SAIYA knows that she was being followed since she left the forest, and she also knows who was following her. But instead of calling his attention, she decided to let him follow her until she gets past the village's gate because she doesn't want to cause a scene anymore like what happened in the last village she came from wherein Greyn just appeared in the middle of the crowded plaza.
She might have pretended to be a magician that time, and other people might have believed her, but some people thought of her as the Lord of Shadows and reported her to the nearest Oracle Knights.
She had managed to escape because she cut off her wavy long hair and took off her cloak but that only made her feel worse. After all, she had been taking care of her hair ever since she knew that Erie likes it as well as Azul.
If ever she got caught again this time, she can't think of anything to deceive her enemies anymore.
Silently, she bought everything she needed before making her way out of the village. As soon as she reached the place where there are no longer people around, she stopped.
As expected, the person following her also stopped. That made her smirk.
KANE was a little confused when the person he was following stopped walking. It had been a minute already but he was not moving at all. When Kane decided to approach him, he suddenly felt a sharp knife at his throat. It dug a little bit in his skin and he felt blood dripped from it.
When his eyes looked back on the person, he was already looking at him with a poker face. But even with a poker face, the person looked beautiful in his eyes.
"Who are you?" the person asked in a thin but determined voice.
"So, you're a girl," he whispered to himself before his attention caught the one holding the knife. Based on the hand he saw, he was sure that it was a shadow.
"Who are you?"
Once again, Kane's eyes flew to the lady in front of him.
"I'm just a traveler, My lady."
"No, you're not. Again, who are you?"
He felt a sudden chill in his skin like he was being ordered to speak up by the King himself. He was ready to kneel because of the authority the lady is emitting but he remembered his family again and that made him think properly.
"You seem pretty sure that I'm not a traveler though I am one, My Lady."
"I can feel your bloodlust here on where I'm standing but you're saying you are a traveler? May I know then what did I do to you for you to hold a deep grudge against me?" She asked while her eyes looks directly at his.
He didn't know that the person who they were hunting is this skillful to even feel his bloodlust as he remembered the time when he saw his family's lifeless bodies.
Since the lady knows already, he immediately gave up and raised both his hands to surrender, especially since he felt a lot of presence beneath him; like they were just lurking in his shadow ready to emerge and kill him. He must set aside his pride to stay alive just until he kills the Lord of Shadows.
Yes. He is certain now that the lady in front of him is no other than the Lord of Shadows because he now remembered the symbol he saw on her nape earlier.
"I'm Kane Fiore. I was sent by the Maelie Kingdom to assassinate you," he lied.
"Wow. They sent an amateur assassin to kill me. Pretty interesting," she smirked and it got on his nerves. But instead of making a fuss about it, he decided to not react at all.
Saiya's smirk turned serious again as she looks back at him, "As far as I know, assassins don't reveal themselves; whether it is before or after they killed their target. But since I entered the village, you've been following me."
"I have to follow you to make sure that you are my target."
"Amature, indeed," Saiya sighed, "So? Have you proved then that I am your target?"
"You are the Lord of Shadows. That, I am sure," he said as he readied himself to hit her with his poisonous arrow hidden on the sleeve of his trouser.
But he failed.
Kane didn't know what happened but something hit him hard at the nape and his sight just went black. He almost fell on the ground unconscious, but Greyn had made sure to catch him.
"What shall we do with him, My Lord?"
"Bring him along. I have to know what I did to him for that guy to have that level of hatred against me," Saiya answered coldly as she wears her cloak once again before she continued walking.
Greyn, then, inserted himself on the shadow of the man and took control of the man's body as he suppress Kane's soul for a while.
It was one of Greyn's abilities that she gave, being the General Commander of her army.
She granted it to Greyn when she took over Azul's ten abilities just before the guy disappeared from her life.
But being Azul's successor of that ability and not the original maker of the ability itself, only one of her shadows could use it in a limited time; precisely five hours. More than that will destroy the soul of the original owner of the body her shadow possesses. Greyn can also use it once per person. He cannot use it against that person again.
Greyn looks at his hands as if he owns them. It was his first time using his new ability and it made him feel again. Mesmerized by the feeling of having a body, he became aware of one thing.
He knows how it feels to have a body; like he had one in the past.
But for him, it wasn't possible. He's certain about it because when he was called from the darkness, the first person he saw was Saiya; a battered child he took from Central Town and brought to Chaaya Village.
