Jamari's mind raced with disbelief and curiosity. "How? What? I thought Vedans were killed here, Corvus," she stammered, her confusion evident.
Corvus, still recovering from the shock, replied, "I thought so too. Apart from you, I never thought I would see another Vedan of this age. She appears to be older as well."
Kira interrupted their exchange, her voice firm and commanding. "I am not from here like you. You are coming with me," she declared.
Corvus, still wary of Kira's earlier threat, struggled to break free. "Your grip is tight. Release me," he demanded.
Kira reluctantly let go of her hold on the bird, warning him sternly, "Do anything stupid, and I will kill you this time, bird."
With her attention fixed on Jamari once again, Kira asserted, "We leave now."
Jamari's heart pounded in her chest, torn between fear and a burning desire for answers. She attempted to break free from Kira's tight grip, her voice trembling as she questioned, "What is it you want from me?"
"It is not me who wants something from you," Kira clarified, her voice tinged with urgency and hesitation. "It is my king."
Corvus, still bewildered by the revelation, interjected, "The king of Konica, Herad? He will kill her."
Kira shook her head, her gaze fixed on Jamari. "Not the king of Konica. The king of Drakonia."
Jamari's eyes widened in shock and fear coursed through her veins. The Dragon King, ruler of Drakonia, a legendary and powerful figure known for his power and dominance. What could he possibly want with her?
With a firm resolve, Kira proceeded to tie Jamari's hands together in front of her, using a rope as a makeshift leash. The knot tightened, emphasizing her lack of freedom.
"Corvus," Jamari called out, her voice trembling with desperation "is that the king of the dragons?"
Corvus, his feathers ruffled and his eyes filled with concern, nodded solemnly. "Yes, my lady. The Dragon King seeks you for a reason unknown to us. But his intentions cannot be taken lightly" he turns to Kira "will you at least tell us why he wants her?"
Kira ignored Jamari's question, refusing to break her silence. With every step they took, Jamari's fear grew, overshadowing the natural beauty surrounding them in the woods. She couldn't understand why so many bad things had already happened in such a short span of time since venturing into the outside world.
Curiosity gnawed at Jamari, and she couldn't resist asking about the mysterious men who had attempted to take him captive earlier. "who were those men you killed?" She turned to Kira, hoping for a shred of information. But once again, she ignored her, her silence becoming increasingly frustrating.
Questions plagued Jamari's mind, and she couldn't bear the uncertainty any longer. She halted her steps, determined to elicit some answers from his enigmatic companion.
"Unless you give me the answers I seek," Jamari declared, her voice resolute, "I am not moving an inch."
Kira finally stopped in her tracks. She turned to face Jamari, her gaze fixed on her. With a sigh, she spoke, her voice laced with intrigue. "Stubborn, aren't you?"
A defiant spark ignited within Jamari as she retorted, "You have no idea." Her voice carried determination and frustration, her resolve unyielding. She refused to be treated as a pawn in this mysterious game. If Kira wanted her cooperation, she would have to provide him with the answers he sought.
Kira's intuition persisted, a lingering unease settled upon her. She couldn't shake off the nagging feeling that someone was watching their every move, lurking in the shadows and trailing their footsteps. Yet, she chose to push the notion aside, focusing on the matter at hand..
"Just like you have no idea how dire things could become for you if you choose to disregard my words," Kira's voice dripped with a threatening undertone, her eyes piercing into Jamari's soul. "It would be a pity if I were forced to harm you."
A defiant fire ignited within Jamari, her gaze unwavering. "I don't care about your threats," he declared, meeting Kira's eyes head-on. "I know that if you truly intended to end my life, you would have done so already. Spare me the empty promises."
A flicker of surprise danced across Kira's features, her grip on her dagger tightening. "You're right," she admitted, her voice tinged with an unexpected honesty. "I don't want you dead."
In one swift motion, Kira drew her dagger, its sharp edge pressing against the vulnerable curve of Jamari's throat. The cool touch sent a shiver down his spine. "But I can hurt you," she cautioned, her voice laced with a chilling resolve. "Choose obedience, or face the consequences."
Jamari's heart raced, her mind weighed the risks. After a moment of contemplation, she drew in a deep breath, finding strength within. Reluctantly, She acquiesced, her decision made clear as she resumed walking, obediently following Kira's lead.
Corvus landed gracefully on Jamari's shoulder, his voice barely a whisper. "What do you think she wants?" he inquired, his beady eyes filled with uncertainty.
"I have no answer either," Jamari replied softly, her mind racing with thoughts of escape. "We have to find a way out, though," she added determinedly.
