stayed there for another few minutes. She could take them, no doubt she could, but doing that could alert any demons involved about the vanquishers and give the demons the chance to put things in order before the vanquishers came knocking. Narvari crawled from beneath the car and fished her phone out of her pocket. The message was from Zemeron:
The team had not gathered much at New Life Hospital. Other than Narvari¡¯s report about a man who could likely be a demon and the strange demon energy she had sensed from the sick man, there had been nothing else out of the ordinary. How lucky was it that Narvari had spotted those men? Zemeron, on the other hand, had fared much better than they. ¡°I spoke to Joshua Nnamdi,¡± said he. ¡°He confirmed that his wife was admitted to New Life Hospital when she had leukemia. He said that some officials at the hospital came to him and recommended a new treatment with a higher success rate.¡± The hospital promised to take care of all the expenses and all Joshua had to do was sign off a few documents to begin the treatment. The treatment however did not work, and his wife later died. Even then the hospital refused to release his wife¡¯s body to him. He didn¡¯t know he had signed that he could not claim the body if the treatment failed. Narvari tilted her head as she suddenly thought of something. ¡°Zemeron, did Joshua describe how sick his wife became during the treatment? Did she¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ did she become pale with thick black veins all over her face or something?¡± Zemeron paused. ¡°How did you know that?¡± ¡°The man in the wheelchair looked exactly like that.¡± She shrugged. ¡°They drove him away in a minivan with the Winfield logo on it.¡± ¡°The man you sensed the weak demon energy from?¡± Narvari nodded. But then she realized that everyone was watching her with horror on their faces. Had she said something strange? And then it dawned on her. ¡°Oh my god. Joshua¡¯s wife and that man are both human. How the hell do they have demon energy inside them?¡± This was insane. ¡°Isn¡¯t it toxic to humans?¡± Could that be what killed Joshua¡¯s wife? Was that what had happened to all the other victims? All those people. Narvari rubbed her temple. ¡°Did all those people get killed by that demon?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s a lot worse than that.¡± Azmel balled his fist, his eyes hardening. ¡°Much, much worse.¡± What could be worse than that? ¡°I believe,¡± he said, ¡°humans are being turned.¡± ¡°Turned?¡± Narvari blurted. ¡°Into what?¡± Yanvirrak gaped at her as if he could not believe she would ask such an inane question. Then she understood. ¡°Oh, shit.¡± ¡°Shit is right,¡± said Yanvirrak. ¡°Only royal demons can turn humans into demons.¡± Narvari froze. She knew they had gone on this mission because of the increase in the activity of royal demons. But this wasn¡¯t what she had expected. This was worse. Much, much worse. ¡°I¡¯m certain it¡¯s taking place at Winfield,¡± said Zemeron. ¡°We need to stop them. It can¡¯t be a coincidence that royal demons who have been keeping a low profile all this while have suddenly become sloppy.¡± His voice chilled. ¡°This is going to be dangerous. If any of you ran into a royal demon, escape at once. I¡¯ll inform Trixan of our progress before we leave. She¡¯ll send a backup if we need any. Any questions?¡± No one moved or said anything. ¡°Good,¡± said Zemeron. ¡°Eat and rest. We leave at midnight.¡±
Chapter 60: Winfield Research Institute At exactly 12:00 AM, five vanquishers appeared inside Winfield Research Institute through a portal. They split up and set out within the vast research institute to investigate whatever mystery was going on. It was time to find out if Winfield indeed had something to do with the missing people. As the others took other sections of the institute, Narvari and Pheera went together, running along the long empty hallways, bypassing several rooms with glass walls everywhere. Most of the rooms had laboratory equipment and machines. But there was no one around. It was odd that no security team had come to stop them yet, Narvari thought. Their xuul suddenly beeped. They glanced at each other and nodded. It was happening. A malicious growl, which could only have come from a demon, echoed through the hallways. In an instant, they had both summoned their savaz. The growl turned into a piercing screech. Narvari clenched her jaws as the sound pounded into her eardrums. It was a good thing Zemeron had put up a holy veil around the institute. If not, the entire city might have been awaken from their good night¡¯s sleep. What could have made such a vile, horrifying sound? Narvari didn¡¯t have to wonder for long. Branching out of one of the hallways, and crawling towards them, was a spider-like creature, a thousand times larger than an actual spider. Narvari grimaced at the sight of the hairy demon tarantula. Now she was sure that Winfield Research Institute was no ordinary research institute. Narvari clutched her savaz ready to fire. It may only be a fifth-order demon, but they must not take it lightly. The demon screeched again, and Narvari wanted to tear her ears off. She lost her focus, and in effect, lost her savaz. Thick silver strands shot out of the giant tarantula¡¯s mouth towards Narvari and Pheera. Their reflexes kicked in as they swiftly swerved out of the demon¡¯s silver web. The spider sped up its attack, spraying millions of thick webs toward them, but they deftly evaded it all, scaling the walls like the ground itself. The webs clung to the walls like sticky ropes. Narvari had no idea what the webs were supposed to do once they touched her, but she was not ready to find out. The tarantula sent a long hairy leg at Narvari. She lost her footing and dropped heavily to the ground. The demon¡¯s leg crashed through the wall, opening a massive hole in its place. She did not even have the time to ponder over the strength of the spider¡¯s leg because a massive net of the demon¡¯s web lunged towards her. She flipped out of the way. Then the demon screamed. On top of its large hairy head was Pheera in Trinity mode, sending barrages of sacred fists into the demon. With Pheera¡¯s shadow clone technique, she seemed to have multiplied. The demon shrieked as each of Pheera¡¯s attacks opened a gaping wound in its body. Of course, the wounds slowly began to regenerate. As if summoning one last bit of strength from within, the demon shook itself hard. Pheera went gliding in the air before landing right next to Narvari. ¡°Maybe you should vanquish it before it fully regenerates,¡± said Pheera. Narvari suddenly realized that she had been staring at the girl all this time. She was just shocked at what she had just witnessed. She knew Pheera was strong, she just hadn¡¯t imagined how strong. Why didn¡¯t she fight like this when they faced the wraith lord? Narvari cleared her throat as she summoned her savaz. With a loud boom, and an ear-splitting screech, the demon dissolved into nothingness. ¡°There are probably more demons here,¡± said Pheera. ¡°We should keep going.¡± They resumed running but soon came to a halt when armed men in black suits suddenly surrounded them. It seemed these were regular humans. Did they know a demon tarantula was walking around the halls? The men opened fire. Shooting at a vanquisher was always a bad idea. Vanquishers were trained to dodge bullets. With sacros charging up their bodies, Narvari and Pheera lunged toward the men, punching and kicking them one after the other. Glass shattered all around them as some of the men were flung into the glass walls. The institute must have an infinite supply of guards because the deeper underground they went, the more guards came after them. Every single time, however, Narvari and Pheera beat the guards to a pulp. All was calm as no guard came forth but the commotion of explosions and breaking glass in the distance showed that the fight was far from over. The others had run into a little opposition, Narvari thought. ¡°Narvari, here.¡± Pheera¡¯s blue eyes were glued on something. ¡°Holy shit.¡± Narvari scanned the vast room full of human-sized glass pods?¡ª?possibly hundreds of them. Each pod contained an unconscious person floating in a deep green fluid. ¡°What is this?¡± Pheera whispered, moving from pod to pod. Were these people really being turned into demons? How long had something like this been going on? Narvari stopped in front of one glass pod. The person in there looked familiar. Cecilia Okarfor. Narvari balled her fist. That was Eric¡¯s wife. Did it mean all the other missing people were also here? ¡°Pheera, we need to get them out of here. All of them.¡± Pheera nodded. ¡°Trixan will know what to do. We?¡ª?¡± ¡°So,¡± a deep voice interrupted, ¡°you have chosen death.¡± The hairs on Narvari¡¯s body stood on end as the overpowering demon energy suddenly filled the room. Narvari clenched her fist to keep it from shaking. This sinister demon energy reminded her of that time she had fought by Servin¡¯s side. This demon was certainly a greater demon.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. A ninth-order demon. ¡°Vanquishers, huh?¡± said the voice again. ¡°You people truly are a pain in my ass.¡± Narvari looked around, attempting to find where the voice was coming from. But there was no one in sight. ¡°Are you going to hide in the dark like a little coward?¡± Narvari asked. Manic laughter echoed throughout the hallway. Then a shadow emerged from the darkness. Its eyes flashed gold with fury. Slowly, the demon stepped into the light. Narvari froze. This was the same man she had seen in the hospital. I knew it. ¡°Don¡¯t try to cover your fear with big talk,¡± he said. ¡°The Order must be desperate sending children after us.¡± ¡°You captured all those people,¡± said Pheera. ¡°Release them.¡± The demon tilted his head. He paused, gazing at Pheera as if he had just noticed her. ¡°How about a no.¡± The foul demon energy effused from the demon, flooding the entire floor. Narvari gagged at the vile stench. ¡°I guess, we¡¯ll capture you then.¡± Pheera retrieved a holy cage from her pocket, then hurled the halo towards the demon. Narvari activated Trinity and lunged towards the demon. With her sacred vision, she spotted two weak spots. She aimed for the one in the neck. But an invisible force flung her backward, crashing her into the concrete pillars. Pheera fell at the opposite end, the halo returning to her. This wasn¡¯t going to be easy. ¡°Pheera, are you okay?¡± ¡°Worry about yourself,¡± roared the demon, directly above Narvari. He descended towards her. Her heart racing, Narvari barely escaped from the demon¡¯s path at the last second. A small depression formed beneath the demon upon landing. Narvari panted, quickly getting back on her feet. She needed to pay attention or she would die here. ¡°Narvari.¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± Narvari did not take her eyes off the demon. ¡°Not for long.¡± The demon charged at Narvari like a raging bull. Booming sounds filled the air as Pheera shot the demon multiple times. The demon halted, glaring at Pheera instead. The savaz wounded the demon every time Pheera fired it, but he healed in seconds. ¡°That hurts,¡± he said, rage brimming in his eyes. Then he charged towards Pheera instead. Narvari spurred herself into the air and propelled her sacred fist directly on the demon¡¯s neck. The weak spot shattered, sending the demon to his knees. He screamed. The second weak spot was in the demon¡¯s chest. She must crush that too to overpower the demon. Her eyes widened when the demon suddenly grabbed her fist and threw her. Her sacros cushioned her from the violent fall but that didn¡¯t stop the agonizing pain grating her bones. Blood soaked her face. ¡°Who the hell do you think you are?¡± The demon seethed, getting back on his feet. Two golden horns protruding out of his head. Narvari¡¯s heart raced. The demon was transforming. With their current strength, they couldn¡¯t possibly defeat him if he transformed. They had to stop it at all costs. Pheera must have sensed the urgency too because she continuously shot at the demon to halt his transformation. The demon bellowed more out of rage than of pain. He raised a hand and a force lifted Narvari and Pheera into the air as though gravity no longer existed. A rope, albeit invisible, wound around Narvari¡¯s neck as the air slowly disappeared from her lungs. Narvari gasped, struggling to free herself. But the demon¡¯s remote grip was too strong. She slowly faded, her head feeling lighter and lighter. Delirium set in. Was she really about to die? Pheera. She cast one last look at the girl who made her heart flutter. Pheera was dying, she could see. But at least, dying by her side brought a semblance of peace to Narvari. Slowly darkness overwhelmed her. Then suddenly, Narvari found herself plunged into the depths of an ocean. The demon¡¯s grasp around her neck disappeared but the water choked her. Narvari held her breath, wondering if this was what the afterlife was like. But as the demon¡¯s form decayed in the water like flesh eaten by acid, Narvari knew that this was no afterlife. This was elema. Water elema. In mere seconds, the demon¡¯s form sizzled into nothingness and the water disappeared. Narvari coughed incessantly, her body sprawling on the dry land. Everything was dry. Her clothes, the floor. If the feeling of drowning hadn¡¯t been so real to her senses, she would have assumed this was nothing but a dream. Or perhaps death. What had just happened? Whose elema was that? Wait, where was Pheera? ¡°Pheera?¡± Narvari got on her feet, feeling slightly dizzy. ¡°Pheera, where are you?¡± ¡°Narvari.¡± Narvari¡¯s heart skipped a bit knowing very well who that voice belonged to. But she saw no one. ¡°Up here, Narvari.¡± High up on the stairs, Zemeron held Pheera in his arms. As soon as Zemeron put Pheera down, she swiftly jumped, landing next to Narvari. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Narvari asked. ¡°I should be asking you that.¡± Pheera frowned at her brother. ¡°Why did you leave Narvari behind? She almost drowned.¡± ¡°Narvari can handle herself.¡± ¡°Really? And you don¡¯t think I can handle myself?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Zemeron paused. His eyes softened. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± ¡°What do you mean then?¡± Pheera folded her arms. ¡°You¡¯re my sister.¡± ¡°And Narvari is my¡­¡± she bit her lips, her voice turning to a whisper, ¡°she¡¯s friend. Don¡¯t leave her behind. Please.¡± ¡°Hey,¡± Narvari took Pheera¡¯s hand, ¡°it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m alright.¡± ¡°I thought something happened to you.¡± Narvari smiled. ¡°I promise I¡¯m fine. Thanks to your brother.¡± Who knew what would have happened had Zemeron not shown up? ¡°We should get going,¡± said Zemeron. Narvari and Pheera followed him. Soon they were back in the room full of the abducted people in the pods. ¡°They¡¯re so many,¡± he muttered. Footsteps approached. Zemeron¡¯s eyes darkened, but they relaxed when Azmel and Yanvirrak appeared. ¡°Did you capture any demons?¡± Zemeron asked. Azmel shook his head. ¡°They were mostly lesser demons. They¡¯re all dead.¡± ¡°That ninth-order demon must be overseeing the operation here.¡± Zemeron¡¯s clenched his jaws. ¡°I should have captured him.¡± Narvari couldn¡¯t blame Zemeron for vanquishing the demon who almost killed his sister. ¡°At least we found the victims.¡± Yanvirrak nodded, glancing at the pods. ¡°Will they be alright?¡± ¡°The medical team will be here soon,¡± said Zemeron. ¡°They¡¯ll know what to do.¡± ¡°Are we done here then?¡± asked Narvari. ¡°No. not yet.¡± Zemeron paused. ¡°Something doesn¡¯t seem right. This feels too easy.¡± Narvari narrowed her eyes. This was too easy? She had almost died. But maybe Zemeron was right. The biggest resistance Narvari had faced was that ninth-order demon. Could there be something worse? ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here,¡± he said. They followed him, speeding up the winding staircase until they were on the surface. Then Zemeron froze. ¡°Run,¡± he said with wide eyes. ¡°Now.¡± No one asked why, but they just simply did as they were told. As Narvari took to her heels, she suddenly found herself waging war with gravity. Her motor coordination skills disappeared as she lost balance and tumbled on the floor. The floor? No, not the floor. What used to be the floor was now the ceiling. She scrambled to get back up, but the room flipped over again, sending her crashing back to the actual floor. Narvari crawled on the ground. Her colleagues struggled to get back up, just like she was. The room began turning again. Narvari sidestepped the wall, using it as the floor, but the room flipped again, this time even faster. Narvari fell. A sinister aura, several times more malicious than that of the ninth-order demon, overwhelmed her senses. Not again. Was there no end to this? She levitated. Again. While her body struggled to get used to the spatial manipulation, Zemeron stood in midair so casually that one would think he had intentionally put himself there. ¡°It¡¯s an eleventh-order demon,¡± said Zemeron. A royal demon. Narvari¡¯s chest thumped violently. They plunged to the ground when gravity returned. The foul energy became even fouler and Narvari¡¯s throat burned with disgust. Then something came, concealed within a thick blue-black energy. Or was it someone? Whatever it was, the vileness of its presence was pure demon energy. A royal demon. Chapter 61: A Battle to the Death Narvari¡¯s body quivered, her knees growing weaker by the second. This thing had not even revealed its true power yet she was already trembling in fear. She forced herself to inhale and exhale slowly. She couldn¡¯t let fear get the best of her at this critical moment. She glued her eyes on the figure effusing the blue-black mist. The energy around the demon slowly vanished. That was when Narvari saw him?¡ª?his dark handsome features. The hell? Peter Khan? She should have known. Khan¡¯s purple eyes nonchalantly gazed at them. He was too calm. Like this wasn¡¯t even worth his time. Narvari clenched her trembling jaw. ¡°Run along now,¡± said Zemeron. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this.¡± ¡°Is that right?¡± Khan chuckled. His body began to transform rapidly as muscles bulged, ripping his tailored suit. His form became more and more monstrous. But what was even more shocking was the new body tearing out of him like a mirror image of himself. What the hell? ¡°I said run now.¡± Narvari took off with the others. Without warning, the room flipped again. Pheera bumped into Narvari and together they both came falling down. In the distance, Azmel and Yanvirrak lay on the floor. The flipping continued in an endless frenzy, sending Narvari and her team crashing over and over into the walls, ceiling, floor, and just about every available surface. Her body moved so much that she feared her bones might shatter into a million shards. Then suddenly, everything was still. All too still. Narvari lay on the ground, not moving. None of them did. ¡°Is it over?¡± Yanvirrak asked. ¡°Did Zemeron kill it?¡± It was the question on Narvari¡¯s mind. But it was too good to be true. Narvari absentmindedly took Pheera¡¯s hand in hers. She listened closely. But they heard nothing. ¡°Here¡¯s a thought.¡± Yanvirrak got up. ¡°Let¡¯s just teleport out of here.¡± ¡°And leave Zemeron all by himself?¡± Narvari glared at him. ¡°Vanquishers don¡¯t abandon their mission until every demon has been vanquished.¡± Yanvirrak laughed mirthlessly. ¡°Don¡¯t give me that bullshit. Did you not get the part where he asked us to leave? We can¡¯t fight a royal demon. All we¡¯ll be doing is slowing him down.¡± ¡°And what about all those victims? We can¡¯t just leave them here.¡± ¡°The medical team will be here.¡± ¡°The medical team will be here only after every demon has been vanquished. They¡¯re doctors, not vanquishers.¡± ¡°So what, you want to go back and fight the royal demon? You think just because you have a higher order savaz, you¡¯re somehow stronger?¡± ¡°Yanvirrak?¡ª?¡± ¡°Shut it, Pheera.¡± Narvari¡¯s eyes darkened. She grabbed Yanvirrak by the collar, her heart thumping in rage. ¡°Don¡¯t ever talk to Pheera like that.¡± ¡°Or what?¡± ¡°Enough. Both of you.¡± ¡°Shut up, Azmel.¡± Narvari and Yanvirrak glared at Azmel at the same time. ¡°What has come over you two?¡± Azmel said. ¡°You think now¡¯s the time to be fighting over pointless things?¡± ¡°Oh great,¡± said Yanvirrak. ¡°I guess dying is no big deal.¡± ¡°Maybe I should kill you myself.¡± Azmel suddenly withdrew his savaz and pointed it at Yanvirrak. Yanvirrak didn¡¯t waste time taking his out. Narvari took out her two savaz and pointed them at both Yanvirrak and Azmel. ¡°Or maybe,¡± said Narvari grinning, ¡°I should kill you both. You two are such a pain.¡± ¡°Stop it, all of you,¡± Pheera suddenly yelled. ¡°Get back to your senses. Do you not see something is manipulating your emotions? Snap out of it.¡± Narvari froze. Wait, why was she pointing her savaz at Azmel and Yanvirrak? And why the hell was Azmel and Yanvirrak glaring so murderously at each other?If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Snap out of it.¡± Pheera¡¯s soothing voice washed over her again. ¡°Holy shit.¡± Yanvirrak blinked rapidly. His savaz disappeared as did Azmel¡¯s. ¡°We need to be careful,¡± said Azmel. ¡°Something sinister is at work here.¡± ¡°But I was having so much fun.¡± The familiar blood-curling voice returned. Laughter echoed in the dim hallway. ¡°I was hoping you would kill each other while I watched. Pretty fun.¡± Khan. Narvari¡¯s stomach caved. If the demon was here, did it mean Zemeron was dead? No, it couldn¡¯t be. Something strange had happened while that demon transformed. That could explain why the demon was here. The gray monstrosity materialized before them. ¡°But I guess I¡¯ll have to kill you myself.¡± ¡°Dream on.¡± Narvari released her Trinity. ¡°We¡¯ll capture it.¡± Azmel released his silver elema. ¡°He¡¯s divided himself so he should be weaker.¡± Even still, Narvari did not take the demon lightly. Even if Khan had divided himself to fight them simultaneously, they must not take him lightly. The demon lunged punches after punches at them with all six of his hands, however, Narvari and her team were as slippery as ice. With incredible movements and team coordination, they rained sacros and elema at the demon. ¡°Screw this,¡± Yanvirrak shouted. His purple savaz disappeared from his hand as he summoned his flame elema. Narvari had almost forgotten about Yanvirrak¡¯s new ability. They moved away from Yanvirrak as flames emanated from his body like wildfire. Yanvirrak concentrated his flames in his hands. With his fists fortified in flames, he lunged toward the demon and punched him in the face. For the first time, blood?¡ª?thick and black?¡ª?drained from the demon¡¯s face. Multiple strands of thick sliver fluid connected to the demon¡¯s body and kept him still. Azmel tightened the silver ropes around the demon, holding him in place. His hands trembled, and sweat poured over his face. ¡°Yanvirrak, burn him,¡± said Azmel. ¡°I can¡¯t hold him much longer.¡± Yanvirrak razed the demon with a great inferno. The demon¡¯s body was set ablaze, his entire body charring. He growled in mania. Narvari and Pheera fired blast after blast of their savaz into the demon. The more Narvari released her sacros from her savaz, the weaker her body became. Slight dizziness overtook her. From the way Yanvirrak¡¯s feet wobbled, Narvari knew he too was reaching his limit. After what felt like an eternity, the demon fell, unmoving. Certainly, the demon was not vanquished, or else it would have disintegrated. After everything they had done, how was Khan still alive? ¡°Shit,¡± Narvari whispered. Although the demon¡¯s body had been completely charred like a burnt corpse, it was already regenerating slowly. ¡°We need to capture it now.¡± ¡°I have the holy cage.¡± With his right hand keeping the demon in place with the silver strings, Azmel searched his pockets with his other hand. He froze. ¡°What?¡± Yanvirrak asked. ¡°I don¡¯t have the holy cage.¡± ¡°What?¡± Narvari and Yanvirrak shouted at the same time. Azmel searched his pockets again. Then he shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s gone.¡± Narvari turned to Pheera. ¡°You have one, right?¡± Zemeron had shared the holy cage among the groups; Zemeron himself had one, Azmel had one, and Pheera had one. The holy cage was their only hope of defeating the eleventh-order demon. Pheera shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t find mine either. I must have dropped it.¡± ¡°Oh fuck, we¡¯re dead,¡± Yanvirrak said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I had it in my pocket.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Pheera,¡± said Narvari. ¡°It probably fell out after being thrown around so much. It¡¯s not your fault.¡± ¡°So what do we do?¡± Yanvirrak asked. ¡°He¡¯s already healing.¡± They all turned to the demon. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re not strong enough to kill me, vanquishers. Look at you, you¡¯re even struggling to hold me in place.¡± The demon chuckled. His gaze turned murderous. ¡°You better run now. Because once I regain my strength, I¡¯m going to kill you all. Azmel¡¯s hands trembled and his breath hastened. His silver strings began disappearing one after the other. He fell to his knees. Then the last of his elema was gone. ¡°Azmel?¡ª?¡± ¡°I¡¯m alright. You kids need to go.¡± He collapsed to the ground. ¡°He¡¯s still weak. You have time.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not leaving you here alone,¡± said Narvari. She and Yanvirrak helped Azmel to his feet. ¡°We¡¯ll get you back to school.¡± Narvari tried to activate the portal but her xuul blinked red continuously. ¡°Shit,¡± she muttered. Could things get even worse? ¡°I run out of sacred energy. I can¡¯t open a portal.¡± Yanvirrak looked at his xuul. He tried to open the portal too but nothing happened. ¡°I run out too.¡± ¡°Me too,¡± said Pheera. Narvari rubbed her forehead. ¡°I guess, we¡¯ll have just have walk out of here.¡± Of all the technology Agon had, why the hell would they depend on sacred energy to power their xuul? Narvari and Yanvirrak supported Azmel on each arm. Then the room flipped. The force violently swept Narvari off her feet and slammed her into the wall. Something went right through her chest, nailing her to the wall. A coldness stilled her heart. At first, there was no pain. All she felt was the cold, threatening to tear out her heart. She glanced at her chest. A thick black spear protruded out of it. She had never seen so much blood before, let alone from herself. And then the pain began to register. The room flipped over again, but this time Narvari could not move. And now, instead of the wall, she was on the floor. ¡°Narvari.¡± Someone screamed her name. Was it Pheera? ¡°No, no, Narvari. No.¡± The person knelt by her side and took her hands. It was the only warmth Narvari felt. Tears stung Narvari¡¯s eyes as she stared into those beautiful blue eyes. The warmth of Pheera¡¯s hand was not enough to stop the coldness growing in her heart. ¡°Pheera.¡± It only came out as a whisper. ¡°Narvari, stay with me.¡± Pheera squeezed Narvari¡¯s hand. ¡°Narvari.¡± ¡°Phe?¡ª?¡± ¡°No. Don¡¯t say anything.¡± Narvari clenched her jaws, the pain drowning her. Pheera broke the long end of the spear and then clasped both hands on Narvari¡¯s chest. Narvari felt her consciousness slowly waning. All she wanted to do was close her eyes. It really was the end. She was going to die. ¡°Stay with me, Narvari.¡± Pheera¡¯s voice slipped her out of her unconsciousness for a fleeting moment. ¡°One down. Three to go.¡± It was the demon. He cackled. Had he healed so soon? What did it matter, she was dying. ¡°Soon, your friend here will be dead. Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll be reunited with her.¡± No. Run, Pheera. But Narvari was too weak to say anything. She couldn¡¯t even move her limbs. She was dying, and she knew it. Pheera didn¡¯t leave Narvari¡¯s side, holding onto her hand. At that moment, Narvari was most grateful. But the pain in Pheera¡¯s eyes hurt Narvari¡¯s heart more than the spear. Even more so was the pain of dying without telling Pheera how she felt. Tears flowed freely on Narvari¡¯s face as she slowly sank into oblivion. The last thing she saw were those beautiful blue eyes. Pheera had captivated Narvari until her very last moment. Chapter 62: A Shocking Turn of Events
Silence and darkness. That was all Narvari sensed around her. The void trapped her like a prison for what seemed like an eternity. Then, ever so slowly, the thick cover of darkness shattered around her, accompanied by the annoying beeping sound filtering into her unconscious mind. Her eyes were heavier than normal, and with great difficulty, they slowly fluttered open. But she quickly shut them again when the sudden bright light flooded her eyes. Everything was nothing but a blur. ¡°Pheera,¡± Narvari whispered. Her vision blurred. But in the blur, she saw those sparkling blue eyes. ¡°Pheera.¡± She tried to touch Pheera¡¯s face. Pain shot through her chest, right into her toes. She touched her chest as an image of a spear plunged inside her surfaced in her mind. She cried out, reliving the anguish. ¡°My dear, you need to be still.¡± The soothing voice lulled her. Strong arms held her back onto the bed. ¡°Pheera.¡± Narvari grabbed those arms like a drowning man would a lifeboat. The fogginess in her mind slowly cleared as the blurry figure beside her sharpened. The blueness of the eyes transformed to forest green, and the white hair she had envisioned, appeared scarlet as red rose. ¡°Trixan?¡± The Elder smiled warmly at her. Her eyes were red and puffy. Had she been crying? ¡°Welcome back, my dear.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Pheera?¡± ¡°My dear, you need to worry about yourself. You almost died.¡± Narvari bit her lips as she mindlessly played with the bandage around her chest. A spear. That demon had stabbed her right in the heart with a spear and she had died. She was certain of it. How the hell was she alive? Several machines were fixed to her body. Was that how she was alive? Did vanquishers have technology that revived the dead? She doubted it. They may have advanced medical technology?¡ª?hell she had seen them regenerate someone¡¯s severed limbs?¡ª?but it still didn¡¯t mean they could raise the dead. Her life had flashed before her eyes. And Pheera¡­ the demon¡­ Yes. It was all coming back to her. They had faced a royal demon. And Pheera was there. Narvari quickly sat up. She groaned when the immense pain ripped through her chest. Gosh, this was going to hurt for a while. ¡°Trixan, where is Pheera?¡± She searched Trixan¡¯s calm yet sad eyes. Narvari gulped, fear crawling in her veins. ¡°Where is she?¡± ¡°Calm down.¡± Trixan was too calm. ¡°It¡¯s not good for your health?¡ª?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me to be calm.¡± Narvari¡¯s eyes stung. ¡°I,¡± she whispered, ¡°I just want to know if she¡¯s okay. Please.¡± Trixan paused thoughtfully. ¡°She¡¯s undergoing treatment.¡± Narvari noticed how Trixan refused to say whether Pheera was alright. ¡°Undergoing treatment for what? Will she be okay?¡± Trixan remained silent. This was a yes or no question; why wasn¡¯t Trixan saying anything? ¡°Trixan.¡± ¡°I hope so.¡± Hope? This didn¡¯t sound good. How serious was Pheera¡¯s condition that Trixan had to resort to hope? ¡°Can I see her? Please?¡± ¡°You need to rest. Your wound?¡ª?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Narvari clenched her jaws. The pain in her chest almost rendered her insane. But other than that she was peachy. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Trixan gazed at Narvari¡¯s chest. ¡°You seem to be in a lot of pain.¡± ¡°I want to see her.¡± There was something strange about Trixan¡¯s expression. Though she seemed relieved that Narvari was awake, there was an underlying shock beneath those green eyes. And fear. What exactly could have spooked Trixan like that?
