Chereads / Mayari The Mistress of the Moon / Chapter 12 - Chapter 12: Through Her Eyes a Welcoming Gaze

Chapter 12 - Chapter 12: Through Her Eyes a Welcoming Gaze

Riding on Fierns, Evan, Nino, Helen, Dr. Milan and a group of Knights and Guards followed the road that the old lady pointed out. Feirns are large four-legged animal with a mane and tail of feathers, it's body and legs are covered with shiny soft hair, it has hooves, and a long head with a beak of an eagle.

Even thought it's strange and an alien to us but this creature looked majestic, like a new discovered raise of chimeras, Its function is the same as horses too. What can we say, the other world of this journey is strange and mythical.

The road has left and right turns but if you go straight it will lead you to a great area of woods. Evan's suspicion is pointing to the forest ahead so he devided the group and commanded to search.

Time pass by quickly as they roam the snowy woodland. The next thing they know dusk is upon them, the bright sun became dim, and is sinking fast on the sea of golden clouds, but there is still no sign of Mayari's whereabouts.

A guard informed Evan about an abandoned mansion in the forest, Evan decided to visit the mansion but he didn't thought that it was pretty far away.

"Are we almost there?" Evan asked, as he take a turn with his Fiern.

Sound of hooves stomping rapidly on the thick floury snow can be heard throughout the forest. Evan and his small group of men is in full speed ahead. Upon them is already dark with twinkling stars peering through from the shadowy abyss of the night sky.

"We're still pretty far, your highness" a knight, alongside Evan, replied.

"Look!" another knight suddenly exclaimed pointing above.

They all followed the direction he is pointing. Evan and his men pulled their fierns to stop and saw; in a crowd of trees, ashen cinder of smoke is fuming out, like a volcano threatening to explode.

"Something is burning..." Evan muttered, then set his fiern to full speed.

It took them a while to reach the mansion but they made it. A blazing house of red flower greeted them as they get off their fierns. The house was black as a coal and devouring it is a fierce body of great fire.

After setting foot on the snow, Evan take a step forward and grip his sword. He slowly pulled it out of it's hilt, it's blade was sharp and clear that it even gleamed as the light of the great flames stroke the silvery metal.

Evan raise his sword above his head and slash it in the air, followed by is a strong force of wind that gently blew the fire to smoke.

"The house is already whelmed up in flames" Nino stated the obvious, "If they were here I think they have already left, your highness".

"Looks like it..." Evan agreed, and was about to ride on his fiern and continue the search when suddenly they saw hoar frost ice covering the coaly front porch of the mansion, they also heard footsteps echoing and it's drawing closer and closer.

Everybody watched still with wide and alert eyes of what will be revealed. Soon after, Mayari came out with Jim heavily injured. Upon seeing the missing girl and the injured man, everyone quickly responded to the situation. The guards quickly slid Jim off of Mayari and heal his wounds.

Evan quickly ran to Mayari, "Are you alright!? Did he hurt you?" he asked in concern.

"I'm fine..." Mayari replied and was about to walk away.

Evan quickly grab Mayari's hand to stop her, "Are you sure you're not hurt anywhere?" Evan asked again, making sure.

Mayari turned and fixed her stare to Evan's ocean blue eyes and say; "Don't worry about me your highness, I assure you that I'm fine" she was about to pull her hand but Evan tightened his grip.

They stared in silence as the snow begins to fall again from the twinkling night sky above. Cold wind gently blew giving a light shake to the sugar-coated trees. The moon was not in sight, but the stars are enough to give them a faint diamond light.

When suddenly, from the corner of Mayari's eye she saw something flicker, just beneath the leaves of the trees. To confirm what she saw she averted her stare from Evan to the group of snowy trees. She narrowed her eyes, then it flickered again, this time it's getting closer.

Mayari then realize it's an arrow, not for her though but for Evan. Without thinking her body suddenly moves on her own, she instantly pulled Evan, block the arrow and take the hit. Luckily it only stabbed on her shoulder.

Mayari quietly groaned in pain, 'What the hell am I thinking?' she thought as she inhaled sharply, sucking the pain and keeping her stand.

Evan, now aware, ordered his men to seize the archer. The unoccupied knights quickly ride on their Fierns and chase the felon in full speed ahead.

Evan quickly move in front of Mayari, "Are you alright!?" he asked still holding her hand, but she didn't answer.

Crimson blood is streaming fluidly in her shoulder like a bloody river. She sat down on the ground, and a droplet of wine fell from her arm, staining the great white icy snow. It is only a small droplet but it instantly scattered like a red brush painting the white delicate rose, red and white, guilt and innocence.

Mayari grasp the arrows stick, and easily pulled it off. Her blood splattered in the snow beneath her, making a pool of melted rubies, it glimmered as the stars above stroke their twinkling light and it vibrated a several perfect ring as another droplet meet the heart of its kind.

She drop the arrow as she reach her free hand to her shoulder and patch the wound. The arrow reached the snowy ground with a silent clink and the blood from its head spread to the snow and reach the rosy lake.

"Your highness! Miss Mayari!" Nino called out as he ran towards them. Finally, he have reached them, "Are you-" he abruptly stop as he saw Mayari bleeding, "W-we need to heal you right away, Ms. Mayari" he said, and called out the medic who had just

"There's no use of it" Mayari spoke merely a whisper.

