MISTRESS OF FLAME

CHAPTER 21

"I'm thinking..." Hakken answered.

"Can we go around it?" Grath asked.

Xeke shook his head. "It'll take a week to go around it."

"We can make a raft and then just fight those beasts if they came at us," Zassia suggested. "Looks like we don't have a choice anyway."

"I'll go look for useable logs," said Grath and immediately went looking.

Cira suddenly got up when she got an idea and faced Xeke excitedly. "Use your daggers to send us to the other side."

"My daggers have weight limits," Xeke explained. "I can only use it on you because you're tiny."

Cira's excited expression vanished, and her pointy ears actually moved a little when she heard how Xeke described her. "Take it back! I'm not tiny! I'm tall and slim! Not tiny!"

Sollel handed the water canister to Cira. "Drink and stop shouting, Cira. You'll be dehydrated."

Cira accepted the water canister while glaring at Xeke. Xeke just smiled at the adorable elf glaring at him.

"I can transport myself and Cira with my daggers to the other side," said Xeke, "but you four had to think of something to cross the river."

"Let's do what Lady Zassia suggested," said Hakken when he saw Grath coming back with useable logs. "But instead of making logs, let's just throw them in the river since we don't have other materials to make one and use them to cross the river fast. Grath, you're strong and agile—you carry Zassia. Grath's task is to cross the river using the logs, while Lady Zassia's task is to counterattack and defend in case the alligarean makes a move to attack."

Grath and Zassia nodded.

Then Hakken faced Sollel. "My lady, I will carry you. You will be responsible for attacking and defending."

Sollel nodded while smiling a little because Hakken finally spoke to her. "Okay."

"I'll start," Xeke said before throwing his dagger upward. The moment the daggers multiplied and flew down to the ground on the other side of the river, Xeke vanished and appeared on the other side in just a second. "Lady Cira, your turn," said Xeke before controlling his daggers to float in the air, making a staircase for Cira.

With Cira's agile body and with the help of Xeke's daggers, she was able to cross the river effortlessly.

The next pair to cross were Grath and Zassia. Zassia was on Grath's back, her staff ready to attack.

"Ready?" Hakken asked the two. Grath and Zassia nodded.

Hakken counted one to three before throwing the logs on the rivers.

The river flow was not fast. Grath easily managed to jump to the nearest log. Grath jumped and balanced himself with ease even though he was carrying Zassia on his back. Jumping to the third log, Grath and Zassia were already in the middle of the river when their movement on the surface caught the attention of the beasts down below.

As Grath jumped to the fourth log, out of nowhere, an alligarean's wide open mouth came from the water, ready to bite the two. Zassia's fireballs rapidly shot at the alligarean, hitting its mouth and eyes, distracting the beasts. Zassia's hands were shaking in fear, but she held on to her staff tightly.

And when the beast recovered its bearing, before it could try to bite Grath and Zassia again, it was hit by Sollel's ball of flame and Cira's arrow.

"Hurry!" Hakken hissed when he saw other two alligarean surfacing.

Grath held Zassia's knees tightly while Zassia conjured and shot fireballs after fireballs at the alligareans as they moved, making the beasts angrier.

A relieved sigh came out from everyone when Grath and Zassia safely landed on the other side of the riverbank.

Zassia's legs were shaking as she got off from Grath's back. "That was crazy. I don't want to do it again..."

Grath smiled. "We're safe now, Lady Zassia."

Zassia nodded and looked at the other side of the river where Hakken and Sollel were.

"You can do it, Your Highness!" Cira said while jumping up and down and clapping her hands. "You can do it! Burn them! Yey!"

Zassia gripped her staff tightly and conjured three fireballs. "I will help too."

Grath couldn't do anything but pray for the queen's safety, while Xeke's hand readied his dagger just in case the two needed a hand.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the river, Hakken asked Sollel. "Ready?"

Sollel nodded and went to stand in front of Hakken. "Carry me on your shoulder. I have to see the whole area to defend us both."

Hakken nodded and was about to move to throw the logs in the river when Sollel stopped him.

"Hakken."

"Yes, my lady?"

"Stop sulking already."

Hakken smiled. "Yes, my lady. Did I worry you?"

"A little."

Hakken's smile widened. "That makes me so darn happy." Hakken then bent down to pick up the logs and threw it on the river before facing Sollel. "Ready?"

Sollel nodded.

"Perfect." Hakken leaned down a little to wrap his arms around Sollel's body and carry her on his shoulder. "Hold on tight."

Sollel quickly wrapped her arms around Hakken's neck as Hakken jumped to the log on the river.

"My lady, you are welcome to choke me anytime but not at the moment," Hakken said when he felt Sollel's hold on his neck tightening as he jumped from one log to another.

"Impudent." Sollel clicked her tongue and released a ball of flame to the nearest alligarean that was about to attack them.

The impact and the blast of her ball of flame was enough to knock back any beast, giving them time to safely traverse the river.

Sollel released a sigh of relief when she saw that they were near the riverbank on the other side of the river. But just when Sollel let down her guard, a bubble formed in the river. Hakken was in the middle of jumping to the nearest log when, suddenly, a humongous alligarean jumped out of the water, just inches under Hakken in midair, its mouth wide open and ready to devour the two. 

CECELIB | C.C.