Through the glass, Narvari stared in horror at the completely wrapped body in the bed. That was Pheera? Narvari gaped, pressing her face to the glass. No, that skeletal mummy couldn¡¯t be Pheera. That was impossible. ¡°What the hell happened to her?¡± Narvari glared at Trixan. ¡°Did the demon do this?¡± Calmness shrouded Trixan. However, Narvari could still tell that something troubled the Elder. ¡°Why are you hiding things from me, Trixan?¡± Trixan¡¯s gaze faltered, but only for a moment. ¡°The demon didn¡¯t do this to Pheera.¡± No? Narvari narrowed her eyes. ¡°Then what happened?¡± Pheera had always been a slender girl. But right now, it seemed like more than ninety percent of her body fat was gone. Even through the bandages wrapped around Pheera¡¯s body, Narvri could tell that something had gone wrong. ¡°Why is she like this?¡± ¡°You know I wasn¡¯t there.¡± ¡°No. But the others must have reported to you.¡± Narvari balled her fist. ¡°Trixan, what happened to Pheera?¡± Trixan paused. Then she sighed. ¡°When the demon stabbed you, Pheera lost it. She¡­¡± Another long pause. ¡°She what?¡± ¡°She forcefully ordered up.¡± ¡°What?¡± Why would Pheera do this? Everyone knew how dangerous a forceful order up was to the body. Fear gripped Narvari¡¯s heart as it dawned on her how much damage Pheera¡¯s body had endured. ¡°Will she be okay?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Trixan shook her head. ¡°The doctors are uncertain. No one knows how anyone can survive a forceful order up. It¡¯s different for everyone.¡± Trixan paused. ¡°It could take a few days or several years. Or she could even¡­¡± Trixan didn¡¯t finish her sentence, but Narvari knew what it was. ¡°She could die,¡± Narvari whispered. She was the one who had been stabbed by the demon. Why was Pheera the one suffering instead? She clenched her fists in a mixture of anger and sadness. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t got myself stabbed she wouldn¡¯t have done this.¡± Tears wet her cheeks. ¡°This is all my fault.¡± ¡°My dear.¡± Trixan took Narvari¡¯s hand. ¡°Look at me, Narvari.¡± Slowly she looked at Trixan. ¡°This isn¡¯t your fault. Pheera knew the danger of a forceful order up.¡± Narvari quickly snatched her hand out of Trixan¡¯s. ¡°So what? It¡¯s her fault?¡± ¡°No, my dear.¡± Trixan was as calm as ever. It infuriated Narvari even more. ¡°I¡¯m saying that Pheera knew how dangerous it was, yet she put her life on the line to protect her team. What she did saved Azmel and Yanvirrak¡¯s life. She saved all of you.¡± ¡°Well, now she¡¯s the one dying.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know that, my dear.¡± ¡°Really? You can guarantee that she¡¯d be okay then?¡± Silence. ¡°Yeah,¡± Narvari said. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought.¡± Narvari turned to leave but suddenly halted. She glared at Trixan. ¡°You know what, Trixan, you¡¯re right. This isn¡¯t my fault nor is it Pheera¡¯s fault.¡± Her voice quivered. ¡°It¡¯s your fault. You knew we weren¡¯t equipped as a school to go after royal demons, but you sent us anyway. This isn¡¯t on me or Pheera or anyone. This is on you. If Pheera dies, her blood will be on your hands and I will never forgive you, Trixan. Never.¡± Narvari stormed off, angry tears blinding her eyes. The exhaustion didn¡¯t set in until she retired to her room. Her entire body ached and all she wanted to do was lie down. But the thought of Pheera kept her mind awake. She stood before her mirror and gazed at the lifeless reflection that stared back at her. She looked like she hadn¡¯t slept in a year. Her heart throbbed in agony. She touched her chest as she relived the coldness of the spear as it squeezed the life out of her. How was she still alive? She slowly took off her shirt revealing the white bandage tightly wrapped around her chest.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. She needed to see it for herself. She had to see how she had survived. She slowly unwrapped the bandage around her chest. Though she was still in pain, it felt somewhat more tolerable now. Narvari had expected to see a gaping hole in her chest. Instead, it was a smaller wound. But that wasn¡¯t what shocked her. Her mind must be playing tricks on her because how could her wound be stitching itself back together? The regeneration was slow, but it was still at a visible rate. Was this something the doctors had done? No, it couldn¡¯t be. Reclamation could take months to fully take effect. Besides, that thing had pierced her heart. She had died. She knew it. What was going on? Why was she regenerating like¡­ like¡­ ¡­like a demon. She shuddered. What was happening to her? This had never happened before. As long as she could remember, she couldn¡¯t heal quickly like this. She bit her lips trying to remember. No such thing had happened to her before. That wasn¡¯t normal. Not even among vanquishers. Then she froze. The time she had gone into a coma because of the wraith lord, Pheera had been surprised that Narvari had woken up in only a week instead of months later. She also recovered faster than anyone in the school after the demons and Vessels attacked. That shoulder wound from the ninth-order demon healed easily, and she had attributed it to good medical care. Had she been wrong? What had happened to her? All this started when that wraith lord poisoned her with demon energy. She thought her sacros had awakened because of the demon energy, but Trixan said that was impossible. So what if instead of awakening her sacros, the demon energy had done something else? What if it had turned her into a demon? Narvari staggered backward. No, that was absurd. Ridiculous. She was not a demon. It¡¯s the medication. Yes, that was it. It was the effect of the medication. How could she have sacred energy if she was a demon? It made no sense. She was not a demon. Narvari inhaled and exhaled deeply. She put her shirt back on and slumped into her bed. She just needed a good rest, and everything would return to normal. I am not a demon.
¡°Come on in,¡± said Zemeron when the knock came. Trixan walked in. Zemeron sat up in his bed. He groaned. Trixan took a seat. ¡°Sorry for the delay.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± About an hour ago, Zemeron was reporting to Trixan about how their mission went when one of the doctors came to tell her that Narvari was awake. ¡°How is she?¡± ¡°Better.¡± Though she was calm, Zemeron sensed that something was bothering her. ¡°Continue with your report, my dear. You said the demon divided itself into two?¡± Zemeron sighed. ¡°Yes. One of them went after my team and I faced the other one.¡± He paused. ¡°Something strange happened while I fought the demon.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Our battle was intense, you know,¡± said Zemeron. ¡°Even after the demon divided itself, it was still very strong. I had no choice but to summon my elevaz.¡± Zemeron shut his eyes as the memories of that night flooded his mind. The overwhelming power of the demon tried to subdue him but Zemeron gathered his elema within himself, focusing on his power to withdraw his elevaz. Just before that happened, a blinding light suddenly flooded the whole place. Zemeron shielded his eyes. Sensing the power from the light, he knew this was no ordinary light. ¡°Kneel.¡± A voice resounded throughout the building. Such a soft voice, yet pulsated with incredible power. And it sounded just like¡­ Pheera? That was Pheera¡¯s voice, he was sure of it. Zemeron adjusted his eyes to the bright light and he gaped at the shocking sight before him. The demon was actually on his knees, his face clouded in terror. ¡°Hey, what are you doing to me?¡± The demon struggled to get back to his feet. But it proved futile no matter how much he tried. ¡°What the hell is this? Why am I kneeling?¡± Zemeron stared in confusion. He tried to make sense of the situation. That was Pheera¡¯s voice he had heard. She had said one word, ¡®kneel¡¯, and the demon was doing exactly as told. Had Pheera somehow captivated this demon? But how? She had to touch a person to captivate them and obviously, Pheera was nowhere near to do that. He narrowed his eyes. Had Pheera touched the other demon and captivated him, thereby affecting this one since they were the same? What was happening? Or was it the light? Its white brilliance shone even brighter. It didn¡¯t feel like ordinary light. Zemeron sensed the strong power radiating from it. This was sacred energy. This was elema. Light elema. But whose could it be? No time to waste. Zemeron¡¯s reflexes suddenly kicked in. Now was his chance. The demon could not move. He might as well take his holy cage and capture the demon. Right within the light elema, however, a strange black and gold portal opened out of nowhere, and through it appeared something. Or someone. Whatever it was, the light elema was too bright to see through. An earsplitting explosion shook the entire building. Zemeron steadied himself, as the ground trembled briefly. He frowned, clutching to the wall. That explosion could only have come from an elevaz. The light elema faded and the demon collapsed to the ground. The figure from the portal became visible. Zemeron froze upon seeing the black mask with the jaw of a skeleton on it. The figure wore a thick black overcoat and a cowboy hat. This costume. There was not a single vanquisher who didn¡¯t know it. Even after twenty years of his death, his legend still lived on?¡ª?children still dressed like him in Agon. Zemeron¡¯s heart thumped violently. Why was a dead man standing right here? ¡°Hellstorm?¡± Zemeron gaped. ¡°Wait, what?¡± Trixan¡¯s green eyes were even greener with shock. ¡°What did you just say? Hellstorm appeared right there?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Zemeron said. ¡°He was dressed exactly like Hellstorm. But he could be an impostor. Hellstorm¡¯s dead, right?¡± Trixan¡¯s eyes faltered. ¡°Right?¡± Zemeron asked again. Why couldn¡¯t Trixan confirm what everyone already knew? Hellstorm was dead. The Ancient Order of Vanquishers knew it. Everyone knew it. ¡°Trixan?¡± ¡°What was he there for? Did he come there to help?¡± Why ask him something like that, as if Hellstorm was alive? What was Trixan not telling him? Zemeron''s thoughts whirred at a million miles per second. This was Trixan. He had trusted her from the very moment he stepped into Draghein School and she had been there for them all this time. Maybe he had to trust her. Zemeron sighed. ¡°Hellstorm wasn¡¯t there to help,¡± he said finally. ¡°He captured the demon and disappeared. He helped that demon escape.¡± Trixan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. Hellstorm would do no such thing.¡± ¡°Yes. Because he¡¯s dead. That impostor was a demon.¡± Trixan paused. ¡°A demon?¡± She tilted her head. ¡°Why do you say that, my dear?¡± ¡°The portal they used was not xuul technology,¡± said Zemeron. ¡°I could sense demon energy from the portal.¡± Silence followed for several seconds. ¡°Trixan,¡± said Zemeron. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing to worry about, my dear.¡± Trixan smiled. ¡°Well, I¡¯m already worried.¡± Zemeron folded his arms. ¡°Is Hellstorm even dead?¡± ¡°I saw him die. So yes, he¡¯s dead.¡± Zemeron carefully studied the woman¡¯s face. Trixan had never lied to him and he did not think she would lie about something like this. But something about this whole thing felt strange. Perhaps, he was not asking the right questions. ¡°Where did they bury Hellstorm?¡± he asked suddenly. ¡°Everyone knows where Hellstorm¡¯s grave is. So do you.¡± ¡°And you saw them put his body in the grave.¡± After an eternity of silence, Trixan finally said, ¡°No.¡± Zemeron raised a brow. ¡°I¡¯m sorry what?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see his body,¡± Trixan clarified. ¡°No one did.¡± ¡°What do you mean no one did? You said Hellstorm died. I mean, that¡¯s what the history books say. That Hellstorm died in the war fighting Bezvaros and his Vessels.¡± ¡°And that¡¯s true.¡± Trixan nodded. ¡°Hellstorm was a hero. But¡­¡± Zemeron¡¯s heartbeat quickened. ¡°But what?¡± Trixan sighed, as if she had given up on keeping secrets. ¡°Twenty years ago, the Vessels retrieved Bezvaros¡¯ Crystal from the Order. No one knew how they got the crystal, but we knew we had to recover it. So the Order sent nine of us led by Hellstorm to recover the crystal. But we were too late to stop the Vessels from summoning Bezvaros.¡± ¡°Yes. You fought against Bezvaros and the Vessels,¡± said Zemeron, ¡°Bezvaros killed Hellstorm but you and the others succeeded in sending the Demon King back to Bezvar. I know the story, Trixan.¡± Trixan shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s not the whole story.¡± Zemeron narrowed his eyes. ¡°What happened then?¡± ¡°Hellstorm struck a deadly blow to Bezvaros and gravely weakened him. That was why we even succeeded in sending the Demon King back because he was too weak to resist.¡± The emotions behind Trixan¡¯s eyes said that whatever she was recalling was too painful for her. But Zemeron needed to know. He had just seen someone he thought had been dead all this while?¡ª?someone he had revered since he was a child even though he had never met him. ¡°Before the rift to Bezvar closed, Bezvaros stabbed Hellstorm in the chest and grabbed him into Bezvar.¡± ¡°What?¡± Zemeron¡¯s eyes widened. Trixan nodded. ¡°I saw Bezvaros kill Hellstorm but I never saw his body. No one ever did.¡± ¡°Because he was lost in Bezvar.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, my dear.¡± Zemeron froze. ¡°Is it possible that he survived? I mean if anyone can survive hell, it¡¯s Hellstorm, right?¡± The ambiance around Trixan was eerily calm. ¡°That is true. But Hellstorm will never rescue demons.¡± Zemeron didn¡¯t want to say that Hellstorm had probably been turned into a demon by Bezvaros, and therefore was no longer himself. He knew what Hellstorm meant to Trixan. He couldn¡¯t imagine how Trixan felt about this whole thing. What if Hellstorm was indeed alive and had been turned by a demon? What would that mean for Trixan? What would that mean for Draghein School? And what would that mean for the Ancient Order of Vanquishers as a whole? ¡°Let¡¯s not worry about this,¡± said Trixan. ¡°What¡¯s important is that your team saved all those victims. The doctors say they¡¯ll be fine once the demonic process is reversed. Once that happens, we¡¯ll reunite them with their families. You did well.¡± Zemeron nodded. ¡°And my sister?¡± ¡°Pheera will be fine, Zemeron,¡± said Trixan. ¡°She¡¯s alive and that¡¯s a good sign. But I¡¯ll do everything I can to get her back. I promise.¡± For now, that was all he could hope for. His sister had forcefully ordered up to gain her light elema. It was a miracle she was still alive right now after all that damage to her body. Zemeron exhaled heavily. He had to have faith that Pheera would be fine. That was all he could do right now. Have faith. ¡°I put you all in danger, Zemeron,¡± Trixan muttered. Zemeron raised a brow. ¡°What are you talking about? We were doing our job.¡± ¡°A job I knew we weren¡¯t up for,¡± Trixan countered firmly. ¡°I knew there was a rise in royal demon activity and yet instead of putting my pride aside and appealing for transfers from the other schools, I arrogantly sent junior vanquishers into the front lines. Narvari almost died, and now Pheera?¡ª?¡± ¡°Will be fine,¡± said Zemeron. ¡°You said so yourself, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Trixan nodded. ¡°Forgive me.¡± She sighed. Her eyes were full of exhaustion. Had she even slept? ¡°Until the Twelve Schools figure out why royal demon activity is rising,¡± said Trixan, ¡°I have decided to outsource our jurisdiction to Rahalan School.¡± ¡°But Trixan?¡ª?¡± ¡°No buts, my dear. Arequil has already agreed to help.¡± ¡°The school is going to lose a lot of money.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing as long as I don¡¯t lose any vanquisher.¡± ¡°It¡¯s our job.¡± ¡°Yes. But junior vanquishers have no business fighting royal demons.¡± She stood up. ¡°Rest up.¡± As she walked to the door, Zemeron called Trixan and she turned around. ¡°You haven¡¯t told Rhodine about Edicles, have you?¡± asked Zemeron. ¡°No. I don¡¯t plan to.¡± Trixan smiled. ¡°I have something else in mind.¡±
Chapter 63: Desperation
Narvari caressed Pheera¡¯s skinny hands. Even through the thick white bandages, Pheera¡¯s touch chilled her. The days were all a blur to her. Nothing mattered. All Narvari wanted to do was stay by Pheera¡¯s side, but after all this time, the girl had not even stirred once. A sinking feeling grew in Narvari¡¯s stomach as the thoughts plagued her that Pheera might never wake up. The doctors said that a forceful order-up was a delicate condition. In Pheera¡¯s case, her body was severely damaged. Her resilience was the only thing keeping her alive. Narvari looked longingly at Pheera and gently squeezed her limp hand. ¡°Please come back to me. Please, Pheera.¡± She shut her eyes, burying her head next to Pheera. Something warm and wet ran down her cheeks. It took her a while to realize that she was crying. She didn¡¯t think she could handle any more loss. Was it her fate to lose everyone she cared about? Everyone she loved? First, it was her father. Then her grandmother and her best friend. And now¡­ Now¡­ A knock on the door¡­ She quickly wiped away her tears as Yanvirrak walked in, holding a tray. ¡°Hey.¡± He offered her the tray. ¡°I brought you something to eat.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± ¡°Narvari, you haven¡¯t eaten in four days.¡± Narvari said nothing. Yanvirrak sighed. He put the tray on the table and sat next to Narvari. Silence ensued between the two. For a moment, Narvari forgot about Yanvirrak¡¯s presence until he spoke. ¡°You know, Pheera wouldn¡¯t leave your side too when you first came to Draghein School.¡± Narvari slowly turned her attention to Yanvirrak. ¡°She didn¡¯t tell you, did she?¡± Yanvirrak smiled. Narvari shook her head. ¡°No.¡± ¡°It was the first time I¡¯d ever seen her touch anyone. Ever.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You remember what I told you about Pheera¡¯s family and how she was in a bad place when she came here?¡± Narvari nodded. ¡°Well,¡± said Yanvirrak, ¡°not only did she not talk to anyone, but she avoided physical contact with everyone. Even Zemeron. When she started talking more, she still avoided physical contact. So one day, I asked her why she did that. She said touching people terrified her.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Narvari narrowed her eyes. ¡°She was afraid she would accidentally captivate the people she touched. So she stayed as far away as possible.¡± Yanvirrak sighed. ¡°But then you came. And for the first time, I saw her touch someone without reservation. It was like the fear she always harbored never existed in the first place.¡± He smiled fondly. ¡°You make her feel safe, Narvari.¡± ¡°Does she look safe to you right now?¡± Narvari muttered. ¡°If you¡¯re trying to make me feel better, you¡¯re doing a terrible job.¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Actually, Shar, I¡¯m trying to make you feel worse.¡± Narvari paused. What the hell was this reverse psychology shit. It¡¯s not going to work, Hanes. ¡°Pheera cares a lot about you,¡± said Yanvirrak. ¡°How do you think she¡¯s going to feel when she wakes up and finds out you haven¡¯t been taking care of yourself?¡± Narvari gaped at Yanvirrak. What kind of bullshit argument was that? ¡°Is nobody here worried about her?¡± Narvari asked. ¡°Look at her. Just look at her.¡± Narvari¡¯s voice cracked. She clenched her jaws, restraining her tears and failing terribly. ¡°Why is everyone acting like Pheera isn¡¯t on the verge of death? Huh? What¡¯s wrong with you people? You come here giving me pointless stories. How¡¯s that going to solve anything? What if she never wakes up?¡± Yanvirrak said calmly, ¡°She¡¯s going to wake up.¡± ¡°And how do you know that?¡± ¡°Because Pheera¡¯s gone through worse from her family, and yet she¡¯s thrived.¡± Yanvirrak¡¯s eyes reddened. ¡°A forceful order-up is nothing compared to what she¡¯s endured from those bastards. She¡¯s stronger than you think.¡± He stood up, burying his hands in his pockets. ¡°Eat something, Narvari. Please. Trixan¡¯s worried about you.¡± ¡°Trixan doesn¡¯t care about me. Or any of us.¡± Yanvirrak paused. ¡°I understand you¡¯re hurting right now, so I¡¯ll let this go.¡± Not saying anything anymore, Yanvirrak silently walked out of the room. Narvari¡¯s lips trembled. Then the tears came.
¡°So,¡± Hellstorm encircled the shackled demon, ¡°are you ready to talk now?¡± The demon¡¯s breathing was ragged and uneven. Blood trickled down his wretched gray face and his body was full of gushing injuries taking too long to regenerate. ¡°I¡¯m not telling you anything.¡± The demon bared his teeth viciously at Hellstorm, however, the heavy black chains tightened around the demon¡¯s arms, pulling him right back. Hellstorm chuckled as he flipped the holy cage in his right hand. Securing a holy cage and capturing royal demons had been the easiest part of his plan. After a thorough investigation, he learned that a lowblood royal demon, parading as a human, was running an underground operation that turned humans into demons. He had tracked the demon to Winfield Research Institute only to find other vanquishers on the mission. That was a complication to his plan. Hellstorm rubbed his neck as he recalled that blinding light elema. He had come across elema of various kinds, even including some types of light elema. But none of them had been anything like that powerful light elema he had sensed in the research institute. Whose elema could it be? It certainly did not belong to that young man he had captured the demon from. From the young man¡¯s white hair and blue eyes, he was a Zoleris. Most Zoleris had water-based elema. Whatever that light elema was, it had somehow held the demon hostage, making Hellstorm¡¯s job all too easy for him. But of course, capturing the demon and getting him to talk were two different things. Even after beating the shit out of the lowblood, he would still not tell Hellstorm anything. These demons were incredibly loyal to their superiors. He¡¯d already captured and tortured two lowblood royal demons yet none of them had given him what he wanted. Impressive. Admittedly though, it was wasting too much of his time. No matter. He would keep capturing those lowbloods until he found what he was looking for. If he had any luck, he would even capture a highblood. Hellstorm put the holy cage into his pocket. ¡°I guess I have no use for you then.¡± He glared at the demon. ¡°Any last words.¡± The demon clenched his fists, struggling to free his grip from the shackles. But Hellstorm had fortified the shackles with his union. They only tightened around the demon¡¯s gray hands the more he struggled. ¡°He¡¯ll kill you,¡± said the demon. His voice came in heavy gasps. ¡°He will find you and kill you.¡± ¡°I hope he finds me.¡± Sparks of golden lightning appeared in Hellstorm¡¯s hand, sending delightful jolts through his body. He moved closer to the demon, staring directly into his deep purple eyes. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s one more thing.¡± Hellstorm grinned manically. ¡°This is going to hurt like a motherfucker.¡± Hellstorm flicked the lightning into the demon¡¯s face. The demon roared as the electricity coursed through his face like golden vines. His body convulsed violently while the skin of his face became redder and redder as though burning up from the inside. The demon¡¯s eyes melted into goo and his face, now a puddle of red liquid, melted off. His body soon followed suit, until nothing but a murky red slime collected on the ground. The red puddle disintegrated into specks of nothingness. Hellstorm clenched his fist. His brown eyes steeled in resolve. ¡°I won¡¯t stop until I find you, my love.¡±
Chapter 64: The Council of Twelve Elders Trixan Yvis sat among the Twelve Elders around the oval table. At the head of the table sat the Grand Elder, Jakhan Igenbel. The man had been the Grand Elder longer than most of the Elders had been alive. Even at such an old age, no Elder would dare underestimate Grand Elder Jakhan Igenbel. He was a man of action who wouldn¡¯t waste time on trivial things, so his reason for calling this virtual meeting must be incredibly important. Two emergency meetings in less than three months? What exactly was going on? Trixan thought. ¡°Thank you all for coming on such short notice,¡± said Jakhan in his soft-spoken voice. The room was so silent that Trixan could hear everyone¡¯s heartbeat simultaneously. They were anxious. ¡°Some of you already know why we are here.¡± The Grand Elder¡¯s bright gray eyes swept over the room. Trixan tilted her head slightly. The meeting had been called suddenly so she had no idea what it was about. Thankfully, it was a virtual meeting. Given the recent events in her school, she didn¡¯t think she could have gone to Agon, leaving all her vanquishers behind in such bad shape. Jakhan said, ¡°Three schools have sent reports of sighting someone believed to be Hellstorm.¡± The chill in the room could freeze an ocean. Suddenly the Elders muttered among one themselves. ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡± ¡°Hellstorm¡¯s dead.¡± ¡°It couldn¡¯t be him.¡± ¡°I believe it is. I saw him.¡± Trixan herself was lost in thought. She had assumed that Zemeron had been mistaken, but if other vanquishers claimed they had seen him, then that changed everything. The Grand Elder lifted his frail yellowish hand. Silence returned. ¡°Nezeric Highrain, report.¡± The Elder of Highrain School nodded. ¡°Last night,¡± he began, ¡°my vanquishers tracked down a human-eating lowblood royal in the Bahamas. But just before they could vanquish it, a man in the likeness of Hellstorm appeared and captured the demon into a holy cage. He instantly disappeared.¡± ¡°What do you mean likeness?¡± asked Marra Irondel, Elder of Irondel School. Although Marra¡¯s facial expression was quite indifferent, her erratic heartbeat told a different story. This wasn¡¯t simply nervousness. This was fear. Nezeric said, ¡°The man wore the same outfit as Hellstorm usually did. He had the same height as Hellstorm too.¡± The Grand Elder said, ¡°Varshra School has the same report, does it not?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Irami Varshra nodded, saying nothing in addition. ¡°How¡¯s Hellstorm alive?¡± Marra asked. ¡°Why do we keep calling him Hellstorm?¡± said Trixan suddenly. All eyes were on her. ¡°Hellstorm¡¯s dead?¡ª?everyone knows it. That person could be an impostor for all we know.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t be certain about that yet,¡± said Nezeric. ¡°We can¡¯t be certain that Hellstorm¡¯s dead or that the man is an impostor?¡± Trixan stared pointedly at Nezeric. Slowly, her gaze swept over the crowd. ¡°I was there when Bezvaros himself killed Hellstorm. The Demon King stabbed him in the chest in case you need a reminder.¡± ¡°Those damn Vessels sent him back to Bezvar, Yvis,¡± said Esumeraz Zoleris, ¡°in case you have forgotten.¡± Trixan glared at Esumeraz. But he ignored her and continued, ¡°Hellstorm died, no one is denying that. But the man was lost in Bezvar. Who knows what could have happened to him in there? He¡¯s probably been turned into a demon by now.¡± ¡°How dare you?¡± Trixan''s voice was deathly calm. ¡°I know hearing this truth is painful. Hellstorm was like a father to you, yes. But you have to wake up, Yvis. The man was in the realm of the Demon King. You don¡¯t think Bezvaros could have revived Hellstorm and turned him into one of his demon lackeys?¡± Coldness stilled Trixan¡¯s heart. Her body would not move from all the rage freezing her in place. Suddenly, Trixan laughed. It was rather unfortunate this meeting was virtual. ¡°Be careful, Esumeraz.¡± ¡°Of what, Trixan? Speaking the truth?¡± ¡°Truth?¡± Arequil intervened. ¡°Aren¡¯t we getting ahead of ourselves now, Esumeraz?¡± Arequil smiled warmly at the Zoleris. ¡°We don¡¯t know anything yet. Just because the man is dressed like Hellstorm doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s Hellstorm. Until we see his face and his lightning elema, we can¡¯t be certain if Hellstorm is back from the dead or not.¡± ¡°That is true, Arequil,¡± said the Grand Elder. ¡°But right now, that man¡¯s identity doesn¡¯t matter. Because whoever he is, he¡¯s rescuing royal demons. That alone is proof he¡¯s working against the Ancient Order of Vanquishers. We can¡¯t let that happen.¡± ¡°That man is Hellstorm,¡± said Irami, effectively silencing everyone. Irami Vashra didn¡¯t often speak, but when he did, people listened. ¡°He¡¯s not just dressed like Hellstorm. He is Hellstorm.¡± ¡°And why do you say that?¡± Trixan asked. ¡°Did you see his face?¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°I did not.¡± Irami paused. For a moment, Trixan thought the man wasn¡¯t going to speak anymore, but he continued, ¡°Hellstorm appeared in Varshra School to break out a demon we were holding hostage. Like you, Trixan, I assumed that was an impostor and I tried to stop him myself.¡± ¡°You couldn¡¯t stop him?¡± Marra asked. Her heart skipped a beat. ¡°He used Lightning Fury,¡± said Irami, tucking a strand of blue hair behind his ear. Lightning Fury? Trixan narrowed her eyes. It can¡¯t be. But there was no way Irami would make up something like this. The Varshra did not lie. They could not. If Irami himself had seen the man use Lightning Fury, then the possibility that he was an impostor was very slim. Lightning elema was so rare that Hellstorm was only one of three people in Agon who had it. ¡°He used a teleportation power different from xuul technology.¡± Irami¡¯s onyx eyes settled on Trixan solemnly. ¡°His portal was full of demon energy.¡± Zemeron had said the same thing. That couldn¡¯t possibly be Hellstorm. But what if she was wrong? Hellstorm got lost in Bezvar. What if Esumeraz was right and?¡ª ¡°Then that proves he¡¯s a demon,¡± said Esumeraz. ¡°That explains why he¡¯s rescuing demons.¡± The other Elders nodded. Trixan wanted to speak up. She wanted to stop them from slandering the man who raised her and taught her almost everything she knew. But she could not. What if they were right and she was wrong? She had seen with her own eyes how the Vessels had used Bezvaros¡¯ Crystal to send the dying Hellstorm to Bezvar. What if Esumeraz was right and Bezvaros had indeed turned Hellstorm into his demon servant? Why else would Hellstorm rescue demons from the Order? No. She refused to believe that. Hellstorm would rather die than let Bezvaros control him. That man was the most stubborn person Trixan had ever met. Bezvaros would need a billion years to turn Hellstorm into his loyal servant, and even then, Hellstorm would never yield. She was absolutely certain of it. ¡°Whether that man is Hellstorm or not,¡± Jakhan said, ¡°I believe he¡¯s directly connected to the rise in royal demon activity and we need to stop him. To prepare for anything, we¡¯ll assume he¡¯s Hellstorm. I am issuing the immediate arrest of Hellstorm. By the end of today, I shall appoint a vanquisher in charge of Hellstorm¡¯s case. They will work closely with the Twelve Schools so I expect your maximum cooperation.¡± ¡°What will happen to Hellstorm if he¡¯s arrested?¡± Trixan still found it hard to refer to the man as Hellstorm. Unless she saw him in person, she would never believe it. ¡°If he¡¯s indeed a demon,¡± said Jakhan, ¡°we will deal with him according to the law.¡± ¡°You mean you will vanquish him. After all his sacrifice for the Order.¡± ¡°We are vanquishers,¡± said Esumeraz. ¡°Vanquishing demons is what we do.¡± Trixan rubbed her knuckles. ¡°If Hellstorm is indeed a demon now, let us all do well to remember that he became that way serving the Order.¡± Trixan gazed at each Elder in the room. ¡°If anyone is the victim here, it¡¯s him. He led the war against the Vessels. He gave his life to stop the Vessels from unleashing chaos into the Outer Sphere. It¡¯s because of him we were able to recover Bezvaros¡¯ Crystal from the Vessels. Never forget that.¡± A heavy silence fell over the room. ¡°We can¡¯t possibly imagine what he¡¯s been through in Bezvar,¡± she said. ¡°What kind of torture he might have endured all these years. It¡¯s his sacrifice that¡¯s keeping all the realms safe today from the Demon King. As his comrades, we failed him when we lost him to Bezvar. And now what? We want to fail him again by vanquishing the man who became a demon through no fault of his? Really?¡± The room was silent for a long time until the Grand Elder spoke. ¡°It may not be Hellstorm¡¯s fault that he is a demon now, that much is true. But for all we know, he might be under the control of Bezvaros which makes him a ticking time bomb. But of course, Hellstorm will always be one of us, demon or not. And if there¡¯s a small chance that we can help him, then we¡¯ll take that chance.¡± ¡°That sounds dangerous,¡± Marra Irondel protested. ¡°You already said so yourself, Jakhan, Hellstorm is a ticking time bomb. He was terrifying enough as a vanquisher. Now that he¡¯s a demon too, I don¡¯t want to imagine what he¡¯s capable of. We could lose many good vanquishers.¡± Trixan shook her head in disbelief. These people didn¡¯t know Hellstorm as she did. There was no way Hellstorm would let himself be manipulated by the Demon King. He was no one¡¯s puppet. Trixan grew up watching that man?¡ª?Hellstorm¡¯s mental resilience was not of this world. There must be an explanation as to why he was rescuing all those royal demons. Or perhaps, he wasn¡¯t rescuing them at all, but capturing them. But why capture them from the Ancient Order of Vanquishers? What was she missing? Whatever it was, if Hellstorm was really a threat to vanquishers, he would have attacked Zemeron. But he did no such thing. ¡°Irami.¡± Trixan glanced at the blue-haired man. ¡°When Hellstorm used Lightning Fury, did he kill anyone in your school?¡± Irami paused thoughtfully. Then he shook his head. ¡°No. He could have. But he didn¡¯t hurt anyone.¡± Trixan exhaled with a nod. ¡°This proves that Hellstorm still recognizes us as his comrades even if he¡¯s a demon. We shouldn¡¯t give up on him.¡± ¡°We won¡¯t, Trixan,¡± said Jakhan. ¡°This case will be thoroughly investigated and if that man is indeed Hellstorm, I promise you he will have a fair hearing. Do you have any objections, Trixan Yvis?¡± ¡°No.¡± This was a good start. If that man was Hellstorm, Trixan would never forgive the Order if they straight-up executed him for no good reason, demon or not. ¡°Great.¡±Jakhan nodded. ¡°Expect the person in charge of Hellstorm¡¯s case by tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said all the Elders. ¡°Meeting adjourned.¡± Each Elder pressed a button on their xuul and their holographic form instantly disappeared in the room. Trixan disconnected herself from the virtual conference and soon she was all alone in her meeting room. She went back to her office and sat in her chair, thinking. She should be happy Hellstorm was alive. Well, she was. But there was still a graveness in her heart about everything happening. She didn¡¯t want to believe that Bezvaros was using Hellstorm. The man was too stubborn to be anyone¡¯s puppet. The fact that he had appointed Trixan as his successor against the wishes of the Draghein Family was a sign of Hellstorm¡¯s obstinacy. It was this stubbornness that also made Hellstorm a powerful vanquisher. No wonder he was appointed as the lead vanquisher twenty years ago, to recover Bezvaros¡¯ Crystal from the Vessels. Bezvaros killed Hellstorm. Trixan had seen it with her own eyes. Why then did Edicles claim that the people he was spying for were responsible for Hellstorm¡¯s death? Unless he was talking about the circumstances surrounding the entire war with Bezvaros and the Vessels. Was that what Edicles had meant? That was the only way Trixan could explain it. The Vessels had mysteriously gained possession of Bezvaros¡¯ Crystal and tried to summon the Demon King with it. No one, but the Twelve Elders and the Grand Elder, knew where Bezvaros¡¯ Crystal was hidden. If the Vessels had found it, then it could only mean that its location had been disclosed to them by vanquishers, specifically an Elder or the Grand Elder. This was far too great a conspiracy. But what if someone from the Order had indeed done this? Trixan rubbed her forehead. Why go through all this just to have Hellstorm killed? What did they hope to gain from this? Is it for the same reason they wanted Trixan dead? ¡°Who are they?¡± she whispered. Whoever they were, they were incredibly dangerous. They had even spread the false rumor that Bezvaros¡¯ Crystal was in Draghein School just so her school would be attacked. Whoever was pulling the strings wasn¡¯t only trying to eliminate Hellstorm and Trixan. They were also trying to destroy the Draghein School and possibly the Draghein Family. Now that Hellstorm was back from the dead, Trixan wondered what they would do next. Chapter 65: Zoleris Family Drama
Narvari was asleep in Pheera¡¯s hospital room when Yanvirrak rushed in to wake her up. In excitement, Yanvirrak told her to follow him. Something was going on outside, he said. After hesitating for a while, and Yanvirrak assuring her that Pheera was safe here, Narvari finally followed him. Outside the large compound of the Academy, all the vanquishers assembled. Trixan stood with her back to the crowd while exquisitely dressed in a long silky red dress with a black floral belt around her waist. Her red hair was tied up in a conservative bun. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Narvari whispered to Yanvirrak. Yanvirrak pointed to the skies. ¡°Blue rays are down.¡± Indeed, although the white and red rays secured the school, the blue rays were nowhere in sight. A wave of panic flooded Narvari¡¯s chest. ¡°Are we being invaded again?¡± Yanvirrak chuckled. ¡°No. I think we are expecting someone. Trixan must have taken it down.¡± Suddenly, a brilliant white portal opened a few meters away from Trixan. ¡°White portal,¡± said Yanvirrak. ¡°Our visitor is from the Central Domain.¡± A visitor from Agon? Narvari raised a brow. What¡¯s going on? Through the portal, a young man in a vanquisher uniform stepped out followed by even more vanquishers?¡ª?twelve in all. The portal didn¡¯t disappear until a thirteenth person stepped out, taking his position in front of the small army. From his posture and sheer body language, it was clear he was the man in charge. Narvari froze for a moment when she took a closer look at the man. With his short white hair and well-groomed white beard, he looked like a more mature version of Zemeron. His deep blue eyes, however, were even chillier than Zemeron¡¯s. Was that Zemeron¡¯s father? He didn¡¯t look a day over thirty, but vanquishers aged slowly so it was possible that was Zemeron¡¯s father. If he indeed was Zemeron¡¯s father, then that meant he was Pheera¡¯s father too. Was he here because of what had happened to Pheera? No. That didn¡¯t sound right. Not after everything Narvari had heard about Pheera¡¯s family. ¡°Well, well,¡± said the Zoleris, ¡°I must say, Yvis, I¡¯m impressed you¡¯re still here.¡± ¡°Jakhan put you in charge of the mission,¡± Trixan said. ¡°Interesting.¡± ¡°Interesting indeed.¡± He paused, running his eyes over the crowd as though they were nothing but vermin. ¡°How far the mighty Dragheins have fallen.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Okay, who the hell is that guy?¡± Narvari whispered, glaring at the man. ¡°Pheleraz Zoleris,¡± said Yanvirrak with clenched teeth. ¡°Is that Pheera¡¯s father?¡± He looked young, but there was something about his mannerisms that made it seem he was older than he looked. Yanvirrak shook his head. ¡°Older brother.¡± ¡°Her brother?¡± Yanvirrak nodded. ¡°Pheleraz is the oldest of five. Pheera is the youngest.¡± Pheera did mention she had other siblings. Although Narvari had wanted to know more, she never asked Pheera about it. She didn¡¯t want to bring up her traumatic past anymore. Narvari wished she knew what Pheera¡¯s family had put her through. Did Pheleraz have anything to do with Pheera¡¯s traumatic past? If he did, she would not forgive him. She already didn¡¯t like the man based on his disrespect towards Trixan and Draghein School. ¡°You¡¯re welcome anyway,¡± said Trixan after Pheleraz had insinuated that Draghein School was too useless to handle this mission. What mission? Trixan said, ¡°Come with me.¡± Pheleraz and his team followed Trixan into the Academy and the crowd dispersed. ¡°Why are they here?¡± Narvari asked when she and Yanvirrak were all alone. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but from what I just heard, I think Pheleraz has been put in charge of a global mission. Which means all Twelve Schools will be reporting directly to him on that mission.¡± Narvari folded her arms. ¡°Do you know what the mission might be?¡± Yanvirrak shook his head. ¡°Pheleraz is a class one vanquisher. This mission must be very serious if he¡¯s been put in charge.¡± Narvari sighed. Things were just getting worse with each passing day.