"What do you mean?" Evan asked.

"The tip of the arrow is poison" she explained, "and it is the same poison I almost died to" Mayari can't forget the feeling of this familiar, unknown poison; the feeling of being strangled and suffocated by thick vines that is like painfully knitted against her skin. The feeling of being fatigue and powerless, making you surrender yourself willingly to death. Luckily, she knows to repel this sickening sensation.

The idea also struck Evan that he quickly asked and hope for that she can; "Can you still do blood bending?"

"You mean the manipulation of the blood? I'll try." She replied.

Mayari then closed her eyes and concentrate, her hand and birthmark glowed red the same way it did that night. Being so close to Mayari, Evan notice the birthmark and its light but he dared not to say a word, not yet. Evan did saw but the others didn't, her cascading night hair rest on her shouder serving as a curtain to the unknown ability that she herself didn't know.

She inhaled and exhaled as she slowly moved her hand away from her wound. Following the glow of her hand, calm flow of vermillion strings emerged from her cut, like a crimson thread making its way through a black piece of fabric while following the needle.

The strings of blood slowly turned into a little orb of ruby, when Mayari is certain that the poisoned blood has been excerpt from her body, she retreated her magic; her hand's glow slowly fade so as her birthmark's like a fire loosing its life and recoiled to a blackish coal, but will soon be ignited when it is needed.

Without her magic the red orb lost its float and dropped to the rosy lake with a splash extending the area of blood in the innocent clear snow, making it its hue.

Mayari let the medic heal her wounds and the rest of the night came riding back to the palace. They safely arrived and informed the others that Mayari has been found. Helen then hugged Mayari and all her worries was forgotten, this time she surely cast a tracking spell on Mayari.

Unfortunately, the archer escaped. They have no clue who it is but telling to who the archer aimed its weapon, Evan is definitely his target. That leaves them to a pit of confusion of who the enemy is after, is it Mayari or Evan?

Mayari already knew the answer of this question and she is sure that the target is not her but the Royal Family of Enchantia. She already realized this from the beginning of how the arrow aimed that night of the Queen's ball but because of the lack of evidence, Mayari stayed quiet doubting that they would believe her.

But Mayari wasn't the only one who knew that she was not the target, also Helen who reasoned to herself that who would wanna kill Mayari and became an enemy of her, she just had arrived in this world, no one hardly knew her. Though, her thoughts are puzzled of who is this enemy is it hers or the Royal Family's, but either way she's determined to find out and end it.

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-Myrim Palace-

It was early in the morning, after doing her daily routine Mayari came out of her room. Breakfast is being served downstairs.

"How are you feeling?"

Mayari turned to see Evan behind her, he walked closer and stopped in front.

"Fine." She replied.

"You're going to the dining room?"

Mayari just nodded.

"The path of this castle is quite confusing so I'll lead you the way." Evan offered and started walking.

Evan was surprised that Mayari didn't decline his offer and just walk beside him. He thought that she would ask for directions instead, and walk pass him.

They we're silent as they walk alongside each other. Neither of them are saying anything only the quiet taping of their feet on the solid icy floor were present as a sound.

Minutes later, Evan opened his mouth and was about to ask, but he hesitated and closed it back.

"Spill it out." Mayari spoke noticing Evan's hesitation to speak.

It took moments but in the end Evan decided to ask; "About are last conversation," he started, "calling me an idiot is kinda mean."

"I don't owe you any apology" Mayari instantly replied, looking ahead.

Evan sighed, "I don't need any apology, I just want to know why you called me that."

"To my judgement a person who help others without gaining anything is an idiot," Mayari replied, "He lost something but gained nothing, truly is foolish."

"Your point of view is predatory" Evan commented with a sigh.

"But fair." She instantly inserted.

"You do have a point but judging someone an idiot because of his kindness is cruel, so I take it back you do owe me an apology" Evan calmly said.

Then Mayari abruptly stopped.

Noticing Mayari's pause, Evan also stopped, he turned to look at Mayari who just stood a few spaces away from him. Evan can't read what she's thinking, her stare and expression hold nothing. Finding nothing to say, Evan also just stared at her in confusion.

"I don't owe you an apology your highness," she spoke, "but I do owe you my gratitude..."

In the blankness of Mayari's dead eyes, something suddenly flickered that instantly caught Evan's attention.

"Thank you..." she said. She had thanked Evan multiple times already but this time, in this moment the thankfulness of hers is different. Evan can somehow hear that behind her cold tone a genuine gratefulness was added.

The sun beamed through the big clear castle window, bathing Mayari with pure radiant morning light. Her dark ebony hair shined delicately as the sunlight gently pat her, her thick furry white dress gave warm to the lonely icy hallway to where they stand staring at each other like long lost lovers stunned to find themselves in the end of their path. She was like a moon in broad day light giving company to the lonely sun.

Her dark bay eyes lightened as the sun gifted her with thousands of illuminating brightness.

Even though her lips still hold a straight line of stolidity and indifference, the welcoming gaze from her eyes are enough to make Evan imagine her invisible painted smile. And he hope to see it personally not from his imagination nor from his dreams but directly from her--- from her beauty of happiness.

With a smile, Evan responded; "Your welcome."

He hoped that someday... someday... he'll see her smile.