Winter (Erityian Tribes Novella, #4)

06 : Loyalty

The mention of their sister made me think of Krystal. They saw their sister burned to her death and for a second, I pictured young Krystal being surrounded by raging flames, yelling my name. I tried pushing that thought at the back of my mind but the guilt was slowly creeping into my heart.

"—ter!"

Dalan's voice jarred me back to reality and the shack was already glittering in ice crystals, stalagmites and stalactites growing from the roof and floor.

The two girls stared at me in terror while Dalan was already holding my right arm, trying to knock some sense into me.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled, looking at Riyo who must be disappointed after I let my power overwhelm me. Again.

"Dalan," he called and Dalan nodded.

He escorted me out of the shack and back to my office in the manor. We were silent the whole time but I could still hear and feel the ice crackling on my fingertips.

"Are they trustworthy?" I asked, almost in whispers, when we got in front of my office.

He let go of my arm. "I still don't know," he answered. "But I can't just watch them get killed. Besides, not all who have fire attributes swore their loyalty and allegiance to Pierre and Flame Spectre." He stopped for a few seconds; a hint of hesitation passed over his face. "They have their own set of beliefs and principles, just like how not every wind attribute user pledged themselves to us."

His words struck something inside me. All these years, my indiscriminate hatred to fire attribute users grew stronger, ignoring the thought that some of them might not want this to happen.

I thought after being officially appointed as the leader of the rebellion force and the Huntres tribe when I turned 20, I'd be less immature, yet I still couldn't control this rage and I let my emotions overpower me.

"I know you have a lot on your plate," he continued, "but you have to stay rational." A gentle wind brushed my skin, sending pleasant thoughts in my head. "You should protect everyone who shares the same beliefs as yours, even if they are from divisions you hated all your life."

Just then, a quick smile escaped his lips, something I didn't expect to see from him. "After all, you are the rightful leader of the Huntres tribe, Lady Winter."

The rightful leader, huh? Those words terrified me before. Honestly, they still do, but I had already accepted my fate. I knew it was the only way for me to survive and to protect everyone.

He started walking away but before he could disappear from my sight, I called his name.

"Dalan." He turned. "Tell Riyo to give me the details once they finish questioning them."

"Of course," he replied while bowing. "I will."

With a new-found motivation, I entered my office and planned for our next move.

***

"Are you insane?"

Hale smiled as if he already knew that that would be my reaction. He just returned from his trip and turned the information he got over the elders. He came rushing to my office, telling me stories about the girl he thinks is his sister. But what surprised me was what he did.

"But it worked!" he beamed.

According to him, a commotion broke out as three members of Flame Spectre got challenged by a gang, who didn't know who they were. He was following the kid for three years, protecting her from harm whenever she's defenseless, while trying to prove that she was, indeed, her sister.

"Still, how could you just give a kid a veinas? That was dangerous," I argued after telling me that he handed her a chain whip.

"She needs it," he returned. "And I already know that she's really my sister." A wistful yet pained smile appeared on his face. "Kelsey is . . . Kelsey is alive and safe."

I couldn't say anything anymore after I saw his expression. Just like him, I felt guilty, too, for leaving Krystal alone. At least, he had found her remaining family. I'm happy for him, really, but there was a part of me that gets envious every time he talks about her.

Before I could lose myself to these emotions again, I breathed slowly and stood up. He followed me and we went to the training grounds but we halted when we saw Dalan walking toward our direction.

"I'll go ahead," Hale mentioned and he started walking away.

Dale slightly bowed and looked at me. "They're clean," he reported.

After he apprehended the two fire attribute users, Riyo and Hilda interrogated them and asked for some information that we could use against Flame Spectre.

"I see. That's good, then."

"They want to see you," he added, making me raise my eyebrow.

"Why?"

He didn't answer my question and just walked so I had to follow him. The girls were still in the shack but they weren't imprisoned anymore. They wore the usual clothing of the force and they kneeled when they saw me.

"They want to swear loyalty to you, my Lady," Dalan said and before I could say anything, the girls started talking.

"I, Faye," the shorter girl said.

"And I, Reya," the taller one added.

"Renounces our allegiance to Flame Spectre and swears to be a loyal subject to you, Winter Alveria, the rightful leader of the Huntres tribe. Hail!" they yelled in unison.

That day, I learned about betrayal and loyalty.

That day, fire and ice, for once, became allies.

***