¡°I¡¯m curious,¡± said Trixan, a light smile at the corner of her lips. ¡°You could have stationed your team in Zoleris School. Or anywhere else. Why are you here instead?¡± Pheleraz crossed his legs, adjusting himself in his chair. ¡°It¡¯s a global mission. I can station anywhere I want.¡± ¡°Maybe so. But we both know you hate the Dragheins. Hellstorm especially.¡± Pheleraz laughed. ¡°It¡¯s exactly why I¡¯m here. Why I volunteered for the mission.¡± Trixan titled her head. ¡°You volunteered to hunt Hellstorm?¡± ¡°You seem surprised.¡± Pheleraz¡¯s eyes chilled. ¡°Tell me, Yvis. Were you also surprised to hear that your teacher was alive? And a demon no less.¡± Trixan rubbed her knuckles. ¡°We haven¡¯t proved that yet.¡± ¡°Oh, we will.¡± Pheleraz stood up. ¡°You want to know why I¡¯m here? I¡¯m here to ensure you don¡¯t sabotage this mission.¡± ¡°And why will I sabotage this mission?¡± This guy was full of imagination. ¡°Do you really have to ask me that, Yvis?¡± Pheleraz drew closer to Trixan¡¯s desk. ¡°Demon or not, Hellstorm raised you. He¡¯s like a father to you. I know you, Trixan Yvis. You¡¯ll do anything to protect him even if it means going against the entire Order.¡± Trixan smiled. ¡°Do you think you have what it takes to catch Hellstorm?¡± The smugness on Pheleraz¡¯s face dissipated, and instead, a scowl appeared. Trixan continued, ¡°You¡¯ve always envied him. Of course, you have?¡ª?he¡¯s a much better vanquisher than you will ever be. When you hid away in your family estate like a coward, Hellstorm was on the front lines saving the world from damnation. I know you, Pheleraz. You are too much of a coward to volunteer for something like this. So tell me, why exactly are you in my school?¡± ¡°Enough.¡± Pheleraz banged the table. His balled fist effused white sacros. Trixan stared at the dent of a fist on the table. ¡°You¡¯re going to have to replace my desk.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to catch Hellstorm,¡± he said, this time more calmly. ¡°And I¡¯m going to take him back to Rhodine.¡± ¡°Hmm, I see.¡± Trixan nodded. After a moment¡¯s pause, she added, ¡°Just do well not to take anyone else with you.¡± Pheleraz put his hands behind his back, his voice turning icy. ¡°Is that a threat, Yvis?¡± Trixan smiled, rubbing her knuckles. ¡°Consider it a friendly reminder.¡±
Zemeron waited outside Trixan¡¯s office impatiently. Soon, the door opened and the man responsible for his rage stepped out. Folding his arms, he blocked Pheleraz¡¯s path and glared at him. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Pheleraz chuckled. ¡°Why does everyone keep asking me that?¡± He and Zemeron were now a few feet apart. ¡°Now step out of my way, boy.¡± His icy tone pricked Zemeron¡¯s skin. ¡°Not until you tell me why you are here.¡± Zemeron stood his ground. ¡°We both know your so-called mission is total bullshit. You¡¯ll never have come to Draghein School for no reason so why exactly are you here?¡± Growing up in the Zoleris Family, Zemeron had seen how much the Zoleris and the Dragheins despised each other. The two Dominant Families may tolerate each other and act civil with one another in public, but behind the scenes, they were as incompatible as fire and ice. This feud had existed for centuries and Zemeron had no idea how or why it started in the first place. All he knew was the Zoleris and Draghein were bitter rivals. The only thing that seemingly brought these two families together was their common hatred of demons. Even still, the two families had an unspoken rule where neither interfered in the running of their schools. Dragheins refused to have anything to do with the Zoleris School and the Zoleris did the same. Of course, not everyone from both sides of the family subscribed to this hatred someone simply because it was a family pastime. Pheleraz Zoleris, however, was not one of them. He would never have agreed to be transferred to Draghein School unless he was planning something. Zemeron had an idea of why Pheleraz might be here. But he wanted to hear it from Pheleraz himself. And knowing Pheleraz, he would not keep it to himself for long.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Well, brother,¡± said Pheleraz, ¡°did you think father would let you do as you pleased?¡± Zemeron scoffed. ¡°Did you think I would be father¡¯s little tool like you are?¡± ¡°No one gives a shit about you, Zemeron. You are a disgrace to the Zoleris name, cowering behind the Dragheins like that.¡± Pheleraz frowned in disgust. ¡°You know they don¡¯t even give a shit about their own school because of the useless Elder.¡± Zemeron shoved Pheleraz and pinned him to the wall. ¡°You will not speak about Trixan like that,¡± he said through clenched teeth. ¡°Trixan Yvis is a better leader than you¡¯ll ever be in a million years. Even Father knows you don¡¯t have what it takes to lead anything.¡± ¡°Take your filthy hands off me,¡± Pheleraz said all too calmly. Zemeron hesitated, but let go of the bastard. ¡°I¡¯ll be watching you. Do your job. Investigate Hellstorm. Then get the hell out.¡± ¡°I will get the hell out, little brother,¡± Pheleraz said, his face full of glee, ¡°with Pheera.¡± Zemeron balled his fists. The rage thumping in his chest heightened to unprecedented levels. This was what he had feared Pheleraz had been up to this whole time; the reason he had agreed to take on this mission. Son of a bitch. Before he could say anything, Pheleraz cut him off. ¡°You are useless to the family, little brother. Pheera on the other hand serves a true purpose back home. Her rightful place is with the family, not this¡­¡± Pheleraz¡¯s eyes scanned the walls and hallway with contempt, ¡°¡­ dump.¡± ¡°If you think for a second that I¡¯m going to allow you to take Pheera away?¡ª?¡± ¡°Allow?¡± Pheleraz cackled. ¡°You should be grateful I¡¯m allowing you to live even after you stole her away.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t let you take her.¡± Maybe it was too late to save Abeneron, thought Zemeron. But there was still hope for Pheera. He would not let his family turn Pheera into a monster too. ¡°She will be safe here, far from you people.¡± ¡°Safe here? She¡¯s in a coma because she¡¯s here. How the hell is she safe here?¡± Zemeron stiffened. How did he know about that? Did Trixan tell him? Whatever. ¡°Stop pretending you care about her,¡± Zemeron said. ¡°All you want is to use her power for yourself.¡± ¡°Well, of course, brother. That is Pheera¡¯s true purpose. Her power is not hers. It¡¯s Zoleris¡¯s. She has it because she is Zoleris. And she will use it, for Zoleris. Remember that.¡± Pheleraz poked Zemeron in the chest. ¡°The Zoleris Family is the greatest in existence. Our enemies have cowered before us since the beginning of time because of our power of captivation. After everything this family has done for you, you betrayed us¡ª running away from your duty like a coward. And that was not enough for you. You took Pheera away.¡± In the Zoleris Family, Pheleraz had the bluest set of eyes which got even bluer when he was angry. ¡°If you want to be useless, gallivanting with these nobodies, feel free. But I¡¯m not going to let you drag our sister into the gutter with you¡± Zemeron chuckled. ¡°Did you really think I would sit back and watch as you made Pheera torture people with her power? Do you know what that did to her? She almost lost her mind. But no, you don¡¯t care about that. Because all of you have already lost your damn minds. Pheera and I want nothing to do with you.¡± ¡°As I said, little brother, you are completely useless to the family.¡± Pheleraz smiled. ¡°Father has already given up on you, and he¡¯s grooming Abeneron to take your place. Soon, Pheera too will take her rightful place with us. I¡¯ll make sure of it even if I have to burn down this school to ash.¡± ¡°Really? And risk a war with the Draghein Family?¡± ¡°Oh please, the Draghein Family is ancient history,¡± said Pheleraz. ¡°They are nothing now and you fit right in with them. You see little brother, things are only going to get worse for them now that their beloved Hellstorm is back as a demon. This is just the beginning of the end of the Draghein Family. Once all this is over, Pheera is coming with me.¡± ¡°No, she isn¡¯t,¡± Zemeron said calmly. ¡°She isn¡¯t who she was eight months ago. You can¡¯t make her do anything she doesn¡¯t want to do. She¡¯s stronger now.¡± Pheleraz rolled his eyes. ¡°She¡¯s in a coma.¡± ¡°She¡¯ll wake up,¡± said Zemeron, ¡°stronger than ever. You¡¯ll see. And she¡¯s going nowhere with you.¡± ¡°And who¡¯s going to stop me? You, little brother? Yvis?¡± Pheleraz laughed. ¡°Do you think Yvis can protect you forever from the entire Zoleris Family?¡± ¡°I will protect my sister,¡± said Zemeron. ¡°But I wasn¡¯t talking about myself or Trixan.¡± ¡°Who then?¡± Pheleraz taunted. ¡°Pheera herself,¡± said Zemeron. ¡°She hates using her power against others, but don¡¯t you dare provoke her. You remember what happened the last time Father did, don¡¯t you?¡± Pheleraz froze for a second, his eyes shifting slightly. He said quickly, ¡°Let me worry about that, little brother.¡± Silence ensued between the two. Finally, Zemeron said, ¡°Consider yourself warned.¡± Pheleraz laughed and walked away. Zemeron didn¡¯t realize how hard he was clenching his fists until they felt numb. He should have known those people would try to get Pheera back. But that was not going to happen for as long as he lived. He won¡¯t let them turn her kind little sister into a psychopath. They¡¯d already succeeded in doing that with his twin brother, Abeneron. He had tried to save his twin brother, but he had been too weak at the time and all he could do was run away. He had never forgiven himself for it. Suddenly, Zemeron sensed someone watching him. He shot a deathly glare in the direction of the spy. All he saw were huge columns and pillars in the wide hallway. Zemeron stopped by one of the columns and Narvari Shar was leaning against the high pillar, staring right back at him. ¡°Narvari Shar.¡± He raised a brow. ¡°How long have you been here?¡± Narvari grinned. ¡°Long enough to know that your brother is a galactic asshole.¡± ¡°So you heard everything.¡± ¡°Look, I was just passing by, and I saw you two arguing. It was intense. I didn¡¯t mean to eavesdrop. Sorry.¡± ¡°Are you really sorry?¡± ¡°No.¡± She laughed. Zemeron shook his head. He had always thought there was something odd about this girl. He still couldn¡¯t get over how Narvari had survived that wound in the chest. Zemeron was certain she had seen Narvari die, as she bled profusely. But here she was, wide awake, as though nothing had happened to her. Maybe Trixan was on to something when she said Narvari might surpass Hellstorm. When Zemeron walked away, Narvari followed him. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± he asked. ¡°I thought you were with Pheera.¡± ¡°Came for fresh air,¡± she said. ¡°You two were arguing about Pheera, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°This is a family matter. It¡¯s none of your business.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about your family, Zemeron. I only care about Pheera.¡± Zemeron halted. He closely studied Narvari. Her brown eyes were full of sincerity. Even if Narvari never said it, Zemeron could always tell that the girl did care for his sister. The doctors said that Narvari had volunteered to clean up Pheera¡¯s body every day. She would often stay with his sister, talking and reading to her. He was sure Pheera felt the same way about Narvari, or else why would she trigger a forceful order-up to save Narvari? ¡°Pheera hates talking about her family,¡± said Narvari. ¡°And now your brother shows up, threatening to take her away. I can¡¯t sit back and do nothing. I need to keep her safe.¡± Zemeron paused thoughtfully. He sighed. ¡°Pheera has a unique ability.¡± ¡°Captivation.¡± Narvari shrugged. ¡°She can control anyone she touches.¡± How did she know about that? Did Pheera tell her? It wasn¡¯t something she brought up in casual conversations. ¡°Captivation has been in the Zoleris Family for generations.¡± ¡°Every Zoleris can captivate?¡± ¡°No.¡± Zemeron shook his head ¡°It¡¯s only found in one person every five hundred years. Pheera is currently the only one who has it.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Captivation is priceless to the Zoleris Family. With the power to literally control anyone, you can imagine how much power they hold in Agon.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Narvari nodded, ¡°but only one person has that power, right? How can that make the entire family powerful?¡± ¡°From the moment a captivator is born, they go through harsh training that psyches them up to use their power only per the will of the family. It doesn¡¯t matter if the will of the family is good or evil.¡± ¡°And Pheera endured such training?¡± Zemeron nodded. Narvari¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°What kind of training are we talking about?¡± ¡°They torture the enemies of the Zoleris Family using this power.¡± Zemeron paused. ¡°From childhood, Pheera has been forced to make people do things¡­ terrible things. She turned loved ones against each other, tortured people¡¯s minds until they went insane.¡± Zemeron¡¯s hands trembled. ¡°She was as much a slave as those people she enslaved with her power. And she was only a child, you know. I was her big brother and I¡­¡± Zemeron¡¯s voice cracked. ¡°I wasn¡¯t there to save her. I was never there. She endured that for six years, and I was never there.¡± ¡°She¡¯s here now,¡± said Narvari. ¡°That must mean you saved her, right?¡± ¡°Not until my elder sister told me what was going on.¡± ¡°Your elder sister?¡± ¡°Abeera. She told me what Pheera was going through.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t know about it?¡± ¡°No.¡± He would always beat himself up for never knowing about it earlier. ¡°Pheera¡¯s power manifested when she was ten years old. At the time I had already left home because I wanted nothing to do with the family. It took Abeera six years to find the courage to tell me what was happening. And once she did, I devised a way to get Pheera out.¡± ¡°What did you do?¡± ¡°There was no way I could have gone to the family home in Agon to rescue Pheera,¡± said Zemeron as he resumed walking. ¡°It was too risky. But I knew that Pheera would be enrolled in Zoleris School as soon as she awakened her vaz. That was my chance. I felt I had a better chance of getting her out of Zoleris School here in the Outer Sphere. And I was right.¡± But it wasn¡¯t easy, Zemeron Thought. The biggest challenge was getting Pheera to recognize him and trust him enough to come with him willingly. After about two agonizing weeks of hiding in Zoleris School and slowly regaining his sister¡¯s trust, Pheera finally recognized her brother and agreed to come with him. ¡°We escaped eight months ago and I brought her to the last place the Zoleris will check. She¡¯s been through a lot, you know.¡± During their first three months in Draghein School, Pheera neither spoke nor went near anyone. She didn¡¯t want anyone touching her either. But Trixan was patient. She told Zemeron it would take time for his sister to heal after everything she¡¯d been through. It took time, but slowly, Pheera returned to her usual self until she began her training as a vanquisher. Zemeron would always be grateful to Trixan for that. Although he had initially chosen to come to Draghein School because they didn¡¯t get along with the Zoleris, he soon came to think of this school and everyone in it as his family for what they did for him and his sister. They were so patient and kind to Pheera. But of course, he knew that Trixan Yvis was the reason all this had been possible. Had a Draghein been an Elder of this school, they might never have given him and Pheera refuge. Pheera thrived in Draghein School and he would be damned if he let the Zoleris get her back. Narvari mused, ¡°She always got mad whenever I mentioned her family name.¡± Then she froze, her eyes widening. ¡°Pheleraz wants to take her away?¡± With a deathly calm voice, she said, ¡°If that man so much as touches a hair on Pheera¡¯s head, I will fucking kill him. Zemeron gazed at the girl and something about her eyes told him that she was not bluffing. ¡°I appreciate it, Narvari,¡± said Zemeron. ¡°But I don¡¯t want you getting involved with the Zoleris Family. It¡¯s too dangerous.¡± ¡°I told you¡­ I don¡¯t care about your family.¡± ¡°Maybe not. But Pheera cares about you, and she would be hurt if something happened to you.¡± Narvari¡¯s mouth quivered. The anger in her eyes was no more, instead, it was full of guilt. Zemeron sighed. ¡°Look, I¡¯m not blaming you for what happened to Pheera.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re right,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m the reason she¡¯s hurt.¡± ¡°If anyone is to be blamed,¡± Zemeron said, ¡°it is I for not getting you all out when the lowblood showed up.¡± Zemeron patted Narvari on the shoulder. ¡°Let me deal with my family.¡± ¡°Fine. But I¡¯m not making any promises,¡± said Narvari stubbornly before walking away. Zemeron smiled. He could rest easy now, knowing that there was at least one other person in this world who would fight for Pheera.
Chapter 66: Some Good News
Ever since Pheleraz and his army showed up, Draghein School had become the busiest Narvari had ever seen. Vanquishers Narvari had never seen before poured into the school like a deluge. She learned from Azmel that those senior vanquishers were temporary transfers from Rahalan School and they were here to handle cases in their jurisdiction until the case of royal demon activity was resolved. That had given junior vanquishers in Draghein School a lot of free time. Narvari didn¡¯t have to worry about fighting demons. Honestly, all she could worry about was Pheera. Besides, Pheleraz¡¯s presence made things worse. She hardly left Pheera¡¯s side, fearing that Pheleraz would try something. Thankfully, Pheera was steadily regaining vitality in her body. She was no longer thin and sickly and the doctors had removed all the bandages from her body. Her previously pale face had regained color. Unfortunately, however, she was still unconscious. The doctors said that Pheera was lucky to have survived a forceful order-up. The survival rate was only five percent?¡ª?most vanquishers died immediately after a forceful order-up and for Pheera to still be alive was a good sign, the doctors said. ¡°I won¡¯t let him take you away,¡± she said, stroking Pheera¡¯s cheek. She looked so peaceful while unconscious. ¡°I won¡¯t let your family hurt you again, Pheera. You have my word.¡± Someone knocked on the door and then entered immediately. Even without turning, Narvari knew it was Yanvirrak. He slumped into the couch and lay there in silence. In the past few days, Yanvirrak had spiraled into depression. Not once had he made any of those stupid jokes Narvari had grown so fond of. Yanvirrak had already been devastated by Pheera¡¯s condition. But when he heard about Hellstorm being a wanted man and possibly a demon, Yanvirrak¡¯s condition became even worse. The young man idolized Hellstorm after all. ¡°Do you believe it?¡± Yanvirrak finally broke the silence. He hadn¡¯t spoken to him in a while. ¡°Do you think he¡¯s a demon?¡± It was the first time Yanvirrak was opening up about this issue. Narvari sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Yanvirrak. I never knew him.¡± Narvari paused. ¡°But from the things I¡¯ve heard about him, if he¡¯s a demon now, then we¡¯re screwed.¡± Yanvirrak suddenly sat up. For a moment, Narvari thought he was going to storm out of the room in anger. But he only sighed and leaned back on the couch. ¡°I don¡¯t believe what they¡¯re saying,¡± he said. ¡°The Order thinks Bezvaros is controlling him.¡± ¡°I thought he died.¡± ¡°He did,¡± said Yanvirrak. ¡°But I also heard he disappeared to Bezvar when the Demon King killed him.¡± ¡°Then maybe Bezvaros turned him into a demon. Maybe he¡¯s under the control of the Demon King.¡± Yanvirrak shook his head. ¡°If there¡¯s anyone who can resist the control of the Demon King, it¡¯s Hellstorm.¡± Narvari titled her head. ¡°You¡¯ve never met Hellstorm. How can you be so sure about this?¡± ¡°I may not have met him, but I¡¯ve heard so much about him,¡± he said. ¡°He was officially classified as a class one vanquisher. But people said he was on Tehsaa level.¡± Narvari¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Wait really?¡± The Tehsaa were a special class of vanquishers who were strong enough to vanquish fifteenth-order demons. Only a handful of vanquishers were at this level. If Hellstorm was at such a level, then it was no wonder people thought so highly of him. How could¡­ Narvari paused when she felt a warm brush against her fingers. She quickly turned her gaze to Pheera?¡ª?Pheera was still unconscious. Had Narvari imagined it then? She was sure she had felt Pheera touch her.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡°What is it?¡± Yanvirrak asked. Narvari didn¡¯t say anything. She wanted to be sure she had not imagined this. She paused with bated breath as her eyes remained fixated on Pheera¡¯s hands. And then Pheera¡¯s fingers moved. Narvari¡¯s heart raced in excitement. ¡°She moved.¡± ¡°What?¡± Yanvirrak ran over to her side. ¡°Are you sure about it?¡± ¡°I saw her fingers move.¡± Maybe she had so badly wanted Pheera to wake up that it became real to her. Maybe this was all in her head. Maybe?¡ª ¡°Narvari look.¡± Pheera¡¯s eyes stirred slowly. Then her entire right arm moved to Narvari¡¯s lap. Narvari exchanged glances with Yanvirrak, and he chuckled. Pheera¡¯s eyes fluttered open. Narvari gulped when those deep blue eyes gazed at her. How she had missed those eyes. ¡°Narvari?¡± Pheera whispered. ¡°Pheera.¡± Narvari felt like she had been whisked away into a lush field of flowers. A deep sense of calm settled over her like a huge burden had been lifted from her shoulders. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Pheera sat up. She touched Narvari¡¯s chest, and for a moment, Narvari¡¯s shoulders tensed. Then Pheera caressed her face and electricity coursed through her body. ¡°Narvari, have you been crying?¡± Pheera gazed at her with an intensity that made her forget about all her worries. Gosh, how was someone so beautiful? ¡°Is everything okay?¡± Okay, she had to say something, thought Narvari. Pheera just woke up from a coma, yet she was the one worrying about Narvari. ¡°I¡¯m just so happy to see you.¡± This was real. It was no dream. Narvari gently pulled in Pheera for a hug. ¡°You¡¯re awake. Pheera, I was so scared. I thought I lost you.¡± ¡°Look at me.¡± Pheera lifted Narvari¡¯s chin so that they were facing each other again. She pressed her forehead against Narvari¡¯s. ¡°I¡¯m right here. You never lost me.¡± Narvari lost herself in Pheera¡¯s arms. How she had missed the warmth of her embrace. ¡°Yanvirrak?¡± Pheera suddenly said as she released Narvari. ¡°Nice to see you too Pheera,¡± said Yanvirrak. ¡°I missed you all so much.¡± Suddenly, Pheera¡¯s stomach grumbled like an earthquake. Narvari laughed. ¡°It seems we¡¯re not the only ones you missed.¡± Pheera chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m starving.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go get you something to eat.¡± Narvari stood up, but Pheera quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her closer. ¡°Please don¡¯t leave.¡± Shit. With the way Pheera was looking at her, she couldn¡¯t say no. She glanced at Yanvirrak, her eyes seeking help. Yanvirrak must have understood her because he said, ¡°I¡¯ll bring you something to eat, Pheera.¡± Narvari mouthed a thank you to Yanvirrak as he left the room. Pheera stared at Narvari¡¯s chest. She was probably looking at her wound. It had completely healed by now. ¡°Are you really okay?¡± asked Pheera. Narvari nodded. She too did not understand what had happened and why her wounds had healed so quickly. But right now, all that mattered was that Pheera was awake. Pheera rested her head on Narvari¡¯s chest. Narvari¡¯s chest swelled with so much happiness that she thought she would burst. ¡°Do you feel any pain in your chest?¡± asked Pheera. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Really.¡± How could she tell Pheera that her wounds had regenerated like some demon? Would Pheera want to have anything to do with her again? ¡°Narvari,¡± Pheera whispered. ¡°I was afraid of waking up.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I thought¡­ I would never see you again and that scared me. So much.¡± She sighed. ¡°But then I kept hearing your voice over and over and felt your touch. I guess that told me that I never lost you. So I came back.¡± Pheera wrapped her arms around Narvari¡¯s shoulder and held onto her tightly. Narvari reveled in the warmth of her body. She and Pheera had so much to talk about, but right now, she would only bask in the happiness. A few minutes later, Yanvirrak returned with enough food for all three of them. When they were almost done with their meal, Trixan came in to see how Pheera was doing. She seemed relieved that Pheera was awake. Narvari could not bring herself to look at Trixan. In her anger, she had said some things to the Elder and now wished she could take them back. But she did not know where to start. Trixan, on the other hand, didn¡¯t bring it up. ¡°So what¡¯s up with you two?¡± Yanvirrak asked when Trixan left. ¡°Huh?¡± Narvari asked. ¡°You and Trixan,¡± said Yanvirrak. Narvari shrugged. ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°Are you sure? You didn¡¯t even say a word while she was here. That¡¯s unlike you.¡± ¡°Did something happen?¡± Pheera asked. Looking at Pheera, Narvari knew she couldn¡¯t hide anything from her. ¡°I may have blamed Trixan for what happened to you.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Pheera bit her lips, ¡°Trixan has only been looking out for me all this time. What happened to me was not her fault.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Narvari nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Maybe you should tell her that.¡± Pheera was right. She had to apologize to Trixan. But the guilt was too strong. The creaking of the door interrupted Narvari¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Zee.¡± Pheera¡¯s eyes lit up as soon as Zemeron walked in. ¡°Pheera,¡± said Zemeron. Narvari and Yanvirrak excused themselves after Zemeron asked to speak to her sister alone.
Chapter 67: Hellstorms Vendetta In a large empty warehouse, a young Asian woman was shackled to a chair with heavy black chains. Finally, the woman¡¯s eyes fluttered open and when she recognized the man standing before her, she glared at him. ¡°Hellstorm,¡± she hissed. ¡°Welcome back, Reyjacc,¡± said Hellstorm. ¡°I was wondering when you¡¯ll wake from your beauty sleep.¡± Reyjacc tried to wiggle herself out of the chains but they only tightened around her. Hellstorm chuckled. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that if I were you. Holy chains. It will only be tighter and more painful if you resist.¡± ¡°You fucking asshole,¡± Reyjacc yelled. Her eyes turned a light shade of purple. ¡°I should have known it was you. Rumors say you¡¯re back from the dead?¡ª?only someone as crazy as you would dare kidnap a royal demon.¡± Hellstorm grinned. ¡°I¡¯m flattered.¡± ¡°So,¡± Reyjacc said, composing herself, ¡°how was hell? Last time I heard, you were in Bezvar being my father¡¯s bitch.¡± She laughed heartily. ¡°Hellstorm? Bitch, please. More like Hellsbitch. Do you have any idea what my father will do to you once he finds out what you¡¯ve done to me?¡± This time Hellstorm laughed so hard that his insides ached. This was indeed the best joke he had heard in a long time. Even after calming down, he broke down into hysterical laughter again. ¡°It¡¯s cute that you think Bezvaros gives a shit about you, or any of you fucking lowbloods.¡± He burst into laughter again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry this is just too funny.¡± ¡°What the hell do you want?¡± Reyjacc asked. ¡°Are you here to kill me? I didn¡¯t do shit.¡± ¡°I¡¯m only here for one thing, and as long as you give it to me, I¡¯ll spare your life.¡± ¡°What if I don¡¯t have what you¡¯re here for? It doesn¡¯t sound fair that you¡¯ll kill me for that.¡± ¡°You kill people for far less.¡± The audacity of this one. He had already hunted down five lowbloods, and they were all involved in something shady. The last one was trafficking children for food. Vanquishers must have been hunting that particular demon down because Hellstorm had run into a few senior vanquishers when he went after that child-eating demon. He was sure he would find something terrible Reyjacc was doing if he looked deeper. But that wasn¡¯t why he was here. ¡°I¡¯m not here for the Order,¡± said Hellstorm. Reyjacc narrowed her eyes. ¡°You haven¡¯t gone back to them, have you?¡± A cunning smile widened on her face. ¡°I sense demon energy around you. I wonder what the Order will do when they find out their favorite son is tainted.¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°Keep wasting my time and soon you won¡¯t be able to wonder about anything.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± She clenched her jaws. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Izenros. Where is he?¡± The smugness on Reyjacc¡¯s face evaporated and her purple eyes darkened. ¡°Why are you looking for Prince Izenros?¡± Hellstorm shrugged. ¡°Personal reasons. None of your business.¡± Reyjacc glared at him. ¡°If you think for a second that I will betray the last prince of the Septos, then you must be out of your fucking mind.¡± ¡°Betray?¡± Hellstorm scoffed. ¡°What is it with you demons? How are you betraying him if you tell me where he is?¡± He shook his head. ¡°Do you even know why I¡¯m looking for him?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care why,¡± Reyjacc snapped. ¡°You think ratting out the location of Prince Izenros to a fucking vanquisher is not betrayal? What the hell did they do to you in Bezvar? It¡¯s like you¡¯ve grown stupid or something.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s true then,¡± Hellstorm said. ¡°Izenros is here on earth.¡± ¡°I never said that,¡± Reyjacc said quickly. ¡°Look I¡¯m not telling you anything.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Hellstorm sighed. It was the same story all over again. He knew Reyjacc had made up her mind and there was nothing Hellstorm could do about it. None of the other royal demons he had captured and tortured had given him anything either. Every single one of them was dead now. ¡°I guess this is goodbye then,¡± he said as he released his lightning elema. He gathered his elema in his hand, transforming it into a long golden whip. He cracked the whip on the ground tearing a long narrow rift in its wake. Reyjacc¡¯s lips quivered as she stared at the golden lightning whip. As Hellstorm was ready to slash the demon into nonexistence, she shouted, ¡°Wait, wait, wait.¡± Hellstorm tilted his head. ¡°Did I jog your memory?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to kill me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s your argument?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m serious,¡± said Reyjacc. ¡°I heard about the others you captured and killed. We¡¯ve been on high alert these days because of that. I¡¯m guessing, you asked all of them about Prince Izenros and none of them said anything. If you kill me, I know you¡¯ll capture even more lowbloods. But trust me, they won¡¯t tell you anything.¡± ¡°If you have a point, Reyjacc, make it now. I¡¯m losing my patience.¡± ¡°Okay, okay,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m just saying that you¡¯re wasting your time. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to tell you where Izenros is. I just can¡¯t.¡± ¡°What do you mean you can¡¯t?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t be disloyal to the royals,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s innately impossible.¡± ¡°I know demons can¡¯t be disloyal to the royals. Why the hell do you think I¡¯m targeting royals instead?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just a lowblood, Hellstorm. It¡¯s against my nature to incur the wrath of a pureblood. Izenros is a fucking prince of the Septos for fuck¡¯s sake.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°So?¡± Reyjacc looked as if she could not believe she was talking to a bloody idiot. ¡°If you want answers you¡¯ll have to get it another way. No lowblood or highblood royal will help you. Not ever. You could kill all of us and still not get answers. Why waste your time like that?¡± Hellstorm paused thoughtfully. Reyjacc might be on to something. Still¡­ ¡°That doesn¡¯t solve my problem, Reyjacc.¡± ¡°There¡¯s another way I can help you without betraying Izenros.¡± ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± ¡°You could get help from your old friend. Ludwig Ziegler.¡± Hellstorm balled his fist at the sound of that name. Fucking Ziegler. If he knew where Ziegler was, the motherfucker would have already been dead. ¡°Where is he?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you release me and I¡¯ll tell you.¡± The lightning around Hellstorm¡¯s body crackled fervently. ¡°On second thought, I don¡¯t mind talking in these chains,¡± she said with a wide smile. Chapter 68: More Family Drama
The moon¡¯s brilliant glow lit up the garden. On any other day, this would be a perfect night for Trixan. But Pheleraz¡¯s presence simply made her skin crawl. She kept a calm demeanor, though, silently listening to the Zoleris. ¡°I just received a report,¡± Pheleraz said, his hands behind his back. ¡°Hellstorm¡¯s been spotted in Nairobi. He escaped with yet another lowblood.¡± Trixan tilted her head. Hellstorm escape was no surprise, but why would Pheleraz consider this good news? No, there must be more to this. And just as she had thought, Pheleraz added with a grin, ¡°The vanquishers put an energy tracer on him. That¡¯s right, Yvis. As soon as Hellstorm uses his sacred energy, we¡¯ll find him.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Trixan gazed at the full moon, ¡°finding him is one thing, capturing him is another.¡± ¡°Worry about what you¡¯ll say to him once we capture him¡­ and bring him here.¡± Trixan raised a brow and sharply turned her gaze to Pheleraz. He chuckled. ¡°Oh, you haven¡¯t heard,¡± said he. ¡°I convinced Rhodine to let me interrogate Hellstorm here in Draghein School.¡± Trixan rubbed her knuckles. ¡°I see.¡± Without another word, she walked away leaving Pheleraz alone in Rahsun Garden. Pheleraz was doing this to make her angry, she knew it. He came here with the purpose of humiliating Draghein School. Losing her temper would only make things worse for her vanquishers. There was no need for that anyway?¡ª?if that man was truly Hellstorm, the only way they could catch him was if he let them. Good luck to them.
