ARCHANGELS' LEGACY BOOK III: Revenge of an Angel [completed]

Part XII

“Rhanis, stop with your pacing”, Nikaia closed her eyes to stop herself from crying again.

“How? Just how did you...!”, her friend’s angry voice was directed at Nemeia, who was crying profusely at her mistress’s side, blaming herself of the incident.

Rhanis had found them in a distraught manner. She somehow supplied her questions with answers despite her teary state. Nemeia, on the other hand, had woken up and was wailing like a child when she realized that the infant was no longer in her arms.

Nikaia opened her eyes and looked at the nymph beside her. She knew that Nemeia probably didn’t have any idea that the sorceress would snuck behind her and put her to sleep in an instant.

“I’m so sorry, Eroméni”, she addressed her mistress in their language with heavy heart.

“It’s not your fault”, Nikaia tried to smile.

A part of her was dying, knowing that her daughter is in a perilous situation but another part tried to stay calm so as not to cause her brethren any worry, her duty as their leader.

“I swear I’m going to hunt that sorceress down until my last breath”, Rhanis vows with fury.

“No, you will not”.

“But, Nika!”, her friend couldn’t believe  her words of objection.

“No, Rhanis, because I will be the one to find her”, she doesn’t want to put another life in jeopardy.

“Nika, you can’t. We need you here”.

She understands the agitation and fear of the nymph, after all, she is the last of their bloodline. The next in line to be the Guardian of the Crystal of the Dryads.

“I need to do this. For me, for my daughter and for..........Naya”.

Both Rhanis and Nemeia stared at her as if she’s not in her right mind.

“In my absence, I want you to be in charge”, she stood up and walked towards her friend.

“But....”, Rhanis tried to protest.

“If ever I may not be able to return, I know the Dryads are in good hands”.

Rhanis was about to say something but Nikaia continued, “you have a heart of a leader and I’m proud to have known such a skillful warrior”.

Her friend was silent and just stared at her with sad eyes.

“Promise me, you will come back”.

Nikaia wanted to assure her of her safe return but her foe is a very dangerous sorceress and she would do anything, even sacrifice her own life just to save her daughter. Instead, she pulled her in an embrace and whispered, “Take good care of our sisters”.

“Nika”, Rhanis softly said when they separated. She shakes her head, convincing the other nymph that nothing can change her mind and the latter just released a deep sigh, “So, what’s your plan?”.

“I need to find the angels”.

“We.... we rarely see any angel here”.

“They’re not just any angel”.

Rhanis immediately knew who she was referring to, “The Archangels’ offsprings? Why would she pick them?”.

“I need to find that out. The sorceress wants any of them dead”.

“You’re not thinking of killing your daughter’s father, right?”.

“I hope it will not come to that”.

“This is a fucking mess”, Rhanis was frustrated at her leader’s present dilemma.

“I know and I would hate to tell my daughter one day that I killed her father”.

“And how would you approach any of them? From what we know, they are one of the elite warriors in heaven, just like their parents”.

“I know that, Rhanis, and I’m wringing my brains for a way to approach them, unsuspicious of my intention”.

Rhanis was right, they would easily suspect her before she even set foot in front of the angels.

“Why not tell Jin about her daughter?”.

“No”, her curt reply made her friend furrowed her brows.

“I think this is the perfect opportunity to ask him for help on saving your daughter”.

“No”.

“Nika, you’re being stubborn!”.

“No. I don’t want to let him know about her. He maybe the angel who will die in my hands”. She doesn’t want to involve her daughter on what she was about to do and if fate would let the angel’s blood stain her hand, she hoped her daughter would forgive her.

“Oohhh!!”, Rhanis was trying not to pull her hair out.

“What if?”, Nemeia’s voice interrupted the duo, who nearly forgot that the nymph was with them. “Can I suggest something, Eroméni?”.

“Yes, speak freely”, Nikaia gave her permission.

“What if this is also an opportunity to find Eroméni Naya?”.

The two nymphs looked at each other briefly and returned their eyes to Nemeia.

“What do you mean?”.

She got their leader’s interest.

“What if you ask for their help to find the Guardian?”.

“But the demon said she was dead”, Rhanis recalled the incident prior to incident with the sorceress.

“Yes, but what if.....what if she’s still alive?”, Nikaia’s eyes lit up.

“Let’s not have our hopes up”.

“Still, this is a good chance to know the truth behind her death if she is truly dead”.

“Okay, fine”, Rhanis surrendered, “but where will you search for them?”.

Suddenly, Nikaia felt a burning pain on her right palm that made her scream and when she looked, something invisible is engraving letters on her skin. Every stroke hurts and when she thought it will not end, it abruptly stops. 

“FAIRYLAND”, Rhanis read aloud the word on her hand. “Are you okay?”, she helped her stands up.

“I swear I’m going to kill that sorceress”, Nikaia fumed with anger as the pain disseminate.

“You’ll get your chance Nika”, her friend said with the same emotion and tried to wipe off the blood from her.

“Well, it’s settled then. I will leave early tomorrow. Prepare my belongings. I need a bottle of the potion, given by the elves and ....”, she paused but Rhanis knew what she will say next.

“Ygim?”.

Nikaia nodded. She needs it now more than ever. It protected their forest for so long. It killed demons and other evil beings, until its last flame burn out and now she needs it again to kill for her, but this time, it will be stained by the blood of an angel and if luck would have it, maybe she could add a streak of the sorceress’ blood.