MISTRESS OF FLAME

CHAPTER 3

"I am Captain Hutch Hamlin of the Infernal Empire. Some of the Beastrela's residences said you saved a woman. Where is she?" the head of the soldiers asked.

Cira didn't answer. Captain Hutch Hamlin put his left foot on Cira's head to press Cira's face to the ground. "Answer me or we will execute you for assisting a wanted criminal!"

Cira grunted in pain as the captain of the soldiers pressed her head harder. She could feel that it wouldn't take long for her skull to be crushed, but she couldn't open her mouth to tell them where Sollel was. She didn't want to. 

"Where is the woman?!" Captain Hamlin asked angrily. "Speak or I will cut your tongue, you impudent elf!"

"I...don't...know..." Cira answered difficultly. "S-she already left j-just this morning."

"Where?"

"N-north." Cira was squeezing her eyes tightly while feeling the weight of the captain's feet on her head.

Satisfied with the information he gathered, Captain Hamlin took off his left foot from the elf's head and kicked her away from him. Then he ordered his men, "Tie her up. We're going north. If we didn't see the Mistress of Flame on the way to north, we will kill her. For now, feel free to have your way with her."

The soldiers who heard that snickered and licked their dry lips while eyeing Cira hungrily, especially her long, slender legs that were bared because of her torn clothing.

Cira was scared. She wanted to scream, but she knew no one would help her but herself. These were the Infernal Empire soldiers. Whoever dared to go against them would be considered traitors.

While feeling hopeless, she was thankful that she lied. Cira had a feeling that even if she told them the truth, what was about to happen to her now would still happen to her. She couldn't escape, but at least, Sollel could.

But before the thought of Sollel escaping eased Cira's mind, a ball of flame, two times larger than Cira's fist, was thrown from the forest. The ball of flame looked weak that the soldiers even started laughing when they saw it. But when it reached the center of the soldiers' formation, it exploded so massively that Cira felt a ringing in her ear.

In the midst of the fire and confusion, someone grabbed Cira and pulled her to run. But before they could run toward the forest and escape, Captain Hamlin saw through the fire and confusion and blocked their path while taking out the moonrite stone.

Sollel, who was holding Cira's arm, immediately felt her strength being sucked away. She dropped on her knees, weakened by the moonrite. From Sollel helping Cira, now it was Cira helping Sollel.

Seeing the Mistress of Flame on her knees, Captain Hamlin laughed maniacally, already imagining the honor and reward he would receive for recapturing the Mistress of Flame. Captain Hamlin already forgot about Cira; his sole attention was focused on how to maximize the power of the moonrite that he began advancing toward Sollel, his hand holding the stone stretched to its limit. He was too focused on weakening the Mistress of Flame that the captain didn't see how Cira's elven eyes glint with understanding while looking at the stone that he held.

Sollel's body was about to fall to the ground completely when she suddenly felt her strength slowly coming back. She looked around and saw Cira running away with the moonrite stone she grabbed from the captain's hand.

When Cira realized earlier that the stone was weakening Sollel, she immediately made a plan to grab it and ran away, hoping that it would give Sollel her strength back. Cira didn't even know if what she did made sense; she didn't even know if running away with the moonrite was the right thing to do in their situation. She just went with her gut feeling. Using one of elven strengths, speed, Cira stole the moonrite stone and ran away.