¡°You need to rest,¡± said Narvari, tucking Pheera in bed. The doctors had discharged Pheera from the infirmary and she was now back in her dormitory. She¡¯d made a lot of progress in her recovery, however, she still needed to rest a lot. ¡°Always finding an excuse to get me in bed.¡± Pheera smiled innocently, though there was nothing innocent about her soft voice. Blood rushed into Narvari¡¯s face and her ears heated. Pheera giggled, the sound of it washing over Narvari like cool summer rain. ¡°Have you eaten anything?¡± Narvari said quickly. ¡°I¡¯ll go get you something.¡± She tried to leave, but Pheera held her hand. ¡°I just want you to stay with me.¡± Narvari¡¯s knees went weak as Pheera¡¯s intense blue eyes drank her in. No longer able to resist the girl who made her heart ache so much, Narvari pulled up beside her in the bed. She felt a great sense of peace when Pheera rested her head on her chest. ¡°So a lot has happened while I was in a coma,¡± said Pheera. ¡°They say Hellstorm is back from the dead. And he¡¯s a demon.¡± Narvari nodded. Zemeron must have told Pheera about it. Had he told her about Pheleraz too? Narvari shuddered at the thought. She didn¡¯t want Pheera worrying about things like that. She wanted her to be safe. But was Pheera safe, especially from Narvari herself? Her wound had regenerated like a demon. What if her blood had been tainted by demon energy? Or worse, what if she had turned into a demon? Will Pheera be safe around her? What if Pheera?¡ª ¡°Narvari.¡± A concerned expression grew on Pheera¡¯s face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You didn¡¯t hear anything I said about my elema.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Narvari bit her lips. ¡°I¡¯d love to learn more about your elema. Wait, did you unlock elema?¡± Pheera cupped Narvari¡¯s cheek. ¡°Don¡¯t change the topic. Something is bothering you. What is it?¡± Narvari sighed. After a moment of silence, and knowing very well that Pheera wouldn¡¯t let this go, Narvari asked, ¡°Why did you forcefully order up? You could have died.¡± ¡°But I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°But you could.¡± ¡°It was the only way to save you and everyone from the demon.¡± Pheera pressed her hand against Narvari¡¯s chest. ¡°My only regret was that I didn¡¯t order up quickly enough to stop that demon from stabbing you. You could have died.¡± ¡°But I didn¡¯t,¡± Narvari whispered. Pheera nodded. ¡°And I¡¯m grateful for that.¡± ¡°But what if I¡¯m not what you think I am? What if I¡¯m¡­ different?¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Without missing a beat, Pheera said, ¡°You¡¯re still the same Narvari to me.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand. My body¡­ It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s different.¡± Narvari sighed internally at Pheera¡¯s unfazed expression. Pheera didn¡¯t understand?¡ª?Narvari had to try harder. ¡°Pheera,¡± she said, ¡°what would you do if I were a demon?¡± ¡°Are you a demon?¡± Narvari¡¯s throat dried at once. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Well, it wouldn¡¯t matter to me if you were or weren¡¯t.¡± ¡°Pheera, this is serious.¡± ¡°So am I.¡± She almost sounded offended, as if she couldn¡¯t believe that Narvari would think any differently. ¡°Where¡¯s this coming from anyway? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°My chest wound¡­ after the demon stabbed me, it healed on its own. It regenerated.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve always healed quickly.¡± Pheera shrugged. ¡°The first time we met, you suffered extreme sacros shock when you fought the wraith lord. The doctors said it would take at least a month for you to recover but you recovered in barely a week.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s my point,¡± said Narvari. ¡°I¡¯ve never always been like that. That changed after what the wraith lord did to me. The demon energy?¡ª?¡± ¡°Narvari, the wraith lord didn¡¯t turn you into a demon. He was only a lesser demon.¡± Narvari paused. Why had she not thought about that? The possibility of being turned into a demon had haunted her so much that she had completely forgotten that only royal demons had the power to turn humans into demons. ¡°Then how?¡ª?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. You¡¯re okay alive, and that¡¯s all that matters.¡± Pheera smiled at her. ¡°Besides, the doctors could have used reclamation surgery on you. That¡¯s probably why you think you regenerated. It¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± Narvari nodded slowly. Maybe she had been wrong about the whole thing. ¡°Even if you¡¯re a demon,¡± Pheera¡¯s face was now a few inches away from Narvari¡¯s, ¡°the way I feel about you will still not change.¡± Narvari¡¯s heart hammered in her chest. In a breathless voice, she asked, ¡°And how do you feel about me, Pheera?¡± Pheera stared at Narvari¡¯s lips. Something seemed to pull them together like a magnet. Narvari was completely transfixed by the goddess staring at her and all she wanted to do was have a taste of Pheera¡¯s lips and savor every inch of her being. Narvari leaned in. Their lips barely brushed against each other when a loud knock on the door knocked them right out of their enchantment. For god¡¯s sake. Narvari pulled away and glared at the door. At least, the universe should be more creative in cockblocking her. Maybe an explosion. An earthquake. Even a zombie invasion. Anything but a fucking knock on the door. The knock came again. Jesus. ¡°I¡¯ll get it.¡± Narvari walked to the door. Was it Trixan? Narvari¡¯s face flustered when she remembered the last time Trixan had walked in on them almost about to kiss. Maybe Trixan had found it awkward too which could explain why she was knocking now. The smile on Narvari¡¯s face suddenly turned into a scowl as soon as she opened the door. What the hell was he doing here? ¡°What do you want?¡± Narvari glared at Pheleraz. ¡°Where¡¯s Pheera?¡± he asked in a demanding voice. ¡°Resting. She¡¯s not in the mood to talk to anyone. Bye.¡± Narvari tried to close the door, but Pheleraz stopped it with his hand. The door would not budge. ¡°Whoever you are, child,¡± said Pheleraz, ¡°you better get out of my way.¡± ¡°Or what?¡± Narvari blocked Pheleraz¡¯s path with her body. The man towered over her, but she did not flinch. Pheleraz¡¯s angry blue eyes annoyed her more than intimidated her. For every second that passed, Narvari sensed the man¡¯s annoyance growing. But she didn¡¯t care. She couldn¡¯t let an unwanted visitor stress Pheera. ¡°Everything okay, Narvari?¡± Pheera suddenly spoke from behind as Narvari shut the door and locked it. Quickly turning around, she took Pheera by the waist and let her lean on her. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be going anywhere without your wheelchair. Come on, I¡¯ll take you back to the bed.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s at the door?¡± Pheera asked. ¡°Nobody.¡± The knock came again. Narvari sucked in a deep breath and balled her fist. Pheera opened the door. And there, stood Pheleraz. The two siblings silently stared at each other for a long time. It seemed they were having a conversation without words. ¡°Can I come in?¡± Pheleraz finally broke the silence. ¡°I need to speak to you.¡± Pheera¡¯s shoulder tensed and her grip tightened around Narvari¡¯s hand. Just before Narvari could say no, Pheera said, ¡°Sure. Come in.¡± Upon entering and looking around the room in disdain, he glowered at Narvari and said, ¡°What are you still doing here? Leave us now. I need to talk to my sister in private.¡± ¡°Not going to happen,¡± said Narvari as she helped Pheera back into her wheelchair. ¡°And who the hell are you?¡± ¡°Narvari Shar.¡± She sauntered towards Pheleraz until they were standing face to face. ¡°You better remember this name. I will be the worst nightmare of anyone who hurts Pheera.¡± Pheleraz laughed. Directing his cold gaze toward Pheera, he said, ¡°You¡¯re friends with this nobody? What has Zemeron done to you? You¡¯re a Zoleris. Why are you mingling with a nonentity like this one?¡± ¡°What did you?¡ª?¡± ¡°Narvari.¡± Pheera¡¯s voice instantly halted Narvari¡¯s words. Slowly, Pheera wheeled herself between Pheleraz and Narvari. In a calm but firm tone, she said to Pheleraz, ¡°I don¡¯t care if you speak to me that way. But I¡¯ll not tolerate you disrespecting Narvari. Ever.¡± The tense silence in the room seemed to swallow them up. Pheleraz sighed. ¡°Very well. I came here for something important anyway. Let¡¯s talk in private.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not leaving you alone with Pheera.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m not asking, child.¡± ¡°Oh yeah?¡± Narvari laughed mirthlessly. ¡°And who¡¯s going to make me leave? You?¡± ¡°Narvari, I¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°What?¡± Narvari narrowed her eyes. She knelt beside Pheera so they were at eye level with each other. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving you alone with this guy.¡± ¡°He¡¯s my brother,¡± she whispered. There was something in her eyes that meant the exact opposite of her words. ¡°Just say the word and I¡¯ll get him out of here. You don¡¯t have to talk to him if you don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°I want to.¡± Narvari paused. Then she nodded. ¡°Okay then.¡± ¡°No eavesdropping.¡± Shit. ¡°Fine.¡± Narvari stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later.¡± Before leaving, she gave Pheleraz a warning look. I¡¯ve got my eyes on you.
Chapter 69: Trixan Yvis Gardens always gave Trixan Yvis a sense of calm and peace. When she was always full of rage, wanting nothing but blood and carnage, the sweet scent of flowers and their dazzling colors would put her mind at ease. She especially needed it tonight, after talking to Pheleraz. He might be here for Hellstorm, but Trixan knew he had other plans. She had known men like Pheleraz Zoleris?¡ª?men who thought they had the power to control everyone else and use them against their will. As long as Trixan lived, she would not let Pheleraz, or anyone, use Pheera against her will ever again. Suddenly sensing the vibrations of a heartbeat, Trixan narrowed her eyes. Whoever this heart belonged to was certainly fuming with rage. Trixan followed the sound through the garden, then stopped by the lake where Narvari sat. Why wasn¡¯t she with Pheera? Did something happen? They sat in silence, enjoying the cool evening breeze when Narvari suddenly turned to look at her with wide eyes. ¡°Trixan? When did you get here?¡± What could Narvari be thinking about to not even notice Trixan¡¯s presence? ¡°Are you alright, my dear?¡± She shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Trixan sighed. Was the girl really fine? A demon stabbed her in the heart after all. Maybe physically, Narvari was fine, but Trixan worried that the girl might be emotionally scarred. She wished Narvari would feel safe enough to tell her anything. ¡°I thought you were with Pheera,¡± said Trixan. ¡°Yeah, I was. Pheleraz wanted to talk to her alone.¡± Narvari paused. ¡°I hate that guy. I have a bad feeling about him,¡± Narvari said. ¡°What if he tries to take Pheera away?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen, my dear.¡± ¡°How can you be so sure? How do you know he¡¯s not teleporting her out of here right now?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± Trixan had considered that possibility and had already taken care of that. As long as she was here, Pheera was safe. Not even Pheleraz would dare do anything stupid. ¡°But I¡¯m worried about her.¡± Trixan nodded. ¡°I know.¡± Narvari clenched her jaws. ¡°How are you always so calm? Sometimes it¡¯s like you don¡¯t even care about anything with your indifference.¡± The words cut through Trixan¡¯s heart like a knife. Was that what Narvari thought of her? That she didn¡¯t care about her vanquishers? Trixan¡¯s hurt feelings must have been visible on her face because Narvari¡¯s eyes softened. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said. ¡°For what?¡± asked Trixan. ¡°Everything. I didn¡¯t mean it like that.¡± Narvari bit her lips. ¡°What I said to you, the last time¡­ I was¡­ I know you care, Trixan. Zemeron told me how you helped Pheera. I just¡­ I don¡¯t know why I said what I said.¡± ¡°You were in pain. I understand.¡± Trixan smiled. ¡°But you were right. What happened to Pheera was my fault. I should never have sent junior vanquishers on a suicide mission.¡± ¡°Trixan, that¡¯s not true. I shouldn¡¯t have said that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. You were still right,¡± said Trixan, ¡°I should have been more prepared.¡± As much as Trixan wanted to prove the Draghein Family wrong, her pride meant nothing where the safety of her vanquishers was involved. Narvari had said that she would never forgive her if Pheera never recovered. The truth was that Trixan would never have forgiven herself. ¡°Well,¡± said Narvari, ¡°we¡¯re prepared now, aren¡¯t we? We have more senior vanquishers to handle the higher-order missions. Speaking of missions, when do we begin? I¡¯m getting bored.¡± ¡°My dear, you¡¯re still on sick leave.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m not sick. I feel much better.¡± ¡°You and your friends should relax and enjoy yourselves¡­ Maybe go out for a while. Have fun.¡± ¡°Out?¡± Narvari raised a brow. ¡°Like outside the school?¡± ¡°Of course. Go get some fresh air. You deserve it after everything you¡¯ve been through.¡± ¡°And what about you?¡± ¡°What about me?¡± ¡°You deserve a vacation too,¡± said Narvari. ¡°I can see it in your eyes, Trixan. You are exhausted. I can only imagine with everything going on.¡± Narvari paused. Carefully, she added, ¡°With Hellstorm.¡± Trixan¡¯s expression remained unchanged. When she said nothing, Narvari continued, ¡°He was your teacher, wasn¡¯t he?¡± After a brief hesitation, Trixan nodded. ¡°It must be hard hearing all these rumors about your teacher.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it would be that hard if he had been only my teacher,¡± said Trixan. ¡°He was¡­ everything to me.¡± ¡°Were you two um¡­¡± Narvari paused. ¡°You know¡­¡± ¡°A couple?¡± Trixan raised a brow. The girl nodded. ¡°God, no.¡± Trixan chuckled. ¡°He raised me like his own daughter. He was the father I never had.¡± ¡°You never had a father?¡± ¡°I never knew him.¡± She¡¯d never talked about her past to anyone else other than Hellstorm and Rizav. Even then, only Hellstorm truly knew what her past had been like. As much as Trixan hated remembering or talking about her past, the curious sincerity in Narvari¡¯s eyes made her want to open up. ¡°I don¡¯t think my mother knew who my father was either. ¡®Your father could be any man in this town,¡¯ she often said.¡± Trixan laughed bitterly. ¡°And she was probably right. All I remember as a child were the scores of men who often visited her. Until I watched one of them beat her to death because she stole from him.¡± ¡°What?¡± Narvari paled. ¡°My goodness. How old were you then?¡± ¡°Four. Maybe five.¡± Trixan didn¡¯t think Narvari¡¯s eyes could open wider but they did. ¡°No one steals from Xalta and lives,¡± said Trixan. ¡°But I was sick, you know. And my mother was desperate.¡± ¡°Jesus, Trixan. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be sorry about my dear.¡± ¡°What happened to you?¡± Narvari asked. ¡°Xalta took me in.¡± ¡°Wait¡­ The same man who killed your mother?¡± Trixan nodded. ¡°He said since my mother stole from him I had to pay her debt by stealing for him. I grew up in his gang.¡± As Trixan recalled those dark days, she fished her golden locket from her pocket. It held so many memories. Back then, they stole, pillaged, killed, and just about terrorized the poor town. Xalta planned elaborate schemes to rob wealthy people in different dominions across Agon. As vicious as he was, he was also a careful man so he was never caught. Then one day, Xalta¡¯s spies told him that a wealthy merchant would be passing through their town. He prepared everything to the last detail selecting eight gang members who would ambush the merchant. Trixan happened to be among the group while Xalta himself was not. And as luck would have it, their plan backfired. The merchant annihilated them so easily like they were nothing but ants to him. But even after most of the gang fell or ran away in fear, Trixan would not give up. She couldn¡¯t go back to Xalta without anything valuable. So she refused to give up. Each time Trixan got beat up, she got back up and resumed her attack with her knife. He, on the other hand, swatted at her like an annoying fly, flinging her back violently. As strong as the merchant was, Trixan knew that the man was not even using an ounce of his full strength. He couldn¡¯t be a mere merchant, could he? How could he have so easily dealt with an armed group, most of whom had awakened sacros? He didn¡¯t even use sacred energy either and yet, Trixan couldn¡¯t lay a hand on him. The one-sided pummeling continued until Trixan was nothing but a bloody mess. Her knees caved in as her entire body ached in anguish. Probably thinking that Trixan had finally given up, the merchant turned to leave. But he instantly halted and gaped at Trixan when she stood back up, panting heavily. Trixan deftly lunged toward the man, knife in hand. His body moved like fluid. This time, he didn¡¯t attack back, but only evaded Trixan¡¯s manic attacks until the pangs of hunger arrested her limbs and squeezed the life out of her. She fell to the ground, breathing heavily like a fish out of water. Xalta warned her she would have nothing to eat if she failed to steal anything valuable today. Why wouldn¡¯t the merchant just let her take one valuable thing? Just one. He was rich, wasn¡¯t he? She glared at him. All he did was look at her in silence. A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. What the hell was he smiling at? Did he think this was funny? The rage ravaged her like an inferno. With wobbly limbs, she managed to get back on her feet. As dizzy as she was, she willed herself to stand firm. She kept her eyes on one thing?¡ª?the gold locket around his neck. That must be worth a fortune. She had to get it all cost. She couldn¡¯t go back empty-handed. ¡°Is this what you want, child?¡± The man tugged at his gold locket. ¡°Do you really want to die because of this?¡± Trixan¡¯s chest heaved up and down. ¡°I¡¯ll die anyway if I don¡¯t get it.¡± His smile disappeared. Why was he looking at her like that? Men often looked at her with savage hunger and lust, as if they would tear her apart any moment. It made her skin crawl, and all she ever wanted to do was gouge out their eyes. But not this man. There was something else in his dark brown eyes. She couldn¡¯t quite place it, but it was neither lust nor pity. It was something else, and it confused her. ¡°How old are you, child.¡± ¡°Ten.¡± He flinched. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Trixan,¡± she said. ¡°Trixan Yvis.¡± That brought a smile to his face. ¡°Ah, little Trixan¡­ Trixi.¡± Trixi? She frowned. ¡°I¡¯m not a child. Don¡¯t talk to me like one.¡± The man chuckled. ¡°You have quite the temper, Trixi.¡± In a more serious tone, he added, ¡°And quite the perseverance.¡± He sauntered closer. In his black clothes, he completely melded with the night. An aura of danger shrouded his body. Why did Xalta think robbing someone like this was a good idea? But it was too late to turn back now. She would take the golden locket and everything else he had on him. Barley had that thought left her mind when her knife suddenly vanished from her hand. She gaped at her empty grip. What just happened? And where did the man go? He was in front of her a few seconds ago.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Now you¡¯re weaponless.¡± The words came from behind. Trixan quickly spun around only to find the man twirling her knife around like a toy. Fear instantly chilled Trixan¡¯s heart. This man was faster than anyone she had ever seen. One second he was walking toward her and the next second, he had already disarmed her. Not even Xalta was this swift. Was he a vanquisher? She¡¯s heard how incredible vanquishers were. Their training made them faster and stronger than the average person. Trixan took a few steps back. ¡°Are you afraid?¡± She halted. He was taunting her. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of anything.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± The man smiled. ¡°Then what do you plan to do?¡± ¡°Give me that locket and I won¡¯t kill you.¡± There was a moment of stunned silence until the man burst into hysterical laughter. ¡°You are one brave child, Trixi.¡± ¡°Stop calling me that.¡± The fear was completely gone, replaced with anger. The same anger that always plagued her heart ever since she saw Xalta murder her mother. Over the years, the anger had only grown worse¡­ magnifying into an unadulterated rage with all the things she had been through. All those men?¡ª ¡°Why do you want it so badly?¡± the man interrupted her thoughts. ¡°All your friends have already run away.¡± ¡°They are not my friends.¡± ¡°No? But you were with them.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t make them my friends.¡± ¡°I guess that¡¯s fair.¡± The man nodded slowly. ¡°But I¡¯m sorry, Trixi. I can¡¯t give you this locket. It¡¯s too special to me. Unfortunately, I have no money on me either.¡± ¡°Then I guess I have to settle for the locket.¡± ¡°I told you I¡¯m not giving it to you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take it by force.¡± ¡°You will die trying, Trixi.¡± ¡°If I go back empty-handed,¡± Trixan yelled, ¡°he¡¯s going to kill me or¡­ or worse.¡± ¡°Who?¡± The man narrowed his eyes. ¡°And what can be worse than death, my dear little one?¡± Trixan bit her lips, avoiding the man¡¯s gaze. ¡°Just give it to me,¡± she whispered. ¡°Please.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s going to kill you, Trixi?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell you.¡± ¡°I thought you said you were not afraid of anything.¡± He wasn¡¯t smiling anymore. Was he angry with her? Would he try to hurt her? That was okay. Nothing he would do could be worse than Xalta, right? ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of you,¡± said Trixan. ¡°Maybe not. But you¡¯re afraid of someone. Who¡¯s going to kill you if you return empty-handed?¡± Trixan clenched her jaws. Why was he so interested? What did he care? ¡°I won¡¯t tell you anything.¡± ¡°You¡¯re stubborn.¡± He lowered his gaze. ¡°And apparently, you¡¯re not well.¡± Just like that, Trixan felt the energy drain from her body as the hunger started to get to her. She had not eaten since last night, and the mission tonight was supposed to be her chance to eat something. The world spun around her and she fell. She couldn¡¯t move even as the man squatted next to her. What was he going to do to her? His hand came closer. Trixan clenched her teeth and shut her eyes. He was going to touch her and do things to her. Just like every other man. She always tried to fight them off, but they were too strong. If only she had awakened her sacros, she would have been strong enough to protect herself. All she could do for now was pretend this was not happening. Then the man¡¯s hand rested on her forehead. How could such a rough hand be so gentle? ¡°You¡¯re burning up,¡± he said before carrying Trixan like a baby. Where was he taking her? She wanted to ask. But like every part of her body, her voice was too exhausted. Eventually, darkness enveloped her. When Trixan opened her eyes, she found herself in a massive bed with the softest and silkiest blankets. Was she dead? That could be it. Because why else would she be surrounded by so much whiteness? The bed sheets, the pillows, the wall, and even her clothes were white. My clothes. Where were they? Who changed them? She tried to get out of bed but something held her hand back. There was a thin transparent tube stuck in the back of her palm. Was she in a hospital? No, it looked more like a bedroom. A very wealthy person¡¯s bedroom. Trixan suddenly screamed when her eyes fell on a handsome dark-skinned man watching her with intrigue. ¡°Morning to you too, Trixi,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s you,¡± said Trixan after she calmed down. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± She touched the tube in her hand. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°One question at a time, Trixi. Firstly, what am I doing here? This is my home.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Secondly, you passed out from hunger. That tube is the only way to get food inside your body. Any more questions, Trixi?¡± Now that she thought about it, her body pulsated with energy. She couldn¡¯t remember a time when she had felt so nourished before. ¡°Who are you?¡± Looking at the exquisiteness of the room, and all the stylish furniture, elegant carpets, and curtains, there was no doubt this man was wealthy. Had Xalta been right in thinking he was a merchant? But he didn¡¯t have any goods or money when they attacked him either. ¡°Forgive my manners,¡± said the man. ¡°Since I know your name, it¡¯s only fair you know mine. People call me Hellstorm.¡± It took a while for the name to register in Trixan¡¯s head. ¡°What?¡± She gawked at him. ¡°But you don¡¯t look like Hellstorm.¡± His eyes lit in amusement. ¡°And what does Hellstorm look like?¡± ¡°He wears a scary skeleton mask,¡± she said. ¡°And he wears a hat.¡± ¡°So Hellstorm looks like a skeleton mask?¡± Trixan paused. ¡°Well, no. But¡­ I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never seen his face. I only see pictures of him.¡± Trixan eyed the man carefully. Was he really Hellstorm? He did have a similar stature as Hellstorm. And besides, she had seen how fast that man was, how he had easily defeated every last one of them. That was something Hellstorm could easily do, right? Suddenly, something dawned on Trixan sending a chill down her spine. ¡°You¡¯re a Draghein?¡± she whispered. What was Xalta thinking making them rob a Draghein? As greedy as Xalta was, he was no fool to go after any of the Dominant Families. Xalta loved money, but he loved his life more. Did he not know that the merchant they went after was no merchant but one of the beloved sons of the Draghein Family? Or was this man lying about who he was? Trixan frowned. Xalta wouldn¡¯t be that careless. He was a lot of deplorable things, but he was no fool. And only a fool would dare offend someone from the Dominant Families. As the ruling class of Agon, those families were as powerful as they were unforgiving. She¡¯d heard so many dangerous things about them that sounded like they were plucked straight out of a fantasy book. ¡°Your face just went through so many emotions, Trixi.¡± He grinned ¡°Don¡¯t worry, no harm shall come to you.¡± He seemed to be speaking the truth about being Hellstorm. Why would anyone lie about that though? Who would be so insolent to impersonate Hellstorm? ¡°How do you feel now?¡± Hellstorm asked. ¡°Fine,¡± Trixan said in a hoarse voice. ¡°A lot better.¡± Hellstorm nodded. ¡°Good.¡± ¡°Can I go back home?¡± The word home burned her tongue. She had never felt at home. That place was worse than Bezvar. But it was the only place she had. She wouldn¡¯t dare run away. Xalta would chase her to the ends of the earth, and once he found her, he would beat her until she was unconscious, then give her to the lecherous men in her gang to do whatever they pleased with her, before discarding her body on a dumpster in the slums of Jetra. Those were Xalta¡¯s very words and he never broke his word, especially if they were detailing all the horrors he would inflict. ¡°You do not wish to stay here?¡± Hellstorm asked. Stay here? ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Or maybe she was the crazy one. Why would she go back to hell when she could stay here in this paradise? But what if this was no paradise? What if this became worse than the nightmare she was already living? She would rather go back. ¡°I can¡¯t stay.¡± ¡°Xalta is dead.¡± The words flowed calmly from his mouth like he was talking about something as simple as breakfast. But as calm as Hellstorm was, a storm loomed within his midnight-black eyes. Maybe people were on to something when they called him Hellstorm. Wait¡­ how did he know about Xalta? ¡°Did you kill him?¡± she asked calmly. Never had she felt so calm in her life. It was almost liberating. ¡°Yes.¡± Hellstorm did not waver for a moment. ¡°Okay.¡± Trixan sighed. ¡°Thank you.¡± Hellstorm smiled. ¡°You thank me for killing a man.¡± ¡°An evil man.¡± ¡°Trixan Yvis.¡± It was the second time he had called her by her full name, and from the graveness in his eyes, he was serious about something. ¡°I won¡¯t let anyone hurt you again. You have my word.¡± The graveness melted, and a fond smile lit his young handsome face. ¡°In the meantime, you can stay here as long as you need, Trixi. We have the finest garden in the whole of Agon. You¡¯re going to love it.¡± Her chest tightened. Why would he say this to her? Why would he help her? She had tried to steal from him and even tried to kill him. Why was he being so nice to her? ¡°What do you want in return?¡± she asked. Hellstorm paused. ¡°What do you want to give me in return?¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know. I have nothing¡± ¡°Of course you do.¡± She knew she shouldn¡¯t have raised her hopes. She was nothing but a filthy orphan. Why would anyone do anything for her for free? Did he want her body? Men usually did. They took one look at her and became possessed with lust. They didn¡¯t care if she was only a child. Maybe just like her mother, she too was cursed. ¡°Trixi,¡± said Hellstorm, ¡°do you not know what you have?¡± My body? She clenched her jaws. It was always what they wanted. Even Xalta, who loved to use her as a punching bag always refused to hit her face because he said it was her best asset. ¡°I could make a lot of money with that face of yours,¡± Xalta would often say. Her skin crawled. Even Hellstorm turned out to be like everyone else. Like Xalta. ¡°Courage and strength,¡± Hellstorm said. Trixan froze. She slowly looked up at Hellstorm. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I want nothing in return, Trixi,¡± he said, ¡°but if you want to give me something, then give me your courage and strength.