"You speak so loudly," Kira interrupted, coming to a sudden halt. "If you wish to plan an escape, at least do so silently," she scolded, tugging on the rope tied to Jamari's wrist.
"It seems she has your enhanced earrings, too," Corvus observed, a hint of concern in his voice.
"She is not so different from me," Jamari remarked, her gaze fixed on Kira.
"Of course, just like you, she is a Vedan," Corvus confirmed, understanding the connection.
"I am awa-" Jamari's words were abruptly cut off as she winced in pain. Something had stung her.
Kira turned around, her eyes darting to the floor where she spotted a scorpion the size of a fist, its purple tail glistening in the dark. It scurried away, attempting to escape, but Kira swiftly grabbed it, pulled it stinger and threw it away. "A purple tail scorpion," she murmured staring at the stinger, her voice tinged with knowledge. "Highly venomous to full-breed Vedans like you."
"Why did it sting me?" Jamari managed to inquire through the throbbing pain.
"It is what they do to Vedans," Corvus explained gravely. "A few of them were scattered around years ago, an attempt to eradicate Vedans in Konica. But the plan failed since eagles happens to find them very delicious."
"We need to get that venom out of you," Corvus urged, a note of panic seeping into his tone.
Kira sighed, sensing the urgency of the situation. She tugged on the rope tied to Jamari's wrist, silently indicating that they needed to continue their journey. However, the venom's effects were already taking hold, and Jamari began feeling lightheaded.
"You do know she could die if you don't get it out," Corvus warned, his voice filled with worry.
"Not now," Kira responded firmly, her determination unwavering. "Before that happens, we'll reach a place where she can be treated."
But the venom continued its insidious assault, intensifying Jamari's condition. Her fingers on her left hand trembled uncontrollably, and her left foot began to numb.
"What is happening to me, Corvus?" Jamari questioned, her voice tinged with fear.
"It's the venom," Corvus explained, his voice filled with genuine concern. "You need immediate treatment."
Her condition rapidly deteriorating, they finally arrived at a riverside, where Kira made the decision to settle on a large rock.
"Sit," Kira instructed, her voice gentle yet authoritative. Jamari complied, her face now even paler than before, drenched in perspiration. Struggling to catch her breath, she clung to fleeting moments of consciousness.
"Why were you not scared of the scorpion?" Corvus inquired, curiosity seeping into his panicked tone, as Kira knelt down beside Jamari.
She retrieved her dagger from its sheath and delicately lifted Jamari's leg to inspect the wound. The once small puncture was now an angry red, sore, and swollen.
"A small creature like that is not enough to scare me," Kira answered calmly, her voice laced with unwavering confidence. "And they do not go after halflings like me."
"You are not a full Vedan," Corvus stated, his voice tinged with curiosity. "That explains why you seem a little different, even though you are obviously a Vedan."
"This will hurt," Kira warned Jamari, her voice steady and cold. With determination in her eyes, she positioned her dagger above the wound.
Jamari's body tensed in anticipation, and before she could prepare herself, pain exploded from her lips in a gut-wrenching scream.
Corvus cawed loudly, his feathers ruffled with distress.
"Keep it down, bird!" Kira snapped at Corvus, her frustration surfacing as she continued to cut deeper, her hand unyielding.
Jamari's screams reached a crescendo, reverberating through the surrounding trees as the blade sliced through flesh and sinew.
And then, a breakthrough-the wound began to ooze a purple substance, a sign that the venom was being expelled.
"The venom is out," Corvus exclaimed, a mixture of relief and concern in his voice.
Kira nodded, her expression grave. "Yes, but it hasn't completely left the body. Bring me the crimson leaf."
Corvus hesitated, his feathers ruffling with uncertainty. "I don't know where that is," he confessed, a trace of worry creeping into his voice.
"Look for it, or she dies," Kira's voice resonated with urgency.
"I don't know what the flower looks like," Corvus confessed, a hint of despair in his tone. "I can't leave my lady all alone. I am her eyesight, as you can see. Go look for the flowers."
"Bird..." Kira began to speak but was abruptly interrupted by Corvus.
"It is either you do, or she dies," Corvus declared, his words heavy with the weight of their predicament. "I am sure your king does not want her dead"
Kira sighed, her heart torn between the need to protect Jamari and the responsibility to find the lifesaving flower. She knew time was slipping away, and a difficult decision had to be made.
Summoning her resolve, she stood up on her feet, determination shining in her eyes. "Run, and I will find you both. But know this, when I find you, I will kill you first bird ," she threatened Corvus, her voice tinged with anger and desperation.
