MISTRESS OF FLAME

CHAPTER 16

CHAPTER 16

"LORD Hakken, this path is crawling with bandits," Grath warned Hakken as their wagon entered the forest that separated the town of Belrac and Castetava. After traveling on a grassy plain for two days, they finally arrived at the border of the two towns. "When traveling before, we demi-humans always avoid this place."

"Don't worry about it, Grath." Hakken discarded Grath's warning while sharpening his war blades. "I will kill whoever dares to block out path."

Grath nodded, and he felt reassured. He saw how Lord Hakken fought the Duves family's soldiers. He was spectacular with his war blades. Lord Hakken was the warrior Grath aspired to be so he could be of use to her highness.

Inside the wagon, Cira was peeking in the front before she moved to sit beside Sollel and whispered, "Your Highness, didn't you make Hakken's weapon into flaming war blades when we were fighting the Duves family? Why is it still intact?"

Sollel smiled at Cira's scrutinizing tone. "I used my normal flame to bless his war blades. If it was my blood flame, he would've melted together with his blades."

"Oh." Cira's question was finally answered. "By the way, Your Highness, about the moonrite stone," Cira whispered so only they could hear. "I'm still analyzing it, and it is a very slow process since I can't do it while we're traveling or it'll affect you."

"It's okay," Sollel said, even though it would be a great help if Cira did find a stone that could negate the moonrite's effect on her. "Take your time."

Cira nodded and smiled. "That's why I decided to stay in a different inn when we reach the town of Castetava. I have to focus all my essence in analyzing the stone, and I can only do that if you're far away, Your Highness. After what we did to the Duves family, the empire and the kingdom will surely send someone to subjugate you. We have to be ready in case they used a moonrite stone on you."

Sollel smiled at Cira, overflowing with gratitude. Without her, Sollel seriously thought she would certainly have a hard time. She took back her words before—Cira was dependable in more ways than one.

"Thank you, Cira."

Cira beamed in happiness. "My pleasure, Your Highness. By the way"—Cira's expression became serious—"about your flame essence, I think sucking your own flame essence from the flame sorcerers could help you recover in a way, but I think you have to be closer to the flame sorcerer to take back your essence. But this is not certain, and I have to conduct more studies. Meaning, I can only give you a definite answer after we catch another flame sorcerer and experiment on them since I didn't see what exactly happened with that flame sorcerer from the Duves family. I have to see for myself since it was my elven eyes that are doing the work."

Sollel nodded. She was determined to get her essence back from the flame sorcerers. It was mine to begin with, she told herself. Then a thought flashed in Sollel's mind. "Hey, Cira?"

"Yes, Your Highness?"

"I know it's a rare item, but do you think we can get our hands on an essence vessel?" It was basically a hallowed container made of rare stones. Only a few dwarf artisans could make it, but it was seldom made because of its rare materials.

Cira's shoulder fell, and she pouted. "It'll be an impossible task, but I'll try looking. By the way, Your Highness, why do you need an essence vessel? I'm sure you can immediately take back your essence from those good-for-nothing flame sorcerers."

"It's not for me," Sollel shook her head as she answered. "It's for the others," Sollel explained. "I'm sure that along the way, we will find and fight different kinds of sorcerers. I don't know if I could be able to contain other sorcerers' essence that was not flame in an essence vessel, but I'm still willing to try. For Gatria, Aenwyn, and Astrid."