¡± Courage and strength? What was he blabbering about? ¡°But I¡¯m not strong.¡± If she were strong, she would have killed Xalta long before he killed her mother. If she were strong, no man would dare force themselves on her. She would kill them before they tried. She was nothing but a weak little girl. Hellstorm was on his feet, watching him with a small smile. What was he thinking? Trixan thought. What did he mean by giving him her courage and strength? He already had plenty of it. He was the great Hellstorm. He had everything he could ever want. Trixan¡¯s gaze fell on Hellstorm¡¯s locket. He chuckled. ¡°You still can¡¯t have my locket, Trixi.¡± Her face burned in embarrassment. She wasn¡¯t trying to steal the necklace anymore; she was simply enchanted by its beauty. ¡°Why don¡¯t you rest up a bit,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯d like you to meet someone later.¡± Trixan simply nodded, lying back in the bed. She wasn¡¯t exhausted anymore. But she didn¡¯t feel like getting out of bed either. She quietly watched as Hellstorm walked out of the massive room. Would she really be safe here? Clasping the locket in her hand, Trixan smiled fondly. They brought back so many memories. ¡°Hellstorm gave you a home.¡± Narvari interrupted her thoughts. Trixan nodded. ¡°He made me feel safe. He promised me no one would ever hurt me again, and he kept his word.¡± ¡°He sounds like a great man,¡± said Narvari. ¡°I hope the Order is wrong about him being a demon.¡± She froze, the light in her eyes darkening immediately. Then she touched her chest. Trixan put an arm on Narvari¡¯s shoulder. ¡°My dear, are you in pain?¡± Narvari seemed a little confused and dazed. After hesitating for a while, she forced a smile and shook her head. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Are you sure? Don¡¯t hide things from me, Narvari. Your health is my utmost concern.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure, Trixan. I promise.¡± This time the smile genuinely lit up Narvari¡¯s brown face. ¡°I see why Yanvirrak was mad when I said you didn¡¯t care about us. I¡¯m sorry for doubting you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to be sorry, my dear. Doubt is part of the trusting process.¡± A moment of silence ensued between the two. ¡°Trixan?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°Is it really bad if Hellstorm is a demon?¡± Trixan raised a brow. Where did this question come from all of a sudden? ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± said Narvari. ¡°I just¡­ I don¡¯t know. I shouldn¡¯t have asked.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, my dear. Why do you ask?¡± Narvari shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s just that you once told me that not all demons were malevolent and that the Order doesn¡¯t target those who don¡¯t cause any trouble. If Hellstorm is a demon, maybe he isn¡¯t malevolent either so why is the Order so worried?¡± ¡°Maybe they are afraid of what he could do, my dear. Hellstorm is an incredibly powerful vanquisher. The Order might fail to stop him if he turns out to be a malevolent demon.¡± ¡°But from the kind of man he was, I don¡¯t think he would be malevolent.¡± Narvari paused. ¡°Unless all demons are inherently evil even if they don¡¯t want to be.¡± ¡°No one is inherently evil, my dear,¡± said Trixan. ¡°Not even demons.¡± Something flickered in Narvari¡¯s eyes. She wanted to say something, but she held her tongue. What could be going through her mind? Why was she asking all these questions about demons? ¡°Don¡¯t worry about Hellstorm being a demon,¡± said Trixan. ¡°Not even the Demon King himself can turn him into his lackey.¡± ¡°How can you be so sure?¡± Trixan smiled. ¡°I just know.¡± ¡°I wish I could meet the man who has so much of your trust and respect.¡± ¡°All of my trust and respect,¡± Trixan corrected. ¡°I see what you mean¡­ There was a time when a man had all of my trust and respect too.¡± Narvari sighed. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter anymore.¡± ¡°Narvari, about your father?¡ª?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, Trixan.¡± ¡°I told you I¡¯d help you find him.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to do it anymore.¡± She shrugged. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m exhausted. I wanted to find him so I don¡¯t get angry with him. But I¡¯m not angry anymore. Just¡­ indifferent. He left and there¡¯s nothing I can do about it.¡± Trixan remained silent. Ever since Narvari mentioned her father¡¯s name, Trixan couldn¡¯t stop thinking about it. But the more she considered that possibility, the more she felt that it could not be right. Narvari was eighteen years old now, and according to her, her father had left when she was twelve years old. The timing was just off. It couldn¡¯t be the same person. ¡°I have other things to worry about,¡± said Narvari. ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°Pheera,¡± she said. ¡°Now that Pheleraz is here, I have to keep a close eye on him and make sure she¡¯s safe. She¡¯s not comfortable around him.¡± Trixan nodded. She too had been worried that Pheleraz¡¯s presence might be triggering for Pheera. ¡°I¡¯m glad Pheera has you,¡± said Trixan. ¡°But you shouldn¡¯t worry too much. Like I said go out and have some fun.¡± A thought occurred to Trixan and she smiled widely. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go with Pheera? I think she¡¯d like that too.¡± Narvari gaped. ¡°You want me to go out with Pheera?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you want?¡± ¡°Well, yes. But you asked me to stay away from her.¡± Yes, she did, mostly because Trixan didn¡¯t want Narvari to get caught up in Zoleris drama. But she¡¯d never seen Pheera get so intimately close to anyone as she was with Narvari. The girl had even risked her life for Narvari while Narvari was prepared to keep Pheera safe, even if it meant pissing off the Zoleris Family. Wouldn¡¯t it be cruel of Trixan to separate them when they clearly loved each other? ¡°Just be careful,¡± said Trixan. Neither Pheleraz nor Esumeraz would like it if they learned that Pheera loved a commoner from the Outer Sphere. Chapter 70: Izenros
After convincing Pheera that a different environment would be good for her health, Narvari took Pheera out of Draghein School. Yanvirrak, of course, needed no convincing and came along with them even before Narvari could ask. Instead of teleporting, they took one of the cars along. Narvari had to admit it was more fun exploring the city that way. For the first time in a while, she didn¡¯t feel like a vanquisher on a quest to slay demons. She felt like any normal teenager with her friends. They spent the whole day visiting amusement parks, trying new foods, buying souvenirs, and just exploring the beautiful city. It was strange how Draghein School was located in the city and yet, this was Narvari¡¯s first time seeing Johannesburg in all its glory. Yanvirrak made the city tour more enjoyable as he seemed to know everywhere. Pheera, however, felt distant. Even when Narvari initiated a conversation with her, she felt the coldness from the Zoleris. This wouldn¡¯t be the first time. Ever since Pheleraz spoke to Pheera in private, she¡¯d been acting strangely and avoiding Narvari. Not wanting to make things worse, Narvari had avoided asking Pheera about it. But now, she didn¡¯t know if she could pretend everything was alright. After visiting a bowling alley and winning three games in a row against Yanvirrak, they finally went to a restaurant. It was 6 pm. They¡¯d been sightseeing the whole day and Narvari was starving. ¡°This is so good.¡± Narvari moaned as she savored the pizza. She hadn¡¯t had anything like this in a long time. Their constant training as vanquishers required a strict diet none of which included pizza or soda. ¡°Of course it is,¡± said Yanvirrak. ¡°It¡¯s why I brought you here.¡± Pheera silently ate her pasta. She¡¯d barely said a word since coming here. Narvari rested her hand on Pheera¡¯s wheelchair. It was true that Pheera didn¡¯t talk much, but Narvari sensed that something was bothering the young woman. This wasn¡¯t about Pheleraz, was it? Ever since that jerk showed up, Pheera hadn¡¯t been herself. ¡°Pheera.¡± Pheera¡¯s gaze met Narvari¡¯s. God, how she wanted to know everything. But Narvari only forced a smile and said, ¡°Um¡­ It¡¯s nothing.¡± Pheera gave a small smile before finding her food more interesting than Narvari¡¯s face. Yanvirrak brought up something about wanting to buy a motorcycle and for the rest of their meal, that was all Yanvirrak and Narvari talked about. It was a good distraction, at least. ¡°I have to go to the washroom,¡± said Pheera suddenly. ¡°Alright.¡± Narvari stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll help you out.¡± ¡°No need, Narvari. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Narvari sat in dejection. Silently, she watched Pheera wheel herself away. Now she was convinced that Pheera was trying to push her away. But why? Did Narvari do something? Did she¡­ ¡°You two alright?¡± Yanvirrak interrupted her thoughts. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You and Pheera,¡± he said, ¡°what¡¯s going on? I sense some weird dynamic between you two.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean.¡± She shrugged. Suddenly, Narvari didn¡¯t want to be here anymore. She wished she was back in her room, sleeping or something. Anything. As long as she won¡¯t be constantly reminded by Pheera¡¯s growing coldness. ¡°Oh come on, Shar. I know you know what I mean. Pheera is always so physically close to you. But now, I don¡¯t know. It feels like she¡¯s avoiding you or something.¡± Narvari sighed. Yanvirrak might not look it, but he could be very observant. ¡°I don¡¯t know. She wouldn¡¯t tell me anything either.¡± ¡°What did you do?¡± Narvari rolled her eyes. ¡°Why do you assume I did something?¡± ¡°Because between you and Pheera, you are the asshole.¡± That got a chuckle out of Narvari. He did have a point. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ve done anything. But she started acting this way when her brother showed up.¡± Yanvirrak narrowed his eyes. ¡°Pheleraz?¡± ¡°Who else? He asked to speak to Pheera in private. Who knows what he said to her¡­ Or did to her.¡± ¡°Who knows,¡± said Yanvirrak with a nod. ¡°But have you thought about the possibility that Pheleraz has nothing to do with it? And maybe this has to do with you?¡± ¡°So you think I did something to her then? You know I¡¯ll never hurt her.¡± Narvari paused. Then quietly, she added, ¡°Not intentionally.¡± ¡°I know. You like Pheera, don¡¯t you?¡± That stopped Narvari cold. Did she like Pheera? That was a strange question. Her feelings for the girl couldn¡¯t simply be encapsulated in something as pedestrian as ¡®like¡¯. She didn¡¯t like Pheera. That couldn¡¯t possibly capture the entirety of what she felt for Pheera. All the confidence she had simply evaporated when she was next to her. When she looked into Pheera¡¯s eyes, the whole world seemed to disappear, and all that remained was Pheera. Pheera didn¡¯t have to captivate her with a touch. With a single look, Narvari would do anything Pheera wanted. So no. She didn¡¯t like Pheera. She was utterly enamored by her. ¡°Yes.¡± Narvari nodded. ¡°I like Pheera.¡± She expected Yanvirrak to make fun of her for admitting her feelings, but instead, he nodded with a serious expression. ¡°Okay. And have you told her how you feel?¡± ¡°No. But she knows. I think.¡± ¡°What?¡± Yanvirrak gaped. ¡°It doesn¡¯t work like that, Shar. Never assume someone knows how you feel. It doesn¡¯t matter how much you show them your feelings. You need to be upfront with them so they don¡¯t get mixed signals.¡± ¡°You think she¡¯s acting weird because I haven¡¯t told her how I feel?¡± ¡°I think Pheera likes you too,¡± said Yanvirrak. ¡°But you haven¡¯t told her you feel the same way. She¡¯s probably pulling away so she doesn¡¯t get hurt.¡± What the hell was this guy talking about? Only recently, Pheera had been so bold to straddle Narvari¡¯s lap and almost kissed her. Was Pheera really pulling away because Narvari hadn¡¯t told her she liked her? That was absurd. Obviously, Pheera wanted her too. So why hadn¡¯t she said anything either? None of this made any sense. ¡°Yanvirrak, I don¡¯t think this explains Pheera¡¯s behavior.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s just a theory.¡± He shrugged. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t change the fact that you need to tell Pheera how you feel. Sometimes it¡¯s exhausting watching all that sexual tension between you two.¡± Yanvirrak chuckled. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you told her anyway?¡± he asked. ¡°You¡¯re never afraid to say what¡¯s on your mind. So what¡¯s stopping you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Narvari sighed. ¡°I just get so nervous around her. No one makes me feel that nervous, you know.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Yanvirrak nodded. ¡°But you should gather the courage and ask her out.¡± ¡°I mean¡­ she can ask me out too, you know.¡± ¡°Sure. But I believe she still has trust issues. You two need to talk. Communication is the key to every successful relationship.¡± Yanvirrak shoved Narvari¡¯s shoulder. ¡°What the hell was that for?¡± ¡°For being dumb as hell. Seriously, why did you even let me tag along? You two should have come alone, you know. Damn, you suck at this.¡± ¡°Wow,¡± Narvari smirked. She clasped her two hands together and gently bowed to Yanvirrak. ¡°Teach me thy ways O¡¯ Guru Farouk.¡± Yanvirrak chuckled. ¡°Why not? I know a thing or two about love.¡± ¡°Oh my god, are you in love?¡± Narvari grinned. ¡°Tell me everything.¡± Yanvirrak laughed. ¡°I¡¯m just utterly in love with my job.¡± ¡°I see what you mean.¡± Narvari nodded in seriousness. ¡°Killing demons sounds romantic, to be honest.¡± ¡°You are a giant pain in my ass, Narvari Shar.¡± ¡°The feeling is mutual, Yanvirrak Hanes Farouk.¡± Yanvirrak¡¯s black eyes lit in mock exaggeration. ¡°You finally said my real name.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get your hopes up, Housewife?¡ª?¡± The sight of Pheera approaching stopped Narvari¡¯s words. ¡°You are so fucking whipped,¡± Yanvirrak whispered to Narvari before Pheera wheeled herself to the table. Narvari rolled her eyes but wouldn¡¯t stop smiling. They continued eating in silence until Yanvirrak¡¯s phone rang. Yanvirrak received the call. ¡°Hey, Azmel¡­ Yes. We¡¯re here. Sure. Sure.¡± His eyes suddenly widened. ¡°What?¡± Narvari sat up straight, exchanging a confused look with Pheera. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Yanvirrak asked. ¡°Okay. We¡¯re about to leave anyway.¡± Yanvirrak hung up. ¡°What?¡± Narvari asked impatiently. ¡°What did Azmel say?¡± ¡°The Order just traced Hellstorm to Zurich.¡± Narvari gaped. ¡°Really? How did they find him so fast?¡± ¡°The last vanquishers who ran into him put an energy tracer on him.¡± ¡°Energy tracer?¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°It¡¯s a form of a tracker.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Narvari paused. ¡°And he¡¯s in Zurich right now?¡± Yanvirrak nodded. ¡°That¡¯s what Azmel said.¡± ¡°What¡¯s he doing there?¡± ¡°They don¡¯t know yet. But he hasn¡¯t changed locations yet. So it¡¯s only a matter of time.¡± ¡°But what if he notices the tracker,¡± asked Narvari as they left the restaurant and walked toward their car. ¡°I mean this is Hellstorm, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not an ordinary tracker.¡± Yanvirrak shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s an energy tracer. Even if he knows there¡¯s an energy tracer on him, he won¡¯t be able to take it off, unless it depletes seventy-two hours later. The only way to avoid being traced is by not using his sacred energy. And clearly, he¡¯s already used it since they know where he is.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Could Hellstorm really not know he was being traced? Or maybe he knew, but just didn¡¯t care. From the things he¡¯d heard about the man, it was obviously the latter. All of a sudden, Narvari wished the man would be caught just so she could see who this legendary Hellstorm was. And yet, another part of her didn¡¯t want that to happen. If Hellstorm was a demon, then weren¡¯t they all royally screwed?
Hellstorm glared at the castle. It was massive and well hidden by the forest surrounding it. ¡°So there you are, Ziegler,¡± Hellstorm muttered to himself. He instantly teleported himself into the mansion, not for a moment caring about the security. Anyone who stood in his way better be ready to die. Hellstorm reappeared in an expansive room. The floors and walls glistened like silver, the staircase was spiral silver water, and the chandeliers were a behemoth of elegance. Bezvaros did set Ziegler for life. The rage burning within Hellstorm escaped as a fit of laughter. What could be funnier than this? While he was being tortured in hell, Ziegler was enjoying this heaven. Wonderful. Just wonderful. Approaching footsteps kept him on high alert. Took them long enough, he thought. He waited with bated breath, ready to raise hell right here. Several men in black suits poured into the room and surrounded Hellstorm. Every one of them had pistols pointed at him. He had never seen people so eager to die. ¡°Gentlemen.¡± Hellstorm dug his hands in the pockets of his overcoat. ¡°I¡¯m looking for Ludwig Ziegler.¡± He slowly turned around, so all the men could see him. A pretty useless gesture, anyway, since his mask covered his lower face. But it was effective at intimidating people. Yet these men didn¡¯t look in the least bit intimidated. He couldn¡¯t blame them. There were more than a dozen of them, armed to the teeth, and there was only one of him. Unarmed. ¡°This is private property.¡± A man appeared upstairs. With his long blonde hair, chiseled jaw, and icy blue gaze, ordinary people would easily feel intimidated by his presence. ¡°How did you get in here?¡± He must be the head of security or whatever. He should get answers for Hellstorm. ¡°Where¡¯s Ziegler?¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. But I¡¯ll be your worst nightmare if you don¡¯t let me see Ziegler. Now.¡± The man¡¯s expression did not waver for a second. ¡°Kill him.¡± Hellstorm sighed. Just before they opened fire on him, he released his golden sacros. As it raged out of him, the sheer force of his sacros flung the men violently in all directions. He did not have time to be fighting insects. These men were protecting the man who sent Hellstorm to hell, so yeah, fuck them. Hellstorm smirked at the shock in the man¡¯s eyes. In a single leap, Hellstorm was already on the staircase, grabbing the man by the neck and pinning him to the wall. The man struggled to loosen Hellstorm¡¯s grip, but it only tightened even more. ¡°Where is Ziegler?¡± The man feebly pointed to his left and Hellstorm dropped him. ¡°Lead the way.¡± Wheezing and panting, the man rose and took the lead. Hellstorm followed. They passed several hallways and doors until they finally stopped before a large black door. ¡°He¡¯s in here,¡± ¡°Sure. But you¡¯re coming with me.¡± Hellstorm shoved the man to the door. ¡°Open it.¡± He felt this could be a trap, so he used the man as a shield. And just as he had suspected, there were four men in the room all pointing guns at him. But with the hostage closely shielding Hellstorm, the men hesitated to shoot. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Hellstorm asked the hostage. ¡°Jacob.¡± ¡°Okay, Jacob. Tell me something, is Ziegler here in this room? Think carefully before you answer my question.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he stuttered. ¡°He¡¯s here.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Hellstorm. He couldn¡¯t see Ziegler anywhere in this office. But it was a large room with other doors so Ziegler could be anywhere. ¡°One more question, Jacob. Do you want to die?¡± Jacob shook his head vigorously. ¡°Stand down. All of you. Stand down now.¡± The four men looked at each other. They seemed uncertain about what to do, however, they didn¡¯t lower their guns. Hellstorm sighed. He threw Jacob out of his way and then bolted toward the four men. Anyone he touched, he disarmed, and in less than a second, he had four guns in his hands. He dropped all the guns and bullets to the floor. The men gaped at their guns on the floor. They retreated slowly. ¡°I hate having guns pointed at me,¡± said Hellstorm. A gunshot ripped the air from behind. Sensing the bullet speeding towards him, Hellstorm caught it between his fingers without even turning around. He dropped the bullet and turned to face the man of the hour. ¡°Nice to meet you too, Ziegler.¡± The useless bodyguards quickly scrambled out of the room leaving Ziegler alone with Hellstorm. ¡°That¡¯s your security team?¡± Hellstorm chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s pathetic. I was expecting demons here.¡± Even with his trembling hand, Ziegler continued to aim his gun at Hellstorm. ¡°What? You still want to shoot me?¡± Hellstorm scoffed. ¡°Really.¡± After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Ziegler lowered his gun. ¡°How did you find me?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you like to know?¡± ¡°I heard the rumors about you coming to life.¡± Ziegler clenched his jaws. ¡°I thought the Ancient Order of Vanquishers made it up to flush me out.¡± ¡°Please, you¡¯re a fucking joke to the Order.¡± ¡°And yet here you are.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Ziegler, here I am.¡± He grinned ¡°It¡¯s such a big mystery why I¡¯ll be here looking for the very man who sent me to Bezvar.¡± ¡°That was hardly my fault.¡± Ziegler¡¯s face reddened. ¡°You vanquishers came looking for a fight. We were just minding our business.¡± Hellstorm burst into laughter. ¡°Yes. Because trying to release the Demon King into the physical world is no big deal. Just another Friday for you innocent Vessels. And the big bad vanquishers rained on your parade. Obviously, it was not your fault at all.¡± ¡°Look, Hellstorm, that¡¯s not the point.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s not.¡± Hellstorm¡¯s voice turned deadly as he slowly sauntered towards Ziegler. ¡°I¡¯m not here to reminisce. There¡¯s nothing I would like more than to rip your guts out through your mouth and then feed it back to you. As much as I want to kill you right now, I¡¯m here for something else. Something more important than your fucking death.¡± Ziegler narrowed his eyes. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I need an audience.¡± ¡°An audience? Weren¡¯t you in Bezvar? You could have found whoever you were looking for.¡± ¡°Is that why you sent me there? Because you thought it was a fucking vacation? Does Hell sound like fucking Hawaii to you?¡± After a moment¡¯s pause, Ziegler asked, ¡°Who do you want an audience with¡± ¡°Izenros.¡± The Vessels¡¯ eyes widened in shock. If Hellstorm could get a dollar for how many times Vessels and demons paled in fear whenever they heard Izenros¡¯s name, he would be the wealthiest man alive. It was certainly for a good reason they feared Izenros. No Vessel or demon in their right mind would want to offend a prince of the Septos. Even many senior vanquishers would think twice about facing Izenros without proper backup. ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Ziegler yelled. ¡°I¡¯m very sane, Ziegler.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to kill me, then do it.¡± ¡°Maybe I won¡¯t kill you,¡± said Hellstorm. ¡°Maybe I will just tell the Order where you are. And then you¡¯re history. You know what they do to Vessels, don¡¯t you? Imagine what they¡¯ll do to you, Ludwig Ziegler, Archvessel of the Vessels of Bezvaros, and the man who almost unleashed the Demon King.¡± Hellstorm chuckled. ¡°I can already see your future, Ziegler, and it¡¯s no future.¡± ¡°Whatever they would do to me would be nothing compared to what Izenros would do if I dared to summon him. Go ahead and call the Order.¡± From the unwavering resolve in his eyes, it was clear Ziegler meant every word. Hellstorm sighed. ¡°Why the hell do you people even call yourselves the Vessels of Bezvaros if you can¡¯t summon royal demons?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say it was impossible,¡± said Ziegler. ¡°I¡¯m saying it¡¯s too dangerous even with all my power as Archvessel. The slightest mistake could cost my life. You don¡¯t just summon a pureblood royal demon for no good reason.¡± ¡°Who says I don¡¯t have a good reason?¡± ¡°Maybe you do. But I don¡¯t. Prince Izenros is too powerful to incur his wrath.¡± ¡°You summoned Bezvaros himself.¡± ¡°Astrally,¡± said Ziegler in exasperation. ¡°I summoned him astrally. And that was only possible because of Bezvaros¡¯s Crystal. The crystal was a permit.¡± Ziegler paused. ¡°Look, even if Prince Izenros would not kill me for disturbing his peace, I still don¡¯t have any relic or rune powerful enough to summon a Septos¡­ not from Bezvar.¡± ¡°Izenros is not in Bezvar. He¡¯s here on earth.¡± ¡°Hellstorm,¡± Ziegler put his two hands together, ¡°this is not just a matter of geography. It¡¯s a matter of not pissing off a bloody demon prince. You of all people should understand that.¡± ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t.¡± Ziegler sighed. ¡°I can¡¯t help you. Sorry.¡± Hellstorm nodded. ¡°Okay, then.¡± Ziegler tilted his head and narrowed his eyes cautiously. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Hellstorm shrugged. Ziegler¡¯s fear of Izenros was real?¡ª?convincing him otherwise would be a waste of time. Between Hellstorm and Izenros, it was clear Ziegler feared Izenros more. Finding Izenros was of the utmost importance, and if Hellstorm was to get what he wanted, he would have to threaten Ziegler with someone far more terrifying than the last prince of the Septos. Hellstorm stopped before a large painting of a shadowy figure clothed in black amour. It was a poor rendition of the real thing, but it was certainly a painting of the Demon King. He went around looking at more paintings and strange artifacts enclosed in glass casings. ¡°You have a nice home,¡± said Hellstorm. Ziegler said nothing. He simply glared at Hellstorm with intense hazel eyes. It was like he knew Hellstorm¡¯s change in subject was simply the calm before the storm and he was bracing himself for the hell storm at any moment. Vessels knew vanquishers best indeed. Hellstorm chuckled. ¡°Relax, Ziegler. I¡¯m not going to force you to do anything. You will do it yourself.¡± ¡°I already told you?¡ª?¡± ¡°I heard Bezvaros rewarded you for sending me to him,¡± Hellstorm interrupted. ¡°It¡¯s that how you could afford all this?¡± ¡°King Bezvaros is generous,¡± said Ziegler. ¡°All hail his name.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pass. But yes, I recall how generous the Demon King can be to his enemies. Especially when that enemy was someone who almost killed him.¡± Hellstorm grinned as he recalled the lethal blow he had dealt on Bezvaros. ¡°Tell me something, Ziegler, have you ever been to Bezvar?¡± Ziegler paused thoughtfully for a moment. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Interesting how Vessels of the king of hell have never been to hell themselves. Would you like to know what it¡¯s like?¡± Ziegler said nothing, but Hellstorm continued anyway. ¡°Well, it¡¯s¡­ hell. You became a hero back in Bezvar for sending me there.¡± Hellstorm slowly encircled Ziegler. ¡°Hellstorm, the purger of demons, finally the prisoner of demons because of the great Archvessel, Ludwig Ziegler. It was glorious¡­ for them, at least. For me, it was literal torture.¡± ¡°What is this? Are you trying to guilt me into summoning Prince Izenros?¡± Ziegler scoffed. ¡°That¡¯s your plan?¡± ¡°Then I escaped from Bezvar.¡± Hellstorm ignored Ziegler. ¡°And do you know the best part? You see, not only did I inflict great physical pain on Bezvaros, but I also escaped with what he treasures most. Can you imagine Bezvaros¡¯s rage when he heard about my escape? I heard he tortured and killed all the demons who were responsible for keeping me in prison.¡± Ziegler¡¯s eyes darkened as the smugness wiped from his face. Good, he was catching on. ¡°Why are you telling me all this, Hellstorm?¡± Now Hellstorm stood face to face with Ziegler. ¡°I¡¯m merely wondering what Bezvaros would do when he hears that the man he rewarded for his loyalty was the same man who helped his worst enemy escape from Bezvar.¡± The color was gone from Ziegler¡¯s wrinkled white face. ¡°You son of a bitch. I never helped you escape from Bezvar.¡± ¡°Oh, I know. I was there. Remember?¡± Hellstorm grinned. ¡°But Bezvaros doesn¡¯t know that. I wonder what will happen when I spread the rumors. And believe me when I tell you that rumors spread like wildfire in hell.¡± Hellstorm laughed. ¡°So, whose wrath would you like to incur? The last demon prince or the fucking Demon King himself?¡± Ziegler¡¯s lips trembled. ¡°You¡¯re a demon.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a compliment from a Vessel. Now, what¡¯s your call?¡± Ziegler sighed in defeat. ¡°I¡¯ll grant you an audience with Prince Izenros.¡± Hellstorm patted Ziegler on the shoulder. ¡°Well now, that wasn¡¯t so hard, was it?¡± ¡°Someday, you¡¯re going to realize that your own people betrayed you too.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have time for this.¡± Ziegler laughed mirthlessly. ¡°Oh yeah? So I guess you don¡¯t have time to know how we knew the Order was coming for us, or how we even found Bezvaros¡¯s Crystal to summon him in the first place?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you are going to tell me anyway.¡± ¡°You vanquishers act all high and mighty, but you¡¯re all just like the demons you so much despise. Your people gave you up, Hellstorm.¡± There was no point listening to a Vessel. They twisted people¡¯s minds and used their demons against them. ¡°If you¡¯re done with your sermon,¡± said Hellstorm, losing his patience, ¡°we should get moving. I don¡¯t have all day.¡± ¡°Be in denial all you want. Someone or some people in the Order wanted you gone, Hellstorm. And they succeeded.¡± ¡°Well,¡± Hellstorm shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m here now. So clearly they failed.¡± Probably sensing that his words had failed, Ziegler sighed and led the way.