"Greyn?"
From his hands, Greyn's gaze turned to Saiya who was looking at him from a distance.
"Yes, My Lord?" He answered and kept the questions to itself before following Saiya.
"How does it feel using Azul's ability?" The lady asked him as they walk towards the woods of Markimstin, the largest forest of the Horalian Kingdom.
"I feel heavy, My Lord. Maybe because I have blood and flesh right now."
"Endure it for the meantime. Until we get to the place Samu arranged for us," Saiya whispered as they both got nearer the forest.
Samu is one of her Shadow Soldiers that she extracted from the villagers of Chaaya. Before she ordered her knights to inspect the village they had just come from, she dispatched Samu to investigate Markimstin in advance.
When they finally saw the main road, they turned right to avoid it as instructed by Samu last night. According to Samu, there are some knights dispatched along the road to trap her in case she decides to go to the mainland passing through the forest using the main road.
She and Greyn, instead, took the trail where Samu left a trace to reach the place her shadow arranged for her. Once they reached the cave near the forest, Greyn released Kane's body then carried him inside, leaving Saiya on the entrance with Samu who appeared beside her.
She looked at the forest just a few meters away from the cave as the sunset engulfs it. In a few hours, when the sun sets, she will try to conquer the majestic forest... Only if the forest doesn't kill her first.
After all, Markimstin Forest has another name; The Forest of the Lost Souls.
Ever since the Maelies became the Royal Family of the Horalian Empire, Markimstin Forest became the boundary between the mainland and the other surrounding villages. It covers a hundred hectares just around the mainland and became the fortress that protects the mainland from raiders. Going through the woods without proper guidance from the appointed trekkers will lead to being lost or even death; especially to those who have element powers.
The forest is the main weakness of an element user. Just by stepping inside its boundaries, it immediately sucks up their abilities especially if they don't have the proper gems with them, which are only given by the trekkers.
But there is another way to pass through it... by flying over the said forest. And only the Light Oracles and the Royal Family who has dragons can do that. Even the wind manipulators cannot go over it because right when they entered the forest's boundaries even if they are above it, their abilities will be taken by the said forest.
So basically, the forest is like a prison for the Horalees inside the mainland. But for people like the ones who once lived at Chaaya Village, who are ungifted, it is just a normal forest. But they are all gone now.
Saiya found out about the said forest from the Chieftain when she once talked about her journey to the mainland that is why she managed to instruct her shadows to inspect it first before they enter.
Luckily for them, the forest doesn't affect her shadows because all of those who she instructed to check it came back to her. But she could not be so sure what will be the forest's effect on her as the main manipulator of her shadows.
That is what she will try later.
With such resolve, she followed Greyn inside the cave to talk with the traveler they caught earlier before she decide if she will allow him to live a little longer.
"KANE!"
Kane immediately looked back to the one who called him. It was Khalia, his mother. Tears started falling from his eyes and run as fast as he could. When she carried him, he rested his cheeks on her shoulders and hugged her neck tightly. He missed her so much.
"Oh, my poor baby! Why are you crying?"
"Because I miss you so much, Mom."
Khalia kneeled and put him down before she cupped his face and kissed him on the forehead, "I miss you too, my boy. But I don't want to see you yet. You have something to do, right? Just don't overexert yourself and always remember to be happy. We can wait until you have forgiven yourself and everyone."
She stood up and started leaving. Kane started running after her but it seems that he couldn't reach her.
"Mom!"
"Stay happy, my boy."
"Mom! Please! Don't leave me!"
"MOM!"
Saiya's gaze fell on the guy sleeping on the ground. She saw his tears as he was reaching out his hand. Immediately, her mind started hurting.
When she closed her eyes, she remembered a dark place. It was like a prison.
"My lord!" Greyn called out but her head is hurting a lot to answer him.
"Saiya, my daughter."
Before she could react, her mind turned blank. When she opened her eyes, she saw herself in an unfamiliar place that felt too familiar to her.
It was buzzing with many busy people like she is in the center of a crowded town. Different stalls are aligned on each side of the place and there is also a fountain in the middle.
"Tie her up!" a familiar voice echoed from the right.
When she turned to look at the person, she felt shivers down her spine.
"Priest," she mumbled in a staggering voice.
TO BE CONTINUED