"She is not exactly in the right state to run right now," Corvus responded, his voice filled with concern for his lady. "you have nothing to worry about"
Ignoring his remark, Kira turned away and began walking, her steps determined and purposeful. She left behind the sight of Jamari and Corvus.
As Kira ventured further into the unknown, her senses sharpened, scanning the surrounding flora for any sign of the elusive crimson leaf.
She cursed under her breath, frustration mounting as she sifted through the wild foliage in search of the elusive crimson leaf. The vibrant red color of the leaf should have made it easy to spot, but amidst the dense vegetation, it seemed to hide from her desperate gaze.
Jamari's life depended on finding that leaf, she is of no use to them dead. Once she chewed on it, the venom coursing through her veins would be neutralized, setting her free from its deadly grip. The crimson leaf possessed incredible healing properties, renowned for its ability to mend even the most dire of afflictions.
Kira knew the leaf had to be here, amidst this untamed wilderness. Her determination burned within her, driving her to persevere until she succeeded. The urgency in her heart pushed her to her limits, for she longed to complete her mission and return to her king.
"Where are you, leaf?" she muttered through gritted teeth, her eyes scanning the surroundings with unwavering focus. Every rustle of the undergrowth, every glimmer of red, held the potential to be the object of her search.
A sudden realization dawned on her, sending a chill down her spine. Just like the crimson leaf, the purple tail scorpions that had stung jamari were exceptionally rare.
" where had that venomous creature come from?" she thought to herself. "Was it merely a twist of fate, or had someone sent it, aiming to sabotage the mission?"
Suddenly, a panicked and loud caw echoed through the air, causing Kira's heart to skip a beat. It was Corvus, calling out in distress from a distance. Without hesitation, Kira began running back, her mind racing with questions.
As she arrived at the spot where she had left Jamari and Corvus, her worst fears were realized. Jamari was nowhere to be seen, leaving only an empty space that seemed to mock their previous moments of relief.
"Where is she?" Kira's voice quivered with anger.
Corvus, perched on a nearby branch, relayed the unsettling news. "Someone or something took her. It was incredibly fast, and it disappeared in the blink of an eye."
Kira's jaw clenched, her fists tightening at her sides.
"They managed to take her," Kira growled. "I know just where they are headed."
.
.
.
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"You managed to do what my guards couldn't," King Herad's voice rang out in the palace courtyard, as a man wearing a dark hood walked in the palace. The hooded figure which happens to be a skilled Vedan hunter dragged Jamari's unconscious body behind him, her feeble form barely clinging to consciousness. Marcella's heart ached, and she fought back tears as she witnessed her daughter's plight.
The anguish Marcella felt was overwhelming, yet she knew that any rash action on her part would only plunge them deeper into trouble. In that moment, her focus shifted to finding a way out, to escape this bitter king and reunite with her daughter under better circumstances.
"Why is she weak and unconscious?" King Herad inquired, his curiosity piqued by Jamari's condition.
"I sent a purple tail scorpion to sting her and the other Vedan accompanying her," the Vedan hunter responded matter-of-factly.
"The other Vedan?" King Herad's brows furrowed in confusion.
"Yes, there was another Vedan with her, but she proved too powerful. The purple tail scorpion had no effect on her," the Vedan hunter explained.
King Herad stroked his chin, a contemplative expression crossing his face. "I think I know who that other Vedan might be," he mused, his thoughts racing to the possibility of the other Vedan being kira. "What I do not know is what she could possibly want with her."
"I seized the opportunity when it presented itself, and I brought her here as swiftly as I could," the Vedan hunter reported, pride evident in his voice.
"You have done a great job," King Herad acknowledged, his tone laced with approval. "I will ensure you are duly rewarded. Now, leave and collect your pay."
The Vedan hunter nodded, offering a respectful bow before departing from the courtyard. Left alone with Jamari's limp body on the ground, King Herad fixated his gaze upon her. She appeared frail and disheveled, her complexion drained due to the scorpion's venomous bite and the harsh treatment she had endured.
King Herad's mind wandered to thoughts of his own wife and child, a flicker of recognition crossing his face, but he swiftly dismissed it. "It can't be her," he muttered under his breath, refocusing his attention on the present predicament.
He turned his attention to Marcella, who stood nearby, her expression cold even though she was wrought with anguish and desperation. King Herad spoke softly. "Get her treated, tend to the scorpion bite, and allow her to heal" He grinned "I want her alive for now. Tomorrow, in front of everyone, I will give the people a little entertainment by beheading her in public."
Marcella's shock was obvious as she processed the king's words. The weight of the situation bore down upon her, and she realized the urgency of seeking help for Jamari.
"will he still kill her if he knew she was his daughter?" She thought to herself
.