Chapter 71: The Summoning ¡°How will you summon Izenros?¡± Hellstorm asked. They were now sitting around a table in a dimly lit room Hellstorm suspected to be the ritual room. Even in hiding, a Vessel was still a Vessel, and they would need a ritual room where they could do all their sinister demonic shit. Black symbols of various designs populated the walls of the room. Hellstorm recognized some of the symbols as protective and fortification runes. Some of these protective runes were also visible on Ziegler¡¯s neck and arms. ¡°I can¡¯t risk a physical or astral summon,¡± said Ziegler. ¡°Prince Izenros is too strong, and I don¡¯t have any ancient relic to boost my power. Bezvaros¡¯s Crystal is gone. You people made sure of it.¡± ¡°So what do you have in mind?¡± asked Hellstorm, ignoring Ziegler¡¯s accusatory tone. ¡°That leaves us with the third and easiest option,¡± said Ziegler. ¡°A medium summon. I can only summon Prince Izenros to possess me. It¡¯s all I can do. If you want him here physically, then I can¡¯t help you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s more than enough. Go ahead.¡± ¡°Why do you want him so badly? People ran from the Septos¡­ what could be so important that you would risk everything just to meet the last prince of the Septos?¡± Hellstorm balled his fist and then in a hardened tone, he said, ¡°Get to work, Ziegler.¡± Why he wanted Izenros was no one¡¯s business. Now that the Order was looking for him, he had to do whatever he could to keep them from finding out. It was the only way to protect his family. ¡°A medium summon may be easier to do, but this is no ordinary demon we are summoning,¡± said Ziegler. Did Hellstorm have to slap the Vessel in the face to stop him from wasting his time? ¡°I need you as an anchor.¡± Ziegler looked at him sternly. ¡°What does that mean?¡± Ziegler grabbed both of Hellstorm¡¯s hands in a tight grip. ¡°It means don¡¯t let go of my hands no matter what. I will sever the connection with Prince Izenros if you do. Without the power I draw from you, I won¡¯t be able to hold the possession even if I succeed in summoning the prince. So don¡¯t break the contact, do you understand?¡± ¡°How long will this take?¡± ¡°About an hour. Royal demons require complex spells.¡± An hour. That should be enough time. Those fuckers had put an energy tracer on him. He had managed to replicate his location to confuse them for a while. Hopefully, Ziegler would be done before the vanquishers arrived. If the vanquishers found him in a Vessel¡¯s home while attempting a summoning, it would make his case even worse. Whatever. He had no other choice. ¡°You only need the contact. Which means as long as I keep touching you, you can keep doing the spell, right?¡± asked Hellstorm. ¡°Well, yes.¡± Hellstorm freed his hands from Ziegler¡¯s grip and instead, rested one hand on the Vessel¡¯s palm. ¡°Now that¡¯s better.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t trust me.¡± ¡°Says the man who tried to kill me.¡± ¡°Fair enough.¡± ¡°Get on with it. And don¡¯t try to be slick. I won¡¯t hesitate to end you.¡± ¡°No need for that.¡±Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Ziegler began to chant in a strange language. As he did so, his hazel eyes grew lighter, until only the whites of his eyes remained. He seemed lost in his trance, and even when Hellstorm waved his free hand in Ziegler¡¯s face, the Vessel did not blink. Ziegler¡¯s voice got louder and more frenzied. A whooshing sound filled the room, and a gale came out of nowhere. Hellstorm tightened his grip around Ziegler¡¯s hand. Was this going to go on for half an hour? Several minutes later, Ziegler¡¯s entire body began to tremble violently. The gale was now strong enough to destroy a building, however, everything stood in its place without moving, unperturbed by the wind. It must be the protection runes, Hellstorm thought. Through the loud gushing of the wind, Hellstorm sensed something strange. He frowned. It wasn¡¯t the wind. The tortures he endured in Bezvar had heightened his senses so he knew there was indeed something else in the house. The new presence had concealed itself incredibly well, and had Hellstorm been his previous self, he might never have sensed it. Shit. How did they find him so quickly? It seemed he had underestimated how badly the Order wanted him. Then again, he¡¯d heard that Pheleraz Zoleris had been put in charge of this mission, so it wasn¡¯t even that surprising. Unfortunately, Hellstorm could not break the connection with Ziegler. He wasn¡¯t leaving this place until he spoke to the demon prince. Izenros was the only one on earth right now who could give him the answers he needed. ¡°Come on Ziegler. Hurry up.¡± Then the doors burst open and scores of vanquishers broke into the room and surrounded Hellstorm and Ziegler. Fuck. ¡°Step away from the Vessel, Hellstorm,¡± one of the vanquishers commanded. It wasn¡¯t someone Hellstorm recognized. Where was Pheleraz? Typical of him to not show up. But at least, Pheleraz was smart enough to send seasoned vanquishers after him. Every single vanquisher in the room was at least a class two vanquisher. ¡°Stay back,¡± he snarled at the vanquishers. Meeting Izenros was too important. ¡°All of you.¡± But the vanquishers did not listen. They moved closer, brandishing their vaz. ¡°You¡¯re under arrest, Hellstorm of Draghein School,¡± said the man who had spoken earlier. He must be the captain of this team. ¡°If you resist, we¡¯ll be forced to kill you.¡± With what exactly? Your vaz or your bare hands? ¡°I¡¯m not leaving here until I get what I came for.¡± ¡°Stop the Vessel,¡± the captain ordered. A man holding a holy chain stepped behind Ziegler. ¡°No,¡± Hellstorm growled. With his right hand firmly holding Ziegler, he jumped on the table. Supporting his weight with his other hand, he sent a swift kick into the vanquisher¡¯s face. Without breaking the contact, Hellstorm put his hand on Ziegler¡¯s shoulder and stood behind him. He glared at the vanquishers. ¡°I told you, I¡¯m not leaving until I get what I came for. I don¡¯t want to fight you. But I will beat the shit out of all of you with one hand if you insist.¡± The vanquishers glanced at their captain in uncertainty. ¡°You know your vaz won¡¯t work on me, right? I¡¯m a vanquisher just like you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re also a demon now.¡± Hellstorm narrowed his eyes. They must be talking about his demonic portal. Dammit, things were not going as planned. Ziegler was still doing the spell. How fucking long was it anyway? Besides, if Ziegler managed to summon Izenros, Hellstorm couldn¡¯t possibly talk to him in front of everyone. No one must know what he was planning to do. Not the Order, and definitely not Bezvaros. The life of his family depended on it. Right now, there was nothing he could do to stop the Order from coming after him. He had already captured seven royal demons from the Order, and they would do everything to get him to answer for his actions. He more than anyone knew how relentless the Ancient Order of Vanquishers was. Honestly, this was all one big joke. He almost died serving the Order and now that he was back, they were trying to arrest him. Was Ziegler right? Had someone in the Order really planned the whole thing to get rid of him? No, he couldn¡¯t trust someone as crafty and slick as Ziegler. But even if he didn¡¯t trust Ziegler, it was true that there were people in the Draghein Family who openly hated Hellstorm. To them, Hellstorm would always be an outsider. If these vanquishers arrested him, they would take him back to Rhodine, and he would have to stand trial. Hellstorm was not afraid of standing trial. He had done nothing but serve the Order until they turned on him. Did they turn on me? Whether they did or did not, it was only a matter of time until the Order learned the whole truth. And once they knew the truth, they would definitely turn on him. In the meantime, he would have to shape that truth to keep his family safe. He thought he could keep his little princess out of this, but not anymore. Forgive me for the detour, my love. I need to protect our baby. If he gave the Order a plausible reason for capturing all those royal demons, they would release him. He was Hellstorm after all?¡ª?he still had a lot of influence in the Ancient Order of Vanquishers. With a heavy heart, Hellstorm released Ziegler. Chapter 72: Commotion in Draghein School Narvari had mustered up the courage just to come and see Pheera. They had to deal with this awkwardness between them once and for all. And maybe, she would tell Pheera how she felt about her. For some reason, however, Narvari was starting to think that this was a terrible idea. The iciness in Pheera¡¯s eyes was not helping at all. What if Pheera didn¡¯t feel the same way about her and everything was just in her head? Yes, they had come close to kissing twice. But maybe, Narvari was the only one who had feelings here. ¡°Are you going to speak?¡± Pheera got up from her wheelchair. However, her body was still too frail to handle any kind of movement. Before Pheera could lose her footing, Narvari was already holding the girl in her arms. Narvari¡¯s chest pounded at how close Pheera¡¯s face was to hers. Those eyes always did things to her heart. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be exerting yourself,¡± Narvari whispered. Pheera¡¯s body tensed for a moment, but she quickly freed herself from Narvari¡¯s arms. ¡°I¡¯m fine. What do you want?¡± Narvari bit her lips. Why was Pheera being so cold towards her? ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Pheera¡¯s eyes seemed to be saying a thousand things at once. Her eyes softened for a moment before hardening again. She slowly walked back to her bed and sat. Narvari wanted to help her out, but she was afraid she would make Pheera colder than she already was. ¡°Pheera?¡ª?¡± ¡°I need to rest.¡± ¡°Okay. I just wanted to know if you¡¯re alright.¡± ¡°I¡¯m alright. Is that all?¡± Narvari inhaled and exhaled silently. ¡°Actually, there¡¯s something else I want to tell you.¡± Her palms were getting sweaty by the second. God, this was harder than she thought. When Pheera didn¡¯t say anything, Narvari continued, ¡°I like you, Pheera. I mean, I don¡¯t just like you. It¡¯s more than that. I¡¯m always thinking about you, always worrying about you. And I¡­ I get really angry when someone hurts you.¡± Still no reaction from Pheera. ¡°I know something is bothering you. I know because I feel it. When you¡¯re happy, I¡¯m happy. And when you¡¯re sad, I feel it too. Like right now.¡± Narvari paused. ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t feel the same way about me.¡± Her heart ached at the thought of Pheera not having any feelings for her. ¡°But can you at least tell me what¡¯s going on with you? You know you can talk to me about anything. We¡¯re still friends after all.¡± Even still, Pheera didn¡¯t react at all. Narvari¡¯s throat and eyes burned. Her heart felt as though a crater had suddenly opened up in it. ¡°I¡¯ll just leave you alone.¡± Suddenly, she wished the ground would just open and swallow her whole. What had she expected would happen though? That Pheera would say she felt the same way and rushed into her arms? She would be lying if she said she hadn¡¯t hoped for that. Based on how close they were, Narvari strongly believed that Pheera felt the same attraction toward her. But clearly, she was wrong about that. Pheera was kind to everyone and Narvari was no exception to that kindness. Obviously, she had misconstrued Pheera¡¯s kindness for romantic feelings. How stupid could she have been? Why did she even listen to Yanvirrak when he said Pheera liked her too? Just before she opened the door to leave, warmth enveloped her body as arms wrapped around her waist. Narvari¡¯s heart raced so fast that she feared it would escape from her chest. ¡°Don¡¯t leave me,¡± Pheera whispered into her neck. An army of goosebumps invaded Narvari¡¯s body and her heart broke at the hurt and pain in Pheera¡¯s voice. She turned around to see pools of tears threatening to burst forth from Pheera. Narvari wanted to kill someone. She cupped Pheera¡¯s face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Pheera¡¯s voice cracked and the tears finally broke free. She hugged Narvari tightly as if holding on to her was a matter of life and death. Narvari held her closely as Pheera cried into her shoulders. When Pheera was a lot calmer, Narvari asked, ¡°Do you want to talk about it?¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t want you to leave.¡± ¡°Okay. I won¡¯t.¡± Narvari embraced Pheera and rubbed her back gently. ¡°I¡¯ll be right here with you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to lose you.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°You are not going to lose me.¡± Narvari tucked a strand of white hair behind Pheera¡¯s ear. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t feel the same way about me, I¡¯ll just endure the pain. Our friendship is more important to me, Pheera.¡± ¡°Narvari,¡± Pheera¡¯s gaze seemed to pierce right through Narvari¡¯s soul. ¡°The truth is, I-I¡­¡± She avoided Narvari¡¯s gaze. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for how I treated you. I have been cold towards you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not. But it¡¯s for the best.¡± Pheera tore herself from Narvari¡¯s arms and retreated a few steps back. This time, she managed to look Narvari in the eye. ¡°I don¡¯t think we should be friends anymore.¡± The words came at her like a knife to her chest but Narvari maintained her composure. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°We just can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Is it because I said I like you? You don¡¯t have to feel the same way?¡ª?¡° ¡°But I do.¡± Narvari gaped. It took her a few seconds to understand what Pheera had just said. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I like you too, Narvari.¡± Narvari found herself smiling. Was this real? Pheera liked her too. She shortened the distance between herself and Pheera and took her hand. ¡°Are you saying we should be more than just friends then?¡± In Pheera¡¯s eyes, Narvari saw the answer. Yes, we should be more than friends. ¡°No,¡± Pheera said instead. She moved away from Narvari. ¡°I¡¯m saying you should stay away from me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± Narvari frowned. ¡°You like me too, but you don¡¯t want us to be just friends nor do you want us to be more than just friends. You want me to stay away from you but you also don¡¯t want to lose me.¡± What a dilemma this was. Narvari sighed. ¡°Pheera, I don¡¯t know what you want.¡± ¡°I want you.¡± It was just a whisper, but Narvari heard clearly. Narvari took a step forward, but Pheera took two steps back. Narvari halted. ¡°Then why are you doing this? Why are you pushing me away if you want me?¡± Narvari clenched her jaws as it finally dawned on her. ¡°This is about Pheleraz, isn¡¯t it?¡± When Pheera¡¯s eyes widened in shock, Narvari knew she had hit the nail on the head. ¡°What did he say to you? Did he threaten you?¡± ¡°No,¡± said Pheera a little too quickly. ¡°We promised to be honest with each other, didn¡¯t we?¡± This time when Narvari went closer to Pheera, she didn¡¯t retreat. ¡°You¡¯ve been acting strangely ever since you two talked. What was it about?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not something you should worry about.¡± ¡°Is this a joke? All I do is worry about you,¡± she snapped. Narvari paused to take a deep breath. ¡°You know what, fine. Don¡¯t tell me. I will go confront that son of a bitch myself. Who the hell does he think he is?¡± Narvari moved but Pheera held her back. ¡°Please. Don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Why are you defending him? You say don¡¯t want to lose me, yet you ask me to stay away from you all because of him. Why?¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t want you to get hurt. I don¡¯t want you to get hurt, Narvari. I can¡¯t lose you.¡± Narvari¡¯s voice softened. ¡°Who¡¯s going to hurt me? Pheleraz? I¡¯m not afraid of him.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just Pheleraz.¡± ¡°Is this about your family?¡± Pheera nodded. ¡°You don¡¯t know them like I do. They¡¯re dangerous.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of them.¡± Narvari folded her arms. Seriously, those people should be terrified of her, not the other way around. ¡°What did Pheleraz say to you? I know he¡¯s your brother, but if he tries to hurt you, I swear to god I¡¯m going to kill him.¡± ¡°No.¡± Pheera¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You have to promise me you won¡¯t confront Pheleraz about this.¡± Narvari hesitated for a moment. She avoided Pheera¡¯s gaze because if she continued to look in those eyes, she simply could not say no to her. ¡°I can¡¯t promise you that.¡± ¡°Narvari, please. Listen to me.¡± A slight shiver ran through Narvari as Pheera cupped her face. But all she could focus on was the fear in Pheera¡¯s eyes. How she hated Pheleraz for making Pheera feel helpless. ¡°Promise me you won¡¯t confront him,¡± Pheera whispered. The more Narvari saw the pain in Pheera¡¯s eyes, the more she could not bring herself to say no. Narvari sighed. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°You promise?¡± ¡°I promise I won¡¯t ask Pheleraz about this.¡± She ran her fingers through Pheera¡¯s hair. ¡°But I need some assurance in return.¡± ¡°Anything.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not ready to take our friendship a step further,¡± said Narvari, ¡°that¡¯s fine. I can be patient. But please don¡¯t give me the cold shoulder or treat me like a stranger.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I hate that I did that to you.¡± ¡°I?¡ª?¡± Pheera put a finger on Narvari¡¯s lips. ¡°I¡¯m not done yet. The truth is I¡¯ve always liked you, Narvari. From the first moment I laid my eyes on you, I have been drawn to you, and I can¡¯t even explain why. Maybe under different circumstances, we could¡­¡± Pheera sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But this is the only way to protect you from my family. We can¡¯t?¡ª?¡± Narvari grabbed Pheera¡¯s waist and pulled her close to her body before capturing Pheera¡¯s lips with her mouth. Pheera froze, but soon, her body responded by holding Narvari¡¯s neck and kissing her back. Their kiss was a conversation, expressing everything they wanted to say to each other. Then they broke apart to take their breath. Narvari¡¯s heart pounded. The way Pheera looked at her almost gave her a heart attack. How could someone have so much effect on her? She was lost in Pheera¡¯s eyes, and yet she did not want to be found. She almost forgot how to move or talk or do anything else until the beeping sound on her phone released her from her trance. Narvari took her phone and read the message. It was from Yanvirrak. At least, he had sent the message after their kiss. Narvari¡¯s eyes widened upon reading the message. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Pheera. ¡°Hellstorm has been arrested.¡± ¡°What? When?¡± ¡°A few minutes ago.¡± Narvari paused. ¡°But that¡¯s not all. They brought him here.¡± Pheera narrowed her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s strange. I thought he would be taken to Rhodine.¡± ¡°I thought so too.¡± Narvari led Pheera to her wheelchair. ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look. Yanvirrak said there¡¯s already a commotion outside.¡± Chapter 73: Dilemma
When word went out that the Hellstorm had finally been arrested vanquishers gathered in the hallways of the Academy to see the legend for themselves. Rumors had it that the man was a demon now. Two Vanquishers carried an unconscious white man with sandy brown hair. ¡°Is that Hellstorm?¡± Narvari asked. ¡°No,¡± said Yanvirrak. ¡°That¡¯s him over there.¡± Yanvirrak pointed to another group of vanquishers escorting a tall, heavily built man. He wore a cowboy hat and a mask designed with a skeleton jaw that covered the lower half of his face. He also wore handcuffs and a black collar around his neck. No one was touching him and neither was he resisting at all. So that was Hellstorm. He surely looked intimidating. She could see why he had the entire Order so worked up. The Academy was dead silent as the vanquishers led Hellstorm away. Then, as Hellstorm passed, Narvari felt the man¡¯s gaze was on her. She couldn¡¯t help but feel scrutinized. She frowned. Why did it feel like there was something vaguely familiar about him? Even as they led him away, Narvari wouldn¡¯t stop staring at his back. She tightened her grip on Pheera¡¯s wheelchair. What was this feeling? Something about this man seemed to pull her in like a magnet. Whatever it was, she needed to figure it out. ¡°Hey, Narvari.¡± Yanvirrak tapped her shoulder. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yeah. Sorry. I just¡­¡± How should she explain this? Her eyes darted towards Hellstorm and the vanquishers. She had to follow them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry guys. I have to go.¡± ¡°Where?¡± Pheera asked. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later.¡± Then turning to Yanvirrak she said, ¡°Can you take her back? Thanks.¡± Not waiting for Yanvirrak to reply, Narvari ran after Hellstorm¡¯s entourage. She halted as the vanquishers opened a door and entered the room. They soon came out without Hellstorm. When she was sure the vanquishers were gone, she walked towards the room. A large glass embedded in the wall made it possible to see inside the room. And there, sat Hellstorm, chained to the table. Wait¡­ this was the same room she was confined in when Zemeron ¡®arrested¡¯ her. Narvari pressed her hand to the glass. What was this feeling? What was she doing here? And more importantly, why did it feel like she¡¯d seen this man somewhere before? But that was impossible. ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to be here?¡± Narvari clenched her jaws as Pheleraz¡¯s annoying voice interrupted her voice. She glared at him, ready to fire some choice words at him. But upon seeing Trixan, Narvari checked her emotions. ¡°You should leave,¡± Pheleraz demanded. ¡°Now.¡± Ignoring him, Narvari asked Trixan, ¡°What are you going to do to Hellstorm?¡± ¡°It¡¯s none of your business,¡± Pheleraz snapped. ¡°I don¡¯t remember talking to you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± said Trixan. She looked at Narvari sternly. ¡°You can¡¯t be here, my dear.¡± ¡°I know.¡± She looked back at Hellstorm. ¡°What¡¯s going to happen to him?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to ask him some questions.¡± Narvari nodded. ¡°Can I stay behind?¡± ¡°My dear?¡ª?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just be right here,¡± said Narvari quickly. ¡°I only want to see what he looks like. I¡¯ve heard so much about him.¡± Trixan didn¡¯t say anything for a while. ¡°Alright then.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Narvari grinned. The Elder shrugged. ¡°You¡¯re not going to hear anything anyway.¡± Pheleraz on the other hand didn¡¯t look pleased at all. But he didn¡¯t protest. He followed Trixan into the room while Narvari stood behind to watch through the glass. Trixan was right. Narvari could not hear a thing. It looked like Pheleraz was doing all the talking. With a victorious smirk on his face, he stood behind Hellstorm and rested his hands on the man¡¯s shoulders. Gosh, how smug was this guy? It was like he had a personal vendetta against Hellstorm or something. Pheleraz took off Hellstorm¡¯s hat and threw it on the table. For the first time, Narvari saw the man¡¯s dark brown eyes. Those very familiar eyes. But it was the thin scar on his forehead that arrested Narvari¡¯s attention. She froze. No. It couldn¡¯t be. She was mistaken. It certainly couldn¡¯t be him. The thought had barely formed in her mind when Pheleraz suddenly ripped Hellstorm¡¯s mask off. The world seemed to disappear. ¡°Papa?¡± Narvari gaped. How can this be? ¡°Why the hell is my father in there?¡± Her father was Hellstorm? Yabaga was Hellstorm? But that was impossible. That couldn¡¯t be possible. Hellstorm was a vanquisher and he had been dead for twenty years. How the hell could he be her father? Only one person had the answers to her questions. Without thinking, she ran into the room. ¡°Hey,¡± Pheleraz yelled. ¡°What the hell are you doing here? Get out.¡± ¡°Narvari.¡± Trixan was instantly on her feet. ¡°You can¡¯t be here.¡± Ignoring them both, she went straight to her father and banged the table violently. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Narvari¡¯s hands trembled. If rage could kill, her father would be dead. ¡°You left for six years and now what? You pretend you don¡¯t even know me? What the hell is wrong with you?¡± ¡°Little princess?¡ª?¡± Hellstorm began. ¡°Don¡¯t call me that. I¡¯m not little anymore. If you were around, you¡¯d know that.¡± ¡°Narvari.¡± He took Narvari¡¯s hand but she pulled away from Hellstorm. Or Yabaga¡­ Whatever the hell his name was. ¡°I was only trying to protect you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Trixan asked. ¡°Does it matter?¡± Pheleraz asked. ¡°Just get that maniac out of here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not leaving this place.¡± Narvari glared at Pheleraz. She was way past the point of civility, and if this man kept getting on her nerves, she would punch him in the face. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving until I get answers from my father.¡± ¡°Your father?¡± Pheleraz and Trixan both said at the same time. ¡°That demon is your father?¡± said Pheleraz. ¡°You¡¯re a Draghein?¡± He turned to Trixan with a questioning look. But Trixan¡¯s stoic expression didn¡¯t change.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Narvari¡¯s attention went back to her father. ¡°How could you leave us? Do you have any idea what happened to us? We were attacked by demons. Anana and Jimbaga died. So many people died. You are a vanquisher and yet you weren¡¯t there to do anything.¡± She clenched her fists while searing heat scorched her veins. ¡°Is that what you call protection? Huh?¡± ¡°I came back home as soon as I heard. Didn¡¯t Dawuli tell you?¡± ¡°Yeah, well, you were too late.¡± Narvari¡¯s tone dripped with venom. ¡°You were never there. What happened to Sharmandi was all your fault. You did this.¡± ¡°Narvari, I can explain.¡± ¡°Explain?¡± Narvari laughed mirthlessly. This man was a vanquisher and yet he abandoned them like that. And for what? A woman who abandoned Narvari as a baby? ¡°Sure. Explain. Why did you leave your twelve-year-old child alone with your ninety-five-year-old mother? Why weren¡¯t you there when those demons attacked? I mean you can teleport, right? So where the hell were you? Explain that.¡± Hellstorm¡¯s eyes softened. ¡°Trixi. I need to speak to my daughter alone. Please.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of this charade,¡± Pheleraz said. ¡°Whatever this is, it¡¯s over. You are in no position to make demands, Hellstorm. I call the shots here.¡± Turning his icy gaze to Narvari he continued, ¡°And as for you, child of a demon?¡ª?¡±Pheleraz and Narvari were now standing face to face. She glared at the man with the same intensity of hate Pheleraz meted out to her. Fortunately, before Narvari could entertain the homicidal thoughts feeling at home in her mind, Trixan stood between them. ¡°Be careful of what you say or do next, Pheleraz Zoleris,¡± Trixan said rather calmly. ¡°I¡¯ll listen to her if I were you,¡± Hellstorm said. The fire in Pheleraz¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t extinguish. ¡°Clearly, you¡¯re emotionally compromised in this case,¡± he said. ¡°I declare Code 668.¡± ¡°Go ahead,¡± said Trixan. ¡°But I¡¯m still going to keep an eye on both of you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you are, Yvis. Just get the girl out of here.¡± Before Narvari could unleash the venom on her tongue, Trixan turned to her. ¡°Go back to your room, Narvari,¡± said Trixan. Shit, she¡¯s angry. Narvari gulped. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about this later,¡± said Trixan. Looking one last time at her father, Narvari nodded and left. She couldn¡¯t believe that her father was the same man who had raised Trixan. Those two owed her an explanation. Not that she wanted to hear it from her father. That man could go to hell. Again.
Narvari paced inside her room, deeply lost in thought. Her father was Yabaga. Why the hell was he Hellstorm? When did he become Hellstorm? Hellstorm died¡­ or disappeared twenty years ago. But Yabaga had raised her since she was a baby until she was twelve. That was eighteen years ago. She shook her head. What was going on? None of this made any sense. But the man sitting in the interrogation room was no doubt her father. He looked younger than he did six years ago, but it was still him. She knew it. How did that even happen? Was he aging backward or something? Narvari rubbed her forehead. People were saying Hellstorm was a demon. But Hellstorm was her father, and her father was no demon. She hated the man for leaving, but all the time he stayed, he was a great father. How could someone like that be a demon? Then again, her father had his secrets. Hell, he never told Narvari about being a vanquisher nor did he tell her about her mother. Certainly, if he were a demon, he wouldn¡¯t tell Narvari either. Narvari froze. Was her father a demon? Would that make her a demon too? Was that why she could heal so quickly? I¡¯m a demon. Narvari staggered backward as the energy slowly drained from her legs. Her head pounded, threatening to explode. Suddenly, she felt like she was trapped in a tiny space without any oxygen. The walls of the room seemed to be closing in on her. Narvari¡¯s chest heaved and her breath quickened. She fell to her knees and grabbed her chest. Her breath came in heavy gasps as her body shook violently. Water. It felt like she was drowning in a vast pool of water. A knock on the door. Then another. Then silence. Narvari could not move. Nor speak. Her chest beat like a drum Suddenly the door flung open. ¡°Narvari.¡± She knew this voice. Narvari gasped as strong arms lifted her from the ground. ¡°Hey, hey, look at me.¡± Narvari stared into Pheera¡¯s beautiful blue eyes. ¡°Breathe slowly. Slowly.¡± The calmness of Pheera¡¯s voice soothed her. ¡°I¡¯m right here,¡± said Pheera, ¡°I¡¯m right here and I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡± It felt easier to breathe again, however, the quivering did not stop. Neither could she hold back the tears that suddenly burst from deep within her soul. ¡°Let it all out,¡± Pheera whispered. ¡°Let it all out.¡± Then she carried Narvari in her arms like she weighed nothing at all. Narvari wanted to protest about Pheera still recovering from her injuries, but she was too drained to argue. Instead, she curled herself up in Pheera¡¯s arms, reveling in her soft warm body. It took Narvari a while to realize that Pheera had put her back in bed. Pheera lay next to her and said, ¡°Trixan told me what happened. She wanted me to make sure you were okay. How do you feel?¡± ¡°Better now.¡± Pheera smiled and kissed Narvari¡¯s forehead. ¡°Good.¡± They were silent for a while until Pheera said, ¡°Do you want to talk about it?¡± ¡°It felt like I was dying,¡± said Narvari. ¡°I don¡¯t know what would have happened if you hadn¡¯t come here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m here now.¡± Pheera stroked her cheeks. ¡°Pheera.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°They¡¯re saying Hellstorm is a demon¡­ and he¡¯s my father.¡± Narvari paused, letting her words sink in. ¡°I already told you, Narvari. Whatever you are has never mattered to me.¡± ¡°But it matters to me.¡± Narvari instantly sat up in her bed, quickly regretting she had raised her voice. She clenched her jaws. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I just¡­ All demons ever do is destroy,¡± said Narvari. ¡°Maybe now I have the choice to choose between right and wrong. But what if someday I don¡¯t have that choice anymore? What if all I ever want to do is hurt innocent people?¡± Her voice became a whisper. ¡°What if I hurt you?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t hurt me.¡± Pheera took Narvari¡¯s hand. ¡°Pheera, I would rather die than hurt you. Ever. But what if it¡¯s something I can¡¯t control?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know that.¡± ¡°And you don¡¯t know I won¡¯t be a danger to you.¡± Narvari¡¯s eyes stung with tears. ¡°It still hasn¡¯t been confirmed yet if Hellstorm is indeed a demon. And even if it turns out to be true, and somehow that makes you a demon, I don¡¯t care about that. I know you will never hurt me, Narvari. I just know it.¡± Narvari hugged Pheera. They were in that position for a long time until Narvari slowly pulled out of Pheera¡¯s embrace feeling a little embarrassed for crying so much. She has been crying so much these days, it was pretty exhausting. And it was all because of him. It was all his fault. That lying bastard. ¡°How could he just leave us like that,¡± said Narvari. The sadness in her heart turned stone cold. ¡°He¡¯s a vanquisher, and yet he wasn¡¯t there when we needed him most. How could he do that to us? I lost my family because of him. People died because of him. Because he left. It was all his fault.¡± ¡°You know Stein was responsible for that. Not your father.¡± Of course, she knew that. But it was easier to blame her father. ¡°None of that would have happened if he had never left.¡± ¡°And maybe you¡¯re right,¡± said Pheera. ¡°You have every right to be angry with him for leaving. But ask yourself, would your father have wanted something bad to happen to you or your grandmother? Be honest with yourself.¡± Back when her father was the captain of WPU, he had been very protective of Sharmandi. There was no way he would have let anything happen to the town. He would have protected Narvari and Anana with his life. She hated him for leaving, but it was unfair to pin the massacre of her town on him. ¡°You¡¯re right. Stein was responsible for what happened, not my father,¡± she said. ¡°But why did he leave?¡± ¡°Right now your father is the only one who can give you those answers.¡± Narvari said nothing. ¡°You need to speak to him,¡± Pheera said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see him again.¡± ¡°Do you mean that?¡± ¡°No,¡± she whispered. ¡°Then you should talk to him.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think Pheleraz will allow it.¡± ¡°Do you care what Pheleraz thinks?¡± That made Narvari chuckle. ¡°No. I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Exactly. Besides, you need Trixan¡¯s permission. Not Pheleraz¡¯s.¡± ¡°He seems to hold a personal vendetta against my dad.¡± Narvari paused. ¡°Against Hellstorm.¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably because Hellstorm is a Draghein,¡± said Pheera. ¡°Pheleraz hates them.¡± Yabaga is a Draghein? Wait¡­ How? She could understand if Yabaga was a vanquisher. But how the hell was he a Draghein? He wasn¡¯t even a Shar. It was like she didn¡¯t even know the man at all. Everything she knew about herself was not real. In a single day, she had just found out that one of the most powerful vanquishers alive was her father. At the same time, she could be a demon because her father might be a demon. As if that was not enough, she might as well be a Draghein. If this was a dream, she was ready to wake up now.
