MISTRESS OF FLAME

CHAPTER 21

After walking for a few kilometers, the group finally saw Castetava on the horizon.

"Yes..." Zassia dropped on her knees, crying in happiness. "Finally..."

At that same moment, Cira woke up, and she jumped down from Grath's back as if she just didn't expend her essence. "Yey! Bed! Food! Cira is coming!" After shouting gleefully, Cira excitedly ran toward Castetava, leaving them behind.

Sollel shook her head. "She's too wild when excited."

Hakken was beside Sollel, and he used to share little conversations with her, but Hakken had been silent beside her since yesterday. Sollel was amused than annoyed because she knew the reason Hakken had been silent.

Sollel stepped closer to Hakken to ask him in a low voice. "Still sulking?"

Hakken didn't answer, making Sollel smile. She didn't know why she enjoyed seeing Hakken like this—silent and sulking. She enjoyed seeing how his expression changed because of her.

"You've been sulking for two days now." Sollel kept up with Hakken's face and poked Hakken's left cheek. "Stop sulking already, Hakken. We're about to reach Castetava."

But Hakken remained silent, not minding Sollel poking his cheek. And even how much Sollel urged Hakken to stop sulking, Hakken didn't give her any attention, amusing Sollel even more.

After Sollel had enough poking Hakken's cheek, she glanced at Zassia to check up on her. Sollel smiled when Zassia was still doing her best to control her flame even though she failed a hundred of times already. Grath kept glancing at her like he wanted to ask something but always deciding not to.

Sollel wanted to talk to Grath too, but she wanted to cross this barren land first.

After an hour of walking, Sollel frowned when she saw Cira's back. Sollel thought that Cira would be in Castetava by now since she left them behind earlier, but it looked like she was mistaken. Cira was crouching down beside a riverbank, and she looked like she was sulking while drawing something on the ground with a stick.

And when Cira saw Sollel, she immediately ran to Sollel to complain. "Your Highness! We have a problem!"

Hakken immediately understood Cira's complain. "This river..."

"Yes! That damn river!" Cira pointed her finger at the river in front of them as she sat on the ground, sulking. "I thought barren lands don't have rivers, but nope. This barren land has one, and it's wide at that. I want to sleep on a soft bed and eat some good food fast, so I decided to swim this damn river. But when my foot touched the water, a four-meter-long beast with a wide mouth and sharp teeth suddenly appeared, nearly biting my feet off! Good thing I was quick." Cira's eyes were filled with tears. "Your Highness! My food! My bed! And that damn Xeke just left me behind! I mean, he left one of his daggers, but he still left me behind!"

"How long has it been since Xeke left?" Hakken asked.

"Present." Xeke just appeared out of thin air.

Cira glared at Xeke. "How dare you leave a woman like me all alone! What if something bad happened to me?"

Xeke looked at Cira like that was not going to happen. "I don't think you're the kind of woman who needs protection."

Cira rolled her eyes but still smiled proudly. "Of course!"

"That's why I left." Xeke smiled before turning to face the other side of the river. "There are alligarean beasts in the river and demon foxes in the other side. I already took care of the demon foxes, but the alligarean beasts..." Xeke stared at the water. "They're very poisonous, and they spit out a liquid that could melt anyone's skin in a matter of seconds." Then Xeke turned to Hakken. "Any idea how to pass this river?"