Her Dawning Empire: The Prophecy

Chapter 69

I let out a sigh as I placed the last item- the sun hat- into my bag before shutting it. Ayla stood beside me, doing the same with her own bag.

We were back in the storage room we had come to in the first day and the wave of nostalgia that hit me was overwhelming. It had been around two weeks staying here and now leaving so abruptly made me a little emotional.

"Got everything?" Maya's tense voice called from the door and I turned to look at her before nodding numbly. She offered a small smile at this and I moved towards her, Ayla following behind.

"I can't believe we're going back already." Ayla muttered sadly, her sapphire blue eyes twinkling with unshed tears and Maya let out a huff.

"I can't believe we're to fight a Baken." She retorted and I felt a shudder erupt down my spine at the mention of the chilling creature.

After Bomani had said those dreaded words, we had burst out with an array of questions, all of which Bomani ignored. He told us that all the details will be told when we head back home, so that's what we were doing- packing for the trip.

None of us deigned a response to Maya, walking down the stairs towards the courtyard where the boys were stood, talking to Bomani; bidding him goodbye. I let my gaze slip to the 3 to 3 beds, lined adjacent to each other before turning away. We had thought we had longer here and I had become so habituated to it.

"Girls." Bomani greeted with a small orderly smile as we neared him and I gave him a tight-lipped smile in response.

"We will make you proud, Ustaaz." Maya spoke first, with a determined expression and her hair away from her face in a scarlet braid.

He nodded in response, clasping his hands behind his back.

"I have no doubt about it." He added to which she smiled slightly and he placed a hand against her shoulder.

"Take care of your father." He said quietly, but I heard also and watched as she nodded, her lips pursed.

He turned his attention to me then, raising an eyebrow.

"One of my fastest learners." He commented airily and I let out a genuine laugh to which he moved in, placing a hand on the top of my head.

"Believe in yourself, Hanna, you will do great things." He whispered in my ear and I nodded, watching as he turned to Ayla who had tears welling in her eyes.

"Oh, don't you cry again." He admonished jokingly and Ayla let out a whimper before wrapping her arms around him and sobbing. He tensed slightly at this before placing a hand against her head fondly.

"I will come and see you soon. We will dine in the hall once again, I swear to it." He promised, under his breath as though he was consoling himself, but even then something about the way he said it made me feel as though he didn't truly believe it.

"We need to leave now." Emut spoke suddenly, a hardened look on his face and Ayla withdrew herself with a nod and Bomani stepped back.

"Take care of yourself, students." He spoke his final words, his eyes scouring our faces before Emut nodded to Ayla. I placed my hand in hers and Maya's as she closed her eyes. The last thing I saw was Bomani's tense face; I could see that he was saying something, but his words were distorted and then suddenly there was silence and darkness.

I took a deep breath as I gazed to the familiar courtyard door.

"Home." I muttered to myself and Emut headed forward, opening the courtyard with a resounding creak. I was taken aback by the courtyard that differed greatly from the one in Bomani's residence. Whilst the one there was blank, making it easier to hold training there, the one here supported a range of crops as well as a large fountain in the middle that spewed water. I closed my eyes as I listened to the nostalgic trickling of water. We walked through and towards the living quarters towards Negus's office.