Chapter 74: Hellstorms Bargain
With Pheleraz Zoleris invoking Code 668, Trixan could not participate in Hellstorm¡¯s interrogation. However, Hellstorm stubbornly refused to answer any of Pheleraz¡¯s questions unless he spoke to Trixan in private first. Pheleraz had reluctantly agreed and so now, here was Trixan, all alone with Hellstorm. Looking into the eyes of the man she¡¯d known all her life, the man who was the closest thing to a father to her, she realized that this was harder than she had thought it would be. Could she really be detached from this case? So many questions puzzled her mind. How had Hellstorm survived in Bezvar? How did he escape? When did he have a daughter? ¡°We thought you were¡­¡± Trixan¡¯s words trailed off. ¡°Dead?¡± Hellstorm added. ¡°There were times I wished I did. It was¡­ it was hell.¡± Trixan swallowed. ¡°If I knew you were alive all this time?¡ª?¡± ¡°Bezvaros would have killed you. He¡¯s too powerful. I¡¯m glad you didn¡¯t come after me, Trixi.¡± Hellstorm smiled. ¡°Are you doing all right? Those motherfuckers in Agon are not giving you a hard time, are they?¡± That made Trixan smile. ¡°They would have to try harder.¡± He nodded with a smirk. ¡°I knew I chose well.¡± He¡¯d always believed in her even when no one did. This was the man who taught her everything she knew, the man who instilled in her a sense of discipline, responsibility, and family. She wished they were reuniting under different circumstances. Maybe Pheleraz was right. Talking to Hellstorm was a bad idea. Hellstorm sighed. ¡°So, what¡¯s the Order¡¯s plan for me? They think I¡¯m a demon, don¡¯t they? Even if I were a demon, which I¡¯m not,¡± he paused for emphasis, ¡°how is that my fault? I ended up in Bezvar because I was doing my job as a vanquisher. Why am I the one being treated like a villain here?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not a demon?¡± Trixan raised a brow. ¡°Then how do you explain your new demonic power? Why do you have a portal full of demon energy?¡± ¡°There is an explanation for that.¡± ¡°Are you going to tell me?¡± Hellstorm was silent for a moment. ¡°Trixi, all you need to know is that I was tortured endlessly by Bezvaros¡¯s demons and somehow I ended up with this power.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Bezvaros or his royal demons didn¡¯t turn you into a demon?¡± ¡°No.¡± Hellstorm¡¯s heartbeat was calm enough to show that he was speaking the truth. Then again, he knew about Trixan¡¯s sound elema. It wouldn¡¯t be too hard for him to manipulate his bodily vibrations to appear truthful. She¡¯d seen him do it once on a mission several years ago. ¡°I simply acquired this power out of sheer will. It¡¯s full of demonic energy because I acquired it in Bezvar. But believe me, I am not a demon.¡± Hellstorm had always been honest with her. He always said that lies were born out of fear, and he feared no one so he had no reason to lie. Trixan completely trusted him. The only problem was that right now, she wasn¡¯t sure if the man sitting before him was the same Hellstorm she once knew. She wanted to believe that he could not be controlled by anyone, not even the Demon King himself. But at the same time, she had to be cautious. She couldn¡¯t let her emotions cloud her judgment. That could pose dire consequences not only for the Order but the entire world. ¡°Why did you meet with the Archmage?¡± Trixan asked. ¡°Well, the fucker sent me to Bezvar.¡± He laughed mirthlessly. ¡°So you went there for revenge.¡± ¡°If I went there for revenge, Ziegler would already be dead.¡± ¡°Then why were you there?¡± asked Trixan. ¡°The vanquishers who arrested you said Ziegler was in the middle of a summon when they arrived. And you tried to protect him. Who was he summoning?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve spoken to him, haven¡¯t you?¡± Hellstorm shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯s told you everything.¡± ¡°Not everything.¡± She dared not believe Ludwig Ziegler. How could Hellstorm seek the service of a Vessel? Why would he want to summon a demon? A prince of the Septos, no less. ¡°What¡¯s your business with Izenros? Why were you trying to summon him?¡± Hellstorm shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you, Trixi.¡± ¡°Why did you rescue those lowbloods?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell you.¡± She¡¯d almost forgotten how stubborn this man could be. ¡°I am trying to help you, Hellstorm. I may well be the only one who is willing to believe in your innocence despite all the incriminating evidence. The Order is going to do whatever it takes to find the truth, you know that. I want to believe that you had a good reason for everything you did. But I can¡¯t protect you from the Order if you don¡¯t talk to me.¡±This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Trixi. But I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Not even for Narvari? Your daughter?¡± Trixan balled her fists, the anger slowly spreading through her veins. A part of her wanted to believe that Hellstorm was still in there since his eyes softened as soon as she mentioned Narvari. Maybe she could use that to make him talk. He had to. This wasn¡¯t just about him anymore. She had to protect Narvari too. Trixan said, ¡°Do you have any idea what she¡¯s going through right now? Do you know what it was like for her to be suddenly plunged into this world only to find out that her father is now an enemy of the Order?¡± ¡°She wasn¡¯t supposed to get involved,¡± Hellstorm said through clenched teeth. ¡°She wasn¡¯t supposed to awaken. At least not until¡­¡± He stopped himself. Trixan narrowed her eyes. ¡°Not until what?¡± ¡°Not until I returned home to her. I was planning on telling her the truth after that.¡± Why was Narvari not supposed to awaken yet? She came from a long line of vanquishers who normally awakened below the age of sixteen. Narvari, however, had a late awakening at eighteen years old. Yet Hellstorm was so sure that her daughter would not awaken until much later. Why? He might be doing a great job keeping his breathing and heartbeat steady, but Trixan knew he was hiding something. It was all in his eyes. She would not be fooled by his calm facade. Ever since she was a child, Hellstorm would often confide in her. While most people treated her like a child, Hellstorm didn¡¯t shy away from discussing important issues with her like any adult of the Draghein Family. He would say that it was good training for her in building leadership and decision-making skills. There were things Hellstorm even told Trixan that he never told others. Once when Trixan had asked him about it, he told him that it was because he trusted Trixan more than anyone. If Hellstorm was hiding something from her now, then he probably didn¡¯t trust Trixan enough to tell her. ¡°I know you¡¯re hiding something but if you¡¯re not going to tell me, then there¡¯s no point being here.¡± She stood. ¡°If you have nothing else to say, Pheleraz will send you to Rhodine and you¡¯ll be charged with treason for rescuing lowblood demons and attempting to summon a pureblood demon.¡± She turned to leave. ¡°Trixi, wait.¡± Trixan halted reluctantly. ¡°Okay,¡± he said. ¡°You want answers, I¡¯ll give them to you. But first I need to speak to my daughter. Alone. No cameras, no one watching.¡± He paused to look at one of the cameras hidden in the upper corner of the room. So he knew Pheleraz was watching them now. ¡°Let me talk to my little princess. Just us. You do that, and you have my word, I¡¯ll tell you and Pheleraz, whatever you want to know.¡± ¡°Everything?¡± Hellstorm nodded. ¡°Everything.¡± Had this come from Hellstorm before he went to Bezvar she would have easily believed it, no questions asked. But the nagging feeling that the man was no longer the person she knew was buried deeply in her mind. She gazed into Hellstorm¡¯s dark eyes. They were those same profound and sincere eyes she had known ever since she was a child. There was never a time this man had put her in danger, and when he did, it was to make her stronger. It was thanks to Hellstorm that Trixan was a powerful vanquisher who would not be intimidated by the Dominant Families. Although there was a small part of her that told her not to trust him, the biggest part of her wanted the very opposite. After everything Hellstorm had done for her, this was the least she could do. If this backfired, it would be more than enough reason for the Draghein Family to finally demote her as Elder. How ironic. She only became an Elder because of Hellstorm and she might lose her position as Elder because of Hellstorm. That was fine though. She was willing to take that risk. This man took the biggest risk by taking her in and raising her. ¡°Okay,¡± said Trixan. ¡°I will let you talk to Narvari alone. No one else will listen in or look at you. But only for ten minutes.¡± Hellstorm smiled widely. ¡°Thank you.¡±
¡°Absolutely not,¡± Pheleraz shouted angrily as soon as Trixan came out of the interrogation room. ¡°There¡¯s no way that demon can see his daughter. He is in no position to make demands.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not a demon.¡± Pheleraz scoffed. ¡°And you believe him? Yvis, can¡¯t you see what¡¯s happening here? He¡¯s trying to get into your head. And now what, you want him to see his daughter?¡± ¡°So he will cooperate,¡± Trixan said. ¡°Would you rather torture him? Because I¡¯m not going to let that happen, Pheleraz.¡± ¡°As much as torturing Hellstorm will give me immense pleasure, I know it will be a waste of time. That man has literally been through hell. I don¡¯t think I have the power to break him.¡± ¡°Good,¡± said Trixan. ¡°We¡¯re on the same page then.¡± ¡°No, we¡¯re not. We¡¯re on very different pages, Yvis.¡± There was something in Pheleraz''s eyes she didn¡¯t like. Pheleraz came closer. ¡°I may not have the power to break Hellstorm but I know someone who does.¡± Trixan narrowed her eyes, wondering who he was talking about. Then he said, ¡°Pheera?¡ª?¡± ¡°No,¡± she stopped him immediately, a storm brewing in her eyes. ¡°You must be out of your mind if you think I¡¯m going to let you use Pheera¡¯s power against her will.¡± ¡°Yvis?¡ª?¡± ¡°Pheleraz Zoleris,¡± Trixan¡¯s voice was eerily calm, ¡°do not make me repeat myself.¡± ¡°Her power is meant to be used.¡± ¡°On her terms.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± Pheleraz smiled. ¡°You really think Hellstorm is going to tell you the truth if you let him see his daughter?¡± Honestly, she couldn¡¯t say for sure. She didn¡¯t know if she could trust the man inside or not. With Pheera¡¯s captivation, they could know everything Hellstorm was hiding. However, she would rather die than force Pheera to captivate someone. The girl had already been through too much from her family. Draghein School was the place where she felt safest. Trixan would not destroy that. Besides, even if Pheera agreed to captivate Hellstorm, it would be dangerous to her health. The girl was still recovering after going through a forceful order-up. If Hellstorm resisted Pheera¡¯s captivation, there was no telling what could happen to Pheera. Trixan would not put the child in harm¡¯s way. Knowing it would be pointless explaining all this to Pheleraz, Trixan sighed in exhaustion and said, ¡°Let the man see his child. He will talk.¡± ¡°I still think it¡¯s a bad idea,¡± said Pheleraz. ¡°But I¡¯ll allow it. Just once. If I sense something off, I¡¯ll do things my way.¡± ¡°Do whatever you want. Just keep Pheera out of this.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to force my sister to do anything, Yvis.¡± Pheleraz laughed. ¡°You should be more concerned about Hellstorm keeping his end of the bargain.¡± Before Pheleraz walked away, he added, ¡°Hellstorm has demon energy. That¡¯s proof that he¡¯s a demon. You can¡¯t believe the nonsense he spouted.¡± His deep blue eyes bore through Trixan. ¡°If Hellstorm is a demon, then it¡¯s possible that his spawn is a demon too. You have bigger problems, Yvis. Bigger problems.¡± He walked away laughing.
Chapter 75: The Interrogation
Anana once said that Yabaga had been sad for a long time. Maybe Narvari had been too young to see it then. But now, sitting before her father, the exhaustion and sorrow effusing from him was crystal clear. Even his voice seemed a little gruffer than she remembered. The man was the same, yet he looked entirely different. ¡°Why do you look so young?¡± The words came out before she could even think it through. The man she knew six years ago was a lot older. He was in his mid-sixties, but he looked three decades younger. ¡°Continuous use of sacred energy slows down aging,¡± said Hellstorm. ¡°I stopped using mine when you were born and only began using it recently. So now I¡¯m back to my usual self.¡± Narvari nodded. She knew people from Agon aged slowly. She didn¡¯t know sacred energy was the reason for that. ¡°Little Princess?¡ª?¡± ¡°Papa,¡± Narvari protested. ¡°I know, I know. You¡¯re not little anymore. But you¡¯ll always be my little princess. You know that.¡± Narvari sighed. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about any of this? About vanquishers¡­ about demons? Why hide it from me?¡± ¡°I was hoping to keep you away from it. To protect you.¡± ¡°Protect me from what? Demons?¡± Narvari clenched her fists. Why did he keep saying that? ¡°Well, guess what, Papa, those demons still managed to attack Sharmandi. Anana and Jimbaga are dead because of them. And if not for the vanquishers showing up¡­¡± Narvari paused, not wanting to think about the rest of what might have happened. She thought she had put the past behind her. It seemed not. What would have been the fate of Sharmandi had Pheera, Yanvirrak, and Azmel not shown up? No matter how fierce the Kirriba were as warriors, those demons were invincible to their attacks. The entire country would have been wiped out unless Narvari had miraculously awakened her vaz somehow. ¡°You¡¯re right. This was all my fault.¡± ¡°Papa,¡± she took her father¡¯s hand, ¡°it¡¯s not your fault. I only said that because I was angry.¡± ¡°No, I should have been there. I should have protected you and your grandmother. I¡¯m sorry I abandoned you.¡± Narvari wanted to be mad at him. She wanted to hate him. But this was a man she had idolized for most of her life. ¡°Is it true, Papa?¡± Narvari asked. ¡°What?¡± he asked softly. ¡°They¡¯re saying you¡¯re a demon. Is it true?¡± ¡°Do you believe them?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what to believe, Papa.¡± She couldn¡¯t sense any demon energy from him. Then again, if someone as powerful as Yabaga had been turned a demon, he would at least be a greater demon and that meant he could conceal his demon energy. She had to know. ¡°I need you to tell me the truth.¡± The silence nearly drove Narvari crazy. If Yabaga admitted he was a demon, then that was proof that Narvari was a demon too. The mere thought of that sent chills down her spine. ¡°My new teleportation ability is indeed powered by demon energy,¡± he said, ¡°and I¡¯m a lot stronger now. But I¡¯m certainly not a demon, little princess. And that is the truth.¡± Narvari released a huge sigh of relief. Suddenly, she felt much lighter, as if a burden weighing a ton had been lifted off her shoulders. She didn¡¯t realize how stifling this had been on her until now. She almost cried tears of joy. ¡°I was so scared,¡± she said. ¡°I thought I was a demon because you were a demon.¡± Hellstorm rubbed his cheeks while avoiding Narvari¡¯s gaze. A lot of things might have changed about her father, but some things never changed?¡ª?like how her father would avoid her gaze distracting himself with his hands whenever he was hiding something. He had never been good at lying to her. ¡°Did you get my gift?¡± Hellstorm asked before Narvari could probe further. Now he was changing the subject. Yes, the man was definitely hiding something. But she was too confused by the question to keep dwelling on what her father was hiding. ¡°What gift?¡± Hellstorm raised a brow. ¡°I left something with Dawuli. I told him to give it to you as soon as you returned.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± said Narvari, suddenly recalling what her father was talking about. ¡°He did.¡± ¡°Did you like it?¡± Narvari shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s inside.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t opened it?¡± His gaze widened. ¡°Sorry. I was too angry with you to open it.¡± Hellstorm nodded. ¡°I understand. I¡¯m just glad you have it now. You should take good care of it.¡± ¡°What¡¯s inside?¡± His smile lit up his eyes. It was the first genuine smile Narvari had seen from him since they started talking. ¡°Something that belonged to your mother,¡± he said, still smiling. ¡°My mother?¡± This was the first time her father had talked about her mother willingly. Hellstorm nodded. ¡°There¡¯s something you have to know about her.¡± ¡°That she¡¯s alive?¡± He gaped, completely speechless. Ignoring his shock, Narvari added, ¡°Why did you hide it from me?¡± ¡°How did you?¡ª?¡± ¡°Anana told me before she died.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, little princess.¡± ¡°Papa, I just want you to tell me the truth. Why didn¡¯t you tell me about her? Where is she? Did you leave us to go and look for her? She abandoned us.¡± ¡°Narvari,¡± her father quickly interrupted. He shook his head slowly and then pointed to the cameras with his gaze. ¡°We can¡¯t talk about this here. It¡¯s not safe. You¡¯re not safe.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± What was so dangerous about talking about her mother here? Was her mother wanted by the Ancient Order of Vanquishers too? ¡°Listen to me, Narvari.¡± Her father held her hands firmly, his light brown eyes staring profoundly at her. ¡°You can¡¯t trust anyone here. Not even Trixan.¡± Narvari frowned and pulled her hands away. ¡°You don¡¯t trust Trixan?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust her.¡± ¡°Then what is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s complicated.¡± ¡°So explain it to me. I¡¯m not a child.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just trying to protect you.¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Narvari banged the table hard. ¡°You keep saying you want to protect me but all you do is piss me off when I hear it.¡± She bit her lips, willing herself to calm down. She was here for answers. She shouldn¡¯t be losing her cool, especially when they had so little time. ¡°Who exactly are you protecting me from? Trixan?¡± Narvari chuckled mirthlessly. ¡°She has been there for me all this time. Where were you then?¡± ¡°I do not doubt that Trixan loves you,¡± Hellstorm said. ¡°I raised her as my own long before I had you and I know she will protect you no matter what. But for how long can she do that? Once everyone finds out who you are¡­ what you are¡­¡± Hellstorm sighed. ¡°Sooner or later, little princess, everyone¡¯s going to come after you. That¡¯s why you can¡¯t trust anyone or stay here.¡± Narvari¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°What are you talking about, Papa? Why would everyone come after me?¡± She paused thoughtfully. Hellstorm said nothing. All he did was watch Narvari with a sad smile. Hellstorm¡¯s words rang in her mind¡­ Once everyone finds out who you are¡­ what you are¡­ Narvari narrowed her eyes. What am I? And then the implication of those words hit her like a mighty tempest. ¡°Papa,¡± she said quietly with trembling hands, ¡°didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re not a demon so I¡¯m not a demon?¡± For the longest time, Hellstorm didn¡¯t answer. ¡°Papa?¡ª?¡± ¡°I said I am not a demon, Narvari.¡± He was not a demon? What was he talking about? Why was he not telling her what she needed to hear? Why wasn¡¯t he confirming that she too was not a demon? Her heart hammered in her chest. Enough of this hide and seek. It was time to get to the bottom of this shit. ¡°Am I a demon?¡± ¡°You¡¯re my little princess.¡± He squeezed her hand gently. ¡°Papa!¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious, Narvari. You will always be our little princess. Your mother and I love you very much.¡± His eyes were so sad and red. How big was this secret that he couldn¡¯t even tell her? And why couldn¡¯t he just easily tell her that she wasn¡¯t a demon if she really wasn¡¯t? ¡°Listen to me, Narvari. You have to?¡ª?¡± ¡°Time¡¯s up,¡± Pheleraz suddenly burst into the room followed by Trixan. Of course, this man would interrupt at such a critical time. Pheleraz said, ¡°We kept our end of the bargain, Hellstorm. It¡¯s time for you to keep yours.¡± ¡°Of course. I always keep my word, Pheleraz. You should learn it sometime.¡± Hellstorm smirked, the fear instantly disappearing from his eyes. ¡°I can teach you if you want.¡± Pheleraz glared at the prisoner. It seemed her father¡¯s knack for pissing people off with his words was still there. Good for him. ¡°You,¡± Pheleraz pointed at Narvari while ignoring Hellstorm, ¡°leave now.¡± Narvari looked longingly at her father. There was more she wanted to know. Even if the Order confirmed that Hellstorm was not a demon, he could still be charged with rescuing those royal demons and obstructing justice. Besides, the man arrested along with Hellstorm was a Vessel. If Hellstorm was using the Vessel to summon demons, the Order would definitely use that against him. What would be his fate then? What was going to happen to her father? She couldn¡¯t lose him again. She just got him back. Before Narvari could stop herself, she hugged her father tightly. God, she had missed him so much. ¡°Be careful, okay.¡± He patted her back gently. ¡°Remember what I told you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t leave me again, Papa.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere, little princess.¡± Her father had a confident smile, and for a moment, Narvari wanted to believe him. But what if the Order took him away forever? ¡°Trust me, little princess,¡± Hellstorm said. ¡°I am Hellfuckingstorm. Do you really think anyone can make me do anything against my will?¡± ¡°That¡¯s cute,¡± Pheleraz scoffed. Turning to Narvari, he said, ¡°Get out before I drag you out myself.¡± ¡°No need for that,¡± Trixan intervened. ¡°Come with me, my dear.¡± When they were outside the room, Trixan said, ¡°Are you okay, my dear?¡± Was she okay? She didn¡¯t know exactly how she felt. On one hand, she was glad to be reunited with her father. On the other hand, he might be charged with treason and she would never see him again. Narvari sighed. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I just need to rest. I¡¯m exhausted.¡± Trixan smiled fondly at her. ¡°Of course, my dear.¡±
¡°Let¡¯s start from the beginning,¡± said Pheleraz, adjusting himself in his seat. ¡°I was born in Sharmandi,¡± began Hellstorm, ¡°in the year?¡ª?¡± ¡°Not that beginning,¡± Pheleraz snapped. ¡°Then what beginning? The Big Bang?¡± Trixan shook her head as she gave a wry smile. Even after all these years, Hellstorm and Pheleraz still managed to annoy each other to no end. They were both over two decades older than she, yet she had to be the mature one when those two were in the same room. Not today. She was just here to observe anyway. Code 668 forbade her from getting involved directly. ¡°How did you get into Bezvar?¡± asked the Zoleris. ¡°You already know most of it,¡± said Hellstorm. ¡°We stopped the Vessels from summoning Bezvaros. I wounded Bezvaros. He stabbed me. And then Ziegler sent me to Bezvar where I ended up with the Demon King. I don¡¯t know how Ziegler did it. You¡¯d have to ask him.¡± ¡°What was it like in Bezvar?¡± ¡°Oh, it was a breeze,¡± said Hellstorm. ¡°It was party after party. A real heaven in hell, you know. Bezvaros was so happy to finally meet the man who had almost killed him. It was amazing.¡± Hellstorm smirked. ¡°How about you take a trip to Bezvar someday, Pheleraz? You¡¯ll feel right at home.¡± Pheleraz balled his fists. Okay, this was going nowhere, thought Trixan. She might not be able to directly get involved, but she could remind Hellstorm of his duty. ¡°Hellstorm, you promised.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± His voice softened, although the anger in his eyes never extinguished. ¡°I was imprisoned and tortured in Izen.¡± He clenched his jaws. Izen. After killing demons for thousands of years, the Ancient Order of Vanquishers had a vast collection of knowledge on the affairs of Bezvar. The Lower Domain was divided into seven principalities with each one ruled by the seven princes of the Septos. The Demon King had given his seven princes complete dominion of the seven principalities. Izenros, the last prince of the Septos, reigned over Izen. Izenros. And now everything made sense. ¡°Izenros tortured you, didn¡¯t he?¡± asked Trixan. Hellstorm nodded. ¡°His demons tortured me day and night. I almost lost my mind, you know? I trained my mind to endure the torture. Illusions, dissociation, hallucinations. Anything to keep my mind alive. All I thought about was killing Izenros and Bezvaros. It kept me sane.¡± She couldn¡¯t imagine what Hellstorm went through. All this time, when she thought he died a hero, it turned out he was being tortured in the Lower Domain. ¡°I lost track of time,¡± Hellstorm continued. ¡°Then one day, I just snapped. I was so angry I couldn¡¯t take it anymore. All I wanted was to get out of Bezvar. My body had undergone so much torture and pain that it suddenly created a new power. I think my power must have known my deepest desire to escape from all that pain.¡± ¡°Are you talking about your portal?¡± Trixan asked. ¡°Yes. I suddenly manifested it out of nowhere. It wasn¡¯t because I was turned into a demon or whatever.¡± He glared at Pheleraz. ¡°It¡¯s full of demon energy.¡± Pheleraz glared right back. ¡°Of course it is. I was in Bezvar, genius. That place is full of demon energy.¡± Pheleraz paused. ¡°So your portal helped you escape then?¡± ¡°It can travel across dimensions.¡± Hellstorm shrugged. ¡°When I escaped, I found out that two years had passed. Then I started the long and painful process of healing. Luckily, I had someone every step of the way.¡± Hellstorm smiled fondly. ¡°Who?¡± asked Pheleraz. ¡°The love of my life,¡± he said. ¡°Narvari¡¯s mother. We were very happy together.¡± He smiled sadly. ¡°But when Narvari was still a baby, circumstances drove us apart. I returned to my hometown with my baby girl, and I raised her without her mother. That was eighteen years ago. So yes, that¡¯s my story.¡± ¡°You still haven¡¯t told us why you were rescuing royal demons,¡± said Pheleraz. Hellstorm chuckled. ¡°I wasn¡¯t rescuing them. I was capturing them for information about Izenros. But those bastards didn¡¯t know anything. So I killed them all.¡± Pheleraz exchanged glances with Trixan. Hellstorm added, ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to get revenge on Izenros for years but I didn¡¯t want to go back to Bezvar¡­ especially not when I was still raising my daughter.¡± He paused. ¡°But everything changed six years ago. I heard rumors that Izenros was on Earth.¡± ¡°You left to look for him,¡± said Trixan. Even still, Narvari was just a child when her father left. Trixan didn¡¯t know how to feel about the man who had watched her grow up and yet had failed to be there for his biological daughter. Could she blame him though, after everything he had suffered? Hellstorm sighed. ¡°But I never found him and I was too obsessed to give up. I went after every demon I could for information. Greater demons. Lowbloods. Whatever. I would have gone after the Magna Trez if I knew where they were. Everyone was too afraid to tell me anything.¡± ¡°So you went to Ziegler,¡± Pheleraz said. ¡°And you ordered him to summon Izenros.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I wanted to look Izenros in the eye as I killed him.¡± ¡°You wanted to look Izenros in the eye as you killed him?¡± Pheleraz raised a brow. ¡°He needs to pay for what he did,¡± said Hellstorm. Just as Trixan thought, this was about revenge. She had been afraid that Hellstorm was somehow colluding with demons. This was a relief. The Order had been so quick to label Hellstorm the villain when he was the one who had suffered the greatest injustice. How could they possibly blame him for going after the person who destroyed his life? If he was going after Izenros to kill him, wasn¡¯t he doing the Order a favor? While the purebloods had succeeded in killing hundreds of Tehsaa-level vanquishers over thousands of years, the Order had not even killed one pureblood demon. If Hellstorm explained his reason for capturing the lowbloods and attempting to summon Izenros, the Order would be more lenient with him. Trixan would do everything she could to get him pardoned even. It shouldn¡¯t be too hard. ¡°Is there something else you would like to know?¡± Hellstorm asked. ¡°That will be all for now.¡± Pheleraz turned to Trixan. ¡°Unless you have more questions.¡± ¡°I do not.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Pheleraz got up, took his phone, and then started typing. Shoving his phone back into his pocket, he said, ¡°I need to talk to you in private, Yvis.¡±
Chapter 76: Deception As soon as they were in Trixan¡¯s office, Pheleraz confirmed her suspicions. He didn¡¯t believe Hellstorm. Hellstorm was hiding something, Pheleraz said. Even if the Draghein was speaking the truth, he was leaving some important things out. After weighing Pheleraz¡¯s words carefully, she said, ¡°His story was logical. It explained everything from his demon portal to his daughter.¡± Though she believed Hellstorm was being honest, she didn¡¯t want to completely disregard Pheleraz¡¯s opinion either. She might be biased after all, and Pheleraz was the balance here keeping her objective. She wouldn¡¯t want her judgment clouded. ¡°What makes you think he¡¯s hiding something?¡± ¡°Yes, his story made sense.¡± After pacing back and forth for a while, Pheleraz sat. ¡°But there¡¯s one tiny plot hole in it.¡± Trixan waited patiently. ¡°You questioned the Vessel, didn¡¯t you?¡± he asked. ¡°I did.¡± ¡°The Vessel was summoning Izenros.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Trixan shrugged. Where was this going? ¡°Hellstorm admitted it, didn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Do you not see it?¡± ¡°See what?¡± What was this man on about? Maybe this was just Pheleraz being Pheleraz?¡ª?a Zoleris hating on a Draghein. The usual. ¡°What¡¯s your end game, Pheleraz?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t stand that bastard most of the time, but even I recognize his strength.¡± Pheleraz sighed. ¡°Royal demons are getting bolder by the second. You think I don¡¯t know that we need all the help we can get even if that help is from someone I don¡¯t like?¡± Pheleraz paused thoughtfully. ¡°Now forget this is about Hellstorm for a moment and think about it carefully. I want you to realize it yourself. Hellstorm, Izenros, Ziegler. What do you see, Yvis?¡± What was there to see? Izenros had tortured Hellstorm. Hellstorm wanted to kill Izenros so he went to Ziegler to summon him. Ziegler tried to summon Izenros. She had been surprised when Ziegler told her he was summoning Izenros for Hellstorm. ¡°Izenros?¡± Trixan had asked the Vessel. ¡°Are you powerful enough to summon the Septos? You don¡¯t still have Bezvaros¡¯s crystal do you?¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± said Ziegler. ¡°Your people took it, remember?¡± ¡°Then how did you plan on summoning Izenros?¡± ¡°Summoning isn¡¯t just about calling a demon to physically appear,¡± said Ziegler. ¡°That¡¯s called a physical summon and it¡¯s indeed the most difficult type of summoning. I couldn¡¯t possibly do that to a fifteenth-order demon without the help of a powerful relic.¡± ¡°So you tried to use a less difficult method then?¡± asked Trixan. Then it dawned on her. ¡°A medium summon?¡± Ziegler nodded. With a medium summon, a demon wouldn¡¯t physically appear. Instead, the Vessel¡¯s body would be possessed by the demon. A medium summon. Trixan¡¯s mind went back to Ziegler¡¯s words. Hellstorm had agreed to a medium summon. I want to look Izenros in the eye before killing him. The words chilled her bones over like a blizzard. Pheleraz was smiling at her widely.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°Do you see it now?¡± ¡°He said he wanted to kill Izenros.¡± She shook her head. ¡°He couldn¡¯t possibly kill Izenros through a medium summon.¡± ¡°Finally.¡± Pheleraz grinned. ¡°I know Hellstorm. If he said he wanted to look someone in the eye before killing them, then that¡¯s exactly what he meant. There¡¯s no way he could have seen Izenros¡¯s eyes through a medium summon.¡± Trixan couldn¡¯t argue with that. Hellstorm didn¡¯t mince his words when it came to things like these. But could she say she knew him anymore after this blatant lie? ¡°Hellstorm wasn¡¯t there to kill Izenros,¡± said Pheleraz. ¡°He wanted to talk to Izenros,¡± Trixan whispered. ¡°Exactly. Perhaps he needed information. Whatever it was, Hellstorm doesn¡¯t want us to know about it.¡± It was a reasonable conclusion. But why hide this from them? What exactly did Hellstorm want to talk to Izenros about? Did Izenros even torture Hellstorm? Did Hellstorm lie about everything? ¡°I told you trusting him was a bad idea,¡± Pheleraz interrupted her thoughts. ¡°Now I have to do this my way.¡± Trixan raised a brow. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Pheleraz chuckled. ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡± Suddenly, someone knocked on the door. ¡°Ah, right on time. Come in.¡± Pheera walked into the room. Trixan glared at Pheleraz. ¡°I told you not to get her involved.¡± ¡°I told you I wouldn¡¯t force her to do anything. This is her choice.¡± ¡°Pheera,¡± Trixan turned to the girl, ¡°is everything alright? Why are you here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to help,¡± she said. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to help with. You just have to rest. You¡¯re still?¡ª?¡° ¡°I¡¯m fine, Trixan,¡± she said stubbornly. ¡°I don¡¯t even need my wheelchair anymore. I feel a lot stronger.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this.¡± Pheera paused for a moment. ¡°I want to. I¡¯m the only one here who can make Hellstorm talk.¡± ¡°Did you put her up to this?¡± Trixan sauntered towards Pheleraz. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you.¡± They were now standing face to face, glaring daggers at each other. ¡°We had a deal, Yvis. I¡¯ll let you do what you can to get Hellstorm to talk and I¡¯ll do what I can when you fail. You failed. This is what I¡¯m doing.¡± ¡°I told you not to get Pheera involved. Is it not enough you and your family almost ruined her?¡± Rage was slowly clawing its way from the fiery depths of her soul and for once in a very long time, Trixan didn¡¯t want to control it. ¡°I warned you, Pheleraz. I told you to stay away from her. She wasn¡¯t part of the deal.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Pheera¡¯s voice snapped Trixan out of her maddened trance. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Trixan. But this is my decision. When I came to Draghein School for the first time, you told me no one would force me to do anything against my will ever again. Do you remember that?¡± Trixan smiled and nodded. How could she forget that? She still remembered the tortured little girl who was so easily frightened by the littlest touch. How much she¡¯d grown in such a short while. ¡°Please, Trixan. Don¡¯t force me to do something against my will.¡± Trixan¡¯s heart sank. This wasn¡¯t what she was trying to do. But perhaps, Pheera was right. Even if she was trying to protect the girl, it still looked like she was controlling Pheera¡¯s choice. What a dilemma. Pheleraz smiled smugly. What had he told his little sister? Had he threatened her? Something wasn¡¯t right here. She sensed it. Yet there was nothing she could do about it. Trixan sighed. ¡°Fine. You can captivate Hellstorm to uncover what he¡¯s hiding. But as soon as I see that it¡¯s putting a strain on you, I¡¯ll put an end to it.¡± ¡°There would be no need for that,¡± said Pheera. ¡°I can handle it. I promise.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± said Trixan. ¡°But I need you to rest for another two days before doing it.¡± Pheera tried to protest, but Trixan stopped her. ¡°Please, Pheera. I¡¯d rather not let you do it. But if you insist, then I need you healthy and prepared. Hellstorm isn¡¯t like anyone you¡¯ve ever captivated.¡± Pheera glanced at her brother in uncertainty. ¡°Suit yourself,¡± said Pheleraz. ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± Chpater 77: Tension Arises Exhaustion overwhelmed her. Nothing appealed to her. And all Narvari ever did was stay away from everyone and everything, confined in her room. Pheera seemed to notice her need for space and left her alone to her thoughts. She was grateful for that, for she had a lot to think about. She even forgot how long had passed. Was it two days, two weeks, or two years? It was all the same to her. Then one day, Yanvirrak came into her room. She told him to leave, but he would hear none of it. After convincing Narvari that what she needed was a distraction, she finally followed him to one of the training halls to spar. ¡°Now take out your frustration on me,¡± he said, grinning. ¡°Let it all out, Shar.¡± Narvari folded her arms. ¡°You¡¯re sure you want me to beat the shit out of you?¡± ¡°If it will make you feel better, then go for it.¡± After a moment¡¯s pause, he added, ¡°Pheera is worried about you.¡± Narvari sighed. Without warning, she pounced on Yanvirrak, but he swiftly blocked her attack. They grunted as their attacks grew more frenzied. Narvari sent a fist toward Yanvirrak¡¯s chest. He blocked it with both hands. After a couple of more exchanges, she sent a hefty punch to Yanvirrak¡¯s face. The force of the punch sent him tumbling to the floor. ¡°You have a point,¡± said Narvari. ¡°Punching you in the face makes me feel better.¡± Yanvirrak laughed. He was soon back on his feet and their sparring continued for probably an hour or two. It didn¡¯t matter. She was feeling better by the second. The thrill of the fight was washing away all the resentment and sadness she¡¯d been harboring inside ever since her father showed up. She was about to block a kick from Yanvirrak when something outside distracted her. Yanvirrak¡¯s fist clobbered her in the abdomen but she didn¡¯t even seem to notice since all her attention was on Pheera. The young woman was passing by with Pheleraz with such urgency that they didn¡¯t see Narvari and Yanvirrak. Narvari went closer to the windows to take a look. ¡°Is that Pheera,¡± Yanvirrak asked, ¡°and Pheleraz? Where are they going?¡± Narvari would like to know too. Pheera looked calm on the outside, but there was something about her eyes that told Narvari that the girl didn¡¯t want to be anywhere near her asshole brother. Before Narvari could go after them to ensure Pheera was alright, she saw Trixan come from behind, with the same urgency in her step. That immediately stopped Narvari. She sighed in relief. If Trixan was with them, then Pheera was safe. Yet there was something odd about the whole thing. Something didn¡¯t feel right. All of a sudden, it felt like all the pent-up anger she had worked hard to release had returned a hundredfold. ¡°Why would Trixan allow that jerk anywhere near her?¡± Narvari balled her fist. After everything Pheera had been through. ¡°Something isn¡¯t right.¡± ¡°Well, at least Trixan is with them, right?¡± said Yanvirrak. ¡°Pheera¡¯s safe.¡± ¡°Yeah, well, I don¡¯t trust him. I think he¡¯s threatening Pheera.¡± Yanvirrak raised a brow. ¡°Why do you?¡ª?¡° The sound of footsteps interrupted him. Whoever those footsteps belonged to must have been running as the sound got louder and heavier. ¡°What the hell,¡± Yanvirrak whispered as soon as Zemeron ran by looking utterly pissed. Narvari and Yanvirrak exchanged a silent glance. Suddenly, they both lunged towards the door after Zemeron. The dread in the pits of her stomach deepened. Something was definitely not right. They ran after Zemeron through the hallways until they got closer to where Hellstorm was held. Either Zemeron didn¡¯t care he was being followed or he was too angry to notice them.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Narvari and Yanvirrak halted. Just outside the interrogation room, Zemeron was in a heated argument with Trixan. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious, Trixan,¡± Zemeron fumed. ¡°I trusted you.¡± ¡°Zee, stop,¡± said Pheera as she took her brother¡¯s hand, gently pulling him away from Trixan. Zemeron glared at Pheleraz. ¡°This is all his fault.¡± Turning to Pheera, he said, ¡°Is he making you do this? I¡¯m going to kill him.¡± As if Narvari¡¯s feet had a mind of their own, they dragged her towards the commotion. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Narvari asked. Everyone¡¯s eyes were on her. ¡°They are going to make Pheera captivate Hellstorm,¡± Zemeron said. ¡°What?¡± Narvari and Yanvirrak said at the same time. Narvari¡¯s eyes darkened as they landed on Pheleraz. He had a smug smile on his face. He certainly had something to do with this, the bastard. She wanted to wipe that smugness off his face. Why the hell was Trixan allowing this to happen? Was the Elder so desperate to find the truth that she would jeopardize Pheera¡¯s physical and mental health? No. She refused to believe it. ¡°Trixan, is this true?¡± Narvari asked. Trixan said nothing, nor did her face show any expression. Narvari took Pheera¡¯s hand. ¡°You can¡¯t force Pheera to do this,¡± she said to Pheleraz. ¡°I won¡¯t let you, Pheleraz. Not even you, Elder.¡± Yanvirrak and Zemeron took their place next to Narvari. Together, they all stood in front of Pheera. Anyone who wanted to hurt her girl would have to go through her first. ¡°Well, this is adorable,¡± Pheleraz scoffed. ¡°Your own little army. How pathetic. Now stop wasting my time. Let¡¯s go, Pheera. Now.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not going anywhere.¡± Narvari moved forward. This man was testing her patience. Yet, it was Trixan who made her even angrier. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you stopping this, Trixan?¡± Trixan¡¯s eyes softened, and for a moment, Narvari thought the Elder would say something. But she didn¡¯t. Narvari scoffed. ¡°I thought you were supposed to protect Pheera from people like him?¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± said Pheera firmly. She slipped from behind Narvari and took her place next to Pheleraz., ¡°Pheera, what are you doing?¡± ¡°My duty,¡± she said. ¡°Now stop blaming Trixan. This is my choice and you need to respect it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s your choice to captivate Hellstorm?¡± asked Narvari. What the hell? ¡°I know it¡¯s hard for you because he¡¯s your father. But right now I¡¯m the only one who can get the truth out of him.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care if you captivate Hellstorm or the fucking Demon King.¡± Narvari bridged the distance between her and Pheera. ¡°What I care about is that you hate using your power, and yet for some reason, here you are. Pheera, don¡¯t let him force you to use it if you don¡¯t want to. You are still recovering after everything you¡¯ve been through and?¡ª?¡± ¡°You think I¡¯m weak,¡± Pheera interrupted. ¡°What? No.¡± She tried to take Pheera¡¯s hand but she pulled away. ¡°Pheera, I have never thought of you as weak. Ever.¡± How could Pheera even say that? She was one of the strongest people Narvari knew. ¡°Then why do you keep treating me like something about to break?¡± Narvari narrowed her eyes. ¡°Pheera, I?¡ª?¡± ¡°No, listen,¡± Pheera glared at her, ¡°don¡¯t you think it¡¯s hypocritical that you¡¯re stopping me from doing something I want to do and then claim that you want me to have free will?¡± ¡°Is this something you want to do?¡± Pheera paused. ¡°Yes.¡± Those eyes could never fool Narvari. That was a blatant lie, and they both knew it. ¡°Back off, Narvari. This has nothing to do with you.¡± Not even waiting to hear what Narvari had to say, Pheera followed Trixan and Pheleraz into the interrogation room. Narvari balled her fists, watching them through the glass. She wasn¡¯t leaving until she was sure that Pheera would be alright. Even though Pheera never said it out loud, Narvari was sure that the girl didn¡¯t want to do this. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong,¡± said Yanvirrak. ¡°I know,¡± said Narvari. ¡°She¡¯s not herself.¡± ¡°Pheleraz is behind this, I¡¯m sure of it,¡± Zemeron said. ¡°I swear I¡¯m going to kill him.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t have to,¡± said Narvari. ¡°Because I will do it myself.¡± Chapter 78: Light and Darkness Standing in the corner of the room, Pheera observed the man who had the entire Order so worked up. Narvari had her father¡¯s eyes?¡ª?the resemblance between them was uncanny. They even had the same smirk. These two were definitely father and daughter. Guilt pricked at Pheera¡¯s heart for the things she had said to Narvari and the others. But this was the only way. She would only be putting them in more danger if she got them involved. But what if Pheera uncovered damning secrets about Hellstorm? Would Narvari forgive her if she lost her father to the Order? She just got him back after all these years. Pheera sighed. There was no way out of this. ¡°So,¡± Hellstorm interrupted her thoughts, ¡°are you ready to take me back to Rhodine? I¡¯ve already told you everything. Why am I still here?¡± Pheleraz said, ¡°Not everything. You haven¡¯t been completely honest, Hellstorm. I know you¡¯re hiding something.¡± Hellstorm raised his brow. Then he laughed. ¡°Wow, you are as paranoid as your father. Trixi, you don¡¯t agree with this moron, do you?¡± Trixan¡¯s silence was louder and clearer than an actual reply. Even though Trixan¡¯s expression didn¡¯t look angry, Pheera still sensed the rage in the woman¡¯s calm ambiance. It was unclear if Trixan was angry at Hellstorm or Pheleraz. The Elder was hard to understand. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious,¡± said Hellstorm. He too was beginning to lose his patience. ¡°So what are you going to do to me? Torture the so-called truth out of me?¡± The prospect of torture did not scare him at all. It was not shocking, after all the man must have gone through worse in Bezvar. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary,¡± Pheleraz said. He beckoned to Pheera to come closer and take a seat. ¡°This is Pheera.¡± ¡°Oh of course,¡± said Hellstorm smiling widely. ¡°I¡¯ve been so dying to meet another Zoleris. It was literally all I could think about in Bezvar.¡± Pheera smiled. So this was where Narvari got her sarcasm. Ignoring Hellstorm¡¯s sardonic jabs, Pheleraz said, ¡°You¡¯ve known of the Zoleris¡¯s special ability of captivation.¡± Hellstorm shrugged. ¡°Yes. So?¡± Pheleraz merely glanced at Pheera as if that alone was enough to answer Hellstorm¡¯s question. Maybe it was. ¡°She¡¯s the new captivator?¡± Hellstorm¡¯s gaze fell on Pheera. ¡°You¡¯re going to let her captivate me?¡± ¡°She¡¯s going to make you talk. You can¡¯t hide anything.¡± Hellstorm burst into hysterical laughter. ¡°I guess I have been gone for too long if I am being taken lightly.¡± ¡°If you have nothing to hide, you won¡¯t resist. Unless you¡¯ve been lying to us all this time.¡± ¡°Come on now,¡± said Hellstorm. ¡°We both know captivation isn¡¯t only about making a person speak the truth. With this power, you Zoleris could just as easily make a person lie about anything.¡± ¡°And you think I¡¯m going to let her make you admit to things you didn¡¯t do.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be the first time your family has done that.¡± Staring pointedly at Pheera, he added, ¡°It won¡¯t be the first time you have done that. Am I right, Pheera Zoleris?¡± Pheera gulped as knots tied in her stomach. She lowered her head as shame gnawed at her insides. She didn¡¯t want to be here. She didn¡¯t want to make anyone do anything against their will. All those screams. All those people¡­ ¡°Pheera.¡± It was only when Trixan touched her hand did she realized how much she was trembling. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this, my dear.¡± I don¡¯t want to do this. ¡°I can do this,¡± she whispered. Trixan¡¯s gaze hardened but she nodded. ¡°Okay, I guess this is happening,¡± said Hellstorm. ¡°Sooner or later, you¡¯re going to have to take me to Rhodine. You know you can¡¯t just keep me here forever, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take you to Rhodine when I get what I want,¡± said Pheleraz. ¡°Pheera, begin. And don¡¯t stop until he says everything. Everything.¡± Pheera took Hellstorm¡¯s hand and gazed directly into his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid,¡± she said. ¡°All you need to do is tell Pheleraz the truth.¡± It might sound like a polite request but it was far from it. It was a straight-up command and Hellstorm would have no choice but to obey. ¡°I only have one question for you, Hellstorm.¡± Pheleraz went straight to the point. ¡°Why were you trying to summon Izenros?¡± ¡°I already told you,¡± Hellstorm said. ¡°I want revenge.¡± ¡°Is it true?¡± ¡°How many times will you ask me the same thing?¡± Hellstorm glared at Pheleraz. ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking you,¡± Pheleraz snapped. Pheera¡¯s grasp on Hellstorm¡¯s hand tightened. ¡°Yes,¡± she said. ¡°Hellstorm wants revenge. But that¡¯s just a small part of the truth.¡± She paused. ¡°He¡¯s hiding the underlying truth.¡± She didn¡¯t know exactly what the underlying truth was, though. Her power didn¡¯t work that way. All she knew was a feeling of what was hidden in the deepest parts of one¡¯s heart. With captivation, she would draw it out of the person by swaying their emotions, giving their brain no choice but to comply. She just had to be careful with how she worded her commands. Though captivation didn¡¯t let her read a person¡¯s mind, it still made it possible for her to know exactly what a person was feeling. And right now, the nonchalance on Hellstorm¡¯s face was nothing but a facade. The man was filled with dread. He was afraid that his secret would be uncovered and yet he was absolutely resolved to never reveal his secret. His unwavering resolve pressed against Pheera¡¯s mind like a mountain. This was going to be hard, she thought. ¡°Let him reveal it all,¡± Pheleraz instructed. She sensed the heaviness of the man¡¯s secret. It was something that he was prepared to hide no matter what. Should she really be doing this? Maybe some things were best left unknown. ¡°Pheera,¡± Pheleraz growled. ¡°You aren¡¯t getting cold feet now, are you?¡± Pheleraz whispered into her ears. ¡°Do I have to remind you of our deal?¡± ¡°What deal?¡± Trixan suddenly asked. Pheera froze. She had forgotten what a sharp hearing Trixan had. ¡°Pheera?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Pheera said quickly. She cleared her throat and turned her attention to Hellstorm. ¡°Tell us exactly why you were looking for Izenros. Tell us everything.¡± ¡°I have¡­¡± Hellstorm began, ¡°I already¡­¡± He clenched his jaws, his face paling. ¡°No. I¡­¡± His eyes widened, probably by the explosive headache that just ripped through his head. Pheera knew this because whenever a person resisted her power and faced the painful consequence, she felt a slight rebound of the pain. With her mild headache, she knew Hellstorm was experiencing something far worse. ¡°The pain is only going to get worse if you keep resisting,¡± said Pheera. ¡°Just tell us and you¡¯ll be okay.¡± The idea of making Narvari¡¯s dad suffer was too much to bear. Narvari was probably watching them from outside. What if she hated her forever? Pheera looked at the glass but it was impossible to see through. ¡°Pheera, concentrate,¡± Pheleraz said. ¡°He¡¯s strong. You need to be stronger to get him to speak.¡± Pheera nodded. ¡°Speak, Hellstorm. Revenge wasn¡¯t the only reason you went to Izenros, right?¡± Hellstorm tightly shut his mouth. His face grew paler, and his hands trembled. Finally, he shouted ¡°No. No. It¡¯s not.¡± He exhaled loudly as if he had been saved from drowning. No matter how much he tried to hide the truth, captivation would forcefully draw it out of him. ¡°But I won¡¯t tell you why,¡± he said. ¡°Never.¡± Resolve and determination blazed in his eyes. ¡°Yes, you will,¡± Pheera said.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. She hadn¡¯t met anyone so stubborn while under her captivation. Everyone just broke under her touch but not Hellstorm. Something similar had happened with Narvari when Pheera first captivated her. When she captivated a person, her hold over them would still be there for another two hours even when she wasn¡¯t touching them. Yet, Narvari had broken free of her captivation in mere minutes. ¡°I?¡ª?¡± Hellstorm gritted his teeth and then screamed. If anyone heard him from outside, they would think he was being skinned alive. ¡°I went to Izenros because of L¡­¡± Hellstorm forcefully stopped himself again. He banged his other hand on the table. ¡°No. I won¡¯t¡­ tell you anything.¡± Blood oozed out of his nose. Pheera¡¯s hands trembled. The resistance was growing stronger, which made her rebound even more painful. She felt something warm and sticky from her nose. The smell of her blood almost made her gag. Hellstorm¡¯s voice grew shallow. ¡°You need to stop this. It¡¯s hurting you too.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare stop,¡± Pheleraz yelled. ¡°Keep going. Make him talk.¡± ¡°Please tell him,¡± Pheera pleaded. She didn¡¯t want this to keep going on. It wasn¡¯t even about the pain she felt. Hearing Hellstorm scream in pain only reminded her of all those people she was forced to torture for years. ¡°Don¡¯t hide it.¡± Tears streamed down Pheera¡¯s face. ¡°Speak.¡± ¡°L¡­ Lu¡­¡± Hellstorm stopped himself again. His eyes started bleeding. It wasn¡¯t until her tears stained her white shirt that she realized it was blood. Her limbs weakened as the strength slowly drained from her body. He was too strong. ¡°Pheleraz, you are going to kill the child,¡± Hellstorm shouted. ¡°Stop this at once.¡± ¡°My dear, that¡¯s enough¡± Trixan took Pheera¡¯s hand away from Hellstorm. ¡°Break your captivation now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare, Pheera. You¡¯ve already captivated him with your touch. Keep going, goddammit.¡± Pheera weakly stared at her brother. He banged the table when Pheera didn¡¯t move. ¡°I said, keep going,¡± he glared at her. ¡°Do it now, or else?¡ª?¡± ¡°Or else what?¡±Narvari¡¯s enraged voice soothed Pheera. When did she come inside? Yanvirrak and Zee stood next to Narvari, all of them glaring at Pheleraz. Pheera should have been terrified by the pure malice and fury emanating from Narvari. But all she felt was relief. ¡°You,¡± said Pheleraz. ¡°What the hell are you doing here?¡± His voice was unusually calm. Oh no. Pheera¡¯s heart pounded. There was no telling what Pheleraz would do right now. He usually became extremely violent in this state. ¡°Pheera, get away from the psycho.¡± Narvari did not take her eyes off Pheleraz. For a moment, Pheera was frozen to her spot. Thankfully, Trixan took her away and led her to Narvari and the others. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Narvari asked while she wiped the blood from the Pheera¡¯s nose. Pheera nodded. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°What is this?¡± Pheleraz said. ¡°Have you all gone mad? You are tempering with an official investigation.¡± ¡°To hell with your investigation,¡± Narvari snapped. ¡°I¡¯m not going to let you hurt her anymore. What the hell is wrong with you?¡± ¡°I warned you to stay away from her, didn¡¯t I?¡± said Zee. ¡°I should have killed you when I had the chance. Stay away from my sister.¡± Pheleraz laughed mirthlessly. ¡°I will do as I please with our sister.¡± He pointed at Pheera. ¡°Get back here and do as you¡¯re told. You know what happens when you break the deal, don¡¯t you?¡± Pheera¡¯s heart sank. ¡°Pheleraz, please?¡ª?¡± ¡°What deal?¡± Narvari asked. ¡°Oh, she didn¡¯t tell you.¡± Pheleraz chuckled. ¡°Hmm, I thought you two had a special relationship. It was quite easy using your name to get what I wanted, Narvari Shar. I can¡¯t believe you care about this nobody, Pheera.¡± ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡± Narvari¡¯s tone was dangerously low. Please don¡¯t say it. Narvari would definitely lose her mind if Pheleraz told her. ¡°Pheleraz, don¡¯t?¡ª?¡± ¡°Pheera Zoleris,¡± he ignored her, ¡°will use her power whenever and however I see fit. If not, I¡¯m going to take her away from here and she will never see you or Zemeron or anyone from this stupid school, ever again.¡± Narvari clenched her jaw, her eyes darkening. She slowly sauntered towards Pheleraz until they were only a few feet apart. Her balled fists hook tremendously. ¡°What did you just say?¡± It was a voice Pheera couldn¡¯t quite recognize although it still sounded like Narvari¡¯s voice. ¡°What the hell?¡± Pheleraz paled and gulped. He retreated a few steps back. ¡°What are you?¡± A great burst of literal darkness surged out of Narvari¡¯s body and engulfed the entire room. It was as though the whole world had been suddenly plunged into a black hole. Coldness enveloped Pheera¡¯s body, stabbing her skin like icicles. She fell to the ground, her knees completely drained of all energy. She could not move. What was happening? Everyone else in the room, even including Hellstorm, was on the ground. Narvari was the only one standing, and she was strangling Pheleraz. His dark sapphire eyes were frozen in terror. That darkness effusing from Narvari¡­ was she doing this? Then suddenly, a thought struck her. Is this Narvari¡¯s elema? Why does it feel so much like demon energy? ¡°Narvari,¡± Hellstorm shouted. ¡°Calm down.¡± He slowly got on his knees, but his legs caved in and he came crashing to the ground. ¡°Little princess, you need to calm down.¡± But Narvari didn¡¯t seem to be hearing anything. Her grip on Pheleraz''s neck only tightened while his limbs hung limply by his sides. He couldn¡¯t even struggle, and all he did was choke and gasp for air. Trixan, Yanvirrak, and Zemeron even took turns calling Narvari¡¯s attention to stop her, but she ignored them all. It was like she had only one mission?¡ª?to strangle Pheleraz to death. Narvari turned around, and for the first time, Pheera saw her eyes. Her irises had turned dark purple. Her face was the same, but there was a coldness in her purple eyes that sent a chill down Pheera¡¯s spine. She¡¯s really a demon. Purple eyes¡­ Is she a royal demon? But how? Pheera¡¯s blood turned cold. No. She wasn¡¯t afraid of Narvari. But she was afraid of the hate in her eyes and what she might do as a result of that hate. Narvari seemed lost in a trance, oblivious to everything around her. Suddenly, she hurled Pheleraz across the room. Glass shattered as he broke right through. She walked gingerly towards the shattered glass. Was she going after Pheleraz? Was she going to kill him? Pheera suddenly remembered all those times Narvari had insisted on killing her brother. She knew Narvari would do it if she didn¡¯t stop her. ¡°Narvari.¡± The girl halted, directing her hollow gaze at Pheera. Pheera had to get her to snap out of it. If only she could touch Narvari, she might be able to get through to her. That would break Pheera¡¯s promise but right now captivating Narvari was the only way to save her from herself. But there was one problem?¡ª?Narvari¡¯s elema was holding Pheera hostage. She couldn¡¯t touch Narvari if she couldn¡¯t move. ¡°Please, Narvari. Stop it,¡± she tried to use words instead. Narvari¡¯s expression did not falter. She began to walk away again. No. She had to do something. Anything. From the deepest part of her soul, warmth lit her up and her light elema surged out of her being, shrouding Narvari¡¯s dark elema. Together, the light and darkness wrestled for supremacy. Pheera¡¯s light washed over Narvari like a blanket of sunshine. With her elema touching Narvari, she felt the rage burning within Narvari like an inferno. She sensed the murderous intent emanating from her. ¡°Be calm, my love,¡± Pheera whispered. Instantly, Pheera found herself standing in front of Narvari in a vast field full of flowers. Seeing the confusion in Narvari¡¯s eyes, Pheera took her hand. ¡°Please come back to me,¡± said Pheera. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Narvari looked around frantically. ¡°Where are we?¡± She wished she had the answer to that. She had never experienced this when she captivated anyone. Then again, this was only the second time she had used her elema to captivate; the first time had been a blur and she barely remembered it. ¡°I just need you to calm down.¡± She touched Narvari¡¯s chest. Slowly, the rumbling in Narvari¡¯s chest became as peaceful as a stream and her purple irises turned brown again. The light crushed the darkness until it dissipated into nothingness. The vast field of flowers disappeared and she found herself back on the floor in the interrogation room. ¡°Pheera.¡± Narvari ran to her, her eyes full of panic. She knelt beside Pheera. ¡°What have I done? Did I do this to you?¡± Pheera slowly sat up and stroked Narvari¡¯s cheeks. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I promised never to captivate you anymore, but I broke my promise.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about that.¡± Pheera melted in her touch as Narvari tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. ¡°Pheera, I¡¯m so sorry. I¡­ You¡¯re not safe around me.¡± Narvari avoided her gaze. ¡°I told you I could be dangerous. I¡­ I hurt you.¡± ¡°Hey, look at me. I¡¯m okay. You didn¡¯t hurt me. You won¡¯t hurt me. I know it.¡± Narvari clenched her jaws and then retreated from her. ¡°No. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Pheera¡¯s chest tightened. ¡°Narvari.¡± She tried to go after her but Narvari stopped her. ¡°No, stay back. Stay away from me.¡± Her voice was harsh, and yet the vulnerability in her eyes said otherwise. All Pheera wanted to do was run into her arms and console her. She wanted to tell her that everything would be okay. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Narvari whispered. ¡°As long as I¡¯m here, you won¡¯t be safe. No one will be.¡± The words broke Pheera¡¯s heart. ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡± Narvari gazed at Trixan and the others for a brief moment. Then she ran to her father. With the mere strength of her bare hand, she broke the energy seal around Hellstorm¡¯s neck. ¡°My dear, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Sorry, Trixan. But I¡¯m taking my father away.¡± Hellstorm snapped the holy chains around his hands like they were nothing but plastic. At least that confirmed that he was not a demon. Wait, so why was Narvari a demon? ¡°Don¡¯t be rash,¡± said Trixan. ¡°Hellstorm, speak some sense into her.¡± ¡°I think she already has enough sense, Trixi.¡± ¡°If you run they¡¯re going to hunt down both of you. Is that what you want for her?¡± Hellstorm¡¯s eyes wavered. He looked at his daughter with so much care and tenderness that Pheera wondered what it felt like to have the love of a parent. ¡°I can take care of myself,¡± said Narvari. Casting one last look at Pheera, she said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Hellstorm¡¯s black portal materialized and he disappeared through it with his daughter. She¡¯s gone. Pheera didn¡¯t know she was crying until she felt Zee¡¯s arms around her. She sobbed into his brother¡¯s chest. ¡°She¡¯s gone.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± said Zee, patting her head. ¡°I¡¯m here. I¡¯m always here.¡± Pheera freed herself from Zee¡¯s embrace. ¡°I told her I didn¡¯t care what she was,¡± she whispered. ¡°Why didn¡¯t she believe me?¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t your fault, okay? She chose to leave.¡± ¡°Because I pushed her away. It¡¯s what I¡¯ve been doing since?¡ª?¡± ¡°Where are they?¡± Pheleraz¡¯s enraged voice came out of nowhere. ¡°Where the hell is Hellstorm and her demon offspring?¡± Pheleraz¡¯s body was a bloody mess as shards of glass pierced his skin. His face was haggard and bloody. He angrily turned to Trixan. ¡°This is all your fault. You let them go.¡± He glared at Trixan, yet Trixan watched him calmly. ¡°You¡¯ll pay dearly for this. Let¡¯s see what the Draghein Family will do to you once they hear about this.¡± Then Pheleraz directed his stormy gaze at her. Pheera gulped. Zee held her arms protectively. ¡°As for you two,¡± said Pheleraz, ¡°you have no idea what¡¯s coming.¡± Pheleraz furiously stormed out of the room. ¡°We¡¯ll be fine, Pheera,¡± Zee whispered. ¡°Everything will be fine.¡± She truly hoped so, she thought as she broke down in tears. But she knew this was merely wishful thinking. Things were only going to get worse. Chapter 79: A Most Shocking Revelation ¡°So, are you going to tell me what¡¯s going on?¡± Narvari asked, sternly watching her father. She had asked the same thing an hour ago as soon as they had teleported into the house her father had been living in all these years in Brazil. But Yabaga insisted they freshen up and eat something first. And so, after begrudgingly doing what her father had asked, she finally sat in the warm living room, impatiently waiting for answers. ¡°Tell me everything, Papa. Don¡¯t hide anything from me anymore.¡± Yabaga sighed. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s time for me to tell you about your mother.¡± Narvari inhaled slowly. She would be lying if she said she had never wanted to know about her mother. She¡¯d never met her, and though she grew up loved in a wonderful family, there were times she wondered what her life would have been like if her mother had raised her. Was her mother as kind as Anana? Strong like her father? And did her mother love her? If so, where had the woman been these past eighteen years of Narvari¡¯s life? What could have stopped her from being a mother to her own child? Narvari narrowed her eyes, sharply gazing at her father. ¡°Is my mother a demon?¡± Her heart tightened in anticipation. This was the only explanation she could think of. As much as she didn¡¯t want it, Narvari was slowly coming to terms with her demon side. She couldn¡¯t have inherited that side from her father?¡ª?he was no demon. And since Narvari wasn¡¯t turned into a demon either, the only logical conclusion was her mother. ¡°Is that why she left us?¡± she asked. ¡°Narvari, princess¡­¡± Yabaga rubbed his temples. ¡°You asked for an explanation. Why don¡¯t you let me do it?¡± She sighed. ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°Indeed, your mother is a demon,¡± Yabaga began. ¡°And yes, she¡¯s still alive. You need to understand that your mother is the kindest, strongest, and most loving person I know. You are just like her in every way.¡± She was? Was her mother really that kind of person despite being a demon? Trixan¡¯s words suddenly came to her. People weren¡¯t inherently evil and just because one was a demon didn¡¯t mean they were malevolent. Maybe that applied to her mother. And yet¡­ ¡°Why did she leave us then?¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t leave us, Narvari. She was¡­ taken. As a prisoner.¡± ¡°What?¡± Narvari¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°The Order has my mother?¡± Yabaga shook his head. ¡°No, princess. It¡¯s not the Order.¡± ¡°Then who?¡± Other than the Ancient Order of Vanquishers, who would go about capturing demons and imprisoning them? Was there another organization Narvari didn¡¯t know about? And why was her father hesitating to speak? ¡°Papa, tell me.¡± ¡°You heard about how I got lost in Bezvar, didn¡¯t you?¡± They were talking about her mother. Why would he suddenly bring up Bezvar? But she wanted answers. So she indulged him with a nod. ¡°They made me a spectacle there,¡± he said, ¡°tying me to a pole for weeks. Demons came from all over the kingdom to catch a glimpse of the vanquisher who dared to fight Bezvaros.¡± Guilt pricked at her conscience. She couldn¡¯t imagine what her father had gone through. They must have tortured him so much, those bastards. She would like to vanquish every last one of them. ¡°And that,¡± said Yabaga, smiling with glee, ¡°is where I met your mother.¡± He laughed. ¡°What?¡± It took Narvari a moment to understand what her father had just said. ¡°You met her in the Lower Domain?¡± Hellstorm nodded. ¡°While I was locked up in the dungeons, she would often come and see me. Well, there¡¯s a lot more to that story. But all you need to know is that, after I suddenly awakened my new teleportation power, we escaped together.¡± He explained that they ran away to an uninhabited island in the Pacific where they lived together happily. But everything changed when Narvari was born. ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Narvari. ¡°We were in hiding, you know, from the Demon King. Now, your mother¡­ she sealed her demon energy to stop Bezvaros from finding us. But when you were born¡­¡± He paused. Narvari tilted her head. ¡°Bezvaros found you because of me? Because of my demon energy?¡±This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault, princess. We never expected that your demon energy would be so powerful. As soon as you were born, your mother sealed your demon energy. But it was too late. Bezvaros not only knew where we were, but he also knew about you.¡± Izenros and his highblood demons, on Bezvaros¡¯s authority, invaded their island. Yabaga begged his wife to run away with him but she insisted that Yabaga escaped with their newborn instead, while she stayed behind. Yabaga would have none of that. He wanted to stay behind and fight Izenros and the two highblood demons. Narvari¡¯s mother, however, stopped him. It would be a suicide mission, she said. They had to protect their child first and foremost. He had to protect their daughter. ¡°So she stayed behind and you left with me,¡± said Narvari. Yabaga nodded. ¡°She said she had to return and make Bezvaros believe that the baby¡­ you¡­ were dead. Also, if Bezvaros had her back, he would have no use coming after me.¡± That was quite something. ¡°But there¡¯s something I don¡¯t understand, Papa. Why would Bezvaros care about some ordinary demon like my mother? Even if they came after her because she escaped with you, don¡¯t you think they¡¯d already killed her?¡± Yabaga smiled. ¡°Your mother was no ordinary demon, princess. Bezvaros won¡¯t harm her. Maybe, imprison her, yes. But never harm her.¡± Narvari narrowed her eyes. ¡°Who is she?¡± What kind of status did her mother hold that even the Demon King would treat her differently? After a moment of hesitation, and Narvari slowly losing her patience, Yabaga said, ¡°Your mother is the beloved firstborn of the Demon King?¡ª?the first of the Septos. And you, my child, are the granddaughter of Bezvaros.¡± To say her mouth hung open would be an understatement. ¡°What the hell?¡± She was what? What the hell? Yabaga was making fun of her, wasn¡¯t he? But the gravity in his eyes was no joke. How could the Demon King be her grandfather? What was this cruel joke? Not only was Narvari a demon, but to make things worse, she was closely related to the Septos. Wouldn¡¯t that make Izenros and the other princes her uncles? What the fuck. Wait a minute. She raised a brow. That couldn¡¯t be right. ¡°Isn¡¯t the Septos made of seven princes?¡± she asked. ¡°Lunarvaros is the first prince of the Septos. How could it be my mother?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what the books in the Order say,¡± said Yabaga. ¡°But the first of the Septos is a demon princess, not a prince. She¡¯s Lunarva, Princess of Luna Principality.¡± ¡°What?¡± None of this made any sense. Lunarvaros, the first prince of the Septos, was actually Lunarva, and she was her mother. How could this be? ¡°How could the Order have gotten this wrong?¡± The Ancient Order of Vanquishers believed that the Septos was made of seven princes. Were they wrong about everything? ¡°I always thought that was the case too,¡± said Yabaga. ¡°But it wasn¡¯t until I was in Bezvar that I learned the truth. Bezvaros, for some reason, hid the true nature of his firstborn. There¡¯s a whole story behind that and I think your mother would be the best person to explain it to you once I find her.¡± Her eyes widened. ¡°You¡¯re going to look for her?¡± ¡°It¡¯s what I¡¯ve been doing all this time, princess¡­ the reason I left¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I couldn¡¯t bear to be apart from her. And the thought of her being robbed of your childhood¡­ I couldn¡¯t take it anymore.¡± Narvari squeezed her father¡¯s hand. ¡°You won¡¯t have to do this alone anymore. How do we find her?¡± A look of surprise appeared in his eyes, but they finally eased into a smile. ¡°Izenros is here on earth. If we find him, I¡¯ll get him to tell us where Lunarva is.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t she in Bezvar?¡± ¡°She is. But Bezvar is a vast place with a population twice of this planet. We can¡¯t just go there and find her. We need a specific location.¡± ¡°Not really,¡± Narvari shrugged. ¡°If Bezvaros¡¯s firstborn would be held prisoner anywhere, I doubt it would be in any of the seven principalities. I don¡¯t think Bezvaros would trust anyone to be strong enough to hold the first of the Septos prisoner. Especially if he thinks you¡¯d come back to look for her.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Yabaga¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°I think I know just the place.¡± ¡°You do? Excellent. So when do we leave?¡± He chuckled heartily. ¡°Leave? Are you kidding me? If you¡¯re coming with me to the bowels of hell, then you had better come prepared, princess.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m prepared.¡± Yabaga scoffed. ¡°No, you¡¯re not. If Bezvaros learns of our presence, the Septos and their armies will come after us. You can¡¯t defend yourself in your current state.¡± Jeez, she hadn¡¯t thought about that. A whole army of royal and greater demons. She shuddered. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± said Yabaga. ¡°You¡¯ve already unlocked elema. I¡¯ll train you to use it, and perhaps, even help you unlock union.¡± ¡°Wait, really?¡± It would be just like old times. Memories of her father training her when she was younger appeared in her mind. ¡°Well, how fast you progress all depends on you. But I¡¯m not worried. I¡¯ve heard all about your extraordinary performance.¡± Her heart welled with pride. She only wished her father had been around all this time to train her as a vanquisher. He was the great Hellstorm?¡ª?the former Elder of Draghein School and the vanquisher who faced the Demon King and lived. For someone like that train to her¡­ Wait¡­ ¡°Papa,¡± Narvari folded her arms, ¡°how are you part of the Draghein Family?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a story for another time, princess.¡± Yabaga laughed. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you all about it later. We¡¯ll be training for the next four months. You should be ready for Bezvar by then.¡± Narvari sighed and nodded. There was no rush anyway. Her father was here now and soon, he would tell her everything. But what she couldn¡¯t wait for was the four months to pass so she could see her mother. Narvari balled her fists as her resolve steeled. She would do whatever it took to get stronger. And not even the Demon King would stand in her way.